GSX Pro Short-term Roadmap: what to expect in the next updates.

[virtuali]

This post will contain what to expect in the next updates. It won't include the normal bugfixes, only the main new features which are planned for the next major update:

Use of the new Navdata API that came with SU10

This feature has been now added as a "PUBLIC BETA" with the GSX October 17th Update.

New Fueling vehicles for airplanes with lower wings like the 737 or the MD80

There will be a completely new animation, with the refueling crew using the Fuel cable roller to connect to the airplane refueling point, not using a raised platform, but either a small ladder, or just by standing if the wing is low enough. Both Fuel Hydrants and Fuel Tankers will be updated with this new animation.

A proper VR/Dual Screen mode for the GSX menu

It will be possible to "pin" the menu, leaving it always open, which will be useful in VR or when undocking to a different monitor.


Ability to specify the Jetway floor height in the GSX Airport profile

The Jetway root floor height is data that doesn't exists in the SDK, it's only included in the GSX jetways and in a small internal database of 3rd party Jetway models. Currently, if a jetway model in a 3rd party scenery is not found in that database, GSX will use a default height of 4.60 meters from ground, which might result in passengers walking either too high or too low, if the actual floor is on a different height.

The update will add a Jetway tab page to the scenery customization dialog, where all different models found in a 3rd party scenery will be listed, so their height can be specified precisely, and saved in the airport profile. Only one number for each different Jetway model used by the scenery is required, not for every gate.

[AthenaG]

Thank you very much Umberto for these upcoming updates to this awesome GSX experience. I am relatively new to GSX in flight simuluations and am enjoying every bit of its features and animations. The various audio of the ground crew with regional accents are so realistic and always a joy to listen.

Athena Grey

[GGCH_BOOMer]

Sounds very good thanks for this roadmap. Always interesting to know what's in the pipeline

[Richboy2307]

Thank you for the roadmap, looking forward to these QoL and feature updates!

Not sure if this is the right place, but would love to see push/pull configuration for the pushback tugs if possible. Love the ability to define custom-pathing for pushback but hoping it can be taken a step further to allow the tug to pull the plane as well as push. This would be particularly useful at airports like VHHH where PUSHBACK GREEN procedures requires aircraft to push, then be pulled forward to a set position to avoid blocking other gates.

You can currently already define this in GSX Pro with custom pushback, however the animation for it breaks as when the tug needs to pull the aircraft forward, it either flips itself 180 degrees such that the tug is sitting below the aircraft, pushing it forward, OR sometimes it flips the aircraft entirely 180 degrees on the spot to push it to the final position. So would love to see push/pull implemented if possible.

[WebMaximus]

Great to see what you're planning for Umberto, thanks for sharing!

First a comment on the VR part. Tonight, I reinstalled GSX PRO after having done some upgrades to my PC and got myself a new VR headset. One thing I noticed in VR was how opening the GSX Settings screen will cause issues. Which I understand since doing so will open a normal Windows window. Which won't be seen inside VR in MSFS. The issue though was how doing so caused GSX PRO to end up in an endless 'Loading...' loop. Where I couldn't manage to bring up any menus again without restarting Coutl.

The simple solution of course is to avoid using the settings screen when you're in VR but still wanted to mention the result doing so. Maybe if possible, you could add something that would block the possibility opening the settings screen when called from inside VR. Where the user would receive a simple message telling them to only use the settings screen in 2D mode.

Speaking of messages. Is there any way messages could also be received in VR?

Reason for my question is how I tonight when playing around noticed that sometimes when GSX is waiting for you to do something. Where you get a text message when in 2D mode telling you what to do, this can be a bit tricky in VR. Where you don't see this text message from GSX. Meaning you'll have to guess/learn what GSX is waiting for during certain phases of operation. Which of course can be a bit tricky. I know I've seen some of these messages directly in the GSX menu but it seems like some of the messages won't show up in the menu. Only as a text band in the upper part of the screen in 2D mode.

Lastly, when it comes to PAX number which can be read from SimBrief, would it be a hard thing for you to code GSX to use the number of PAX from SimBrief when showing the animations of PAX boarding/deboarding? Instead of using the slider on the GSX settings screen where you can only choose from various estimates such as Normal, High etc if I recall correctly. Or maybe this is how it already works? Where the number of people walking through the jetway or to/from the bus will match the PAX number from the SimBrief OFP?

[virtuali]

The simple solution of course is to avoid using the settings screen when you're in VR but still wanted to mention the result doing so. Maybe if possible, you could add something that would block the possibility opening the settings screen when called from inside VR. Where the user would receive a simple message telling them to only use the settings screen in 2D mode.

That would be the only option, since all the 2D dialogs for the settings page use a different kind of API ( wxWindows ), which can't be used in VR.

Speaking of messages. Is there any way messages could also be received in VR?

We are looking into this. Keep in mind, none of this has any official documentation, it's all a bit of trial and error.

Lastly, when it comes to PAX number which can be read from SimBrief, would it be a hard thing for you to code GSX to use the number of PAX from SimBrief when showing the animations of PAX boarding/deboarding? Instead of using the slider on the GSX settings screen where you can only choose from various estimates such as Normal, High etc if I recall correctly. Or maybe this is how it already works?

It's already like this. The Passenger density doesn't have any effect on the overall number of passengers, which is always taken either from the Payload or from SimBrief. The only thing the density slider controls, is the time distance between the generation of each passengers, resulting in a more dense crowd and less boarding time.

[WebMaximus]

Fully understood, will keep my fingers crossed you'll find a good way for handling some of these things in VR. I would be happy to help you out with testing if needed, just let me know.

Thanks for the clarification around the PAX count. That is so cool your actual number of PAX from SimBrief is reflected in the animation of PAX!

[rsm2000e]

Hi Umberto,
Please consider my request to add a "disable all stairs"  GLOBAL option for entire world airports - why?  For those simmers who fly tubeliner jets and park only at airports with jetways!  This would be greatly appreciated as opposed to needing to disable rear stairs at EACH AIRPORT you fly into...this is a highly desirable 'addition' and would seem easily programmed?  Just add a tickbox to the customize airports page?

Applause on a very very nice product - GSX Pro really is 'professional'!!

Cheers!

[virtuali]

Please consider my request to add a "disable all stairs"  GLOBAL option for entire world airports - why?  For those simmers who fly tubeliner jets and park only at airports with jetways! 

In most of the world, except for the US, the rear staircase is used for the cabin cleaning crew. Passengers won't use it if there's a jetway.

[WebMaximus]

Any chance the passengers (as well as the cabin crew and the pilots) could be made visible when they're in the bus?

The way it is now where the bus looks completely empty when it pulls up by the aircraft, followed by lots of people poring out of the bus looks a bit weird. You kind of wonder where all those people came from when the bus was completely empty seconds earlier when you looked

[virtuali]

Any chance the passengers (as well as the cabin crew and the pilots) could be made visible when they're in the bus?

They already are.

The way it is now where the bus looks completely empty when it pulls up by the aircraft, followed by lots of people poring out of the bus looks a bit weird.

That's not the way it is now. The bus does fill up progressively.

[WebMaximus]

OK, so I wonder if that means I'm not on the latest version because when I've looked into the bus when it's arriving with passengers, it has been completely empty. Then when it stops and you look inside the bus, you see how passenger by passenger suddenly appear out of thin air just inside the doors and then they step out of the bus.

[virtuali]

OK, so I wonder if that means I'm not on the latest version

The passenger bus fills up progressively since the first release. Are you sure you are just not seeing the passengers because of their LOD levels being too short, possibly because you are in VR ?

[WebMaximus]

Could be, will try to increase the VR LOD a bit more.

[Transair]

Please consider my request to add a "disable all stairs"  GLOBAL option for entire world airports - why?  For those simmers who fly tubeliner jets and park only at airports with jetways! 

In most of the world, except for the US, the rear staircase is used for the cabin cleaning crew. Passengers won't use it if there's a jetway.

I take your point here, but I have several airports where the rear stairs are used at aerobridges/jetways, for pax seated in rows 15 and beyond, to speed up boarding.  The only pax waypoints I cannot seem to get right are for this very purpose - jetway at Door 1L and airstairs at 2L.  Is there a way to get pax to board/deboard using both of these?  Thanks