Feature Request, AI Objects

[cknipe]

Hi Pete,

We already know it's possible to inject AI aircraft to the TCAS, and display these aircraft on the TCAS by using FSUIPC.

We already know that FSUIPC uses SimConnect to communicate with FSX and Prepar3D.

We already know that FSUIPC is the preferred method of coding for many, many people as the requirements of SimConnect for unmanaged code make things a little difficult (sorry, I had to).

What's the chances of possibly looking at the possibility to use FSUIPC as a gateway interface to SimObjects in the future, and that those Objects can be placed and controlled through FSUIPC in the future?  @Paul Henty I want to put the same question to you in terms of your .NET client please?

There are, very, very few (if any) publicly available class libraries for sim development especially in terms of multiplayer, and especially in terms of SimObjects.  On the .NET side, I think it pretty much is FSUIPC and the associated .NET client and that is it TBH.  Sorry if I am missing anyone else's work here.

 

Pete suggestion number two please.  Going to take a while to get adopted, but can we please get a section in FSUIPC offsets, reserved for flight planning and storing of the flight plans?  Instead of enjoying a flight from point A to point B, we ALL find ourselves, entering the same flight plan into this app, that app, this app, then that app... At the end of the day, it took you 30 minutes to just setup all the various applications that needs a copy of your flight plan.

Logic here is you enter the flight plan into one application, that application stores it in FSUIPC in a set data standard, and all other applications can then read the flight plan from there.  Which ever application receives the flight plan first (by the user entering it) can populate it in FSUIPC, and the rest of the apps can just monitor the offset(s) for data to obtain it.  Fairly simple process, plenty of space available in terms of offsets / memory, and if it takes by the community, definitely something that will save all of us a lot of effort moving forward.

Thnx,

Chris.

 

[Pete Dowson]

On 10/12/2018 at 12:27 PM, cknipe said:

We already know it's possible to inject AI aircraft to the TCAS, and display these aircraft on the TCAS by using FSUIPC.

That's just adding data to tables. It doesn't involve anything in the Sim itself. It was only ever used by on-line ATC systems (VATSIM etc) so that other users aso on-line can be seen with TCAS.

On 10/12/2018 at 12:27 PM, cknipe said:

What's the chances of possibly looking at the possibility to use FSUIPC as a gateway interface to SimObjects in the future, and that those Objects can be placed and controlled through FSUIPC in the future? 

Why not use SimConnect directly? Most all of the FSUIPC program interface facilities were implemented in FSX and P3D just so that older (FS9) programs could still be used. Small enhancements to expand those capabilities were added on request, but I am most reluctant to implement such larger facilities when such programs should by now all be using SimConnect.  (BTW originally Microsoft expected SimConnect to completely take over from FSUIPC, which is why they invited me over to Seattle to discuss this -- at that time i also expected this).

On 10/12/2018 at 12:27 PM, cknipe said:

can we please get a section in FSUIPC offsets, reserved for flight planning and storing of the flight plans?  Instead of enjoying a flight from point A to point B, we ALL find ourselves, entering the same flight plan into this app, that app, this app, then that app... At the end of the day, it took you 30 minutes to just setup all the various applications that needs a copy of your flight plan.

There are better ways. Mostly I use programs which handle all this. The main step is to get the plan loaded into the Sim. That is easy, and several do that already -- ProATC/X and Pilot2ATC will load the cleared plan into the Sim when you get clearance.  And other programs like ActiveSky, and maybe EFB and FS-FlightControl, either do load such plans automatically on option, or such facilities have been requested and are pending. I think having the central source of the plan being the one operational in the Sim is by far the best solution. FSUIPC does provide the full pathname for that plan.

For other purposes, you need to Plannig program to output the resulting plan in whatever formats you need, and placed in the correct folder for quick and easy loading. PFPX in my planner and it certainly provides such facilities.

Pete