voiceAtis 0.1.6

Reads an ATIS from IVAO using voice generation.

voiceAtis

Reads an ATIS from IVAO using voice generation.

Requirements

• Python 2.7 - 32 bit (due to pyuipc incompatibility with Python 3 and 64 bit)
• pywin32
• XPlane with XPUIPC or MFS, P3D with FSUIPC
  • P3D not tested yet
• Windows (Linux and Mac not tested yet)

Installation

• Get the latest python 2.7 (Python releases)
• Install the latest pywin32 release (pywin32 releases)
  • filename: pywin32-xxx.win32-py2.7.exe
  • Install with the installer, not using pip!
• Run pip install voiceAtis

Usage

• Start your sim and start a flight.
• Start the script "voiceAtis.py" (<Python>\Lib\site-packages\voiceAtis)
• Tune the ATIS frequency of the airport where you are parking.
  • Don't forget to activate receive mode of the radio (COM1 or COM2)
• You should hear the ATIS now, if:
  • There is an ATC station online at this airport (TWR, APP, GND or DEL)
  • The airport has an ATIS frequency at ourairports.com
• If there is an frequency, but no station only, voiceAtis will read the current METAR only.

Custom airport data

Airport data is downloaded from ourairports.com. You can see these data at airports.info file at main directory. It may happen that this data is inaccurate or an airport is missing.

In this case you can add the airport to the airports_add.info file. Airports in this file have priority over downloaded data.

You may also inform me about wrong data preferably via the Issues tab. I will then enter the data at ourairports.com to distritbute them to all users. Alternatively, after login, you may correct the data on your own.

Notice for X-Plane users

X-Plane has its own ATIS information broadcasted, often on the same (real) frequency. After tuning in the ATIS frequency you will hear the X-Plane ATIS message first and then the message provided by voiceAtis. Because X-Plane also uses the operation system text-to-speech machine like voiceAtis. The voice messages are queued and read after each other.

To avoid the broadcasting of the default ATIS, I created the script xpRemoveAtisFreq.py. All ATC frequency are stored in the file apt.dat. The script will remove all ATIS frequency from this file. After execution, the default ATIS should be permanently disabled.

Before removal of the frequency, the script will create a backup of the original file as apt.dat.bak. If you would like to hear the default ATIS again, simply delete the modified apt.dat file and restore the backup file.

Although the script is well tested and there should not occur any side-effects, the use of this script is at your own risk.

Notice for FSX users

Also FSX has its own ATIS information broadcasted on the same frequency. It uses its own voice engine thus doesn't interfer with voiceAtis. Nevertheless the spoken messages and the displayed text may be disturbing. To disable them uncheck the following options.

• Options > General > All ATC options
• Options > Sounds > Voice

Notice for P3D users

I didn't test voiceAtis with P3D as I don't own this simulator, but it should work with the appropriate version of FSUIPC. If you are a P3D user, please tell me if it worked. If it didn't work, open an issue so that I can fix it.

Also instructions to disable the standard ATIS of the simulator are highly appreciated!

Bugs and issues

• Please report bugs via the github issues tab.
  • It is usefull to attach the logfile from "root/logs".

Known limitations

• METAR
  • No trend
  • No visibility directions
  • No runway condition
• No comments of ivac 2 atis
• X-Plane: Detection of active radio not accurate
• Sometimes airports have more than 1 ATIS frequency (e.g. EDDF or LOWW, for departure and arrival)
  • You might have to try all frequencies to find the one working.

Used packages and Copyright

python-metar

Used to parse the metar contained in the ATIS.

Copyright (c) 2004-2018, Tom Pollard All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

pyttsx

Text-to-speech package for python. Used to read the parsed ATIS string.

pyttsx Copyright (c) 2009, 2013 Peter Parente

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

pyuipc - FSUIPC SDK for Python

Used to get the com frequencies, com status, aircraft coordinates from the simulator.

All Copyright - Peter Dowson and István Váradi.

ourairports.com

OurAirports is a free site where visitors can explore the world's airports, read other people's comments, and leave their own. The help pages have information to get you started.

The site is dedicated to both passengers and pilots. You can create a map of the airports you've visited and share that map with friends. You can find the closest airports to you, and discover the ones that you haven't visited yet.

Behind the fun and features, OurAirports exists primarily as a public good. When Australia forced the US government to shut down public access to its Digital Aeronautical Flight Information File (DAFIF) service in 2006, there was no longer a good source of global aviation data. OurAirports started in 2007 primarily to fill that gap: we encourage members to create and maintain data records for airports around the world, and they manage over 40,000 of them. Many web sites, smartphone apps, and other services rely on OurAirport's data, which is all in the Public Domain (no permission required).

See the Credits for a list of contributers.

Changelog

version 0.1.6 - 24.12.2018

• Fix: Using COM1 frequency
• Tested with FSX

version 0.1.5 - 21.12.2018

• Changes for improved realism
  • Changed order (metar to the end)
  • Removed "zulu" from time

version 0.1.4 - 20.12.2018

• Fix: setup.py
• Fix: paths when running from python folder
• Fix: import
• Fix: pip requirements

version 0.1.0 - 18.12.2018

• Included requirements to setup.py

version 0.0.8 - 18.12.2018

• Created my own custom logger class
• Included pyuipc.pyd in the repository
• Small fixes

version 0.0.7 - 15.12.2018

• Provided the script xpRemoveAtisFreq
• First upload to pypi
• Added pyuipc msi to files
• Fix: Bug for multiple runways for departure/arrival
• Fix: Bug reading empty line of airports_add.info

version 0.0.6 - 14.12.2018

• Implemented parsing of ATIS created with ivac 2
• Disabled warnings of python-metar

version 0.0.5 - 13.12.2018

• Runway identifier at metar converted correctly
• Additional ATIS comment parsed for ivac 1

version 0.0.4 - 12.12.2018

• Getting airport data from web now (http://ourairports.com)
  • Option to add additional data
• Reading airport name now instead of airport code in metar only mode
• Added warning message receiving ivac 2 ATIS

version 0.0.3 - 07.12.2018

• Now using metar if no ATIS available
• pyuipc tested and running
• Changed RADIO_RANGE to a (realistic) value of 180 nm
• Implemented logging

version 0.0.2 - 05.12.2018

• Implemented wind gusts and variable wind
• Port to python2 (due to pyuipc)
• Added pyuipc (untested)
• Added logic to get airport

version 0.0.1 - 03.12.2018

• First version for testing purposes
• Some Atis feartures missing
• No pyuipc
• Voice not tested

ROADMAP

• Upload to pypi
• Random start