Pete Dowson

Yes, it does! What is the exact problem? Is it difficult following the instructions, or are you having difficulties with the program? You must first calibrate your joystick in Windows. Only use FSUIPc for the final trim and to set accurate dead zones. There is no difference in the Joystick facilities in this version -- it has not changed for many months! What do you think is different? I don't undertstand. You need to be more specific, please. I don't think it is good to be so nasty and without justification -- there are no details given of anything wrong. There is a bug in 3.07 (only) in FS2002, and as advised in the IMPORTANT announcement it is better to stay with 3.06 for FS2002 until 3.08 comes out (tomorrow probably). But the operation on FS2004 is okay, and the bug did not affect Joystick calibration, only button and key assignments. If you have a problem, please report the details. I cannot help you if all you do is insult me and my program. :cry: Yes, pleasethank you VERY much! Can you please also ask him to turn his CAPS lock off! :? Regards, Pete

What flight sim yoke is it? FSUIPC will only recognise Joystick Buttons if they are visibile in the Windows joystick interface. As far as calibration is concerned, there should be no problem, as FSUIPC is not reading the joystick, it is only manipulating the FS controls internally. Can you explain what the problem is -- is it just that you do not understand the documents? I hope your friend can translate for you. And can you please turn off the CAPITALS, it makes it much harder to read! Thanks. Regards, Pete

Ah, sorry. But perhaps he might understand Portuguese? I wonder if he means he cannot see how to, or cannot understand my document (which is probable), or if he's saying there's something wrong somewhere? If he is using it on FS2002 then there is a problem in 3.07, it is okay in 3.06 and is fixed in 3.08 which I will release tomorrow or on the weekend. Regards, Pete

Are their any Spanish / English speakers here who can help, please? Eugenio does not understand English and I not spanish. First, perhaps someone could ask him to turn his CAPS lock off, but a translation of his questions would be very useful in any case. Thanks! Pete

If you are using FSUIPC 3 and have not registered it with SimMarket, then you need to register Squawkbox with FSUIPC. The access key is provided in the Freeware Access Key list in this forum (look at the titles near the top). You enter the details (program name and access key) in FSUIPC's registration page -- there's a button, bottom right, in the first page ("About"). Pete

I used to have such a dedicated FS machine, but I've linked up my machines in a Network for years. Unless you are talking about different rooms, Networking has great advantages in just about all respects, and makes stuff like that much easier. even though my current FS PC does have internet (I'm using a router on the Network, so any Network PC has access), I still always download to the main Internet PC (this one) and transfer things for FS across the Network. I do use CD-R for backup, though. You can download any of my FS programs and modules at any time as you wish. The registration is a personal one and recorded on your PC, it does not affect the modules directly. And there's no "if" about it, by the way, the software is updated regularly, and will continue to be so until everything that needs to be done for FS2004 is done. The current version of FSUIPC is 3.07 but I have 3.08 waiting to go iut, just pending resolution of one outstanding problem. Regards, Pete

Values 0, 6, and 12 won't do anything, except maybe add extra logging and possibly slow things down -- performance related stuff mostly. Only the value 16 as I said will bypass any of the weather code. Please don't play with other values, you may get some nasty surprises! :) The routine used to read the weather is done roughly once every 4 frames or so, so I'm not sure how that can create stutters 1-1.5 seconds apart. What's your frame rate? It is a bit odd. I'm suspecting something odd with the WEATHER.DLL interaction, or possibly with the memory management calls in FS. How much memory do you have? Is there plenty free? Only 0 and 16 were relevant in any case. Any other variations were probably random or imaginary, though you were probably enabling excessive logging, which may cause stutters if your disks aren't defragmented or if you've turn file write caching off. All this indicates is that it isn't a good idea to access any weather at all. Though it doesn't seem to matter on most folks' systems it evidently does on others. The routine to read the weather is a direct call into WEATHER.DLL which returns the data in structures which are allocated on the Heap. FSUIPC then copies the stuff out into locations for programs to read, then frees those structures. So there is some memory management involved, but comparing it to the numbers performed by FS all the time it is nothing -- in half an hour FS can clock up several million allocmem and freemem calls. The weather reading is a fraction of that. In your case maybe you never have any programs that need to know the weather, but mostly that isn't the case. Supplying weather data has been a prime function of FSUIPC and FS6IPC before it for years. I could make it switchable, but I would be worried that folks would forget it was switched off and complain that programs like Radar Contact and so on were going wrong. I'll just try, initially, slowing the read rate down somewhat -- say to once every 16 frames instead of 4. On my system that would mean weather data changing about once a second. Oh, that reminds me: what is the frame rate you get with FS2004, please -- during these tests, for example? Do you have the FS frame rate limiter set to below "unlimited", as actually recommended by MS? The general recommendation, for smooth flight, is to gauge what your average frame rate is with it on unlimted, then set the limiter to something below that. the more additions you make, needing processor time, the more it needs restricting. I have mine at 20 fps even though it can attain 30 fps mostly, during flights (10-15 at detailed airports). But this is mainly because I also run WideFS with several clients, and 20fps keeps them smooth too. So: TEST # 3, check frame rates and set the limiter. After that, please write to me at petedowson@btconnect.com and I'll try to set up some experimental changes in FSUIPC for you to try. I can't make such attachments here, and any case I don't want any experiments going to a wider audience, not yet in any case. BTW I have tried, in vain, to find the weather directly to avoid the procedural calls and messy memory management, but even after many many hours of searching and tracing through FS code I've failed miserably. One day I'll have another go. I did ask for help from MS, but they are not really interested these days and simply point to the SDKs, when they come out. There never was an SDK for weather access and control and I don't believe there'll be one now. :cry: Thanks Pete

The name, email and Key must be all absolutely EXACTLY the same as originally notified to you. Best to cut and paste from the original email. Was the version on the old PC 3.00 or 3.01? If so, some key changes were made after that, but this was all within a few days of first release, before, in fact, FS2004 was released. If you still have difficulties, please forward me a copy of your original email, containing your details and key, to petedowson@btconnect.com, and I'll check it. Do not publish any thing here for obvious reasons. Regards, Pete

No it isn't, not at all. WideFS is a method of connecting programs using FSUIPC's interface to FS when they are running on a separate computer which is NOT running FS. You cannot run the WideFS client software on a PC running FS. You are thinking of WidevieW by Luciano Napolitano. Regards, Pete

There's some confusion here. That so-called visibility layer you see if in fact a deliberate cloud graphic drawn at the altitude which is defined in the weather as the top of the visibility layer. It is not actually a visibility thing, but a graphic addition, like any cloud. It was done by MS in response to the many complaints about FS2002 that, as soon as you climb out of the murk, suddenly the ground is sharp and clear below you. I actually like it, but then I tend to fly mostly in or from the UK where it looks quite good, especially with limited visibility in action above the layer too (more below). The only answer is to raise the top of the visibility layer -- it's a parameter you'll see in the Weather dialogues. Unfortunately, FSUIPC can only do this for global weather or weather provided by an external program -- the parameter is bottom left in the FSUIPC visibility page. I cannot get at the localised weather without re-writing it (the weather, that is), in which case I'd be doing the same job as an external weather program. You could try using the visibility limits and graduated visibility facilities in FSUIPC, which do apply to all weather, even localised. If you set the lower altitude of the graduation to 0 it will start at the top of the visibility layer. With a suitable upper limit to should be able to lessen the effects you don't like. Regards, Pete

This is a timing issue to do with panel detection on first loading FS. It doesn't affect the panels if they are loaded later, nor if you switch views. It's just on initial loading of FS. I've fixed it in version 2.123 of Advdisplay, which I will release later, tomorrow (Thurs 18th Sept) at the latest. Thanks, Pete

I've made some small changes to the PFC driver and the problem of overriding the Gear switch with FSUIPC programming seems to be fixed. It'll be version 1.62. I'll release it later, tomorrow at the latest. It's too big to attach here (I've tried!). Thanks, Pete

Yes, I get the same here -- but only with that switch! It is very odd. I am looking at the code now, and wil get back to you. Sorry. Pete

Apart from the special facilities in FSUIPC to read buttons from the PFC driver, the only buttons it can see are those reported through the standard Windows joystick API (joyGetPosEx). this is an older interface than the DirectInput one used by FS itself. It supports 32 buttons on each of up to 16 joysticks. If the GoFlight drivers are only supporting the DirectInput interface then FSUIPC won't see them. Regards, Pete

I've not heard of anything like that before. Can you tell me what version of FSUIPC it is please? And I need to see the FSUIPC.INI and LOG files, both from the Modules folder. Please ZIP them up and send them as attachments to me at petedowson@btconnect.com. Also I need to know what programs and panels you are using with it -- when you registered FSUIPC to allowed all and any programs, gauges, DLLs to use it freely if they wish. It may be something else, not FSUIPC, which is crashing. In fact that is much more likely. Also, try it with FSUIPC's weather options set to "minimum" (there's a button on the first options screen). By default FSUIPC does make the weather a little more complex on FS2002, and this may be placing more of a strain on your graphics card and showing up a fault or problem on that -- maybe temperature, driver, or DX problem. You could also check for that by reducing the hardware acceleration on the card, or try a lower resolution (just as a test of course). You should be aware that FSUIPC has been in use on FS2002 without such problems now for over two years. I don't know where you heard about such problems before, but no one has reported them to me. The difference registration made is that lots of default options got switched on when you did that, making it run as it has been on FS2002 for a long time now. Without registration and no aplication programs it wasn't doing much. Regards, Pete

Not a lot, actually, at least not yet. I don't know anyone with consistent stutters when nothing is using FSUIPC -- yours is the first report of anything like this I've actually received. I run FS9 on three very different PC systems and the only stutters I see are from things like scenery and autogen coming into view (provided I have all the cloud stuff set full). So I need to use you to test things, if that's all right? If you haven't registered FSUIPC then this might not get very far, so say so, and after a couple of easy tests (below), I may have to wait for a volunteer who has a user registered copy. Basically, when nothing is accessing FSUIPC, which is the only test I'm interested in at present, then FSUIPC does nothing except: 1. If you have any weather options set AND you have the Technical option set to influence FS weather, then it will update the weather now and then. So please set all options off. If your FSUIPC is unregistered (what!?) then use the button to set minimum. 2. If does obtain numerous items of information from the main simulation engine, SIM1.DLL, but you cannot stop this. If it looks like an area which could be causing your stutters then I'll devise a way of bypassing this code, to try to narrow it down. 3. It regularly reads the "weather at aircraft" so it can report all the weather details in the appropriate offsets. Unlike in FS2002 and before, this is done by a call into FS's Weather DLL, which isn't as efficient as I'd like. But I've found no other way. 4.It scans the population of AI aircraft regularly, so it can provide TCAS data. And that's about it -- any other functions are completely dependent upon options being set to use things in FSUIPC (I assume you aren't actually using any), or being called or used by other programs, DLLs or gauges. So, for any tests, please don't run any FSUIPC applications, make sure there are no other add-in DLLs in Modules, and only use default aircraft and panels. TEST #1 You can make FSUIPC bypass ALL the weather actions completely (it doesn't go near WEATHER DLL then) by adding the following two lines to the FSUIPC.INI file: Debug=Please LogExtras=16 so first, please try that and see if the same stutters persist. You can actually then turn this on and off with FS running. Go to the FSUIPC Logging page and change the "Debugging Data" field to 0 for normal weather scanning, and back to 16 for no weather stuff at all -- that way you can compare things to your heart's content. TEST #2 Turn the AI aircraft off completely (Air Traffic Density = 0). Do the stutters persist? You can change the amount of time FSUIPC spends on AI aircraft via the parameter "TrafficScanPerFrame" -- set it real low, 1 say for 1% per frame, to see if that has an effect. Okay, let me know please. Also, please can you describe the stutters more precisely, there timing, frequency, persistence? I'm really at a loss to understand what you are seeing. Regards, Pete

That's great news! Well done! I'll certainly have to remember that solution in case it ever comes up again! Thanks for explaining it! Regards, Pete

The values 181 to 359 are arriving as negative numbers, which is screwing things in bytes 0 and 1 up a bit. Is this with FS2004? I'll look to see if this has changed. If so I'll see if it can be fixed. The data is actually there though, if you want to use it as it stands. ============== Frequency set on Radial 068 154397 PH029 = 068 001, 00168 [Hex 44 01, A8 00], orig val=30621 This is 168, not 68. If you are only reading the first byte you will get the units and tens only. The 3rd-4th bytes give the correct binary, the 1st and 2nd are split inot units, tens in one, hundreds and thoiusands in the other. This is for the convenience of some display systems. It is all covered in the documentation. It is going wrong for the -ve values it is receiving -- I think this must have changed in FS2004, if that is what you are using: Frequency set on Radial 247 252753 PH029 = 242 255, 65422 [Hex F2 FF, 8E FF], orig val=-20782 [0xC0D44B7FFFFFFFE5] NAV1_VOR_RADIAL This -20782 value represents -114, as in bytes 3-4 of the PH (65422 is 16-bit -114). -114 is the same as +246 (not 247). Frequency set on Radial 289 283343 PH029 = 184 000, 65464 [Hex B8 00, B8 FF], orig val=-13076 [0xC0C989FFFFFFFFDE] NAV1_VOR_RADIAL 65464 is -72 which is the same as +288, not 289. Frequency set on Radial 333 322227 PH029 = 228 000, 65508 [Hex E4 00, E4 FF], orig val=-5020 [0xC0B39BFFFFFFFFE6] NAV1_VOR_RADIAL 65508 is -28, which is the same as +332 not 333. ================= So, you see, you can derive the correct positive number. But if you'd like to wait a couple of days, I'll look to see what has changed. Derivation: if top bit of 4th byte is set, then do this: value = 360 - (256 - 3rd byte). i.e. 104 + 3rd byte. Regards, Pete

A way to stop people altering the file. Regards, Pete

A couple more questions, if you don't mind. Please, when you go into your registered FSUIPC options, does it say it is registered or unregistered? Are there just the About and Logging tabs shown, or all of them? Can you show me a complete FSUIPC.LOG of you loading FSUIPC, then closing it when it has failed to register your program. Thanks. So far, the only explanation I can come up with is that the actual DLL file, the FSUIPC.DLL, is not exactly as it was when it left here and is falling foul of some anti-tamper mechanism in the code. Either that, or the method used for this is not foolproof. But I can tell more from your answers, please. Regards, Pete

OkayI installed it. I swapped out my English "LANGUAGE.DLL" for a French one, so my FS2004 looks French, then I ran FS2004 and the Registered BN_VR with the access key above. When I ran BN_VR there was no rejection, and it is logged okay. Here's the Log with IPC logging enabled so you can see it is accessing okay: I really cannot see any way it can go wrong -- it is reading the Program's details correctly, it has the correct Key in the FSUIPC.KEY filethere is nothing else to go wrong! I'm really scratching my head over this one! :cry: If there's anything else I can think of I'll get back to you. Meanwhile, just in case they are relevant, could you email me your FSUIPC.INI, FSUIPC.KEY and FS9.CFG files -- please Zip them up and send to petedowson@btconnect.com. Oh, also tell me the exact Windows version, build, etc. Thanks. I may need you to run tests with some extra logging built in, to try to get to the bottom of this. Pete

The switch on the panel and the controls/offsets do the same thing. As to what that is I am not sure, you have to experiment. Try the panel switch anyway, see what it does. You can set the same things by control or by offset -- you can see the switch change to match. Whether it does what you want I have no idea. Sorry. Pete

Hey, thanks! Can I pinch some of this for my Announcements, and maybe my documentation? Didn't those changes hit your frame rates in FS rather hard? I think disabling AGP really knocks mine for six. Hmmm. Well, that, then, would be a brilliant solution! I wonder if that'll work for others. Thanks again! Pete

There are tank selectors, though not actually connected up in the default cockpit. Some of the add-ons are better in this respect. The crossfeed switch at the top in the default 737 acts in both capacities I think. Try it and see. No, some aircraft (mostly GA aircraft) do have switchable electrical fuel pumps. These are often needed in low-wing aircraft, and aerobatic aircraft where gravity feed cannot be relied upon. If you have a fuel pressure gauge it would show an increase in fuel pressure when you switch the pump on. None of this applies to the default 737 though. I don't think you can switch the pumps off -- try it though, if you are curious! No. If you go thorugh severe icing in clouds you may well find your performance falls, and (in FS2004) even your ASI may fail (despite pitot heat -- this is maybe not so realistic). In such cases Anti-Ice is the solution. The "De-Ice" switch in the cockpit operates all the separate anti-ice switches for you. Try it and see? Regards, Pete

Play, that may be significant. I will check here. I have a French "Language.DLL2, which hopefully is the only significant difference. Normally this will be because the DLL itself has been tampered with -- there are anti-piracy measures to detect this. However, since you only show part of the log I cannot tell that this is the case. As this seems very unlikely, I will assume not and look for something associated with the French version of FSUIPC. I take it that the Windows is French too? That may be a problem I don't have one of those. Is it easy to install? I don't want anything permanent, I just want to reproduce your problem. I am currently holding up the release of 3.08 until it is resolved. Regards, Pete