Ground Radar plugin 1.6 beta 1

Juha Holopainen (839337)

Changes from version 1.5:

Updated and added track label items
Added option to use arrival/departure colors in track labels only for assumed tracks
Added symbols data file
Updated maps data file syntax (gdi+ stuff, color/region/region_fillonly lines, hidden, active, etc...)
Added QNH Window
Added Clock Window
Added SqError filter
Added Wind Rose Windows
Added METAR Window
Added choice between two GUI versions
Added ICM safety net
Added mouse wheel support for scrolling lists and zooming APPW/TSW
Added keyboard shortcuts
Added possibility to define number of APPW/TSW (1-10 each)

Should the plugin fail to load properly, update your Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package

For users of the Finnish setup, the below package contains plugin data files compatible with the beta version. Overwrite the existing files with the ones in this package to get the intended behavior (must be repeated every time the sector package is updated as it contains the files compatible with plugin version 1.5).

Ricardo Sousa (1110850)

[18:07:48] File GRpluginSettings.txt or GRpluginSettingsLocal.txt contains invalid data for item Window_APP (1,1,1430,500,490,457)

When first loading a Ground Radar .asr it fails to load the airport specific Window_APP setting. It correctly loads everything through the HITT/Reload Settings menu.

Juha Holopainen (839337)

There's a bit of a problem in the initialization phase as the settings are read before the APP windows (or TSW's) are created, so the APP window the setting tries to adjust doesn't exist yet. But, as the number of these windows is fixed when a radar screen is created, I'll just change the code to store these settings to a temporary location until they can actually be applied.

Ricardo Sousa (1110850)

Is there a setting to position the Wind Rose Window? Like the Window_APP one?

Also can't seem to get the SID ExtraData setting to work, I'm trying Label=GND:DEP:1:CALLSIGN,0,0:SID,8,0,3 but it's ignored. If I set it to 10 it does in fact only show the name without the number or letter, but anything other than that it shows the complete name.

Juha Holopainen (839337)

There probably aren't settings to control that yet, but there will be at some point.

The SID setting is a bug, I'll fix it. The same thing happens with the STAR item.

Ricardo Sousa (1110850)

This is not a new behavior but, aircraft squawking standby still show as SSR targets. Can there be an option for them to not show at all? I don't think it's even realistic in any way, I don't see how any system could get a transponder target from a transponder that is not emitting. It also adds a lot of clutter.

Mark-Julius Pikat (1051954)

Some notes:

GRpluginMaps: some of the maps defined in GRpluginMaps are not loading (working in 1.5), in particular polygons that cover wider areas (e.g. background colors, overlay etc)
ECM: not sure if that's intentional but ECM off (with System_GUI_Version=1) makes top right* clock black 🙂
Window>2nd Traffic window and APP window: Issue already addressed previously
Window>METAR: is it possible to fetch it automatically based on ASR GroundMode/TowerMode ICAO code?
Wind Rose: wind 360 degrees shows on wind rose as 000 degrees (the arrow direction is correct)

Max Kuhla (1157125)

Also having problems with some polygon maps not showing up.

Juha Holopainen (839337)

The plugin assumes all mode S transponders to be responding to interrogations at all times. This way they can remain in standby while on the ground and not clutter any TWR/APP/CTR screen. If EuroScope provided the aircrafts' on-ground state for the plugins to use this would be much simpler. The position symbols are not displayed if the "pro mode" is active, and the Airport_ModeS setting is changed to 1.

The plugin does not fetch METARs on its own, it just displays the METAR if EuroScope has received it.

For the maps, check that you're actually instructing the plugin do draw something.

Mark-Julius Pikat (1051954)

Juha Holopainen (839337)

For the maps, check that you're actually instructing the plugin do draw something.

You are right, it's not drawing without COORDTYPE:OTHER:REGION now. However, it previously worked without it on 1.5. I will have to adjust some of the maps now. Thanks for heads up!

Ricardo Sousa (1110850)

Juha Holopainen (839337) The position symbols are not displayed if the "pro mode" is active, and the Airport_ModeS setting is changed to 1.

Setting this and ModeA to 1 gets the result I wanted, thanks

Max Kuhla (1157125)

Ah got it, working now!
I wasn't really sure what had been changed in the logic more exactly as it is not clearly stated anywhere (unless I missed something?).

A feature request is support for AND_ACTIVE in maps, as in TopSky.

David Duerr (1627359)

Hi Juha,
would it be possible to implement the following features in GRP?

setting for TSW/APP window display area center position coordinates
max engine count value for restriction maps (engine count is part of the description parameter in icao_aircraft.json)
option to allow the plugin to automatically set inbound aircraft to parked state when on assigned stand
and_active parameter (basically to have the same option as in TopSky)