OnCourse Software

Hi all,

I'm thinking about moving from Pro-ATC to PF3 for quite some time now but to my knowledge there is no in sim menu display. This is not very convenient for users who fly with a single screen as we have to learn all the key shortcuts for each phases of flight, while an in-sim menu would allow us to answer easily to the ATC with pre-established choices in the display, depending on the situation just like RC4 or Pro ATC do.
I thought about getting MCE too, but I'd like to keep it simple and being able to use it without the need to speak when I feel lazy and just want to make a relax flight

I know this was already requested by a few users but I was wondering if this is seriously considered or if this not going to happen anytime soon?
As this is the only no-go for me, I hope it will come one day, because all the rest looks amazing from what I see in the demo !

Thanks by advance for your answer !

FSUIPC does quite a good job once configured.

TGS can be displayed in most panels of FS2004/FSX but not with Steam Edition as it can be problematic.

As for the display message board, you can minimise it and place mouse cursor on it in the taskbar to show commands and it brings up a large display and then instantly goes back to an icon in taskbar.
I use this on my laptop and works very well for me.

kmax59 wrote: *

Fri Jul 21, 2017 7:28 pm

I'm thinking about moving from Pro-ATC to PF3 for quite some time now but to my knowledge there is no in sim menu display. This is not very convenient for users who fly with a single screen as we have to learn all the key shortcuts for each phases of flight, while an in-sim menu would allow us to answer easily to the ATC with pre-established choices in the display, depending on the situation just like RC4 or Pro ATC do.

You can use Notepad or a text editor to open and print a hard copy of the pf3_disp.dat file (located in the PF3\PF3_Displayer directory) and keep it handy for easy reference during flight. I have only a single monitor as well and this is what I've done. Glad you like the demo!

Personally I've always disliked displayed menus in the sim as it detracts from the realism somewhat. In reality, during a normal flight, there are very few keys you need to remember and even fewer if you utilise your VCP

You can if you want have the ATC messages displayed. TGS can be voice or a gauge. The PF3 displayer can be open on your single screen. I Sometimes use the windows button to come out of the sim to view that and then the same button to go back into the sim. Dave has intentionally made PF3 "flexible" in pretty much every department. So it caters for both experienced and inexperienced simmers. Even the voices can be changed to hifi!

Your aim of course is to go for realism. And that means responding only to voice transmissions. It'll take a bit of practice if you are not a pilot. Also you'll learn a bit more about the black art of flight planning. Checking the charts for minimum safe altitudes, altitude restrictions etc., all of which can be entered into PF3. These qualities in my view make it the most realistic ATC add-on.

Hello guys,

Thank you for all your answers, much appreciated.
So from my understanding, there is no plan about adding this feature

I'm of course searching for the best realism as possible, and as a real commercial pilot, I found PF3 gives the best and closest ATC ambiance to the real thing compared to pro-ATC or RC4 (which are not bad either but a still a step behing in the ambiance) thus I understand your point of not having a display menu directly in the sim for realism reasons (even if I don't understand why the closed caption is there then).

However, I'm searching an in-sim display menu not to make things easier on the "simulation side" but on the "convenient side". I'm actually already using quite a lot of addons requiring the keyboard, and don't have much place anymore to assign new keys without killing my current keyboard config which is pretty efficient.
As I also like to fly IFR in GA planes without a virtual copilot, I can't imagine having to remember all the keys or search for them between the approach checklist while calculating my racetrack and preparing for the final approach. The workload is huge at these moments of the flight and this is also when you are the most in contact with the ATC, I sincerely had to make several missed approaches using the demo because I was simply lost with the keys.

This is the only big bad point I see with PF3, I don't feel comfortable having additional memory actions I don't have to do in real life while a simple key could open an in-sim menu showing all the possible answers that I could click with the mouse and without being distracted too much.

By the way, if I can suggest another thing, it would be nice if the VCP wouldn't contact ground by himself when this feature is ON as we're not always ready to taxi just after receiving the clearance.

Dave Leesley wrote:

Post subject:  Re: In sim menu display  Reply with quote
FSUIPC does quite a good job once configured.

What are you talking about? I am curious to know how FSUIPC could help there, but if it can bring an alternative solution, I would be much interested.

At this time, I don't know if I can still consider PF3 because it doesn't feel natural to me to search for hotkeys during flights. It's a real pity because the rest, even if it's not perfect is by far the best and most flexible atc software I used yet. (And from all the topics I read some times ago, I also have the feeling that developers have a high respect for their customers and this is something that makes 50% of a product in my opinion )

Quote:

even if I don't understand why the closed caption is there then

It's for those who are hard of hearing... like me!

I've had the same concerns like you when I changed to PF3. How would I be able to do it without a menu?

Don't worry, normally you only need a handful of keys that are repeating themselves a lot during a flight. You will easily know them by heart very soon.
Once you are used to it you will notice that opening a menu and then click an item with the mouse to talk to ATC will feel very unnatural to you.

Btw the most natural feels to literally talk to ATC with your own voice. And that can easily be achieved with the hotkeys of PF3. You can use MCE or any configurable voice recognition software. Highly recommended.

What are you talking about? I am curious to know how FSUIPC could help there, but if it can bring an alternative solution, I would be much interested.

What I am talking about as you put it.....FSUIPC can be configured to show Multiline messages or Single line messages depending what you want.

Dave Leesley wrote: *

Sat Jul 22, 2017 10:11 pm

What are you talking about? I am curious to know how FSUIPC could help there, but if it can bring an alternative solution, I would be much interested.

What I am talking about as you put it.....FSUIPC can be configured to show Multiline messages or Single line messages depending what you want.

I believe what the OP is referring to Dave is a menu of PF3 hotkeys