Pete Dowson

So, your control doesn't provide a U axis. There isn't one to "show up". You can check what the Windows Joystick API can see and read using the Joyview utility I attach below. Pete joyview.zip

Yes, but whilst assigning axes directly in FSUIPC and calibrating them their may, theoretically, be a little more efficient than having FS reading them and FSUIPC still calibrating them, I doubt if the difference is at all measurable. The problem with FSUIPC3 not using DirectX at all does restrict the axes it can read, so it isn't always the best choice. I've always thought that, for trim, an INC/DEC control arrangement is often more sensitive and controllable than having an axis in any case. But an axis is very usable providing it has enough range (so it can be sensitive enough) and adjustability with a good linear readout. One of the problems of having FS read the axes, even with FSUIPC calibrating them, is that by default it does some sort of rate-of-change over time interpretation of the incoming values. FS started doing that back in FS2002 times I think. It can be stopped, and returned to a straight linear reading, by a parameter in the FS CFG file. I document this in the FSUIPC User Guide: For more predictable responses from your joystick, consider editing the FS CFG file and adding: STICK_SENSITIVITY_MODE=0 To the [CONTROLS] section. This makes FS treat the raw joystick readings in a linear fashion. By default, since FS2000, FS has applied a time-change formula to the axes that, in my opinion at least, which can give rise to some unwanted behaviour. You will need to edit the CFG file before running FS, as any changes you make whilst FS is running will be overwritten. Sensitivity is a funny word. When I said the axis needs to be sensitive, I meant that you need to be able to make teensy-weensy adjustments to trim, with just a nudge on the control. The "sensitivity" is in the number of sensible values the trim can actually be set to. You probably mean if was making big changes with a little nudge. That's the opposite of course. Special use? No, all I was saying is that there are folks with yokes for aircraft, and G-sticks and Collectives for helicopters, and maybe even joysticks for fighters or Airbuses. Using FSUIPC's aircraft-specific assignments you can have them all connected and assigned separately for separate aircraft, as appropriate. FSUIPC will disable one set and enable the other set when you load a different aircraft. That was the original and main reason axis assignments were added. Regards Pete

I assume you mean FSUIPC? You don't say. Lot's of folks make FS Modules, there are several from me as well as FSUIPC If you do mean FSUIPC, you need to buy a registration for FSUIPC4, but it certainly isn't "pay again". FSUIPC3 is for FS9 and before. FSUIPC4 is a completely freshly written program for FSX. This is clearly pointed out in the Announcements above as well as in the documentation. Didn't you "pay again" for FSX? Regards Pete

If all these things are specific only to that add-on aircraft, and work fine with all the defaults, the problems will be because that aircraft is not implemented to follow whatever FS controls your Goflight units are programmed to send. It may even be that for some of their actions there is no control which can be applied, that they can only be operated with the mouse. Maybe there's a keyboard short-cut that can be used instead. You will have to check the documentation that came with the aircraft, or ask their support. You need to check whether they work as expected when using the normal FS controls assigned in FS to keyboard shortcuts. Check the FS documentation for this, or more likely the FS Help. If not, then there really isn't much chance for GoFlight units. I explain as best as I can in the manual, but in any case it won't help if you are using add-ons which provide features which are only Mouse controllable. There is a program called "Key2Mouse" by Luciano Napolitano, which converts keypresses to mouse movements and clicks, so sometimes that is suitable, but it is awkward in that it requires the screen to have a static 2D panel on it. You can't use Virtual Cockpits because the buttons and switches then aren't always in the same place on screen. A lot of the more sophisticated add-on aircraft "do their own thing" for many of the aircraft systems and subsystems, as they try to do a better, more realistic job of it. Since they are really aimed at the majority of users, with keyboard and mouse and no fancy cockpit hardware, they rarely cater for these. However, that said, I did notice that GoFlight have released stuff (drivers?) to allow some of their items to be better used with one of two of the more popular add-on aircraft. Regards Pete

Right. Whatever it was, you have solved it. FSUIPC4 is running fine according to that, with a proper connection to SimConnect. Where "on the left" are you looking for an "Addons section"? It isn't a "section", it is a Menu item, just an addition to the regular menu. SimConnect provides the menu entry. It is called "AddOns" which appears as the RIGHT-MOST menu entry when you press ALT to bring up FSX's Menu -- the one with "Flights", "World", etc along the top. FSUIPC4 merely asks SimConnect to add "FSUIPC" to that AddOns menu. Other Add Ons will be doing the same, as and when ytou add them. You have seen Menu bars in Windows programs before, surely? They are little strips going left to right on the top of the viewing screen, just below the title bar (if you are in Windowed made). I assume you are actually running FSX? You have the scenery view before you, the cockpit gauges maybe showing below, all ready to fly? The FS Menu is part of the main FS program display, it isn't some "section" in some dialogue someplace! Have you never used it beofre, to change flights or aircraft or weather or options or anything? Pete

It is probably not one of the 6 axes (X Y Z R U V) supported by the Windows Joystick API which FSUIPC3 uses. I have changed over to using DirectInput for the axes in FSUIPC4 (for FSX), but this is not something I can really undertake for FSUIPC3. With DirectInput you get two more axes, so possibly this dial might be one of those. I'm sorry, but it might be the only way is to assign them in FS. You can still calibrate in FSUIPC if you want. Was there any particular reason you were doing assignments in FSUIPC itself? It was really added as a facility for those who needed different axis assignments for different aircraft, such as helicopter controls for helicopters, yoke control for Boeings and GA, joystick control for Airbus and military. That's the main benefit, as FSUIPC's assignments can be aircraft-specific. Regards Pete

I've just had another look at this, comparing what happened on FSUIPC3 and FSUIPC4: In FSUIPC3, with FS9 or before, with mapping 1->12 and 2->34, no matter how you assign the axes (whether in FS, in FSUIPC via FS, or in FSUIPC direct), on the 4 Throttles calibration page: 1. Moving Throttle 1 shows values changing on Throttles 1 and 2. 2. Moving Throttle 2 shows values changing on Throttles 2 and 4. At no time does Throttle 3 move, but that's totally irrelvant because you aren't calibrating a throttle 3 -- when you use this Mapping you only have two active throttle Axes, and it is those you calibrate. Now, iIn FSUIPC4, with FSX, with mapping 1->12 and 2->34, no matter how you assign the axes (whether in FS, in FSUIPC via FSX, or in FSUIPC direct), on the 4 Throttles calibration page: 1. Moving Throttle 1 shows values changing on Throttles 1 and 2 (not 4 as well!) 2. Moving Throttle 2 shows values changing on Throttles 2 and 4. At no time does Throttle 3 move, but that's totally irrelevant because you aren't calibrating a throttle 3 -- when you use this Mapping you only have two active throttle Axes, and it is those you calibrate. Now, there's a striking similarity between what happens in FSUIPC3 and FSUIPC4, isn't there? In fact as far as I can tell they operate absolutely identically! (This did surprise me a little, as I had thought there were some subtle differences). In neither case does any of this stop you calibrating the two throttles, as you should, and the mapping works perfectly, 100% on the actual 4 throttles in a 4-engined aircraft. If you are seeing different results to this, with the latest FSUIPC versions, then please check that you aren't getting double assignments, both in FS and FSUIPC. That can create havoc. Regards Pete

I assume you are talking about WideFS (you don't actually say anywhere what you are asking about!)? 67 is C, not L. How do you get L? L is 76! Please refer to the list in the Technical Guide. T0 means you want it set Virtual Button 0 (which would show up in FSUIPC as Joystick 64, Button 0. It clearly says "To use these facilities, add the section [buttonKeys] to the WideClient.ini file." Since WideClient runs on the Client (that's why it is called "WideClient"), and the INI file for WideClient needs to go in the same folder, you can surely guess that it must be on the Client PC, right/ :-) Sorry. Where do you get any idea that there's any "program" involved? It clearly says "WideClient provides facilities, using the built-in Windows “hot key” facilities". By "built-in" it means they are there already, part of Windows. WideClient is just USING facilities in Windows to trap key presses. See? I explain things in the documentation. I honestly cannot explain things better, else I would have done it in the manual to save having to answer questions. It doesn't seem sensible to replace bits of the manuals here, but here goesplease note the RED bits which you seem to have missed somehow: After you have added your line (but with 76 for L, not 67 for C), then with FS running on the FS PC, and FSUIPC options opened in the Buttons & Switches tab, when you press your "Shift+L" you'll see it identified in FSUIPC as Joystick 64, button 0. Then all yuo do is program it for you lights, or whatever else you want, as described in the FSUIPC documentation for Button programming. Regards Pete

No version. FSUIPC does not assist in creating networks, nor does it use them. You need pieces of wire and a network socket for each PC, plus a hub or switch if you have more than two. There's no mention of Networks in anything to do with FSUIPC on any piece of marketing, so I guess you are reading something else entirely anyway. I'd try and get my documentation translated into Swahili for you, if you want to pay extra. Otherwise I can't understand why you even come here? Pete

This is in the Joystick Calibration screen, right? As I though I said, or tried to say. Just ignore Throttle 3 and 4 when you only have two throttles. Calibrate Throttle 1, ignoring throttle 2. Then calibrate Throttle 2. You only have two throttle levers! If I had realised such a simple thing wouild cause so much confusion for you I would have put in the extra code to simply stop Throttles 3 and 4 moving at all when calibrating, and maybe also Throttle 2 when calibrating Throttle 1. But it is extra code, and i really thought it unnecessary. It is easy to calibrate correctly if you simply calibrate the throttles you have, not where you are mapping them to go! :-( Pete

If you have two throttle levers, and select the FSUIPC option to map 1 -> 12, and 2 ->34, just ignore the Joystick Calibration entries for throttles 3 and 4. They mayt show something or they may not. It is just the way the simConnect intercepts work. All you should do is calibrate your throttle 1 and your throttle 2, both on the left-hand part. It gets complicated as your 1 goes to 1 plus 2, but 2 has to be stopped from going to 2 and made to go to 3 and 4. But that happens in flight mode, not during calibration, where you are calibrating YOUR throttles, not the 4 end results. I know it was more obvious on FS9, but the interception and control was a helluva lot simpler in those days. Even then you still calibrated 1 and 2, not 3 or 4. Regards Pete

Seems to be one of the two main bugs with the new Saitek stuff. see thread viewtopic.php?f=54&t=65483&start=0 not very far from here. One poster found a Registry cure for it. Pete

On this: I have added -3 and -4 support for READs, to EPICINFO5.DLL version 4.93. I was a little reluctant to do this as I never intended to make the FSX version do more than the FS9 version, and the FS9 version wouldn't do what you wanted either. I really am not able to develop EPIC stuff indefinitely, and only did the FSX version so exisitng FS9 EPIC users could transfer their stuff to FSX without change. In other words, I am only aiming for compatibility, not new facilities. However, get this: http://fsuipc.simflight.com/beta/EPICINor_FSX.zip and see if it helps your 30C problem. On this other matter, these: only give zero on FS9 as well, so presumably they've not really worked since, maybe FS98 or FS2000. I'm not going to change any of the stuff that should be the same as it was for FS9, so your solution: is the correct one. Well done. Regards Pete

Correct. I was not told of any problem with axes at all, only that the Saitek's produced random button presses, but these were very short -- so the option merely ignores short button presses. This is probably because unlike PMDG they don't use the axis cut-off facilities in FSUIPC4 to prevent your FSUIPC-axis changes affecting the autopilot. In FSUIPC's axis assignments, if you have told it to send them direct to the calibration, change that (at least for aileron, probably elevator as well) to send it via FS controls (Axis aileron set and Axis elevator set). Possibly the LevelD module will intercept those okay. If that doesn't work I'm afraid you might have to assign them in FS after all. Regards Pete

Okay, yes. I know about that one, of course. Okay, here I'm lost again already. The FS9 version of LevelD, used in FSX, has a bug where LNAV doesn't work. Is that right? But they've fixed it now in an FSX versionam I right so far? So why can't you? This is really the part you have not explained yet, at all ... Well there you appear to say "For what i understand we have to unassign in FS all axis and assign to FSUIPC plus add the script in the .ini file" which is all nonsense. The fix for buttons is nothing to do with axis assignment or calibration in FSUIPC! All you have to do is add one line the the [buttons] section, after assigning your Buttons in FSUIPC. Axes simply don't come into it at all, it is a BUTTON assignment fix, NOTHING TO DO WITH AXES! PLEASE read the documentation. The new facility is described in the release notes and History document! I am sorry, but you are evidently completely misunderstanding it all. The only fix I made was to ignore spurious button presses. Regards Pete

Okay, I've been looking at your points about EPICINFO 4.92 this morning: The values -3 and -4 are supported for WRITE but not for READ -- the documentation is actually quite clear on this! Did you not notice? I assume you've not tried this in FS9? I am looking to see how much work it is to add -4 support for READs. The problem with MANIFOLD PRESSURE was a much more general problem associated with the whole interface to the Gauge variables being incorrect. That was fixed. The problem with those Electrical Load variables simply appears to be that they aren't supported in FSX in the first place! If they represent the same values, I'll change the table to provide them in ph109 and ph123. But I want to make the units look the same as they were in FS9, so please, can you tell me what they should be? Regards Pete

With what fix where? Sorry, you've lost me there. By "lateral navigation" aren't you talking about autopilot LNAV mode? If so, can you say where "FSUIPC direct axis assign" comes into it? Are you saying that in some assignments methods the LevelD works and in other assignment methods it doesn't? Can you be a little clearer, please? Pete

This is a sure indication of a security program issue. With some such programs, even if apparently disabled, the only answer is uninstalling them. McAfee was one such, though they did come up with a fix for that soon after it was reported, so it may just be a matter of updating your version of whatever it is. An alternative for you might be to purchase and install FSX Acceleration, or wait a while and get the free SP2 update. The new way Simconnect works for local add-ons gets around the security issues by not using TCP/IP at all (for programs like FSUIPC 4.20 which use the latest options). As I see you still haven't installed the important and free SP1 update for FSX, if you do wait for SP2 be sure to install SP1 first. On the other hand, if you purchase Acceleration that installs SP1 for you. Regards Pete

Yes, I am experimenting today to see if I can make the Installer tell the user when he has this "Untrusted" problem. Meanwhile, good flying for you! ;-) Regards Pete

Well, no one has ever "untrusted" me before, as far as I know. It is rather annoying that when someone does this there is no message, not even a peep, from SimConnect. I'll be asking folks in Microsoft about that. Maybe I can somehow check for it in my Installer -- speaking of which, that is alsosigned by Pete L Dowson, so why wasn't Windows stopping that? Didn't you get any prompts or warnings? Regards Pete

Do they do a powered throttle quadrant now, with motor driven throttle levers? Wow. My driver knows nothing about that! Anyway, you really should direct this sort of question to your supplier. I'm not able to support any hardware at all. From what I've seen here, normally there's a socket for the Rudder pedals, and one for the Yoke -- assuming it is a Yoke wired for the PFC digital controller and not for direct connection to USB or Game Port. But I would have assumed they'd supply the correct cables and even instructions of some kind? Regards Pete

One last idea for tonight. Have you ever seen a prompt from Windows asking if you really wanted to run FSUIPC4 (see examples in the User Guide)? If you had and possible chose some option telling Windows not to and never to ask you again, maybe it is Windows which is refusing to let Simconnect load it on your instructions? If you have done this I'm not sure how you undo it. I think you have to go into Internet Explorer, select Internet Options -- Content -- Publishers. Look at "Trusted Publishers" and "Untrusted Publishers". Peter L. Dowson should either be in neither (if you've never made a choice) on in "Trusted". If I'm Untrusted you'll need to click the Remove button. There may also be Peter L. Dowson in the Certificates tab. That's okay. I really don't hold out much hope for this, as I would have thought it would still be reported by SimConnect in its log. Pete

The logs you sent are all EXACTLY the same as you first showed me, many messages ago. There is no sign of SimConnect seeing FSUIPC4 -- it is simply not being loaded. Look for yourself: There is no entry at all for FSUIPC4, it isn't even looking for it. Now contrast that with the success you showed just above: In your email you also said: Now that isn't clear to me. There's no such file as "FSUIPC.DLL", it should be "FSUIPC4.DLL". And how did you change the name to FSCopilot.DLL in the Modules folder when there's already one there by that name? And then what does the last sentence mean? Please do try to state what you are doing and what the results are more clearly. Very little of what you've been saying makes any sense, I'm sorry to say. The DLL.XML file tells SimConnect where to find FSUIPC4.DLL. As you surely saw from the log entry which said File not found: Path="Modules\FSUIPC4.dll". It goes in the Modules folder!!! But if it isn't there, SimConnect would log the fact that it cannot find it, which it isn't -- except that one time you reported above. So what did you do then? Do the same again but put FSUIPC4.DLL back into the Modules folder! I have to keep repeating this. There is no way any part of any code in FSUIPC4 is being run at present, it isn't being loaded, it never runs. This is why you are never getting an FSUIPC4.LOG. If it never runs then no changes which can possibly be made to it will have any effect. To have any effect a program actually has to run! Surely you can see that? Let's start again, but even more simply. Forget FSCopilot for now. That's complicating matters. Delete the DLL.XML file, then re-run Install FSUIPC4.exe, then run FSX. Show me the SimConnect log. Look for an FSUIPC4.log. Pete

Aha! That is MUCH better. The last time you provided a Simconnect log there was no sign of it even trying to load FSUIPC4. That changes everything. Evidently you fixed something. No. Now you've managed, at last, to get SimConnect actually looking for FSUIPC4 for the first time EVER (according to all of your reports before now), put the FSUIPC4.DLL back into the Modules folder, then run FSX, and you should find an FSUIPC4.LOG in the Modules folder. Show me that AND the SimConnect log again! Pete

First, version 4.01 is very very old and not supported. The current version is 4.20. Please use that. Second, did you read the Installation instructions in the User Guide at all? In there it has particular notes about Vista and the need to run FSX "as administrator" when registering. Please do refer to the documentation, especially when you run into trouble. And please make sure you use the latest version -- the original documentation would not have mentioned this as it wasn't known back then. Pete