Pete Dowson

Dedicated? Of course the aircraft being used needs to reasonably match whatever PM supports -- see their website. But in general you have to strip out most if not all of the gauges and stuff. You only need the flight model, and optionally the aircraft body -- if you want to see the outside (not otherwise). I use the PMDG 737-700 or -800 from FS9, but with no panels. But I only use that because I have a good aircraft file for it for PM, made by one Stamatis Vellis in Athens long ago. The PM aircraft file tells its MCP/Autopilot/FMC what performance, fuel consumption, etc to expect. You could make one to match even the default FSX 737NG, which isn't at all bad provided you dispense with its A/P and overhead. Yes, I do. In fact I've got a BA livery on my 737-700, which is of course actually fictional because BA don't use any 737NGs. Regards Pete

You send me an Email (petedowson@btconnect.com) stating the name of the product, your real name, and the number of bytes really needed. That's 1024 bytes, far more than most other projects put together! I would need you to justify such a large allocation, as space is limited. There are 8192 bits in 1024 bytes, enough for many more switches than anyone rightly needs. Check again what you really need. For values rather than switches one byte can contain -128 to +127 or 0 to 255, and so on. Consider the range of values you are using. don't use 64-bit double floating point values when not truly needed. Most of the offsets in the range 4000-9000 are already assigned. I'm able to allocate some additional areas in the 7xxx and 8xxx areas, but certainly not 1024 bytes! I reluctant to start allocations beyond 9000 before I really have to -- i.e. when the 7xxx and 8xxx areas are fully taken. Regards Pete

Confused by this. Mine is set not to repeat commands (i just have the "click" noise to confirm it understood me) and pretty much everything turned off, with 'expert mode' so it doesn't keep nagging me, no music -- just checklists (on request) and RCV4 interface. As far as launching is concerned, mine like yours also runs on a Client PC, but it is loaded via windows start-up and its run mode starts automatically quite soon after FSX is ready to fly, and certainly usually well before I've even finished checking that my overhead switches are all set to default cold-and-dark to match my default loading FSX flights. Okay, sometimes I have got the battery on, the APU started and APU generators running before it is ready, but the initial checklist soon catches up with me as IYP ticks everything off automatically. I load plans into my CDU and then start RCV4 from a button in the cockpit using a facility in WideClient to tell RC which plan to load. IYP also gets the plan details from the pm CDU "ROUTE.BIN" file. Robert did a lot of good work integrating it all with PM, for only the 737NG as yet. Regards Pete

Yes, as you said before, but I asked how you knew thiswhat is the indication that WideServer isn't starting? Regards Pete

Hmm. I don't understand that. it works perfectly here. Make sure you don't have the button assigned to "repeat", and of course you assign the ON to "press" and the OFF to "release". Some versions of IYP have been less reliable with this option, but the last ones I've used are fine. Robert corrects problems directly he is informed of them, so please report yours to him along with version numbers. No, i use it for both RC4 and the Checklists, but none of the other facilities which IYP provides. I've been very pleased with it. I'm sorry your experience is not the same. Regards Pete

Sorry, I've no idea what you are talking about there. The IYP controls assignable in FSUIPC work for a local copy of IYP and any WideClient-connected version of IYP, provided you are up to date with both FSUIPC and wideClient. Please see the Updates announcement here in the Forum. There is no keystroke involved whatsoever in the use of the correct documented controls! Clumsy? I find it is excellent -- especially for reading checklists for me. I don't let it fly -- I do that. It is why I have a flight simulator! ;-) The full 737NG ones done for a Project Magenta installation are exact and work well in line with pmSystems. KeyStrokes? Sorry, I think you have gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick somehow! Regards Pete

Does the FSUIPC.LOG file (found in the FS Modules folder) indicate any sort of problem? I don't know what the FSAddon programcould be doing to prevent FlightKeeper reading the altitude. That makes no sense. Pete

The Saitek software uses FSUIPC in FS9, but certainly does not in FSX. Just installing FSUIPC4 cannot change its functioning at all. You have something else going on. Regards Pete

I don't know. Are these custom events visible globally, and if so, how? I use names for all my events internally, too, but I didn't think SimConnect made them visible to others. I thought the only way for separate SimConnect clients to communicate was via custom data, when you allocate so many bytes, identified by a chosen (unique) name, and used the offsets within as you liked. That mechanism could conceivably be used for implementing something like what you say, but it would need the creator of the custom area to tell FSUIPC about it, and also perhaps to give details (names/sizes) of the field lengths and actions for them. I suppose that could be via a DEF file or something to save new calls into FSUIPC. Alternatively, FSUIPC could create a custom area with a published name for other apps to use in the same way. But then we're faced with the usual clash problems for multiple apps unless each is assigned their portion on application. I wouldn't want to operate such a system -- it's awkward enough doing that with FSUIPC'sd offsets for apps. Regards Pete

Sounds like you are using the base version of FSX. You need SP1 at least installed for those facilities to appear. You should update FSX in any case as the updates fix many problems in the original release. It's an FSX problem which everyone has. There is a freeware program available to record and re-position the Windows for you, but I'm afraid I can't recall what iti s called bnow where to find it. Ask over in the FSX Forum. I'm sure someone there will remember. Regards Pete

It depends on the length and type of switch in PM. The Project Magenta offsets list will tell you length ( 1 = BYTE, 2 = WORD, 4 = DWORD) so that determines the "Offset Byte Set", "Offset Word Set" or "OFfset Dword Set" control to be used. But then a lot of switches are by changing individual bits, not complete values. For those you'd need to work out the bit value (bit 0 = 1, 1=2, 2=4 ...15=32768) and use "Offset Word Togglebits", (or "Setbits" or "Clearbits"), or the Byte or Dword versions of those. Regards Pete

FS9 is still running, left from a previous session. It may have closed its Windows and disappeared from the task bar, but some thread somehow is still there, and this stops FSUIPC and other DLL's from unloading. That makes it look to FSUIPC like another copy, and also of course prevents the DLL from being replaced. Use the Windows Task Manager, "Processes" tab, to find FS9.EXE and terminate it forcibly. Then determine what is causing the suspended app -- sounds like that PSS 777. Regards Pete

FSUIPC doesn't report timeouts. One of the programs you are using is reporting them. Maybe your FSX is so overloaded at the time that this program which is failing doesn't get a response in the time it is allowing. Try waiting till FSX is complete settled and ready to fly, with good frame rates, then start FlyingSchool. Otherwise you may need to report this problem to their site and see if they can extend their retries and timeouts. Regards Pete

There is no way FSUIPC will interfere with anything unless you ask it to. By default it does nothing. No. you should ask as FSAddon's support site. Only the latest. 3.98 or later. See the Updates announcement here for 3.989 Regards Pete

How is this indicated? Is FSUIPC running? What is reported in the Logs? (FSUIPC and WideServer logs in the FS Modules folder)? Strange. I'm using Win7 on three PCs and have done since its Beta days in early 2009. I find it easily the best operating system Microsoft has ever built. Could it simply be a boot-up problem, that the hardware drivers are somehow getting loaded in the wrong order, or there's some BIOS timing glitch during hardware initialisation? I'd check the BIOS settings and possibly investigate whether your motherboard has a BIOS update available. To my mind, given what you say about having to re-boot, this is a much more likely area for investigation. Also, before re-booting you could try going to the Windows device manager and see what it says about your network adapter. Maybe it isn't listed, or is listed with a problem. A hardware re-scan there (on of the menu options) might even fix it without re-booting. Please post again if you find out more. Regards Pete

The version of FSUIPC should not matter, except that I only support the current versions. The version of the aircraft model can be critical however. The mouse macros work by making calls directly into the code in the Gauges of the aircraft. If that code is changed, the places in the code will almost inevitably change. They may even change just by recompiling with an updated compiler, because of optimisations. If the macro code lines, the first hex number is the offset to the entry point in the Gauge, and the second hex number is a check on neighbouring bytes, to make sure it has not changed. If FSUIPC detects the change it does not dare jump to that place because to do so could crash FS. Regards Pete

Yes. You answered this yourself: You evidently have a different version of the MD80, not the same, as you thought. The offsets are to code in the Gauges supplied in the add-on aircraft. It those are updated, you must re-make the macros. Regards Pete

Correct. It is a single Axis. You should not expect it to manifest itself as multiple axes. It sends a value indicating its position, just like any other single axis. Yes. Simply assign it on the left ot "PAN VIEW". Correct. No one else finds it jumpy. It is never quite as smooth as FS itself because there is it used directly, but it should be almost as good. Maybe your PC is overloaded or the button scan interval is too long? First, check in that assignment page that the Delta value is 0 or 1. It should be set that way automatically for you, but check in any case. If that is wrong then it won't be smooth as many input values will be deliberately discarded. Second, you can try decreasing the polling interval, but take care as this can soon impact FS performance. Check the paragraph about "PollInterval" in the FSUIPC advanced user's manual. The default is 25 milliseconds, You could try 10 or even 5. Regards Pete

What program gives you this message, and what actually crashes FS? If the number 12 is quoting the standard FSUIPC interface error number in the program concerned, then it simply means that the "SendMessageTimeOut" call, used to send requests to FS's main Window, timed out (i.e. failed) on several retries. This call should only be used by External programs, not internal DLLs or Gauges, so it is likely that after FSInn (or FSCopilot, which I think it uses?) somehow caused FS to crash, an external program (EXE) you are running simply could not talk to FS because it had crashed. If this is the case, and it sounds like it, then the true culprit is not the one suffering Error #12. I don't think either FSInn or FSCopilot use FSUIPC. You need to refer your problem to FSInn support. Regards Pete

It's to do with having keyboard focus. You do not need any of this. IYP PTT is supported directly in FSUIPC/WideFS via windows messaging, not by keyboard codes, as this works much more reliably. Please just assign buttons or keys in FSUIPC to the IYP PTT controls in the drop-down list, exactly as documented in IYP's manual. Regards Pete

Sounds like that aircraft doesn't use the FS autopilot controls? Saitek use their own protocols. They don't use standard joystick button methods nor anything else FSUIPC recognises, only direct access into FS via FSUIPC (on FS9) or SimConnect (on FSX). So unless their drivers allow re-programming there's no easy way. Don't they allow you to assign keypresses? There is a program produced by "maxx" which allows you to use FSUIPC assignments. I haven't used it with the multi-panel (I don't have one), but it might be worth a try. It is listed in my Updates and other Goodies announcement above, thus: I am on holiday from now till the 25th. Regards Pete

Hmmm. Yes, the use of the word "mounted" there would confuse me too, as it implies mapping the folders concerned to a drive on the client PC. That may well be needed by that program, I don't know, but generally programs are able to access folders on Networked PCs using the standard UNC convention ("\\ While WideFS needs no folder sharing, obviously some application programs, despite using WideFS to access FS internals, also need to access FS files too, hence the folder sharing they specify. From time to time I also have had difficulty sharing files across Network connections, especially with the tighter security measures implemented in Vista and Windows 7. I've never really had problems with Windows XP though -- maybe these are down to later updates to XP, like SP3, though I see you are on SP2. As far as I can see, in XP, you simply need to set the access rights as you appear to have done. i.e. in Explorer, right click on the folder concerned, select "Sharing and Security", then, in the "Network sharing and Security" section, check "Share this computer on the network", give it a share name, and also check "Allow network users to change my files" (if FSC needs to write there too). The firewall also needs to be either off or set to allow the folder sharing, and that will be shown in the section below. I can't see that anything else is needed on WinXP. It gets much more complicated on Vista and 7 where there are extra layers and permissions which need setting, as well as users to name (like "every one"). However, you said this, earlier which confuses me because, whilst I have to do this on Vista and Win7, I don't see the option in WinXP. Perhaps you are on SP3 really, not SP2? I think things became more complex with SP3, but I don't have that installed any place so I can't tell. On Vista and Win7 the folder "Properties" includes both a "Sharing" and a "Security" tab. To share effectively you have to allow "Everyone" access in BOTH sections. I'm afraid that's about as much help as I can offer. If it isn't enough I hope the folks at the FSC forum can assist. Good luck! I am off on holiday now, not back till 25th. Regards Pete

Without the actual AFD BGLs to look at I'm afraid I've no idea how that might occur. If you look in the "Runways.txt" file, search for those airfields, you will be able to identify the individual files concerned. I don't need the complete scenery, just the AFD BGLs. ZIP them and send them as email attachments to me at petedowson@btconnect.com. But please do this on or after 24th July as I'm about to leave on holiday and won't be returning till then. Regards Pete

If you have a Registered FSUIPC then all of the buttons and switches can be programmed in FSUIPC, just as with many other devices. Then it's a matter of finding out, from the XP Reality documentation I assume, what controls, or more likely keypresses, are needed to operate it correctly. FSUIPC allows more choice of assignments than the PFC driver itself, and in particular provides keypress assignments. Regards Pete

Sorry, I've no idea. The only information I have is from the FSX/ESP SimConnect SDK, which says this for 2ED8: INCIDENCE BETA / Sideslip angle / Radians and this for 036E: TURN COORDINATOR BALL / Turn coordinator ball position / Position 128 (-127 to 127) You might want to post this question in an FS aircraft designer's forum. Sorry, it is beyond my knowledge. Regards Pete