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Offline Asid

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GSX Ground Services
« on: April 24, 2019, 12:12:21 PM »
GSX Ground Services



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GSX, Ground Services for FSX and Prepar3D, it's a revolutionary new product that simulates several operations on ground, like Marshalling, Catering, Boarding/Deboarding of passengers and Baggages, Stairs, Refueling vehicles, Pushback with realistic behavior, Folllow Me cars, Docking System and more, all featuring many native FSX animations and belivable human characters.

GSX works FOR FREE AT ALL FSDT AIRPORTS, because it greatly enhances the previous ParkMe™ feature, and it integrates perfectly with our airports.

Purchasing GSX, will enable to use it at ALL FSX Airports, both default and 3rd party, even those not released yet
GSX offers vehicles in many different types and sizes, depending on the airplane used and the geographical location, and every vehicle is available in many different liveries, chosen automatically by your location in the FSX World.

Features:
•   Works with every FSX airport, both default and 3rd party
•   Supports all default FSX airplanes and many popular 3rd party airplanes.
•   Designed for FSX, 100% Pure FSX code
•   Different vehicle models, selected depending on the airplane/airport in use
•   Many sound effects, supports 3D Surround Sound with OpenAL
•   Realistic Human animations using FSX bones/skin meshe
•   Full use of FSX advanced materials
•   Easy to use user interface, fully integrated in FSX using standard ATC-like menus
•   Easy user-customization of vehicles, using the provided Paint Kit
•   NEW Live Update feature, keep GSX always updated automatically, with new supported airplanes and airports!
•   Direct Airplane Interface™ allows interaction with complex 3rd party airplanes featuring custom door controls, ground equpment like Gpu, Wheel chocks, many popular airplane addons like the PMDG 737NGX, 747 and MD11, Aerosoft and Wilco Airbus, the CS767, QW757, FS Labs Concorde and many others that will be added through Live Updates, are recognised and supported natively!
•   Support for full Airport Customization, already enabled with all FSDT sceneries and some 3rd party, allowing better integration with any airport, also to be distributed and installed automatically by the Live Update feature.



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Offline Asid

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Re: GSX Ground Services
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2019, 12:13:02 PM »
GSX PBR Update Preview 1




Published on Apr 23, 2019
Preview of the upcoming PBR update for GSX, feature new vehicles, like the new Fuel Hydrant, many vehicles and human characters remade in PBR, a new Camera System, a new rendering system for logos, and much more.
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Offline Asid

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Re: GSX Ground Services
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2019, 02:02:18 PM »
GSX PBR Update
July 01, 2019

Fsdreamteam is happy to announce the release of the long awaited FREE PBR update for GSX. This is, by far, the biggest update GSX ever got, and it has been in development for the past 6 months.

Here's the release notes:

https://www.fsdreamteam.com/couatl_liveupdate_notes.html

Let's go through the main ones:

- Custom Pushback improved, with visual customization in the editor, using two modes, Snap to AFCAD lines and Free mode.

Yes, while the main focus was the PBR update, we would like to start with this "surprise" feature, which we kept under wraps so far. This is only the FIRST step of the planned Pushback Remake, which will hopefully be the focus of the next major update, but we wanted to start something as soon as possible, to give something to play with for all of you passionate about customization. And even if you aren't, we are sure there are many talented users and scenery developers that will share their creations.

The main improvement of the Custom Pushback is the ability to set custom pushback points visually, like other GSX vehicles, without having to insert Lat/Lon coordinates manually.

In addition to that, the Pushback customization works in two different ways: Snap Mode and Free Mode. The Free mode is where the power really lies. Instead of being constrained by an existing node of the AFCAD, GSX can be set to use a final point that can be freely specified, both in location and in the final heading AND an "anchor" middle point, which can also be specified freely, through which a smooth curve will be automatically fitted, without being constrained by the location of nodes in the AFCAD.

This will allow GSX to do tricky Pushbacks which weren't possible before, especially in tight spaces, and the final point you'll specify, will result in the airplane front gear to be placed exactly where you wanted to be, with the desired heading.

This is just the first step of the overall Pushback revamping, we won't surely stop here, and push/pull and gate-to-gate will come but, we wanted to release it as soon as possible with the feature that affected the most those creating airports customizations.

- (P3D4.4+ only): Most objects remade in native P3D4 PBR format, with entirely new models and animations.

We haven't "just" updated the textures to PBR. Lots of GSX objects started to show their age and, the experience of working with PBR even before P3D4 got it, has told us that, "just" updating textures won't give very good results. For PBR to be really effective, the object must be remade, so textures could be generated in a coherent way, starting from the modeling, which affects the choice of materials and how they react to light. That's why this update took so long: after we started to see how much better the remade objects looked like, we keep remaking them, and this took the better part of the past 6 months.

Lots of human animations have been improved a lot, by using the native P3D4 SDK. Human animation never looked very good, because we were constrained by the old 22-bones skeletons to be compatible with FSX. Now, we remade lots of characters using skeletons with 64 bones, which moves more smoothly and less robotic. The better animation system, combined with PBR, can be seen in the Marshaller, which looks way better now (and we have 4 male and 2 female models, instead of just one), and in most of the drivers in vehicles, like the passenger stairs, the refueler, the passenger truck and the baggage truck.

- (P3D4.4+ only): New Towbarless Pushback models in PBR, with several color variations, which can raise/lower the airplane gear during operations.

You might have seen this in our last video, the new Pushback vehicle is much more detailed, and when seen up close, will show the mechanism raising the airplane nose gear.

- (P3D4.4+ with GSX Level 2 only): New Fuel Hydrant service vehicle.

This is the only feature which requires the Level 2 Expansion. This vehicle + animation alone took about 2 months of work, since it's very tricky to do, and coordinate so many parts like the two guys, the cable which goes on ground, the one which goes up with the platform, etc. It comes with several nice features, like a working fuel display which even shows the fuel price, pulling the cost of the crude aviation oil from the internet, and showing your fuel bill at the end.

- (P3D4.4+ only): Custom Camera system, to easily focus GSX objects activities.

This is a feature which uses some of the latest additions to the P3D SDK, and it brings up the level of immersion. Without having to use any 3rd party camera add-ons, each GSX vehicle now has its own custom camera views, because the new vehicles and characters are so much better, they deserve to be seen up close. And, it's very fun to be able to follow all vehicles, even those coming from far away, and look at them from different angles. Be sure to check the various 1st person views, which will place you in the driver seat. What we like most of this feature, is that it's a totally native P3D4 feature, made in the most clean way, with no hacks of any kind, and with zero impact on performances, since it just use the existing camera system of the simulator.

- NEW (P3D4.4+ only): Support for Attached Objects for better efficiency, performance and variety of characters.

This is a bit technical, but it's another way to use a very recent feature of the P3D4 SDK to get better looking stuff, better flexibility AND improved performances as well. Before, a character like a driver was embedded into its own vehicle. This limited the variety to maybe changing its vest, but not much more. Now, using some native P3D4 features, we decoupled the driver from the vehicle, so they can be choose with more freedom and without unnecessarily grow all the object sizes and polygonal count.

- (P3D4.4+ only): Vehicle customization system remade, using DirectX-based logos, for much easier user customization and flexibility. The old PaintKit is now deprecated in P3D4.

This feature is HUGE, and it uses our exclusive DirectX 11 rendering we introduced in GSX L2 for Jetway Numbers, and extends it to almost all the customizable logos. This gives us several big advantages

1) It's WAY easier to create a custom logo. Instead of struggling with rules and scoring like in the old PaintKit, you now simply pick up a .PNG or .JPG file, and the GSX editor will automatically convert to the proper .DDS format, and will use DirectX to render it on the logo. And this can be used for Jetways, Ground Operators and Catering operators.

2) We have a massive benefit in performances, especially regarding startup time, because we reduced the number of objects by about 7000 less. Before, each new operator added hundreds of new Simobject variations ("repaints"), but now we have only a few "Base" color variations, to which the operator logo can be applied to, so we gain more variations and we reduce the number of installed Simobjects in the sim by a big factor, which improves both startup times and speed up the airplane selection menu and the time it takes to GSX to find objects after its menu gets called.

3) Multiple Base colors + Unlimited user logos make it easier to represent most real world operators, not just in white. And, DirectX rendering allowed nice features like having ULDs, each one with their individual code plates.

- (P3D 4.4+ only) Several readouts which were made using multiple Simobjects (each one for each letter, which is the only way to do that in FSX), now used DirectX rendering, which is way faster, way reliable, and less impacting on performances. Some example are the Marshaller distance readout, the Fuel Counters and various information text in the parking customization editor.

(P3D4.4+ only): Custom cameras active when editing a parking or the airplane configuration, making it easier to move objects or customize doors precisely.

Lots of new ways for airplane developers to interact with GSX. We worked closely with some of the best 3rd party developers out there, like Aerosoft, FS Labs, Leonardo and others, which will release updates to their products to better integrate with GSX. We strongly believe that it's in the best interest of the community to cooperate, and all these improvements we added were made following suggestions from these fine developers.

Some of the things which will be possible for 3rd party airplanes are:

1) They can control exactly how many pilots and how many crew will board/unboard the airplane. And, they can even tell GSX NOT to disembark anybody (or, for example, leave the pilots on board, but switch the crew), to simulate short turnarounds.

2) They can check the exact moment the GSX Refueling Hose is connected, so they could synchronize their custom refueling simulation with GSX animations more precisely.

3) They can enable external power if a GSX jetway equipped with a Power Unit is connected, and they can even let the display on the Power Unit show the battery being charged, even if they use a non-standard variable.

4) They can check the fuel price and the name of the refueling operator used by GSX

5) They can check the kind of deicing liquid used by GSX, and calculate holdover times based on that.

Those are just the main new features. I suggest checking the release notes again to know what has been fixed, but the list is not even complete, those bugfixes are only the ones which were discussed a lot during these past months.

The manual has been updated too, and it has grown by more than 20 pages, because of all the new options added.

We thank everybody for having waited patiently for this update, and we hope you'll enjoy it. A BIG thanks to all our testers, and a special thank to Javier "Cartayna", who suffered through a very long beta testing cycle, and helped us find so many issues.

HOW DO YOU GET THE UPDATE ?

The update can be obtained either by running the FSDT Live Update from its Icon on the Desktop, or by downloading again the Full GSX Installer. There's not much difference, both methods are supposed to work just the same, and the Live Update will be run at the end of the Full installer just the same, in case we'll add some latest-minute fixes after the full installer release.

In general, we noticed that, due to the large number of updated files and new files to be downloaded, it might be best to use the FULL Installer method.

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Offline Asid

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Re: GSX Ground Services
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2019, 01:45:56 PM »
GSX 2.8 Pushback Update





November 20th 2019
•   NEW: - GSX - Custom Pushback Nodes can be rotated, to control the curve precisely at each point.
•   NEW: - GSX - NumPad 5 while editing a Custom/Quick Pushback will automatically place two nodes to straighten up the curve at each end.
•   NEW: - GSX - Parking Customization page has a separate Pushback tab.
•   NEW: - GSX - Each parking can now have multiple (no limit on each parking) Pushback Slots.
•   NEW: - GSX - Copy & Paste between Pushback slots.
•   NEW: - GSX - Pushback procedure can be Pasted and Translated, to quickly copy similar paths to different parking spots.
•   NEW: - GSX - Pushback slots can Translated while pasted to multiple selected parking spots, to quickly create many similar paths.
•   NEW: - GSX - Pushback "Mirror" function, to quickly create a specular copy of a copied Pushback.
•   NEW: - GSX - Auto Label button, to automatically name Pushback slots depending on their location and orientation on the airport.
•   NEW: - GSX - Automatic recognition for SODE VGDS docking systems.
•   Change: - Non-GSX FSDT jetways ( used in LSGG, KCLT, KSDF and KMEM ) are now available in the parking customization editor to be used everywhere.
•   Bugfix: - Boarding Passengers won't stop anymore when choosing an exact multiple of the Bus max capacity.
•   Bugfix: - Fix the GSX menu not appearing at start under some situations.
•   Bugfix: - Fixed an error message when spawing the airplane at FSDT KCLT.
•   Bugfix: - Fixed the Base color selection dialog not appearing when adding a custom logo.
 
November 11th 2019
•   Bugfix: - GSX - Fixed Fuel Hydrant minimum height.
•   Bugfix: - GSX - Improved animation precision for the TLD-1740 Staircase.
•   Bugfix: - Addon Manager couldn't find FSDT sceneries if installed into a main folder named "Scenery"
November 10th 2019
•   NEW: GSX - Native support for PMDG 737-800/900 NGX Update.
•   Bugfix: - Fixed errors caused by missing catering liveries in FSX only.
October 24th 2019
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Fixed transparency problem on Terminal 2/3 external stairs.
 
October 11th 2019
•   NEW: GSX - Custom Pushback allowing Multiple waypoints, both in QuickEdit mode and in the regular Non-Snapped Mode in the Editor.
•   NEW: GSX - New Pushback curve-fitting algorithm, for smoother and more reliable Pushback in automatic mode and with no corner nodes.
•   NEW: GSX - French-English accent voices added.
•   NEW: GSX - German-English accent voices remade with a real voice.
•   NEW: GSX - Added ANA Catering, Airchefs, Ambassador, QACC Catering operators.
•   NEW: GSX - Added Buthan Airlines Handling operator.
 
October 3rd 2019
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Added missing ground hold short lights on taxiway W5
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Added missing wig-wag lights on taxiway NN
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Removed extra wig-wag lights on taxiways Y1 and Y2
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Fixed a problem with Xwind runways.
October 1st 2019
•   NEW: KORD V2 Update 1.2 - ( Map services and data available from U.S. Geological Survey, National Geospatial Program ).
•   NEW: KORD V2 - New Photoreal background remade from scratch, in 5 seasons ( 4 + Heavy Winter ).
•   NEW: KORD V2 - Change of season better syncronized with default season changes.
•   NEW: KORD V2 - Better Rain and Ice puddles effects.
September 30th 2019
•   Change: KIAH - Compatibility fix for Prepar3D 4.5 HF2. Runways 15/33 closed for landing.
•   Change: KJFK V2- Compatibility fix for Prepar3D 4.5 HF2 to prevent shifted scenery.
 
September 26th 2019
•   NEW: GSX Scandinavian-English accent voices added.
•   Change: GSX - Pushback curve improved.
September 25th 2019
•   NEW: GSX Russian-English accent voices added.
 
September 20th 2019
•   NEW: GSX - Support for multiple regional English accents. In this version, we added British-English, Australian-English, Indian-English, German-English and Italian-English, with more coming in future updates. Regional accents are automatically selected based on the airport. Supported vehicles are Pushback and De-Icers.
•   Change: GSX - American-English soundset remade, with less distortion.
•   Bugfix: GSX - Airplane no longer freezed after Aborting pushback.
 
September 17th 2019
•   NEW: GSX - Pushback with Realtime Preview of the actual path, both in QuickEdit mode and the full editor.
•   NEW: GSX - "Use autosaved QuickEdit Pushback" option. The last QuickEdit position can be recalled without having to enter the QuickEdit mode again.
•   Change: GSX - Pushback won't automatically add any corner points, in preparation for the next update, which will feature multiple editable waypoints.
•   NEW: KORD V2 - Gate Information panels will now show the Fuel Counter during Refueling.
•   Change: KORD V2 - GSX information messages on the green bar will be disabled at KORD, but only in parking spots with an Info Panel.
September 12th 2019
•   Change: GSX - Pushback in Custom or QuickEdit mode automatically inserts two invisible Corner points, to straighten up longer paths.
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Fixed terrain bumping past the end of RWY 22R.
 
September 10th 2019
•   Bugfix: GSX - Fixed an error when getting an invalid Metar.
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Fixed ILS 28C ID to be IVZE (not IVEZE).
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Fixed some flatten polygons around the airport.
•   Change: KORD V2 - Reduced exclusion zone around the airport.
 
September 7th 2019
•   Change: KORD V2 - Background terrain updated, with less grainy textures, better grass/concrete transition.
•   Change: KORD V2 - Background Night textures optimized for less VRAM consumption.
•   Change: KORD V2 - Fixed many vertical marking positions to better match the background.
•   Change: KORD V2 - Better Snow Detail texture on Hard Winter.
•   Bugfix: KSDF - Fixed missing rotated cargo stairs on UPS Cargo stands.
 
GSX 2.7 MAJOR UPDATE
•   NEW: New QuickPushback™ mode. Instantly create a Custom Pushback on the fly, during the Pushback procedure, without entering the scenery customization page. Available for FSX and P3D4. Mouse Interface requires P3D 4.4+.
•   NEW: "Operate Stairs" command, to move or remove Stairs without starting any other services.
•   NEW: “Reposition Airplane” command, to move the airplane to a different parking even when already parked, or to fix the position at the current parking spot.
•   NEW (P3D4.4+ only): Marshallers now support Variable Seasonal Clothing.
•   Bugfix: Changing the jetway model in the editor resulted in custom logo being lost.
 
August 28th 2019
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Fixed terrain flatten on the northern part of the airport, causing bumps with some airplanes.
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Fixed issue with Dynamic Lights not appearing arriving from another airport.
•   Bugfix: GSX - Fixed a crash with FSX when Underground Fuel is enabled, since the Hydrant is not supported on FSX.
 
August 26th 2019
•   Change: KORD V2 - Background terrain updated, service roads toned down.
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Added missing CGO DME.
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Added missing apron link from Cargo Parking N10
 
August 24th 2019
•   Change: KORD V2 - Terminal 5 object converted to Simobject format and handled by the Couatl engine, to prevent it from floating in the air.
•   Change: KORD V2 - Transition between taxiway and grass textures is now smoother and less jagged.
•   Change : KORD V2 - Reduced intensity of normal maps for all metal garage doors in the scenery, to reduce moire effects.
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Information panels now show Pressure Above Sea Level, instead of Ambient Pressure.
•   Bugfix: KORD V2 - Runway hold short red markers on ground which were missing has been added.
 
August 22th 2019
•   NEW: Support for Chicago O'Hare V2 airport walkers, with option to turn them off on request.
•   Bugfix: Mouse sometimes not working in the GSX parking editor.
•   Bugfix: "Warp Me Back to Airplane" function μn KORD V2, KCLT, KSDF and KMEM now working properly.
•   Bugfix: Changed some default airport ranges, which prevented using GSX a few very large airports, like LFPG.
•   Bugfix: Gate number of 2nd jetway when editing multiple parking spots at once.
•   Bugfix: Problem .BGL without parking spots.
•   Bugfix: Custom Pushback labels no longer lost when editing multiple parking spots at once.
•   Bugfix: Resolve "RuntimeError: Deadlock: the last runnable tasklet cannot be blocked." in mouseWheelSpinned.
•   Bugfix: Error on KSDF Cargo Stands.
 
August 6th 2019
•   NEW (P3D4.4+ only): Mouse Interface in the 3d scenery customization window. Vehicle positions and Custom Pushback nodes can be placed by clicking the mouse on screen and rotated using the Mouse Wheel.
•   NEW: Pushback raising the airplane can be configured in the Airplane configuration window, to turn off the feature in airplanes with custom ground handling.
•   NEW: Pushback Dummy Event can be configured in the Airplane configuration window, for better compatibility with 3rd party airplanes that don’t detects GSX pushback, but detects the default one and turn off their internal nosewheel simulation only during a default pushback.
•   NEW: Battery Charger feature can be enabled/disabled in the Airplane Configuration.
•   NEW: The “Underground Refueling” can be set in the parking customization page, to override the default strategy of using a Fuel Hydrant if there’s a Jetway or a Fuel Tanker if there isn’t one.
•   NEW: The XML expression for a Conditional Embedded stair can now be edited in the Airplane configuration.
•   Change: GSX L2 Jetways are loaded from a higher altitude, to move their loading pause earlier in the approach.
•   Change: More LOD optimizations in all PBR Jetways, to improve fps.
•   Change: Default Pushback strategy is moving the default Approach node automatically if it’s too far from the airplane, which should improve the curve radius when pushing very large airplanes.
•   Change: If the airplane interfaces with GSX to control the refueling, the message “Use the refueling system of your airplane” will be automatically suppressed.
•   NEW: Added the following L: variable 3rd party add-ons can use:

FSDT_GSX_NUMPASSENGERS_TOTAL

This is set to the number of passenger, regardless if it has been estimated by GSX, or sent by another add-on, and it’s supposed to be only read.
•   Bugfix: Fixed some problems in the editor when changing Jetway properties for several parking spots at once.
•   Bugfix: Fixed ULD Containers not using the atc_parking_codes of the airplane in PBR mode.
 

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