Recommended devices

Help with Air Manager Android version

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dustine79
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Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 11:25 am

Re: Recommended devices

#21 Post by dustine79 »

jph wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:56 am Nice choice on the tablets ;)

Just need to get rid of the '3d cockpit' now (easy in X-Plane as you can just edit the airfile in planemaker - remove all the crap and then use trackir etc....) - imho much better when you have a fixed cockpit. - FS2020 ? - again, I know Jack about it - never tried it probably never will for the next 5 years lol :D -but personally I hate flying with an 'external' cockpit and a '3d' sim cockpit view overlay.. it ruins the ambience.

VERY nice job though -really neat.
As the device version has been upgraded time by time, I think the Air Manager version has also been updated.
So which Android version does Air Manager need to run on Android at the moment?

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jph
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Re: Recommended devices

#22 Post by jph »

Air manager does not run on an android device, it is Air Player - I believe it is officially from V4.0 but the minimum would be 4.42 really due to the lack of autohide the nav bar on devices without off screen buttons.
Even then, probably as late a version as you can get is the best policy, although if 4.42 and up is available then great.

@Ralph - I am confused - (Nothing unusual there ;) :) ) but I find limited (none) info on the main SI site ?
On the playstore it is still listed as 'air manager' not 'air player'
It also says -
"Air Manager let’s you create custom flight simulator instrument panels on your Android tablet, and is compatible with the three most popular flight simulators."

Which afaik is blatantly incorrect // - am I missing something here apart from brain cells ?

Is it not 'air player' and certainly NOT capable of letting you "create custom flight simulator instrument panels on your Android tablet" - - in fact it doesn't allow the user to 'create' anything at all by itself. it can only use ready made and pre approved instruments from the store, unless something has changed dramatically ?. You cannot simply make an instrument and use it on your tablet. I understand the instrument needs to be submitted to SI for approval first. Even then, if a user wanted to 'create' ANY instrument for it he would also need Air Manager on the PC... and then go through the process of pre-approval and store publishing.

I think it definitely needs re-writing on the playstore.
Joe. CISSP, MSc.

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Crunchmeister
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Re: Recommended devices

#23 Post by Crunchmeister »

You can use pretty much any tablet with a utility like SpaceDesk and use your tablet as a wireless monitor for you main PC. You can then just directly open Air Manager panels from your main PC on that tablet as if it was another normal monitor.

Personally, I have 2 15.6" touch monitors hard wired to my setup. And I have 2 tablets using Spacedesk - an ancient Lenovo Tab 4 and a 5th gen iPad. Works like a charm.
- Ryzen 5950x, 64GB 3600MHz RAM, RTX3070Ti

Simstrumentation Instrument dev
Free Air Manager instruments for MSFS available at http://www.simstrumentation.com

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jph
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Re: Recommended devices

#24 Post by jph »

In the case of android and spacedesk, the problem still applies with versions of android prior to KitKat. The issue is within KitKat itself.
The navigation bar will open as soon as the screen is touched - deliberately or accidently - and will not 'self hide' . Any version of Android prior to KitKat is not worth bothering with really - unless you have something that you are guaranteed not to touch or definitely does not need the touch function ;)

Out of interest, if you are running spacedesk I presume you are not running it on the main flightsim PC due to the terrible performance (unless they have fixed it in the last 18 months...?)
Mind you, I would always use a different PC for utilities anyway.
Are you still getting multi unit functionality with the latest beta ? - meaning multiple tablets from a single host ?
I know there are plans to drop this in the later non paid versions - if they are ever released........ :roll: as this has been moving to 'payware' since 2014. It is a great program within it's own limitations. I will have a look at the latest version and see what, if anything, has changed.
Joe. CISSP, MSc.

kol909
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:35 am

Re: Recommended devices

#25 Post by kol909 »

jph wrote: Sun Sep 20, 2020 11:40 am If you want to use a touch screen, then, afaik, (please correct me if I am wrong :shock: ) anything before android ver 4.4 will result in the most annoying ' nav bar' popping up on the screen that you cannot get rid of. This is not a limitation in AM, it is an Android SDK issue.
Beware of that even if the program supports the version of android. I would look for versions ABOVE 4.4 !.
Tablets, although rare, that had off screen #nav# bar buttons do not suffer from this issue. - and example of a bad choice would be an otherwise superb lenovo S6000 deviceGBWhatsApp. Unusable if you want touch screen.

https://developer.android.com/training/ ... navigation

Of course, I am only speaking from my experience - others may know more ........................................ if you NEVER plan to use touch screen - ? and with android, I would expect most want to use it - then the world is your crab. (or was it oyster ?) ... seriously, beware of the <4.41 issue with nav bar and touch. it makes it, inho, unusable. (IF you ever touch the screen)
Its good one. But with the android you will feel best touch experience in lower budget. Otherwise you can go with galaxy Tab.

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jph
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Re: Recommended devices

#26 Post by jph »

I dont fully understand your post and to what you refer? but regarding a Samsung Galaxy it depends on WHICH galaxy tab !. some run android version before Kitkat. such as the original Tab 10.1 These are no good. The later ones - and all other android devices after Kitkat - (preferably after V6 !) are fine.
Joe. CISSP, MSc.

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Corjan
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Re: Recommended devices

#27 Post by Corjan »

Hi,

jph wrote: Mon Sep 27, 2021 12:10 pm "Air Manager let’s you create custom flight simulator instrument panels on your Android tablet, and is compatible with the three most popular flight simulators."

Which afaik is blatantly incorrect // - am I missing something here apart from brain cells ?
This is correct. Air Manager for Android lets you create instruments panels.
But I understand the confusion, it won't let you develop new instruments or panels.

I will change the description when we push a new version of Air Manager.

It is defenitaly not Air Player, because you can perfectly fine use it as the only application, where AP always requires AM to operate. I guess you could see it as an AM lite :).

Corjan

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jph
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Re: Recommended devices

#28 Post by jph »

Corjan wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 8:49 am Hi,

jph wrote: Mon Sep 27, 2021 12:10 pm "Air Manager let’s you create custom flight simulator instrument panels on your Android tablet, and is compatible with the three most popular flight simulators."

Which afaik is blatantly incorrect // - am I missing something here apart from brain cells ?
This is correct. Air Manager for Android lets you create instruments panels.
But I understand the confusion, it won't let you develop new instruments or panels.

I will change the description when we push a new version of Air Manager.

It is defenitaly not Air Player, because you can perfectly fine use it as the only application, where AP always requires AM to operate. I guess you could see it as an AM lite :).

Corjan
Ah, ok @Corjan , I appreciate the differentiation albeit subtle. Create 'custom instrument panels' is completely different to 'create custom instruments AND panels which is how I was reading it, and, the huge confusion is - for me, both in the 'create custom instrument panels' (with no proviso that it is only the panel LAYOUT) and also the name 'Air Manager'. I believe that both the name 'Air Manager' and the description needs amending. I think to avoid confusion it really needs a completely new name. Perhaps something like 'Air Panel Builder' or 'Aircraft Panel Builder where the 'Air Manager' is removed. The use of 'Air' as opposed to 'Aircraft' follows the nomenclature of 'Air' Manager and 'Air' Player' where the 'Air' is a commonality to SI. - with a description of something like
' create your own custom instrument panel layout from an extensive library of free downloadable pre-made instruments '

Joe
Joe. CISSP, MSc.

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Crunchmeister
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Re: Recommended devices

#29 Post by Crunchmeister »

jph wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 11:45 am In the case of android and spacedesk, the problem still applies with versions of android prior to KitKat. The issue is within KitKat itself.
Yeah. Mine has Android 6 or 7, I believe, which is the latest is supports.

It just shows though that you can repurpose old hardware or buy otherwise obsolete tablets on the cheap for use with Air Manager.
jph wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 11:45 am Are you still getting multi unit functionality with the latest beta ? - meaning multiple tablets from a single host ?
I am. Although with the use I get out of SpaceDesk, I would have no issues with buying a license in order to get multiple screen functionality with it. It's been a great part of my setup for the last year or so. If it switches to payware, I'll be all over that....
- Ryzen 5950x, 64GB 3600MHz RAM, RTX3070Ti

Simstrumentation Instrument dev
Free Air Manager instruments for MSFS available at http://www.simstrumentation.com

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jph
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Re: Recommended devices

#30 Post by jph »

Crunchmeister wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:58 pm I am. Although with the use I get out of SpaceDesk, I would have no issues with buying a license in order to get multiple screen functionality with it. It's been a great part of my setup for the last year or so. If it switches to payware, I'll be all over that....
Well, err yes, but it all depends on the price as their virtually total lack of support is worrying to say the least. It is great as a free product - even as a 10 quid product it would be reasonable value. Much above that ? :shock: not in my mind.
It is an ok product that I would pay a reasonable price for. - as said, reasonable for that ? yeah, about 10 quid.
Joe
Joe. CISSP, MSc.

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