For others flying in VR, how do you read text messages sent by other users when in VR?
I was using the excellent VSR addon for a long time and was helping out with the beta testing. Saw how that addon matured into a very impressive addon with both listed online ATC, a moving map showing traffic as well as ATC etc. Sadly enough, for some reason I started getting CTDs when using VSR. So had to stop using it.
Now back with vPilot and no VSR, I once again struggle in VR when I hear the sound from vPilot indicating someone sent a text message and I can’t see it. Since I’m in VR.
I know there’s an option in vPilot setting to show incoming text messages in the simulator. Does anyone know if that works also in VR. I’m yet to try it out. Never used that option before, not in VR nor in 2D mode.
Many thanks in advance for any tips what the best way is to handle incoming text messages when you’re in VR to avoid having to take the VR headset off just to read those text messages.
I just peak under the headset now and then, like an ops check
But an unsolicited idea for the developer that might not have been thought could be to use Windows TTS to get around this issue.
By adding Windows Text to Speech services into vPilot, the TTS could be heard from within the VR when text messages were received by the pilot client.
Folk flying in VR on VATSIM won’t be using text to communicate because its currently not possible, so they’d be expecting voice but as per the VATSIM rules need to occasionally check the vPilot interface for text messages. And that can be a fumble when one needs to lift the headset without losing tracking, find their reading glasses, read vPilot on the monitor, take their glasses off, put back on the headset and hope that the simulator and the VR session are still running. It really breaks the immersion and can often crash the flight as the session might lose tracking and require a restart.
Of course assuming it could be done it’s not as easy as it might sound as things like abbreviations would need to be eventually addressed.
This made me realize that if similar was done in vatSys (not for the controller but so it could better serve TTS on the pilots vPilot client) that controllers who are unable to use a microphone (for whatever reason be it location noise, sound privacy or equipment issue etc) could also participate in providing control to pilot in a way expected by most pilots these days online ie voice, be it via client TTS or direct from microphone, and receive via speakers or headphones.
So then the controller client might need an interface layer between user and network so things like abbreviations are sent as words rather than letter combinations eg,
FL flight level
rgr roger
clrd cleared
c/m climb and maintain
d/m descend and maintain
stdby standby
sqwk squawk
ctr center
app approach
twr tower
…and the list goes on which further begs the question what about airline and control facility abbreviations, so there is quite a bit of scope there for growth in improvement of the core idea.
But of course if at all possible it would mean easier VR flying on VATSIM (which is probably a growing sector), and more chances for controllers to get on and control (perhaps) when circumstances otherwise might have meant they couldn’t.
Implementing TTS is a really cool idea! Not sure though how much work it would be.
Right now, I would be happy with just a very simple in-game panel window you could open in VR which would show you the same information you see on the right side of the vPilot window, that is any text messages.
Like to think that can’t be too hard for someone with development skills.
Yea I agree it would be better if a window worked into the VR session, but never know what might or might not be easier for a developer to implement even if it is a partial measure. Maybe an ingamepanel like is accesible from the toolbar would be a way perhaps, like that VSR one.
