GSX Ground Services - Follow-me car

[saveriomangione]

Hi, I've been experiencing some strange issues with the follow-me car. When it arrives it suddenly changes its direction and then comes back again or simply uses another taxi-way or runway at a very high speed and it is absoulutely impossible to follow owing to the high speeds she runs. I changed the options by reducing its speed at minimum but that issue persists. Any suggestion for me?
Thanks and regards
Saverio

[jimble]

Not sure if you would like me to open a different thread, but i am having exactly the same problem as the above poster. The follow me car simply doesn't work any more both default and add on airports.

[virtuali]

The problem doesn't happen and it's not possible the FollowMe would run at such high speed that would be "impossible to follow it", unless you used Time Acceleration, so that's normal.

Some users mistakenly think the Follow Me inverted his direction, because it now checks for your position and, if YOU drive too close to it, it will try to "escape", making a 180 to turn around your plane. This is not obviously a bug, but it's a new feature, and you simply must be sure you are following it from a safer distance.

If you think this wasn't the case, and you were well behind it when it happened, it's usually a problem of the scenery AFCAD but, in order for us to check it, you must always include ALL the following informations:

- The scenery used. If it's not default, clearly identify the scenery used. It would be best if you could provide such report with a default scenery or an FSDT scenery.

- The airplane used.

- Your approximate position when you called the Follow Me

- Your chosen destination

- Your approximate position when the problem happened

[jimble]

Thanks for your reply.
  It doesn't really make sense for the follow me car to turn around and then drive at the plane that is too close to it, surely it would simply speed up in a forward direction. Also, it doesn't explain why it drives olf at high speed and disappears. You simply can't follow it. It occurs at any airport, add on or default. The follow me car was working fine before, so it must be one of the updates.
   Regards.

[virtuali]

It doesn't really make sense for the follow me car to turn around and then drive at the plane that is too close to it, surely it would simply speed up in a forward direction.

Since the Follow me cannot obviously compete in speed with your airplane, it doesn't make any sense if it tried, so the one and only solution that will always work, is the one we use now, which is turning around you when you get too close to it.

The program is not so dumb to consider "just" your distance. It takes into account your speed and acceleration, to estimate if you will end up crashing into it, in the next few seconds. So it's not just the distance, it's also how constant and smooth is your acceleration.

Sorry, but I just completed a PERFECT Follow me with the (heavy) PMDG 777, not even using a joystick/pedals (just with the keyboard), and there are no problems whatsoever following it.

Also, it doesn't explain why it drives off at high speed and disappears.

What you call "high speed", it's the normal speed for the car. The speed when the you are following it, it's slower and you can slow it down with the GSX preferences, because it's the only one that matters to you.

You simply can't follow it.

You are NOT supposed to Follow it during its escape route, and it will eventually disappear, because its service is considered to be terminated.

The follow me car was working fine before, so it must be one of the updates.

The Follow me car is working correctly now, it's you that are following too closely, and are triggering the escape routine.

[jimble]

Ok i'll work on it. Thanks for your help.

[Raphael]

Im having the same issue (P3DV3)...

The Follow me car arrives, makes the normal turn to continue in aircraft direction, attemps to accelerate  BUT..... then stops completely in front of the aircraft, then turns 180 degrees towards the aircraft, and in general i would say that goes crazy driving in wrong direction i would say, its pretty obvious there is something wrong 

At the end, the service is terminated for "Safety Reasons" or because i just revoke the services.....   

Sometimes happen when using sceneries like Latin VFR, but i have also tested in FSDT sceneries, and, not sure if happening in all of them, but ive been flying from/to FSDT sceneries and i noticed that GSX Follow me car is not a guidance i can really trust...

Tomorrow i will test more in deep specifically in FSDT sceneries and let you know...

Hope this can help.... 

[virtuali]

The Follow me car arrives, makes the normal turn to continue in aircraft direction, attemps to accelerate  BUT..... then stops completely in front of the aircraft, then turns 180 degrees towards the aircraft, and in general i would say that goes crazy driving in wrong direction i would say, its pretty obvious there is something wrong 

At the end, the service is terminated for "Safety Reasons" or because i just revoke the services.....   

The appearance message saying the service terminated for safety reason, clearly indicates the problem was you were driving too close and/or accelerating too fast, so the program estimated you would risk crashing into it in a short time.

As I've said, the program is not so dumb to consider "just" your distance. It takes into account your speed and acceleration, to estimate if you will end up crashing into it, in the next few seconds. So it's not just the distance, it's also how constant and smooth is your acceleration.

Just follow the car from a little bit further away, and it will never abort the service.

And, as I've said too (but nobody seems to be able to come up with the requested information so far ), it you still think this wasn't the case, and you were well behind it when it happened, it's usually a problem of the scenery AFCAD but, in order for us to check it, you must always include ALL the following informations:

- The scenery used. If it's not default, clearly identify the scenery used. It would be best if you could provide such report with a default scenery or an FSDT scenery.

- The airplane used.

- Your approximate position when you called the Follow Me

- Your chosen destination

- Your approximate position when the problem happened

[Raphael]

Hello,

Sorry to bother about this problem.  I´ve been GSX user from long time ago, since FSX, bought all your sceneries(Almost all) and i have never seen this behavior before.   I think its something to consider...  

Okay, ive made some test, and here the problem and some images:

- The scenery used: LATIN VFR KMIA (Still not P3D fully compatible - Used migration)
- The airplane used: PMDG 772
- Your approximate position when you called the Follow Me:  Arriving from RW08R in direction to Terminal D(Parallel to RW08R(Very near i would say).    I made sure to wait the FM car completelly stopped.
- Your approximate position when the problem happened:   Same position vacating RW, completelly stopped.   I made sure not to accelerate too mutch(Below 10 knots in this case), and let the FM go ahead...
- Images:

http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94800961.jpg
http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94800972.jpg
http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94800983.jpg


Another test:

- The scenery used: FSDT KJFK Last update of course... P3D V3
- The airplane used: PMDG 772
- Your approximate position when you called the Follow Me:  Arriving from RW31R in direction to AA Terminal.  I made sure to wait the FM car completelly stopped.
- Your approximate position when the problem happened:   Same position vacating RW, completelly stopped.   I made sure not to accelerate too mutch(Below 9 knots in this case), and let the FM go ahead...
- Images:

http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94800994.jpg
http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94801005.jpg
http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94801026.jpg
http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94801037.jpg
http://www.subirimagenes.com/imagedata.php?url=http://s2.subirimagenes.com/otros/94800958.jpg
                 

Ive been testing other sceneries as well during my P3D V3 discovery, and its the same...   i dont really trust the FM car....

If there is something i can try, please let me know....  As i said, ive been using the GSX from the very begining, and i havent ever seen this behavior, feels like buggy thing around....


OTHER PROBLEM I HAVE:    pushing car is not working sometimes (Happened at KMIA-LTVFR, FSDT KIAH, FSDT KLAX).   I got to say it worked at FJFK and PHNL, but happen while i perform my PMDG B772 flights, not exactly testing GSX, if push car is not working, i just ignored it and continue manually.   So far im testing my PMDG B772/3 on my P3D V3.   So its something ive noticed...

Thanks in advance,

[virtuali]

- The scenery used: LATIN VFR KMIA (Still not P3D fully compatible - Used migration)

We'll just skip this.

Another test:

- The scenery used: FSDT KJFK Last update of course... P3D V3
- The airplane used: PMDG 772
- Your approximate position when you called the Follow Me:  Arriving from RW31R in direction to AA Terminal.  I made sure to wait the FM car completely stopped.
- Your approximate position when the problem happened:   Same position vacating RW, completely stopped.   I made sure not to accelerate too much(Below 9 knots in this case), and let the FM go ahead...

By saying "I made sure not to accelerate too much (Below 9 knots in this case)", it seems you are maybe confusing speed with acceleration.  As I've said, your speed is not really relevant, only acceleration is.

If the Follow Me is driving at 15 knots and you are driving at 15 knots or less, there are no problems, unless you were ALREADY too close to the follow me.

If, instead, the follow me is driving at, for example, 9 knots, and you are driving at 4 knots, but your are accelerating in a way that YOU WILL BE over the Follow Me in the next seconds (GSX cannot obviously foresee if you will brake and/or how fast you and your airplane will be able to brake), the situation will be considered dangerous, and you will see that message.

So, it's not your speed you must be concerned with, it's the smoothness of your acceleration.

And of course, the closer you are to the follow me car, the easier is to get into trouble. If you follow it from a bit behind, it would be more difficult to trigger what is considered to be dangerous, and you'll be free to accelerate faster.

From all your screenshot, you are fairly CLOSE to the Follow me. As I've said, try to follow it from a bit farther.

Of course, we can always tweak GSX and lower the "level of difficulty", if you find this is too difficult. As I've said, I tried it, and I managed to follow it PERFECTLY, with the 777, and I don't even have a joystick or a throttle...

[Raphael]

Thanks for reply,


Same behavior at PHNL, yesterday i tested it, i have the pictures, its the same....   Is not that im following it to close, its not that i arrived to the FM at high speed(In fact i stop the AC), its not that my speed is to high (18 FM vs 10-12 my AC)....   

This is not normal at all.     

No matter how hard i try(And i know this is not that complicated because my lived experience with GSX in the past),  the car goes crazy... 


Gee

[virtuali]

Is not that im following it to close, its not that

You were too close in the screenshot you posted.

i arrived to the FM at high speed(In fact i stop the AC), its not that my speed is to high (18 FM vs 10-12 my AC).... 

Again, the speed doesn't matter. Only the acceleration.

No matter how hard i try(And i know this is not that complicated because my lived experience with GSX in the past),  the car goes

The previous version didn't had this feature so, it's normal it would accept anything you did.

[bobsk8]

These things happen to me on about 1/2 the flights in P3D. Ther Follow me car, will meet the aircraft, and start to head for the ramp. At some point it will stop. I stop, a good distance behind the car, and wait, and it will not move. Finally I slowly creep up to the car, and as I get closer, it starts to roll forward, then makes a sharp turn in one direction, then reverses and goes the other way, and then goes behind me and disappears. It usually heads in a direction away from the assigned ramp.  This happens at different airports, like KBOS, KATL, KDCA, etc, all default airports, no payware airports at all. This started happening with the latest update. I have just learned to find the ramp where the GSX crew is waiting, by myself in those cases. Other people on Facebook have reported the exact same behavior. I also started a thread weeks ago about the same issue, sent in a BGL of one of the problem airports with a detailed description, and never got any feedback.

[virtuali]

This happens at different airports, like KBOS, KATL, KDCA, etc, all default airports, no payware airports at all.

also started a thread weeks ago about the same issue, sent in a BGL of one of the problem airports with a detailed description, and never got any feedback.

You said you use default airports, but you sent an AFCAD for MyTraffic. If the MyTraffic AFCAD is used, the airport is not default anymore. GSX takes its information ONLY from the AFCAD so, regardless if the visual scenery is default, when the AFCAD is not default, the scenery cannot be considered default anymore.

In any case, you have sent only the AFCAD, with none of the requested informations:

 -Your approximate position when you called the Follow Me

- Your approximate position when the problem happened

Do not send anything else. Just a reply to these two questions.  Since you sent the file by email, I expect to get the information related to it by email too.

And, it would be useful if you could indicate a reproducible step (with ALL the requested informations), on a default scenery using a default AFCAD.

[bobsk8]

The main issue, and I don't know how to stress this enough, is that this never ever happened before the latest update.