• IPACS,

    Since your plans regarding development of ATC remains cloaked in secrecy ;) I was hoping to create a post where users could discuss some preferred aspects of the interface portion of ATC. I would be interested in hearing what current capabilities/features exist that folks deem essential to a well designed system. Not the pie in the sky stuff, the stuff that has been done by other developers that is worth noting. Perhaps this could serve the devs well as they cross check their progress vs user expectation - especially if development will remain undisclosed.

    I myself have limited real world experience with ATC and honestly have not tried many of the fancy systems available beyond the major simulators out there. But, I would like to start the conversation with highlighting two simple concepts from the old standard FSX ATC interface that I still find to be very effective.

    1) A simple transparent ATC text window. FSX allows viewing of terrain beyond and uses less obtrusive text blocks than some other ATC interfaces which my look nice but are effectually a hinderance to immersion.

    2) Actual text of ATC dialogue can be displayed. I would like this functionality to be available as I find it super helpful to those novices who are learning and want/need to review what was just spoken.

    Regards, Jeremy

  • Folks, I was hoping we could keep this related to strictly ATC. Let’s not confuse this with other wants as IPACS has clearly indicated ATC is the feature they are working on, so please keep your other agenda items elsewhere so this thread can be more helpful and likely to be read by devs. Thanks

  • I would think AI would be introduced concurrently with ATC. Otherwise, as you say, why bother. The lonely skies will be a buzz one day.

    In reply to the OP. I have always favored selectable levels of traffic, therefore reduced or increased levels of ATC chatter. FSX can drive you crazy with their Piper Cub and Cherokee communications when you are flying a Learjet.

    Regards,

    Ray

  • I would think AI would be introduced concurrently with ATC. Otherwise, as you say, why bother. The lonely skies will be a buzz one day.

    I guess atc will be a while yet, that's not an easy thing to create.

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  • My guess is that IPACS reviewed existing ATC solutions months ago and is now locked in on what they want to deliver in v1.0 and are working hard on that FS2 addition. I will also guess it will be different / innovative.

    I only fly VR so I hope there's a VR option for ATC that is 100% audio / voice-command based with no on-screen text.

  • I only fly VR so I hope there's a VR option for ATC that is 100% audio / voice-command based with no on-screen text.

    I’d like the option to turn on/off text to suit a users interest.

    Voice recognition tech has come so far in just the past two years it’s hard to imagine this wouldn’t be In the planning. Then again, as kenventions intimates, perhaps a v1.0 ATC may well just be a foundation to build from - I hope IPACS doesn’t feel obligated to create the end-all-be-all of ATC out of the gate.

    Agreed that AI traffic, with selectable amounts thereof, is a common feature and the ability to independently adjust GA vs Airliner traffic, such as FSX allows, is a plus. I hope the AFS2 interface accommodates at least some minimal customization options.

  • There is a sim independent training software for ATC in real aviation. This is also with voice recognition and far better then any sim-atc implementation today. If Aerofly could interface this software it would be another game changer.

    Wish for Aerofly FS 2/4:

    - Flightpath recording on hard drive and replay in sim from different view points

    - Smoke for aerobatic planes

    - Multiplayer or at least watching other people flying sitting on ground or inside tower

  • I'd like to see:

    1. realistic voices

    2. proper terminology

    3. as little onscreen stuff as possible (like ProATC and unlike default FSX/P3D/XP where you always need a menu onscreen)

    4. voice as well as button control (I prefer button myself)

    5. AI (no use in ATC without AI)

    6. IFR and VFR support (since there is no weather I suppose VFR support is a given)

    7. improved flight planner including SIDs, STARs, etc.

    8. easy to setup and use without any input of the user apart from setting up the departure and destination (so no need to create SIDs or STARs yourself or to decide what runways to use etc.)

    These are the first things that come to mind. ;)

    I guess atc will be a while yet, that's not an easy thing to create.

    IPACS has been working on it for something like 2 years already by now. It's not that they are just starting with it. But yes, is isn't an easy thing to create: just look at all the available ATC addons for other sims and how they are struggling to get things done...

  • For IFR.

    ATC vectors to final, with the option to request to fly the full approach!

    Speaking of ATC, 'Radar Contact 4' was the best ATC product I've ever used in a flighsim (msfs 2004/FSX).

    I'm not sure if that team is still around, since they haven't updated their website or produced an update in over a decade.

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    Edited once, last by Redtail (May 13, 2018 at 2:03 PM).

  • oder Pro-ATC/X.;)

    ich bin mir sicher,das Aerofly FS 2 und IPACS das beste ATC machen was es für Flugsimulatoren 2018 gibt.:thumbup:;):):)

    bitte ATC auch auf Deutsch,sonst verstehe ich nichts.:D:D

    macht weider So.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

    Enrico

    Edited once, last by NE-76 (May 13, 2018 at 2:46 PM).

  • I would think AI would be introduced concurrently with ATC. Otherwise, as you say, why bother. The lonely skies will be a buzz one day.

    In reply to the OP. I have always favored selectable levels of traffic, therefore reduced or increased levels of ATC chatter. FSX can drive you crazy with their Piper Cub and Cherokee communications when you are flying a Learjet.

    Regards,

    Ray

    I hope/wish ATC and any/all additions to AFS2 are always controlled/selectable by the user with regards to simplicity vs. complexity.

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  • Pro-ATC/X is my favorite third party ATC as well.

    I suspect that the problem is that IPACS never thought about adding ATC when they wrote the initial code, and now they are laboring to create the hooks that will allow an ATC to work inside the FS 2 world.

  • I wrote this in my wish-list for the other simulator of the competence, but I'd love to see them too in Aerofly.

    ATC can go from very simple feature to very complex, so for starters, I think those are the main issues that need to be addressed before jumping into more complicated stuff:

    1) Support for IFR: Fill up a flight plan route. Enter callsign, departure, destination, cruise and expected descent rate. ATC will then approve the route, set the departure runway and the right SID for that route. Ideally, the flight plan can be created inside Aerofly, but by now the users can just use external services to create the routes (as Simbrief). During the flight, ATC will check the plane position to calculate when start descending and what STAR and runway use. On the airports database, would be cool to add an optional field where the community can add the airport operations, so Aerofly will know which runway are actives following certain conditions, time, weather, etc.

    2) Voices: From a library of TTS voices, the player should select the “user voice”. Then the rest of the voices will be assigned to ATC controllers. (at least 3 or 4 voices should be enough for ATC to have variations.) The more the merrier, obviously.

    3) ATC Basic Procedures: Let’s go for the simple stuff first: You need to request clearance delivery, engines start and pushback, taxi, take off, change altitude and start descending. The player should be able to select a different runway either for takeoff or landing and ATC should resync to allow it.

    4) Radio-Communications: All this should be done through a options menu, and we should have the option to auto-tune the right frequency and contact the right ATC. (pretty much like it does now). And ATC should always lead us to the next controller: “contact tower for take-off”. Center Control areas should also be supported.

    5) Contextual: ATC should be able to understand in what phase of the flight we are, and be ready to give instructions for it. For instance, if we are in ground frequency, heading towards the take off runway, once we are getting close, we should be instructed to contact the tower. If the weather at cruise altitude is bad, the ATC could suggest us to use another altitude.

    6) Vectoring: The ATC could vectoring us towards our destination when we are close to the airport, but must keep in mind the altitude restrictions of the area we are flying over. Flying at night with an ATC that doesn’t have in mind mountains can be really dangerous.


    Advanced Features: Things that we should have once the basic stuff is working:

    1) AI Control: ATC is able to handle the player flight plan and other AI planes as well, that have their own flight plans. ATC should order stop to planes that are too close to each other, hold planes when another one is getting ready to land, etc. Same thing when we are arriving at the destination. Handling traffic so we are positioned in a queue of planes for landing and assigned to the right parking position.

    2) AI Voices: We need a wider range of TTS voices here, so we can listen ATC talking to us and to other AI planes as we see them acting in the sim. As a player, I must wait for a previous ATC communication to be finished before I can ask my request. This was achieved by FSX already a long time ago.

    3) Voice Recognition: This can be cool, but no English speakers users can have difficult times with this system, so definitely not a priority.

    4) Support for recording player voice: The way I see this option being used is because in real life you can listen to pilots from different countries. If a recording tool allows the player to record different sentences, numbers, and airliners, we can have a good variety of voices and accents, with the community recording those files and sharing them. I agree, TTS voices are more flexible, but this system can open the community to create amazing variety in the communications. (ProATC is a software for FSX that allowed something like this)

    5) Multiplayer support: This is the holy grail. ATC is able to control multiplayer users. ATC approves flight plans and fits the users in a spot for takeoff/landing calculating the number of flights in that airport and that moment. It really works like an automatized ATC. I can talk with ATC controllers using the voice recognition system -or some menu option-, so other real users can hear me too. If a user ignores ATC control it will ban temporarily.

    I hope we can see a better ATC flow in a near future.

  • Not sure if anyone remembers, and it is not a prefect solution by any means, but I put together something using VoiceAttack last year. It is for VFR only, and not complete, but it does add a bit of realism. If anyone wants to help, we can try to make it better. Clean up the verbage, add more things to it, etc. At least to hold us over till the real ATC is complete.


    Anyone interested in putting a few hours in with me on it?

  • Not sure if anyone remembers, and it is not a prefect solution by any means, but I put together something using VoiceAttack last year. It is for VFR only, and not complete, but it does add a bit of realism. If anyone wants to help, we can try to make it better. Clean up the verbage, add more things to it, etc. At least to hold us over till the real ATC is complete.


    Anyone interested in putting a few hours in with me on it?

    It was from this thread here: Aerofly FS2 + VoiceAttack = Awesome!

    I remember one of the "hardcore" simmers on another forum jumped all over me for liking it. I guess the callouts were not perfectly "realistic" enough.... 8o

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    Edited once, last by HiFlyer (May 20, 2018 at 1:00 AM).