Chat menu
Since v1.0.0 there's a chat menu in FlightGear. In this special menu are some prefabricated messages stored. They're ready to use. You don't have to write them first, just choose a message and press the corresponding number. The message is send like a normal chat messages, so all the pilots and ATCs will see it.
You can find the Chat Menu in the menubar under Multiplayer > Chat Menu (on older versions: View > Chat Menu or Network > Chat Menu). The Chat Menu can also be opened with a shortcut: - (minus).
Users can type messages that are displayed to all users within MP range. The messages are displayed within a dialog box, and optionally to the screen using the current Nasal message system. This allows the messages to be TTS'd by festival. — Buchanan, Stuart (Sep 23rd, 2006). [Flightgear-devel] Multiplayer chat patch.
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Editing entries
To edit the entries in the Chat Menu you've to change this file: $FG_ROOT/ATC/chat-menu-entries.xml.
With these symbols you could add information that depends on the moment. So things like altitude, direction and aircraft type are automatically filled in at the places of the symbols.
Function | Symbol | Discription |
---|---|---|
Airport direction | ! | |
Airport distance | ^ | |
Aircraft type | % | First word from /sim/description |
Callsign | # | |
Current Altitude | $ | |
Airport ID | * | |
Current runway | ( |
Here's an example:
<menu>
<name>* Ground, #, request taxi instructions for departure.</name>
</menu>
It'll looks something like this when using FlightGear:
KSFO Ground, F-WWDD, request taxi instructions for departure.
As you noticed in the example above I've placed some extra stuff. Every entry has to start with the <name> tag and close with </name>. One row in FlightGear is one <menu>...</menu> tag. Here's an example of the Formation menu:
<menu>
<name>[Formation]</name>
<menu>
<name>Form up on my wing.</name>
</menu>
<menu>
<name>Break left.</name>
</menu>
<menu>
<name>Break right.</name>
</menu>
</menu>
A row extra could be formed with two <menu> tags. It'll looks like this:
<menu>
<name>[ATC]</name>
<menu>
<name>[Ground]</name>
<menu>
<name>* Ground, #, request taxi instructions for departure.</name>
</menu>
</menu>
</menu>
In the two examples above you see things like this [ATC]. The [ and ] are there to indicate that the text should not be included in the messages.