Help Getting Pilot Voice to say St. Barts: Part Deux

[mrzippy]

Here comes some fun!

 

Bring up EditVoicePack to looking like this.

 

Save to your desktop to open and modify if necessary.

 

You will need to Open in Notepad like a .cfg file.

 

This is what it looks like. it can be edited like your aircraft or FSX .cfg

 

After editing, I would recommend Importing it back into EditVoicePack under My Modifications where it will override the one in Communities.

 

Be sure to "SAVE" and then do the UPDATE EditVoicePack again!

[evm]

Again, you can see that the Export function is grayed out. Inactive. Inaccessible. Dysfunctional. So I am at a loss as to how you guys are Exporting anything.

 

Simple really. Editvoicepack does not know what you want to export, that is why the button is grey.

 

Select an item from the tree lists first, then you can export and edit it. Then re-import, by reading the header in the file EVP will know where the import belongs.

 

Btw, you should be able to achieve the same thing using the EVP GUI directly. Experiment a little, maybe follow a tutorial, EVP is a mighty and flexible tool.

[HoggyDog]

Select an item from the tree lists first, then you can export and edit it. Then re-import, by reading the header in the file EVP will know where the import belongs.

Thanks. That worked.

 

Btw, you should be able to achieve the same thing using the EVP GUI directly.

Nope, what I see in the right-hand pane in EVP with Airports>Caribbean>Guadaloupe>TFFJ selected does not seem to bear any relationship to what I see in the exported file with the same selection.

 

Here's the section on CTAF, which is the only frequency type that TFFJ has (no tower, ground, etc.):

As you can see, the "Phrase" in the upper blank correctly shows "Saint Barts." Beyond that, the entries are all about variables agent_airport and agent_type. Based on my expectation of what should be transmitted, I would guess that agent_airport should have a value of "Saint Barts" at runtime and agent_type should have a value of "traffic" at runtime, such that the preamble would be "Saint Barts Traffic..." However, that is not what my pilot voice is saying.

 

maybe follow a tutorial

Thanks for the tip- it seems to me that "read a tutorial" is analogous to the MMORPG admonition "don't stand in fire." In other words, so painfully obvious as to be almost insulting. I'm a little disappointed that anyone would assume that I had not already at least tried to do this LONG before whining here for help- but I understand, given my obvious ignorance on the innermost workings of EVP and FSX, how one could assume that I'm either lazy or an idiot. No offense taken, but I assure you, I am neither.

 

The EVP "tutorials," accessed by clicking the "Tutorials" link in the GUI, are actually only ONE tutorial, covering how to manually construct a new airport name. It does not cover this issue of "how to fix a malfunctioning airport name modification."

 

I have exported the TFFJ mod, and since it isn't all that long, here it is in its entirety. I tried to put it between

tags, but I have learned that this functionality is not supported here.

xmlns:evp="http://www.editvoicepack.com/EditVoicepack/DataFile/1">
Saint Barts
Mike Groves
Saint Barts - St Barthelemy Island airport (Guadeloupe)

The header of this file does say "Saint Barts," but it doesn't look quite like what jvile posted earlier- specifically, it is lacking that long alphanumeric gibberish identifier. At first glance though, it does look identical to what MrZippy posted, so since his is working and mine isn't, this may eliminate EVP as the cause of my problem.

 

So now I'm going to open the Fly Tampa package as f16jockey suggested and see what's what in there.

 

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I'm sure that somehow "we" :) will figure out why, despite every appearance that the phrase "Saint Barts" is firmly installed into my FSX, my idiot pilot voices keep calling it "Tango Foxtrot Foxtrot Juliet."

[il88pp]

found this old (?) user guide:

http://larsm.home.xs4all.nl/FlightSimulator/EditVoicepack/Readme.html

[mrzippy]

I'm also thinking the problem does not point at EVP at this time. As far as the other Island SABA, I do know that there was a conflict between EVP and FSX. That was easily corrected.

[HoggyDog]

I would be very tempted to open that TFFJ_ADEX_FLYTAMPA.BGL with Airport Design Editor to check out the COMMS list.

The identifier for the EVPMOD can be found there.

Wim

 

Wim, I used BGLtoXML to decompile TFFJ_ADEX_FLYTAMPA.BGL.

 

Here is the top part:

   version="9.0"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
      country="Guadeloupe"
     city="St Barthelemy Is."
     [color="#FF0000"]name="St Barthelemy Is."[/color]
     lat="17.9046018049121"
     lon="-62.8448635339737"
     alt="0.0M"
     magvar="13"
     trafficScalar="0.7"
     airportTestRadius="5000.0M"
     ident="TFFJ"
     >


         deleteAllRunways="TRUE"
        deleteAllStarts="TRUE"
        deleteAllHelipads="TRUE"
        deleteAllFrequencies="TRUE"
        deleteAllTaxiways="TRUE"
        deleteAllAprons="TRUE"
        deleteAllApronLights="TRUE"
        deleteAllControlTowers="TRUE"
        deleteAllJetways="TRUE"
        deleteAllBoundaryFences="TRUE"
        deleteAllBlastFences="TRUE"
        deleteAllApproaches="FALSE"/>

What jumps out at me immediately is:

• No mention of any EVPMOD in the header; and
  
• The first thing this file does is delete the existing airport.
  

 

Here are the only entries labeled "Com:"

         frequency="128.9500"
        type="DEPARTURE"
        name="JULIANA"/>
         frequency="118.4500"
        type="CTAF"
        [color="#FF0000"]name="ST BARTHELEMY I"[/color]/>
         frequency="118.4500"
        type="UNICOM"
        [color="#FF0000"]name="ST BARTHELEMY I"[/color]/>

The first one seems correct because TFFJ does not have its own Departure services, so it stands to reason that Juliana Departure would be used.

 

However, the next two entries are puzzling to me :confused: because, while "ST BARTHELEMY I" is the location of the airport, it is not actually the name of the airport (it's "King Gustave III") nor is it the phrase my pilot voices should be using- should I edit the CTAF and UNICOM entries to read name="Saint Barts"? The fact that "Princess Juliana" is shown as what it is actually called on the radio, simply "Juliana," leads me to believe that's what I should do.

 

Finally, if changing those 2 entries is what I should do, how do I then recompile the edited xml file back into the bgl file that FSX is expecting?

 

Thanks again for your help.

[il88pp]

I flew at default saint barts, never had addon, pilot and atc both said saint barts. just to confirm.

[HoggyDog]

found this old (?) user guide:

http://larsm.home.xs4all.nl/FlightSimulator/EditVoicepack/Readme.html

Thank you! This was actually helpful, even though it is very out of date- I now, for the first time, understand what the 3 possible states of the checkboxes mean. :D

 

I flew at default saint barts, never had addon, pilot and atc both said saint barts. just to confirm.

 

Thanks for the confirmation, but the default scenery is so bad, generic and imaginary that there's not any point in even going to St. Barts unless you have a decent scenery addon. So if your point is that maybe I should uninstall my TFFJ scenery, thanks, but no thanks. I'm confident that there's some way to get this working without doing that.

[evm]

 

Thanks for the tip- it seems to me that "read a tutorial" is analogous to the MMORPG admonition "don't stand in fire." In other words, so painfully obvious as to be almost insulting. I'm a little disappointed that anyone would assume that I had not already at least tried to do this LONG before whining here for help- but I understand, given my obvious ignorance on the innermost workings of EVP and FSX, how one could assume that I'm either lazy or an idiot. No offense taken, but I assure you, I am neither.

 

RTFM or AFG is the hint you might get if you show a lack of knowledge about the most basic workings of the tool, or in this case, the EVP GUI.

 

Moving on. If you want to know for sure if the source of your problem is with the sound file or the airport config, I suggest using some completely different phrase in EVP for St Barts, compile and deploy it. If FSX uses that phrase, you know that EVP is working and you only need to get it right there. If it doesn't, you know that EVP is not working at all.

 

BTW, these are the frequencies that the stock TFFJ shows, doesn't seem too far off of what you have got. You could play with those in the FlyTampa BGL, see what happens, either using ADE (recommended!) or the bglcomp - compiler in the SDK.

 

[il88pp]

I wasn't making a point, you can do whatever of course.

 

I should have added that i get the saint barts sound. Am using default scenery...

And am using evp.

[evm]

TFFJ_ADEX_FLYTAMPA.BGL.

 

This is strange. I have that scenery too, and my file is called differently. Which version are you using? Mine is probably 2 years old now.

 

I will fire up FSX now and see how this works on my system. I have the airport open in ADE too, so maybe something comes up. Please hold the line.

 

 

... back again. Here is what I saw in my sim (FSX boxed vanilla)

Test 1: Stock airport, no EVP. Pilot says "TFFJ"

Test 2: FlyTampa airport, no EVP. Pilot says "TFFJ"

Test 3: Stock airport, with EVP. Pilot says "TFFJ"

Test 4: FlyTampa airport, with EVP. Pilot says "TFFJ"

 

So, I'm in the same boat as Mr. Dogg. I noticed that the text in the ATC window does say "TFFJ", but when you are cleared IFR it reads "Saint Barts" and the ATC voice says "Saint Barts", but this is the only instance I get to hear it. Unfortunately I only have the evaluation version of EVP, so I can only try so much - but I will see what can be done.

[evm]

OK, got it working now. Pilot reads and says "Saint Barts".

 

It only works with the '.gvp' file produced by EditVoicePack, no two ways about it. No other modifications needed to airport or comms.

 

Problem with my setup right now was, that I renamed the old "USEnglishBig.gvp" and left it in the folder. Unfortunately FSX used it anyway and ingnored the new one from EVP. Actually, it looks like FSX uses the first '.gvp' file it finds in the folder, no matter how it is called. EVP uses this mechanism to deploy its own files like 'EvpAccelerated1.gvp'.

 

Oh, and to be sure that no conflict arises, I deactivated 'APX31250.bgl' in 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\0303\scenery'. This may cause other problems, but I haven't seen anything. Edit: This is not necessary - I just crosschecked, it works when this is active as well.

 

Make sure you have only one '.gvp' in 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Sound\ATC' and that this one is the modified file from EVP!!

 

As I don't have a license for the new EVP I used an old gvp file from 2013 I already had on my system. AFAIK the new version does not work right without a license.

Edit: Bought a license right now (10€) and ran EditVoicePackXL update - works as designed.

 

[HoggyDog]

OK, got it working now. Pilot reads and says "Saint Barts".

 

It only works with the '.gvp' file produced by EditVoicePack, no two ways about it. No other modifications needed to airport or comms.

 

Problem with my setup right now was, that I renamed the old "USEnglishBig.gvp" and left it in the folder. Unfortunately FSX used it anyway and ingnored the new one from EVP. Actually, it looks like FSX uses the first '.gvp' file it finds in the folder, no matter how it is called. EVP uses this mechanism to deploy its own files like 'EvpAccelerated1.gvp'.

 

Make sure you have only one '.gvp' in 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Sound\ATC' and that this one is the modified file from EVP!!

 

 

HAH! After all this tooth-gnashing and rigamarole, decompiling bgl files, 4 pages of people trying to help and me muttering about reading inapplicable tutorials, the problem couldn't possibly come down to a failure of EVP to move a vanilla FSX file out of the way after it creates its own replacement file, leaving too many gvp files in ..\Sound\ATC, could it???? :eek:

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u484/Hoggy_Dog/2015-5-24_8-2-41-489.png

 

Why, yes. Yes, it could. :D:):p:o:rolleyes::D:cool::pilot:

 

Thank you SO much for figuring this out! I'm going to go now and just sit on the ramp on ground power at St. Barts, mindlessly issuing false reports on multicom just to hear myself say "SAINT BARTS TRAFFIC!"

[mrzippy]

Good going! Now say hi to SABA!;)

[il88pp]

hoggydog,

I do think you should stop blaming EVP for a minute.:mad:

 

I used EVP, on the default saint barts, and it worked right away.

I still don't fully understand what you did to cause or fix this, nor do I care. But you really should stop making great Freeware look bad and blaming it for issues you have. (not just in this thread mind).

 

thanks.

[evm]

hoggydog,

I do think you should stop blaming EVP for a minute.:mad:

 

I used EVP, on the default saint barts, and it worked right away.

I still don't fully understand what you did to cause or fix this, nor do I care. But you really should stop making great Freeware look bad and blaming it for issues you have. (not just in this thread mind).

 

thanks.

 

Hi, just for the record, it is not free anymore:

 

You can use EditVoicepack XL without purchasing a license in order to determine if it works as you expect. Without a purchased license EditVoicepack will insert audio in select ATC messages. To use EditVoicepack without the audio message being inserted you will need to purchase a license using the following link:

[il88pp]

I did not know that. I am still using the old version. (as far as I can see that still works.)

maybe that means I should stop using it? will look into that.

[il88pp]

I found out the older versions are no longer supported. Yo can still use them, but there will be no further updates to them. You can use them 'as is'.

You can still download them on the editvoicepack site.

(link to old versions: )

http://editvoicepack.com/try-and-buy/download-old-versions/

[HoggyDog]

I do think you should stop blaming EVP for a minute.:mad:

I used EVP, on the default saint barts, and it worked right away.

(...) I still don't fully understand what you did to cause or fix this, nor do I care. But you really should stop making great Freeware look bad and blaming it for issues you have.

 

With all due respect, had you considered that the fact that how your older freeware version of EVP worked for you, in your installation, using the default TFFJ, is not necessarily directly relevant to, or predictive of, how my latest-edition payware EVP worked for me in my Steam Edition installation using the Fly Tampa addon TFFJ?

 

Also, if you neither know nor care

• what caused the issue
  
• what I did to I fix the issue
  

then how could you possibly state that EVP (which is not freeware) was not the cause of the issue?

 

EVP left my original copy of USEnglishBig.gvp in the sounds\ATC folder in addition to the new file which it created, EVPAccelerated2.gvp. This duplication of gvp files caused the problem. I have no idea why EVP did that, but it did.

[HoggyDog]

Good going! Now say hi to SABA!;)

 

You got it! I can't wait to see and hear what I say to the CTAF there... :D

 

Edit to add: I re-read how you fixed your Saba, and after trying it once to make sure mine needed fixing, which it did, I applied the same fix you did and it worked fine.

 

Kindly direct your attention to this humble collection of postcards.

 

PS: Saba doesn't even have a CTAF. I understand it's owned by/restricted to Winair, but still- when I flew the Bahamas in real life, every island, marina or hotel that had an airstrip also had a multicom freq that they monitored and answered when appropriate. Most of them were on the same frequency - 122-decimal-something-or-other. I realize this ain't the Bahamas, but I'm still baffled why they have no published CTAF frequency.

[evm]

Hi Mr. Dogg,

 

if you know the frequencies, you could always patch them into the ariport using ADE. I did this a couple of times, added tower frequencies where there were none (but I knew existed). It works pretty good for freeware and not-too-fancy payware (eg. where you can de-complie and re-compile the .bgl with the airport definition and frequencies without destroying the scenery).

 

Feel free to ask for the specifics.

[HoggyDog]

Hi Mr. Dogg,

 

if you know the frequencies, you could always patch them into the ariport using ADE.

 

Well, thanks, but at least in the case of Saba, it doesn't bother me enough to add it. And while I've got your attention, thank you SO much again for figuring out what was causing "our" issue! :D

[evm]

Hi Mr Dogg, sure, you're welcome.

 

I'm with you, that EVP should deactivate each and every .gvp file it finds, before installing its own. But I didn't test any further, there can be so many snags, like access restriction to the files, folders etc.

[HoggyDog]

Thanks nuitkati! You just saved my bacon with SABA. With a quick (notepad) edit of the SABA.EVPMOD, I was able to edit out TNCS from the airport header and insert SABA. Now my pilot voice and ATC say the word and no more phonetic spelling.

 

I made the same edit, so thanks to nuitkati for this tip too. I'm wondering: since the ICAO identifier for Saba really IS TNCS, is it possible for a mere mortal to somehow correct the erroneous SABA identifier that lives somewhere in FSX instead of "incorrecting" EVP's TNCS ID to match FSX's bogus SABA ID, demonstrating that "two wrongs DOES make a right"? :p

[evm]

I made the same edit, so thanks to nuitkati for this tip too. I'm wondering: since the ICAO identifier for Saba really IS TNCS, is it possible for a mere mortal to somehow correct the erroneous SABA identifier that lives somewhere in FSX instead of "incorrecting" EVP's TNCS ID to match FSX's bogus SABA ID, demonstrating that "two wrongs DOES make a right"? :p

 

Hi, is this SABA the default airport or an addon?

 

I'm thinking that you have to get the desired 'ident' string into the airport definition (see post #11) and make sure you use the same string in EVP.

 

Addon: find the .BGL with the airport definition, open it in ADE, set a new 'ident' string, compile it, exchange your new file in. Piece of cake methinks.

 

Stock: don't know if this is possible to do directly, those are in the stock .blg files. I would try to get around this with ADE too, open the stock airport, save it as my own addon scenery, then manipulate it (there need to be some exclusions etc to mask the stock AP).