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Installation

Prerequisites​

Before installing the CPDLC Plugin, ensure you have the following:

  • vatSys (version 1.4.20 or later)
  • .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later

Installing from GitHub​

  1. Download the latest release from GitHub.
  2. Extract the CPDLCPlugin.zip file into your vatSys plugins directory (Documents\vatSys Files\Profiles\<Profile Name>\Plugins\CPDLCPlugin).
  3. Run the unblock-dlls.bat helper script (included in the CPDLCPlugin.zip file) to unblock all the .dll files.

Verifying Installation​

  1. Open vatSys.
  2. If you see the CPDLC menu item in the vatSys menu bar, the installation was successful.
tip

If you do not see the CPDLC menu item after restarting vatSys, refer to the Troubleshooting section below.

Configuring Labels and Strips​

The plugin provides custom label and strip items. You can place these items anywhere in your profile's Labels.xml and Strips.xml files.

See Labels.xml.diff and Strips.xml.diff for examples.

Available Label Items​

  • CPDLCPLUGIN_CPDLCSTATUS: CPDLC connection status symbol (., -, +)
  • CPDLCPLUGIN_CPDLCSTATUS_BG: Background for CPDLC status (highlights when downlink awaiting response)
  • CPDLCPLUGIN_TEXTSTATUS: Voice capability indicator (blank, R, T, V)
  • CPDLCPLUGIN_TEXTSTATUS_BG: Background for voice capability (highlights when text message received)
note

vatSys requires separate items for foreground content and background color. The _BG items control background highlighting based on message state.

Replacing Default Items​

Highly recommended: Replace the default LABEL_ITEM_CPDLC and CPDLCStatus items with the plugin's items to avoid confusion.

vatSys uses the Eurocat CPDLC symbols (., -, +) for voice capabilities on VATSIM. The plugin repurposes these symbols for their intended CPDLC function, and provides CPDLCPLUGIN_TEXTSTATUS as a replacement voice capability indicator.

Labels.xml: Replace LABEL_ITEM_CPDLC with:

<!-- CPDLC Plugin: CPDLC Status -->
<Item Type="CPDLCPLUGIN_CPDLCSTATUS" />
<Item Type="CPDLCPLUGIN_CPDLCSTATUS_BG" BackgroundColour="Custom" />

<!-- CPDLC Plugin: Text Status -->
<Item Type="CPDLCPLUGIN_TEXTSTATUS" />
<Item Type="CPDLCPLUGIN_TEXTSTATUS_BG" BackgroundColour="Custom" />

Strips.xml: Replace CPDLCStatus with:

<!-- CPDLC Plugin: CPDLC Status -->
<StripItem Type="CPDLCPLUGIN_CPDLCSTATUS" MinLength="1" />

<!-- CPDLC Plugin: Text Status -->
<StripItem Type="CPDLCPLUGIN_TEXTSTATUS" />

Troubleshooting​

CPDLC menu item not appearing​

If the CPDLC menu item does not appear, it's likely that the .dll files for the plugin have been blocked by Windows. This is a security feature in Windows that blocks files downloaded from the internet to protect your computer from potentially harmful software.

  1. Locate the unblock-dlls.bat file (included in the CPDLCPlugin.zip file).
  2. Ensure the file is located in the same folder as the .dll files, or in one of the folders above it.
  3. Run the script by double-clicking it. You will be shown a list of all the .dll files the script will unblock. Press Y to continue, or N to exit.
  4. Restart vatSys once the script has completed.

This script will search for any .dll files in the current folder or sub-folders and ensure they are unblocked.

DPI Awareness​

If you are using a high-resolution display (4K monitor, high-DPI laptop screen, etc.) and experience graphical issues after launching vatSys, you may need to run the dpiawarefix.bat script.

  1. Locate the dpiawarefix.bat file (included in the CPDLCPlugin.zip file).
  2. Run the script by double-clicking it.
  3. Restart vatSys.

This script adjusts Windows DPI settings for vatSys, making it compatible with high-resolution displays.