Author Topic: Prevent menu from closing.  (Read 2184 times)

AndyCYXU

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Prevent menu from closing.
« on: October 02, 2022, 01:15:24 am »
any chance on getting it to not close especially in VR?
I see you made it so it automatically opens... whoever asked for that.. ?
how about me make it so it DOES NOT CLSOE and nobody that i ever read ask for it to open automatically.. as a matter of fact it is annoying and unwanted.. really ?

seriously guys like every other window that opens in MSFS, I open it and it STAYS OPEN, like every single one of them, no exception.. well ONE exception GSX !

Thanks

virtuali

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2022, 12:00:40 pm »
I see you made it so it automatically opens... whoever asked for that.. ?

Nowhere we ever added that function. The GSX menu is only opened by clicking the toolbar or pressing the GSX hotkey (if the toolbar is active)

Quote
seriously guys like every other window that opens in MSFS, I open it and it STAYS OPEN, like every single one of them, no exception.. well ONE exception GSX !

We made a fix that prevented the X button to close the menu and, as soon we released it, lots of VR users came here complaining it should return as if was so, clearly, hearing users suggestions, we reverted the fix and restored the X close functionality, and everybody confirmed it was now ok.

AndyCYXU

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2022, 07:47:35 pm »
This was not a fix this was breaking it for no reason at all...

We made a fix that prevented the X button to close the menu and, as soon we released it, lots of VR users came here complaining it should return as if was so, clearly, hearing users suggestions, we reverted the fix and restored the X close functionality, and everybody confirmed it was now ok.

just read that what you wrote.. c'mon.. we asked that the menu does not close automatically .. NOBODY ASKED to remove the ability to close it by clicking an X WHY THE HECK ANY ONE WOULD .... if i want to close it then I press the X... so make the menu not close AUTOMATICALLY and if I press the X then yeah duh I want it to close !

I do not understand what you do not understand, because what I am asking is pretty simple ! 

STOP MENU FROM AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING This is what many have asked for...

NOT prevent X from closing menu

WHY ? would you remove ability to close it with the X whoever asked for that? What they closed it accidently by clicking and X ???




rogermoore

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2022, 09:11:42 pm »
Personally in would like to be able to open and close the menu from the msfs task bar at the top. Not have it close itself, or disappear but the button stay highlighted so I have to click the button twice to get the menu back. Pretty much like ever other button. The VRF map stays until you close it, the atc window stays visible until you close it. GSX doesn’t seem to know if it’s open or not. This has been a complaint since day 1. I have no idea what the Hot key is all about. I just want the msfs button to work correctly.

One day hopefully

AndyCYXU

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2022, 02:43:17 am »
This is exactly what I am talking about and what has been asked.
GSX window closes by itself after short time we want this to STOP

STOP MENU FROM CLOSING ON ITS OWN BY ITSELF

I Suppose he doesn't understand it because maybe it is not possible the way it works in GSX,, but I am yet to hear that,, so I keep on asking PLEASE STOP MENU FROM CLOSING BY ITSELF not remove my ability to close it ????

If this is the design of the program then I can understand that it cannot work like every other menu such as ATC, checklist, well, all of them but yeah.

The way "most of us" probably want it to work is simple..

When the window opens first time we choose for example:

Request refueling.. GSX says "refueling truck is on its way" then I think it changes to "Select service provider" then I choose that, then it goes back to the main menu where you can choose another thing.. idk start boarding or whatever AND LEAVE THE DAMN WINDOW OPEN so I don't have to click in the top bar GSX to reopen it again and again and friggen again and again and again and again over and over again.

Imagine if after you contact ATC in the ATC window menu it closed right after that ,,, every singe time

anyways I am guessing it just cannot be done.. I see no other reason that it is not done


« Last Edit: October 03, 2022, 02:45:27 am by AndyCYXU »

virtuali

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2022, 11:21:49 am »
just read that what you wrote.. c'mon.. we asked that the menu does not close automatically .. NOBODY ASKED to remove the ability to close it by clicking an X WHY THE HECK ANY ONE WOULD ....

You got it entirely backwards, I'll try to explain it again:  we haven't removed the "ability to close it by clicking an X", that's exactly the opposite of what the last fix was about.

Before the last fix, clicking the X would result in the menu just being hidden, but NOT closed ( hidden means you don't see the menu, closed means the toolbar icon becomes inactive, so the menu doesn't respond to GSX anymore ).

This worked perfectly fine for non-VR mode, because this way, with the menu hidden but not closed, you could now use a key to bring it back and, more importantly, if GSX required to pop-up a menu in the middle of an operation, it could show it, something that wouldn't be possible if the menu was really closed. So, in order to make it easier to use, we changed the X button behavior that would always "hide" ( not close ) the menu, because what the X button normally does, is to really close the menu.

After THIS change to the X button, lots of VR users came here immediately, asking to revert this change so now, when in VR, the X button behavior has reverted to default, that is really closing the menu, which also closes the toolbar icon.

Now the Auto-close. I think you are making a big confusion about two completely different things:

- The intentional Auto-close, which was used in the first GSX release, the one even before we added the hotkey and the method of never really closing the menu, but only hiding. This was made before we had the hotkey: GSX tried to figure out depending on the situation if your next likely operation would require opening the menu again, so it would auto-close the toolbar, saving you from a double click ( one to close the toolbar icon, another one to re-open it ), or if it required to pop-up an extra menu instead, so it would not auto-close it, otherwise it could re-open it by itself. This wasn't very reliable because it was difficult to always figure out when it was right to close the toolbar or not. THIS kind of auto-close doesn't exists anymore.

- The menu Timeout. All GSX menus have a inherent Timeout, some of them timeout without a choice, others timeouts with a default choice and the timeout "time" is different for each one.

The main GSX menu, for example, timeouts without sending any choice, so when it timeouts, nothing happens. Other menus, like the choice of an operator, have a much shorter timeout time, and they timeouts with a choice, and this is of course something that has been asked by users not wanting to be distracted by an extra choice that is not really that crucial so, you have enough time to select an operator, but if you don't care about the operator, the default one will be selected in a few seconds and the service will continue without having to necessarily stop to decide an operator.

That's how GSX always worked since it came out, and the consensus amongst the vast majority of users is they want to have the GSX menu for as little time as required, without being intrusive when you don't need them anymore.

It seems what you are REALLY asking here, is something GSX NEVER HAD, which is the concept of a "Pinned" menu, that's a completely different thing, a completely new feature, which will require several structural changes the way GSX works, because its whole behavior is based on the fact the menu will be only there for a short while.

With a Pinned menu, for example, the entries should always kept updated to show any changes happening to the availability of services or their status, something that is not required now, since they are refreshed when it's reopened. During flight, a Pinned menu should always constantly refresh to show the nearby airports, in case you might want to select one to pre-select a gate before landing so, it's not a "quick fix" as it might seem.

And yes, we already confirmed multiple times adding a pinned menu is something planned for a future update.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2022, 11:25:51 am by virtuali »

HeicoH

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2022, 11:32:29 am »
Why is it so complicated to have the GSX menu behave just like ANY OTHER 3rd party menu does - only close when it is demanded to close, stay on the desktop otherwise?
My GSX test scenario (unless otherwise stated):
Sandbox environment
GSX v 2.9.1 (as of 20 Jan 2023)
Fenix A320, PMDG 737-800, ATR-72
EDDL (JustSim), EDDK (Aerosoft), both not Marketplace
GSX jetways disabled
no AI traffic
no antivirus or firewall software running
all apps started in admin mode

virtuali

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2022, 11:36:51 am »
Why is it so complicated to have the GSX menu behave just like ANY OTHER 3rd party menu does - only close when it is demanded to close, stay on the desktop otherwise?

Doesn't seem you read the last part of the message about how GSX would need to be changed to work with a Pinned menu.

"Other 3rd party menus" have it much easier, because they are usually self-contained Javascript apps and/or containers for a web page, so their logic is all there in the menu itself, or in the remote webpage, while GSX is an external program with its own logic that uses the menu as a "dumb" method of communication with the user, so it needs lots of changes to support a Pinned menu.

AndyCYXU

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2022, 09:54:57 am »
It seems what you are REALLY asking here, is something GSX NEVER HAD, which is the concept of a "Pinned" menu, that's a completely different thing, a completely new feature, which will require several structural changes the way GSX works, because its whole behavior is based on the fact the menu will be only there for a short while.

With a Pinned menu, for example, the entries should always kept updated to show any changes happening to the availability of services or their status, something that is not required now, since they are refreshed when it's reopened. During flight, a Pinned menu should always constantly refresh to show the nearby airports, in case you might want to select one to pre-select a gate before landing so, it's not a "quick fix" as it might seem.

Ok after reading it I am getting little bit better understanding on how it works and where the miscommunication here is open/closed/hidden/active/inactive..

After reading your explanation I understand that when menu disappears from my (screen/view in VR) after a short while (something I DO NOT want to happen) it is NOT closing, but rather it is timing out and HIDDING then the use of HOT KEY will bring it back to VIEW.

If this understanding is correct then yes that is what I would like to stop from happening, I would like it to not AUTO-HIDE after timeout, but if this require a whole new design then I understand.

as you explain "service choice menu" will auto hide and choose default if I do not act, that is fine.

Let's call the menu that fist opens in GSX a "Main Menu", so what I would imagine would probably be the best scenario when:

1. I open GSX "Main Menu" and select (for example) "Request Boarding"

2. GSX changes menu to "Service Provider Menu"
a) I choose service provider, GSX returns to "Main Menu"
b) I do not make the choice, "service provider menu" times out and returns to "Main Menu"

3. I choose something else from "Main Menu" and so on....
Menu remains on my screen 2d or VR visible at all times until i press the X at which time it all closes.

... I think this is then what you call the pinned menu in which case i understand it might take a lot more work if it ever gets done... If that's the case then I am glad we can get this straighten out.

I am pretty sure that I am not alone in this and many would like the menu to not AUTOMATICALLY HIDE just stay on screen all the time especially for us in VR. I have not yet tried the HOT KEY I will make sure I look into it and it might be little bit less bother some then clicking on GSX icon in tool bar "twice" all the time. Now I understand that by clicking in toolbar "twice" to get it to show I am actually CLOSING it from it's HIDDEN state then REOPENING it.. so yeah again is this HIDDEN state rally necessary.. yes I read you explanation and it seems it is because of how the whole thing works..

maybe i can somehow bond this HOT KEY to a switch in my OVH panel for GRD service on my home cockpit but that's another story not for you to solve LOL, that would kind of make sense for me.. press GRD service button on OVH have GSX window come back to VIEW...


« Last Edit: October 04, 2022, 09:59:08 am by AndyCYXU »

virtuali

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2022, 01:22:26 pm »
I suspected what you wanted it's a PINNED menu, that's why I explained it will require significant changes to how GSX works.

AndyCYXU

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #10 on: October 05, 2022, 08:22:43 pm »
I suspected what you wanted it's a PINNED menu, that's why I explained it will require significant changes to how GSX works.

so in other words disabling the HIDING of the menu is not possible without significant changes to how GSX works?

virtuali

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Re: Prevent menu from closing.
« Reply #11 on: October 06, 2022, 11:56:27 am »
so in other words disabling the HIDING of the menu is not possible without significant changes to how GSX works?

Haven't I already replied to you about this ? The main change to work with a PINNED menu would require:

- Keeping the menus updated in realtime, while the situation evolves.

As an example, right now you call Refueling, and the menu will close but, if you open it while the Truck is arriving, the Refuel button would show "Fuel Truck is on its way", because it has updated itself the moment you re-opened it. With a Pinned menu, it must change, because the menu entries should change immediately and update themselves when something happens, in that case the button would change into "Fuel Truck is in position" when it arrives.

Or, another example, when you are in the approach phase, the GSX menu will show the airports close to you, so you can select one and pre-select a gate for landing. If you keep the menu Pinned for the whole flight, that list should be constantly refreshed every few seconds, because the airplane is moving, something we don't need to do know, since the menu it's only kept open for a few seconds so, the list of airports will be refreshed next time you open it.

So yes, those are significant changes, which need to be made with care because of the obvious possible performance impacts ( being careful how frequently you ask for the nearby airports, for example, which creates traffic over Simconnect, while you are flying )