Items that should be adressed (feedback after several flights)
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@voice-of-reason
Thank you so much for the fast and comprehensive response to my observations. Sorry for the long message as I know I can be very nit-picky but the few aircraft I deep dive into are normally only the ones really worth it and with a nice developer team behind it :).One possible idea to circumvent the tablet idea: why not use the weather radar screen functions that you already implemented to do so?
I am not a programmer but this should be more straight forward to connect the input and and desired outputs with an infrastructure you have already in place :). Because everything is better than that crappy default system.For the passenger models I refer to the ones uses by GSX, many addon aircraft etc. They are available. Also some freeware mods (like the CJ4 one) do have models. So there are solutions out there which you would have to place in the aircraft but would not have to create them.
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I can fully understand why a developer choose not to include an EFB, that must take a lot of time! However, a possible solution for developers that doesn't want to do everything from scratch might be this upcoming product:
https://msfsaddons.com/2023/07/06/katiepilot-the-developer-behind-the-efb-on-the-fenix-a320-announces-efbpro-a-customisable-standalone-efb/I don't know if it will be possible to control things like doors etc from an app on this "OS" but if it is it certainly looks like an interesting alternative.
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From what I can see in the weather radar code -- it should be possible (and fairly easy) to write a mod that would replace some page of the weather radar (for example "standby" page [or if while in "standby" page after some button press] ) and display it's own UI.
Not sure if there is enough "screen real estate" for "proper EFB" there, but I may give it a shot at least to manage doors and stuff like that.
But ultimately, having a 3d model in the cockpit with html gauge that can be "replaced" via mode (i.e. like in this examle would be the ultimate solution for a moddable EFB).
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@voice-of-reason Here is the image is something I came up with in a couple of hours. Essentially, it is possible to customize the weather radar screen with such "custom EFB" that accepts mouse clicks and of course can have more complex UI. I will have time later in the month to make a more complete mode, but wanted to share what is possible and get feedback if the developer would be happy to either include the optional tablet model described earlier. Otherwise the mode would need to be installed as a "patch" to his code in the weather radar gauge, which IMO is not ideal.
Also, here is a short video on how it works: https://youtu.be/UmxAB_k1n4s (sorry for quality, it's still processing)
Also also, important note is that the "mode" only replaces the "TST" page of the weather radar.
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@knidarkness Thanks for this. I have sent the details and link to the developer, we'll reply in due course.
Thanks again.
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@voice-of-reason said in Items that should be adressed (feedback after several flights):
KMC 321 Mode Controller:
All changes have been made, and are ready for the update. Previously, the switch could only be used to adjust commanded vertical speed. I also found that a connected KAS297B will momentarily show the vertical speed information when it is adjusted externally, which is now implemented.Just to be sure, the IAS will also be implemented? I would like to use the real function to dial in the IAS during climb :).
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Ta-da, and now I can manage W&B without the toolbar W&B panel :)
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@knidarkness very nice to have ;-)
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Quick reply direct from Nick at Black Square, mainly for @knidarkness
'Thank you all for your contributions here. Clearly, a web designer is exactly what it takes to make this interface a reality! I would be delighted to work on this together (I believe you've been in touch with Just Flight on my behalf), but I will provide a warning out of an abundance of caution. When it comes to an aircraft as complex as mine, there can be cascades of unintended consequences when making modifications like this. For instance (though I'm sure you already thought of this), simply toggling the doors with the native commands does not lock/unlock them, which may confuse the pressurization system. Nearly every system in my aircraft has some caveat like this, some more severe than others. I am happy to put significant time into achieving a goal like this, but I thought I should offer fair warning that it's not always as easy as it may seem. I would look forward to the opportunity, though!'
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@voice-of-reason Thanks for relaying it back and to Nick for taking a look at it!
The warning is absolutely fair! It would be great to make this addition as this is quite nice QoL feature for products I thoroughly enjoy. For the fuel and payload -- you seem to be using the default simvars for tanks & payload stations, so that seems to work fine.
For the more complex "flows" so far I've been looking into the (IIRC)
interior.xml(or whatever is the filename that matches "clickspots" with proper events) and replicating the flow via the JS code (by calling theKevebts and/orLvarsas it is defined in the xml) with some delay between actions to allow for animations/internal state change. That seems to work for the doors at least, and I'd imagine should work for other stuff as that's (at least in the eyes of the sim) they way user would interact with the plane?As for the failures (which is ultimately something that's IMHO is very beneficial and at the same time most complex to properly integrate) -- probably the "simplest" way (as of now -- mostly guess) would be to have the triggering logic in the EFB/tablet/etc, and whenever we want a new fault to occur -- send custom event (or at worst change LVAR) that can be intercepted in the current codebase and set in the
activeFailuresListThis would allow to add more complex triggers (e.g. altitude, IAS, additional exceedances and so on) without completely overhauling (or overriding) existing codebase.For the immediate future (most likely in the end of this week, when I once again will have more free time, or at the latest the one after it) I'll spend a few more hours improving the WXR "fake-efb" and try to publish to flightsim[.]to.
The only question I don't have an answer to with it regard is how to make it into a mod without violating the license of the product -- because as of now I modify the
bksq_wradar1.jswhich is a part of a product, and hence can't be redistributed.I guess the "least bad" option would be to do a diff of two files and somehow merge them on user's machine (be it by python script or manually via online tool). But ultimately, having an HTML gauge that one can "harmlessly" override (i.e. tablet/notebook/something in VCockpit) would help with this aspect as well. And indeed simply having more space and not needing to rely on the WXR for "EFB screen" would be ideal.
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@knidarkness Can you please drop me an email and I'll get you connected to Nick at Black Square.
Email me at scott.phillips@justflight.com
Thanks.
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@voice-of-reason done!
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Can someone explain why I am getting a
"TQ Exceedance 2472.8" warning when I'm at 95 percent TQ and 2000 rpm and in 850 Mode ?
All temps are within limits.
Thnx.
EDIT: Sussed it: It's 121 % of 200 RPM in 850 mode. It's quite easy to exceed it.
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P.S. Any chance of the Lvar for toggling 850 mode ?