Pete Dowson

Oh, right. In that case they have something wrong. I assume you are a registered user of FSUIPC, or else the program would need an access Key to do this. What is the name of the program? Is it "ivap"? I did provide an access key way back in July 2003 for a program called Ivap: IVAP.exe Product name "IvAp 1.0" Company "International Virtual Aviation Organization" I assume they incorporated the Key into the program. Have you checked the FSUIPC.LOG to see what that says? Regards, Pete

FSUIPC's AI traffic facilities work fine, and I am using the latest PM builds and see all AI traffic well. Of course I don't fly on-line. It sounds like you need to contact Jose abut AIBridge. Are you using his latest version? I replaced the old ZIP on the Schiratti "Dowson" page with a link to Jose's AIBridge site. Meanwhile you have to think about what you have changed? What do you mean by "the new client" for instance? Is this a revised Squawkbox or something? Maybe you need other updates? Regards, Pete

Phew! What's OODEFRAG? Is that something doing things to your disk in the background? Anyway, I'm glad you got it sorted at last! Regards, Pete

FSUIPC is not checking anything at all. It doesn't even start doing anything much until FS is fully loaded. I really have no idea what could be happening on your system. I have no other similar reports. What does the FSUIPC log show? (Not much by that stage I should think). The reason I suggested starting with a newly generated FS9.CFG file was in case FS was initially loading a corrupt FLT+WX file, but you've already eliminated that as a possibility. A corrupt WX file may cause FS to hang when FSUIPC asks it for the weather, that's all. The only other Weather related file which may be in error is the WXStationList.BIN file, which would be in the same folder as your FS9.CFG file -- it does change as it gets updated from time to time when you download weather. Maybe that got corrupted? To install a completely virgin FS you would have had to delete the entire Fs9 folder in "Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft". Since you've re-installed FS you could try copying over the original WXstationList.BIN file into that FS9 folder -- you'll find it installed in the main FS folder in the "Weather" sub-folder. Also, as a last resort, you could try adding (or changing if it's there already) "InitDelay=3000" to the [General] section of the FSUIPC.INI file. This stops FSUIPC hooking into FS's message processing for that number of milliseconds. You could actually try something like 15000 initially (= 15 seconds) and if that works, work down. Really I am all out of ideas on this. The only other thing I would check are other processes/programs running. Try to close everything else down that you can, just in case one is interfering. Also, I know that fancy Windows add-ons like Window Blinds can sometimes cause problems. Regards, Pete

Glad you got it sorted out. Do you think you could upload a corrected package for Enrico? Send it to enrico@schiratti.com. Regards, Pete

Yes, provided WideClient has the keyboard focus. It's in the WideFS documentation -- see the SendKeyPresses parameter. Pete

Yes, with minimal facilities in CFS1 and more facilities in CFS2. Both were based on FS design and the similar architecture allows FSUIPC to operate, but just not as fully as those platforms for which it is designed (FS200X). No for CFS3 -- this sim is not at all like FS and there isn't even a way to add external modules like FSUIPC to it. No, only sims based on MSFS code since FS2000. Regards, Pete

Not sure what the "SU3" mod is. I use the PMDG 700 with PM, but I use no panel whatsoever. Have you tried the PM NewsGroup? It is full of folks who have experience of this. This really is a less likely place to get such help. Regards, Pete

I assume that you mean the joystick and button numbers are flickering, not the whole window? If this is the case you have at least two buttons which are constantly making and breaking contact. Assignments would not produce any such effect. The Buttons programmming window uses a routine which scans all connected joysticks and displays the last one with the last button to be seen changing from "not pressed" to "pressed". If only one button was doing so it would not flicker, but stay showing that value, but with two or more it will look to FSUIPC as if you are still selecting buttons and therefore it tries to show the last one you pushed. Note that is scanning not only applies to real joysticks connected to your FS PC, but also buttons on GoFlight units, and on other PCs if you use WideFS. It also applies to "virtual buttons", which need not be hardware at all but application programs writing to specific offsets in FSUIPC. Does the flickering stop if you unplug that? You will need to follow some process of elimination to ascertain what is causing the problem, whether add-on hardware or add-on applications. It isn't just a matter of not being able to use the Window for programming the buttons (you can always do it by direct editing in the INI file instead), you need to know what is causing it and which buttons are affected so you can either stop them or avoid using them at all -- they obviously aren't of any practical use if they a going on and off all the time. Any existing assignments in the INI file will be totally irrelevant in any case --- as I say, the window is trying to show you the lasst button pressed and that is evidently constantly changing. Again, those are not relevant at all to FSUIPC's button scanning. You deleted everything FSUIPC knows about when you deleted the INI file. This is nothing whatsoever to do with assignments -- it is buttons which are constantly making and breaking contact. Regards, Pete

Those locations are reserved by FSLCD. That's how they get reserved. I don't document them because I have no idea how they are used -- that's private to the software author, and it is up to him whether he publishes details. Regards, Pete

Might be quicker just to delete the FS9.CFG file first. Even if you re-install, you may still need to do that -- I've a feeling it leaves it intact, along with all your saved flights and (possibly corrupt) weather files in your 2My Documents" folder. Regards, Pete

FSUIPC doesn't really do much till FS is actually loaded and ready to fly. Did you check that your FS9.1 update did complete correctly? There's a list of the FS modules which have been updated in my announcement about 8.1 at the top of this Forum. If that's okay, try deleting your FS9.CFG file (make a safe copy of it first) so that FS starts up using default settings. The FS9.CFG file will be in your Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft\FS9 folder. If that gets you into FS, then you probably have a corrupt flight, or, more likely, a corrupt weather (WX) file. I think the latter can screw up FS after the FS9.1 update more easily than before. The only difference FSUIPC being there would be making is that it is reading the weather. Otherwise it sounds like you have some other add-on which is accessing FSUIPC and then going wrong. What does the FSUIPC.LOG file look like? Regards, Pete

Well, of course, certainly that's good news for me, but ... That's simply the result of the weather being cleared. You have weather logging enabled in FSUIPC, so it logs changes it sees at assorted levels. The FS98 interface is the original FS98-compatible weather interface. It is still maintained in FSUIPC for old programs. The ambient wind changes logged are the results on the wind at the aircraft of the Wind Smoothing option. I must admit, I've NEVER set that slider to "extreme". It sounds as if that is causing continuous activity in the Weather DLL and the result is the slow downs you see? Why not simply refrain from using "extreme", which seems rather unrealistic in any case? Just so you can use "extreme" changes? Seems rather excessive. Ah -- because it always happens with your weather program, is that it? Only 49MB used!? For FS2004? Are you sure you don't mean GB? Megabytes are hardly anything these days. I think the default full install of FS9 is about 2.8Gb (i.e. 2800 Mb). My FS2004 installation is about 30 Gb (30000 MB) at present, and growing! :wink: [LATER] I just tried the "EXTREME" change setting with the gray and rainy theme, and the frame rates seem to sustain well. I really cannot understand what is happening on your system. Could it possibly be something to do with Win2000 with video drivers really optimised these days for XP? Win2000 is getting long in the tooth, and I'm wondering if there may be some inefficiencies creeping in with the new DirectX and drivers with these ultra-fast video cards. Regards, Pete

Aha! In that case the problem is that the PMDG autopilot uses virtually none of the default FS autopilot, and does not co-operate with PM's MCP at all because PM has no way of controlling it. This actually applies to several of the advanced cockpit add-ons, but PMDG are most especially "different". You will need to modify the installed PMDG aircraft as specified in the PM downloads site. Look down the updates page, bottom right I think. Regards, Pete

Good, glad you got it sorted. Small world 9but i wouldn't want to paint it! :wink: I've lived around here for 40 years (since I got married in fact), but I'm actually from Middlesex, near London, and went to Bristol University. Incidentally, North Staffs Poly is now part of Staffordshire University! :) Regards, Pete

I don't know the CPFlight stuff at all, but there are plenty of users with this and PM over in the PM Newsgroup. I suggest that's the best place to get advice. I know PM's MCP program drives the MCP hardware directly -- Enrico knows the CPFlight stuff and is a fan I believe. I don't think you can use both together. Why would you want to? Also, if you are using the PMDG aircraft, for PM's MCP to be used with it you either have to fly PMDG with no part of their panel (which is what I do), or do some patching -- there are packages explaining all this on the PM downloads site. Go over to the PM Newsgroup. That's by far the best place. Loads of folks do what you want to do there. Regards, Pete

The only thing I can think of, then, is that the FS9.1 patch isn't installing correctly. Have you checked the changed FS Modules against the list I published in the FS9.1 announcent at the top of this forum? Are you flying with the menu on display all of the time? If so, try right-clicking in the main scenery view and checking "hide menu bar". That way FS re-builds the entire menu when you press ALT. Another thing to eliminate would be the PMDG panel, in case part of that isn't quite compatible with FS9.1, which seems unlikely. But try some flights with another aircraft just in case. My configuation is similar to yours, with the PMDG 737-700, but I don't actually use the panel for serious flights (PM instead). Alternatively, try just (temporarily) removing the PMDGoptions DLL from the Modules folder. I don't think that stops you using the panels, but it stops the DLL changing the Menu. Ah. There's another difference. I've not plucked up enough courage yet to try installing SP2, so my PCs are still SP1. But I can't imagine that would make any difference here. Regards, Pete

Oh, NOW I see! I thought you were referring to two facilities provided by EPICINFO which should give the same format but don't. No, everything is perfectly correct. When you read any offset using the generic offset reading facility, EPICINFO has no idea whatsoever what it contains and therefore cannot convert it for you. If you want them both in the same format, read the NAV1 "use" frequency from offset 0x0350 the same way. If you need them in decimal you will have to convert them in EPL. I don't remember what maths facilities are in EPL now but you need something to do this, for each byte: (10 * ( x / 16)) + (x % 16) where * is multiplication, / is division (losing remainder) and % is getting the remainder. Or (10 * (x >> 4)) + (x & 15) where >> is 'shift right by' and & is 'logical AND'. Alternatively, if you can send one digit at a time to the display, then just use shifts and 'ands'. i.e (x >> 4) for the first digit in a byte and (x & 15) for the second digit. I think that Ralph was trying to make the new EPL quite C-like, so maybe my nomenclature here is the same in EPL. Sorry, I am very out of touch with all things EPIC these days! Regards, Pete

Try it. I doubt the format has changed. If it doesn't work you just revert to your carefully saved copy of the FS2002 one. Regards, Pete

Not sure I understand. "Reads bits directly" would imply that you get what FS gives me -- and that is hex BCD, i.e. 0x1560 for 115.60. Do the older PHs convert those to decimal? If the two are different this is probably a bug. I'm afraid I cannot test changes to any of my EPIC stuff these days as I don't use EPIC at all. I am therefore rather reliant on feedback, and no one has mentioned this before. If you can clarify for me (show me a log line for NAV1 use and NAV1 standby so I can see what is hapening), I'll try to fix it and send you an update to test. Please send details to me at petedowson@btconnect.com so I can reply with and attachment. It may be a day or two. Regards, Pete

No, but there should be no need. Just keep the voltage up, or let it diminish faster or slower. The programmer's Guide lists where the Battery voltage is stored. Try changing that. Regards Pete

Just copy the DLL into your modules folder. Unless you deleted the FSUIPC .KEY file you don't even need to re-register. Registrations for FSUIPC 3 cover all version 3 updates. Regards, Pete

Sorry, I really cannot solve that sort of problem -- it will be some problem with drivers for sure. It will no doubt affect all non-Direct3D dialogues in full screen mode. I do have a Radeon 8500 XT Pro on one of my PCs and it all works perfectly on that -- if you cannot find later drivers get back to me and I'll see what version I have. (The PC isn't on at present, it isn't in this room). Regards, Pete

Ugh! That's not nice. Strange. I know of no reason for that. Possibly Weather logging is enabled (FSUIPC Logging page) and either the disk is very full or fragmented, or you have Windows write caching turned off? Ah, well if you removed FSUIPC.INI it would have generated a default which, of course, would not have Weather logging enabled. Do you have any Weather gauges which might be trying to read the weather during the changes? The other thing which can slow things down is when there's an unaccredited program attempting to access a non-registered copy of FSUIPC, but since you have access to the wind smoothing that can't really apply to you. Can you check the log file of FSUIPC for me, please? Are there streams of errors reported? If so it is likely that you have a partially-installed FS9.1 update. For this please check my announcement at the top of the Forum. Well, certainly try temporarily removing any non-FS DLLs from the Modules folder, other than FSUIPC. Also test with a default aircraft, no add-on gauges, to see if it may be an add-on gauge killing the frame rates. There's no change in weather handling in 3.40. What was your previous version? Have you updated your FS9 to FS9.1? Regards, Pete

Check the Freeware Keys list in this Forum. It's a "sticky" near the top. Pete