With the previous version of the Airbus the number was transferred automatically. Is this a GSX problem or an Aerosoft problem? Wo has to come up with a solution?
Why you think this is a "problem" ?
With the previous version of the Airbus, the number wasn't transferred automatically. As far as I know, only the FS Labs A320 use the new method we added to GSX to allow 3rd party developers to specify the exact number of passengers from the airplane code. We just documented it very recently so, I doubt Aerosoft had enough time to add it to their Airbus, and surely not in the previous version.
But this is a new GSX feature. For years, as clearly explained on the GSX manual, GSX always ESTIMATED the number of passengers based on the airplane payload, divided by 220 lbs, which is a ROUGH industry-standard estimate of how much a passenger + luggage weights.
While this usually works, if the airplane is configured with some non-luggage payload, like mail or even a combi configuration (like 747 combi), where a significant percentage of the payload is NOT luggage, the estimate would be off and this is how GSX always worked so far. As explained so many times on the forum, the way the payload works in FSX/P3D, is NOT possible to specify of know the "kind" of payload. It can be a single person, a whole class of people, a cargo section, etc.
Airplane developers that have some kind of passenger number simulation (the sim DOES NOT have an official "passenger number" variable), are doing it entirely on their own, and they possibly set a portion of the total payload based on that number, but there's no standard way for addons to share this information. And, they might also load passengers and cargo progressively, which might confuse users because, depending on WHEN they call GSX, the airplane might still be in the process of loading its own passengers so, the estimate made while the airplane hasn't completed a progressive loading process, will surely be off and yes, the Aerosoft Airbus HAS this feature so, maybe, you think there's a "problem" if the number is very different, just because you called GSX when the Airbus was still doing its progressive loading simulation.
Since knowing the passenger number is useful to GSX, and very soon GSX will have actual passenger visible instead of just a simulation (so it would be more important for them to be the correct number), we added a couple of interface variables that airplane developers can write/read, so GSX and the airplane code can be kept in agreement when the number of passengers is involved. As far as I know, only the FS Labs new A320/A319 have been updated to support this feature.
But of course, since we don't expect all 3rd party airplane developers to use this system, we ALSO added the ability for user of airplanes not updated to connect to GSX, to specify the exact passengers number themselves, which is exactly what the new "
Estimate passengers number" option in the GSX Setting does.
So, now, instead of just ONE way for GSX to know the passenger number, there are THREE:
1) If you have the "Estimate passengers number" option ENABLED, GSX will work
as it always did, calculating the number of passengers by dividing the payload by 220 lbs.
2) If you have the "Estimate passengers number" option DISABLED, you'll be asked to CONFIRM the GSX estimate when boarding/deboarding starts, so this will allow you to set the correct number even when the airplane code is not made to connect to GSX.
3) If you use an airplane that interfaces with GSX, the airplane itself will set the number of passenger to be used by GSX and, in case it has a progressive loading feature, it might be able to update its weight/balance in real time, while the GSX passengers are boarding, as seen in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ7wbec3lJU&t=72s
