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Messages
31
Country
germany
Hi,

I am looking for an FSX internal gauge that pauses the sim on or a few miles before reaching the Top of Descent. Pretty new to xml gauge development, I need quite a bid of support.

We discussed some of the issues we are facing in the "Top of Descend Announcement Gauge" thread (http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/top-of-descend-announcement-gauge.436706/).

It looks like a long, rocky way to devise a working XML-based solution.

Anybody willing to join me this hard effort? You are invited!

Best Fritz
 
Messages
240
Country
germany
Posting new threads won't get you closer to a solution.

Why didn't you continue the old thread?
 
Messages
31
Country
germany
Because we are now discussing PAUSE on TOD and not ANNOUNCEMENT on TOD and it is easier to read without lot's of scrolling.

Anyway, I reviewed a couple of gauges and @rcbarend (Rob's) VSPEED gauge triggered the idea to make some assumptions. That would make it easier to create the gauge:

FL 395 to FL 415 use 175 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 375 to FL 395 use 170 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 355 to FL 375 use 165 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 335 to FL 355 use 160 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 315 to FL 335 use 155 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 295 to FL 315 use 150 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 275 to FL 295 use 145 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 255 to FL 275 use 140 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 235 to FL 255 use 135 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 215 to FL 235 use 130 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 195 to FL 215 use 125 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 175 to FL 195 use 120 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 155 to FL 175 use 115 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 135 to FL 155 use 110 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 115 to FL 135 use 105 NM to destination airport to pause sim
FL 095 to FL 115 use 100 NM to destination airport to pause sim
(The distances could change based on more information)

I looked into the GPS Guidebook and the best variables I could find to make the gauge work are:

FlightPlanWaypointApproachRemainingTotalDistance
WaypointAirportApproachCurrentLegDistance
ApproachRemainingTotalDistance
RemainingDistance
WaypointDistanceRemaining
FlightPlanApproachSegmentDistance
WaypointApproachRemainingDistance
FlightPlanWaypointApproachRemainingTotalDistance

On page 180 the author states the following:

FlightPlanApproachSegmentDistance is the remaining distance within the currently
indexed approach segment or sub-segment between the aircraft position and the
termination point of the segment. It counts downs as the aircraft proceeds toward the
segment termination point.

ApproachSegmentDistance can be used to measure and keep track of the length and
remaining distance of sub-segments whereas WaypointApproachLegDistance and
WaypointApproachRemainingDistance do not get into the sub-segment level.

Also handy is that ApproachSegmentDistance and ApproachSegmentLength are also
active during the En Route flight phase, returning the same values as
WaypointRemainingDistance and WaypointDistance, respectively.

Could the community support this or is somebody ready to write the gauge yet?

Have a great weekend!
 
Messages
495
Country
austria
I looked into a very yery old gauge...
You have loaded a flightplan!
And flightplan is active!

Here is an excerpt of this gauge

Code:
        (C:fs9gps:FlightPlanWaypointsNumber) s2 0 !=
        (C:fs9gps:FlightPlanIsActiveFlightPlan)
        &&
        if{
          1 (&gt;L:NavD_POST_FltPlan_aktiv,number)                   <!--  1 DEST defined FPL loaded GPS off -->
          l2 1 - (&gt;C:fs9gps:FlightPlanWaypointIndex)
          (C:fs9gps:FlightPlanWaypointRemainingTotalDistance,nmiles)  (&gt;L:NavM_POST_Apt_FltPathL,nmiles)
          }

At (L:NavM_POST_Apt_FltPathL,nmiles) you should get the flightplan distance to the airport.
I hope i properly interpreted my old code. it's so long ago.

Edi

Btw where is Bob??
 
Last edited:
Messages
31
Country
germany
Thanks Edi! I will keep working on this. Rob is still active here (ID: rcbarend). PM him if you want to get in touch. Best, Fritz
 

Dietmar

Resource contributor
Messages
198
Country
germany
Hi Fritz,
I have developed a gauge called FLTInfo which includes a triggers for a TOD event. You can download it at FlightSim AVSIm under FLTInfo_V2.zip. To take the code just for a TOD early warning/Stop FSX should be not a big deal. Look at the gauge first and let me know what you think. You may sent me an PM too for more discussions if you like.

Best
Dietmar
 
Messages
31
Country
germany
Hi Dietmar,

cute little gauge you made. Using it, I'm missing CRS, ILS IDs and FQ of the destination airport, only of the nearest. Maybe I'm misusing it.

Anyway. I can't figure out how you calculate the TOD in your gauge. Could you give me a hint?

Best
Fritz
 

Heretic

Resource contributor
Messages
6,830
Country
germany
How about reading the manual that came with the gauge?

Seriously, Fritz, if you're not content with any of the proposed solutions and not even lifting a finger to solve the issue on your own, you're kind of a lost cause.

And don't ever desctribe someone's gauges as "cute little" as it carries a disparaging undertone.
 

Dietmar

Resource contributor
Messages
198
Country
germany
Fritz,
1. As Heretic said, read the gauge doc.
2. Even more, read the great doc from Bob McElrath "GPS-Guide-Book", in order to understand the code. You will get it here:
http://www.robbiemcelrath.com/fs/guides/gps
3. On how the TOD is calculated open the FlightInfo XML element with a XML notepad ( Notepad++ for example) and do a search with TOD
and you will find what you are looking for.
4. Afterwards you may delete all the code not required for your needs, and make your trigger based on the calculations result.
cute little gauge
??
Dietmar
 
Messages
31
Country
germany
Dietmar,

Thanks for your advise. I read the manual and find out that in the nearest airport search you are using BRG (the value I was looking for) and on the destination airport page you are using a HDG range. My fault not identifying that this is the same meaning. Sorry!

I learned my English in the US. In the American English "cute" stands for the German meaning of "schlau, pfiffig, klug". "Little" was meant in the sense of the British "slim". 175KB is compared to the size of the sum of all gauges in my panel (4.62 MB as .CAB, 33.2 MB unzipped) slim, meaning very effective. So nothing was meant negative in any way. It was a huge compliment. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

As I stated several times, I am a greenhorn (US EN, absolute beginner in British EN) and looking for support on getting the Pause on TOD gauge completed. I wish I would have the time to learn all necessary stuff to get it done, but I haven't.

So digging into your gauge, the TOD would be calculated by the following string?

Code:
 (@C:FlightPlanWaypointDistanceTotal,nmiles)  100  /  (&gt;L:FLPOnePCT,enum)
(@C:FlightPlanWaypointDistanceTotal,nmiles)       (L:TOD_Miles,enum)    -   (&gt;L:FLPDifference,enum)  
(L:FLPDifference,enum)  (L:FLPOnePCT,enum)  /   (&gt;L:TODPCT,enum)

(@C:FlightPlanWaypointETA,seconds)    (&gt;L:FLP_ETA,seconds)
(@C:FlightPlanCruisingAltitude,feet)  3 *   (@C:FlightPlanDestinationAltitude,feet)  -
(&gt;L:TOD,enum)
(L:TOD,enum)  1000  /   (&gt;L:TOD_Miles,enum)
(@C:FlightPlanWaypointRemainingTotalDistance,nmiles)   (L:TOD_Miles,enum)  -
(&gt;L:TOD_Alert,enum)

(@C:FlightPlanDestinationAirportIdent,string)

Is that right, Dietmar?

I wish you happy Easter!

Best, Fritz
 

Dietmar

Resource contributor
Messages
198
Country
germany
Hi Fritz,
I think at this stage no one in this forum is interested any more on the internals of my code. Everyone can download the gauge and look into it anyway. So I suggest to send me an PM and we can discuss your specific issue more private (German if you like). What do you think ?

Dietmar
 
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