[NO BUG] No AP : indicator?

[Snacko]

I have noticed this for months, but this is the first time I am posting about it..

 

Sometimes (often it seems), when I select the autopilot, and click on an option (usually BALT or RALT) I don't see the : symbol in front of the selected option. There is no way to tell which option is enabled. However, the Altitude is being held for me. When I move my stick a little, I can only turn left or right. Up and down is locked it, as it should be.

 

Is this a bug? Why doesn't the : indicator appear?

 

 

Also, when you turn AP, IFF, TCN.. On/Off. Are you supposed to 'HOLD' the On/Off button for a few seconds? Or just press it like a normal button? (I think I read somewhere that you should hold it.) But often pressing or holding it does not show the 'ON' text, or does not clear the display when I press Off.

 

The Manual just says this about the On/Off button:

ON/OFF Pushbuttons. Activates or deactivates selected function

[MegOhm_SD]

Heck... I always see it. When you select A/P on the UFC and select a mode like BALT you get an indicator like a colon (:BALT ) which indicates it is selected. There is no separate annunciator light to tell you that you have an A/P mode engaged.

 

On/Off Button for Tacan, ILS works on one press most of the time. Sometimes I do have to click it a couple of times but I wrote that off as my fault. Lately, I make sure I am squarely “on” the button when I press it and it works first click.

 

If I see a glitch like this I usually write it off to something to do with the fact I am in MP. I see a-lot of little things that are funky in MP.

Edited July 24, 2019 by MegOhm_SD

[Snacko]

Hmmm. OK. Guess I'll try removing all my mods and adjust the ufc brightness.

 

Sent from my Moto Z Play using Tapatalk

[Tom Kazansky]

Hmmm. OK. Guess I'll try removing all my mods and adjust the ufc brightness.

 

Sent from my Moto Z Play using Tapatalk

 

 

wouldn't it be easier to attach a trak file first?

 

 

my : shows only if I turn it on within the AP limits. The AP turns on anyway in a special mode. Even if : are not shown.

 

 

a track file would be of help I bet.

[Snacko]

I should eliminate all mods for a pure test first. If it still happens I'll make a track.

 

But what is the 'Special' AP mode you are talking about?

 

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[Sedlo]

FWIW, I'm getting the same.. No : next to BALT, but the plane seems to hold altittude. I move the stick just a bit and then the : will often appear.

[Chops]

FWIW, I'm getting the same.. No : next to BALT, but the plane seems to hold altittude. I move the stick just a bit and then the : will often appear.

 

 

 

 

I am having the same issue as well. Also, when BALT finally shows the [:], the aircraft does not seem to hold altitude for long, and will start a slow descent. I have noticed similar issues with ATT hold.

 

 

Overall the autopilot functionality seems very buggy.

[Tom Kazansky]

the baro alt : and the real baro alt mode of AP starts only if you engage it around level flight.

 

 

If you engage it climbing or diving too much then a certain AP mode gets turned ON. which is not the hold mode you wanted. (btw: it is great for air refueling, but thats another story.)

 

 

you can disengage this special mode by disengaing the autopilot.

 

 

I reccomend testing: fly straight and level and turn AP on by selecting baro alt. your : shoud turn on.

 

 

right?

 

 

@Sedlo: you move the plane towards level flight and the : appears. That's how it works in this special mode (don't know what it is called IRL).

Edited July 25, 2019 by Tom Kazansky

[chinpok]

I can confirm this bug is there for like 3+ month now, before that AP worked perfectly.

So indication and slow descent, rarely it works and holds altitude but 90% time it isn't. And I firmly remember it worked perfectly earlier - you pressed it and it was holding the alt ofc within reasonable limits not 80deg climbing.

[Tom Kazansky]

now I'm interested in a track file, too!

 

 

(OB or stable?)

[chinpok]

OB, no one plays on "stable".

[Snacko]

OB Tracks.

Tracks.rar

[Tom Kazansky]

thanks for the tracks!

 

 

I took a look and first I found it strange, too. caus it was not like it should be and flying at my machine was different (means it worked correctly).

 

 

but then I was able to totaly reproduce your flight by myself with every behaviour of both of your tracks.

 

 

what I did is simple: it was enough to get the stick verticaly deflected just a bit, so the diamond in the red axis indicator was just a little bit out of center. exactly the amount yours was in the tracks. and tataaa... ":" went off and ":" did not go on while descending -250 ft/min and did not turn on while moving stick vertically just out of the small center diamond.

 

 

I don't know if this little stick deflection has been enough in earlier versions of DCS. But now it seems to be that way.

 

 

Just to test if this makes sense: put in a vertical deadzone to your Y-axis. Just for the test and it should work. If so, your stick is not centered enough without deadzone.

[Snacko]

It should have nothing to do with my stick.

 

The aircraft obviously goes into BALT and RALT. AP is working. When it is enabled, the : should be on. They are 'linked'.

 

I'll wait for some official response from ED.

 

Thanks.

[BIGNEWY]

Hi Snacko

 

are you using any unofficial modifications or tweaks?

 

If so can you ensure you have done a cleanup and repair.

[chinpok]

No addons here, and I don't see how any addon could produce this behavior.

[Tom Kazansky]

It should have nothing to do with my stick.

 

The aircraft obviously goes into BALT and RALT. AP is working. When it is enabled, the : should be on. They are 'linked'.

 

I'll wait for some official response from ED.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Ok

[Snacko]

Hi Snacko

 

are you using any unofficial modifications or tweaks?

 

If so can you ensure you have done a cleanup and repair.

Oops, yea, .. I forgot to remove my mods in the previous tracks.

 

Attached is a track after I removed all of my mods, repaired, and cleaned. I even used a clean Saved Games OB folder.

 

This is the Instant Action/Free Flight Mission for the FA18c.

 

It is still happening..

FA18 AP No Colon - No Mods, Repaired, Cleaned, New SavedGames folder too.trk

[cofcorpse]

It is still happening..

 

Hello Snacko!

 

To ensure I have correct track replay, can I specify some things?

1. Did you have different position of two throttles?

2. Did you turn BALT on around the 29th second? And did you not see : at this moment?

3. And then, around the 42 second did you pull stick a little? And : appeared at this moment?

Edited July 25, 2019 by cofcorpse

[Snacko]

Hello Snacko!

 

To ensure I have correct track replay, can I specify some things?

1. Did you have different position of two throttles?

No, both throttles were the same. I am very sure. But I see on the Control Indicator what you mean. The game probably sees them as different. It's an x55 Throttle and sometimes I have to move them when I first start in the pit so that the game sees their correct position.

 

2. Did you turn BALT on around the 29th second? And did you not see : at this moment?

Yes, I turned BAlt on at about the 29th second. And Yes, I did see the : at that moment.

 

3. And then, around the 42 second did you pull stick a little? And : appeared at this moment?

Yes, I pulled the stick. No, the : was already visible, but it disappeared at this point.

 

I had to watch the track over again to get your answers.

[cofcorpse]

I had to watch the track over again to get your answers.

 

Great, thank you! I have the same results. Could specify when did you encounter the problem? At what second, I mean

[Snacko]

Great, thank you! I have the same results. Could specify when did you encounter the problem? At what second, I mean

I'm not at my pc now. But normally if I spawn in and just fly straight and turn on BALT I will get the :.

 

It seem like I can get this problem to happen if I first turn the plane and level out first. Then turn on BALT.

 

Do you want me to watch the track again to see when it first happens? Or maybe I could start a few new flights and document when it starts? .. Or if I can see a consistent sequence of events that lead up to it.

 

But this seemed like such a random occurance over the past several months that it was just an annoyance. So I never paid much attention to the cause.

 

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[Chops]

Here is a track showing some of the autopilot issues. This flight is on the Persian Gulf map. I am using the Open Beta, latest patch.

F-18 Autopilot Issues.trk

[Tom Kazansky]

would you mind considering, just to prove that I'm wrong, to test a vertical (Y-axis) deadzone, just for 1 minute?

[Snacko]

would you mind considering, just to prove that I'm wrong, to test a vertical (Y-axis) deadzone, just for 1 minute?

 

I did set a 10 Deadzone on the Y/Pitch Axis. Flew it with this Deadzone and again without. No difference.

 

Great, thank you! I have the same results. Could specify when did you encounter the problem? At what second, I mean

 

Attached is a flight, flying straight ahead. It appears that when I move the stick there is a certain smaller point of movement which removes the colon from the BALT setting. And a larger level of movement which removes/Disables the BALT AP. I would expect them to be linked together.. When AP is disabled, the : is removed. But this is not the case.

FA18c AP Colon BAL Fly Straight.trk