Pete Dowson

Good. Ah ... I think (but I am not 100%) that FS only looks for files with DLL types, so that shouldn't have made any difference. However, I could be wrong. That said, the new FSUIPC facilities are designed (and tested) to cooperate with AdvDisplay, so either way this wouldn't explain it. I don't believe it can be that one. That is actually the most likely. Some glitch at some crucial stage somehow caused the needed Font not to be correctly loaded, even though it must have been marked as such 9else it would have been loaded again on the next FS restart). Were there any crashes of any program, whether FS related or not, in the same session before FS exhibited the problem first? I know it isn't (shouldn't be) often necessary these days to re-boot after a crash (WinXP supposedly being so bullet-proof), but I remember you'd really dare not continue without re-booting after anything crashed in good old Win95/98/Me days. There was simply too much likelihood of something being screwed up. :wink: Regards, Pete

I've fixed it in FSUIPC by sending one of the messages to WideServer which it would normally get but which is being inhibited in "menu" modes. The fix will be in the next Interim Update for FSUIPC, which will be available in the Interim Versions announcement above either later today or over the weekend. Regards, Pete

That should only appear if there is a multiline message to be shown. What are you running? Hmmm. I don't know anyway to stop the text being shown. Sorry. The lower option is only offered if the FSUIPC window is not required 9i.e. the first option is not checked). that is all. Obviously, if you opt to have the multiline messages all going to the FSUIPC window, there is no need to suppress them in FS because they don't reach FS in any case. If you are registered that option is more easily accessibly in the Miscellaneous options tab, as documented. disabled or removed? Have you tried removing it? No, they are not in SIM1, they are in the LANGUAGE.DLL in the main FS folder -- different language versions of FS have different versions of that DLL. FSUIPC doesn't touch any messages at all, or any text for that matter. It sounds more likely that you have somehow lost the font which FS uses. I don't know how that can happen. It certainly cannot happen merely by inserting a new version of FSUIPC. This seems to also be indicated by the fact that AdvDisplay displays the text correctly -- Advdisplay uses normal Windows fonts (and has a font selection dialogue too). No, it isn't. One of my PCs uses a 9800. Try removing your FS9.CFG file (don't delete it, so you can replace it if it isn't responsible). FS will make a new one. i'm not sure where the fonts are defined, but that would be a god starting point. Regards, Pete

I assume you mean in the joystick sections of the FS CFG file? I didn't think the LOCKED parameter did anything in FS2004. In fact I seem to remember it only ever worked in versions of FS before FS2002, when Microsoft changed the whole joystick system to DirectInput. It was DirectInput that really drove me to do things in FSUIPC as I couldn't get any control otherwise for my EPIC devices. Changed in FS's CFG file? There's no calibration information there at all, only the Scale (sensitivity slider values) and the null zone, both set from the sliders. They shouldn't change on their own. The original use of "LOCKED" was to prevent assignments changing when some loads of FS had different joysticks connected, or some re-arrangement of USB connections had occurred in the interim. Locked=0 is probably default, so isn't needed and isn't output when FS re-writes the CFG file, as it does on each FS close. If it did output this then it would always be there. It sounds like you did it when FS was still running. No such changes stick when FS is running as it will rewrite it from its internal settings on closing. I really didn't think it actually does anything useful. I'm not sure what these "changes" you are detecting are, but FS doesn't do any calibration in any case. If you aren't happy using FS for joystick allocations, note that since FSUIPC 3.536 you can disable the joystick in FS and use FSUIPC for all assignments, as documented. Regards, Pete

If that is the only problem then it sounds like the spoiler axis is jittering (i.e. feeding different values all the time even when it isn't being moved). If that is the case, then the change I have now made here in FSUIPC should fix it -- I am now ignoring changes in the axis if they remain inside the ARM zone. That change will be in the next interim version of FSUIPC, probably for release in the Announcements above tomorrow, or certainly over the weekend otherwise. I have also now tested some changes in Project Magenta which fix the spoiler indication on the EICAS (Boeing GC package), and I know Enrico will be making some updates available on his website soon too. So between them the main indication and deployment of the spoilers should be okay. The only thing remaining for you to sort out is the adjustment for use of the spoilers as speed brakes with deployments from 7% upwards. That will be down to good calibration and will depend on your joystick axis only. Regards, Pete

That sounds very much like the INI file was marked as Read Only! Anyway, glad you sorted it out. Regards, Pete

Yes. it is always better to use the names. It takes Wideclient a fraction of a second longer to connect, as it has to ask Windows to translate the name, but I don't think you'll notice! ;-) Pete

Right. I've found the reason. Whilst Windows is processing the Menus (rather than the dialogues they may produce), it apparently isn't sending any messages to any other Windows, and doesn't call any of its Chains, so my WideServer variable scanning is suspended. It only sees the setting when you actually get into a dialogue and messages resume. Looks like I'll need either to make WideServer intercept other parts of FS (ugh), or make FSUIPC send WideServer some special message when 3365 changes. I'm looking at that possibility first. Regards, Pete

Thanks! Pete

Were you also looking at the FS spoiler lever on screen? What does that do? Can you operate the spoilers smoothly, to any position, whilst in the air? Before you touched down, had you armed the spoiler (i.e. moved the lever until both the on-screen position showed "arm" and PM did too? Playing around with the spoiler lever whilst on the ground does do odd things in FS. This is a known anomaly. don't bother trying to test spoilers on the ground, you will only confuse yourself. All you need to happen on the ground is for ARM to go to full flight detente, and the lever to off to lower them completely. Any other action on the ground is misleading and irrlelvant. Test the spoiler operation in the air, then we are only looking for auto-deployment on landing. Why not show me the ones you fond? Please just be more observant and answer the questions. I think you are missing some each time, and it sounds like the odd and irrelevant FS actions on the ground are confusing you. Regards, Pete

Unless you choose fixed IP addresses (which is advisable in any case in my opinion) then Windows or your router (whichever is the address manager) will assign new IP addresses as it wants at any time it wants. Why are you specifying IP addresses in the Client INIs in any case? If all your systems are running WinXP then you shouldn't need to specify any server details in any Client -- WideFS 6.51 finds the Server automatically. In any case, rather than use IP addresses always use the Server name, as then WideClient asks Windows to translate the name into an IP address when it is run. That takes care of dynamically assigned addresses, as you have operating. Please check all the hints on setting up your Network for Project Magenta on the PM website. Regards, Pete

You are a C/C++ programer? You program for Windows? Every window in Windows has a Classname (not necessarily unique). The FS window's class name is "FS98MAIN". FSUIPC has one called "UIPCMAIN". WideClient emulates FS and uses "FS98MAIN", and using this stops you running both FS and WideClient on the same PC. The interface code uses the Class name to find the Window to send the data read/write requests to. It passes the data via memory mapped files -- you need a different such file for the two interface jobs you need to do. The C source of the interface is provided in the SDK and, being a C/C++ programmer, you should have no trouble working out how to make two of them. If you are not a programmer or don't know C or Windows programming then I would recommend you find someone who does. Regards Pete

Yes. You need to change the Classname used in WideClient (there's a parameter for that), and interface to that using that classname to get the window handle, and use a different memory-mapped file (i.e. change the way the file name is generated. You'll need to adapt the source code from that supplied for the interface in the SDK. Regards, Pete

Hmmm. The whole business of detecting the "in menu" situation is actually not very good and the indicator does flicker internally. It may be that I arranged it so that when FSUIPC supplies it locally it is set properly, but WideFS is grabbing it asynchronously and therefore not getting it set before supply. I'm not sure how or where I can fix it, but I will take a look -- maybe in FSUIPC, not WideFS. Regards, Pete

Is this the code example in Delphi? Do you think you could ZIP is and either attach it here or send it as an email attachment to petedowson@btconnect.com, please? I can copy and paste from the thread message into a text file, but I cannot easily get any correct indentation and so on, and I don't think I'd trust the result anyway. Thanks! Pete

FS98? Phew. Do FSUIPC and AdvDisp still work in FS98? All that means is that RC hasn't got as far as starting fully. None of my programs, nor RC, produce APL files, so I don't know what that means. The facilities offered at FFC aren't available in FS98. FSUIPC does pretty much nothing at all on FS98 -- it was only run on it initially in order to obtain data to provide FS6IPC compatibility for FS2000. Have you asked RC support? Do they actually aupport the use of RCV4 on FS98? Regards, Pete

No, it wasn't posted here -- possibly in the FS2004 Forum? Do you mean the AdvDisplay hot key? If so then, like most of the options, it gets saved to your FSUIPC.INI file when you close FS. If your FS is crashing instead of closing properly, then that may explain it. After you close FS do these checks: 1. See if the time/date on the FSUIPC.INI file is correct for the time. 2. Do Ctrl+Alt+Del, select Processes and look for FS9.exe. If it is listed then it hasn't terminated correctly. 3. Check the FSUIPC.INI file [General] section for an entry defining "AdvDisplayHotKey=..." -- you can look up the numbers in the FSUIPC Advanced User's document. Regards Pete

Sorry, FSUIPC is not responsible and cannot help. That will almost certainly be a scenery issue. Regards, Pete

Theere is no option specifically for that, but it is one of the main examples given in the update documentation for "the new FSUIPC", version 3.536, available along with version 3.556 in the Interim Versions announcement above. Regards Pete

I need you to watch the FS spoiler when you touchdown, not PM. I suspect PM is looking at the wrong value (though I am still checking that). But all that is too late. I need to know what actually happens on touchdown. Yes, that is what FS does if you Arm on the ground. That's pretty much correct -- it's actual position would be just a smidgeon above "arm", which is the 7% deployed area. It shouldn't actually go "flying up" though, it should move to a position corresponding to the lever position, between 7 and 100% No idea. Have you tried using the FSUIPC Logging yet? If you log Axis controls (from just before touch down to just after), it may help. Axis control logging will also show exactly what your lever is doing. You could also show me the Spoiler calibration line for your FSUIPC.INI file. One other thing to try -- press the reset button in FSUIPC's spoiler calibration, so that FSUIPC is no longer anything to do with the spoiler at all, then see if you can make it work properly in FS alone (i.e. exactly as Microsoft intended). Let me know what you see then -- maybe you have a joystick problem. Pete

I'm afraid I cannot help with no information at all, it is impossible! Please detail your WideFS configuration, and show me the Server and Client logs and INI files. Pete

There are no changes between 3.553 aqnd 3.556 which can prevent a gauge from appearing. There must be something in his code. I'm sorry but I cannot investigate other programs here. Can you please ask Eienne to take a look? If he thinks there's a problem in FSUIPC he can contact me, but I really have no idea what other folks' programs are doing and cannot debug them. Sorry. Pete

You either have duplicate copies of FSUIPC (either renamed, in Modules, or, incorrectly, in the main FS folder, OR you have an add-in which is preventing FS closing correctly. Check for the latter by Ctrl+Alt+Del, look at the process list and see if there's an "FS9.EXE" listed. If so, forcefully close it (button near the bottom right). Then find out which add-in isn't allowing FS to close and either remove it or get it corrected. Please scan through the earlier messages in this thread. I'm sure it's been explained quite a lot. That's why threads are useful, but you need to read through them. Regards, Pete

I hadn't realised there was a need to simply discard messages. My aim was to split them -- menu types suitable for a squarer window away from single or scrolling single line types providing information. Whilst I can quite easily add options into FSUIPC to discard single line messages directed to FS through FSUIPC, this still isn't quite what AdvDisplay can do. AdvDisplay actually intercepts FS's own messages, as from ATIS or other parts (very few now) and re-directs them (or, in your case, presumably suppresses them). This is quite a lot more than the code currently in FSUIPC. If you think this is a desirable option, then possibly I can add it -- only for external programs (easy). Maybe I could add it, like AdvDisplay, for internal messages too -- i.e. including FS's, but I'd rather not. I'd like to be clear on this, though. Exactly why is it needed? Don't the external programs you use have such messages optional? Regards, Pete

Please check the latest interim version, 3.556 (or later), above. There's now a facility (INI file parameter) to do just that. Regards, Pete