fs video marshaller

FS Video Marshaller | MAIN OPS MANUAL v1.0 | www.fsvideomarshaller.com

-FS Video Marshaller-

MAIN OPS MANUAL

STOP!

- FSX must be run in WINDOWED mode (hit alt-

enter if you’re in full screen mode)!

- You need to add entries to your host aircraft’s

panel.cfg file!

- Windows Media Player must be installed!


INTRODUCTION:

Thank you for purchasing FS Video Marshaller, a brand new concept in Flight Simulation! FS

Video Marshaller is the first of its kind in Flight Simulation history; indeed, it covers an area of

aviation that hasn’t been previously modeled in FSX or FS9. So what does it do? Well, it’s the

first add-on to ever model real-world ground-to-cockpit and cockpit-to-ground hand signals

used other than for docking at the gate. It’s also the first program to ever use video technology

directly in the simulation.

While FS Video Marshaller can be added to any FSX or FS9 aircraft, FS Video Marshaller can also

interface directly with select 3rd party aircraft that include ground service objects in their

external model, such as chocks or a GPU. FS Video Marshaller is able to show and hide these

objects directly as per your command to the ground marshaller.

Again, thank you for supporting FS Video Marshaller and the FS hobby as a whole. The Flight

Simulation add-on market is a very small niche market, and your support helps ensure that

developers can continue to develop innovative products that enrich your flight simulation

experience!!!

TROUBLESHOOTING:

FSX Crashes:

Make sure you’re running in WINDOWED mode (not FULL SCREEN mode). Hit ALT ENTER on

your keyboard to switch modes. Also, ensure Windows Media Player is installed!!!

The FSVM Panel won’t open:

Make sure you assigned a key or joystick button to the CLUTCH assignment and ensure your

Flight Simulator window is “in focus” when pressing the assigned key. Also ensure that you

added FS Video Marshaller correctly to your host aircraft’s panel.cfg file.

The Video Panel won’t open:

Make sure your operating system has the latest version of Windows Media Player.


OBTAINING SUPPORT:

Please address all support requests to the FS Video Marshaller support forum at Avsim:

Please allow up to 24 hours for a response owing to time zone differences.

Click here to visit the Support Forum

ABOUT CUSTOM 3RD PARTY SUPPORT:

FS Video Marshaller works with all FS9 and FSX aircraft.

However, as a bonus, extra support has been added for the following aircraft:

- PMDG J41

- Flight1 Mustang

- SimCheck A300

- Aeroworx King Air

- All Captain Sim aircraft

- All Eaglesoft aircraft

These aircraft feature “eye candy” ground service objects in their exterior model, such as

chocks or a GPU unit.

FS Video Marshaller is able to show/hide these objects as per your command if using the

aircraft listed above.

Note that some of these aircraft have chocks and no GPU, while others have a GPU but no

chocks.

Note that, with some aircraft, in order for the ground objects to be controlled the engines need

to be off or the parking brakes set. So, for example, if you command the marshaller to insert the

chocks, and he doesn’t do it, the aircraft might not be setup properly for the chocks command to

take effect.

http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?s=d2be98507970c470b6eb4ea485ac21d5&showforum=361


HOW TO ADD FS VIDEO MARSHALLER TO YOUR AIRCRAFT’S

PANEL CFG FILE(S).

Before you can use FS Video Marshaller, you’ll need to add the required Window entry to your

host aircraft’s panel.cfg file.

STEP 1:

Locate your host aircraft’s Panel.cfg file.

It will be it will be a sub-folder called “panel” located in the host aircraft’s folder.

FSX: Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\

FS9/FS2004: Flight Simulator 9\Aircraft\

STEP 2:

Make a backup copy of your original panel.cfg files to be safe!!!

STEP 3:

Open the panel.cfg file with Notepad.

STEP 4:

Locate the section in the panel.cfg called [Window Titles].

It will be near the very top of the panel.cfg.

STEP 5:

Copy and paste this line to the bottom of the [Window Titles] section:

WindowXX=FS Video Marshaller


STEP 6:

Rename ‘XX’ to the next number in the Window numbering sequence.

So, for example, if the previous Window was “Window 21”, you would change XX to 22.

Here’s an actual example from the PMDG J41 panel.cfg so you can see how the numbers and

entries need to line up sequentially:

[Window Titles] Window00=GPS Window01=Ramp Manager Window02=FMS Window03=RMU Window04=FCS Window05=FS Video Marshaller Please note how Window 05 comes after Window 04!

STEP 7:

Lastly, we need to add this Window section to the panel.cfg:

[WindowXX] size_mm=681, 110 pixel_size=681, 110 position=6 visible=1 ident=2777 gauge00=FSVideoMarshaller\Gauge\FSVM!Icon, 10, 10, 10, 10 gauge01=FSVideoMarshaller\Gauge\FSVM!Marshaller, 0,0,681,110

To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this section and put it at the absolute very bottom

of your host aircraft’s panel.cfg file.

Make sure you use copy and paste to avoid typos!!!


STEP 8:

Change XX in [WindowXX] so it matches the window number you used in Step 6.

So, if the window number was 21 in Step 6, you would change XX in this example to 21 as well.

Basically the numbers used for XX need to be the same between the two entries you added to

the panel.cfg:

WindowXX=FS Video Marshaller

And:

[WindowXX]

STEP 9:

Repeat this process with all aircraft with which you want to use FS Video Marshaller.

Note:

Some 3rd party aircraft include multiple panel.cfg files (widescreen and normal versions, etc).

You’ll need to add FS Video Marshaller to each available variant of the cfg file.

HOW TO UNINSTALL FS VIDEO MARSHALLER

To uninstall FS Video Marshaller, select UNINSTALL from Start – All Programs – FS Video

Marshaller.

IMPORTANT: YOU WILL NEED TO MANUALLY DELETE THE WINDOW ENTRIES YOU MANUALLY

ADDED TO EACH AIRCRAFT’S PANEL.CFG OTHERWISE YOU WILL SEE A EMPTY BLACK PANEL ON

YOUR SCREEN!!!

UNCHECK PAUSE ON TASK SWITCH

It’s very important that you uncheck “PAUSE ON TASK SWITCH” IN FSX and FS9.


FSX:


FS9/FS2004:


ASSIGNING A BUTTON FOR THE FSVM IN GAME CONTROL

PANEL:

To toggle (open and close) the FS Video Marshaller control panel after the aircraft has loaded,

you need to assign a joystick or keyboard button to the CLUTCH assignment in your Flight

Simulator Controls menu as depicted in the screen shots below:

If you’re using a non-English version of Flight Simulator, CLUTCH (like the clutch used to change

gears in an automobile) is:

French: Embrayage German: Kupplung Spanish: Embrague Japanese: クラッチ

Italian: Frizione Polish: Sprzęgło

FSX:


FS9/FS2004:


HOW TO MOVE THE VIDEO PLAYER WINDOW TO A DIFFERENT

LOCATION OR MONITOR:

1. Open the FSVM Control Panel by pressing the keyboard or joystick button you assigned

to CLUTCH.

2. Left click the left screw to toggle open the video player window.

3. The video player window will pop-up.

4. Drag the video player window to another location or monitor.

5. Left click the left screw again to close the video player window (you may need to click it twice as

your FS window may be out of focus).

THE FS VIDEO MARSHALLER (FSVM) CONTROL PANEL:

LEFT SCREW: Open video panel so you can drag it to a new position. Left click again to close.

CHOCKS IN: Wheel chocks in.

CHOCKS OUT: Wheel chocks out.

ENG 1: Start Engine 1.


ENG 2: Start Engine 2.

GPU CON: Connect Ground Power Unit (GPU).

GPU DISC: Disconnect Ground Power Unit (GPU).

WAVE OFF: Wave off the ground crew when ready to taxi.

LIGHT: Toggles night lighting on/off.

LOADING THE FS VIDEO MARSHALLER FOR THE FIRST TIME:

When you load the FS Video Marshaller for the first time, you will be presented with the

following dialogue menus.

If using FSX, you will be asked if you want to automatically load the software.

Click “Yes”. You will not be asked this in FS9/FS2004.


You will then be asked if you want to run the FS Video Marshaller EXE.

First, UNCHECK “Always ask before opening this file”.

Do not forget to do that!!!

Then click “Run”.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER (MINI TUTORIAL USING THE PMDG

JETSTREAM):

You’re ready to start flying! In this sample tutorial, we’ll use the PMDG J41. Note that the hand

signals and order of hand signals used were based descriptions given to me by former Regional

airline Captain, Robert Randazzo, who you all know from PMDG. Your airline/country/airport

may do things a bit differently, but these signals are pretty well universal.

STEP 1:

Confirm you’ve:

1. Added the required entries to your host aircraft’s panel.cfg file.

2. Unchecked “Pause on Task Switch”.

3. Created a keyboard and/or joystick button assignment for “Clutch”.


STEP 2:

Load the host aircraft (in our example, the PMDG J41).

If using FSX, ensure you are in WINDOWED mode or you may experience a crash when you try

to play the video. (Hit ALT-ENTER if you’re in full screen mode to switch to WINDOWED mode.)

STEP 3:

Open the FS Video Marshaller Control Panel by pressing the button you linked to the CLUTCH

assignment. Make sure your flight simulator window is in focus when you do this.

(Note that to close the FSVM Control Panel you’d simply press the same button again.)

STEP 4:

Left click the left screw on the FSVM Control Panel. A black window will pop up. Drag the

window to the desired location. This is where the video will play.

When done, left click the left screw again to close the video player window. You may need to

click the left screw twice because your FS window may be out of “focus.”

STEP 5 – DEPARTURE PHASE (CHOCKS IN):

Assuming you’re using the PMDG J41, clicks the CHOCKS IN button on FSVM Control Panel. An

animation will play on the panel representing the hand signal you’d give to the ground crew.

A second later, the video panel will pop-up and the ground crew member will acknowledge

your hand signal by repeating it. That’s how it’s done in the real-world.

A few seconds later, FS Video Marshaller will send a command to the PMDG J41 to make the

chocks “visible” in the external model.

Important note: While FSVM will send the message to the PMDG J41 to show the chocks, it does

not guarantee that the chocks will become visible in the external model.

Why? Because the PMDG model programmers added certain conditions to the chocks so that

they will only display if the aircraft is not moving, among other things.

So be mindful of that if you’re finding the chocks and/or GPU are not behaving as you would

expect.


PMDG J41 Special Note: Several seconds after you send the “chocks in” signal, FSVM will show

the following ground service objects:

i) Chocks

ii) Cargo Pod Open

iii) Cargo Main Door Open

iv) Cones

v) Stanchion

vi) Cargo

STEP 6 – DEPARTURE PHASE (GPU CONNECT):

If you want external power, press the GPU CON button on the FSVM Control Panel. Like with

the chocks, an animation will play showing the hand signal you’d use to communicate with the

ground crew. The ground crew will acknowledge your hand signal via the video display.

A few moments later, the GPU will appear in the external mode and the GPU will be available

for use.

STEP 7 – DEPARTURE PHASE (ENGINE START):

Before starting the engines, you need to signal the ground crew, so press ENG 1 or ENG 2 when

ready. After the first engine has started, use the hand signal associated with the remaining

non-started engine to request permission to start it.

STEP 8 – DEPARTURE PHASE (AFTER ENGINE START):

After both engines have started, send these hand signals in this order:

1. GPU Disconnect

2. Chocks Out

You should notice that the chocks and GPU will no longer be visible in the external model.


PMDG J41 Special Note: Several seconds after you send the “chocks out” signal, FSVM will hide

the following ground service objects:

i) Chocks

ii) Cones

iii) Stanchion

STEP 9 – DEPARTURE PHASE (READY TO TAXI):

When ready to taxi, send the thumbs up signal to the ground crew. The video panel will then

pop-up showing the ground crew waving good-bye.

Note: When you send the wave off signal, FSVM will hide all remaining ground service objects

should any still be open if using the PMDG J41 or any other support aircraft. FSVM will also

attempt to close the main door if it is still open.

STEP 10 – ARRIVAL PHASE (PARKING AT THE STAND):

After you land at your arrival airport, taxi to your parking spot and signal the ground crew to

insert the chocks and connect the GPU if desired.

-MANUAL END-

fs video marshaller

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