Skip to main content

What's New in v2.0.0

v2.0.0 is a major release featuring a completely reworked calling system and a brand-new interface.

Changes​

A complete list of changes is available in the v2.0.0 release notes on our GitHub repository. Below is a summary of the most important changes.

Station-based calling​

The biggest change in v2.0.0 is how you initiate calls.

Previously, you would select a specific client - a VATSIM controller connected to vacs - to call. This meant you had to know which controller was responsible for a certain sector and find them in the list of connected clients. While already an improvement over the TeamSpeak and Discord workarounds, this was still cumbersome and different from how real-life coordination works.

In v2.0.0, you now call a station instead. Simply select the ATC station you want to reach (e.g., "TWR LOWL", "N1 ACC", "DEL LOWW"), and vacs will automatically route your call to the controller currently in charge of that station. Top-down coverage and sector inheritance typical to VATSIM are handled automatically, ensuring your call always reaches the right person. If a station is covered by multiple controllers (e.g., during a coordinator/mentoring session), they will all receive the call and can choose to answer it. Note that this is not a conference call - only one controller can answer and receive it.

This brings coordination much closer to its real-life equivalent - you dial a position rather than a specific person.

Additionally, you can now select the station you are calling from. This gives the recipient more context, indicating which region they should expect to coordinate with you on.

  • Single click on a station you control sets it as a temporary call source. Your next call will originate from this station, then reset automatically.
  • Double click (clicking the same key again) sets it as the default source, which persists across calls.
  • Clicking again unsets it.

You can have both a temporary and a default source selected at the same time. The temporary source takes priority for the next call and then reverts to the default.

vacs Call Source Selection vacs Call Source Selection
  1. Button that does not reference a station (disabled button with grey text)
  2. Station that is online and callable (enabled button with black text)
  3. Button referencing a station not currently online on vacs (disabled button with black text)
  4. Temporary call source (enabled button with grey text and peach background color)
  5. Default call source (enabled button with grey text and honey background color)
  6. Station currently controlled by your position (enabled button with grey text)
  7. Target station of incoming or accepted call (enabled button with grey text and sage background color)

Redesigned interface​

To properly support station-based calling, the interface has been redesigned from the ground up. Depending on your VATSIM connection, vacs will automatically select the most suitable layout for you, as defined by your FIR's responsible staff.

Two main layouts are currently supported:

  • GEO layout: stations are arranged geographically, giving you a spatial overview of neighbouring units and making it quick and intuitive to find the station you want to call. See the GEO layout documentation for more details.
vacs Geo Layout vacs Geo Page
  • Tabbed layout: stations are organised into named tabs, allowing them to be grouped logically. See the Tabbed layout documentation for more details.
vacs Tabbed Layout

Call sounds​

v2.0.0 adds subtle audio cues when a call connects or ends. No more watching the connection status indicator to know when your call has been answered - you'll hear it right away.

These sounds can be toggled individually on the Call subpage of the Settings page.

Priority calls​

You can now mark calls as priority when coordination is urgent. Priority calls appear visually distinct on the receiving end and trigger a more attention-grabbing ringtone to ensure they don't go unnoticed.
See the Making a call section for details on how to initiate a priority call.

vacs Incoming Priority Call

Priority calls can be disabled locally on the Call subpage of the Settings page. When disabled, all incoming priority calls will be treated as normal calls.

Window zoom hotkeys​

You can now adjust the zoom level of the vacs window using the familiar Ctrl + and Ctrl - keyboard shortcuts. This is especially useful if you've resized the window and want to ensure the best readability and layout. Ctrl 0 resets the zoom level to its default.

vacs Window Zoom

Migrating from v1.x​

v2.0.0 introduces breaking changes that affect how clients communicate with the server. You must update before you can connect - older clients are not compatible with the v2.0.0 server.

Your client will automatically prompt you to update and will refuse to connect until you do. See the Updating guide for instructions.

Your local settings and Configuration will be preserved during the update and will largely continue to work as expected. However, the previous stations.toml and its associated custom stations configuration have been removed in favour of the new interface. Refer to our Clients page for details on the latest UI and how to configure it.

You can find a migration guide for the new client page configuration in our GitHub repository.