ATC-pie user guide: Difference between revisions

Depending on your system and preference, you might be double-clicking, typing stuff or pulling your hair out. In any case what you need to start the program is to run a Python3 interpreter on the <code>ATC-pie.py</code> file in the top-level directory. To start at a chosen airport location, say with code ICAO, add a system command line argument, which may look as simple as:

If no ICAO code is given, good old KSFO will be chosen as default. After a few seconds, you should see the main window appear with a radar scope and a depiction of your airport in the centre.

* Set up the airport runway parameters in the airport settings, especially ILS capability if you will be playing solo often at the same location.

Note for multi-player games: callsigns for ATCs are typically expected to start with the ICAO code of the controlled airport or sector, and end with a hint on the provided service: twr, gnd... When choosing your callsign on MP connect, make sure it is unique, and note that [[FGMS]] restricts callsign length to 7 characters. :-(

ATC-pie analyses routes and assigned vectors to assist traffic management and anticipate path conflicts between controlled aircraft.

A '''route''' is parsed for every strip with both recognised departure and destination airports (names shown near respective fields on the strip sheet), as follows:

* if ambiguous (navpoint names are not all unique around the world), a waypoint is always the nearest homonym to the point beginning the leg.

This mode allows to train on your own in different situations. Three combinable positions are available:

* tower (TWR), controlling runways and immediate surroundings;

* departure (DEP), bringing departing traffic to their exit point;

* approach (APP), vectoring arrivals onto final.

 

In any case, you will be controlling virtual IFR planes via the software interface, and receiving and handing over strips to virtual ATCs, depending on your position and on the aircraft's intentions (see table below). Approaches can be requested ILS or visual, and the balance between the two is adjustable from the solo mode settings.

Assuming APP, aircraft requesting ILS must be vectored to intercept a runway localiser and cleared for ILS approach, whereas those requesting visual require vectors until they report the expected runway is in sight. Then, approaching aircraft must be handed over to TWR, unless you are in the TWR position as well. If you are, you must clear them to land—or they will climb back up for go-around—and hand them over to ground control (GND) once they have vacated the runway. Tower also manages departures, which appear ready holding short of runways. After take-off, hand over your strips to departure control, unless assuming DEP yourself. When doing DEP, you must hand outbound aircraft over to the en-route centre (CTR) once they are high enough and close enough to their exit point if specified.

[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-handoverPane-solo.png|thumbnail|Handover pane when playing solo, assuming all three available positions]]

|+ Handovers with virtual ATCs

'''Vectors''' are given by means of the vectoring assignment tool (click&drag on radar contact for heading, with SHIFT for altitude/FL and speed). '''Other instructions''' (''line up and wait'', ''clear to land'', etc.) can be sent from the instruction dock. Pull it up from the ''View'' menu if it is not visible. Non-vectoring instructions are sent to the callsign entered in the top field, which should fill automatically on aircraft or strip selection if the callsign is known.

This feature allows you to overlook your airport and the connected (MP) or simulated (solo) traffic, like a controller from a '''tower viewpoint'''. It uses the tower position specified in the source data if any, otherwise defaults to somewhere over the airport to allow towering all available airports.

The '''''Options'' menu''' is divided in two sections. The item above the separator contains unsaved session options, which go back to their default setting on restart. Under the separator are saved settings, which come in two flavours:

* airport-specific (under a unique submenu): saved and restored when started at the same airport again, e.g. runway ILS capabilities;

* global settings: saved and restored regardless of airports, e.g. preset text chat messages.

For more efficient text chat, '''text aliases''' are available and allowed in both instant and preset chat messages, e.g. <code>$wind</code>, <code>$qnh</code>... When the containing message is sent, they automatically expand to the current context-dependant value. Custom aliases can be used, whose replacement will be searched for in the general and airport notes (your notepads) and in the selected strip comments. This allows for variable text by controller, by airport and by radar contact. Have a look at the ''Quick reference'' available from the ''Help'' menu, ''Text aliases'' section. Unsuccessful replacements will trigger an edit box so that you can review your message before sending it.

Everything up to the first pipe character (<code>|</code>, if any) in a text chat line will be stripped before the message is processed and sent. For quicker access to preset messages if you use them and the keyboard a lot, you can therefore '''prefix your messages''' with a custom shortcut and a pipe, which will enable the automatic suggestion list to pull up the desired message line as you start typing the prefix. Here is a preset message example enabling something like a dot-command for sending a bearing to your airport to the currently selected pilot:

In '''airport input fields''', typing a single dot will instantly fill the box with your ICAO position. Use this as a shortcut from/to your airport when filling details.

[[Category: ATC-pie]]

[[Category: ATC clients]]