Pete Dowson

For FSUIPC to see a Key released it needs to see the Windows message WM_KEYUP. For every WM_KEYDOWN there must eventually be a corresponding WM_KEYUP, otherwise the key is deemed "stuck down" and becomes unusable in windows terms. Make sure you understand what you are doing by trying programming keys on your real keyboard. If you understand that and make it work, yet still have problems with your emulator, then that emulator is evidently not emulating the keyboard properly. I'm afraid I cannot help with that, you'd need to contact the supplier. Regards, Pete

The FS message is nothing to do with anything of mine -- that's a warning for FS I expect. If you are a registered use of FSUIPC then it doesn't need a key for other applications or DLLs. Because you are registered as a user and therefore do not need ever to register any application separately. Since you refer to Page 7 of the documentation, why not also read the bits on page 3 under the heading What you get if you pay, particularly the item about access for application programs: Regards Pete

Sounds as if you have defined it as a Toggle switch, not a momemtary push button. With a toggle you push once for "on" ("press") then again for "off" ("release") -- these are separately programmable in FSUIPC's Buttons page. The "button" area in the display should change colour when "on". If you've only programmed the "press" part then the programmed action will only occur every second press -- i.e. in the "off" to "on" transition. A momentary button sends an "on" ("press") when you push it and an "off" ("release") when you release it. Again, separately programmable if you like, but only using one touch. If you don't understand, show me the section from your WideClient.INI file. Pete

That is very strange. Even according to the Actigate documentation (I went to the website/forum) says to try de-activating it in the Menu in some circumstances. How can you if it doesn't appear? Ah -- it's the "Help" menu. I see. Regards Pete

Thanks Lefteris. I actually compared my source code in the few areas which may have affected NAV data between 3.70 and 3.708, and the only changes I found were all for the added HSI data. The fix I made between 3.707 and 3.708 most definitely eradicated the problem I accidentally introduced with VOR2. There's a puzzle there somewhere, I assume, but I suspect it is down to something else in the sufferer's system. Best regards Pete

Thanks. Actually the aircraft isn't the default, but one called "SAG-EDITION" which I don't have. So I loaded the default 172 instead. Unfortunately, there is still no problem. I'm afraid I cannot really spare much more time on this, so I think I will just have to add some warning to my documentation. I have written to the Actigate author, Arno Gerretsen, to see if he has any ideas. Hmmm, even though you have presumably put the DLL back into the Modules folder by now? Maybe this is part of the problem. If I have Actigate.DLL in the Modules folder, not only do I see Actigate in the Modules menu, but I have TWO modules menus!?? In your picture you have a Menu entry with a name merely "?". What is in that? Regards Pete [/img]

I'm not getting any problems .. I installed the scenery, even placed my aircraft there, at a gate. Actigate is installed and says it is active, yet I can still reach and edit the Registration details. Obviously there's more to thiscould you possibly send me the FLT+WX files you were using at the time you tried to register? That will select the aircraft (hopefully a default one?) and the precise positioning in the scenery, which may well be critical. Thanks, Pete

Thanks! I'll try it now ... Regards, Pete

Ahso it was the same cause. I don't suppose you did the test I asked, beforehand, did you? I only asked because I thought it might help find out why Actigate is causing this freeze to occur only when the Registration dialogue is opened. The previous user with this problem did send me Actigate, but it doesn't do anything on its own, so I couldn't reproduce the problem. Do you know what it is used with -- i.e. which Add-On? I really could do with solving the problem if possible. Thanks, Pete

Unless it is using Windows 98/Me/2000 or XP and has a Pentium-compatible processor, I'm afraid you might be out of luck. It would need software written, or at least cross-compiled, specifically for it. I don't know, but i suspect, that even if I managed to do this for my WideClient program, the IPC interface used by it (inherited from the original FS5IPC and FS6IPC programs back in FSW95 and FS98 days) would not be implementable in the same way, so that even cross-compiled programs wouldn't be usable in any case. Regards, Pete

Hi Eric, Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier on this. In fact I did do a comparison of these values through FS98 - FS2000 - FS2002 and FS2004 (yes, i did manage to find I had working installations on some of my older PCs, long since relegated to other, lesser uses), and the surface wind ceiling value has ALWAYS been AGL it seems. I ploughed through my code and the specific code for FS2000/2002 and FS2004 actually explicitly subtracts the Ground Altitude from the AMSL value supplied, these days, by FS. All in the name of FS98 compatibility! So, sorry, yes, you were right all along. It is a documentation error in my Offsets list, and a very long-standing one at that. I will correct that with the next SDK update. Thanks, Regards Pete

Okay. Some more thoughts. First, could you switch on FSUIPC IPC read and write logging, and both Button and Axis event logging (4 selections in the Logging TAB), then reproduce the problem. Show me or send me the FSUIPC.LOG file (petedowson@btconnect.com). Second, I searched through my emails and I just found the eventual outcome from the previous reporter of this problem, which was resolved after all! Here is exactly what he said: (Thanks Wayne!) Do you by any chance have "Actigate.DLL" installed? If so, just try without it, please. I did try with Actigate, but on its own it does nothing -- it needs specific scenery to make it do anything. Please do this before I spend lots of time trying to work out ways to diagnose it. Thanks, Pete

Yes, a KEY file will be generated, and will contain the Name and Email when you've registered. Look at it now, with Notepad. What does it say? Am I right to understand that you click the button to Register FSUIPC, then the Registration window appears asking for your name and email address, but you cannot enter anything? Is there a flashing cursor line -- either initially or when you click the mouse on the entry field? Does the mouse pointer disappear, show busy, or what? Does nothing happen when you click anything? What about the keyboard? ESCape? Enter? Text characters? Anything? Pete

Hmmm. I have that version here and have no problems. Strange. I will add some diagnostic lines into FSUIPC and send you a separate version to testI need to get to the bottom of this. I'm not at all well at present, some sort of 'flu' I think, so I am not able to work the long hours I normally do, so there may be a delay, but I'll try and get something done tomorrow (Thursday). I'll be in touch via Email. Regards, Pete

By "MSNav" I assume you mean "FSNavigator"? Shame it doesn't support a button input in any case -- it seems rather extreme to have to purchase FSUIPC just to program one button! How did you find this forum then? Most all Googles for FSUIPC find the site which has supplied all my FS programs for over ten years now -- there are links to it everywhere, including several among the announcements above. Among those announcements you will see one about how to pay for FSUIPC. That will link you to the site to purchase your Key. For the latest version (3.70) go to http://www.schiratti.com/dowson. Version 3.53 is not supported. Regards, Pete

My correspondent in July never came back, so I assume he found the solution. As I said then, there is nothing strange or special about the registration dialogue, it is standard Windows and a lot simpler than the main options dialogue. Interesting that you found a version 3.78 from somewhere? The latest version number (before FSX) is 3.708, available above. Is that the one you mean? Can you please tell me the version number of your video drivers, just in case that is significant? Regards, Pete

Yes, they are the engine Mixture offsets. If you've ever operated a Jet properly in any of Microsoft's flight simulators since FS4 (at least) you'd have remembered that fuel enable/idle is "Mixture Full Rich" and cut-off is "Mixture Full Lean" (usually assigned by default to Ctrl+Shift+F4 and Ctrl+Shift+F1 respectively). FS has never had any separate controls explicitly for jet start (fuel enable) levers. Please check offsets 0890 and the starter explanation in 0892. There are equivalent offsets for the other three engines. Pete

It's okay. All I can do is wait until Lefteris has identified the problem. Regards, Pete

Did you install WideServer.DLL into the Modules folder too? If you didn't it cannot work. It is WideServer which talks to WideClients, not FSUIPC (although this is changing for FSX). Pete

I have re-checked all the values -- according to Lefteris from PMDG (see above) they use VOR1 for ILS, and the VOR1 values are all fine. I can do absiolutely nothing about fixing values that work. Sorry. I will look at anything giving PMDG's programming problems, but someone who actually understands them well enough to explain them will need to contact me. Pete

The *only* change from 3.707 to 3.708 is the provision of the VOR2 latitude/longitude and altitude values. I have absolutely no idea what PMDG would be using for LNAV to ILS, but according to a note from Lefteris (in another thread here ) the PMDG ILS is operated using FS's VOR1 information, which is still fine in 3.708 just as it was in 3.707 9and, yes, I have re-checked all possible VOR1 values provided by FSUIPC). Maybe you can persuade Lefteris to look at this. Regards, Pete

Eryou convert the FS_Head value to FS units (which range from -2^31 to +(2^31-1), then add or subtract 720 or 360 depending on the value of this huge number ....? Doesn't that look just a little wrong to you at all? :-( Try correcting the heading in degrees before converting it into something which is nothing like degrees. In any case, the correction should be simply (in C, sorry): while (x >= 360) x -= 360; while (x < 0) x += 360; And in any case you still don't tell me enough. What heading are you trying to write, what MagVar are you reading, and, most important, what is the result in FS? You don't give any information! A complete example would be useful, don't you think, especially this result which you keep saying is in error but don't say how. Are you saying the heading doesn't change at all, that you end up facing the same way as before? Or TRUE north. Or what? Why not do something very very simple and much more helpful and definitive? Use the tools available. Switch on IPC read/Write logging in FSUIPC, do whatever it is you do, then look at the log. Show it to me. Tell me what heading you are trying to achieve. I'll be able to see from the log what you are reading and what you are writing. Regards Pete

Sorry. You've changed someone else's program (not mine) and now it doesn't work? I've not changed that program, you've not changed my program, and I not only don't use the programs you are using I don't know anything about them at all. I'm afraid the only folks who would be able to help with this are those supporting the program you have a problem with. It evidently is not so much to do with either FSUIPC or WideFS as you have it working on the FS PC, and you know the WideFS part works from previos versions, so it is most likely something about access it needs to a database on the FS PC -- you've installed it incorrectly or insufficiently is my guess. Weren't there special instructions for running these things on WideFS? Regards Pete

Well that is usually more likely due to any one of many things -- slight or severe wind variations (like the turbulence), temperature changes, slight engine variations, folks shifting their weight in a light aircraft, all sorts of things. When flying a light aircraft you are almost always making small corrections via the yoke, less so the pedals. Unless you are using the autopilot you can never fly completely hands-off. Please don't let an over-stable FS setup teach you bad habits. The air is a fluid with lots of variations in it. It is not as homogenous as it looks! I don't fly for real any more (eyesight problems), but believe me, there is no such thing as complete hands-off stability in an aircraft except with autopilot -- and it will wobble somewhat even then. Bad joysticks may give you such problems, but this is a sign of faults, dirt or severe ageing. A good joystick with high quality components should be smooth and not subject to involuntary variations. This is especially true of the optical types. The ordinary wirewound or carbon potentiometer-based ones can develop bad spots, gather dirt, or suffer variations with temperature, but this is not a sign of a good device. Regards Pete

It most certainly should not -- the key is in a file FSUIPC.KEY, in your FS Modules folder. Pete