Hi all,
I'm developing open source software that allows a totally blind person to use Prepar3d by means of a screen reader and various other audio feedback.
If anyone is interested, the project can be found at:
http://www.github.com/jfayre/voice-flight-following.
One issue we are having is the inability to access the built-in GPS systems in the aircraft. The autopilot system most of us use is called FSTramp. Although it does allow us to do a lot, it won't allow us to go direct to a waypoint when flying a sid or star. This is especially important when flying on Vatsim.
So, my questions are as follows:
1. Is there any way of exposing the text and data on the built-in gps panel to external applications so I can read it with text-to-speech? Any simvars?
2. Is there any way of injecting data into the built-in gps to allow things like direct to waypoints?
I know I can assign keys to the gps buttons, but that doesn't help if we can't read it. My software already reads info about the next waypoint in the route.
3. The software I'm writing is in Python and this is my first major coding project. I'm currently using FSUIPC. Does anyone know of a python interface to simconnect.
I know this is an unusual project, but any help would be apreciated
accessing gps data externally for accessibility add-on
Re: accessing gps data externally for accessibility add-on
Hi,
1. Don't think so. All there is are the "GPS..." simulator variables that you find in the learning center.
2. No, all the variables are read only. But you could try and inject a new flight plan, built on the fly from the data at hand?
3. I guess that you would have to write your own wrapper in C++ or C#, maybe using something like IronPython. Only those two languages have a simconnect library in the SDK. Or switch to C# entirely, which makes accessing all those assistance features built into Windows very easy too.
Maybe there is a 3rd party GPS implementation that has an API? Possibly even a freeware one? Or maybe the developer would be willing to help you out? Some aircraft have APIs for the FMS, maybe that would be an alternative? You could ask the developer of that web-based "Remote CDU" suite about actual implementation.
Best regards
Oliver Binder
Lorby-SI
1. Don't think so. All there is are the "GPS..." simulator variables that you find in the learning center.
2. No, all the variables are read only. But you could try and inject a new flight plan, built on the fly from the data at hand?
3. I guess that you would have to write your own wrapper in C++ or C#, maybe using something like IronPython. Only those two languages have a simconnect library in the SDK. Or switch to C# entirely, which makes accessing all those assistance features built into Windows very easy too.
Maybe there is a 3rd party GPS implementation that has an API? Possibly even a freeware one? Or maybe the developer would be willing to help you out? Some aircraft have APIs for the FMS, maybe that would be an alternative? You could ask the developer of that web-based "Remote CDU" suite about actual implementation.
Best regards
Oliver Binder
Lorby-SI
