ACARS client Beta Testers wanted

[mseiwald]

Hey guys i`m currently developing an ACARS client for some of my website customers and am going to release a basic version of it for free.

I`m now starting the Beta Test Phase of it and would need some guys who are interested in trying it and give me some feedback on what i need to improve before i can release it.

If you are interested please PM me so that i can send you the required files.

Here are some screenshots (WIP):

[Strider]

I will beta test it for you.

[FSX30HD]

Oh Yeah

[mark1million]

I would say without looking at the program the most requests i get is routes, the ability to update a routes by pasting a valid route in to the routes section of the program then if its less than a month old it gets updated to the database if not the existing route remains.

For va's that have thousands of schedules keeping routes updated is impossible on a monthly bases, its a win win situation

[mseiwald]

Thats indeed very interesting but the question is where to get them from. Using an API would cost money so it wouldnt be added to a free Version anyway. However since most likely you would like to have the Info also on your websites Briefing page and not only on acars it would be better to update the routes in your DB by getting routes via an API or so. At my VA i let the pilots keep the routes updated. On the Briefing page they can add different routings. When another pilot books a flight between those airports he gets a list of all routings in our database for this leg with the most used routing on top. That so far was the best free solution i came up with since i really didnt want to pay an expensive API for each route request.

[mark1million]

yeah thats what i was suggesting, most pilots do have their own personal access to current airac so this would be a way of them to add a route via the route box straight in the the existing schedules database for that flight.

[mseiwald]

Ah yeah that should be no problem...but should it overwrite the existing route in the schedules table or add routes to a seperate table from where you could then echo them on your briefings?

[mark1million]

For ease and simplicity i would say just overwrite the existing route then its fully compatible to all acars systems that pull the routes in the same way.

[mseiwald]

Ok i'll add that as option which can be turned on in the module

[mark1million]

If you like im more than happy to give the beta a go.

[jdejansb]

Hey guys i`m currently developing an ACARS client for some of my website customers and am going to release a basic version of it for free.

I`m now starting the Beta Test Phase of it and would need some guys who are interested in trying it and give me some feedback on what i need to improve before i can release it.

If you are interested please PM me so that i can send you the required files.

Here are some screenshots (WIP):

Looks pretty nice - could put it to test with frinds from AirMAK !!!

[mseiwald]

From now on i post updates to the files only here: http://www.simval.net/index.php/topic/35-cacars-beta-download/

That is easier than sending them to everyone seperately. If you do not want to participate in the testing please do not download the files yet. It definately is not ready for release yet.

[jdejansb]

From now on i post updates to the files only here: http://www.simval.ne...-beta-download/

That is easier than sending them to everyone seperately. If you do not want to participate in the testing please do not download the files yet. It definately is not ready for release yet.

Thanks!

Could you tell us what to take care about? What is working and what is not? And where to "look" for bugs?

D.

[jdejansb]

So far so good...

and after adding second booking, SELECTING it produces error (will check if it is related to our site or program):

"Error Loading Flight Data!" it says ...

Seems to be with our scheduled flight data ... with THIRD flight booked, it works:

[mseiwald]

Hm whats with the second floght? is it normal that it has 2 values for all the times?

[jdejansb]

Hm whats with the second floght? is it normal that it has 2 values for all the times?

I changed it to have just one dep/arr times but it still won't load ... checking further

[jdejansb]

Looks like a problem with LQSA airport ... if I change just that one - it works ... ? How come ? Something with airport definitions in phpvms?

[mseiwald]

canyoupost a screenshot of the airport data for LQSA

[jdejansb]

canyoupost a screenshot of the airport data for LQSA

Found it -- Airport Country was set to "B & H" ...... now changed to Bosnia and Herzegovina and it works

[mseiwald]

Aah yeah & breaks the xml....i will adjust the code so that it doesnt break if there is a & in any of the fields

[jdejansb]

Aah yeah & breaks the xml....i will adjust the code so that it doesnt break if there is a & in any of the fields

Yeah - you could expect ppl to put everything in any field hehe like we did ))

Btw, multiple times entered into schedule works OK (we did not make two flight entries for flight at 11 and 17 o'clock, just put 11:00 and 17:00 into schedule).....

[jdejansb]

Some Flight log data:

[edit] I run it on laptop, on battery, and have low frame rate now ... around 10 ... could be FSX does speed up time to catch-up with lost frames ??? [/edit]

[mseiwald]

I will have a look at this... i havent seen that yet. Do you actually change the simrate or is this coming up without you doing anything?

[mark1million]

I had a quick go this morning, we have use an extensive reporting in the logs like bank angle exceeded, overspeeds, wind on takeoff and landing, com frequency and squawk code, will these be options in a paid for version?

[jdejansb]

I will have a look at this... i havent seen that yet. Do you actually change the simrate or is this coming up without you doing anything?

Nope, I didn't change a thing. One pause I had was to change time of day (FSX does pause while you do this, or access menus for whatever reason - so, pilots, don't do it inflight), but chaning "simrate" (Simulatin Rate/Speed) I didn't do

Flaps change log is nice, landing rate was great (as I had under 10fps) ... but all around there are crazy simrate changes

[mseiwald]

Rgr that i will look into the simrate issue.

Stall and Overspeed are already logged in the free Version.

The custom versions will include Com and Nav frequencies, transponder, weather conditions at takeoff and,landing, lights,....

Those are planned to be basic for all custom versions.

Additionally more or less anything can be added to the log in custom versions.

[jdejansb]

Ummm, no Charter Flight plans ? ;+)

[mseiwald]

Well i havent added Charters because the customers for which i started developing this use a charter module on their website and didnt want to allow pilots to just fly where they want from within the client but it should be pretty easy to add. How do you guys want the Charter option to work?

[jdejansb]

Well i havent added Charters because the customers for which i started developing this use a charter module on their website and didnt want to allow pilots to just fly where they want from within the client but it should be pretty easy to add. How do you guys want the Charter option to work?

I know it needs some work from the site side, but I think it should be simple as possible:

- choose a aircraft (located at the same airport as the pilot!),

- enter destination (starting point has to be current airport, we don't accept PIREP if it starts from a location different from last pirep arrival airport),

- enter other data (pax, FL, route) ...

I didn't think of charter module on web site - if pilot could create a route then book it and use as regular scheduled flights, that could be the solution ... even saving it for later use!

[jdejansb]

Maybe PAX field could be unlocked on the form ... in case you want to fly with more or less people than in schedules .... Or, if one does not use the exact aircraft, but simmilar, it might not be able to carry as much people ;-)