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NEW RELEASE! v1.7: incl. FSD

ATC-pie is a radar air traffic control simulation program for the FlightGear multi-player network.

NEW RELEASE! v1.7: incl. FSD

Postby mickybadia » Wed Jun 10, 2020 8:46 pm

Good morning or evening,

This is not going to make much difference to the pure FlightGear user, but I released a new ATC-pie version today (1.7.0), whose major addition is a new network session type in the system menu: FSD.

FSD is a historical protocol. It is that on which VATSIM/IVAO networks were based, only those networks have in the past forked it, evolved it, and unfortunately... closed it. Thing is, the original version is still available [*], and it is still a way (as I understand it, the only free way) to connect private groups or sim clubs with mixed software outside of the world-wide networks.

So what this brings is not a VATSIM connection for ATC-pie, but the opportunity for these networks to be controlled by ATC-pie, instead of Euroscope which is the hegemonic piece of software for VATSIM, and the only option to control seriously on FSD. That until it was so much tailored for VATSIM, if not virtually owned by it, that normal FSD connections became impossible. Users were already not upgrading to the latest versions because they could no more connect. Besides, from the start they could never send strips with updated contents, only handover "callsigns", which really breaks the experience of ATC coordination.

All of the features whose implementation was technically possible with the protocol are in there. The only ones missing I think are RDF, CPDLC and voice radio integration (last one easily compensated with third-party software). A few limitations apply with flight plans (only the pilots can file or amend them, and they cannot be opened or closed), when interacting with Euroscope (lossy handovers, no who-has requests), or because of the protocol itself (no mode S transponders, squawked altitudes are not pressure-alt's, pilots must hide ACFT type in "real name" setting because not present in client data). But otherwise, all there: radio and ATC text chat, weather, tower viewing, strip exchange, FPL and radar contact linking to strips, ATIS recording (although text only), etc.

As for FlightGear in this equation...
First, the implemented features include the tower view, which is still done through FlightGear, as it has always been. Then, it seems all people in the group I have met now connect to FSD through SWIFT, which has also recently become popular among FG users. This is an opportunity for FG pilots to mix with other clients outside of VATSIM. And given that the protocol is less advanced than our FGMS, maybe it will drag people over too? ;-)

I know this has been useful to some, I hope it will be to many others.

[*] the last FSD servers were apparently compiled from the code version available here: https://github.com/kuroneko/fsd
mickybadia
 
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