X-Plane plugin v1.8.6 released

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Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
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X-Plane plugin v1.8.6 released

Post by Keith Smith »

-1.8.6 (Apr 20, 2023)
- connect dialog box now allows the "@" sign to be entered to permit shared cockpit logins (this was being filtered in v1.8.5)

- added checks to see if TCAS system is already being controlled by another plugin. The X-Pilot plugin is known to acquire the TCAS system even if not connected to network. In this case, PilotEdge will no longer try to acquire the aircraft and will instead issue an aural warning upon login and make an entry in the log file. This way, no error messages are posted on screen about TCAS issues by X-Plane.

-1.8.5 (Apr 18, 2023)
- transponder override for XP11 aircraft that haven't been updated correctly for XP12. Create a PE_transponder_mode_c.txt file and place it in the desired aircraft folder. See the X-Plane/PilotEdge_out.txt log file after connecting to PilotEdge to confirm the path the plugin is checking, such as: d:/X-Plane 11/Aircraft/Laminar Research/Baron B58/PE_transponder_mode_c.txt. Place a single line with a value of '2' (no quotes) in the text file. The file is read each time the client connects to the network (no restart required). The number 2 represents the minimum value of the underlying transponder mode (as reported through X-Plane's transponder_mode dataref) which will trigger PilotEdge's MODE C flag. Use the new radio debug screen to verify operation.

- multi-monitor support updated to draw on the OS-level primary monitor
- login process now happens as a background task, allowing sim to continue running. Status updates are posted in the connect window during login
- password show/hide button on connect screen
- all caps forced on login screen, character filtering prevents input of anything other than letters and numbers for callsign/icao/airline/livery

- 1.8.1 (Apr 10, 2023)
- multi-monitor support improvements now allows full screen sim on non-primary display with nothing running on the primary display
- support for new XP12 flap handle dataref

- multi-machine support improvements:
- VSProSlaves.ini file no longer needed. External visuals are automatically detected (IPv4 only, do not use X-Plane's IPv6 option)
- external visual (slave machine) was crashing upon aircraft swap and going to preferences screen
- built-in map now shows traffic on slave machines

-1.8.0 (Apr 6, 2023)
- added Apple silicon (M1/M2 CPU) support
- added XP12 support for MacOS (for Intel and Apple CPU)
- added support for XP12's "Contact ATC (push to talk)" as PTT trigger in addition to existing "Contact ATC"
- added support for XP12's TX/RX indicator overrides, which is used by the stock Garmin 430/530/G1000 avionics
- replay mode now triggers automatic disconnect
- changing aircraft triggers automatic disconnect
- unexpected disconnections are now reflected in the plugin state
- fixed race condition where COM2 continues receiving if COM1/2 are powered down at the same time (ie, battery or avionics master transition from 'on' to 'off')
- Mode C support allows for XP11 and XP12 which define Mode C differently. Includes allowance for HotStart CL60 which still uses XP11's style in XP12.
- completely restyled user interface (IMGUI instead of XPWidgets)
- CONNECT window allows tabbing between fields, CTRL-C and CTRL-V for copy/paste
- PREFERENCES window auto-updates display every 3 seconds to show newly connected or removed devices
- PREFERENCES window includes "Play Test" button, playing a TCAS "descend, descend now," aural prompt to verify operation of the output device

- NEW: RADIO DEBUG screen, shows voice status, power switch, primary freq, audio panel settings (TX/RX enabled), failure status, volume, TX/RX status and color-coded enabled status for COM1 and COM2 radios. Also includes overall settings such as avionics master, bus voltage compared to nominal bus voltage, low voltage condition, transponder code/mode, master volume, PTT status, and mic volume meter (real time)

- RADIO DEBUG screen also includes a LOCAL TEST MODE for testing your audio and hearing it back without it being transmitted on the network.

NOTE: The meter showing the mic level activates after the PTT is pressed once. From that point, it remains active whether you are in Local Test Mode or not. Local Test Mode is automatically deactivated upon closing the window with the 'OK' button, but not the external window controls. Radio transmissions are NOT made to the network if Local Test Mode is engaged.

-1.7.1 (Jul 15, 2022)
-fixed callsign mangling on X-Plane's map display and ForeFlight that occurred over time if an aircraft with a shorter callsign occupied a TCAS slot that was previously held by an aircraft with a longer callsign. For example, if N123AB was displayed on TCAS, then disconnected and was replaced by N2MF, the resulting display would be "N2MF3AB"

Important Known Issue still remains: no attempt is made to verify that our attempt to acquire the AI TCAS system after connecting was successful or not. Therefore, when the plugin attempts to write to the TCAS datarefs, if another plugin has ownership of those datarefs, X-Plane throws an error warning the user that a plugin is trying to override TCAS when it doesn't have permission.

In the mean time, X-Pilot users should select the "release TCAS control" option prior to connecting to PilotEdge. This will make the TCAS system available for use by other plugins. PilotEdge only attempts to take control of TCAS after connecting to the network.

- 1.7.0 (Jul 14, 2022, nearly a year to the day!)
- XP11.55 or later now required (the 32-bit plugins are deprecated and aren't being updated being v1.6.5 due to X-Plane API requirements)
- added native TCAS support for up to 63 aircraft within 25nm radius. Once the limit is reached, oldest aircraft are drawn prior to newer aircraft
- VSProTrafficRelay.ini is now deprecated since the TCAS targets are natively relayed by X-Plane to ForeFlight and compatible apps such as LittleNavMap, AviTab, etc already
- the PilotEdge plugin a dynamic weight-on-wheels calculation when sending the data to X-Plane, allowing apps to display the traffic differently or filter targets as necessary (ForeFlight does this, removing ground-based aircraft as you zoom out from the airport on the map)

- 1.6.5 (Jul 13, 2021)
- added TriMotor, R22 and flagmen CSLs to the distribution
- no need to delete VSProSound.ini if audio device IDs change after Windows update or if previously-saved devices are no longer available (ie, no longer in the system)
- audio reverts to default devices if previously-saved devices are unavailable
- audio device list is refreshed each time the Preferences window is drawn, allowing for addition of devices after X-Plane has started
- max radio volume now capped to 65% to avoid distortion associated with the boost above 65%
- Known issue: if zero devices are available (input or output) at load time, the OK button on the preferences screen will not function (ie, close and save preferences) until a device is available AND the user clicks it (even if it appears to be automatically selected)

- 1.6.3 Windows 64-bit only (Jul 18, 2020, with update on Jul 24 for MacOS Metal, with update on Jul 25 for Linux Vulkan):
- Distribution contains extensive new visual models, including numerous C172 liveries, new Baron liveries, custom Beech Bonanza, SF-260 and 8 Piper aircraft.
- Vulkan support for Windows
- Linux support for Vulkan (added Jul 25)
- Metal support for MacOS (added Jul 24)
- ability to select audio input device from Preferences window
- ability to override ICAO code when connecting
- 5-click short no longer causes crash if connection fails
- updates to related.txt and DOC8643.txt files for better model matching
- traffic on slave instances of xplane now draws smoothly again

1.5.3 (Mar 1, 2019)
- COM1/2 freqs are now sent to the server when the radio(s) are turned off. This increases the accuracy of the online map when showing freqs for each aircraft
- Resolved static issues associated with COM2 radio, including cases where COM2 had since been disabled.

1.5.2 (Feb 9, 2019)
- added support for muting in-game ATIS for X-Plane releases earlier than 11.30. (11.30 and beyond are already handled)
- removed flight plan filing form. Web based filing now required due to expanding feature set
- B1-B and T6 Texan II visual models (CSLs) added to default distribution

1.5.0 (Jul 20, 2018)
- added VHF modulation
- added asynchronous loading of CSLs (they load in the background instead of pausing the sim during the load when they're first encountered)
- added dynamic unloading of CSLs when last instance of an aircraft is no longer within range (reduces VRAM footprint)
- removes all CSls from memory when disconnecting from network
- motion code is more precise

1.3.1p (May 18, 2017 Windows only)
- added ability to PASTE routes

1.3.1 (May 16, 2017) Windows/Mac/Linux
- TL;DR: delete your PilotEdge folder, download the new plugin and start over. Do not attempt to use your existing CSLs. Also, consider download all of the HD CSLs now availble on the web site.

- added volume support via XPlane sound settings

- added volume support via volume knobs (separate for com1 and com2) for radios that support it (Reality XP and Aerobask radios for example)

- set 25KHz spacing for X-Plane's Garmin 530 radio.

- initial release of clamping of targets (reducing floaters and land sharks). Logic is simple, if target is known to have weight on wheels, it will be drawn at ground level to the best of our ability. Without a weight on wheels indication, for aircraft < 100AGL, we clamp any non-helicopter traffic if it's doing 30kts or less over the ground. while helicopter traffic is clamped if it's doing 1kt or less. If an aircraft would normally be drawn at what we consider to be less than a minimal viable altitude (based on terrain height, strut compression and known gear height), we draw it at ground level. Between those two cases, we cover land sharks and floaters. There are issues with this approach, namely a lack of smooth progression from clamped to non-clamped. Namely, a clamped floater will jump off the ground aggressively once it breaks ground. Landsharks linger on the runway during rotation (while their real altitude catches up to the artificially high altitude we are drawing them at to keep them above ground). This MAY be addressed in a future implementation with smoother progressions between clamped and non-clamped states.

- ICAO code detection at connect time. You no longer enter the ICAO code in the connect dialogue box. It's read from the aircraft directly. If the incorrect ICAO code is specified for a given aircraft, it needs to be corrected via PlaneMaker (in the Standard->Author menu). Say goodbye to the B58's and PA28's!

- All legacy CSLs have been removed from the plugin distribution and replaced with HD CSLs, or medium fidelity OBJ8-based CSLs (such as the Bluebell package) with gear offsets included (for the clamping feature above). It is highly recommended that users remove their PIlotEdge folder and download/install all CSLs from scratch to ensure that they are using either the new stock CSLs or the newly released HD CSLs.

- WorldTraffic datarefs are now generated on a limited basis in order to support some of the animations in the Bluebell CSL packages which we now included with the plugin. This allows for gear rotation, prop rotation and strut compression which isn't visible on other networks where the Bluebell CSLs are used.

- Flight plan fields are capitalized before being sent to the server (even though they're not capitalized in the user interface)

- Callsign, livery and airline are all capitalized before being sent to the server

- PE_voltage.txt and PE_groundspeed.txt files can now be placed in the same folder as an aircraft to override the datarefs which are used to read the bus voltage and ground speed, respectively. These files are read at CONNECT time, not at the time and aircraft is loaded. The PilotEdge_out.txt file in the xplane root directory contains information at connect time about whether these files have been located for the current aircraft, and whether the datarefs were found. This fix allows the JAR A320 to be fixed (a PE_voltage.txt file for that aircraft will be available soon).

1.2.2 (Sep 19, 2016) Windows/Mac/Linux
- fixed multi-machine (slave) code that was causing visuals to not show any traffic at all. Update required only if you run a multi-machine installation

1.2.1 (Sep 18, 2016) Windows/Mac/Linux
- removed possiblity of ghost targets on TCAS for various TCAS implementations that don't actually check to see how many active targets there are before they iterate the full list of multiplayer aircraft
- added heading information to TCAS data for Aerobask E-1000 and anyone else who uses that data

1.2.0 (Sep 16, 2016) Windows/Mac/Linux
- support for simultaneous reception of dual comms
- TX is determined by sim/cockpit/switches/audio_panel_out (6 for COM1, 7 for COM2)
- RX for COM1 is determined by sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/audio_selection_com1 and sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/com1_power
- RX for COM2 is determined by sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/audio_selection_com2 and sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/com2_power

- support for TCAS
- requires 'other aircraft' to be enabled. Max # of TCAS targets will be based on the number of 'other aircraft' set (minus 1). Aircraft->Aircraft & Situations->Other Aircraft. Set 'number of aircraft' to the max number of TCAS targets +1. For example, to see the closest 5 TCAS targets, set number of aircraft to 6.

1.1.5 (July 2, 2015) Linux
- rebuilt with Ubuntu 14. Might allow people to load the plugin who weren't able to in the past. Will continue to work on better support for legacy systems
- resolved 5 character callsign length limitation

1.1.4 (Jun 30, 2015) Windows/Mac/Linux
- includes support for ForeFlight traffic, see the "Configuring traffic for ForeFlight" section of download page: http://www.pilotedge.net/pages/download-software-xplane

1.1.3 (Jan 18, 2015) Windows only
- includes support for the new A350 when starting cold and dark

1.1.2 (Jan 18, 2015) MacOS
- patch for Mac OSX 10.10 and XP10.31, should prevent the crashes when certain aircraft leave the session

1.1.1b (Oct 20.2014) Windows only
- the 1.1.1 release contained a development version of the plugin that is not functional. This is fixed.

1.1.1 (Oct 18, 2014)
- added Linux 64-bit (other OS versions still at 1.0.9)

1.0.9 (Jul 15, 2014)
- fixed X-Plane 9.x support
- fixed auto-start for slave for X-Plane 9.x
- small performance improvement

1.0.8 (Jul 14, 2014)
- added beacon brightness ratio support for the CRJ-200
- removed stack protection on linux build

1.0.7 (Jul 9, 2014)
- added canopy open/close support
- added engine reverser support (up to 4 engines)
- added nosewheel steering support (via rudder deflection)

1.0.5 (Jun 17, 2014)
- added Mac 64-bit support
- added ability to select audio output device on the fly rather than requiring a sim restart. Device is enabled immediately upon click. Click 'cancel' to exit screen, or click 'OK' to save the preference permanently
- the plugin uses the 'default COMMUNICATIONS device' as the input device in Windows if one has been specified. Otherwise it uses the 'default device'.
- support for gear strut compression, tire rotation speeds, prop/jet/rotor rotation speeds, wing flex and g-force
- changed 'ICAO' to 'type' on the connect dialogue
- TCAS support removed
- no longer acquires any aircraft in the multiplayer system. This means you will see AI traffic flying around (potentially). Suggest turning off the AI traffic
- glider tow (via AI) now possible while connected to the network since we don't acquire the planes
- should be possible to run Xsquawkbox and PE at the same time since we don't attempt to acquire any of the AI aircraft
- CSL library now includes a few HD aircraft: Glider, F4 Phantom and the VFlyteAir Grumman Tiger. Additional models will be available for download in the near future.
- Custom commands for Connect/Disconnect have been renamed to PilotEdge/Connect and PilotEdge/Disconnect respectively.

0.9.2 (Mar 9, 2014)
- distribution is now a single zip file for all platforms (Mac 32-bit, Windows 32-bit, Windows 64-bit) to simplify the upcoming upgrade to Mac 64-bit
- COM2 support added for Mac
- added initial support for nextGen CSL (shipping with nextGen aircraft for testing, the BE-58 Baron)
- Global Shadow setting can now be set to any level without it affecting the drawing of multiplayer aircraft
- Added Connect/Disconnect commands that can be mapped to a keypress, yoke, or be called from other plugins
- Added 5-click quick connect/disconnect. Hit the PTT 5 times within 4 secs and it will either connect you or disconnect you as needed
- Added custom datarefs to show TX, RX and connect state (for 3rd party developers)
- Fixed 64-bit audio preferences crash
- Added autoconnect for slave computers
- Added ability to force a machine to behave as a slave
- Added ability for ATC to trigger remote failures

0.7.3 (Jan 3, 2012)
Route field now supports routes up to 255 characters in length. Mac release is anticipated this evening.

0.7.2 (Dec 17, 2011)
Added ability to file VFR flight plans. Note: ATC will not see a pilot-filed VFR flight plan. This function was added for tracking purposes on PEaware. Mac release is anticipated to be this weekend.

0.7.1
Even better, if you lose the server connection for any reason, the plugin will announce it (over text and/or voice depending on your 'ATC sound' preferences) and the client will formally disconnect. All you have to do is reconnect (the disconnect option will be grayed out since the plugin will automatically adjust to the disconnected state).

0.7.0
If you lose the server connection for any reason, you can now disconnect without X-Plane crashing, and then reconnect.

0.6.9
airline/livery is now sent from the plugin to the server in the correct order. You will only see airline-specific models if the aircraft around you are using this version of the plugin (ie, if you upgrade but the other pilots don't, it won't improve what you see around you). Mac version has been built and tested, but a new bundle has not yet been posted.

0.6.8
This also adds some checking for a case where the client receives a JOIN message for an airplane that it already knows about. This only happens in a very rare case involving a crashed master machine rejoining the network in a master/slave configuration. Without a clean disconnect, the master would not send 'LEAVE' messages to each of the slaves, so upon reconnecting, it would relay the JOIN messages to the slaves, which would then crash because it was trying to add planes which already existed.

0.6.7
This fixes a subtle bug that was introduced during a recent code cleanup. If you were connected to the network and had a scenery load that took 30 secs or more, you were silently disconnected from the network (previous versions would've crashed, but the new exception handling improves that slightly, although I still need to add better handling for the disconnect case.)

That problem affects single-machine installations of X-Plane and is now fixed.




0.7.7 (Aug 14, 2012)
Swapped radio change delay from 1 sec to 1/2 sec. Added ability to toggle between com1/2. This affects transmit AND receive, and removes the ability to pull the ATIS from one radio while monitoring the other. Added ICAO field caption to remind users that it is for an aircraft type, not home base.
Daddy O
Posts: 450
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:32 am

Re: Xplane plugin v0.6.9 released

Post by Daddy O »

I started running the new plugin just before the the Wed night Beta. No problems on any of the PCs in my simulator. I had indeed noticed that the 6.8 plugin did not cause the slaves to crash after a master-PC reboot. I also noticed that the 6.9 plugin did not reset 'runways follow terrain' like a few of the previous plugins had.

Dood: Keep up the fantastic work
Keith Smith
Posts: 9939
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.0 released

Post by Keith Smith »

v0.7.0 is now available for the PC. You can now disconnect after a forced disconnect without it crashing. Mac will be following ASAP.

Next step is to work on announcing when the connection is lost, rather than it happening silently.
Keith Smith
Posts: 9939
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.1 released

Post by Keith Smith »

0.7.1
Even better, if you lose the server connection for any reason, the plugin will announce it (over text and/or voice depending on your 'ATC sound' preferences) and the client will formally disconnect. All you have to do is reconnect (the disconnect option will be grayed out since the plugin will automatically adjust to the disconnected state).
motocheme
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 5:12 pm

Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.1 released

Post by motocheme »

I have a question I am embarrased to ask. How do I upgrade the plugin? Do I just drag and drop and tell windows to replace the old files with the new ones?
Brandon Grchan
Posts: 572
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:51 am
Location: Florida

Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.1 released

Post by Brandon Grchan »

motocheme wrote:I have a question I am embarrased to ask. How do I upgrade the plugin? Do I just drag and drop and tell windows to replace the old files with the new ones?

yes
Brandon Grchan
PilotEdge Air Traffic Controller
Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.1 released

Post by Keith Smith »

You only have to update the xpl file. That is why the xpl is separate to the support files (for pc at least), so the plugin can be updated easily.
Steven Winslow
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Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.1 released

Post by Steven Winslow »

Any word on the Mac version? Just curious.
Steven Winslow
CEO/Owner - Air Northwest Virtual Airlines • http://www.airnorthwest.org
People should get what they want when they want it once in a while. Keeps them optimisitic.
Jeff N
Posts: 304
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:17 pm
Location: Foothill Ranch, CA / KSNA

Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.1 released

Post by Jeff N »

Any Mac news? I just got another crash last night in the middle of a long-ish flight when my connection to PE dropped and I tried to re-connect. Rather annoying.
Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Xplane plugin v0.7.2 released

Post by Keith Smith »

I will make sure the Mac release happens this weekend. PC 0.7.2 was just released on the site with VFR flight plan filing.
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