ActiveSky and toggling AI to get correct ATIS & RWY's

[Agrajag]

Pete,

I've seen a few references to both manual ways and, possibly, an automated way using FSUIPC to get FS9 to updated the ATIS and Runway information after ActiveSky (and other weather products) updates its weather.

What is currently the best method for doing this and did I read too much into the possibility of automating this as of version 3.40?

[Pete Dowson]

What is currently the best method for doing this and did I read too much into the possibility of automating this as of version 3.40?

It isn't really a lot to do with any version of FSUIPC, other than using a version 3.12 or later, when the Traffic Density Toggle control was added to the Buttons and Keys lists of controls.

I don't know about 'best' method. Before I added that control the method some folks used was to wait until the weather was set for the departure airport, then change airports -- go somewhere a good 50-100 miles away at least. Then return. FS will restart its traffic.

With the FSUIPC control, I just run FSMeteo (or ActiveSky), let it set the weather up whilst I'm busy pre-flighting, generating my plan and setting up Radar Contact and the FMS, then, when the weather is clearly set, press my key combination which is programmed to "Traffic Density toggle" -- twice (first time zeroes the traffic, second restores the previous percentage). That's it.

Actually, thinking about it, it would probably be a bit better to toggle it "off" to start with, so FS doesn't both with AI traffic for a while, then just toggle it back "on" when ready.

Someone did ask if the weather program could do this automatically, and I did say, yes, it could -- since version 3.40 of FSUIPC -- as the added FSUIPC controls can be instigated through the FSUIPC interface just like the FS controls. Maybe this is where the confusion arises? I think the person who asked was going to go off and suggest it to whoever writes his favoured weather program.

For myself, I am not really in favour of it being done automatically because, whilst zeroing traffic is almost instantaneous, toggling it back to, say, 100%, can take a noticeable time during which you get a progress bar on screen. How long it takes depends on how much traffic you've added. Personally, I'd rather this was under my control.

Regards,

Pete

[Agrajag]

Before I added that control the method some folks used....

Wow, what a mess! That's exactly the kind of thing that would have turned me off to the point of no longer using the product. It's not their fault but I just hate annoying work-arounds.

I've set up CTRL-A to that toggle. I'm so new to ActiveSky that I'm just now getting comfortable with its usage. As best I can tell, the way I know that they're set is that my weather setting changes from Clear to "User-Defined" so I assume that means they've changed it.

You mention toggling it "off" to start but is that an option? Is there a way to tell it to start off given that it's just a toggle? I suspect that means there'd be no traffic when you came in, but then when I hit the key, it would appear. Also, do you have to wait between toggles or just back-to-back key presses?

Auto would work fairly nicely for me as I run at 40% so it's not too bad. I find that with the current level of AI coding from MS that going much higher than that causes that unwanted mess of far too many planes clogging up runways and landing on one another, etc.

BTW, I mentioned this in another thread but in case you missed it, thanks a bunch for the Run capability. It's great to be able to auto-start ActiveSky. The only issue I have right now is that FS9 starts and puts up the splash screen. Then I see ActiveSky starting with its splash/progress bar screen over the FS9 splash screen. Then FS9 takes over and I'm at the main menu but then ActiveSky finishes loading and grabs focus again and pulls me out of FS9. The ActiveSky support guy (Jim) said to just set the Properties to Run Minimized but I'll be darned if that works for me. I figured there should be a way to tell an application to run in the background. Any thoughts?

[Pete Dowson]

That's exactly the kind of thing that would have turned me off to the point of no longer using the product. It's not their fault but I just hate annoying work-arounds.

What product? FS2004 I presume you mean? Well, on the contrary, I do think it is their fault. When the wind changes direction the ATC should reassign aircraft not actually on finals to the new runway. It doesn't matter where the weather comes from -- the same applies to FS's own weather settings or downloads!

Someone has mentioned that since the FS9.1 update this does happen, but I've not noticed it. Mind you, I don't get time to fly that often.

You mention toggling it "off" to start but is that an option? Is there a way to tell it to start off given that it's just a toggle?

Sorry, you've lost me.

I just meant, instead of toggling it twice when the weather is set, do the first toggle earlier, so that FS doesn't waste time driving AI aircraft around when you are going to remove them later in any case. Remember, the process to get them restarted is to toggle them off, then on again. There's no reason those two actions need to be together.

do you have to wait between toggles or just back-to-back key presses?

The first one (switching off) seems to be almost instantaneous in effect, so I guess you don't need to count to five or anything in between. Sorry, this is not an area I've researched.

Auto would work fairly nicely for me as I run at 40% so it's not too bad. I find that with the current level of AI coding from MS that going much higher than that causes that unwanted mess of far too many planes clogging up runways and landing on one another, etc.

Well, I'm an Ultimate Traffic fan, with a lot more than the default, so it affects me a lot more. I've always used 100%

I figured there should be a way to tell an application to run in the background. Any thoughts?

It needs to be in the program. I don't know how to enforce that. I have similar issues with the only program I run in addition to FS on my FS PC -- Project Magenta's MCP program. It runs okay in the background, but during loading it displays a PM identity graphic which forces Windows from FS full screen mode (on 3 Parhelia monitors) into windows just to show me, minimising FS as a result. I always have to click the FS icon in the task bar afterwards. I keep meaning to have words with Enrico about that.

Regards

Pete

[Agrajag]

What product? FS2004 I presume you mean?

No. Any add-on that would require what you initially laid out before the Toggle Traffic Density option. But you raise a good point. The weather changed. FS9 should be aware of that, period. Hmm, great point.

There's no reason those two actions need to be together.

Gotcha.

The first one (switching off) seems to be almost instantaneous in effect, so I guess you don't need to count to five or anything in between. Sorry, this is not an area I've researched.

heheh. No problem. I'll take all the help I can get at this point. Currently I've gone into Keys, set CTRL-A to Toggle Traffic Density and set it. The only issue I have right now is that I'm not seeing any visual indication of the toggle doing anything. The AI aircraft all stay perfectly in place but I do notice that the ATIS is reading off correct weather information. I'll have to go back and read the docs to make sure I'm invoking the key right. I don't set any parameter and don't set any "on release" state.

Well, I'm an Ultimate Traffic fan, with a lot more than the default, so it affects me a lot more. I've always used 100%

Same here, plus GA-Traffic. If FS10 or beyond actually fixes the darned AI so that they get lined up properly and taxi properly, it'll be amazing to just watch!

I always have to click the FS icon in the task bar afterwards. I keep meaning to have words with Enrico about that.

Hahahaha. The more we spread the word on this, the better. I just got fairly lucky. I found out that if I click on the FS9 screen just after it grabs focus and gets to the first menu, it keeps the focus.

Now I'm off to go resolve a Time issue which has cropped up. Not sure, but since ActiveSky got installed I've noticed that much of the time my local time and Zulu time (thanks for the lesson on Zulu time with regard to aircraft clocks) on the FS9 time menu are exactly the same instead of being sync'ed 5 hours apart. Zulu time is actually, in that event, local time but all the settings for things like "Dawn, Day, Dusk and Night" are all wrong. For example, if I click Day, it's actually dark out. Should be a fun one to figure out.

[ronzie]

OK. I started this query in another thread and posted the response in Active Sky forum on AVSIM.

In my case I unssigned crtrl-t in FS9 and assigned that to the AI toggle.

Pete: In FS9.1 I did not see ATIS or AI traffic flow change within a reasonable time after weather writer completion as rep[orted by FS9.1 ATIS. On using the toggle it did refresh after a reload. So I don't think the patch fixed it.

Agrjag: I usually start from a parked location with adjacent parked AI. I can see them disappear and reappear. On large aircraft I have a TCAS function with Reality-XPs JL suite of EHSI. For smaller TCAS I use the gauge that came with Ultimate Traffic 2. I can see AI vanish and remploy on these gauges. There are some freeware ones around.

An interesting observation before I applied the toggle: I think I recall with Radar Contact on the completion of weather writes from AS, I'd get one ATIS report (current) from RC but FS ATIS was still the old one. Not sure though. With the toggle all matches.

Another application is if you are at a busy airport in a take-off queue. If I can't wait (I usually do) the "magic refresh" puts me in front. Also using this at the end of preflight when your aircraft has been set-up at a parking spot reduces the number of AI that have taxied into the take-off cue before you were ready to taxi. Without a real copilot it takes longer to set up an aircraft system so I do not feel guilty doing this after the setup.

.

[Agrajag]

I too start where I can see several AI planes but none move, however, it appears ATIS information does change. I come in and it's "altimeter 2992" and then after the toggle it's something else so clearly I've managed to update the weather, or so it would seem.

I also use CTRL-S to get a top-down view of the airport and see no planes go away.

BTW, are you using any setting for the Parameter field in FSUIPC? I had it set to nothing initially and now it's set to 40 but I suspect as a toggle, it may not look at that.

Hey, I just had a thought. Are you running AI at 100% also? Perhaps my running at 40% is the reason I'm not seeing anything. I would think this toggle would remove ALL AI from the screen (does it?) but perhaps it's only removing those aircraft that I never loaded in the first place. If you get a chance, could you try 40% and see what happens when you hit the toggle?

[Pete Dowson]

Now I'm off to go resolve a Time issue which has cropped up.

... Should be a fun one to figure out.

I gave up trying to figure out FS's time shenanigans. Try the freeware "FSRealTime". I use that. Make sure you get the FS2004 version though.

Regards,

Pete