Pete Dowson

No. If WideClient sees the shutdown it closes any applications in its close list -- it works best only for those it loaded itself too. I don't know how you are starting the apps because you don't show your INI file. If WideClient is not closing, then it is not seeing the close down signal in WideServer. This is simply a value written to a location in FSUIPC offsets. Possibly you are closing down FS before this has had a chance? Best to close down FS using the WideServer shutdown facility and a WideServer hot Key (I use Ctrl+Shift+E). It works here every time, for all apps and WideClient. Regards, Pete

Okay, Check version 3.06 when it's up on the Schiratti site (some time Saturday I guess). You can do this now, just set the lower graduation altitude to zero and it uses the top of the visibility layer instead. Regards, Pete

FSUIPC's "New Weather Interface" can provide you with the weather at any WX station given the ICAO id, or the interpolated weather at any point given the Latitude and Longitude. This is for FS2004 only. Regards, Pete

I don't know what your "src" is, but you need to now treat 05DC as a 4 byte value, and write 0x00010001 to set slew, 0x00000000 to unset it. It MIGHT work with your code if you actually set 05DC before 05DE, bt I think not -- safest to do it as a single value. Pete

No, I can't do that, but I can send you a key to use in the mean time, with an expiry date. Please write to me at petedowson@btconnect.com, giving the exact name and email address you supplied to SimMarket, and I'll send you an interim key. Will an expiry mid-September be enough, do you think? Regards, Pete

If I could locate where the localised weather structures are I could do a lot of things, but I spent many many hours and never found them. I only ever found the global one. I think it gets very complicated anyway -- the WX station weather is the source, wherever they are, but then, as you fly, I think it is making a matrix of nearby stations and manipulating these. Trying to track them down through private pointers and so on is a real nightmare, and I failed miserably. Maybe I'll take up the hunt again one day, but I hate such long periods being totally unproductive. It is so frustrating. What might be easier is to download the FS9 weather (the all-at-once option, not the 15 minute updates), save a Flight, which also saves the WX completely, then have a program which processes the WX file, raising or lowering all the visibility layer tops. Then you'd have to re-load the flight and hence the manipulated weatherUgh! Regards, Pete

Sorry, isn't it described in the SDK yet? If not, my mistake. I'm referring to my own copy, of course, which I keep updated. Here's the entry as it should be appearing: 05DE 2 bytes Slew control: write non-zero value here at same time as changing 05DC above, and the Slew mode change includes the swapping of the assigned joystick axes. [ignored in FS2004 – the axes are swapped in any case] Regards, Pete

Enrico says: "I just refreshed the Glass Cockpit to 402... We now have three new entries... StartElecOff=On/Off - switches the displays off on startup sets 0x510 bit 0 to 1 on startup - displays are reactivated when bit 0 is reset or any keyboard key is pressed StartElecSingle=On/Off - switches the displays off on startup sets 0x510 bits 2 to 8 on startup (not bit 0!) StartElecAvionics=On/Off - checks the position of the avionics to decide whether the displays are on or off" Okay now? :D Pete

In FS2002 it was discovered that writing to the Slew control offset (05DC) to enable slew mode did NOT switch to the slew mode joystick axes. The only way to do that was for FSUIPC to intercept the writing of Non-Zero to 05DC and instead send FS a SLEW ON command. It was decided that, since the FS offset had always omitted to switch the axes, rather than make this standard I would enable it by using the extension in 05DE. This is, I think, what you are referring to as "enabled" but you seem to have it the wrong way around -- before that change the normal joystick axes were always left enabled, you couldn't make FS swap over to the slew axes via the IPX interface. Unfortunately, in FS2004, which I assume is now what you are asking about (though you don't say), there is no place which FS is recognising as a "slew on/off" switch -- there is in effect no 05DC nor 05DE facility actually provided in FS2004. To support any Slew control and indicator at all, FSUIPC has to intercept writes to 05DC and operate the FS Slew control as a result. Similarly it reads the slew state and provides the value back as an indicator. But now that it has no choice, now that the only way to enable Slew mode is via the FS control, there's no use for 05DE. The joystick axes are always switched to the SLEW ones when in slew mode. I see no way around that. There should be no problem for you if you are using normal axes, assigned in FS. If you are using separate controls like PFC or, presumably, Elite, it might be a problem as they don't send any axis values to the Slew controls. Regards, Pete

I've written to him to ask anyway, as it also affects the programming in my PFC driver, for the avionics master switch. I'll relay anything I learn. I expect it is just an oversight. Regards, Pete

Sounds like their switches have bouncing problems. Maybe they have debouncing code in their drivers. All FSUIPC is doing is reading the state at regular intervals and acting on changes. You can make it do this faster -- check for the PollInterval parameter (Advanced Users Guide), but this could conceivably make it worse rather than better. FSUIPC reads joystick buttons via the standard Windows API (joyGetPosEx), not via DirectInput. So another possibility is that the Goflight driver is doing things a different way and the two accesses are conflicting somewhere. Maybe the driver doesn't actually provide the real-time status of the button, but uses queues, counts or flags or something. Sorry, but I think you'll have to get GoFlight to advise you on this one. Regards, Pete

That's nice. He doesn't tell me these things. :cry: Well that seems bad. What does Enrico say? I hope he told Enrico this. All I can do is relay this to him in case he is not aware of it. Regards, Pete

Right. Well, I see no real advantage in that. It just limits things more, doesn't it? If your vis layer finishes at X feet and the graduated starts at Y feet, then you have one of X >= Y, in which case graduated vis starts before or at the top of the visibility layer, or X < Y, in which case you have a vis layer value from 0 to X, then the maximum allowed by the FSUIPC maxima settings from X to Y, then graduation from Y upwards. I can see your point if you are not using the FSUIPC maximum settings, and maybe not using smoothing. Well, yes, but you should get it smoothed in any case, unless you don't use the FSUIPC smoothing. Admittedly, that isn't done by altitude. I'll have a look, anyway, and see what I can do. It it is easy I will slip it into FSUIPC version 3.06 which I hope to release later today or maybe tomorrow. Regards, Pete

There are no passwords used in FSUIPC. To upgrade from one version of FSUIPC to another you simply copy the FSUIPC.DLL file into your Modules folder. That's it. There are no prompts for passwords, nothing like that at all. If you have already registered FSUIPC then updating the DLL from one version 3.xx to another will not affect that registration. The details will have been stored in the FSUIPC.KEY file so you do not have to re-enter them. This will be so for ALL versions 3.xx -- i.e. for at least 2 years. On the other hand if you DO want to re-register for some reason, you can delete the FSUIPC.KEY file. If you do re-register you must be VERY careful to ensure that al the details are EXACTLY as given in your original email notifying you of the registration key. Your name, email and key must all be precisely as notified. Computers are stupid, they believe what you tell them. Regards, Pete

You don't say which version of FSMeteo you are using, but if it is version 5.xx then this may be a symptom of FS's localisation of globally set weather -- please see my discussion in the "IMPORTANT" announcement about this. If you are using FSMeteo version 6, There's really no change in FSUIPC 3.05 which would affect FSMeteo's behaviour. I know that FSMeteo is still being furiously developed by Marc. In general, either do not start FSMeteo before FS is fully ready to fly, or at least manually clear the weather in FS first -- you can use the button in FSUIPC's first page, or assign at Hot Key for that. Manually refreshing FSMeteo would do the same, I think. Regards, Pete

The graduation starts from the lower altitude you set for it, but 1000 feet above the WX station's ground level at minimum. i.e. it always tries to ensure there is a measurable layer with the current set visibility. Then it increases with altitude to the upper altitude you specify, whereby it should reach the upper visibility you specify. Below the lower altitude the visibility is constrained by the maximum value applicable to the cloud cover -- if you have that option enabled -- or, when below the top of FS's visibility layer, by FS's set visibility if that is lower. On top of all this, if you have smoothing enabled in FSUIPC, the final value is constrained to change only at the rate you impose. Hope that's clear. Pete

Either raise the top of the visibility layer so that the haze layer covers the mountains too, or lower it so that it disappears (you can still get lower visibilities using FSUIPC's maxima). If you use FS's own weather downloads you can't really change that easily, but you can get FSUIPC to set the level automatically if you are using an external weather program. Because, as I explained, in FS2002 when you climbed out of fog or mist and everything went clear, the ground below also went clear, completely sharp, and most definitely unnatural. In most circumstances the new effect, which as I said is done by FS applying a thin cloud graphic at the top of the vis layer, is better. I agree it can look odd in some circumstances, but the only answer then is to adjust the level. It isn't a bug, that's why. It's the same sort of thing as the ever-present blue horizon in FS2002 -- an artefact of the way a facility is implemented. Regards, Pete

It may be okay for that sort of application. Sorry, I really only glanced at it briefly when it first came out for FS2002 and I don't remember much about it. Pete

The "PM Elec ..." controls operate the bits in that word. See them in the drop downs for assignment in Buttons or Keys. Pete

Sorry, I've no idea. I don't see a general reliability slider in the menus. Is there anything in the Aircraft.CFG or FS9.CFG file for it? Well my default aircraft is the 737, and 0372 contains 100 when I load that, so I don't know what's going on there. Sorry. I'll put a question mark against it in the Programmer's Guide. Let me know if you find out what's going on! Regards, Pete

I'm not sure what you are seeing, but Microsoft have programmed in variations. differing haze effects and sky colours are actually intentional. They try to re-create realistic variations, usually on a date and time basis. But it is pseudo-random. Most folks don't actually notice, but those who did, during Beta testing, very surprised and pleased! Oh? How odd! I really love the dusk and dawn effects in FS2004. The sky colouring, the glint on the landscape, especially water, the underside of the clouds, the haze. To me it makes FS2004 the most beautiful sim experience ever. I even have a sunset screen-shot as wallpaper on my development PC! :) It is really strange how folks see the very same things and some love it and others hate it! Have you looked through any of the screen shots of all these effects - there was a whole gallery in the FS2004 forum, posted by Katy Pluta. Aren't your screens as good as those? I have never yet come across any bad looking view in FS2004 -- I've seen selected bad ones folks have posted here, but with most of the settings I've got obviously they just aren't occurring. Even if they did I suspect they'd be temporary. It was FS2002 I really hated for bad views. The visibility and stupid blue horizon, even in overcast dull weather, was really irritating. FS2000 was a lot better than that. Regards, Pete

Yes, sorry, AT LEAST 10 km. In the USA it's at least 10 miles. But that's only because they don't normally measure it further -- especially if it's an automatic station. From ground level (well tower level?) it's often not possible to have anything further away to measure by, in any case. Looking at it that way I should think that in central London you'd be lucky to have a visibility greater than 100 yards at ground level! :lol: BTW I don't know why the South East should be so much more polluted than the Midlands? Most Southerners seem to be of the opposite opinion! :) Regards, Pete

Yes. I can't fix that -- but depending where you are getting the weather, you can. Just raise the top of the visibility layer about the ground level of those hills. If you use an external weather program, FSUIPC can adjust it for you -- there's a value there, bottom left I think. Well when I was allowed to fly (my eyes prevent that now, I'm not even allowed to drive!) I don't think I ever flew in any visibility that low. That would look like fog, indeed. I could always see a good 10-20 miles from altitudes like 1500-5000 feet. On some days I could see clear to the Irish see off Liverpool, from a few thousand feet over Sleap. "CAVOK" has to have a visibility of 10 miles or better in any case. Sometimes there's a definitely thin haze layer in the air. There's often a big contrast between visibility above and below it. I'm not sure of the meteorological explanation now, something to do with temperatures and pressures. I really think that except on really murky (esp. wet) days, 20-30 miles is quite realistic for the UK. Regards, Pete

Unreal line? I don't see that. Have you got the top slider in the Options-Settings-Display-Weather dialogie fully to the right? The only ugly horizon thing I have seen was fixed by that. I now have all three of those top sliders fully right and I think the clouds are then far superior. The bottom (4th) slider I've put far left, it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference for me in any case. I think FS2004 still messes a bit with the weather. I've been doing some experiments with that recently -- see the item on "global weather" in the "IMPORTANT" announcement, top of the forum. Well, I keep messing about in any case -- for tests, experiments and so on. But I normally have my visibility settings (maxima, smoothing and graduation) enabled and set to default, and the sliders in the Options-Settings-Display-Weather dialogue set as mentioned above (top three full right, bottom one full left). In the other display settings I have most things maxed out. This gives me rather lowish frame rates (12-20), so I set the limiter at 20. I am using a P4 2.4GHz with a Parhelia video card running at 2400 x 600 (across 3 screens) -- no panel, only the outside view. I can run it at 3840 x 1024 but the frame rate hit is too much at present. I plan to upgrade to a 3.2GHz soon :D Regards, Pete

Ah, that's not quite the same thing as I though was being stated. So it isn't the EDGE of the drawing of the visibility layer, it's the level at which it is drawn? Naturally, if the layer ends at 3000' and there are mountains or hills sticking out above this, they won't be subject to the haze/fog. Isn't that realistic? Low lying haze or fog often stops abruptly at a specific altitude. It greys things out if it is a low visibility, yes, of course. That's what heppens in the real world too. All that you say sounds more realistic to me, not less. You can use the FSUIPC graduated visibility to make the change in visibility gradual. That's what it is for. Yes, there's a similar cut-off in FS2004 as there was in FS2002 - in FS2002 it was somewhere between 4 and 5 miles. Did you never notice?But in FS2002 when it was greater than 5 miles you ALWAYS got a blue horizon, no matter how overcast the sky. Awful. I do really think FS2004 is much better. 10 miles visibility is low -- I think it looks about right in FS2004 and wrong in FS2002. It sounds like you'd prefer 20 or 30 miles. Strange how opinions can differ so much? In my view the very WORST thing about FS2002 was the visibility implementation. I thought it truly awful, much worse in fact than FS2000. The changes in FS2004 rectify all that, IMHO. Well, that does actually happen in reality too. The thing that was wrong in FS2002 was that when that happened and you looked down, the ground was perfectly sharp and clear too -- the haze just vanished. That's wrong. FS2004 draws the haze below you now, which is much better. Anyway, if you don't like the sudden transition just use FSUIPC's graduated visibility. No! That is NOT "graduated visibility" -- that is the visibility smoothing option. You are evidently using the wrong facilities, or at least not enough of them! :) Enable the graduated visibility option, which is on the same page as the smoothing, but is a different check box. These facilities are very similar to those in FS2002's FSUIPC, but they are not defaulted on as they were in FS2002. That's probably what is confusing you. Regards, Pete