LotAtc 2.0.0-alpha1 out!

Airport view and even more…

After several months of work, the most awaited feature is now here, the airport view !

This is a major update for both server and client and it will allow lot of new features in the future.

Airport view brings you a good view of what happens on taxiways and ground and make approach easier as you no longer need F10 view to manage airport.

Maps are updated (Caucasus and Persian Gulf) with better quality and accuracy. (WIP : others maps and layers will be updated)

Labels management is improved. You can choose how it will react when overlapping : see options/labels menu to customize it.

Dedicated install is now easier, no more Config/Options.lua to edit, check the documentation

LotAtc Advanced and Generator introduction

LotAtc Advanced

As promised, all LotAtc 1.x licenses will be compatible with LotAtc 2.x.

And now let me introduce you a new product dedicated to most advanced users : LotAtc Advanced.

Here are following new features :

Server admin commands, control DCS server from LotAtc Advanced client
Theme support
Coming in the future:
- Datalink support with DCS
- Add multiple SITAC view
- IA control via MOOSE from LotAtc Advanced client
- More server admin commands (load miz file, mission script interaction like triggers…)
- …

At this time, some LotAtc Advanced features (theme, server admin command) are available to Standard users during beta phase.

Once released, LotAtc Standard and Advanced will keep the same install/executable files and Advanced features access will be enabled by the license.

LotAtc Standard and Advanced versions will always be compatible each other and will run with same LotAtc server without any restrictions. The goal is not to split LotAtc community but to offer advanced features. The development cost of these new features will be supported by advanced license price whereas standard ones will remain the same.

LotAtc Generator

LotAtc Generator is a server/generator to use LotAtc client/server without DCS, perfect for learning purposes, make your scenarios, save them in Tacview file for better debriefing, use full datalink support simulation… (it will be available with 2.0.0 final)

Using LotAtc Advanced you can create/edit/remove any contact in all coalitions.

Make a scenario simulating a BVR engagement between red and blue for controller students, then add dynamically whenever you want a liner that will travel so that learners must adapt!

LotAtc Generator can accept LotAtc Standard and Advanced versions without any DCS. It is perfectly adapted to learn GCI without the need of human pilots.

Price and availability

LotAtc Advanced is partially available: some features (theme and server admin) can be tested for free in standard version during beta phase

Generator is under development but functional, tracks can be edited with LotAtc Advanced (speed, altitude, heading…).

Price and full availability will be communicated in next weeks.

Existing licenses could be promoted to Advanced licenses.

Back on LotAtc 2.0.0-alpha1

I have updated network protocol communication on this version, it is not compatible with 1.x client/server.

This is an alpha version, meaning that :

It should be considered as unstable
There are bugs/regressions (let me know if you find them!)
Everything is WIP, not yet finished and could change in next versions, depending of your feedbacks
I need to finalize airport view (Iran on PG, Nevada…)

Thanks to all for your support and your help, special mention goes to Looney of 132nd for your symbols!

Next weeks will be focused on stabilizing this version. Efforts will also be put on:

Update website/documentation
Develop new features: generator, datalink…
Mac version for client (linux?)

Good to know

You can install over a 1.x install
Settings are no more in register and migrate on %appdata% directory, so 1.x settings will be ignored
For Persian Gulf, you will need to check visual maps download to get updated map and airports in installer

Download:

Click to see the changelog for LotAtc 2.0.0-alpha1...

Client

Add airport view, you can see aircraft on taxiways now (“airport view” button on airport properties dock)

Display aircrafts with top view symbol on airport even if not moved
Complete modelisation of airport with parking, taxiways labelised, currently status:
- Caucasus is fully available
- PG is WIP (Iran airports missing, no taxing names yet)
- Nevada will come in later version

[Advanced] Add theme support: you can load/save theme and switch themes easily
Theme contains:

maps colors
layers colors/opacity
Symbology

[Advanced] Add server admin commands
If enable in config.lua you will be able to pause/unpause/stop the mission directly from LotAtc client

Add opacity slider for filtered objects
All settings are now saved in %appdata% directory (Users directory), no more in register
User can export/import settings
Add toggle mode for measure line, first click will start measure, then just move the mouse to get a BRA, click again to hide it
Add SRS support (need to be activated in settings file, I will communicate on that once SRS will be updated)

Dock management update

Single click to open/close dock
Ctrl+click to maximize/restore
Shift+click to maximize/minimize

Label management update

Label overlap can be customized (nothing, hide on overlap, increase distanse, increase angle…)
Label still be rotated manually by shift+clmick or shift+ctrl+click

Optimisation in map loading
Show server pause status
Dark theme is now the default one
Approach is now available in airport view
Lots of cosmetics

Layers setting (color/opacity) badly saved/load sometimes
Fix some crash with maps loading
Fix winds display in weather
Fix table display that not follow font size
Better HiDpi display (4K)
Fix UniversRadio ID on airports
Lots of fixes…

Server

Rework of radar modelization

2 modes:
- Global: all available radars make the total radar coverage as in LotAtc 1.X
- Monoradar (WIP): Each controller will have to choose the radar to use, it will get only contacts from this one (later coverage will be completed by datalink simulation)
Add RCS simulation: all items (planes, heliccopters, missiles…) will be computed and displayed if radar can see it using their RCS resolutaion and item own RCS
Add Radar resolution : if enabled, radar will not see items near each other, only one track could be made ( for example 3 aircrafts separated by 20m will be seen as only one contact)
Add spot/track management : radar will first see a spot with no data, then after a while (for example 6s, could be csutomized) if the spot is always there, a track will be made on it (and have data as speed, hedaing, symbol…)

All theses options can be enable/disable in profile lua file (see profile/custom.lua for more help).

Better support for dedicated server

Enable dedicated_mode in config lua
No more need to edit Config/Options.lua
Put your licenses in Saved Games//LotAtc Data/Licenses/ In config.lua, enable dedicated_mode, no more need to edit Config/options.lua, just install LotAtc mods now in dedicated saved games directory

Add more control to controllers login
Server admins can now:

Blacklist/Whitelist Ips (there is still some troubles with IP6 support)
Add specific username/password that will be authorized to connect with LotAtc
Enable/disable old login way by standard passwords (blue/red one)

Fixes enemy type not correctly reset in realistic mode
When no controllers are connected, footprint of LotAtc server (CPU/RAM) have been reduced
Update internal librairies
Lots of fixes…

Common

Add compression on network exchange
Callsign support
User directory has been renamed from C:\Users\you\LotAtc 4 DCS Data\ C:\Users\you\LotAtc Data</span>
Fix latence on network transmission

Server

It is a beta version, consider it as UNSTABLE If you want something stable, use the stable version

Server LotAtc4DCS - 2.0.0-alpha1 (EXE)

Server LotAtc4DCS - 2.0.0-alpha1 (OvGME/JSGME)

You will need to install the following files for OvGME/JSGME Mod version (no need with the exe) and unzip it in your {Users}\LotAtc Data\ directory. (ex: C:\Users\DArt\LotAtc Data\relief.db)
- Caucasus (last update: 26 May 2018)
- Falklands (last update: 08 Jul 2022)
- Marianaislands (last update: 15 Jun 2021)
- Nevada (last update: 26 May 2018)
- Normandy (last update: 26 May 2018)
- Persiangulf (last update: 03 Apr 2020)
- Sinaimap (last update: 28 Jun 2023)
- Syria (last update: 23 Feb 2022)
- Thechannel (last update: 10 Aug 2020)
- World (last update: 17 Jun 2021)
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS IN README inside the package