I’ve created custom model matching rules to help vPilot display helicopters in MSFS.
The intention is for most turbine helicopter types to be displayed by the default Bell 407 (instead of a floating Bonanza, or worse!)
In the “Model Matching > Advanced” area, I see that vPilot is detecting various Bell 407 liveries (eg “Bell 407 Blue Stripes” and about five others). In my VMR file, I’ve asked for various types (eg B06, B407 etc) to be displayed as one or more of these liveries.
However, when I encounter in VATSIM a B06, B407, etc, vPilot gives me an error to the effect that the models are missing or corrupt. (and therefore a fixed wing aircraft is incorrectly displayed instead)
Unfortunately SimConnect doesn’t give any details when it fails to create a model. My only guess is that they aren’t the right “type” of model. I know FSX and P3D had helicopter models that couldn’t be created as AI models. They could only be created as static objects or flyable aircraft. Maybe that’s the case here as well.
Thanks, Ross. Am I correct in thinking that the current hypothesis is that there’s a limitation in SimConnect around helicopters? And that vPilot is therefore not able to display helicopter models until SimConnect is improved?
What do you think a useful next step is? A bug report to Asobo?
I don’t know if that’s the case, it’s just a guess based on what I’ve seen with older SimConnect sims and helicopters. I wish SimConnect gave meaningful errors when it refuses to create a model.
Thanks @887155 - I’ve learned that the HPG H135 is passed through to vPilot, but the HPG H145 is not. So, why not? Because the aircraft category in the H135 .cfg is actually ‘airplane’ rather than ‘helicopter’.
Do you have any tips as to how I should word this when I create a ticket for Asobo?
Thanks @887155 - I have submitted a pretty simple ticket. So let’s hope it works!
This is what I sent:
Currently, aircraft with the category of “airplane” can be used as injected models by online clients. Please could aircraft with the category of “helicopter” also be made available for online clients to use as injected models?
Sorry, I meant the other guys that posted that they were having the same issue, but didn’t give any indication if they opened tickets. I’m hoping there is strength in numbers!
I haven’t heard anything further about it, since I logged the ticket with Microsoft/Asobo. If it’s bothering you as much as it bothers me, then I urge you to ask them to make aircraft with the “helicopter” category available for online clients to use as injected models.