Pete Dowson

Load the client programs using the WideClient parameters (see the WideFS documentation for starting programs). You can start up to three immediately and three when FS starts on the Server. The you only have to start WideClient. If your clients are dedicated for those programs, then you can put a shortcut to the WideClient program into Windows "startup" so that it all happens automatically when you switch the computers on. Regards, Pete

I started doing FS add-ons and overlays in FS4 days, when it was a DOS program. I use disassemblers and clever debuggers like NuMega's Soft-Ice to get inside the program. I have been a programmer since 1963, starting from the engineering side -- test programs, basic engineer's operating systems, and so on, working on mainframe computers before any development software was available for them. Machine level and assembly code programming was my speciality for years. It used to be relatively easy to get into FS. Most of the early code was either hand-coded in Assembly, or in straight C. The C language is nice for folks like me as there is a very straight-forward relationship between it and the computer assembly level. When FS was converted to work on Windows (FS5.1 to FSW95) most of the internal mechanisms remained the same, or very similar. Only gradually have parts been changed. FS98 wasn't too bad. But with FS2000 much of the code had started to be written in C++ and was using black-box type re-usable code classes and virtual functions, private data, all that stuff. Very convoluted. I started FSUIPC as a part-time hobby but by FS2002 it had become full-time, and it has been ever since. Luckily, with FS2004, I was invited to be on the Beta test team for Microsoft, so I actually started work on the changes between FS2002 and FS2004 long before FS2004 was released. But it was a close-run thing. Some of the most important areas -- including the Weather routines -- were completely re-written for FS2004 and I couldn't match any of it to what I'd done before (FS2002 was almsot the same in that area to FS2000). Not only that, but the Weather DLL changed immensely between each of the 3 Beta releases we saw. It was a horrible time, I was spending up to 18 hours a day for weeks at a time trying to make sense of it all. (And I'm still not happy with it). Reverse engineeering. Microsoft don't supply anything extra, only the SDKs. The FS2004 SDKs aren't out yet. They'll come, but they are always too late for me, even if I see them in Beta. Too late and too little for the job I need FSUIPC to do. Well, the monopoly is only because that's how it happened. I do nothing else but this. Others do other things. Now that FSUIPC isn't entirely free I see others are trying to do their own, and that's good. Maybe they will be so good by FS2006 that I can retire from this and do some flying for a change! I'll be 62 by then in any case and looking for a way out. :lol: Regards, Pete

I really don't know what the problem you are having is, but surely you can sort them out with the "management"? I just have shortcuts in my Favourites on IE6 and can enter any Forum from there directly. Or I just go to the Forum Index: http://www.forums.simflight.com/index.php and click on those that interest me. Even the links on the Schiratti download page and in my documents should work and bring your straight here. If you cannot find any such links, make a note of this: http://www.forums.simflight.com/dowson Regards, Pete

I don't have any such database. The whole system is handled by SimMarket. It was all arranged to leave me free to carry on programming. I would really hate to be involved in the sales loop. As it is, it carries on fine without me, and I get on and do the programming and support. If you cannot remember your name, email address or Key properly, you might be a bit stuck as they'd need your name and email to look you up. But try anyway. You'll need to go through customer services, check .Regards, Pete

I've tried to do this, and it works with some programs but not others. You can't actually "lock" the focus, but I try to put it back. Unfortunately there are timing problems and it doesn't work with some programs. I would like to solve it because it affects me too, but so far I've not found anything 100% effective. Pete

Yes. Program the Roger Wilco PTT controls as WideFS KeySends in FSUIPC's Buttons page, but use "fictitious" buttons at FSUIPC offsets 3340-336F. Regards, Pete

You must use the EXACT same name, email address and Key as originally. If it isn't accepted you are making an error. Just get every character correct. Regards, Pete

Further to my last message here, I traced FS to find out where it was updating the "Seconds" counter, and in the process I found a better way of determining when FS is actually "ready to fly". This involves adding more code to FSUIPC to check two locations in MAIN.DLL. I will also check FS2002 and FS2000 to see if I can apply it universally. I'll then add a flag to the offset list someplace which you can check. I'll also use it to regulate my "Run READY" facilities in both FSUIPC and WideFS. It actually provides me a safer way of telling when it is okay to access SIM1.DLL ariables too, so it was a worthwhile investigation. Thanks for prompting me to do it! :lol: :lol: :lol: Regards, Pete

Where you install them and where you run them is actually not necessarily the same thing. That's one of the benefits of networks. However, in general it is far more efficient to install them on the PC on which you wish to run them. Whether that's on the FS PC or on a WideClient PC is your choice. Some programs can only be run on the PC on which they are installed in any case. You are unable to run what programs where? And what is the error message? All WideClient is doing is "pretending" to be FS + FSUIPC so that an FSUIPC-aware utility program will recognise it. Some FS utilities actually also need access to FS itself, for things like airport data and so on. With Trafficboard, for instance, you'd have to run Trafficboard on the FS PC first, make it generate all its data files, then copy the database files to the Client PC. However, there aren't very many utilities like that. I think AFCAD may need to be run on the FS PC, although it is certainly WideFS-compatible, mainly because it will be looking for the airport files probably on the same PC. Without knowing what you are trying to do nor what the error says that's about as much help as I can be I'm afraid. Regards, Pete

Well, other that it seems that there are several gauges which are written to depend upon FSUIPC being installed and just bomb out if it isn't. Not very good programming really. Thanks for letting me know. Regards, Pete

Sorry, I don't recall the original problem. was it something you thought buying FSUIPC would fix? Sorry, I really don't know what SB is doing. Can you get SB support to help? You can of course check the weather you are actually getting in FS by using WeatherSet, or, for the wind, Shift+Z displays it on screen. And there's always ATIS and the FS weather dialogues. Having fixed winds of 160 kts and 40 kts showing (what's "och" BTW?) no matter what the wind is sounds like a fairly serios bug. Maybe it's been fixed in an update? How is it showing two different speeds on the same screen anyway? Regards, Pete

I've done some more checking here. I don't think your checking of that unnamed window is reliable enough. here it seems to be created right at the beginning and it exists unchanged throughout. I don't know what it is for, but it seems how it is treated may depend on some configuration option. The frame rate is no good either. That starts change after you select a flight and continues changing whilst the scenery and aircraft are being loaded. My idea of the frame rate chain calls being suspecnded doesn't work for the same reason. But what I find most promising is simply checking the time count. The seconds value at offset 023A does not change at all initially, nor whilst things are being loaded. When a new flight is being loaded, at some point the seconds value will possibly change to the value in the Flight file (depending on the file), but then it is again static til everything is running. So, I'd propose monitoring the Seconds value for 2 changes within, say, 4 seconds. The problem with this is that it won't work if the flight is paused, and is problematic if the sim rate is set low. You can of course check both of those things too. But so far it seems the most reliable indicator I've found. Regards, Pete

Odd. I'm fairly sure that was only for unregistered versions of FSUIPC. An application Ky for the gauges wouldn't work because, I think, they use an incorrect method of access. No, that's fine. I was assuming you weren't registered otherwise I do not understand why there was any difficulty with any panels. As it is, the only thing I knew that was wrong was the heading setting on the autopilot, which jumps in 10's unless you use the FSUIPC Technical option to fix it. This is a panel problem which also occurs with no FSUIPC loaded, due to the odd way the panel coding is done. :? Also, of course, they have a silly check for FS2002 which stops something or other working (not catastrophically though) -- that's the reason for the MakeItVersionFS2002 fiddle. Ugh! :cry: Sounds like you have something else instaled which is needing FSUIPC and which doesn't behave correctly when it doesn't find it. If I were you I'd delete the FS9.CFG file and let FS make a new one. At least that way it will not be trying to re-load the same default ile which is probably loading whatever it is which is doing such an awful thing. The only other possibility is another Add-In module in your Modules folder which is also doing this. Best check that first I suppose, because if you delete the FS9.CFG file you'll have to reset all the options the way you like them again. Please let us know when you find out what it is. Regards, Pete

I have now added bits 10, 11, 12 for World, Aircraft and Flights menus separately, leaving the others as they are. I don't have time to test right now. If I send you a Beta can you test and let me know? It should work fine, the code was pretty easy. Regards, Pete

They are described, as all changes are, in the History section of the documentation ("PFC User Guide") within the ZIP, and actually also in the details of releases at the top of this forum. Here, I'll reproduce the relevant notes for you, below. Regards, Pete --------------- In Version 1.63 ... the PFC driver will respond to a “restart PFC driver” Hot Key message by closing the serial port and both read and write threads, and restarting them. This may be useful if there are any problems on the COM port or the PFC power supply. The hot key is supported in FSUIPC version 3.09 or later. In Version 1.70 The ‘restart’ facility is operated automatically if no data is received from the PFC device within a specific time, defaulting to 3 seconds. The idea of this is to attempt automatic recovery from stoppages in COM port operation on some systems. So far, it seems these may be related to the Intel ICH5/ICH5R chipset, though this is simply based on the only similarities between the two machines on which it is known to have happened. ... A facility is provided to automatically restart the COM port operations soon after first initialisation. This has the benefit of synchronising most, if not all, of the PFC toggle and selector type switch settings in the simulation. This is enabled by default.

It should never be necessary to remove FSUIPC. I know of no reason to ever do so. But possibly, if you want full use of its facilities (including support, for instance), you should Register it? If FSUIPC.DLL is not in the Modules folder, then it is effectively "uninstalled" and it will not run when FS is started. However, do NOT move it into the main FS folder -- it seems that FS may actually still load it if you do, yet then it will not work correctly! I've not managed to make FS do this for me, but one user reported it. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, but I will be putting a check for that into the next version just in case. Also, if you leave it in place take care to make sure it cannot be mistaken for a DLL still. Best to move it to a special "Saved" sub-folder or similar. FS does not "need" FSUIPC.DLL (obviously, else it would be a Microsoft product). But FS does come with a User Interface module called "FSUI.DLL" Make sure you are not getting confused and deleting that! Incidentally, in your message to Peter you said something about "If I can find out how to contact Peter Dowson, I will ask him about this." This seems to imply you had difficulty getting here. There are links to this forum in my documents and on the main download page at http://www.schiratti.com. Were these not clear enough? It worries me that I started a Support Forum to keep folks informed and up to date, yet they cannot find it? Can I make it clearer somewhere? Regards, Pete

Strange. I have never had any other reports of the printing not working. It uses common print routines which apply to all my programs (and which are adapted direct from Microsoft examples). WeatherSet (not WeatherSet2) contains the same things, for instance. Not sure what you mean by "type+" -- unless you refer to the bug in FSUIPC whereby the airline+flight number could sometimes display overlong rubbish. That was an FSUIPC problem, not fixed in TrafficLook but in FSUIPC. TrafficLook has not been changed since June, well before FSUIPC 3.00 was even released. Every FSUIPC 3 ZIP has contained the same version, identically, I've simply not changed that entry in the ZIP. It is a bit odd. What operating system are you using BTW? If it isn't Me then I can re-try it here on the same version. I have WinXP Home and Pro, Win2000 Pro, and Win98SE. I won't go near WinMe, I did once and it was a disaster! Regards, Pete

Last things first -- try nVidia 52.16 drivers. They are said to be fast and not so much affected by clouds. For visibility simply select the three *** marked facilities in FSUIPC's visibility page. For clouds, there's nothing in FSUIPC -- go to the FS Options-Settings-Display-Weather page and set all top three sliders to maximum. And go and find the faster cloud graphics by Chris Willis. For weather either use FS's own downloads, or get FSMeteo or ActiveSky. Regards, Pete

In FS2004, FS2002, FSUIPC, what? I think it will, in all cases, depend on your system, your taste, and your choice of weather sources. If you'd like to be more specific maybe I can propose some things to consider? Regards, Pete

Do you mean an aircraft crash or an FS crash? There's a lot of difference! If you mean simply an aircraft crash, then it sounds like EpicMapper has a timeout which is too tight for the amount of time it takes your system to recover from that crash -- reloading scenery, aircraft, et cetera. You'll need to contact the EpicMapper folks about that. Are you running it on a Client or on the FS PC? Why you should need to reload FS9, I don't know. Maybe Epicmapper is closing without closing its FSUIPC link, which will cause problems with references to memory mapped files crashing FS or WideClient. Why are you adding that parameter? It make FSUIPC lie to programs, telling it they are running on FS2002 even if they are not. Regards, Pete

Maybe I'm not understanding you, but the only thing which would do that is if the top of the visibility layer, set in FS, is very high. The visibility limits applied by FSUIPC are for that layer, no matter how thick or thin it is. Usually the visibility later finishes a few thousand feet above the ground. Above this, if left to its own devices, FS provides "unlimited visibility" always (though there will be a drawing limit set in the Options). Go to the weather menus in FS, find the visibility, and see what you have set for the upper altitude for the layer. I don't know where you are getting your weather from, but certainly all the normal sources (FS downloads, and external weather programs) that I know of set quite thin layers. There is only one visibility layer, and FSUIPC only applies its limits to it. To get restricted visibility above that you need to use the graduated visibility option. Set a target maximum visibility and altitude, with a base of 0 (so FSUIPC uses the top of the visibility layer), then the visibility will gradually increase above the layer up to that maximum at that altitude. Regards, Pete

It should work fine. There's nothing very complicated involved in this. FSUIPC just intercepts the control number you provide, nothing more nothing less. Did you press the "Set" button? Double check the number you've assigned. If FSUIPC is not seeing anything on that axis it does really mean nothing is getting through from FS, so it isn't correctly assigned. Maybe Fs isn't liking it for some reason. Regards, Pete

There are three ways of externally controlling the aircraft position and attitude in FS2002 and before: slew mode, pause mode and setting the simulation rate to 0 (though the FSUIPC interface). Each has advantages and disadvantages, things like jerky operation, or various gauges not working in different modes. In FS2004 you can actually change Lat/Long/Alt/Pitch/Bank/Heading (known together as LLAPBH) in normal flight modes too. Really, then, you want instrumentation but no simulation. I think you'd be better off doing without FS altogether and just driving a set of external instruments. This can be done with Project Magenta modules and a special program I wrote for PM called IPCserver, which replaces FS but supplies the FSUIPC, WideFS and GPSout interfaces, so instruments driven from FSUIPC can respond to inputs from another program. If this sounds like the avenue you wish to follow, check out the instrumentation available from http://www.projectmagenta.com. You'd need to talk to Enrico Schiratti about meeting your needs as these are commercial programs and he owns the rights to IPCServer too. Regards, Pete

Well, it's only my opinion, but I hate the 2D clouds. They pop in and out and sometimes flicker. I'd put up with any lower frame rate to keep the 3D clouds at 100% The problems with not having the other two sliders at maximum are things like odd looking horizons and clouds which sometimes appear to get cut off with straight line edges. So I always have all three sliders at maximum. If this reduces performance too much, try limiting the visibilty more using FSUIPC's maxima and graduation facilities. I've toyed with the lower slider, the detail/quality one, and frankly don't seem to get much effect from that at all. For performance, go find Chris Willis's higher performance cloud graphics. They look just as good to my eyes but give noticeably better speed and smoothness. If your card is a nVidia based one, you should also try the recent approved drivers - 52.16. From what I read they reduce cloud stutter as well as being faster. I'm using a Parhelia, so I cannot attest to that first-hand I'm afraid. Regards, Pete

I downloaded the manual for the GPS III Pilot from the Garmin website, and browsing through that it really doesn't look hopeful to me. I can't reproduce bits here (it's a PDF file), but for NMEA 0183 format is simply says "supported by the GPS III Pilot and enables the unit to drive up to three NMEA devices". In other words provide positional output. The only inputs mentioned are DGPS (differential GPS) which are corrections from land units, using RTCM protocol, and the proprietary Garmin protocol for downloading and uploading routes, waypoints, map data and so on - not real-time control (I've got the protocol and it is for such static data as normally exchanged between PCs and GPSs, before and after journeys). Regards, Pete