Pete Dowson

Good! I'd have fixed it much fast (within an hour) if it hadn't been for the misleading business about aircraft-specific and flight loading. That was all irrelevant it seems. It was instead an initialisation problem for setups with no axis assignments, and would have affected all button assignments up until you entered the FSUIPC options. Regards Pete

It surely does, as I'm using in here with many addons, both locally and on WideFS. It sounds very much like you are running FS and the add-ons at different privilege levels. I use W7 64-bit but I have FSX installed on a separate hard disk and don't need to run anything "as administrator", but I notice a lot of add-on suppliers are advising folks to use "run as administrator" as an easy way out when folks have FS installed into the Program Files (or Program Files (x86)) folder, which is protected otherwise. If you run FS "as administrator" you must run all FSUIPC add-ons the same way, or, vice versa, they must all be run at normal priority. Win7, like Vista before it, prevents programs of different privilege levels exchanging data the way FSUIPC and add-ons are setup to do. It doesn't affect SimConnect as that can use Internet type messaging or named pipes. Regards Pete

That sounds like you were comparing it with the MAG heading -- the difference will be the Magnetic Variation, as I explained. In the Seattle area it would be 20 degrees out, in some areas it would be completely accurate. If you want magnetic headings (as shown on your compass) you need to deal with the variation. It cannot possibly go negative if you use unsigned variables, as you should of course. However, if you look at a compass rose you would surely see that a heading of -1 is the same as a heading of 359, and so 0n, so all you have to do is add 360 to anything coming out negative. Though, as I say, since all this is unsigned it should never happen except by programming error. Pete

No one should need to tell you "what the conversion is!" as it is documented clearly where it should be. Are you not referring to any of the supplied documentation? Assuming you mean the aircraft heading in the 32-bit unsigned word ("DWORD") at offset 0580, then as documented that is converted to degrees by * 360 / (65536 * 65536) which simply means "multiply by 360 then divide by 65536 twice (or by 4294967296 once, which is the same thing)". Couldn't you find that? What documents are you using? Best to copy your DWORD value to a floating point variable first, otherwise you'll lose most of the value: double hdg = value_read; hdg = (hdg * 360.0) / (65536.0 * 65536.0); This gives you the heading in degrees TRUE. If you want MAG heading you also need to read the mag var from 02A0 and make the adjustment. Since the mag var is in the same units as the heading (only 65536 time less because it fits in a 16-bit WORD instead of a 32bit one), you'd best deal with that first. Assuming you read 0580 into the DWORD hdg_read, and 02A0 into magvar_read, and you'd do: DWORD value_read = magvar_read; // Place 16 bit value into 32 bit, ready value_read = value_read * 65536; // Make same units as heading hdg_read = hdg_read - value_read; // Convert hdg from TRUE to MAG // Now convert to degrees double hdg = hdg_read; hdg = (hdg * 360.0) / (65536.0 * 65536.0); Regards Pete

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. What "automatically moves"? Please describe exactly what you se. There are no different FSUIPC trim controls than FS supplies -- they are the same as pressing the 1 and 7 numpad keys on the keyboard, and the same as assigning buttons in FS itself. Are you sure you don't have double assignments to the buttons you are using? You must always mention the version number of the FSUIPC you are using, just in case your problem is related to any changes. The current version for FS2004 is 3.98 (or 3.98a, in fact). Please install that. To see what your buttons are doing, go to FSUIPC options, select the Logging tab, and enable Event logging (not axis events, just the one event checkbox). This will put entries in the FSUIPC Log file (in the modules folder) each time you do anything in FS which creates a non-axis FS event, or control. See what it reports when you press your assigned buttons, and compare that with what is sent when you use the 1 and 7 buttons to trim using the keyboard. It sounds like you have them assigned in FS as well. But you don't describe the symptoms in enough detail for me to understand what you are seeing. Regards Pete

Just in case I'm right in my surmises that this is nothing to do with "aircraft specific" or "loading a flight", but only to do with having only buttons on the joysticks and no axes at all, could you download this little updated 4.60 version and test it as soon as you can, please? http://fsuipc.simflight.com/beta/FSUIPC460a.zip [LATER] It's Thursday now and I don't have much time, so I've assumed what I surmised is actually true and have replaced 4.60 with 4.60a in all the download ZIPs, both from here and from the Schiratti site. If this still does not fix your specific problem then I'll need the results of that series of tests I listed and I'll have to look again next week. Thanks, Pete

There is no specific "page number" for rudders. The calibration instructions are in ther chapter entitled joystick Calibration. The same procedure applies to all exes, and there's a step by step guide. If you mean on the Joystick Calibration TAB in FSUIPC, the rudder control is on the first page along with ailerons, elevators and throttle. All of the primary flight controls are there in full view on the first page. But first get those pedals properly calibrated in Windows and working reasonably well in FS. FSUIPC is no miracle worker! If the Windows data for the rudders is useless it cannot do anything. Nothing can recover information which isn't there! In other words, just forget FSUIPC till you have a working control. FSUIPC only provides the finishing touches. Regards Pete

Interesting solution. I'll have to investigate that too. Thanks! Pete

Yes, I know. 4.57 was superseded this afternoon, as I said. The current version is 4.60. Nor have I. You need FSX properly installed with SimConnect properly working or FSUIPC cannot function. Nor can any other add-on program needing SimConnect operations. Maybe your Windows system is corrupt and needs repairing. I'm sorry, but I've no idea how to fix a broken SimConnect side-by-side installation these days. it was easier on Windows XP. On Vista and Windows 7 it appears to be almost impossible. I have investigated whether it is possible to write a program to do the repairs, but I can''t even fathom out all of the interconnections involved in Windows side-by-Side libraries. It is truly the most devilish system ever conceived by Microsoft and I absolutely hate it. Regards Pete

The problem really is that no matter what i do, even if I have the same button assignments as you, there is no problem. I cannot fix it without seeing what is wrong. The code path for the chasnge of aircraft title follows the same in the options entry/exit as far as button assignments are concerned. [LATER] Just some more ideas. Some things I shall throw out. Please contradict me if any are false. 1. In all of what you've reported, the change to the aircraft and the consequent change in the button assignments has been correctly logged. So this means that the correct assignment tables have been constructed. 2. In all of what you've shown there's no sign of ANY button use at all before you get it working, you say by going into the Options and back out. There's no indication that ANY buttons work before that, none at all. 3. This suggests that the joystick is not actually being detected until then -- i.e. until the joysticks have been "initialised" again by entry to the options. If this is the case then I have probably been looking in the wrong places. One of the most recent changes in FSUIPC4 was to have the Buttons testing use the results of the axis scanning -- i.e. use DirectInput instead of the old joy API. I noticed that your "joystick" has a lot of buttons -- I noticed numbers up to 29. But does it have any axes at all? If so, are you using any, are any assigned in FSUIPC? Could you reply to this as soon as possible, please, because if I am going down the right road here I should be able to fix this quite quickly. At least I will know where to look. It may simply be that when there are no axes assigned, FSUIPC doesn't initialise the DirectInput devices until it actually MUST do, i.e. in the options. If this is the case I don't understand why you'd only report it as "after loading a saved flight the aircraft specific buttons don't work". If what I am saying is anything like the truth then I would expect it never to see any buttons, aircraft-specific or not, till you enter the Options. In the case that I am wrong, could you please do some simple basic tests for me? As follows: 1) Make a safe copy of your FSUIPC4 INI file, then delete all of the button assignments, both global and aircraft specific. 2) Assign one button only, as global. 3) Close down FSX and restart it. 4) Test that one button. Does it work initially? OR does it only work after visiting the Options? 5) Now load a different aircraft, then in Buttons options, select 'aircraft specific' and assign another button, a different one. 6) Close down FSX and restart it. 7) Test that new button. Does it work initially? It shouldn't because the aircraft will be wrong. 8 ) Load the correct aircraft, and test that button. Does it work then? OR does it only work after visiting the Options? 9) Assign the SAME button as was global in step 2, but now as aircraft-specific. 10) Close FSX and restart it. 11) Test that button with the default aircraft. Does it work? (Don't go into Options) 12) Load the other aircraft and test that button. Does it work then? OR does it only work after visiting the Options? I think we should transfer this to email from now on as I am going to have to start sending you files, or at least private links to files. I have a little more time tomorrow than I expected -- seems my wife has changed our trip to Friday now. Please email me as soon as you can on petedowson@btconnect.com . I'll be up for perhaps another 30 minutes but i'll be at it here in the morning , only a few hours from now. Thanks, Pete

First, the steering tiller input is a separate control, a separate axis, to your rudder! That's the whole point! It allows an independent control over steering. It does NOT do anything for your rudder pedals!! Second, if your left rudder pedal goes from neutral (0) to max immediately, then either it is atrociously calibrated or it is a digital rudder which only signals ON or OFF. In your second message you say: Which, if your left and right pedals are acting on the same axis (which isn't necessarily so *) implies that it is your rudder calibration which needs sorting out. * Some pedals, meant for use in driving games, have separated left and right pedals, for use as brake and accelerator, respectively. Regards Pete

I'm away from some time tomorrow till Monday or Tuesday. I might get a build done in the morning, else it will definitely be next week. Please send me an email to remind me. I can mark it to be attended to. I've not no such work listing facility here. petedowson@btconnect.com . Regards Pete

Don't the PMDG aircraft use the FS spoiler controls? I think you may be getting confused by referring to documentation for standard UK/US keyboards and applying it to some different keyboard. I am pretty sure that FS, like FSUIPC, uses the underlying keycodes, the base positions of keys being important, NOT the characters marked on them like "/". By the "/" key it normally means the one to the left of your right-hand shift key. Have you tried that one? The default keyboard assignments for spoilers demonstrates this, it has "/" to deploy spoilers or retract them, and "shift+/" to arm or unarm them. Obviously you cannot do those they way you are interpreting this. In any case you can change FS keyboard assignments to whatever you like, in the FS keyboard assignments. If you are assigning a joystick button you shouldn't need to use keypresses in any case. You can assign direct to Spoilers Arm. Regards Pete

I assume you mean FS9 or something older? If you mean FSX I've no control over how often SimConnect sends me new values. In FS9 you should be seeing them updated every 220 mSecs. They are in the "Fast Sim Vars" group. Each update for all Sim Vars requires a call to routines in SIM1.DLL, a separate call for every variable to be updated. I could put just those in a small elite "super fast" group and increase the frequency to 55 mSecs. It wouldn't be possible to make them that fast. Those variables are obtained by directly reading the memory location into which FS stores them. I can't do that for these. Unfortunately you asked a couple of days too late. I just released major updates today after a prolonged 10 month period of intense development, and I'm taking a break. If you'd asked yesterday I could have slipped it in. I'll be looking at any minor changes accumulated, maybe by the end of the month, but then I'm away for most of April. Is it urgent? I could try and get you an interim update done next week, for you only to supply (via a link I shall give), but I don't want any general updates to be needed for a while, if I can manage not to (i.e. no nasty bugs are identified). Regards Pete

Sorry, I don't understand. You installed FSX, then Acceleration? Then got what message from what? FSX Acceleration includes SP1 and SP2. You must certainly not install SP1 after installing Acceleration! You seem to have messed up the installation somehow. I'd uninstall everything and start again if i were you. Be sure to uninstall one thing at a time until there's no trace left. I don't think the older versions are revealed to be uninstalled until you uninstall the later ones. Best when installing is always to run the program (FSX that is) between each stage. I tend to think the updates need an already-run install to work with. So, install FSX, run it to make sure it is okay, then do the steps involved in installing Acceleration. If that installs SP1 first, check that before going on to Acceleration. This certainly implies a messed up SimConnect install. BTW Version 4.57 of FSUIPC was superseded today by 4.60, available now in the Updates announcement above. Regards Pete

Thanks for the thanks! Always appreciated! Best Regards Pete

In that case Shift+/ is Shift+7. That is that key. It is known as "7" not "/"! Pete

Neither. You never have to buy a new key unless changing to FSUIPC4 (for FSX). And you only ever have to re-enter the registration if you re-install Windows or move to another PC -- or accidentally delete your KEY file. Pete

For those which actually do something, use FSUIPC's Event logging to see if clicking the buttons actually produce any FS controls. If so you can assign to those controls to do the same thing. If not, then the functions may be internal to the aircraft model. Check to see if there's any other way than the mouse that the aircraft maker has provided. Sometimes they allow keyboard short-cuts. If so you can assign buttons and switches to those. If they are only susceptible to mouse operation you may be out of luck, but you can first try using the "mouse macro" facilities in FSUIPC, and if that fails, list the L:vars and see if manipulating those will work. Both these options depend entirely on how the gauges in the aircraft were written. There's a control you can assign to Log L:vars, or you can use a supplied Lua plug-in to give real-time on-screen updates of them as they change. It looked like you were making a list of everything in the aircraft. Many aircraft models made for FS do have pretty cockpit pictures with all the knobs and switches, but that doesn't always mean they all do anything. If they just go click and change aspect then there's not really any point in trying to make anything happen when you operate your real switch, is there? If they've implemented their own autopilot, completely avoiding all of the FS autopilot facilities, there is no point in reading anything in the FSUIPC documentation because it won't know anything about their peculiar implementation. how could it? If you've tried using the standard FS A/P controls on it and they don't work, then this may be a waste of time, but first always just try enabling event logging in FSUIPC's Logging tab, operating the switches, and see if any FS controls result. If not you may be lucky with mouse macros or L:vars, but if none of these work you would either need to resort to something like "Key2Mouse" to program keypresses to move and click the mouse, then assign buttons to those keypresses, or give up and get an aircraft which has more provisions for using hardware. Key2Mouse is not my program, it is by Luciano Napolitano. Regards Pete

How is your / key giving a 7? On my keyboard the / key is with ? just to the left of the right shift key. Where is yours? Regards Pete

Are those supported by the aircraft? If so, how do you operate them? If this with FS9 or FSX or some other version of FS? Of those you list, and depending on FS version, these are supported in FS: Fasten seatbelts (FSX) Cross-feed (all versions) Stall Warning (not a switch but a sound -- or do you mean test or cutout buttons?) Auto ignition and engine start buttons (called auto-start in FS) Inverter switch (? maybe same as FS's alternator or generator?) Engine anti ice (all versions) Surface anti ice (wing or structural -- all versions, I think. Certainly FSX) etc. etc. (Maybe some of those depending what they are) You really need to work the other way around. What functions are simulated in the aircraft you use? If a function in the real aircraft is not actually simulated, all you can do is have a dummy switch, for looks or procedure. There are of course add-on programs which augment or supplant the functions in FS or your aircraft model. I use Project Magenta with pmSystems and have most all of the 737NG systems handled and switched. But each way of doing things needs different implementation methods for your cockpit switch connections. In other words there's no single answer. You need to work from WHAT you can actually do with the aircraft model you have chosen. Then find out how to operate those functions. THEN seek the ways of doing that from external controls like switches. Regards Pete

The only autobrakes FSUIPC knows about are the FS ones. PMDG implement their own, separate ones. You might have read it just above because I already explained it in this thread. The PMDG autobrake switch is a mouse-operated patch on screen. It recognises right and left turns from the left and right mouse buttons, not "RTO, off, 1, 2, 3, MAX", because the poor humble mouse has no way of saying such things. In order to set the autobrake, therefore, you really need just a two way self-centering switch or two buttons -- increment and decrement. To do a direct selection is probably possible but very messy, as I said, because you'd have to do several "lefts" to get it to a known place (RTO), then the correct number of "rights" to get it where you want it to go. No, that AutoBrake Set sets the FS autobrake (not PMDG's) to the setting stated in the parameter. FS doesn't have anything called "autobrake arm" -- you are thinking of the speedbrake or spoilers. There's no way I can help you with PMDG aircraft which don't use FS mechanisms. PMDG deliberately hid all of their mechanisms to stop folks doing what you want to do. I know some have cracked it, but they don't come here. You need to go to a cockpit builders Forum, such as those in MyCockpit, as I already suggested. Regards Pete

Sorry, I've no idea. The data is simply that which is supplied and labelled as such There are folks who visit here who know about these things though and should be able to answer you. Or you could ask in an aircraft designers forum. Regards Pete

"INI files". No, they are user-system dependent. You presumably meant Lua files and Macros. When they are generally useful I put them into the batch of examples which go out with FSUIPC. Some rather more specialised ones are in Stickies at the top of the Forum. mostly related to specific aircraft. I have noticed some Lua solutions appearing on other Forums too. The problem for me is that is is a full time job doing what I do already without taking on a sort of librarian job. I'm not terribly sure how I would handle it if there were lots of contributions. I'd feel I had to check them all out myself before making it look like they had a seal of approval, and that by itself is potentially a lot of work. Regards Pete

You didn't purchase 3.96, but FSUIPC3. Once you purchase FSUIP3, or FSUIPC4 (they are separate purchases) you have a registration with is valid for all versions from that date on. You only need to re-enter the registration (via the Installer) if you re-install windows, re-format your hard disk, or move to another PC. You are advised to keep your copy of FSUIPC up to date. There are often later versions in the Updates Announcement here which add facilities and fix things. The next major new release is being made tomorrow or Thursday (3.98 replacing your 3.96). You should update, as support for 3.96 will cease shortly afterwards. Regards Pete