Pete Dowson

Oh, how confusing! I think that should be reported as a bug. Thanks for jumping in here. Regards Pete

I'm afraid I cannot reproduce any such problem here, so I think the issue must be more complex than you say. I am assuming that you definitely have got "Direct to FSUIPC" selected, because the symptom does sound very much like the usual problem with FS assignments of the Mixture axis being defaulted with zero sensitivity. Just to cross check, when you press the top left "Set" button in the Mixture1 calibration section, it does say "(direct!)" against "Mixture1" doesn't it? To start with, as well as trying other axes on Mixture1 have you tried the same axes on other functions? Perhaps you could list the assignments you've made -- or, better, show me the [Axes] and [JoystickCalibration] sections from the FSUIPC4.INI file (which you'll find in the FSX Modules folder). Regards Pete

Ah, a button! All becomes clearer ... Okay, fine. But why not try the default 737, which after all is more like the PMDG aircraft you are trying it on? The Cessna is nothing l;ike a 737. If it works in the default 737 then your problem is specific to the PMDG add-on, so you should really be seeking support from PMDG. So it seems very likely that PMDG have not used the normal FS controls for this part of their cockpit (just as they don't for many other things). Why not refer to the documentation you get with the PMDG aircraft and find out how to operate it? There is probably a key press combination you can program, or even assign yourself. Regards Pete

Yes. Check the Other Downloads announcement above. It's at the end. Pete

The INI file format isn't published for any of the [Axes] or [JoystickCalibration] sections. They're not supposed to be edited manually. It is easy enough to do in the dialogues, after all. I only published full details for [buttons] and [Keys] to allow multiple events and conditional programming without making the dialogues over-complex for normal use. I'd rather not, as I'd prefer it to remain an implementation flexible value. However, if you really must do it this way, the numbers equate to the position of the axis in the Calibration pages, with page 1 containing 1-4, page 2 containing 5-8 and so on. On each page count top left first then bottom left, top right, bottom right. Don't miss any quarter -- the ones with other options or, for example, flap details, have numbers which simply aren't used. Regards Pete

This most certainly indicates that either the file is corrupted, or has been tampered with, or that the basic signature checking facilities in your computer are missing, broken or disabled. (Although, I suppose it could also indicate a hardware error, such as disk or memory problems. But this seems unlikely if you have no other problems). I still need to know the result of your checking the signature directly, as I asked previously: "Please right-click on the FSUIPC4.DLL (in the FSX Modules folder), selection Properties and check the signature details there." One thing you could do is try the 4.208 version available in the FSX downloads Announcement above. Regards Pete

If FSX crashes like that there's no way it can recover and start working, whether or not you click any send/don't send option. A crash is a crash is a crash. You presumably mean it is restarting. The most likely cause of this is nothing to do with FSUIPC but an incorrect version of one of the SDK DLLs, such as the traffic toolbox. Can you find your DLL.XML and show that to me please? It will be in this folder: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX\ The install log shows no sign of the SP1 version of SimConnect being installed, only the original version: Checking compatibility with installed SimConnect: ... Okay, Probe Manifest matches installed SimConnect 60905 (Original) but then your Simconnect Log shows: 0.00000 SimConnect version 10.0.61242.0 which corresponds to the SP1 SimConnect. If that is the only line in the SimConnect log file then FSUIPC4 is not even being loaded, so it cannot possibly actually be causing the crash. However, it may be that, because you are allowing FSX to auto-restart on crash you are losing the true log we need. So please do the following: 1. Show me the DLL.XML in any case 2. When you get the crash, UNCHECK the option for automatic restart. 3. In the "Dr.Watson" click for further details and get the name of the actual module and the memory offset it provides. 4. Then ALWAYS tell it to send the details to Microsoft. Then see what SimConnect may have logged. The most likely thing that is happening is that SimConnect is mis-installed asnd thereby crashing FSX. It looks like you have the SP1 version masquerading in the Windows WinSxS folders as the original RTM version, which is bad. I wonder if you've been trying to re-install without a complete uninstall in the first place? One way to try to correct this is to follow my instructions in the "FSX Help" announcement to remove and repair SimConnect, and then uninstall and re-install FSP1 only, to get the correct SimConnect set up. Regards Pete

To a button or switch? All you've said is "lever", which normally refers to an analogue axis. Correct, although you should keep the lever at cut-off until N2 reaches at least 20%, not set it ready. So your assignment doesn't work -- so how did you operate it when you say it works, just above? Are you sure that specific panel implements the starter lever operation using the same controls as default FS aircraft? If not you have to re-program your "lever" to use whatever the panel requires! Why don't you check, as I suggested, by testing on a default aircraft first? If it works okay on the default aircraft, you need to read the documentation of the add-on to find out how to operate its start lever. Mixture full rich -- ctrl+Shft+F4. I am sure I have told you this before. Haven't you tried your lever with this? You also need to clarify this "lever" you are using. Most throttle quadrants have analogue axes. How are you assigning this one to "mixture rich" and "mixture lean"? It makes no sense unless the lever is a button or digital switch, not a real lever/axis. We are going in circles all the time now. Please review what I've said already. Regards Pete

Does anything move them? Is there any documentation which tells you how to operate that panel? If it can only be operated using the mouse then it isn't very suitable for hardware switches and levers, though you could try Lucian Napolitano's Key2Mouse program. If the lever is reducing the thrust it most certainly is not assigned to either mixture rich or lean, but to throttle. I think you have something mixed up there. Why don't you try getting things working with the default 737 first? Advance to more complex panels when you know what is doing what on the default ones. It is only going to confuse the issue too much not knowing whether it's your assignments or the complications of the add-on aircraft which is doing the wrong things. Pete

You have levers which are only buttons, i.e. on or off? PMDG keep their internals secret. How do you do this withoyut hardware? Does the panel only respond to mouse clicks? Normally, in FS, the jet idle/cutoff switches are operated by the Mixture Full Rich and Mixture Full Lean controls. try "Ctrl+Shft+F4! and "Ctrl+Shft+F1" keyboard combinations -- by default in an FS jet these operate the idle/cutoff switches. Those are not offsets, but FS control numbers. The FS controls are assignable BY NAME in FSUIPC, and also in FS itself -- the Ctrl_Shft_F1 and F4 keypresses are assigned to the MIXTURE_LEAN and MIXTURE_RIGH controls, by default. The separate Engine ones are there too. Check in your PMDG aircraft whether the normal FS controls for these work. if so use those. Assign them in FSUIPC if you like. Pete

In that case you most certainly have not put the new version into the correct place, or you've still got the old version. Right-click on it and check the version -- it is in the Properties. It is the one called FSUIPC.LOG. The filetype is "Log", as a clue. You've probably got Windows stupidly hiding the proper filenames from you, so it probably hides DLL too1 Regards Pete

Well, direct assignment is less circuitous of course. With assignment to an FS control ISUIPC picks up the value from the joystick, sends it as a normal control to FS where it is trapped by FSUIPC for calibration and then sent back. The term "direct" means just that, bypassing FS until the end value is computed. Regards Pete

Aha! I know what is going on ... ... these controls are being sent to FS, as expected, but then, when you aren't using "Direct" assignments to FSUIPC, FSUIPC is calibrating the values you are sending. It of coursecan't tell which controls are arriving from FS and which from itself. This explains why I had to use -16383 -- FSUIPC is doing the scaling to -4096. For the THROTTLES there's an easy way around that -- check the "Exclude THROTTLEn SET" option on the 4 throttles page. That was provided because some add-on aircraft use those controls with the correct values and don't want them changed. Unfortunately that isn't an option at present for MIXTUREn or PROPn controls. I can add it, but as you've found, you can get around this by direct assignment. For throttles you can check that option and use the 0 to -4096 range, for the others you can use Direct as LevelD and PMDG jets don't need those. [Now forget I talked about 0 to -16383! ;-) ] Pete

Not sure what you mean by "negative values issue", but I've checked here with simple button operation, and I was wrong about the values being 0 to -4096. With those controls you need 0 to -16384. They are being scaled to match the specific aircraft afterwards. With -4096 I get a 1/4th of the reverse. I've only tested with THROTTLE1_SET controls, but the same should apply to PITCH1 and MIXTURE1 too. I'm not using "direct" assignment here, only "Send to FS as normal axis". Regards Pete

What is it you expect "pan view" to do? There is, indeed, a control called "pan view" which can be assigned in FSUIPC. Remember that unlike in FSUIPC, in FS assignmernts are done using "explanatory" phrases in the local language whilst FSUIPC simply uses the sames as saved in CFG and INI files and the like. I think "pan view" is the "point of view" control, assigned by FS to a POV Hat by defalut. POVs are neither axes nor buttons, though in FSUIPC you can assign them as either (or both). Assigning a single button to "pan view" wouldn't really make any sense -- you'd need to provide the POV angle as a parameter. e.g Pan view 45 switches to the front right view. You could use several buttons for different views, and maybe "Pan reset" on the button release. Regards Pete

No. Just put the new version there. It's only "FSUIPC.DLL" and will replace the old one. Pete

That's because you are using the wrong controls. All the "Axis .... Set" controls only have positive input. They correspond to the controls FS assigns. This is why folks use FSUIPC to get reverse on the axis, as it converts the AXIScontrols into the older, original (FS98) controls which have a reverse range. Try using the controls I suggested. Don't just stop at the "Axis ..." ones. Pete

The max gross weight is now available in offset 1334 in FSUIPC 3.769, as it has been for a while in FSUIPC4. Get 3.769 from the Other Downloads announcement above. Regards Pete

Hmm. I'm not sure I can make it simpler than I made it in the documentation. After all, if I could I would have done! Go to the axis assignments in FSUIPC's options. Move the axis you want to assign, select "direct to FSUIPC ...", then enable one of the 4 dropdowns below, drop it and look for the steering tiller, okay it. Then go to the Joystick Calibrations section, page through to find the steering tiller, "Set" it (the Set button top left in its section), and calibrate it following the simple step-by-step instructions in the User Guide. Pete

Okay, this is now available in FSUIPC 3.769, from the Other Downloads announcement above, and it will be available in FSUIPC 4 later, maybe tomorrow. Yes, it does vary correctly with the sim rate, and does pause when it should too. But it doesn't count from midnight (which really wouldn't make much sense in view of all this), but from the time the aircraft is first ready, at the start of the session. Offset 04A8, as a double (FLOAT64). Regards Pete

Sorry, that isn't a message from FSUIPC so I cannot really help (i don't know what the program is doing). Maybe you don't have FSUIPC installed, or maybe there's a problem with the IVAO software you are using? Version 3.70 is very old and totally unsupported. Please update to the current version if you want assistance. And then check the FSUIPC Log which you will find in the FS Modules folder. Regards Pete

Mixture cut-off is okay, but just having a digital reverse on/off control doesn't give you any variable reverse action. Are you happy about that? If not why not just do as many folks do with ordinary levers without any buttons or switches at all, simple dedicate part of the range for reverse. I know some folks have made little detents for the centre of the idle are they chose, glueing a little bit of rubber in or near the slot. Better to send Throttle1_SET with a negative parameter. Providing you calibrate an adequate idle (0) range to ensure there are no axis changes, that will simply engage reverse immediately. There's no such digital control, just use the axis one being used by the axis in any case - ThrottleN set, with your desired parameter, -4096. 5? Not sure what you want here, but, no, -4096 is full reverse. If you want other values use other parameters between 0 and -4096. No, use the relevant axis controls with the parameters as desired. Regards Pete

Actually, I've fixed it already. It was just a silly error after all, not a design flaw. ;-) I've got a few other things to do before I can make a Release, but fixed versions for both FS9 and FSX should be available in the Downloads announcements above within the next day or two. Regards Pete

Okay. After more extensive testing I find that some such comment lines, by no means all, can be erased by new button assignments being INSERTED into the list. Just modifying existing assignments doesn't disturb them. The same actually applies to the earlier versions of FSUIPC, for FS9 and before. In fact I think it has always been this way. Evidently the use of such comments has only really been applied to those building larger libraries of buttons assignments (probably with logical conditions and so on), and not by anyone actually doing any large amendments through the dialogue. So, it is probably a design flaw rather than a simple bug, so I'm going to have to try to delve into the update logic (which, ahem, has not really been changed for five or six years and so will be, er, a bit dusty and cobwebby by now!). I'll do my best but I am not guaranteeing to fix this at present ... Regards Pete

Yes, I am a "big" PFC user -- all my stuff is PFC. Thast's why I wrote the PFC driver for FS. ;-) The FSX Airbus has its own in-built Fly By Wire. I don't know a lot about it I'm afraid, but I do know the throttle is not directly controlled by any joystick input. The latter is used as a "guide" but the Airbus makes its own mind up from that. The best way to eliminate external problems is to re-test with a more "normal" aircraft first, say the 737. One thing that comes to mind, though, is pitot or other instrument disablement through freezing. Did you check to make sure pitot heat was enabled (it should be on ALL the time). also anti-icing in most conditions this time of year, and always in or near clouds. It must definitely be FSX, then, but it may not be an error at all in the program but an operational error. Check everything you are doing and make sure it isn't pilot error, which does sound more likely from your description). The FSX version of the PFC driver (PFCFSX) is at version 4.30. The 2.30 version is for FS9 and before. Regards Pete