Help with ATC Window?

[Agrajag]

Pete,

Is there any way FSUIPC might be able to help make the ATC window work a bit easier?

I use a CH Products Flight Yoke (and Pro Pedals) and the ONLY thing I really need to continually reach for the keyboard for is the ATC window. Others are recommending VATSIM, GameVoice and such while all I'd really like to do is assign one free button that I have on the Yoke to call up the window and, once it's up, allow the hat on the yoke to let me select items and such. It seems odd to me that MS made this dialog so keyboard dependent. Any ideas?

[kobra]

You could use the CH software to program the keystrokes you want (hat up=1, hat right=2, etc.)

[Pete Dowson]

Is there any way FSUIPC might be able to help make the ATC window work a bit easier?

I use a CH Products Flight Yoke (and Pro Pedals) and the ONLY thing I really need to continually reach for the keyboard for is the ATC window. Others are recommending VATSIM, GameVoice and such while all I'd really like to do is assign one free button that I have on the Yoke to call up the window and, once it's up, allow the hat on the yoke to let me select items and such. It seems odd to me that MS made this dialog so keyboard dependent. Any ideas?

You can program the keystrokes to your buttons in FSUIPC's Keys page. That's all described in the User Guide.

If you want the hat to be ignored for this purpose at other times you'd need to then edit the FSUIPC.INI to make those keystrokes conditional. You could make the spare button used to call up the ATC window (either by control or the keyboard '@ key, whatever) also toggle a Flag which would be the condition on the hat button programming. Details for this sort of thing are in the FSUIPC Advanced Users Guide.

Regards,

Pete

[Agrajag]

That's basically the idea. I don't want to lose the functionality of the Hat when the ATC window is NOT up. I absolutely need to have it for quick views and such. But when the ATC window comes up, I really don't need to be viewing much.

Are you saying that I can have the Hat provide its normal functions but then act differently when the ATC window is brought up? The only problem I see is that the ATC window often comes up on its own especially for things like ATC frequency changes (change to command, accept, tune to new freq, contact new freq).

I'm almost annoyed enough to go spend several hundred dollars or more on one of the advanced radio stacks but think that's major overkill over a function I just feel MS gave short attention to for now.

[Pete Dowson]

Are you saying that I can have the Hat provide its normal functions but then act differently when the ATC window is brought up?

If FSUIPC recognises the hat positions as buttons, yes. If not, no. Whether it does depends upon how it is programmed in the joystick driver, I think. Try it -- go to FSUIPC's Buttons page, and move the hat to different positions. See if those are seen as different "button numbers" in FSUIPC.

If not, then I'm afraid I have no answer for use of the hat. You'd have to find some other buttons to share their functions.

The only problem I see is that the ATC window often comes up on its own especially for things like ATC frequency changes (change to command, accept, tune to new freq, contact new freq).

Yes, you'd still need a button (or key) to set the flag so that this special programming can be conditional. You could make the condition on another button being pressed at the same time, but that's a bit more awkward to use than toggling a flag, and you still need a dedicated button or key in any case.

I'm almost annoyed enough to go spend several hundred dollars or more on one of the advanced radio stacks but think that's major overkill over a function I just feel MS gave short attention to for now.

Well, maybe it didn't get enough attention, but however they implemented it you'd still need some means of selecting between choices, so I don't see how you'd do without some use of buttons or keyboard.

I don't use FS's ATC. I find Radar Contact much more satisfactory. And it certainly is a lot cheaper than a radio stack. However, neither solve the problem of needing keys or buttons to select responses.

One other solution you might consider is some form of voice recognition, so you can talk to FS to execute the responses. Voice Buddy seems the latest popular add-on for this, but it looks like, for that to work well, you have to have all sound via the headset. I did for a while successfully use Microsoft's own Game Commander package, which may not be available now but wasn't so restrictive.

Regards,

Pete

[Agrajag]

ell, maybe it didn't get enough attention, but however they implemented it you'd still need some means of selecting between choices, so I don't see how you'd do without some use of buttons or keyboard.

Agreed. What it really needs is a standard row highlight/selector. Even better would be a design to have the commands be tied to commands not numbers as they are now. Then we could really have some fun.

Radar Contact? Really? That's high praise to me. I looked at it earlier on and decided against it and now I can't recall why. I used to use the old ProFlight '98 but hated that it needed to know your exact flight plan and such before you'd fly which essentially meant that you couldn't really change your mind and fly elsewhere. I vaguely recall that being the problem. But I am an ATC fan and do ATC simulating with a program called ATCC from Xavius and Tracon before that so I do look for more realistic solutions. I'll have to go back and look at it again.

Pete, I do try to limit my questions to you but in this case you got my interest going. Does Radar Contact support total coverage from clearance, to ground to tower, to departure and so on?

I also own GameVoice which I think is what you were referring to. I'm in the sound industry so I've fiddled with recognition for decades now and always give it up after limited success and lots of "red-zone" frustration. (If you're not a US football fan the red zone is when the offense gets close to scoring and, of course it's the hardest part to pull off).

I did research Voice Buddy but it seems like just a limited version of GameVoice, albeit with templates dedicated to FS.

[Pete Dowson]

I used to use the old ProFlight '98 but hated that it needed to know your exact flight plan and such before you'd fly which essentially meant that you couldn't really change your mind and fly elsewhere. I vaguely recall that being the problem.

You still have to file a flight plan. All IFR involves flight plans. But you can specify your alternates and declare emergencies. Radar Contact does not handle VFR at all.

The main difference from the old days of ProFlight and Radar Contact 2 is that RC is now a separate program, and runs fine under WideFS on a separate PC. This has several advantages, the main one for me being the separation of the ATC voices to a different set of speakers or, more realistically, a headset. Using one of the voice recognition programs you can actually then have ATC completely on headset without affecting the normal FS sounds on your main FS PC.

Radar Contact is getting more and more sophisticated all the time and some amazing things will be seen as it develops. If you are really into ATC I strongly suggest you give it a try. The authors are very responsive to sensible and constructive suggestions too, so anyone who knows his stuff is always welcome and should ask to get on the Beta team to help development.

Does Radar Contact support total coverage from clearance, to ground to tower, to departure and so on?

Yes. But it doesn't know taxiways so you won't get taxi directions. It's up to you to find the runway for departure and the ramp/gate after arrival.

I also own GameVoice which I think is what you were referring to.

Ah yes, you are right "Sidewinder Game Voice" it was called. It came with a headset (Microsoft-badged Plantronics) and a gizmo for connecting it to USB as well as sound card. It was the only one I ever found which would recognise things pretty consistently without even any training.

I did research Voice Buddy but it seems like just a limited version of GameVoice, albeit with templates dedicated to FS.

Yes, but from what I've read here and there folks do seem to find that it works. As I said, Game Voice seemed pretty good, and I was surprised how well it worked even with the FS sounds all around me on normal speakers. Voice Buddy worries me a little as it seems to imply you have to have all the sound on the headset.

Regards,

Pete

[Jamie Fox]

You still have to file a flight plan. All IFR involves flight plans.

Not quite. In the UK the requirement is that all IFR flights in controlled (class A-E) airspace must file a flight plan. In uncontrolled airspace (F/G) a flight plan is not required, although you need to file one in class F if you wish to participate in the advisory service.

If you'd rather talk to a real person, and the ultimate in 'ATC voice activation', you might want to look at VATSIM instead. It won't cost you anything either.

[Pete Dowson]

You still have to file a flight plan. All IFR involves flight plans.

Not quite. In the UK the requirement is that all IFR flights in controlled (class A-E) airspace must file a flight plan. In uncontrolled airspace (F/G) a flight plan is not required

Sorry, I was referring to FS.

Pete