Pete Dowson

It's a bit nasty of it just locking things up rather than returning an error if it won't allow access! Any error returned to WideServer would certainly be reported in its log. Sorry, I've no idea. It sounds like a bug in the latest version of ZA. I should revert to the previous (good) version if I were you, and report the problem to the makers. If it were providing a diagnostic I could maybe understand it, but simply locking up a genuine Network user is most definitely not a good thing and must be counted as an error. Regards, Pete

Ouch. It sounds (and looks) like something is wrong with the Network installation. Does your Network behave well in all other respects? Can you share folders and so on with Windows Explorer? The only thing peculiar that WideServer is doing is trying to open a serving port on the Network. There's nothing of a low enough level in any of FSUIPC or WideServer to lock things up. Please see if you can check out your Network first, then get back to me and we'll figure out the next step. I'm afraid I don't really know much about Networks, it's all trial and error for me to get them working. The Network code in WideFS is straightout of Microsoft examples and has been virtually unchanged now for five or six years. Regards, Pete

If merely recognises standard Windows messages arriving in FS. I.e. "WM_KEYDOWN" and "WM_KEYUP". If these are programmed in FSUIPC it captures them. Otherwise it lets them go through for FS to deal with them. There is no need for any low level stuff in this. If your device can produce keystrokes that FS sees then FSUIPC will see them too, it is effectively part of FS when installed. Regards, Pete

You only showed a little of one WideClient. Is that the only one with pausing? You still haven't said where you see the pausing. You also missed some other questions. What frame rates do you get in FS2004? Do you get pausing there? I would really recommend moving stuff off the FS PC if possible. What is your frame rate limiter in FS set to? With FS2004 on a Pentium 2.4GHz and with all those other things running on the same PC I wouldn't expect you to get smooth operation with anything more than 20 fps, probably less if you have many of FS's quality sliders turned up high. With so many things running, you may need to start taking some off to see which ones are contributing to your problems. Regards, Pete

What PFC equipment are you using? Does "On Top" use the same native PFC protocol as FS? I know that PFC also do Elite protocol systems which are certainly not compatible. There is more extensive logging available in the Test page. If you enable the "Log all COM port send receive data", and show me an extract from the PFC.LOG file you get, I can see if it looks like the right sort of data. You might want to check back with PFC to see if your equipment is compatible with FS, or possibly needs a different driver altogether. Regards, Pete

FSUIPC only needs the FSUIPC.KEY file in the FS modules folder, and some entries in the Registry NOT associated with you as a user. Have you got separate FS2004 installations? If so, please simply copy the FSUIPC.KEY file across so that it exists in both Modules folders. Otherwise the only way I know that could happen is if you have separate Registries for each user, and I don't know how to accomplish that. On my system every user has entries in the same registry. What's an "Admin group"? I have multiple users on my system, but I have not set up any "groups". Maybe it is something to do with that? Regards, Pete

There's no "readme" of mine which gives any codes. The FSUIPC user guide explains the registration system, and I referred you to the "Sticky" post here in the Forum for Freeware keys. Glad you sorted it out nonetheless. Regards, Pete

Good! Also, good luck with C. It may be difficult at first, and, indeed, it is much easier to make mistakes in C, but I think you will find it worth it in the long run. I think it gives you much more control, more power, but of course with power comes responsibility. You have to be more careful too! Regards, Pete

I never got IPX/SPX to work well on my systems with WinXP, so I am biassed in favour of TCP/IP for XP, yes. If I had ever managed to make IPX/SPX work I might be of different opinion. Maybe others can say. All that looks perfect EXCEPT the maximum send depth of 92, which seems rather excessive. However, that may have occurred if you had PFD running whilst still loading flights or aircraft of something in FS. In that case I can't really see why you'd notice any pausing. You didn't say WHERE you saw these 10 second pauses in any case? In the PFD? Could they be graphics problems in its OpenGL driver interface? The WideServer log would at least show performance. What are the reported figures at the end there? What frame rates are you getting in FS? What have you set the FS Frame Rate Limiter to? What processors are being used? Are the pauses coincidental with something going on in FS? Regards, Pete

It only needs registering once per PC (and operating system, if you multi-boot), and it can then be used from any account -- but it has to be registered by the Administrator. It is the same sort of thing as FS installation. You can only install FS2004 as Administrator, but you can allow any user to use it thereafter. Many programs are like that. It is because of access restrictions imposed by Windows on non-administrators. Regards, Pete

The pedals and yoke are connected directly, not via a throttle quadrant or anything similar? The USB connection, does that show as a COM port in the Windows hardware manager? Please refer to the List of Supported Versions near the top of this Forum. The current version of FSUIPC is 3.125. You should not be using 3.11. The first message indicates you are not using a current version of PFC.DLL either. It isn't even a recent one, and is certainly not compatible with any Version 3.xx FSUIPC. Current is 1.72 but I am releasing 1.80 this weekend. The second message is merely a reminder to you to tell the PFC driver which COM port you have your equipment connected to. It only occurs until you have done so, inside FS. PLEASE refer to the PFC DLL documentation, supplied in the same Zip. However, if you are not using any PFC digital controller, such as the Throttle quadrant System, the Cirrus console, or the Jetliner Console, then your PFC equipment probably just looks like a normal Windows game device, in which case you should not be installing PFC.DLL in the first place. Please clarify that with your supplier. Regards, Pete

Sorry, I don't know what you mean there. What's ITRA? All the PM controls you may need are available in FSUIPC for assigning to Key press or Joystick Button. You do not need to use SendKey for PM as FSUIPC suports PM directly. If you explain in more detail what you try, what you set in FSUIPC's Keys/Button pages, even show me the resulting FSUIPC.INI file, I may be able to help, but for most technical things to do with Project Magenta you will in general be better off posting in the PM NewsGroup. (I also appear there! :lol: ) Regards, Pete

No. it is nothing to do with when you connect. You are corrupting memory by incorrect declarations. Are you thinking that this reserved 1024 bytes for your FSUIPC connection? It does not. This defines a single byte (yes, just 8 bitss of data), then tries to initialise it to 1024 (which is impossible, as the maximum in one byte is 255. Doesn't the compiler complain about this?) To reserve 1024 bytes of memory you need to do this: BYTE FsuipcMem[1024]; Please refer to some C programming books! :? This is wrong in two ways. If FSuipcMem is an array, as it is when you define it correctly, then you either need to provide its address just as "FsuipcMem", OR give the address of the first byte in it, like this "&FsuipcMem[0]". Second, the FSUIPC_Process call processes your reads and writes, but you have done no reads and writes here, so it is a waste of time. It shouldn't do any harm, but it might. You must NOT use that library in a Gauge. The correct library is the "moduleuser.lib" which is included in the Module User part of the SDK. Regards, Pete

There's really no point. Your INI files should allow everything to default, except just set UseTCPIP=No in both, and in the Clients you may need to provide the Server Node details, as documented for mixed systems or NT/2K/XP servers. I cannot make that happen for you as your Server node address will be unique to you. If it is working at all it means the INI files are correct. Whilst there are lots of parameters you can tinker with, it is not a good idea to do this without any other information about this symptom, "some long pauses". It took me 6 months of tinkering and adjusting to get what are, for most instances, the 'ideal' settings. If you want to keep tinkering for another 6 months and get better settings, be my guest, but I would not recommend it. It is not hapy work I assure you! If there are these massive pauses, there'll be a reason. What do the WideSever and WideClient Logs show? WHERE are these pauses? In FS, in some Application? Which Application? Are you sure it isn't the application which has the problems? And, of course, are you using the very latest versions of both WideServer and WideClient, and FSUIPC for that matter? Please do not show me any logs of older versions. And please, if you do show logs, please close FS down and show complete logs -- there are summaries of performance added at the end which are useful. Finally, why are you using IPX/SPX? Is your system all Windows 98SE? It certainly should be okay if so, but since version 5 WideFS has been optimised more for TCP/IP. Mixed Windows systems, and Windows XP, are probably better with the TCP/IP protocol -- not faster, certainly, but smoother and easier to sort out. Regards, Pete

The effect of running Radar Contact is the same whether it is via WideFS or locally. It uses FSUIPC's hot key facilities. The whole purpose of wideFs is to extend FSUIPC's interface to client PCs. Yes, but it doesn't work for Exit selection, nor pushback. I tried it. Regards, Pete

The hot key provisions in FSUIPC work fine. many programs use them including Radar Contact and Flight Deck Companion. You evidently have some errors in yuor program. I can only repeat what I said before, which you seem not to have noticed: I cannot tell what you are doing wrong without more information. Can't you see what is happening by logging the IPC Read/Write data? That's what it is for, to help debug application programs. See the "Logging" page in the FSUIPC options. If you do the logging and still can't see what you've got wrong, ZIP the log and attach it here and I'll take a look. Regards, Pete

Follow the link in the FSUIPC documentation. It takes you to the SimMarket page where you can register. The key arrives within 24 hours by email. If it doesn't, something has gone wrong and you need to contact Customer Services (see http://www.simmarket.com). Oh, right. The accreditation of Alert is in process -- maybe it was released too early? anyway, I'm sure you'll find it beneficial in the long run to have a full copy of FSUIPC. Thank you for your support! Regards, Pete

Yes, it definitely works with FS2000, FS2002 and FS2004. It can be used in FS98 but there's generally not much it does in that, and it does operate a little in CFS1 and CFS2 (but not CFS3). It works fine with FS2002, I use it here quite often still. The message you are getting is because you have not registered FSUIPC, so you need to enter the freeware program registration key for Squawkbox. Please check the FSUIPC User Guide, part of the documentation included in the FSUIPC Zip file. You will find access keys for some popular freeware programs, including Squawkbox, in the 'sticky' thread about Freeware Keys near the top of this forum. Regards, Pete

Ah, so it was something in FSMeteo? I must have missed the version with that problem. thanks for letting use know! Regards, Pete

I'll add it in the next Release. You've already got the ability to see if there are any WideClients connected, if you want to exclude those (or at least flag a 'warning' in your results). I suppose the same could go for add-in modules and gauges -- you can list those that are running and look for suspects. :) Pete

They are not separate programs, but modules inside FS just like FSUIPC. I can certainly do that. But I cannot count programs using WideFS and running in a separate PC. WideFS won't be counted as a program as it isn't, it's an extension to FSUIPC as I said. And what if your "cheat" is running his helpful applications on client PCs? For install, all my instrumentation is running on PCs other than the FS PC. I don't even use an FS panel at all. It really isn't a problem, and I can add it in the next release (certainly this side of Christmas) but I really don't see how it would help a lot. Maybe you should refuse to let him use WideFS too? You'd be able to detect it in any case through FSUIPC offsets, you don't need to list all the modules in FS -- bit 2^1 at offset 333C indicates whether any clients are connected. You don't have to force him to uninstall WideFS, just assume he's cheating if there are clients connected. What about add-ins like Gauges and DLLs (GoFlight is but one -- there's my own EPICINFO and several others designed to get data already). These can of course interface to FSUIPC, and some do, but they can equally and more usually get their data direct from FS? Regards, Pete

Is this with FS2004? If so, then for the first time you can change the position without first switching to slew mode. Or, for FS2000-FS2004 you could try using Pause mode instead of Slew. You can certainly change some of the acceleration values and have some effect. I believe programs simulating catapult launches use this. But I'm afraid I don't know which ones would be effective, now how effective they'd be. You'll need to experiment. I don't think you can change the airspeed directly. Regards, Pete

I cannot tell what you are doing wrong without more information. Can't you see what is happening by logging the IPC Read/Write data? That's what it is for, to help debug application programs. See the "Logging" page in the FSUIPC options. If you do the logging and still can't see what you've got wrong, ZIP the log and attach it here and I'll take a look. Sorry, I don't understand. What's a "hold filename"? Anyway, offset 3D00 contains the title of the current user aircraft, not the flight. The current flight is at 3F04, as documented in the Programmer's guide. Regards, Pete

So I assume there's some delay after using the Toggle Exit control before anything happens -- otherwise how does it know you are not going to select 1 or 2 or 3 or something afterwards? Or does the control always toggle Exit 0 anyway, then any other doors you list with the numeric keys afterwards? I've always assigned "Ctrl+Shift+number keys" to the Radar Contact functions as the numeric keys are used for several things in FS. Pushback and turn, for one -- don't you do pushbacks? Go to FSUIPC's Keys or Buttons page (depending on whether you want a keystroke or a joystick button for this), assign your key or button to the Toggle Aircraft Exit control, and also set the parameter (it's the field labelled "parameter") to, say, 1 2 or 3 for door 1, 2, or 3. The FSUIPC User Guide explains how to assign keys and buttons. Regards, Pete

This is a whole new side of FS I've never heard of! I've never used any exits in my cockpit, except the one to the kitchen to make a brew! :) As a consequence I really have little idea of what you are talking about. I take it that there are now doors in some aircraft that can be opened and closed, and that this is done by a sequence of keys rather than a single control? I've just scanned through the list of FS controls, and I see "Toggle Aircraft Exit". I assume this is the one? Are you saying that you follow this with a keypress, 1, 2, 3 et cetera to select which door it is, a bit like engine selection after E? Have you tried setting the parameter for that control to the door number, instead of leaving it default to 0? I'm not saying that will work, but the parameters have been known to be used in some such circumstances, so it is worth a try. Otherwise, if the sequences are supposed to work, but don't, do you think this might be a symptom on some panels which send loads of controls all the time -- the same problem that causes some A/P and other values to be accelerated all the time? If one of those controls intervened between the two parts of your sequence, it would certainly mess it up (same as using any other control between the Shift+P for Pushback and the 1 or 2 for selecting direction messes the latter up). To check this, tell me which aircraft in the defaults in FS have multiple doors and I can test it here. If none of them do, how would I add multiple doors to one of the defaults without importing a whole cockpit? Regards, Pete