Pete Dowson

Oh, right. I also think that Squawkbox 3, in development, might actually be standardising on AVC integration. Maybe IVAO will be changing again, then? Thank you. I have just seen and reviewed them. I am a little worried about how very implementation dependent this might be, and it probably wouldn't work on a foreign translation of the TeamSpeak program. Perhaps it would be something I'd consider adding in the New year, though I would like to see a more long term solution, really. In any case, your information has arrived just after I have frozen the last version of FSUIPC for 2003, another relatively minor one wihch is being released today as 3.135. Please, let's try to resolve the TeamSpeak question in the New year. For now I am not doing more developments in 2003. Best regards, Pete

It is certainly a possibility, as some third-party aircraft don't implement all the subsystems and things like, for example, the Master Avionics or Battery switch might by initialised "off". Whilst this wouldn't do any harm to an implementation not using that subsystem, it may cause other aircraft, maybe without one or other of those switches, not to be operable. There are a number of things that this might happen to, I suspect. The most likely culprits are those aircraft with AIR files originally based upon earlier versions -- FS2002, FS2000 or even FS98 are possibilities. As FS has become more sophisticated many subsystems have been changed or developed. However, I think there is a better reason for loading FS with a default aircraft. Many of the more complex add-on aircraft, those with very sophisticated panels, are putting quite some demands on the various components of FS during a time when, because of initialisation sequences and so forth, it is not well set to efficiently deal with. This can lead to instability. For many versions there has been a general recommendation to load with a default, or at least relatively simple aircraft, for this reason -- more so I think than the missed initialised switches possibilities. Regards, Pete

Is this a Gauge on the FS panel? I'm afraid there are many like that, suporting only mouse operations. Even some of Microsoft's own gauges have no keyboard or FS controls assigned, like the selection or VOR/ADF in the RMI. There is a program called Key2Mouse, by Luciano Napolitano, which may help. You might want to try that. See http://www.wideview.it/ Regards, Pete

WeatherSet only reports whatever FS weather is actually seen at the aircraft, which sounds like was correct. Evidently you weren't in whatever triangle affected by the Local weather stations you saw populated. FS2000 and FS2002 weather is all triangles, fixed ones at that. There are some FS errors in those -- I know for instance that one of the vertices of the triangle affecting Rotterdam is down in Africa someplace! Gives weird results sometimes. FS2004 is all different. Weather is affected by 30 or more nearby stations. It is much less predictable, and works well EXCEPT for wind directions which are sometimes all over the place. (They fix some things, break others :shock:) Sorry, I've no idea. There was a map somewhere showing the FS2000/2002 weather triangles, so you could load up the WX file and check the weather at each of the vertices of the triangles through which you flew. You can also enable Extras logging in FSUIPC, as well as Weather, and that will list the three weather stations as you pass through. I've really got very little hands-on experience with FS2000/2002 weather as I always used FSMeteo. Most folks got better results from using a third party weather program, and I could never recommend FS's downloads, at least not until FS2004 where they are much improved. I suspect most folks really interested in weather in FS2000/2002 used an external program, as I say. Too many problems and omissions with FS downloads, and, as you have found out, it reverted to Global whenever it thought there was nothing local, instead of interpolating. Regards, Pete

I've tried it, and you are doing well. A few minor points: 1. You seem to include some entries even when their "reference" number is zero. That isn't right -- when that's zero the slot is free. The other data you show for it is outdated and just remains from the slot's previous use. 2. You print the reference as a large positive number. In actual fact it is a negative number, much smaller in size. In TrafficLook, since it is always negative for FS aircraft, I negate it before display. 3. The Latitude should really have "N" and "S" for North and South, rather than being signed, and similarly the Longitude (East for +ve, West for -ve). I take it this is being done as some sort of learning exercise? It's a very creditable achievement. Now, wouldn't a graphic representation of the traffic positions be interesting, as an addition to TrafficLook's capabilities rather than a copy? Thanks for letting us see it. Regards, Pete

Ah, yes, but of course it doesn't stop there. It goes on to explain what "j2" and "b2" stand for (and the "j" and "b" also for that matter), and provides examples further on. But I see you got that now :) Okay. I'm pleased. Thank you. Regards, Pete

Sorry, I don't know TeamSpeak. I thought Advanced Voice Client (AVC) was the "new" Roger Wilco, and that supports the same PTT mechanism as RW so works with the provisions made in FSUIPC and WideClient. You'll have to ask the authors of TeamSpeak what they are doing about their PTT support. Sorry. Regards, Pete

What are the "j" and "b" letters doing in there? There's none of that in the documentation I provide. They were just placeholders for the numbers, as x and y might be in an algebraic equation. See the examples in there. Try 2=CP(+0,1)0,0,K83,8 3=CP(+0,1)0,0,K83,8 Regards, Pete

No, I dn't think it's available there, is it? There are new data areas for AI as mentioned in the recent release notices (see the History document). It'll all be covered in the next SDK version, which I hope to release over the weekend. Yes, you have to. Regards, Pete

My module is actually called FSUIPC.DLL, and you need to make sure you are using the latest version which is currently 3.129. The error about a flight file is nothing to do with FSUIPC. It sounds like your default flight file is corrupt or missing. Check that in your FS9.CFG file. The Elite driver for FS2002 doesn't work with FSUIPC 3 because of an error in their code -- they do not check the version correctly. You have to get a new driver from Elite. Also, it probably won't work until and unless you Register FSUIPC in any case, as Elite have never bothered to approach me for any access rights. Regards, Pete

Thank you very much! And the best to you, and all visitors, from me too. Let me echo your colourful words (thanks too for all that work!): MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR! Best regards, Pete

You have two throttle levers, right? You want independent controls for Engine 1 and Engine 2, with a reverse section on each? First you need to assign each throttle separately to Engine 1 and Engine 2 in FS's assignments. This is not what you have done so far, by the sound of it. It also is nothing to do with FSUIPC, yet. All this should be covered in FS's Help, but here goes ... Get both throttles working in FS as it stands, first. The FS assignments are accessed by Options-Controls-Assignments. Select the "Joystick Axes" tab, find the "Engine 1 Throttle Axis" entry and select it, click "change assignment", and waggle the throttle 1 lever so it gets recognised. Confirm that you want to change it. Now do the same with the "Engine 2 Throttle Axis". This should give you full forward throttle range on both engines. Make sure the "sensitivity" is at maximum or near so for both axes or you will get lopsided control (sensitivity is also in Options-Controls). When that's working okay, go to the FSUIPC options, Joystick pages, and locate page 3, giving calibration of separate throttles. Calibrate both throttles 1 and 2 following the directions in the FSUIPC user guide. Make sure you have a zone around your "idle" detente to give a reliable output of 0 when the throttles are at that position. The minimum position should give an output of -4096 for full reverse (though that may vary according to aircraft) and the maximum position and output of 16384 for full forward thrust. If you want to use two throttles on 3 and 4 engined aircraft, just check the "Map 1->12, 2->3" and "Map 1->12, 2->34" options on the throttles calibration page in FSUIPC. "Okay" out of the FSUIPC oiptions and you should be set. Regards, Pete

There's nothing official. If you can write Gauges, then they are pretty much the same except those have a .GAU filetype and are loaded through PANEL.CFG references. If you search this Forum I'm sure you'll find a thread that has more details in, even a reference to somewhere helpful. Sorry, I can't remember the thread subject line, but it was a result of a similar query. You really need to think it through first. Remember that if it is something that will be running whilst FS is running, once you are 'inside' the same process as FS it is your responsibility to ensure harmony, to run smoothly without unduly impinging upon performance, and so on. You can no longer rely on Windows to operate the multiprogramming as you can when you are a separate process. If your program is some utility that is in fact inactive except when called upon, then maybe the performance element isn't so important, but you are still using FS's virtual memory space too, so need to consider that. Another thing to consider, if your program uses the FSUIPC interface, is whether it would be useful run on a client PC via WideFS. One of the best known and well used Module-programmed add-in is FSNavigator, and it is a great shame that it isn't actually a separate program so it can be run on a separate PC -- even I would use it then! :wink: Regards, Pete

Clouds you mean? Have you got the FSUIPC option enabled to add a cirrus layer? I think it defaults on. What's "FSConnect->Write"? I don't recognise that. Is it something from my SDK? No, but there is an option in FSUIPC for that. Perhaps a casual read of the FSUIPC User Guide may be in order? :wink: Regards, Pete

Oh, good. That was quick. Wha'd I say? :) Regards, Pete

The answers would be easier if I could see what WideFS was saying. Check the WideServer LOG and the WideClient LOG. Those are files produced to tell you what is going on. If there's no connection at all the most likely problem is that you have not told the Client the name of the Server (if using TCP/IP) or the ServerNode (if using IPX/SPX). If you are trying to use IPX/SPX then you may get problems in any case with a mixed network of XP and 98SE systems. At least I could never sort mine out , it didn't work properly till I changed to TCP/IP only. Regards, Pete

Hmmm. It's interesting that the system generates the traffic even if it can't produce an image for it! Very strange. Regards, Pete

Ah, yes. ZoneAlarm can stop things and doesn't always tell you it is doing it. Glad for found out what it was! Regards, Pete

FSUIPC isn't "polling" keys so it cannot implement a shorter interval to do it in. Keyboard events are dealt with by the Windows keyboard system which generates Windows messages like WM_KEYDOWN, WM_KEYUP and WM_CHAR. These are processed by FS directly, unless intercepted by FSUIPC when set as Hot Keys or programmed in the Keys page. But even if FSUIPC is converting keystrokes to FS controls (which isn't applicable here in any case) it cannot do this "faster" than the keystrokes are arriving! So, sorry, there's no way at all to do it with that cockpit. The 767PIC programmers did produce a direct programming DLL for use with their gauges, licensed to folks such as Aerosoft (for their MCP). I don't know if they'd be willing to let you have that, or sell it to you, but that is the only way you'd get to beat its crazy continuous control sending. It would mean you programming your own interface, as Aerosoft did. You might consider moving on to PMDG cockpits. I understand they will be producing an SDK for those who want to interface equipment to them, though I have no details nor timescale yet. And, again, it probably won't be free. Regards, Pete

As long as the field IS listed, it might work with nothing in it. Try this key for it: MDSZ I7L9 RHLL If that doesn't work there are other steps I can take. Please let me know. Regards. Pete

Sorry, I've never heard of that. Does it use the Network? Check the WideFS documentation. It does explain why that can happen -- here, I'll reproduce the appropriate paragraph for you: "Note that the number of current connections is shown in the title bar of Flight Simulator. This may fluctuate if responses to clients aren't currently being sent. This is because the client assumes that a lack of response for many tries means a disconnected link, so opens a new one. The server detects disused links after a while, and closes them, but there's an overlapping period whilst more connections may actually be open than there are clients." So, something is stopping responses from the Server. Check the WideServer and WideClient Log files, that's where any useful information will be found. It is most definitely something up with the network though. If this "VoiceBuddy" does something with the network or your protocols then it may well be responsible. Regards, Pete

Well I've now got 2/3rds of the information I need. I don't need "File version" but "Product Name", from the Version information. Regards, Pete

Is is Freeware? If so, supply the details I need and I can make a key. If you look at the list of Freeware keys above you'll see what I need: 1. Exact program name (as in "name.exe") 2. The 'Product Name' field from its "Properties" (right click, select Properties, then Version) 3. The 'Company Name' filed from its Properties. Regards, Pete

Yes, it was. See your email. Pete

"Ref" is short for "Reference" and is the unique number for that aircraft inside FS. It's presented by FSUIPC for reference by programs accessing the data. Only by this reference can changes in the list be determined, as the slots available get re-used as aircraft come into and go out of range. Really? I've never seen that. you can scroll through all the visible traffic in a separate window in FS using CTRL+W. That's because TrafficLook knows nothing about flight plans. TrafficBoard does that, though. Regards, Pete