Pete Dowson

You need the FSUIPC SDK, from http://www.schiratti.com/dowson . Regards Pete

It just occurred to me that, since you appear to have the FSX SDK, and if that is the SP1A edition (if not, download and install from FSinsider), then you may be able to effect a repair by simply running the SimConnect.msi file you'll find in the Core Utilities part of the SDK. Regards Pete

Those are FSX build numbers -- you get those in the Version Info of each EXE and DLL component. They are not the same as the internal version numbers. Those are correct for the original version 60905 of SimConnect and the SP1 version (which is 61242 -- it isn't a Beta). Aha! There should be two of the WinSxS folders, one each with a SimConnect.dll in each. Could you read the FOLDER names in the Windows\WinSxS folder please, all those looking like this: C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.FlightSimulator.SimConnect_67c7c14424d61b5b_10.0.60905.0_x-ww_429211e9 and check in each one of those that there is a correct build of SimConnect.dll inside. The part I've emboldened in the path above is actually the SimConnect version number. You should have two such folders, one as above with 60905 (DLL build 60905 also) and one 61242, which has build number 61355. It sounds like your Registry says there is an SP1 SimConnect installed, and FSUIPC4 is believing this, but you don't actually have the corresponding WinSxS folder with the DLL inside, or you do have the folder, but no DLL. I think you would need to re-install either SP1, or both FSX and SP1, first uninstalling it (e.g. via the Control Panel programs applet). My repair method (given in the FSX help above) could be tried, but I've been told it is none too easy to delete these folders in Vista. Regards Pete

Sorry, I've absolutely no idea whatsoever what the FDS interface is or what it does. I think you will have to refer to their documentation or support on this. Regards Pete

Hmm .. it shouldn't be, because the recent versions of GSUIP4's installer changes it to read/write. It sounds like you installed an old version. Have you tried running the current install -- 4.16 or later? No, you should not need to do that, really. Regards Pete

The same technique is used for Fly-by-Wire. No, that makes it more complicated as you have to stop the other (real) control axes being used. Er, where are you reading this? I think you are looking in the wrong place! Please take note of offset 310A, which will enable you to disconnect the main flight controls. You can then read them in one place (3328 ff) and write them to FS in another (0BB2 elevator, 0BB6 aileron, 0BBA rudder). What you do in-between in up to you. Regards Pete

Well there's nothing designed in it to do that. I think the only way you might be able to do that is to program the first keystroke to send the FSUIPC-added control 'Key Press and Release'. You should be able to find it in the drop down list. The parameter for that gives the Keycode + 256 x the shift code. You'll need to look up the key and shift codes in the Advanced User's guide (the list in the Buttons section). For Shift+5 it would be 101 + (256 x 1) = 356, if you mean the NumPad 5, else 53 + (256 x 1) = 309 for the main keyboard 5. Regards Pete

That was just two days ago. Is that when you installed FSUIPC4 or FSX? If not, what have you changed in the last two days? Is the INI file, or the folder, read-only? Check their properties. If you used the FSUIPC4 installer (for any recent version -- 4.16 is the current one), then the Modules folder should be marked for read and write access. Otherwise, if you let FSX install in the Program Files folder, as it will by default, all of its folders are "read only". Try re-running the FSUIPC 4.16 installer. Pete

Sounds like you deleted the FSUIPC4.INI file. All those settings are contained in there. It will be in the FSX Modules folder. Take a back-up next time. FSUIPC4 itself never deletes it, but it will write a new one if you do. It simply re-reads the Button settings from the INI file. It allows you to make changes by directly editing the INI file (for the more advanced stuff like conditional actions or sequences) then load them in without having to close and restart FS. The FSX.CFG file is in your Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX folder -- unless you are using Vista, when it is somewhere similar. Regards Pete

Did you use "Run As Administrator" to load FSX, as instructed in the Installation section of the User Guide? Pete

Try version 3.761, from here: http://fsuipc.simflight.com/beta/FSUIPC3761.zip Let me know. It can't get those values any faster. Regards Pete

No. If you are talking about FS2004 or before, there are priorities, to avoid affecting FS performance. No, I think they are mostly the same. But even FS's own gauges are a little jerky. If you enlarge them you can see this. They get away with it because they are normally too small to notice. Programs like Project Magenta, and well-programmed add-on aircraft, tend to use their own smoothing (interpolation) to make the displayed gauge values change nice and smoothly. Well, I can check to see if it is one of the lower priority items. I have just had a look. The Manifold Pressure values are part of a large group updated at a second (not top) priority, which rates it at a little over 4 updates per second -- a quarter of the normal update rate (18.2 per second). FSUIPC has had this rate built in for these values for its whole life, 8 years now. Odd that itr should only now be seen as a problem? Anyway, seeing as PCs are several times more powerful now than they were 8 years ago, I guess I could relax some of those timings. Are there any others whilst I'm at it? Regards Pete

That's worrying. Not sure how they could arise .... FSUIPC certainly doesn't invent winds, and the incremental values to those which exist should be reasonably small. Where are you seeing these reported? If through WeatherSet or Radar Contact or other programs reading weather via the NWI, that may just be incorrect reporting due to me breaking the NWI, not 'real' winds. Okay. If you still see "freaky winds", please close FSX, add these lines to the [General] section in the FSUIPC4.INI file, and test again. Try to keep the test short as the log will get huge: Debug=Please LogExtras=256 Zip up the log and post to petedowson@btconnect.com. Thanks, Pete

This indicates that the TCP/IP connection used by SimConnect is being blocked by a security program you have running, probably a firewall. There's a note about this on the Microsoft FS web-site, and quite a few in my FSUIPC read-me which was installed with FSUIPC4. Regards Pete

The PFC yoke is not driven by my PFC driver unless it is wired for and connected through a PFC digital control system -- which in turns connects to a serial or USB port. The direct connected yoke is a normal joystick and is driven by normal joystick drivers. You do not use my PFC driver. Doesn't the yoke come with any documentation at all? I should need to tell you these things. As far as versions of my software are concerned, the answer is always "the current ones". I only support current versions in any case. Please check the Announcements above. Regards Pete

For you, the person? Yes. That's what it is for! It also adds facilities to write them where relevant. If you mean "you, as a programmer, via a program", then, no, but then neither was it possible with FSLook. The subset of values common to FSX, FS2004, FS2002 and FS2000 can also be read with FSLook2. Only FSLook itself, the original one, is not compatible with FSX. Regards Pete

Sorry, it evidently has to be something to do with the add-on aircraft. Since you did actually purchase it from someplace I think you ought to seek help from the suppliers/makers. Though I must say, a 1.9% increase doesn't sound like much of a "surge" to me -- more like a blip? And maybe the default idle under autothrottle control is higher than 54%? What do the specs for the aircraft say? Regards Pete

Sounds like you have some corrupted cloud graphics, or something similar. I've been using ASX from a Networked PC ever since it came out with no problems. You probably had a SimConnect.xml file with no local connection capabilities listed. Re-running the FSUIPC4 installer would have fixed that. There's no such thing as FSX without SimConnect, it's an integral part, and needed for lots of things as well as ASX and FSUIPC4. It means what it says. You have somehow corrupted or lost the original Simconnect version, the one which would be installed from the FSX DVD. Please refer to the FSX Help Announcement for details of how to repair/re-install that. That's right, and that's exactly why that FSX Help Announcement has been there so long and is still important! ;-) Regards Pete

There is no difference in access between one file and another in this Server folder. they are all files in one folder. I don't understand how you find that you cannot get one particular file, but all the others are okay!? Which file is it you cannot get in any case? What "beta" are you talking about? I don't have access to that server at all, it isn't mine. The current one is fine for all interim and beta releases as I can change the contents quickly and easily, and all but one or two folks have access to all of them 100% of the time. To get files uploaded elsewhere is much more complicated and I only do it for final releases. It takes a few days at best each time. Please clarify, exactly what are you saying does and does not work. Your message makes no sense at all I'm afraid. Regards Pete

The latest interim version, 4.169, now available, is more efficient in performing the visibilty graduation and other filters, only writing back the weather when it has changed sufficiently. If you are still testing 4.168 or before please change to 4.169. Regards Pete

The latest interim version, 4.169, now available, is more efficient in performing the wind smoothing and other filters, only writing back the weather when it has changed sufficiently. If you are still testing 4.168 or before please change to 4.169. Regards Pete

Good. Really? It seems clear to me: this is directly from the FSUIPC4 page: 1. DOWNLOAD LATEST PRODUCT FILES AT http://www.schiratti.com/dowson 2. PURCHASE KEY FROM THIS PAGE 3 . Personal Registration Key will be generated upon purchase, an email is sent ONLY ONCE to your email address used to order. You can find your key on record in your order listing in your user account online anytime. Your Key is valid for ALL Version 4 updates! (My emboldening) Other than using a huge font for the word "Download", what would you suggest would make it any clearer? It has stood the test of time without any problems -- one year for FSUIPC3 but over 4 years for FSUIPC3 and WideFS6. Regards Pete

FSLook was written to test Gauge variable access in FS2000. It did work through to FS2004 because the Gauge system was broadly compatible. However it won't work in FSX. And the message you should have got, if you used it on the same PC as FSX, was "Error: IPC message failure: not correct FSUIPC installation?". However, its close cousin "FSLook2" will work perfectly well, as that was written using the standardised FSUIPC interface, not the Gauge interface. However, its list of Gauge-type variables has not been updated for some time, so it will not reflect any new provisions in FSX. The best way to see FS variables, and indeed to manipulate them in real time, is via FSInterrogate. The latest version, including an FSI variable definition file which is up-to-date for FSX, is provided in an update to the FSUIPC SDK on my Support Forum. Well, actually you'd get answers quicker if you asked in the right place -- Pete Dowson's Support Forum, as publicised in all my programs and documentation. ;-) Regards Pete

Erwhen you "ordered the program via SimMarket", all you did was pay for a 12-character access Key. The program itself is downloadable from http://www.schiratti.com/dowson whether you make an order or not. SimMarket do not supply the package itself, and you don't get anything delivered at all -- in fact I think you have to go and collect your Key from your Account page at SimMarket.. It does actually tell you this on the SimMarket order page. You could have installed it, read the manual etc etc before you paid for a Key to access the additional user features. Regards Pete