Pete Dowson

Sounds like you are filling up the Keyboard buffer faster than it can be emptied. I don't know what processor you are using, but perhaps it is a bit slow for something like the PMDG panels? This is likely to be a big problem with all panels which only provide keybaord shortcuts for value changes. The best method for values is the one I use for FS default autopilot and Project Magenta -- actualy changing the value directly. There's no problems with speed them. Maybe when the PMDG SDK comes out this will be possible with their panels, but I think you may have to program it yourself. Er .. that doesn't sound at all correct. The key press hold/pulse option problem was BEFORE version 3.21. It is specifically fixed in this new release. What you describe is exactly what can happen in previous versions. It sounds like you haven't actually updated the DLL. Version 3.21 was only made available a couple of hours ago, so you could not have been "trying all day", as you say, with that versin. Regards, Pete

I don't know which would work out best to be honest. It isn't something I've done. You may want to poll users of the Aerowinx PS1 747 simulator. They use a program which links it to FS just for the scenery view. I've seen it running and it looks okay. (I think there's a link to in on the http://www.schiratti.com/dowson page. Look on the list at the right-hand side). Whether multiplayer would be smoother or easier or not I don't know. You could try linking up two PCs and run multiplayer between two complete FS installations -- put the one you are considering using for the views into observer mode and fly the other. Maybe others who are implementing this sort of thing will chip in with their views too. Regards, Pete

In the default FS panel? Is there a reset for it? I know of no FS control nor any place where I could invent one for you. Sorry. Maybe it is purely a gauge function with mouse operation only? Regards, Pete

Version 3.21 will be released this weekend, I hope. Maybe the PSS panels don't support keyboard shortcuts for everything. If they did it should be documented somewhere, but there are a lot of panels which require you to use the Mouse a lot. If you are stuck using the mouse you may want to invest in a module called KeyToMouse, by Luciano Napolitano (http://www.wideview.it/key2mouse.htm). It can convert keypresses into mouse movements and clicks. I think there are keyboard shortcuts to increment and decrement these values. Don't you get a list somewhere in the package? I don't know which of the PMDG A/P values are handled by FS and which by the PMDG code, but try the standard FS controls first. The CRS one is most likely to be FS's -- even Project Magenta leaves that to FS as it is so uncomplicated in any case. Regards, Pete

I'm sorry, I don't understand this question. Pete

Yes. If fact I urge you to always keep up to date -- I cannot support old versions, so I'd rather everyone kept up! There is a list of supported versions near the top of this forum, and a list of changes in each version right at the very top. But you may want to wait until the weekend -- I will be releasing updates for both. Same version as what? Sorry, but it is rather a meaningless question on its own like that. Please check the announcements at the top of the forum. They give you all the information you need. You can always find the version numbers of any of my modules by right-clicking on the DLL itself and selecting "Properties" then "Version". Regards, Pete

I don't send the user keys. All that is dealt with by the suppliers. I don't even have a database of registered users. I concentrate on development and technical support. If you got it from SimMarket, just go to http://www.simmarket.com, open your account and retrieve your key. Pete

Correct that no version of FS yet made implements an APU. There are some third party aircraft with APU systems simulation built in, but nothing FSUIPC knows about. I'm not sure what you mean by this. Your process loop would be something like: * Assemble FSUIPC_Writes for results obtained from last cycle (if any) * Assemble FSUIPC_Reads for data needed. * Do the FSUIPC_Process to interact with FSUIPC * Sleep a little, or exit to windows, or whatever The last part is merely to allow other programs (eg FS) to get on and do things. However, as you may be saying, the first three parts may be instigated by a Timer call (eg from SetTimer Windows API). In this case you simply perform the steps then exit to windows, all as part of the Timer message or procedure call processing. No need for a "sleep". The time interval should match the sort of "frame rate" or update cycle you need. I'm afraid I do not understand the rest of your question. Regards, Pete

If you do all the reads then execute the Process call, yes -- with minor exceptions where the values are derived inside FSUIPC from others and are of lower priority and therefore not computed on every cycle. For all the values important to flying the aircraft they will have been obtained from FS within the same "frame". Your cycle should be to accumulate all the read and write requests, then Process, then sleep or something (to give others a chance), then do it all again. Well your guess is as good as mine. I always tend to think this is the "frame" (as measured by the frame rate), but there are fast cycles going on inside too. Each process going on in FS adds itself to one or more "chains" (there are 30-50 of these as far as I can tell). Some chains are timer instigated (eg one timer tick, 55 mSecs), others appear to be frame rate related -- but some are a lot slower, and some 3 or 4 times faster. Many are only executed on specific events, like a weather change. In the past a lot of my work with FS was based on the idea of a synchronous "step", with nothing actually happening betwen steps, and everything needed calculated each time. I think it might have been like that once, but as the programmers have striven for greater realism, better graphics, and more smoothness, I think all the various subsystems have become rather de-synchronised. With this in mind, some values may be less "up to date" than others even without FSUIPC's priority system for derived values. Regards, Pete

I really don't know what CPFlight supports, sorry. I know they support Project Magenta, but I don't even know if they support default FS autopilots, let alone any third party cockpits at all. The latter does seem unlikely unless they have some special drivers for each one. Most of them either have nothing to do with FSUIPC (and therefore cannot be controlled through it), or do use FSUIPC but in some proprietary unpublished way. Your best source of information on this must surely be CPflight? Regards, Pete

If you got it from SimMarket, just go to http://www.simmarket.com, open your account there, and retrieve your key. Then be sure to take a backup, a print-out, anything to keep it safe. Regards, Pete

Thanks. Coincidentally, he's discussing it with me too now! :wink: Regards, Pete

There is really no need. You can use both or just one. I use the Aerosoft MCP with the PFC Jetliner, and using the A/P controls on either works fine with PM. I don't see why CPFlight would be any different. For specific dials or switches you can program them in FSUIPC to do what you want, and this overrides the default PFC settings, so you can change them that way, if you want. but there's really no need at all. Regards, Pete

Yes, it is. It's been done for other things, like obtaining scenery visuals for the PS1 747 Simulator which is otherwise main an excellent cockpit systems simulator). You can either do it using FS's own multiplayer protocol (get the Microsoft MP SDK), or through FSUIPC. For the latter you need the FSUIPC SDK, from http://www.schiratti.com/dowson. The EtherNet link is how you drive the Multiplayer stuff in any case -- with FSUIPC you could use WideFS or do your own thing for that, depending on what is at the other end. Regards, Pete

Why would you want two networks between the same PCs? Is this because WidevieW only supports IPX/SPX? Isn't it still more efficient to have both TCP/IP and IPX/SPX on the same network? I'm not sure that's what you are asking it to do. All you want it to do is copy the aileron, elevator, rudder, flap and spoiler settings. it's up to each installation of FS to do the "frame dynamic" visuals as a result of those settings. No, sorry -- unless FS's own multiplayer will do it, with the clients in Observer mode. Did you try that? Regards, Pete

Three computers with only two Network cards? Hmmm. One computer isn't connected? I don't know much about the current version of WidevieW, but it should be able to do that. Perhaps you should ask the WidevieW folks? WideFS is not at all involved in this. You cannot use WideFS for any of that, it is for linking FS applications on other PCs to a single copy of FS running on the Server PC. You can do what you want by having three monitors on one PC, either by multiple video cards, or by using a Matrox Parhelia which does support three monitors -- I use one of these. But, be warned, it isn't the fastest of video cards. You need a very fast PC. Regards, Pete

You might as well keep using the same keys. Your name and that email address will still identify you uniquely (probably), and I can't think of any reason anyone or anything should be actually using that email address for real email. The only annoyance would arise if you were to attempt to publish your Keys and details for others to use freely, which is against the rules and counted as piracy :o -- I suspect you'd be tracked down pretty quickly though, even with a different email address! :wink: Regards, Pete

Sorry, no. It was one of the questions I put to Microsoft during development, but their answer was that, basically, it isn't possible at present. No doubt there must, somethere, be graphic instructions with xyz coordinates, but the graphics side of FS is a complete unkown to me and I wouldn't know where to start I'm afraid. Most of the interest in this short of thing was/is for decent and accurate weather radar. There are some weather radar programs about which appear to do a good job, though presumably they are doing it on a "macro" scale (based on weather reports from the different WX stations) rather than on the micro scale in which you'd be interested. However, you could ask the authors of those -- provided you aren't competing with them (they are commercial) I don't see why they wouldn't help, assuming they did know something. Regards, Pete

Since both GCs are basically reading the same small amount of data from FS, through WideClient, the problem can only be that they do not like competing. Perhaps it is your video card -- many cards (or drivers) do not support OpenGL acceleration on more than one window. I use a Parhelia which certainly does not have that problem. I know Ray Proudfoot tried two GC windows on one nVidia based card and also had stutters. This is really a question for Enrico, the author of PM, but my advice is to display all your instruments in one window, not two, using one copy of GC. If your video driver does not allow you to stretch the one window over two monitors, you either need a newer driver, or maybe you have chosen the wrong mode. Regards, Pete

Nor I, sorry. Have you no access to the PM newsgroup? Pete

Yes, it does, unless one uses Timer to limit its access. Best to use a stretched window with all the gauges you need. Regards, Pete

Please check the WideFS documentation! That parameter defaults ON. You need to add the line I suggested to try switching the joystick scanning off. That's why I suggested it! It defaults on because on all systems I know of it does no harm whatsoever. Ah! I have the GC running three times on one client, and it stutters very badly UNLESS I set UseTimer=On on two of them. They compete for WideClient's attention and this causes havoc. If one is the PFD/ND and the other is EICAS, set UseTimer=On in the EICAS. Really it is MUCH smoother if you only run one copy. Try one stretched window with both PFC and EICAS. I am waiting for a version of the PFD.EXE which provided PFD/ND for both pilot and copilot, plus EICAS, all in one wide window. Also try TCP/IP again (with default WideClient settings) when you've done this. If you posted these things in the PM Newsgroup I'm sure several folks will advise you about all this. Regards, Pete

And you got IPX/SPX working? Phew! It was mainly because I could never get any satisfactory results with IPX/SPX with WinXP that I spent so much time getting TCP/IP operation up to scratch. Now it is much smoother. In that case it must be something else causing the stutters. Check the list of processes running, ask Katy or others in the PM group. Of course, do not disable TCP/IP on an XP network (though Win98 worked fine with only IPX/SPX installed). Best if you ONLY have TCP/IP, though, if possible. I don't know Pic2. I only ever set the address in the place you have, in Pic1. Nor I! :? I am out of ideas. Sorry. BTW, did you try, as I suggested twice now, disabling the joystick scanning in WideClient? You've not answered that one yet. Also, do you have "UseTimer=On" in the PFD.INI of PM? If so, change it to "Off". I don't think that is good unless you need to run more than one copy on the same PC. Regards, Pete

Please let me know what you get from Marc. I've not heard from him in a long time. Perhaps "real" work is taking him away from FSMeteo developments. Regards, Pete

That sounds EXACTLY like the stutters caused by Windows (expecially Windows 98/95/Me) when you have TCP/IP installed on the network, but have not assigned fixed IP addresses for each PC. (What Windows version(s) are you using?). Other possibilities for regular stutters like that are memory managers/tweakers and anti-virus activities. I am pretty sure that you have some process, nothing to do with FS or WideFs, causing this. It may not be one closed automatically or easily with EndItAll. Check also with Katy Pluta on the FS2004 forum, or in the PM Newsgroup. BTW you responded to (quotes) and earlier draft reply from me, which I sent unintentionally -- I edited it afterwards. You might want to reread it, just in case. Regards, Pete