Jetway menu automatically opened up by GSX when boarding/deboarding?

[stefangr]

I have noticed that when boarding / deboarding is requested and jetways are not connected yet, GSX opens up its menu automatically and selects menu item #6 for jetways, so the jetway selection is showing up (when it has SODE jetways).

I was wondering if that was invented in a GSX update not long time ago? I did not notice that before, and it looks my automation script is a bit irritated by that

Seen @EDDF/Gate A19 (Mega Airport Frankfurt V2.0 professional) with P3Dv5.2 and GSX Level 2.

Thanks
Stefan

[virtuali]

GSX never automatically opens up its menu.

The airplane you are using, instead, is doing that as part of its own GSX integration so, if you made another automation yourself, you shouldn't use the one provided with the airplane, because they will surely conflict or, adapt your automation script for when you use that airplane, and not doing something the airplane is already doing itself.

[stefangr]

I think I have not been precise enough. I am using Project Airbus, no Addon which has any GSX automation, and also my script has been stopped before testing. And obviously it's not about opening up the menu from scratch, just showing up menu within a "workflow":

Let's say I am starting fresh at LSZH/A42, no jetway nor anything else docked, opening up GSX menu by keyboard

I then select "1" = Request deboarding

Afterwards GSX is opening up the menu to select the operator, I will select "1" for the GSX default choice

After this the menu "Select jetways" is showing up to select the jetway to operate.

I was just wondering if that menu "select jetways" was always showing up at this stage or if this was introduced only recently. Maybe I cannot remember because I normally operate the jetways with menu item 6 before I start deboarding or boarding.

Thanks
Stefan

[Captain Kevin]

Yes, if you request de-boarding or boarding and the jetway isn't attached, it pops the menu up. This isn't new, it's always done this.

[virtuali]

I was just wondering if that menu "select jetways" was always showing up at this stage or if this was introduced only recently. Maybe I cannot remember because I normally operate the jetways with menu item 6 before I start deboarding or boarding.

That menu has been there since GSX Level 2 came out, in 2018.

If you are doing your own automation script, you cannot assume the jetway selection menu will always there, no matter what, because:

- If the gate doesn't have SODE jetways, the menu will always by skipped, since GSX doesn't control non-SODE jetways.

- If the gate doesn't have ANY jetways, the menu will also skipped, for obvious reasons.

- If the gate DOES have SODE jetways, but only one will solve to only one door, the menu will also skipped, because it won't make any sense asking the user which jetway should go to which door, when there's only one possible answer.

- If the gate has multiple SODE jetways, it will first ask which jetway you want to dock to which door first and then, if other jetways solve to more than one of the *remaining* doors, a SECOND menu will ask which jetway should dock to which of these doors. This might even go down to a 3rd menu, if even after assigning the first two jetways, the remaining ones will have more than a possible choice.

So, basically, I really think you shouldn't try to automate jetway selection with a script, considering GSX has way better information ( from the SODE API ) about which jetways will work on which door.

[stefangr]

Thanks, Umberto, for the explanation. I have tested some more scenarios, and I am also sure that this jetway selection was there already before, but I simply did not notice it because I docked them before requesting the (de)boarding.

Nevertheless I had a problem with the select jetway menu, and now I think I found the problem: It only happens at gates which have more than one jetway. For example I am in EDDF at Gate 19 (EDDF Mega Airport Frankfurt V2.0 professional) with P3Dv5.2 and with Project Airbus A320. This is what I do:

1. Starting the sim directly there at the gate
2. Open GSX menu, select menu item #6 (operate jetways)
3. I am getting these options:

- 1 () To Door 1L only to Main Exit (1) (1L) *
- 2 () To Door primary 2L otherwise 1L to Main Exit (1) (1L)
- 3 (Dont select any jetway)

4. I am selecting option #1 which is the default entry, getting these options:

- 1 (o) To Door 1L only - Main Exit (1) (1L) *
- 2 (Confirm selection)

5. I am selecting item #2 to confirm

Jetway is now moving to 1L, I am waiting until message appears "(GSX) Jetways operation completed"

6. I open up GSX menu, selecting item #4: Request boarding

- Menu "Select jetways" is showing up with these options:

1 () Undock To Door 1L only
2 (Dont select any jetways)

So my question would be: Why does GSX prompt the jetway selection again and proposes to undock the jetway with the first option? I have docked one the two jetways before, so there would be no need to show up this menu again.

On gates with only one jetway, this is working fine: When the jetway has been connected before, it will not prompt to select a jetway when boarding or unboarding is requested.

[virtuali]

So my question would be: Why does GSX prompt the jetway selection again and proposes to undock the jetway with the first option? I have docked one the two jetways before, so there would be no need to show up this menu again.

Why you say "again" ? The "Select jetways" menu is a toggle, which means:

- If no jetways are docked, it will be a "Docking" menu, as it was in your first case.

- If jetways are docked, it will become an "Undocking" menu, as it was in your second case, where a jetway already docked.

[stefangr]

But why is it different on gates with 1 jetway and gates with more than 1 jetway?

Only 1 jetway:
1. Request jetway manually
2. Jetway is docked
3. Request boarding manually
4. Jetway selection does NOT appear because jetways are docked

More than 1 jetway:
1. Request jetway manually
2. Jetway is docked
3. Request boarding manually
4. Jetway selection DOES appear, although jetways are docked

[virtuali]

But why is it different on gates with 1 jetway and gates with more than 1 jetway?

Only 1 jetway:
1. Request jetway manually
2. Jetway is docked
3. Request boarding manually
4. Jetway selection does NOT appear because jetways are docked [/quote]

I tried this exact sequence, and I can see the jetway selection menu even on a gate with 1 jetway, as it should be.

4. Jetway selection DOES appear, although jetways are docked

Why you say "although", as this was a problem. The jetway selection for Undocking is always supposed to show and, the test I've just made, it does.

Does the airport you tried have GSX SODE jetways or XML SODE jetways ?

[stefangr]

I just tested again at LFSB (FSDT scenery, nothing changed about jetway types), Gate 4 which has one jetway

1. Open GSX Main Menu
2. Select "6" for Operate Jetways
3. Press "1" for Customer Ground Services AG (select operator)
4. Press "1" to select the GSX user Jetway .1 to Main Exit 1 1L (select jetways)

Jetway is moving, waiting until connected

5. Press "4" for boarding

Boarding starts immediately, there is no menu or question regarding jetway operation.

I am not talking about manually selecting option 6 for jetways again, I am talking about the jetway selection menu coming up directly once you select "4" for boarding.

And I think this is fine in this case - there is no need to automatically ask for jetways when they are docked already. Does it show up for you in this sequence after your press "4" for boarding?

[virtuali]

Boarding starts immediately, there is no menu or question regarding jetway operation.

Following your report, I don't see why you would expect to see another menu about jetways when selecting Boarding, considering you already docked the jetway with the Operate jetways moments before.

I think you would like to have the menus always behave the same, so that would play nice with your automation script, when of course GSX always try to reduce unnecessary menus, like in this case or in other cases, when only one choice is possible ( being the operator or the jetway at some door ), and I understand why it would cause making an automation script very difficult to do, since you would have to work with less information compared to what GSX knows about itself.

And that's why, I said it would be best if you don't try to automate jetways in the first place.

[stefangr]

Hmm.... I am not sure if we are on the same page yet

When I connected the jetways before with menu item #6, and then I request boarding, there is no menu for jetways selection displayed. This is how it works now and this is fine for me.

The system behaves different if the same sequence is happening on a gate with 2 or 3 jetways: After connecting one of these jetways and then request boarding, the jetway selection menu is displayed.

I am just wondering why the system works different on gates with 1 jetway compared to gates with more than 1 jetway.

[virtuali]

When I connected the jetways before with menu item #6, and then I request boarding, there is no menu for jetways selection displayed. This is how it works now and this is fine for me.

And that's how is supposed to be.

The system behaves different if the same sequence is happening on a gate with 2 or 3 jetways: After connecting one of these jetways and then request boarding, the jetway selection menu is displayed.

And again, that's how is supposed to be.

You said "after connecting ONE of these jetways". That means there might still be other jetways that could connect but you decided not to connect with the operate option so, GSX is correctly giving you another chance to connect the remaining ones with the Boarding option.

If you connect ALL jetways that could connect with "operate", it shouldn't display the jetway selection menu on boarding.

[stefangr]

You said "after connecting ONE of these jetways". That means there might still be other jetways that could connect but you decided not to connect with the operate option so, GSX is correctly giving you another chance to connect them remaining ones with the Boarding option.

If you connect ALL jetways that could connect with "operate", it shouldn't display the jetway selection menu on boarding.

Thanks, Umberto. That explains it. And I justed tested: once both jetways are connected, the jetway selection is skipped when boarding is requested, just as you said.