#VNAV output indicator

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

feral void
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Hello, some users are reporting that my MF profile for GA aircraft isn't working properly. I have a LED output configured for VNAV on/off status. I am using the following command to drive LED status:

(L:AP_VNAV_ACTIVE,Bool)

Is there a better, more generic way to achieve VNAV status? The user reported that the TBM 930 isn't working with the VNAV indicator LED. Thank you.

peak anvil
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LVars are usually a lot more plane-specific than A: simvars or K: inputs

feral void
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Yes, if there's an A: simvar for VNAV status please let me know!

signal estuary
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Based on my plane experience, VNAV is always custom per plane and there is no common A var for it

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It and FLC are always the two that are tricky to get working

celest isle
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Try this one
(L:XMLVAR_VNAVButtonValue)

celest isle
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It is used in the CJ4, Longitude and other aircraft.

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I am under the impression that the Working Title made avionics use it.

signal estuary
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That makes sense

celest isle
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looked in the TBM930 and that is the correct Lvar

image.png
feral void
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How can I make the VNAV LED function on any aircraft? Is there a way that I can read which Lvar is active and use that one?

signal estuary
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No. It is one of those events that's not standard across aircraft

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You could include several output rows in your config, one for each of the different options, and tell your users to enable/disable them to find one that works

celest isle
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Every aircraft developer does their own thing. They may adhere to using the simulator provided generic functions, but very many do not. This is especially true with the more complex and complete models found in pay ware addons.

feral void
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Is there a way that I can read whether a Lvar is active and use the logic operators to work with it?

celest isle
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there is no way to tell that an Lvar is active or not. As soon as you try to read it, MSFS2020 will create it, if it doesn't exist.

feral void
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In this instance only one of the Lvars would return true, correct?

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Aircraft would use either the AP_VNAV_ACTIVE or XMLVAR_VNAVButtonValue

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So I could use poll both of them and if either returns true send that to the LED?

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It's not the most elegant solution but might it work?

celest isle
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TBH I cringe at this type of solutions

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I don't think it is very good practice to try to make a one for all aircraft configuration. It is not worth the effort and it will probably make the configuration very bloated and slower to process.

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to your question, will it work? yeah sure

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A or B which ever is true will turn the LED on

feral void
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I'm also releasing these configurations as a proof-of-concept for VKB users, since there are only two sim-dependent software solutions that VKB users have for LEDs - one is a Python script and the other is MF.

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As more people use them I'm getting more reports of issues with various aircraft

thorny fable
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I am trying to remember the special RPN event type that could for example return variable names dynamically, whether there was be something that could be used to check for the existence of a L-var In RPN?

thorny fable
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hmm, maybe not, you could programmatically get a variable name though

celest isle
signal estuary
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Doing (L:AP_VNAV_ACTIVE) (L:XMLVAR_VNAVButtonValue) or wouldn't have any material impact on performance. But you'll be hosed the minute another plane uses some other VNAV variable.

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There's no generic way to know if VNAV is active. It's per-plane.

feral void
signal estuary
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You don't need preconditions. You can do multiple rows and the user can turn off the ones that don't work

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You can even name the rows with the aircraft they are known to work with

feral void
signal estuary
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But all solutions will still result in someone someday flying a plane that uses a different var for vnav. You can't avoid it

feral void
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of course, but i think that perfection is the enemy of "good enough"

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i'd love for people to have a config that works in most planes, and if it doesn't work they can look further into MF and start learning how to find their own Lvars

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it is rather frustrating that some common elements in planes aren't addressed through Avars but that's how it is

thorny fable
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meta-events would solve this - a preset that is a logical function of vnav indicator led

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and then actual plane presets that map to those, kinda like proxy presets, but those don't exist yet

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but that would allow premade panels to have premade configd and then different planes would work at least in theory

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something to think about maybe?

valid osprey
feral void
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i'm not familiar with meta-events? is that new in MF?

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like... can i try it in a beta version or is it still theoretical?

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it seems that it's pretty well thought-out to be purely theoretical. if you're developing something like this please let me know so i can play around with it! 🙂

feral void
valid osprey
feral void
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thanks! the folks here are very helpful with MSFS planes. if you want to build or modify a profile this is the place to go

valid osprey
thorny fable
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it would need some discussion and thinking, and effort, I have thought of it somewhat but I unfortunately have no development experience on MF core

peak anvil
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A semantic abstraction layer for buttons for each controller, a semantic abstraction layer for lvars for each plane, and marrying a plane to a controller becomes much simpler

thorny fable
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yeah that was my motivation too, but if we get interest, we should do a thread (there might be the old one) in #development-chat

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oh I never made a thread

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#development-chat message

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but let's not hijack this thread

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if we can find folks to think of this and work on the idea, I have some thoughts I can share and think but it kinda would need to be planned a bit, potential chicken and egg challenge

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ok made one in #1289130005950890037

twin fable
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Is this resolved @feral void ?