McLarran and Geneva - lack of parking gate aids for FS9

[Ray Proudfoot]

Hi,

I've bought several DT airports for FS9 and have been very impressed with the quality. In all those I have there are indicators to assist when parking. These don't appear to be present in the FS9 versions of McLarran and Geneva.

Is there a reason for this? A limitation of the demo mode or perhaps the airports themselves don't include them? Given the extra parking assistance in FSX versions it would be good to have some guides for the FS9 ones.

Thanks.

[JFKpilot]

Hi,

I've bought several DT airports for FS9 and have been very impressed with the quality. In all those I have there are indicators to assist when parking. These don't appear to be present in the FS9 versions of McLarran and Geneva.

Is there a reason for this? A limitation of the demo mode or perhaps the airports themselves don't include them? Given the extra parking assistance in FSX versions it would be good to have some guides for the FS9 ones.

Thanks.

Hi Ray. I assume you are referring to ParkMe. This is a fsx-only feature since it relies on Simconnect and isn't possible to achieve in fs9. If you look at the product pages you'll notice that the fs9-version also lacks features like YouControl; unless you purchase AES credits, the jetways are static in fs9 while the built-in animated system is used for fsx. There are moving cars present on the nearby highways in the fsx-version but not for fs9, since like the jetways, it is a default fsx feature but not a default fs9 feature.

As you can see, there are a fair amount of differences between the two sim versions when it comes to interactivity. Visually both versions are very similar, with fsx having
a slight advantage. As long as you accept this scenario for all current and future releases you'll be well off.    

[Ray Proudfoot]

Hi Ray. I assume you are referring to ParkMe. This is a fsx-only feature since it relies on Simconnect and isn't possible to achieve in fs9.

Thanks for your reply Ron. No, I wasn't referring to ParkMe or YouControl. I fully understand these are only possible in FSX. I was referring to the lights or distance board that changes as you taxi slowly forward to the parking position for your aircraft type. I have Zurich and that feature is present in that version. I'm pretty sure it's there too for JFK and O'Hare.

If you look at the product pages you'll notice that the fs9-version also lacks features like YouControl; unless you purchase AES credits, the jetways are static in fs9 while the built-in animated system is used for fsx. There are moving cars present on the nearby highways in the fsx-version but not for fs9, since like the jetways, it is a default fsx feature but not a default fs9 feature.

I also understand the jetways and moving traffic are static in FS9. No problem with that. FS9 gives me frame rates I can only dream about in FSX.

As you can see, there are a fair amount of differences between the two sim versions when it comes to interactivity. Visually both versions are very similar, with fsx having a slight advantage. As long as you accept this scenario for all current and future releases you'll be well off.

I have no grumbles with the reduced feature set in FS9. I'm only really concerned with the visual parking aids. Knowing when exactly to stop is a bit hit-and-miss without them. Hope you understand where I'm coming from.

[JFKpilot]

Wow...I completely misunderstood and gave you dumb info. Sorry about that.  
As far as the visual parking aids go, I think KLAS and KFLL don't have it in real life. I don't think they would have been omitted if they existed in real life. I guess changing views will have to suffice for fs9...

[Ray Proudfoot]

Wow...I completely misunderstood and gave you dumb info. Sorry about that. 
As far as the visual parking aids go, I think KLAS and KFLL don't have it in real life. I don't think they would have been omitted if they existed in real life. I guess changing views will have to suffice for fs9...

  No worries about misunderstanding me. I should have described things better. I'm sure if the visual parking aids existed in real life you would have added them. Incidentally I was asking about KLAS and LSGG. 

My nephew lives near Geneva and I should be visiting him in a month or so. I'll check the gates then and if the parking aids are there I might have to claim a refund! 

Thanks for the prompt replies. With your generous discounts I feel a purchase coming on.

[JFKpilot]

Actually, doesn't terminal C and D at KLAS have the distance boards?...I know A and B gates don't but can't remember if C and D have them.
And I thought LSGG has them. 

BTW...I'm not affiliated with Fsdt in any way. Umberto (virtuali) is in charge of support. He usually offers very fast supprt...where is he when you need him lol. He should answer your questions, since I'm obviously just confusing myself. 

[Ray Proudfoot]

Being a Brit I'm not over-familiar with the terminal layout at McCarran but it would be unusual for there to be no aids at airports with jetways.

Anyway, I've done the deed now. I'm sure I won't be disappointed given the quality of other DT work.

Thanks for your help. Perhaps Umberto can clarify things later.

PS. I've just corrected my spelling of McCarran!!

[virtuali]

I think you are both right.

Those visual parking aids, usually called Docking Systems or Safegates, are indeed available only in the FSX version of our later sceneries, because we *integrate* them in the ParkMe feature, providing a more elegant way of using them, because you can decide where to park from a menu, the relevant safegate will turn on, airplane will be detected automatically, and you'll get even the final parking evaluation in the end.

All of this logic is handled with our FSX scripting engine called Couatl, which is based on the Phyton language, and it give us lots of advantadges over the old BGL "programming", both in expression power (we have a real object oriented language available, to create very complex logic) and in performances as well, because using a client server model, and running in a separate .EXE file, we are entirely multithreaded, without impacting flightsim performances a bit, even when running the most complex logic, because the scripting engine runs in the background, exploiting unused processing power, which is usually available when running on at least a Dual Core machine.

So, moving away from the old style FS9 BGL programming, allows us for much more flexibility and room to grow in the future. We have a whole program, XPOI, that is written entirely with this engine and it's *far* more complex than a simple Safegate, which gives an idea how much powerful it is.

The downside of it, we had to left FS9 behind for this. Yes, at Zurich we have Safegates in FS9 as well, because those were made using BGL programming. However, this kind of interactivity was deemed to be phased out in FSX, since the native FSX SDK promotes a much different way to create interaction and smart objects, which is centered on Simconnect.

About KLAS Safegates, yes, from an European point of view, it might looks strange a big airport like this, with jetways and all, doesn't have them, when in Europe, even a way smaller airport like Milano Linate have them, but that's just the way it is, and so is KFLL.

There aren't many airports in the US using Safegates, they are starting to be introduced now, but the most common way of parking assistance in the US is still marshalling. I think that KLAS has been scheduled to start implementing the first Safegates sometime in 2010, so we decided to put some on the newest Terminal anyway.

[Ray Proudfoot]

Hi Umberto,

Thanks for your excellent reply. BGLs have been with us since the days of Bruce Artwick so I suppose the time would eventually come when good use could be made of current technology to program certain airport elements in a more efficient way.

Whilst I will have to manually determine when to apply the brakes at the gate this new FSX technology is not lost for me - only delayed. In 2-3 years when those new processors are capable of running FSX as well as today's are running FS9 then I will make the switch and enjoy these new faciities.

One last question. Are you familiar with AES? It provides an enhanced airport environment with push-back trucks and follow-me cars. Does it include marshallers who could guide an aircraft in to a gate? If so they that would be a good alternative until I switch to FSX.

[virtuali]

One last question. Are you familiar with AES? It provides an enhanced airport environment with push-back trucks and follow-me cars. Does it include marshallers who could guide an aircraft in to a gate? If so they that would be a good alternative until I switch to FSX.

Yes, the availability of AES and the fact we support it in our sceneries, has lessen somewhat any concerns we had about stopping doing these things in FS9, because at least users have a choice.

[Ray Proudfoot]

Yes, the availability of AES and the fact we support it in our sceneries, has lessen somewhat any concerns we had about stopping doing these things in FS9, because at least users have a choice.

Thanks Umberto. That solves that problem but unfortunately requires the credit card to be dusted off again.