aivlasoft Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Steve, I think that v2.x will support SE. Have not yet had time to deal with it ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tully Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Interface to the simulators will be FSUIPC (no longer SimConnect) YEA!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayProudfoot Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 The first post on this thread announcing v2 progress was 18 months ago. Whilst I dislike hassling Urs about progress it is frustrating to be told a new version is in the pipeline but with no indication of how close to completion it is. I'm perfectly happy with the existing version with one exception - disappearance of Ai during the course of a flight. If it wasn't for this problem I really wouldn't be that concerned about a new release as the current one gives me all I need. Is there no way this Ai disappearance problem can be rectified? It's a SimConnect 'bug' apparently but I have also been told by a knowledgeable person that it isn't. Some progress news would be appreciated please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aivlasoft Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 Hi Ray, it is frustrating to be told a new version is in the pipeline but with no indication of how close to completion it is. EFB v2 is a complete rewrite with many new features, a completely new architecture and a new user interface. That means that most of the tasks have never been done before and therefore I don't have any experience on how long a certain task might take. I often experienced that I thought "only a few weeks still, and we can start with the beta tests" when I had to realize that there were parts in the fundamental structure which had to be adjusted according to the latest knowledge, before I could go further. Such things took a lot of time, and the most time of all took the new user interface. There were countless versions of user interfaces with which I wasn't satisfied and I had to go "back to square one". Apart from all that technical stuff, there were some things in private life, which delayed the project additionally. When developing such a project (where you don't have a real existing thing to "just make a copy of"), a lot of the entire way is "trial and error". So many ideas you can only verify whether they are feasible or not when they are programmed and running and you can play around with them. That means that I had to program many prototypes and in the end so many ideas turned out to be not realizable or just not useful, or - technically not realizable. With all that in mind I have never told about a release date and all what I can do now is to say "please be patient". I'm currently working on the implementation of the depiction of the procedures while many other parts are finished and running. Thanks for understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WebMaximus Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Many thanks for sharing this with us Urs and take all the time you need. Meanwhile the current version is running just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayProudfoot Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Hi Ray, EFB v2 is a complete rewrite with many new features, a completely new architecture and a new user interface. That means that most of the tasks have never been done before and therefore I don't have any experience on how long a certain task might take. Hi Urs, Thanks for that comprehensive reply. But I'm surprised you feel a complete rewrite is necessary. Are you really that dissatisfied with v1? The only problem I have with it is that of disappearing Ai. In all other respects it's superb. I'm sure if you were to do a survey from customers you'd get an overwhelming vote of confidence for the current version. And can you be certain that v2 will be as popular as v1 especially when people are being asked to pay again for a product which many believe to be excellent. I'm struggling to understand what could be improved with a complete rewrite. I often experienced that I thought "only a few weeks still, and we can start with the beta tests" when I had to realize that there were parts in the fundamental structure which had to be adjusted according to the latest knowledge, before I could go further. Such things took a lot of time, and the most time of all took the new user interface. There were countless versions of user interfaces with which I wasn't satisfied and I had to go "back to square one". Apart from all that technical stuff, there were some things in private life, which delayed the project additionally. When developing such a project (where you don't have a real existing thing to "just make a copy of"), a lot of the entire way is "trial and error". So many ideas you can only verify whether they are feasible or not when they are programmed and running and you can play around with them. That means that I had to program many prototypes and in the end so many ideas turned out to be not realizable or just not useful, or - technically not realizable. It does sound as though you are a perfectionist and whilst that is admirable it can also lead to a great deal of work and stress trying to find that perfect solution. With all that in mind I have never told about a release date and all what I can do now is to say "please be patient". I'm currently working on the implementation of the depiction of the procedures while many other parts are finished and running. Thanks for understanding. I have been patient and will continue to be so. I sometimes wonder if it would be best not to mention a new version until it's ready for beta-testing. That way you don't invite repeated requests for news and would be under no external pressure to deliver. I wish you well in completing the code. I've said what I wanted to say so will not make any further requests for news. Well, maybe in 12 months if nothing is forthcoming. I hope the finished product is everything you wish for and it is as successful as v1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NedHamilton Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 ... It does sound as though you are a perfectionist and whilst that is admirable it can also lead to a great deal of work and stress trying to find that perfect solution. I want a perfectionist writing my EFB software. Too many companies "push" their products out when they are not ready. Perhaps one of the reasons that version 1 is so excellent is because of perfectionists! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aivlasoft Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 @Ray, But I'm surprised you feel a complete rewrite is necessary. Are you really that dissatisfied with v1? No, I'm not dissatisfied, it's because of technical restrictions. When I started to program EFB somewhere around 2006 I decided to go with "SimConnect" and only for FSX (better: only for one certain simulator). Some years later when EFB was released and I saw that the product is really worth to maintain and do some further development, I had to realize that further development (e.g. connect to other simulators) would be very hard on the current code basis and therefore I decided to go the hard way and start from scratch again. This is the reason why v2 is a complete rewrite. But now it is much more flexible for further development, and - not to forget - it does no longer rely on SimConnect instead of FSUIPC (which itself required the rewrite almost). Another thing which I wanted to improve is the user interface. Although the current interface is straight forward and easy, there are some dialogs (e.g. selecting the procedures) which sometimes require too much "clicks" until you get what you want to see. Third thing is - as usual in a programmers life - in all these years I have learned a lot in programming and also the .NET framework meanwhile allows very elegant code, so this was another reason to start the rewrite. It does sound as though you are a perfectionist and whilst that is admirable it can also lead to a great deal of work and stress trying to find that perfect solution.You're absolutely right. To be a perfectionist sometimes can be helpful, but sometimes it's also very time consuming. I know about that problem, and I'm working on it . The difficulty is to decide when is the right time to be a perfectionist and when it is better to be a bit more careless. It's not easy ... I sometimes wonder if it would be best not to mention a new version until it's ready for beta-testing.I have learned my lesson for version 3 ... @Ned, Thank you for your good words on EFB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayProudfoot Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 @Ray, No, I'm not dissatisfied, it's because of technical restrictions. When I started to program EFB somewhere around 2006 I decided to go with "SimConnect" and only for FSX (better: only for one certain simulator). Some years later when EFB was released and I saw that the product is really worth to maintain and do some further development, I had to realize that further development (e.g. connect to other simulators) would be very hard on the current code basis and therefore I decided to go the hard way and start from scratch again. This is the reason why v2 is a complete rewrite. Makes perfect sense. Back then we didn't have P3D or FSX:SE. And problems have surfaced with SimConnect which were perhaps not obvious back then. But now it is much more flexible for further development, and - not to forget - it does no longer rely on SimConnect instead of FSUIPC (which itself required the rewrite almost). Another thing which I wanted to improve is the user interface. Although the current interface is straight forward and easy, there are some dialogs (e.g. selecting the procedures) which sometimes require too much "clicks" until you get what you want to see. The only one that springs to mind for me is having to select the landing runway twice - once on Arrival and again on Approach. A couple less clicks for METAR would also be welcome. Other than those I'm struggling to think of any multiple click options. Third thing is - as usual in a programmers life - in all these years I have learned a lot in programming and also the .NET framework meanwhile allows very elegant code, so this was another reason to start the rewrite. How true! As a former programmer myself I often looked at old code and wondered why I wrote it that way! You're absolutely right. To be a perfectionist sometimes can be helpful, but sometimes it's also very time consuming. I know about that problem, and I'm working on it . The difficulty is to decide when is the right time to be a perfectionist and when it is better to be a bit more careless. It's not easy ... I wish you well with v2 work. You can't change the way you are and are clearly a talented programmer. I will now leave you alone as promised and hope v2 is available by the autumn. For now, flying is in conflict with outdoor activities now the nice weather has arrived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG_Flyer Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Hi Ray, I am lucky enough to have an Alpha build of EFB 2 on my system, so without going into lots of details, let me make a few comments. Back then we didn't have P3D or FSX:SE. And problems have surfaced with SimConnect which were perhaps not obvious back then. But we did have FS9 - which EFB 2 will support. I am considering getting a copy of FS9 and installing it on a laptop just for testing purposes. The only one that springs to mind for me is having to select the landing runway twice - once on Arrival and again on Approach. A couple less clicks for METAR would also be welcome. Other than those I'm struggling to think of any multiple click options. You will like EFB 2 then. In fact a lot of things have been automated! EFB 2 does depend a little more on aircraft profiles, especially for some automated functions. Yet another aircraft data format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayProudfoot Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Hi Travis, Firstly, nice to see the forum back. One job Urs didn't really need. Regarding EFB2 it's good to hear an alpha build is working for you. I won't ask too many questions but as long as I can continue to fly FS Labs Concorde-X with EFB without a lot of extra setting up I will be happy. As I said most I'm very happy with most of v1 except the problem of Ai disappearing but the switch to FSUIPC should fix that. And making it available to FS9 users will make you extra money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonRondstadd Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Hi all, this is a rough overview of the current status of development for version 2.0: - Supports FSX, FS9, P3D - Interface to the simulators will be FSUIPC (no longer SimConnect) - DataProvider (new name DataServer) is 98% finished - DisplayUnit is 60 - 70% finished - Beta tests has not yet started - Still a lot of features to program and even more to test - Entire documentation must be written - Installer must be programmed - Tutorial must be written, videos must be produced From the today's point of view I doubt whether it will be released this year Hello, More than 1,5 years later! Can you share some info about the status now? Will it be released this year? Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aivlasoft Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Robert, it's just "a bit" more work than I anticipated. Still no prediction about the release date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ose159 Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Hi Urs, i appreciate the work you are doing and, if needed, i am available for documets translation (free of charge) in italian language if that can help you. Ciao Claudio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aivlasoft Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Hi Claudio, thanks a lot for your offer. Of course it would be helpful for all our Italian customers. I will get back to you as soon as the English manual is written. Can you send me your private email address to "support@aivlasoft.com"? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorne90 Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Hi. Everything sounds great about EFB v2.0. I can help you with translation to swedish if you like Kind regards, Bjorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aivlasoft Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 Hi Bjorn, thank you for your kind offer! Like mentioned in the above post, please write an email to 'support@aivlasoft.com' so I have your personal email address and I will get back to you as soon as the English manual is written. @all ... anybody here who would like to translate the manual into French? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timonier Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 Hello Urs, I'll send you an e-mail at the above address you've mentionned. Best Regards Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas618 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Hello! I know it's very bad etiquette, but nonetheless; can you guys say ANYTHING at all about the eta of v2? This year maybe? I'm soooo looking forward to fsuipc support as simconnect really is a pain! Sorry for asking, but I couldn't resist. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aivlasoft Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Hi Martin, I fully understand all of you who want to know the release date. I really want to know it too ... Seriously, we have started the alpha tests some months ago and some features must now be reworked due to the experience of the testers. All in all we are on a good way, but I cannot say when it is finished yet. Thanks for understanding and being patient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas618 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Hi Martin, I fully understand all of you who want to know the release date. I really want to know it too ... Seriously, we have started the alpha tests some months ago and some features must now be reworked due to the experience of the testers. All in all we are on a good way, but I cannot say when it is finished yet. Thanks for understanding and being patient. Thx for answering (without really answering) but I fully understand and I will patiently wait for release! Happy summer to all! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveebee Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Hi, I have only had this program for 3-4 days and am still very much in the learning phase. I am amazed by the breadth of this progam ,like a proverbial iceberg, a lot there that you don't see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsfixit Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Any update on V 2.0? I'm sure that you're loosing many sales as people are waiting, not wanting to pay twice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG_Flyer Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Work on version 2 has come to a halt as Urs has been working to support current customers of version 1 who have moved to Windows 10 and/or FSX-Steam Edition. Once there is a "good for everyone" build of 1.6.xx, Urs will take the lessons that have been learned and adapt them to version 2. So in a sense there is "work" being done for version 2... in a learning capacity. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsfixit Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Thanks for the prompt response. Hopefully there will be good discount by AivlaSoft for existing users, especially those that purchased within the last few months? This would allay many potential purchasers "fears". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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