FSDT "GSX" what it is

Tons of comments have been written on FSDreamteam forum about the futur Ground Service X utility. Let's summarize what can be really expected. This will help us to understand differences with Orbx's PeopleFlow and Oliver Pabst's AES. I also wish here to improve and update my article "battle of the tiny people".

What it is ?

Philosophy :
   - A ground service utility for user aircraft only.
   - based on an entire OOP language under FSX (for FSX only), allowing maximum flexibility.
   - and supporting any airport (including its AFCAD) and any airplane (or at least 95 % of them).

Price :
   - Free and included in addon manager for FSDT airports.
   - Stand-alone purchasable product for all others airports (under an extensive airports database).

Management :
   - On FSDT airports, it can be launched as a new option of "YouControl" menu and will replace ParkMe.
   - GSX is managed through airport Afcad, aircraft.cfg, simconnect, etc..


Compatibility :
   - Compatibility assured with AES via Intelliscene.cfg format. (hotkey can be reassigned to avoid any conflict with AES.
   - GSX cannot selectively turn out/on AES features from its side. The question of using only AES jetways with GSX on 3rd party airports is still under debate and depends on AES decision.
   - Compatibility with AI traffic airplanes ? No, due to high impact on framerate.
   - It can be used with 3rd party airplanes (an internal database includes most popular airplanes).

   - It can work with 3rd party airports.


Animated objects in general :
   - Will be able to work at any parking.
   - Different characters for a single function.
   - 4000 polygons/character on final version.
   - Cars following circuits : depend on scenery 's AFCAD.
   - Vehicules interaction with 3rd party aircrafts ; vehicules will react with their sim.cfg file accordingly.
   - Multiple instances of the same object possible but framerate limited.
   - Optimal acting time of a vehicules sequence : 3, 4 or maybe 5 minutes.
   - all kind of vehicules and characters are included : marshallers and baggage and catering loaders, refueling, catering, push-back, de-icing, follow-me cars vehicules.
   - Customization of vehicules possible, according to airport specificity is based on ICAO code.
   - Vehicules are poping-up to user aircraft gate only at start of a new flight. They drive to the gate (following Afcad paths) in case the user aircraft is taxiing to its arrival gate. 
   - Multiple liveries possible for ground vehicules.
   - Loading/deloading on two cargo doors, simultaneously, is possible.

Framerate loss ? Not on a U5/I7 core processor, even with a complex aircraft like the B-757 QW.

Why not for FS9 ? Only for technical limits : this platform doesn't support vertex-skinned animations, nor simobjects.

GSX will be completed by expansion sets like customized characters/vehicules according to typical geographical areas.

Release date : TBA.
Airdailyx guess : somewhere between fall and Chrismas 2011.

(My thanks to Umberto Colapicchioni, administrator of Virtuali, for the hundred of posts written on FSDT forum).


Versus Orbx PeopleFlow ;
   - PeopleFlow philosophy is quite different : to improve Orbx airports realistic atmosphere. 
   - PeopleFlow can only be implemented on Orbx airports.
   - PeopleFlow characters really look like GSX ones by the number of bones and polygons.
   - Both companies are working on passengers coming in /out of the stairs.
   - PeopleFlow is more about... characters and programming a library of animated characters in Orbx airports or in villages, cities...
   - PeolpleFlow characters animations loop seem to be limited to one minute.

Versus AES ;
   - GSX is offering an alternative for vehicules management around the user aircraft. GSX vehicules sequence seems to be more linear while AES gives choice on sequence order.
   - GSX is offering real animated characters, not "gliding" playmobils.
   - GSX has no jetway animation on non FSDT airports. For these airports, AES remains unavoidable.
   - GSX is triggered the same way AES does ; with engines turned off.
   - AES new version project will - no doubt - improve vehicules management and ultimately reduce the gap with GSX but not on the animated characters functionnalities.