FSXA Radar Gauge incorporating VRS Tacpack SDK

[mstanden]

Hi All,

I'm fairly new to gauge building and probably jumping in at the deep end a little! I am trying to create a radar compatible with VRS Tacpack (SDK if you are interested https://forums.vrsimulations.com/support/index.php/TacPack_SDK ) for use in a selection of freeware aircraft which I have permission from the developers to add Tacpack compatibility.

I am trying to test a concept currently by replacing the current custom draw LayerVehicles within the SDK provided radar with the data that Tacpack provides (target lat/lon, dist, bearings etc). I believe this is possible after reading Robert McElrath's Map Guidebook but not entirely sure how? I think I need to transfer lat/lon coordinates to gauge units? I did try copying the example from Roberts guide but have had no success currently.

Why am I doing this? Some of you may ask? Well the Tacpack uses multiple AI objects in multiplayer to create clever back end targeting information etc. This leaves a very cluttered radar screen with up to 10 AI objects floating around for each multiplayer in game. Using the tacpack radar elements in the gauge seems to get rid of this clutter.

Any help or guidance appreciated so thanks in advance!

 

[rpmc]

Hi All, I'm fairly new to gauge building and probably jumping in at the deep end a little!

True.

I am trying to test a concept currently by replacing the current custom draw LayerVehicles within the SDK provided radar with the data that Tacpack provides (target lat/lon, dist, bearings etc). I believe this is possible after reading Robert McElrath's Map Guidebook but not entirely sure how? I think I need to transfer lat/lon coordinates to gauge units? I did try copying the example from Roberts guide but have had no success currently.

It’s hard for forum members to comment on your lack of success until you post your XML script. Entire gauge, please. One question up front – are you mixing FS9 XML schema with FSX XML schema? That doesn’t work. All of my XML examples use FS9 schema. The MSFS provided radar gauge is scripted using FSX schema.

Anyway, if one can read TacPack AI aircraft latitude and longitude (indexed) vars in XML, then an overlay can be drawn showing positions of those aircraft without using LayerVehicles. You can see my solution to this by reviewing my XML TCAS gauge. I convert FSX-generated AI lat/lons to “gauge units” because my gauge is XML and I draw things using <Shift> operators within <Elements>. Those are based on “XML gauge units”, not physical screen pixels.

I’m not familiar with TacPack, so I don’t know if it generates its own AI traffic, and if so, how that information could be shared with other players in Multiplayer mode. But, MSFS cannot do this.

Bob

 

[mstanden]

I think I am probably trying to over complicate things with the lat/lon conversion. Having read the applicable SDK wiki again there are variables that provide me with radar track body relative azimuth and a range.

So far I have set up the gauge for a target 'blob' to become visible when the track becomes valid. This is working as expected so far. Once visible I want it to rotate relative to my aircraft which is at the center of the gauge and move closer or further away depending on its relative range plus the map zoom level.

I am using <Shift> which is moving the blob linearly left and right at the anticipated amount. I am guessing <Rotation> is probably more what I want? But doesn't this just rotate the object I am trying to influence?

Preceding the following code is the SDK radarscreen.xml. I am just trying to bolt this on the end for an additional layer.

            <Element id="Radar_Trk_1">
                <FloatPosition>362.000,362.000</FloatPosition>
                <Visibility>1 (&gt;C:VRSTP_Radar:TrkNumber) (C:VRSTP_Radar:TrkValid) 2 ==</Visibility>
                <Shift id="Shift">
                    <Scale>1.000,0.000</Scale>
                    <Expression id="Expression">
                        <Minimum>-180.000</Minimum>
                        <Maximum>180.000</Maximum>
                        <Script>1 (&gt;C:VRSTP_Radar:TrkNumber, enum) (C:VRSTP_Radar:TrkBodyAz, degrees)</Script>
                    </Expression>
                </Shift>
                <Shift id="Shift">
                    <Scale>0.000,1.000</Scale>
                    <Expression id="Expression">
                        <Maximum>999.000</Maximum>
                        <Script>1 (&gt;C:VRSTP_Radar:TrkNumber, enum) (C:VRSTP_Radar:TrkRange, nmiles) (L:map_ZoomFactor, number) *</Script>
                    </Expression>
                </Shift>
                <Rectangle id="Rectangle">
                    <Width>10</Width>
                    <Height>10</Height>
                    <LineColor>Grren</LineColor>
                    <FillColor>Green</FillColor>
                </Rectangle>
            </Element>

I appreciate I probably look like I'm fumbling around in the weeds with this but I do have a keen interest in developing gauges with TacPack capability so keen to learn all I can.