Products Support > GSX Support FSX/P3D
GSX2 gate position accuracy
Pete Dowson:
This is a request for the Gate position checking in GSX2 to be made a bit more lenient.
I have a number of saved scenarios with, theoretically, my aircraft positioned correctly at a chosen gate. They've either been positioned by taxiing to them or, more often, by selecting the gate in the P3D5 menu. But either way I am finding GSX2 simply will not operate the jetways or steps unless i first ask it to reposition at the current gate!
I've done this whilst watching from outside, and it is hard to see it move, it is so close. Maybe 6 inches to the left or right of the line and maybe the same back and forth.
Until this is done, nothing happens. I can go through the four menus needed to operate the jetway (main menu - select operator - select jetway - confirm jetway ... why so many???) only to have nothing then happen. No message saying it can't be done. just nothing. At least if my position is further out there's a different menu (choose gate etc), but the way it is when you are close is rather annoying -- 4 menus to get nothing to happen, then, when it dawns on me why, the two to reposition -- then three of the 4 again (the operator seems to remain selected).
So, these are my pleas: (a) relax a little the gate positioning checks, and (b) see if the selection of jetway operation can't be shortened a trifle. There seems at least one menu too many.
Thanks
Pete
virtuali:
There are two very different issues here:
- The check GSX does to see if you are inside or outside of a gate. The result of this check would be GSX presenting the *services* menu ( if you are in a gate ) or the *parking selection* menu ( if you are outside ). This check is made by comparing the airplane position against the parking center, and I think the tolerance it's like 50 meters so, in order for GSX to be confused, you should be very distant from the correct position.
- The check GSX does to operate the jetway. This is far more sensitive and, it simply cannot be fixed by "relaxing" something. A jetway can either solve or not, based on so many factors like the airplane position, the gate position, the jetway position, the jetway model, the jetway initial heading and ( most important ) the GSX "STOP" position, which can be customized with the parking customization editor to be independent from the Parking center position, augmenting what is normally not possible with "just" data from the AFCAD. To do this check, GSX first ASK SODE, which will internally try to solve the jetway without actually moving it, and if SODE reports that jetway for any of the aforementioned reasons won't work, GSX will not include it in the jetway selection menu.
What the reposition airplane function does, is to park automatically, based on the information available so, if you have "just" the AFCAD, it will park the airplane with its reference point in the center of the parking as specified by the AFCAD. If you move the parking position with the GSX customization page, this will override the data in the AFCAD, so the reposition will use the center from the GSX custom profile. If you also add a custom Stop position, which you tuned by using the "Test Jetway with SODE" function, ( Num Pad 5 while editing a jetway, which will make a sound if the jetways solved ), the reposition will use the Stop position instead, which work by setting the airplane in a way the PREFERRED EXIT will always be in the same place regardless of the airplane, resulting in different front Gear position on ground, which fairly close matches reality.
Pete Dowson:
--- Quote from: virtuali on June 10, 2021, 12:09:22 am ---- The check GSX does to see if you are inside or outside of a gate. The result of this check would be GSX presenting the *services* menu ( if you are in a gate ) or the *parking selection* menu ( if you are outside ). This check is made by comparing the airplane position against the parking center, and I think the tolerance it's like 50 meters so, in order for GSX to be confused, you should be very distant from the correct position.
--- End quote ---
Hmm. Definitely not that check then.
--- Quote ---- The check GSX does to operate the jetway. This is far more sensitive and, it simply cannot be fixed by "relaxing" something. A jetway can either solve or not, based on so many factors like the airplane position, the gate position, the jetway position, the jetway model, the jetway initial heading and ( most important ) the GSX "STOP" position, which can be customized with the parking customization editor to be independent from the Parking center position, augmenting what is normally not possible with "just" data from the AFCAD. To do this check, GSX first ASK SODE, which will internally try to solve the jetway without actually moving it, and if SODE reports that jetway for any of the aforementioned reasons won't work, GSX will not include it in the jetway selection menu.
What the reposition airplane function does, is to park automatically, based on the information available so, if you have "just" the AFCAD, it will park the airplane with its reference point in the center of the parking as specified by the AFCAD. If you move the parking position with the GSX customization page, this will override the data in the AFCAD, so the reposition will use the center from the GSX custom profile. If you also add a custom Stop position, which you tuned by using the "Test Jetway with SODE" function, ( Num Pad 5 while editing a jetway, which will make a sound if the jetways solved ), the reposition will use the Stop position instead, which work by setting the airplane in a way the PREFERRED EXIT will always be in the same place regardless of the airplane, resulting in different front Gear position on ground, which fairly close matches reality.
--- End quote ---
I've never changed anything to do with customisation. Previously i've used the SODE jetway installed by the UK2000 EGCC scenery, and never had a problem. i've been gradually updating to use the GSX2 glass ones using the files packaged by Cartanya. That works well, but only after using the reposition at this gate option.
I don't know why the position has changed -- and it is only a small distance -- but the more annoying thing is that there's no notification from GSX2 as to what is the problem. Simply nothing happens. Even if you can't, won't or shouldn't make the positioning a little more tolerant, surely some sort of message should appear to explain why the jetway won't position?
Regards
Pete
virtuali:
--- Quote --- That works well, but only after using the reposition at this gate option.
--- End quote ---
The reposition option simply places the airplane in the "perfect" position for that parking/airplane combination, according to the information available to GSX, which is the AFCAD + the GSX custom profile, which can specify a different Stop position than the default AFCAD.
Do you see the airplane moving when you reposition at the gate ? If yes, it means GSX is working as expected and you just parked outside a range where that particular jetway, at that particular airport, in that specific position, with that particular airplane, could solve. GSX doesn't try to solve or making any calculations on its own about this, it just *asks SODE*, which can simulate the IK calculation without animating the jetway, and reports failure or success to GSX.
How much slack you have, from the "perfect" parking position after a reposition, compared your actual position after parking manually, depends on the jetway model chosen and its placement. There are so many different jetway models available in GSX, in many different sizes, which is basically impossible not be able to find one that could solve on a specific parking even when a very reasonable amount of tolerance in parking accuracy but again, it all depends by the GSX customization.
--- Quote from: Pete Dowson on June 10, 2021, 06:23:30 pm ---but the more annoying thing is that there's no notification from GSX2 as to what is the problem. Simply nothing happens. Even if you can't, won't or shouldn't make the positioning a little more tolerant, surely some sort of message should appear to explain why the jetway won't position?
--- End quote ---
Of course there are several messages from GSX if a jetway doesn't work for any reason.
- If the jetway is a GSX jetway, but GSX Level 2 is not activated (and you are not on an FSDT airport, where you can use GSX jetways without a registration), it will say:
"GSX Level 2 not activated, jetways won't move"
- If SODE cannot solve the jetway, it will say:
"No jetway can operate at this position"
- If the parking doesn't have a GSX/SODE jetway or plain SODE jetway, it say:
"No SODE jetway docked. You will not see passengers visually"
- If SODE is not installed, or it couldn't communicate with GSX, or it crashed, it will say:
"SODE Connection lost"
Pete Dowson:
--- Quote from: virtuali on June 11, 2021, 01:46:34 pm ---Do you see the airplane moving when you reposition at the gate ? If yes, it means GSX is working as expected and you just parked outside a range where that particular jetway, at that particular airport, in that specific position, with that particular airplane, could solve. GSX doesn't try to solve or making any calculations on its own about this, it just *asks SODE*, which can simulate the IK calculation without animating the jetway, and reports failure or success to GSX.
How much slack you have, from the "perfect" parking position after a reposition, compared your actual position after parking manually, depends on the jetway model chosen and its placement. There are so many different jetway models available in GSX, in many different sizes, which is basically impossible not be able to find one that could solve on a specific parking even when a very reasonable amount of tolerance in parking accuracy but again, it all depends by the GSX customization.
--- End quote ---
Ok -- so the fact that it was a problem this time was because I changed the Jetway INI file to one provided in the Cartanya set. I'll need to load up each of my saved parked scenarios and do the reposition and save for each.
--- Quote ---Of course there are several messages from GSX if a jetway doesn't work for any reason.
- If SODE cannot solve the jetway, it will say:
"No jetway can operate at this position"
--- End quote ---
So that is what I should have seen, but didn't. I logged all the SimConnect Texts received via the intercept method, and here are the ones which occurred:
817860 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 4 broadcast
868344 7248 ### TEXT: 512 (Menu) From SimC, Duration 30.00, Flags 00000000, Len=276
868344 7248 GSX - Activate ground services
868344 7248 Activate ground services
868344 7248 Request deboarding
868360 7248 Request catering service
868360 7248 Request refueling
868360 7248 Request boarding
868360 7248 Prepare for push-back and departure
868360 7248 Operate jetway(s)
868360 7248 Operate stairs
868360 7248 Additional Services
868360 7248 Customize this parking position
868360 7248 Reposition aircraft
868360 7248 Delaying notification of message type 2
868360 7248 Sending delayed notification of message type 2
868360 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 broadcast
873828 7248 ### TEXT_DESTROY: 512 (Menu) Result: 5, Flags 00000000
873828 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 clear broadcast
874500 7248 ### TEXT: 512 (Menu) From SimC, Duration 10.00, Flags 00000000, Len=106
874500 7248 Select operator at Gate 42
874500 7248 Select handling operator
874500 7248 Menzies [GSX default choice]
874500 7248 Swissport International
874500 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 broadcast
881578 7248 ### TEXT_DESTROY: 512 (Menu) Result: 0, Flags 00000000
881578 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 clear broadcast
881891 7248 ### TEXT: 257 (Static) From SimC, Duration 6.00, Flags 00000000, Len=26
881891 7248
[GSX] Handling by Menzies
881891 7248 Delaying notification of message type 1
881891 7248 Sending delayed notification of message type 1
881891 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 1 broadcast
882156 7248 ### TEXT: 512 (Menu) From SimC, Duration 30.00, Flags 00000000, Len=96
882156 7248 GSX - Jetways Service
882156 7248 Select jetways
882156 7248 [ ] GSX2 Jetway to Fwd Pax (1L)
882156 7248 [Don't select any jetway]
882156 7248 Delaying notification of message type 2
882156 7248 Sending delayed notification of message type 2
882156 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 broadcast
887906 7248 ### TEXT_DESTROY: 257 (Static) Result: 65540, Flags 00000000
887906 7248 Delaying notification of message type 1
887906 7248 Sending delayed notification of message type 1
887906 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 1 clear broadcast
888266 7248 ### TEXT_DESTROY: 512 (Menu) Result: 0, Flags 00000000
888266 7248 Delaying notification of message type 2
888266 7248 ### TEXT: 512 (Menu) From SimC, Duration 30.00, Flags 00000000, Len=98
888266 7248 GSX - Jetways Service
888266 7248 Select jetways
888266 7248 [•] GSX2 Jetway ---------> Fwd Pax (1L)
888266 7248 [Confirm selection]
888266 7248 Delaying notification of message type 2
888313 7248 Sending delayed notification of message type 2
888313 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 broadcast
894031 7248 ### TEXT_DESTROY: 512 (Menu) Result: 0, Flags 00000000
894031 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 clear broadcast
894031 7248 ### TEXT: 512 (Menu) From SimC, Duration 30.00, Flags 00000000, Len=96
894031 7248 GSX - Jetways Service
894031 7248 Select jetways
894031 7248 [ ] GSX2 Jetway to Fwd Pax (1L)
894031 7248 [Don't select any jetway]
894031 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 broadcast
898703 7248 ### TEXT_DESTROY: 512 (Menu) Result: 1, Flags 00000000
898703 7248 ***DISP*** Text/menu type 2 clear broadcast
I had selected the appropriate option each time. It did seem to be rather long-winded (5 menus to answer including the main one).
But at this point after selecting the FSX2 Jetway, I waited a couple of minutes (the number on the left is millisecs, the one next to it is the thread ID of the message logger) to see if anything would happen, and nothing did, so I started the process again, here:
1023594 7248 ### TEXT: 512 (Menu) From SimC, Duration 30.00, Flags 00000000, Len=276
1023594 7248 GSX - Activate ground services
etc. Same result (except didn't need to chose handler again) until I did the reposition at this gate and went through the process again.
Regards
Pete
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