Virtual Crew Chief for BMS
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Virtual Crew Chief for BMS v1.1
By Ricky and @Tomcattwo
Virtual Crew Chief for BMS (VCC4BMS) provides a fully interactive crew chief to assist with your startup. Based on the original DCS Virtual Crew Chief by Bogey Dope (a real-life F-16 crew chief), VCC4BMS reacts to the actual movements, switch settings and data Falcon BMS produces for your aircraft. VCC4BMS can be included in, and works with, other Falcon BMS Voice Control software (such as Foxster’s FoxVox or SemlerPDX’s AVCS) using VoiceAttack (full version). VCC4BMS can be used with any combination of stick, throttle, rudder pedals and/or keyboard.
Tremendous thanks to Bogey Dope for the original profile and Lightning for making his shared memory tools available.
Changelog
1.1- Added responses in which the pilot is addressed as “ma’am” instead of “sir”. This can be configured by saying the command “Configure pilot gender” at any time.
- After waving off, the crew chief now removes the chocks. This takes a while!
- Improved the storage and retrieval of settings, such as the joystick axes.
Updating instructions
- If you have a previous version of VCC4BMS installed, delete it from VoiceAttack (click the profile actions menu with the + and arrows, “Delete Profile”).
- Copy the folders “Apps” and “Sounds” to your VoiceAttack folder, overwriting any existing files.
- If you had VCC4BMS included in another profile, such as SemlerPDX’s AVCS, you must redo this.
Installation instructions
- It is recommended to uninstall the original DCS Virtual Crew Chief profile to avoid interference.
- Install the new profile the usual way from VoiceAttack (profile actions menu, “Import Profile”, select the “Virtual Crew Chief for BMS.vap” file).
- Copy the folders “Apps”, “Shared” and “Sounds” to your VoiceAttack folder. If you have installed VoiceAttack through Steam, this is usually “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\VoiceAttack”. This should result in new folders “Virtual Crew Chief for BMS” in your “Apps” and “Sounds” folders and a new file “F4SharedMem.dll” in your “Shared\Assemblies” folder. Right click the “F4SharedMem.dll” file, choose “Properties”, then under “Attributes” make sure “Blocked” is not checked. If so, uncheck it and click “OK”.
- If you have not already done so, assign your controllers (stick, throttle, rudder pedals) in VoiceAttack. Click the “Options” wrench icon, then click the button “Joystick Options”. Use the “Assign” buttons to assign your controllers to Joysticks 1/2/3/4, however many you need. Make sure the corresponding “Enable Joystick 1/2/3/4” checkboxes are checked.
- The first time you run the profile, it will attempt to detect your joysticks and their axes. Just follow the instructions in VoiceAttack. If you do not have a certain controller (such as rudder pedals or toe brakes), hold S to skip configuring it. You can always rerun the configuration by saying the command “Configure joysticks”.
- It is recommended to have the profile only send its commands to Falcon BMS. To do this, click the “Edit Profile” pencil icon, then the Options button (top center). Under Profile General tab, click the radio button next to the empty field under “Send Commands to this target:”. Select or type “Falcon BMS.exe”. Confirm by clicking “OK” and then the “Done” button.
- You might want to include this profile into another profile, such as SemlerPDX’s AVCS. This can be done by making AVCS CORE the active profile and then following the diagram below.
Differences with the original DCS Virtual Crew Chief
In general:- The commands do not start and stop VoiceAttack from listening for commands anymore. All commands block each other automatically now. This has removed the need for the “Hey chief” phrase to start a command.
- Similarly, the “Disregard / Standby” phrase has also gotten a new function. This now stops any currently running command. This could be useful for when you want to break out of a situation where the crew chief is waiting for something to happen.
- Many of the commands have been made more reliable by adding more variations on words and phrases.
- A few commands have gotten an extra “Copy” or “Yes” as a response, just so you know the phrase was recognized.
Specific notes per command:
- Comms Check
Now waits for your response “Loud and clear / Lima charlie / Good / etc.” before continuing. Confirms with an extra “Yes”. - JFS Start 2
Now waits for RPM to run up before confirming a good start. - EPU Check
Now presses the keys T 1 to actually remove the EPU pin. - EPU Check Complete
No functional changes. - SEC Check
Now waits for the nozzle to close before continuing. - Run Up
Unchanged. Not really necessary, because the crew chief confirms you are clear to run up in the previous step. - SEC Check Good
Now confirms command with “Copy”. Waits for the nozzle to open before continuing. Then continues to the speed brakes check, waiting in turn for the speed brakes to open and close. This might need to be moved to the next step, but this is how it was in the original profile. - Flight Controls Clear
No functional changes. - BIT Check
No functional changes. - Trim Check
No functional changes. - FLCS Disconnected
Now only confirms no movement if the trims actually do not move during check. - FLCS Connected
Now waits for each trim to move before confirming. Trims can be checked in any order. - Big Movements / 14. DBU Movements
Now waits for each flight control input before confirming. Flight controls can be checked in any order.
Because the shared memory does not contain any information on the position of the control surfaces, VoiceAttack reads the positions of your stick and rudder pedals instead. This is why they need to be configured when running the profile the first time.
Keyboard input works too, using the default keys for flight control: ctrl + shift + arrow up/down/left/right for the stick and comma (,) and dot (.) for the rudder pedals.
The shared memory also does not indicate whether manual pitch override (MPO) is enabled or not. This means the kick can only be checked by using the keyboard input for the MPO switch. The default key is O and it needs to be held down for a second. Do not forget to reset the switch to NORM afterwards. - Ready Left Brake / 17. Ready Right Brake
No functional changes. - / 18. Brake Channels
Now waits for brake movement before confirming. Then waits for movement to stop before continuing. If there is no movement within a few seconds after starting the command, the crew chief reports no movement.
Again, the shared memory does not offer information on the position of the brakes, so VoiceAttack is reading the position of your toe brakes.
Keyboard is also supported, using the default key for wheel brakes: K. - Refuel Door Check
Now waits for refuel door to open and close before confirming. - Cleared Off
Now presses the keys T 2 to remove the chocks. It takes the crew chief 90 seconds to do this! He/She needs to unplug his/her headset at the Ground Comm panel, pull the starboard wheel chocks, duck under the nozzle, and finally pull the port side wheel chocks.
The Conversational commands have remained unchanged.
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Wow thanks! The integration part is really cool, i will try this when i get back at the stick!
Edit; your picture on how to include it in the other profile is very low res. Can you add a full resolution print screen as well?
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Wow - just wow!
Amazing addition.
My sincere thanks to everyone involved!!
Regards,
Gary
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Amazing work - any video showing it in-game ?
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@Bertuz
How to Include VCC4BMS in AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42):
First, make sure AVCS is loaded and that AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42) is the Active profile. Then:Step 1: Open the AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42) Profile for editing
2: Click the “Options” Button on the Profile Page
- In the window that pops up, Under the Tab “Profile General”, Look for "Include Commands from Other Profiles. Click on the 3 dots (…)
4: In the new window that opens, click on the big gray + sign.
5: In the new window that opens, click on the dropdown, and scroll down till you see Virtual Crew Chief for BMS. Click on that and it will show in the bar.
6: Click on OK.
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In the Include Profiles Window, Click OK.
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In the Include Options Window, click on OK
9: In the Profile Window, click “Apply” (unless it is grayed out).
10: Click on “Done”
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
Great!
Thanks -
I think this is an early version which has been updated now but should give you a good idea of its functionality.
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@Gary @jayb ,
This is a video of the original VCC from BogeyDope. It was made for DCS.In the original version, when a command was given by the pilot to the Virtual Crew Chief, all the Virtual Crew Chief replies were based strictly on timing - and occurred whether the pilot took any actions or not. While it was way cool, it did not react to the reality of what was actually happening in the sim, it simply provided timed responses.
What we (@Ricky and I) have done, with permission from BogeyDope, was to alter the profile to actually sample Falcon 4 BMS data as the sim is running, and the profile only sends Crew Chief replies when the pilot actually performs the actions in game. In this way, VCC4BMS responds when the pilot actually takes the actions expected (and waits for the pilot to do so until the correct action is taken or the command is halted by giving voice command “Disregard” or “Standby”. This is as real as it gets though I sure wish we had a graphic “Crew Chief” we could see out the cockpit window (right, @Aragorn ?)
I am working on putting together a Falcon 4 BMS Video Demo of a full startup using VCC4BMS. Stand by…I will post it when I get it done.
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
Thank you. I did already understand the differences between the DCS version and what you genius’s have done (I’ve been following the threads) but definately useful for those who might not have known of course.
Amazing addition I think.
I’ve been using F4 since its release, on and off, and to be honest always jumped striaght to the Taxi option - not anymore!!
Thanks for all your (and others) hard work getting this out and in a fuully interactive state too.
Regards,
Gary
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I’ve set this one up like the original doing the profile switch extra option when giving the “cleared off” command. I just like the idea of keeping the profiles separate so the other commands don’t accidentally trigger the crew chief voice when flying and lees commands for the AVCS profiles to try to match. Downside of this method is the computer voice when the BMS profile initializes but not too bad of a trade off.
I did try one startup last night and experienced an error but seems like it was more of a Voice Attack error than the profiles issue. I hope to give it another run in after work today.
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@Tomcattwo said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS: …though I sure wish we had a graphic “Crew Chief” we could see out the cockpit window (right, @Aragorn ?)
Hee hee…
After THIS titanic effort (and step forward for the sim), I would feel like a bit of an ass to be asking for more…!!
(But, yes)
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@jayb said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS:
Amazing work - any video showing it in-game ?
Here you go, @jayb
Great coding by @Ricky!!
Many thanks to BogeyDope for the original VCC and for letting us use his profile and sound files! Also credit to @SpbGoro , creator of Mideast128 theater - this demo is an F-16C Block 40 (~1990s vintage, and has no HMCS). I did make (at least) 1 error during the startup: forgot to put the EGI in Align.
By the way, the VCC4BMS download .zip file in the first post also contains a “kludged together” F-16 Flight Checklist, I made, which is a merge of the 4.35 Checklist and 4.37 Checklist plus integrated commands for VCC4BMS. Feel free to share and enjoy!
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
Thank you sir - this is truly impressive
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@Tomcattwo said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS:
First, make sure AVCS is loaded and that AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42) is the Active profile. Then:
Thanks!
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This was what I was dreaming of when I first saw Bogey Dope’s video. Thanks for your efforts!
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Amazing work, though I’m getting stuck on the big movements, my stick is enabled in VA.
I get a Command canceled: Another command is allowing others to execute…
is there any way to bypass this? (other than the cancel button in the VA UI)
Edit: I use Icer’s helios profile that doesn’t have Pitch and Roll keyes defined (Is that an issue?).
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I think I missed it, but do we still have to use the keyboard to have the wheel chocks removed/ installed?
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@CriticalMass said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS:
Amazing work, though I’m getting stuck on the big movements, my stick is enabled in VA.
I get a Command canceled: Another command is allowing others to execute…
is there any way to bypass this? (other than the cancel button in the VA UI)
Edit: I use Icer’s helios profile that doesn’t have Pitch and Roll keyes defined (Is that an issue?).
Before I start gettin PM’s, it’s “Ice’s” profile, I use Helios but it’s “Ice” that is the Helios guy…
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@Crassus
As I understand it, when you are ready to have chocks pulled, the crew chief is no longer plugged in to the comms circuit with the pilot - the pilot uses hand signals to have the chocks pulled. @Ricky had a command to pull chocks in one of our test versions but I don’t recall if we left it in the V1 download version or not, since it wasn’t realistic. (EDIT: I just checked the profile. The command for chocks has been removed.) Personally, I made a command to pull (install, remove) chocks in AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (V13M.42) profile.[TLDR] yes use keyboard or a voice command in another profile (such as AVCS4).
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
@CriticalMass
I suspect that the Virtual Crew Chief for BMS profile hasn’t registered your joystick axes. Try this:-
Open Voice Attack - I am assuming you are using AVCS, so the Active Profile in Voice Attack should be: “AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42)”
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In the line for the active profile in Voice Attack, click on the drop down arrow and select “Virtual Crew Chief for BMS” as the active profile. Voice Attack should make it active, and you should get a popup box explaining that Virtual Crew Chief for BMS needs to determine your joystick axes, and instructing you to follow the instructions in the Voice Attack events window with a button to Continue.
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Press the continue button and the box should disappear, and in the events window, Voice Attack will ask you to move the joystick corresponding to Pitch. The profile should tell you it’s captured, and ask you to press the c key to continue.
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Follow the instructions for roll axis, rudders and toe brakes (if your setup doesn’t have toebrakes, hold the s key to skip that step).
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When it’s completed, Voice Attack will inform you that the profile has captured your sticks, and tell you that you can repeat this process any time with the voice command “Configure Joysticks”.
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Then click the dropdown down arrow in the active profile line (top of the Voice Attack window) and select “AVCS CORE (v1.11)” from the dropdown window. Voice Attack will go through the process of making “AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42)” the active profile again.
You should only have to do this ONCE (not each time you want to use VCC4BMS). The “Virtual Crew Chief for BMS” profile stores the joystick axis information you just gave it.
By the way, you can escape from any Virtual Crew Chief for BMS Command by saying “Standby” or “Disregard”. Crew Chief will acknowledge and you can then do another command, as needed.
Give it a try and let me know if this worked or didn’t. Copying @Ricky so he sees this as well.
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -