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*** FS2000 Crew dialogs and Pushback gauges set V1.01 / May 2001 ***
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This package require the sound package "ACSCPSND.ZIP" ONLY IF YOU DON'T
HAVE already installed "Swissair MD-11, The full Package version 2.00"
or upper.
This set of gauges is for FS2000 ONLY. Don't try to install this in FS98,
it will not work.
ATTENTION !!! Panel modifications do not require to be a programmer, but
require a minimum of computer usage knowledges. This documentation
assume that the user HAS THESE KNOWLEDGES.
Don't miss additional musics which are available ONLY on my Internet site.
They are required, if you want to have different music during the same
flight.
DESCRIPTION
-----------
This set of gauges allow you to install on any FS2000 Aircraft, the Crew
feature and pushback function, developped for the MD-11.
Crew feature generate some "key" crew dialogs and messages during the
whole flight. You will also hear passengers cabin music in the background
during several phases of the flight.
During boarding, you will hear music and the Stewardess giving the usual
recommendation about where to put hand bagages. When boarding is
finished, cabin chief will inform you that everybody is on board.
At this stage, you will have to interact and decide when you say:
"Cabin crew doors on automatic". A few time later, Stewardess will
welcome passenger in your name, etc...
Crew feature will also allow you to set the three takeoff speed V1, VR,
V2 and the copilot will tell you these speeds when they are reached
during the takeoff.
Usage of Crew feature is not mandatory when installed. You can pause,
skip some messages, reset, restart it at any time. The gauge will do
his best to figure out where to restart, by looking to aircraft
situation and behavior.
Pushback has also full dialogs between the Captain and the ground.
All accelerations are PROGRESSIVE. This mean you will start, turn,
decelerate smoothly.
This package is designed with two additional panel windows, which
will be located somewhere on the border of the panel screen (most
probably in the upper left corner). The main one, the Crew dialog
gauge is very small and therefore discreet. The second one, the
Pushback is a bit larger, but is designed to open over the first
one, to give the feeling it is an expansion of main window. It
should be opened only during Pushback.
FILES INSTALLATION
------------------
Copy the three gauges (*.GAU) into your FS2000 Gauges directory.
Copy the two bitmaps (*.BMP) into the "Panel" directory of the
aircraft you want to install with this package. For the first
time use "Aircraft\B737_400\Panel", it is the aircraft used
in the next chapter as an implementation example.
ATTENTION, when you will do the job for other aircafts verify
you found already some bitmaps in the directory. If you just see
a file "Panel.cfg", it mean that this aircraft probably DON'T
HAVE ITS OWN PANEL, but is "aliased" to an other aircraft panel.
In this case, open the "Panel.cfg" file into your Notepad to
discover which panel use this aircraft. You should discover
something like this:
[fltsim]
alias=b737_400\panel
It is also possible that you won't see that, but instead a
whole panel definition. In this case, bitmaps are located
into an other directory and you should found where, by
looking to line like:
file=..\panel\MAIN.BMP
This can be translated this way: "..\" mean one step back
in the directories structure tree, then, from this branch,
enter into a directory named "panel". It is the location
you will have to use too. ATTENTION !!! You will have to
use similar indirection for the "file=" lines you will add,
like it is explained into next chapter.
If you don't have the MD-11 installed, copy all sound files of
"ACSCPSND.ZIP" into your FS2000 general "Sound" directory.
EDITION OF AIRCRAFT PANEL.CFG FILE
----------------------------------
Like already said, we need to implement two more windows on our
panel. Let's take the Microsoft 737-400 as an example.
Here is the material we will have to add into the config file:
The declaration (Title if you prefer) of our two new windows.
These two lines will be placed into section [Window Titles]
windowXX=Crew sounds
windowXX=Pushback
Definition of our two additional windows. They will be placed
next to already defined panel windows.
Now we start. Open Microsoft 737-400 "Panel.cfg" into your Notepad. This
file is located into: "Aircraft\B737_400\Panel" directory. I also assume
you have the present file open into an other Notepad. This way, you can
copy/paste required additional definitions.
Here is the section [Window Titles], assuming you have installed FS2000
with lateral views option.
Fixed Window30=Forward Right
Fixed Window31=Right
Fixed Window32=Rear Right
Fixed Window33=Rear
Fixed Window34=Rear Left
Fixed Window35=Left
Fixed Window36=Forward Left
Fixed Window37=Up
We don't care about "Fixed WindowXX=". Our list is the standard "windowXX="
list. In this example, the last item is "window05=Compass". This mean next
free window number is 06. So we can add our two new window line this way:
window06=Crew sounds
window07=Pushback
Last step. Find into the file where is declared the last standard
window. In this example, it is [Window05]. Now, remember, we have
given the number 06 and 07 to our 2 windows. This is the number
we must use here too. But we have one more small task, we must
determin a free "ident" number for our first window. Seeking for
these lines, we found some which use a variable names. Don't
care about these lines. Fixed windows use 30 to 37, so we can
for example use 40 for our window
Remark the "strange" number used for our second window. I use it
with the hope nobody will have the bad idea to use the same !!!
This ident is CAPITAL for the window toggle function and is
used into both CrewDialog & CrewPushback gauges. Therefore, it
CANNOT BE CHANGED without to loose toggle functionality.
Now, save your new 737-400 "Panel.cfg" and launch FS2000 to see
the result !!! If you modify correctly, you will see in the
top-left corner the "small" (!?!) Crew Dialog gauge. In fact, it
isn't so small because of the following:
In my definitions, sizing parameters are defined for a 1024x768
pixels reference. But if you look at the following line of Main
window declaration for this panel, you will see:
size_mm=640
This panel is not defined with 1024 pixels. Why we look at Main
window ? Because this window cover horizontally all the screen
and therefore, give us what I call the "pixels reference". So,
quit FS2000 and re-open file "Panel.cfg" of 737-400.
Now we can compute a correction factor 640 / 1024 = 0,625. We
apply this factor to both bitmaps and gauges sizing parameters
and obtain finally:
You may wonder why "ACS.CrewSndMusic" is not corrected. Answer is
simple, this is an invisible gauge, therefore we don't need to care
about any size problems.
Apply these corrections, save again "Panel.cfg" and reload FS2000.
Now you get to correct original small size of both windows. Note
that if you install the package on other third party panels, you
will see that "pixel resolution" of 1024x768 is actually really
a common choice. Therefore, you have here the correct parameters
settings for all this family of panels.
What you must retain is that "size_mm" and third parameter in gauge
line are some kind of magnification factor, respectively for the
window bitmap and the gauge. You can "play" with, to fine tune the
initial size of the window. Remark that you must always tune
proportionally bitmap and gauge, in order the gauge to alway cover
the same area on the bitmap. Try to remove modification of gauge
lines we just have done, to see what happen !!! You will understand
immediately, if it was not already clear.
One last word on "position" parameter. In our example it is set to
"0" for both window, which result in a top-left corner placement.
If you change to "1" you will be in the middle of top screen border,
with "2" on right-top corner, with "3" in the middle of left border
etc...
GENERAL USAGE
-------------
The visible window on start is the Crew Dialog window. It has 3 small
buttons. The two first, from left to right, are devoted to Crew Dialog
control. The third one, with a "P" on it, is an open/close toggle for
the second window.
If both windows are placed at the same location (recommended), second
window will open over the first one. This give the feeling it is just
a single window which can expand.
If you don't want tu use the Crew dialog, you can close the window with
appropriate SHIFT-NUMBER command. But if you use it, avoid to close it,
because this will stop the gauge.
On Pushback (second window), you will found a group of 3x3 digits
which allow you to set V1, VR, V2 for the Crew Dialog. These settings
will be used during takeoff for corresponding copilot messages.
Remark: each setting has his own possible range of settings, but no
consistency is cross checked between defined speeds.
You can disable V1, Vr, V2 announces, by simply setting a V2 lower
than Vr (rotation speed).
The whole down-right corner area of Pushback window has an hidden
mouse spot which allow you to close the window and therefore,
showing again the tiny Crew Dialog window.
Both Crew Dialog and Pushback gauges are linked with FS2000 power
variables. This mean for example that if FS2000 MASTER_BATTERY is
OFF and AVIONIC_POWER_BUS is under 18 Volt, both gauges will turn
to OFF. This mean no more lit, if music was playing, no more music.
This will work this way only with panels managing these variables.
PUSHBACK FUNCTION
-----------------
RESET Button: Will initialize heading to current aircraft heading
and reset pushback distance to default 20 meters.
Abort immediately an eventual active pushback sequence.
START button: Start a pushback sequence according to parameters set.
Aircraft must be stopped for this cmd to be accepted.
First 3 digits: Desired heading after pushback.
Can be inc/dec with mouse like usually in FS, but only if
a pushback sequence is not active.
Will turn green when a pushback sequence is started.
Arrow buttons: Will compute heading to be pushed back with a 90 degrees
turn, in the arrow direction. Will work only when a pushback
sequence is not active.
Second 3 digits: Allow to set approximative distance in meter the aircraft
will be pushed before turning start. Can be inc/dec with
mouse like usually in FS, but only if a pushback sequence
is not active. Will turn green when a pushback sequence
is started.
Pushback start & stop use acceleration/deceleration. Turn start and stop are
also progressive, like in the reality and not like a "robot".
Timing between message who request the ground to work a bit before to call, are
randomly set within a realistic timing range.
The initial ground call might be repeated, if ground crew is sleeping too long.
!!! IMPORTANT !!! Technical limitations:
From a gauge, only the SLEW mode can be used to build a pushback. This mean all
FS sounds are shut. Now, depending one the panel, you may still hear some
sounds, like for example with the MD-11, which was designed to have all
additional sounds, like APU air conditionned, electronic ZZZ, independant
of FS.
SLEW also mean you must have your joystick well set to neutral and that you
must avoid using it during all the SLEW pushback phase.
A gauge is idle, when the window which carry it is not anymore active.This
mean you must avoid to look the pushback from outside, use lateral views,
or even to close the Pushback window during pushback. Therefore, stay
concentrated on your checklist !!!
In fact, you can have a look outside when the aircraft has started to turn.
But wait before doing that, the turn is well established (end of progressive
phase). You can do that because turn rely on heading. But, be careful to return
into cockpit before aircraft reach final heading, or you will make a full 360 !
Looking outside during straight pushback phase, imply you will add to initial
distance setting, the distance aircraft roll during you are looking outside.
Frame rate you have on a given situation will impact a lot on the effective
distance you will get. In other words you will not obtain the same result
with two different frame rates. On the other side, if the frame rate is the
same, you will get every time the same result.
CREW DIALOG FUNCTION
--------------------
"Left" button: This button is used to start/stop Crew function. intitialy,
this button is not lit (mean Crew feature is OFF).
When Crew function is started button will lit to green.
When stopped (understand paused) color will turn to yellow.
A further click will stop pause and return to active state
with again green color.
This button might blink in green color to indicate Crew function
is waiting Captain to click the button to run next action.
"Center" button: When lit green, mean that user can click this button to skip
current active step.
When Crew function is stopped ("Left" lit in yellow), this button
will blink in yellow color too. Clicking on it at this stage will
reset and stop Crew function. In this case, both "Left" and
"Center" buttons will unlit.
In all other cases, clicking this button will have no effect.
Crew function can be started at any time, on ground or in flight. By looking at the
aircraft situation, Crew function will know what to do.
Crew function use following FS2000 variables to determine aircraft situation:
Parking brake state.
On Ground state.
Airspeed.
Altitude to ground.
Ground Speed.
Here follow the full description of the logic for this feature:
Suppose you are at parking and you start Crew function. Logic will, in this case,
examine Parking brake state. If parking brake is set, Crew function will start
normally with the boarding sequence.
If parking brake is not set, logic will examine aircraft speed to determine
probable situation. Under 50 knots logic will suppose you are taxiing or maybe
just after engine startup, or just before take off. Logic will therefore jump
to "Security message", the message said during taxiing, before the takeoff.
In case your speed was over 10 knots, Crew function will start immediately the
"Security message". Now, if you are under this speed (maybe stopped just before
take off) and you don't want this message to be said as soon as you will go,
you can use "Center" button to skip this step.
When started normally, with parking brake set, logic will randomly choose a
boarding time in the range of 3 to 9 mn and start immediately the "asceptic
music". From time to time, you will hear Flight Attendent messages. Finally,
the First Flight Attendent will announce to you that boarding is done. At this
stage, "Left" button will start to blink. When you will click it, you will hear
"Cabin crew, doors on automatic". You are ready to pushback now.
Now you have started your engines and begin to join your runway. Like aleady said,
as soon as your speed is over 10 knots, Crew function will start immediately the
"Security message". "Aseptic" music will start again just after it, to keep cool
your passengers. In the same time "Left" button will start to blink. When Captain
click the "Left" button, he will say "Cabin crew, takeoff in two minutes". Music
will stop soon after this action.
For takeoff, as soon as speed is over 50 knots, logic will enter into takeoff
phase where copilot will say the three message V1, Vr and V2. These speeds are
set on the Pushback window. In case V1 is higher than V2 (mean you can abort
takeoff at any time before to rotate), copilot will ignore V1 announcement.
If during this phase, takeoff is aborted (speed fall down under 50 knots)
Crew function will terminate immediately ("Left" button unlit).
Now you are in the climb sequence. As soon as you pass over 12'000 feets, "Left"
button start to blick for a maximum of two minutes. You will also hear a
reminder bell sound. If the Captain click it, he will say to passenger his
traditional welcome message with some info's about the flight. But this action
is not mandatory. Logic will skip automatically this step after the blinking
period or if logic detect aircraft climb seem to be not anymore established.
"Center" button will also lit. this mean that this step can be forced to an
immediat skip by pressing on "Center" button.
After this step and, of course, supposing aircraft has continued a normal climb,
logic will simply always check altitude and memorize the highest altitude
reached. This altitude is used during descent to compute an arbitrary altitude:
12'000+((AltMax-12'000)/2), where the "Left" button will start again to blink for
two new minutes maximum. Here Captain will tell to passenger about the started
descent. Blinking might stop before the three minutes, if 11'000 feets border is
passed before.
In case aircraft do not climb over 12'000 feets limits (which is really not probable
for an airliner), logic will consider it is a very short flight and both climb and
descent Captain announcement are just skipped.
During descent on destination airport, logic will produce the pre-landing announce
when the 9300 feets border is crossed.
Before landing, "Left" button will start to blink again. If Captain click, then he
will say "Cabin crew landing in two minutes".
"After landing" message will occur when speed on ground fall under 30 knots. But
if you miss you landing and abort it, if "After landing" message has not been
already played, logic will wait on next landing to produce this message. If you
accelerate over 50 knots after this message was played, logic will terminate
Crew function.
As soon as the "After landing" message has been played, the "asceptic music"
will start to play again. When you reach the gate and set parking brake, the
"Left" button will start to blink again. Until you do not click "Left" button,
music will continue to play. When you click, music will be stopped immediately
and the Crew function will be terminated.
!!! IMPORTANT !!! Limits of the crew feature logic:
If abnormal situation is detected (this can occur if you have paused a long time
Crew function or if you use Slewing or replay etc...), logic will immediately
terminate Crew function.
It can also occur in these extreme situations, that the logic will be fooled.
This will, for example, happen if you start a replay just after landing.
Flight Attendent will start her "After landing" message !!! In this case, you
always have the possibility to reset the Crew function.
When you takeoff with strong wind having violent gust, copilot saying V1, Vr, V2
simulation may be fooled and will announce a speed, when in fact aircraft is
just receiving a strong positive gust. A strong negative one may also result
in an abort of crew feature, because logic will believe pilot is aborting
takeoff.
ADDING SOUNDS SETS
------------------
Pushback and Crew functions use two series of sounds, prefixed respectively
"PB_" and "CD_". These sounds are organized, internally, in 6 different
categories, representing:
For each of these categories, you may add independently, up to 10 more
file sets. Independently mean it is NOT required to add a complete serie
of "CD_" & "PB_" sounds files, you can just add a set to one or more
categories. Now, speaking of the category itself, here you MUST add
ALL sound(s) of this category or you may have missing sounds during
dialog simulation.
Panel will determine automatically the presence of multiple category sets,
by testing on the basis of the FIRST sound file name (marked: REF Sound,
in all lists just written before). But panel will NOT verify the presence
of other files of the category. REMARK: you can take a profit of this. By
renaming just the REF file of a category set, you can disable it easily.
Then, panel will choose randomly, for each category, an existing set. This
mean you will obtain a random combination between all possible voices you
may have implemented. This work is done once, during panel loading.
To create a new category set file name, you simply add the postfix "_X",
where X is a number from "0" to "9".
For example: PB_ByeBye.wav
will give: PB_ByeBye_0.wav, PB_ByeBye_1.wav, PB_ByeBye_2.wav, etc...
I have published an alternative "Captain voice set", ACSMD11f.ZIP recorded
by me, to demonstrate this feature. All files are post-fixed with "_0".
You can also found several additional musics on my site only (not published
elsewhere). You must have almost 3 music files to obtain a different music
for all 3 "musical phases".
Now to your recorder and mike !!! And please, don't forget to publish your
work as a freeware, that all of us can benefit of your additional voices.
A last word: For the music, you must prepare a sound file which can be
looped perfectly, to give the illusion of a continuous music play.
FINAL REMARKS, TECHNICAL ADVISES & INFORMATIONS
-----------------------------------------------
Both Crew Dialog gauge and pushback gauge are designed with similar pixel
to pixel technic used with the MD-11. Therefore, these gauges will render
the best in graphic mode 1024x768 FULL SCREEN and with the original
unmodified window definitions you have into chapter "EDITION OF AIRCRAFT
PANEL.CFG FILE"
Gauges are designed in a way that only "ACS_CrewSounds.bmp" & "ACS_Pushback.bmp"
is determinant for the color of the gauge background. It is therefore possible
to change this color for each panel by simply creating different bitmaps from
the original included in this package.
I will NOT GIVE more support about panel edition than what is written in
this readme. Therefore, please avoid to write me E-Mail about difficulties
to install this package on a specific panel, except if you believe the
problem is of an other nature.
COPYRIGHTS
----------
THIS PACKAGE IS FREEWARE AND NO MONEY SHOULD EVER BE MADE WITH IT !!!
WRITTEN PERMISSION OF AUTHOR IS NEEDED TO COPY THIS PACKAGE OR PART(S) OF IT,
ON EVERY MEDIA LIKE CD-ROM, DISKETTE, BBS, INTERNET SITES ETC..., IN THE CASE
USERS MUST PAY TO ACCESS THIS MEDIA OR HAVE TO BUY IT.
NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT, WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHOR WRITTEN PERMISSION, TO USE ANY PART
OF THIS PRODUCTION, IN ITS ORIGINAL STATE, OR MODIFIED WITH UTILITY SOFTWARES,
INTO ANY OTHER APPLICATIONS INTENDED TO BE PUBLISHED, EVEN IF PUBLICATION WILL
BE A FREEWARE. THIS DO NOT APPLY TO "ACS.CtrlSurfDisp-MD11.gau" GAUGE, WHICH
IS A RENAMED BUT UNMODIFIED ORIGINAL MICROSOFT GAUGE.
AUTHOR'S
--------
Alain Capt
35 ch. des Passiaux
CH-1008 PRILLY
SWITZERLAND
Tel + Fax: +41 21 648 38 37
E-Mail: acapt@worldcom.ch
URL: http://www.acsoft.ch (look on "Produits" chapter to found FS pages)
Have nice flights with FS2000 Crew dialogs and Pushback gauges set !!!
