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Newer flight number style


707FAN

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How does tower 3D pro handle the new style flight numbers rapidly appearing around Europe. An example is 

OE322 /LDM77ULaudamotion

ATC uses the new format for communications with the aircraft.i.e this aircraft is LDM77U as far as ATC is concerned.

I have tried to find more info on this without much success. Can someone please enlighten us simmers on what the story is on these number formats.

Kev M 

 

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Yeh at present it doesn't see these flight numbers because they are not in the schedule BUT in the future if they become the norm and the old type flight numbers are dropped, then how will the program handle a flight number of RYR96EK. instead of FR 9741. It might be something for the next program release.

Also I can"t find out why these numbers were initiated. I can only think it was to stop confusion over similar flight numbers. c'mon who can answer this.😊

Kev M

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Kev,

Tower3D! reads the xxxx.schedule.txt file and, using your example above, it would be something akin to:

                  VIE,  BCN,  320,  OE,  322,  12:00,  08:45,  1,  OE  (The schedule must be written using 2-letter IATA airline codes.)

Then Tower3D! reads the xxxx_airlines.txt file which converts the 2-letter IATA code into the 3-letter ICAO airline code:

                   LDM, OE, LAUDA MOTION, Laudamotion, Austria

So OE 322 from the schedule becomes LDM 322 which is then seen on the flight strips and command window.

The single flight number is the one from the schedule file so, in your example, either 322 or 77.  You can add a letter (in this case U) in the schedule file and it will appear on the flight strips and in the command window but TTS and voice recognition ignores it.

In a similar manner the 3-letter IATA airport codes used in the schedule are converted into 4-letter ICAO aiport codes, to be displayed within the game, by the xxxx_airports.txt file, for example:

                 BCN BARCELONA_SPAIN                           41.18 N   2.05 E LEBL

Why this mix and necessary conversion from IATA to ICAO codes? Only the developers can answer.

Why each airport folder needs its own airlines & airports file instead of single lookup files for all airports defeats me.

More items for the next version?

Wayne

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54 minutes ago, hexzed said:

At least the game will accept this change, even if the implementation of it isn't 100% correct 😊

Not true. In the example above, if 77U is being referencd by ATC as part of the call sign - the sim does not handle the U in the flight number. It is currently being ignored. 

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Why this mix and necessary conversion from IATA to ICAO codes? Only the developers can answer.

When we developed Tower!2011 (and T!3D's scheduling is based on it) we had different databases and worked with them this way. We never thought (hoped) one day the community will pick it up and create it's own schedules. Please remind us to change it for the next tower version. I agree, this is confusing.

Why each airport folder needs its own airlines & airports file instead of single lookup files for all airports defeats me.

It's for the add-on airports compatibility. Just easier to edit one airport of a time instead a global schedule.

Thank you

 

Vic

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Vic,

Thanks for your comments on my observations.

For the first point, I see that you agree that a mix of IATA and ICAO is cumbersome and should be streamlined.

For the second, sorry but I disagree with you.  Surely it would be easier to have a master reference file for airlines and airports rather than the current plethora?  The current 16 airlines files within the game do not list just those airlines specific to that airport as there are dozens and dozens of irrelevant listings in each file, same for the 16 airports files.

What about changes? I have to edit the RT airline data because it contains errors.  Here is a somewhat tongue in cheek example, if American Airlines was taken over by Walmart, (e.g. WMT, WM, WALMART, Walmart Airways, USA) using your system we would have to amend 16 different airlines.txt files whereas using my method would require one line of text amended in a central airlines.txt file.

Because the TTS system results in some weird pronunciations I change the airlines.txt files to get the call sign pronounced correctly, but I have to do so up to 16 times when I really only want to do it once.  Then every time RT is updated I have to go back and edit/replace 16 files instead of one.  When EGKK is released make that 17, etc, etc.

Wayne

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21 hours ago, winsaudi said:

@winsaudiThanks Wayne, I was looking for this. This is what I was trying to explain in my opening post.

On the subject of the common txt files I agree that there should be one common file for all  airports. I have made two "Master" files i.e. airlines and airports where I put all the changes in one file. As you say, it does mean copying them to all the airport files which of course I tend to forget to do when I change airport out of the blue. Also like you I spend many hours "fixing" the RT schedules for each airport. Not complaining, just commenting.

For the Dev's.  With the next version, it would make it much easier if there was a series of  'master' files that read across to all airports and were the common source for all add on airports. That way one amendment would be reflected across all DLC's. We live in hope.😉

Kev M

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4 hours ago, winsaudi said:

Vic,

Exactly!  I hope you can see how easy it would be for those of us that edit for reality/correct pronunciation.

Thanks for listening.

Wayne

Completely agree Wayne/Vic/Kev

Would make life a lot easier. Would just need to remember to add any "custom" schedule additions each time a FT updated version came out as it would not necessarily include these?

Gary

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While on the subject, it is my hope that the Old Guard here (they know who they are) will submit a thread for us other folks to look through, perhaps with a poll? - though maybe not crucial, that would list ITEMS just like the one 707Fan posted here.

I would like to see those items that are outside of the Laundry List (aka, stuff we already know needs R&R or redesign) handled in a proper manner so that we get the best brainstorming out of our little niche community and help make the next version all that much better.

Observing here on and off leads me to believe we have more than just a couple gents who definitely have the passion and know-how to make it work.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I can confirm that translating the assigned symbol to the appropriate flight number can sometimes be a chore, as I'm in the process of making up a week of LEBL schedules.

It is a pain in the you-know-what sometimes to track down a flight number based on the route. It sometimes takes referencing four or five sites to determine it.

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