Hello,
Some people may ask : what's new with WidePSX regarding other add-ons ? Below are some examples which will answer this legitimate question.
The biggest improvement to me is the position offsets handling part of Scenery Generator bridge. As you know PSX and FSX/P3D worlds are very different, and even good commercial add-ons can have wrong runway positioning regarding PSX positioning. It can lead to issues at landing, but also at takeoff. WidePSX takes this two scenarios into account. The concept of offsets was introduced by VisualPSX. From this great idea I wrote my own improved (I think) algorithm (I say this with all the respect due to Garry Richards huge work).
Every examples presented below are deeply detailed in WidePSX user manual if you want more informations. You can also make your own tests if you have some misplaced sceneries, with trial version of WidePSX.
First case, landing at an airport with an important position offset (EAS or ImagineSim ZSPD) ILS runway 35R. Without position offset handling :
With WidePSX :
Second case : landing at an airport with a DTRH runway (Aerosoft Mega Airport LFPG) ILS 26R : WidePSX also takes into account the presence of a DTHR at the landing runway. It adapts position offset depending of the DTHR distance.
Without position offset handling, the aircraft is landing far before the TDZ, and even before the threshold :
With WidePSX, you land AT the TDZ :
Third case : loading a PSX "stock" SITU at an important offset airport (FSX/P3D RJOF default scenery / Basic Departure Hofu-Tokyo PSX SITU) :All add-ons will place the aircraft at the wrong position at SITU loading, but WidePSX allows you to replace the aircraft immediately at the correct positon by a simple click on a button :
Now we press the button "Move FSX/P3D to PSX position (ground)". The FSX/P3D aircraft is immediately jumping at the right position, PSX ND didn't move because it was already at the right position (the offset is only applied at the FSX/P3D side) :
Fourth case : loading a PSX SITU saved at the parking of an airport with a big position offset (RJOF in the below example), taxiing with FSX/P3D visual reference to the departure runway. This is what happens on PSX ND, while we are visually aligned with the runway in FSX/P3D :
The PSX ND is misaligned. If we takeoff like this, at LNAV engagement we will expect an unrealistic turn to replace aircraft on the LNAV track. WidePSX brings a solution. This can be done by two ways, user selectable. User can press button "Align FSX/P3D position offset for DEP RWY" when close to the departure runway (holding point for example) or, if the checkbox "Allow this to be done automatically for FMC DEP RWY" is selected, this alignement will be done automatically at the gate, typically before pushing back, when FMC DEP RWY is activated, and beacon switch moved from OFF to one of the two ON positions (BOTH or LWR).
Of course during this alignement, FSX/P3D aircraft doesn't move at all, you will not notice anything. Below picture shows the PSX ND after this alignement is completed. PSX is moved to the FSX/P3D position, and a reverse offset is immediately applied to FSX/P3D in order to counterbalance, and avoid visual aircraft jump.
Now we are nicely aligned for departure in both FSX/P3D and PSX. The FSX/P3D offset will be automatically removed when climbing through 1500ft AGL.
Another new feature is the ground services module voice conversations. In addition with automatic ground crew actions for both pre-flight and post-flight phases (EXT PWR, Doors, Refueling, Boarding) it will generate random delays for boarding, cargo loading and refueling, and "live" conversations between the ground engineer or cabin crew and the flight deck. You will be called via the interphone, and you will listen a true voice speaking to you. You will have to answer for the process to continue. I can't provide "audio-shots" here, but the trial version will show the module in action for people wanting to know more.
The AloftWx module is inherited from PSXAloft and PSXTools, my previous freeware projects. It has basically the same features, with a more comprehensive CAT table and some extra interface "cosmetic" features.
The application is natively cross-platform, as you can see from the below screenshot it runs fine on Mac with a specific Look & Feel :
Finally, the following modules can be run "standalone" (with PSX of course, but without the need to be connected with FSX/P3D) :
- AloftWx in static mode (Only requires an activeflightplanwx.txt file generated by ActiveSky, which doesn't require ActiveSky to be connected with FSX/P3D to be built). Once the file is build by loading a flight plan in the ActiveSky interface, the file is imported in WidePSX and ActiveSky can be shut down.
- Ground services
- Hardware printer output
Best regards,
Jean-philippe
