Pete Dowson

No. FSUIPC is only an interface to allow programs to read data from and write data to FS. The main interface actually used by Squawkbox is the Multiplayer one built into FS -- I think the term "session" refers to MP stuff. I'm afraid I don't know anything about that side of FS at all. Sorry. Regards, Pete

Ah, I hate all thsat high level stuff. It does the same things as it always did, yet in much more convoluted and expensive ways. It is this sort of development that means that the vast improvement we get in computer speeds and capacity is all but totally lost to code inflation and inefficiency. I am afraid I am a die-hard assembly-level programmer who uses C with some reluctance, but at least in C I've a fair notion of what is really happening! I don't mean any of this as an insult to you. I do realise that this makes coding simple and easy, but the cost is horrendous, both as a loss of understanding in most programmers about what actually happens and in the bloat I already mentioned. Sorry, if Virtual Keycodes are never used in VB.net I am rather at a loss to explain them to you. Surely you don't distinguish between, say, ESCAPE and ENTER by using their numeric representations? Most languages, even Assembly Code, uses names for common constants -- doesn't VB? In the C and C++ headers the Keycodes are defined by #defines with names like VK_ESC or whatever. Then you need not worry that this is in fact number 27, or whatever. Regards, Pete

Of course you can change the thorttle setting. Many of the 3rd party A/Ps use thrust setting->speed feedback type loops to operate the auto-throttle, just as real aircraft controls do. I am afraid I do not understand what you mean by "I can do this using the FS2004 map". What's the "FS2004 map"? Throttle values can be written directly, and have the same effect as joystick throttle inputs -- however, if your joystick throttles are still connected they will likely interfere. There are facilities in the FSUIPC interface for disconnecting the throttles so you can take over. In fact you can disconnect all the flight controls, but still read those inputs, and thus program a "fly-by-wire" system as used in the Airbus. Regards, Pete

How are you detecting that it doesn't do anything? If you are referring to some ex-FS2002 or earlier Gauge which purports to show the state of this function, don't -- they don't appear to work in FS2004. The only way to see if it is working is to fly and feel the effect, or possibly to get a gauge which shows the control positions. You might also see the rudder move when you operate the ailerons, from an external view. Regards, Pete

They are the parameters for the Windows WM_KEYDOWN and WM_KEYUP messages which you are asking FSUIPC to send on your behalf. The documentation is in the Windows API documentation only (or in multitudes of Windows' programming books), not in any Flight Simulation reference. When I do any programming in Windows I have to constantly look stuff like this up, I don't learn it. How do you manage without such a reference? I don't understand. Doesn't VB.NET allow you to process Key messages? If you really cannot find the references, whether in books or in your Compiler's help, I can try to make a copy of some of it here, but I'm not sure that's properly legal. The keycodes used are those named VK_xxx ("virtual Key") and must be defined somewhere in your compiler's headers if it allows Windows programming. However, the main ones are the same as the key values used by FS in its CFG file and are therefore also listed in my "FSxxxx Controls" documents, and, in fact, in the FSUIPC Advanced User'sa Guide for Key programming. Get back if you are really stuck, but I am rather puzzled by the question -- the programmer's guide is aimed at programmers and I thought all programmers in Windows would have such data, which is why the documentation is worded to suit. Sorry if this isn't always true. BTW an alternative to sending Keystrokes is to use the "virtual buttons" facilities in FSUIPC -- offsets 3340 ff. Then the buttons so activated can be programmed in FSUIPC's Buttons page, so saving you the chore. Regards, Pete

No. The keys will work. Just enter all the details again EXACTLY as they were -- the Name, Email address and Keys must match exactly. Best to cut-and-paste either from the original notifications, or from the FSUIPC.KEY file you saved from your original installation, as advised (you did didn't you?). Regards, Pete

Eryou have a PFC throttle quadrant, connecting via a COM/Serial port (or USB with COM driver), and you install PFC.DLL, yet you don't get a PFC menu entry? I think you need to explain EXACTLY what you have installed. Maybe it is not PFC at all? I don't understand how you have managed to map Throttle 1 to engines 1 and 2 and Throttle 2 to engines 3 and 4, yet have not even calibrated your levers in PFC yet? Calibration is the very FIRST thing you should do, for each throttle quadrant you own. There is no way the quadrants can be shipped "ready calibrated". If you've never done this simple task, I am really not surprised you have so much difficulty!!! Please check the PFC documentation and follow the instructions. The whole process is VERY simple -- no one else has reported any problem with this task in the two years that the PFC.DLL has been provided! :-( Regards, Pete

I don't know VB, but if you can read the Pause indicator at offset 0264 then just preset the variable you are reading into to 1 (pause) or 0 (not pause), change the "Read" to a "Write" and the offset from 0264 to 0262 to address the pause control. [sorry, in previous edition of this message I had 0262 and 0264 reversed] There's no magic here, reading and writing numerical values is really identical excepting of course wuth writing you set the value beforehand, with writing you access the value after. The actual read or write takes place on the "Process" call. Play with FSInterrogate to understand how the offsets work. Pete

I was only thinking of whether it was possible to set 17xx.x to ADF2 and have it "stick" (i.e. read-back correctly). You don't need an actual gauge -- if it sticks then the gauge, if one existed, would have to agree in any case. :) No matter, I will check it here and get back to you. Regards, Pete

Check the VB sections of the SDK. Other than that I can't really help, not knowing VB -- but there are lots of folks here who will help with specific questions, just not a whole tutorial. Regards, Pete

But what about ADF2 -- if that accepts the higher values maybe I can make FSUIPC do it too for ADF1? I'll try things myself next week. This weekend I've a lot of sorting out to do to get myself "back in the groove" so to speak! :-) Regards, Pete

Hi Ben, Thanks, yes, it was an excellent break. Just catching up still. Glad to see so many folks managed so well whilst I was away -- you especially did a good job! Thanks again! Best regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! This is not really my field, but how are you synchronising this to ensure "every (msfs) frame"? I think you would need at least to "sleep" a little in your loop, to allow MSFS to do some processing. Your best bet would be to limit the FS frame rate to something easily achievable (like 20 fps, say), then make sure your loop take 50 mSecs (say) -- leaving plently of process time for FS. If you run on a P4 PC with hyperthreading, you may be able to force your program onto one "processor" whilst FS is on the other, for better results. Otherwise, what might be happening is that FS isn't getting time to do its thing and meanwhile several of your changes accumulate and get executed at once, visually. This would be jerky for both reasons. The same can happen over a Network, or even worse unless you limit FS frame rates. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! I didn't fully understand your earlier explanation of your problem, but if you mean things like not being able to increment some values by 1, only 5 or 10 or something, this is due to "control acceleration", and is caused by programs which continually (and badly, in my opinion) send controls to FS at some high rate, like 10-20 per second. This is bad for two reasons: 1) it is extremently inefficient to send controls to change things to the same value they have anyway. It accomplishes nothing except soaking up processing power. Each such control involved several Windows messages and calls between several FS modules. 2) FS implements mouse and keyboard control acceleration (so dials change faster when held, for instance) by timing the gaps between the arrival of controls. It does not check whether they are the same controls, as that is really (theoretically) wasted time and code -- after all it expected them only to arrive from keypress and mouse operation in any case, so if they arrive at high speed they MUST be the same, right? There is a facility in FSUIPC which checks whether the controls are the same or not, and if not kills the timer which FS checks. It's an ugly solution as it slows things even more, but it works with the few panels which do this sort of thing. In that case the solution is either to get the folks who wrote the driver for the unit to improve their code so it doesn't do this thing (which is by far the best and most efficient solution), or maybe hope that Microsoft do things differently in FS2006. I don't recall this, but certainly if he did I would have explained very carefully what the problem was so that he could fix it. I don't see it as FSUIPC's job to fix bad programming in other products, but where I have given in to such things, as in this case, I feel it is right to include this in the chargeable part of the facilities. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! Sorry, I can't figure it out either. I thought it wasn't so much "FSRealTime" that fixed it, but replacement BGL files (which are packaged with FSRealTime, but aren't by the same author). Since installing those I've not noticed any time zone problems, but maybe that's because I tend to favour quite short trips. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! They aren't unchangeable, but need the same name and email address for both. To do otherwise would not only make the interface for it more unwieldy but also generate more dependence on the Windows Registry than I like, and more complication when anything goes wrong and things need re-setting. The current system is a compromise for simplicity and it works well. I do make it clear in the documentation that you need the same for each. If you haven't got it sorted with SimMarket yet, send me (petedowson@btconnect.com) both the FSUIPC email you got and the WideFS one and tell me which name/email address you need to use for both and I'll replace whichever key needs replacing. Do not post them here. To re-register with a new name/email you only need to delete the FSUIPC.KEY file and re-register both. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! This is untrue. Please get your facts right before attempting to upset folks. Adam gave full permission for me to carry on with his work, and he was very surprised and gratified at how much I had extended it beyond his original concept. He was not in a position to continue with it once he was working for MicroSoft. And he did make money from it as he entered into commercial licensing arrangements for all non-freeware products. This is the same as the system I have now set up -- FSUIPC is free for freeware and always will be. The user facilities which user's can optionally pay for are ones that never existed in FS6IPC, and the commercial programs enter into commercial arrangements with me just as they did with Adam. FSUIPC was completely free for four years even for commercial applications (unlike FS6IPC), as was all of my FS programming, and it was only a change of circumstance which forced me into the path I have taken. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! Why are you mentioning FSUIPC in this context? If you have used FSUIPC to set up your throttles, why? Get things working in FS first before messing in FSUIPC. For now, edit your FSUIPC.INI file and remove the joystick section completely. Get things working in FS. Regards, Pete

WideFS registration dropped off That's peculiar. The "aircraft on ground" flag doesn't work in SLEW mode. How do you make it do so? Here, when engaging Slew with the Y key, all that happens is that the SLEW motton appears, flashing, and the aircraft responds to the slewing commands. How are you getting it to jump 24 feet? Maybe your aircraft, when on the ground, is really "sunk" into the ground according to some aircraft parameters? Does it do this with default aircraft? I have the reverse problem -- maybe if I knew how to make it jump 24 feet I would know how to stop it? How do you do it? One thought -- try disabling your joystick first (there's an FS keystroke for that I think -- else use the menu). Maybe it's getting some default signal from one of the axes. If so, maybe re-calibration would help. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! What's a "new profile"? Does the KEY file contain the correct, original name and email address, as used when you were notified? Are these the ones you re-registered with? What do you mean by "WideFS registration dropped off". Please check the WideServer.Log file. What versions of everything are you using? Do not post your KEY file here. If you have any registration information to show me, send it to petedowson@btconnect.com with an explanation. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! The starters in FS are "spring-loaded". If you don't keep writing 1 to the starter it will reset to 0. Keep writing 1 with a small delay. Ideally you should have a separate fuel switch and operate that when you seen N2% rise to 20 or 25% (varies with aircraft), but you can (incorrectly) enable the fuel first and it will work. You don't need to set it to 0, but you can set it to 2 after engines are running (combustion flag non-zero) for Generators. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! This needs a bit of "advanced" programming I'm afraid. You'd need to edit the FSUIPC INI file and toggle a Flag on each press, then program the same key to set A/T on when the Flag is off, A/T off when the Flag is on. Take a look at the Advanced User's guide and get back to me when/if confused. I'll then try to explain it a little more. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! You can ask SimMarket, but I fear their process is mostly automated and they may not be able to reverse your existing transaction without incurring costs which nullify the saving. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! Why not download the ZIP and study the documentation I supply? I cannot really explain it more here. No, visibility and clouds are separate things and do not interact in FSUIPC. Not exactly, no. You have the opposite opinion of FS2002's visibility than I -- I thought it was absolutely dreadful, much worse than FS2000. Fs2004's effects are far superior. But this is only my opinion of course. Fs2002 was so bad it made me want to stay with FS2000 -- excepting the other improvements were so worthwhile. Regards, Pete

Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on holiday with no Internet access. I'm just trying to catch up with an enormous backlog now! Hex 0100FF00 gives byte 0 = 00 byte 1 = FF byte 2 = 00 byte 3 = 01 so your timeout is 1 tick (55msecs), the 01, and you are setting all bits 2^8 to 2^15. I think you have some odd inverse idea of where bits are in Intel processors? As in ordinary universal decimal representation, MOST significat bits are written first, least significant last: 2^0 = 0x00000001 ... 2^15 = 0x00008000 ... 2^31 = 0x80000000 I think perhaps you meant to write $FF008000? Regards, Pete