X-Plane aircraft selection based on UI name instead of description

[WillemijnL]

When you want to select a X-plane aircraft for automatic panel start you sometimes can't find the aircraft in the list. The aircraft is listed but without the name of the aircarft.

This is the description of the Robin DR401 by Aerobask. But sometimes the description contains a long story about the aircraft, although usable because the name of the airftaft is in it.

In this example also a description without the name of the aircraft (in this case the ALIA 250). The other problem is that the descriptions in AM are not found in the aircraft selection screen in X-Plane. The reason is for this is that Air Manager is using the aircraft description (sim/aircraft/view/acf_descrip). Better is to use the UI name of the aircraft (sim/aircraft/view/acf_ui_name). That will solve the problem. The UI name is also found on the X-Plane aircraft selection screen and gives the user a clear recognizable link between the X-Plane screen and the Air Manager screen. I know this change will cause panels not to start automatic anymore, but after an easy panel change they will start automatically again.

I now know what lines belongs to which of my aircrafts after some analysis of the datarefs:

[Keith Baxter]

Hi,

This was discussed a couple of weeks back. You have to change the description in XP Plane Maker.

Here.
It is the "Aircraft Description" dataref value that AM uses. So change that to what makes sense to you.

Then you can set up your own ID configuration.

[WillemijnL]

It's a work-around. You can also change the description in the acf file with a text editor. But that's not a good solution. First you have to figure out to which aircraft the description belongs, because it is not in the name. And using Plane Maker or edit the acf file manully is not for regular users. Although I'm not a regular user, I doen't want it that way. Besides that, your changes can be overwritten by aircraft updates and than you have to start again.

Best way is when Air Manager supports the right dataref for displaying the aircraft name.

[Keith Baxter]

It's a work-around. You can also change the description in the acf file with a text editor. But that's not a good solution. First you have to figure out to which aircraft the description belongs, because it is not in the name. And using Plane Maker or edit the acf file manully is not for regular users. Although I'm not a regular user, I doen't want it that way. Besides that, your changes can be overwritten by aircraft updates and than you have to start again.

Best way is when Air Manager supports the right dataref for displaying the aircraft name.

Hi,

So what dataref (ID) do you suggest AM uses?

Keith

EDIT: If you are referring/hoping for (sim/aircraft/view/acf_ui_name) should be the dataref used then all versions of XP11 =< will not work because this dataref is specific to XP12
As I have said (sim/aircraft/view/acf_descrip) is the only dataref consistent across all versions of XP.

I do not hold much hope of SI changing that just for XP12 =>

[Corjan]

Hi,


Yeah, we looked at this couple of months ago.
Just like Keith said, there is no consistent dataref available unfortunately.


Maybe when X-plane 11 is completely phased out we can reconsider,

Corjan

[WillemijnL]

I wasn't aware of that "sim/aircraft/view/acf_ui_name" was new in X-Plane 12. But in that case it's still posible to use the ui name. For that the "aircraft" table has to be extended with a second name column to store the ui name when available. Always store the description in the first name column to be backwards compatible. When the flightsim is connected the version is availble to choose the way to act.

In X-Plane 12:

• store both description and ui name

• display ui name (second name) when available, otherwise description (first name)

• match on ui name when available, otherwise on description

Older X-Plane (or switched back from X-Plane 12):

• store description and don't change the second name

• display ui name (second name) when available, otherwise description (first name)

• match as usual on description

Other flight sims:

• store as usual (first name) and leave the second name empty

• display as usual (first name)

• match as usual (first name)

This way you can profit of improvements and being backwards compatible. Otherwise you can't get the benefits of certain improvements for a very long time. Perhaps this can also be usefull when FS2024 has arrived.

[Sling]

The version of sim loaded can be detected easily enough so why not use this newer dataref for when xplane12 or above is loaded and default to the existing one if not.