Pete Dowson

So let me get this right. Are default GMMX taxiways wrong for you with: 1. your original MakeRunways, or 2. the new one without the command line option, or 3. the new one using the command line option. I ask this because I realised that I don't actually know which you were talking about. If more than one of those, please make that clear. I can check out the reason with GMMX easily enough, knowing which data to look at. I don't need you to send any files. But it won't be today ... maybe tomorrow (Monday). Thanks Pete

Yes, possibly. You might even do it with an FSUIPC Lua plug-in. If I am interrupted for dinner I would merely pause the sim. There's no way I know of successfully starting a new session part way through a flight with ProSim, ProSimUtils, Pilot2ATC, EFB2, FS-FC, and ActiveSky's realtime weather, all synced to continue where I left off. Pete

I have a full 737 cockpit driven by ProSim, and i do exectly what Thomas suggests. Even if you abort a flight part way through, reset all the switches to a known state which has already been saved. My "known state" is a rather extreme cold and dark, with EVERY switch in its off or neutral state and all axes the same. It has always given me the best and most predictable results and it has become habit. And operating real switches and axes is, after all, part of the joy in using actual flight hardware instead of mouse clicks and key presses! 😉 Pete

Can you tell me which airports that give problems, and what the problems are? I'll see if I have any of them. Pete

Well, you don't need detentes really. Just pretend where they'd be, or stick little markers on. If you make the markers of stiff card you might even be able to have a pointed part sticking slightly into the lever travel slot, so you can feel it. As Thomas says, it is covered in the user guide. Calibrate each position with some leeway either side, so the precise positioning isn't critical. I've been using the FSUIPC flap calibration method like this for years with never a miss. Pete

FSUIPC doesn't "forget" assignments. They are stored in your FSUIPC5.INI file as soon as you press OK. So perhaps you need to explain what you mean by "forgotten" -- the assignments disappear? Get deleted? Or simply that you stop getting a response? Have you made sure that Windows power management is turned off for all the USB devices listed in Device Manager which have such an option? (By default they are on). Are they seen by Windows? Are they calibrated there? And are they seen by P3D? Are you also running an GoFlight software? If so, are you sure they are not pre-empted by assignments there? They look fine, but the FSUIPC5.INI file is important -- it shows how and what you've assigned. For the log you could enable axis logging (in the Logging options tab) to see if the assignment is simply to something you didn't intend. Pete

If you only change the filename, not the filetype (the parts after the .) it should appear, but don't forget that the names in the FSX selection are not filenames, but flight titles (from within the fxml file), so you won't see the filename in the list. As an alternative to renaming the three, make a separate folder and move or copy those you want to save there. In the FSUIPC Miscellaneous Tab you can enable an extra option in the Add-Ons menu which allows you to load flights. That method provides a standard explorer window and you can select any folder to load from. (You can also do the same with Plan files). Pete

Okay, good. No. Not needed, thanks! Pete

Is that how it behaves? Because the PMDG listing has it as: 0: Closed 1: Open 2: In transit (dim) Maybe an error in the PMDG list? Pete

Ooops. In making that quick change i messed something else up and tagged all the other taxiways as "unknown"!! Sorry, Please do try again. First delete the 4.892 you downloaded already and try this one for me. I need to make sure it works okay because I will be trying to develop it in the future for new sims, like MSFS and maybe P3D5, if, as and when I can. Pete MakeRwys4892 fixed.zip

But, sadly, you missed the point that I made, which is that many sites, including the sales one here on SimMarket, link directly to the downloadable file and it just is not possible to have them all change at the same time we provide an update. That's why we have to use a generic name with no version number. Pete

Attached. Not really a "new" version, just version 4.891 with that option /OLDNODRAW to revert the correction for NO DRAW hold points. Pete MakeRwys4892 fixed.zip

That's always been the case. it has to be, because there are many sites which cross-link back to the same file. That's actually the same thing -- the Installer is made to specify the version it installs. Also it never does any harm running the Installer. An old version will never overwite a later one. Pete

The QNH is the "real" local pressure standardised to sea level. The value you set on the BARO knob on the EFIS in your aircraft is the value you want to use to adjust for flight levels or whatever (maybe to QFE for altitude above an airfield when training). The value you set is in your cockpit (also known as the "Kollsman") is your altimeter setting, and is readable in offset 0330 in FSUIPC offsets. I'm pretty sure this will apply to the PMDG aircraft too, but maybe only for the captain setting -- the first officer side can be set separately (offset 0332). Pete

Okay. Thank you very much for testing! Pete

Sorry, it was just that I seemed to be repeating myself over and over. Just to make it quite clear, the correction I made which apparently affects ProATC/X, was to distinguish between the position on a taxiway at Gates or Parking spots from the newer "no draw" hold points. Understandably this confusion, when both looked the same, adversely affected some programs (most notably Pilot2ATC). I had assumed, obviously wrongly, that the same improvement would be beneficial to other ATC programs like ProATC/X, but evidently not. This would probably not have been so noticeable, and not a problem for either program, before developers like UK2000 started using the No Draw hold points profusely in order to be able to place hold points at the proper place for the airport without adversely affecting the AI traffic operations. I have now made a newer version of MakeRunways which, with a command line option, can make the no draw hold points again look like the parking or gate points on the taxiways. To use this facility you'd need to make a shortcut for MakeRwys.exe with the parameter /OLDNODRAW. If you want to try this out let me know. Pete

Looks good for the NGXu additions. Can you also check just a random (scattered) sample of the ordinary NGX values please? Assuming I haven't messed those up I think we're good to go, and I'll get the changes to John. Pete

That version of MakeRunways automatically calls AddOnOrganizer in any case, using a command line option to make it produce the exported scenery file in its own folder (the P3D/FSX folder). It provides all the taxi routes but ProATC/X doesn't understand the codes. I am not sure why it is even looking for them. Anyway, since the "newest" version hasn't changed since last time you used it, how did you think it would suddenly do something different for you? I explained at length what the difference was -- a correction to the data relating to Hold Short points. Did you miss all that? 😞 And I said only if you have other addons also expecting an incorrect coding of hold short points! I think I'll leave this now as we are simply repeating things already made very clear. Pete

I think I hsve resolved it, or at least most of it. PMDG have apparently used a different value alignment for their data structure. Mostly FSUIPC has to use one-byte alignment, as most of the SimConnect and other data needs also assume this. The one byte alignment makes sure every value follows on directly from the previous one no matter what type it is. Other alignments (e.g 4 byte) ensure that 16-bit (2 byte values) start on 2 byte boundary, 32-bit or Float values on a 4 byte boundary, etc. This can result in unused bytes in between values unless the data structure is carefully designed to avoid this. The expansion of the PMDG data to include new values for the NG3 seems to have departed from this. Please try FSUIPC 5.153j (attached) for me. It still has those test bits I added, but it does seem to be okay for the values we were testing before. If you can, I'd like a good sample of the values tested throughout, not just in the new NGXu section, because I'm worried I've possibly messed things up for the NGX part of the data. Also, towards the end of the added data I've placed 7 new bytes, assorted FUEL values (from FUEL_AuxFwd to FUEL_GNDXfr. I don't know how to operate these so cannot check them. I've found it very difficult indeed to operate the panels on the PMDG aircraft. I would normally use specific views for each (selectable on Views menu). However, the mouse won't operate the switches and dials on those specific views. They appear to be just views, not usable panels. Very strange and most annoying. So I try to do things on the virtual cockpit, but I'm hopeless trying to move it to where I need it, and get it the right way up (!). My extreme tunnel vision doesn't help (I have advanced Retiinitis Pigmentosa). I really don't know what folks like about virtual cockpits. I'm very spoiled having a nice hardware one. :-) Anyway, thanks for any checking you can do for me. When it is finallly shown to be okay I'll let John know (he's in charge of FSUIPC5 development now) and see if he wants to fix it in a version soon, or wait for something else to make a new release worthwhile. If the latter I'll tidy this version up for you to use if you wish. Pete FSUIPC5153j.zip

Do you have Lorby-Si AddonOrganiser installed? If so then that version (4.840) automatically runs it to generate the file it needs. That was the method used until Oliver made the special little program now shipped with MakeRwys. Not sure what you mean. Are you saying you have other addons which depend on the wrong classification of hold points? Pete

Sorry, no. I would assume you'd simple put a 0 or some other selection. You really need to ask at PM support. i've not been a PM user for many years. How do you program CPFlight buttons? If they provide a fire warn cutout button, what does it do? It must presunably do something? Sorry, but i know nothing about CPFlight equipment, but I would have thought they provided some sort of documentation to enble you to configure things. Maybe Thomas does know a bit about CPFlight stuff, but you might need to post again with CPFlight in the title to sttract his attention. Pete

Okay. Thanks. That's better. At least I can now compare the T5's and check them against the log. As far as I can see it is because of the "No Draw" classification of the hold points. These were erroneously coded as type 5 but corrected in MakeRwys 4.880 to be type 7. Type 5 is supposed to mean Gate or Park termination of a taxiway. I don't know why ProATC/X is dependent on those for taxiing to the runway. I'm not going to revert Makerwys to continue to classify things incorrectly. That would be wrong and mess other programs up. The issue has really only arisen in the last year or so with Gary Summons of UK2000 using the no draw hold points liberally in order to have hold points made correctly and get around the AI getting stuck through not being close enough for take off permission. I can think of three possible solutions for you: 1. Ask ProATC/X to interpret the T5 file as documented. OR 2. Me to provide an option (by Command Line) to ask MakeRunways to use the old (wrong) classification. OR 3, Advising ProATC/X users to stick to the version supplied with ProATC/X (which may be exactly why they do provide it?) So, what do you think? Not so strange: taxi routes can be worked out without depending on hold point classification. I don't know why it was done using them. AI, like Radar Contact, uses the runway location and the nearness of the taxiroute to the correct threshold. As I said earlier, the default ATC only give permission for AI to enter the runway when they are very near (nearer than most safe-distance hold points). In any case the default ATC was written by the same developers who designed the airport definition methods. Pete

Yes, of course. Sorry. I was thinking of something else at the time -- I've got three things on at the same time. I'm busier now I've retired than I was before! 😞 No, I didn't shift them. Just revised the code (in version 5153i only) to make it clearer what was being moved where. The only changes in 5153g and h was the extra logging. I'm still not understanding how the correct ADF frequency got to offset 6C80. Okay. That makes it a bit easier. Okay, good. So that's what the flight you provides sets up? Not for a complete hardware cockpit. The main software for such is Prosim, SimAvionics, or Project Magenta (the last now being rather long in the tooth). I use Prosim737 which is excellent in its simulation of all 737NG systems, controls, indicators and displays. But if I just load your flight I'm okay? No need to load a panel state file? If I do, then the only installed ones are: Cold&Dark LONG SHORT plus those from my own rief aborted test and the usual "previous flight". What are "SHORT" and "LONG"? Pete

Now i know that it's the added UK2000 EGKK you have the problem with (and not a change of MakeRwys version), I think I know what ProATC's problem is -- invisible hold short points. The Hold Short points can be normal or "no draw". The no draw ones are only used by add-on scenery, and UK2000 seems to make a lot of use of them. Instead they draw the hold points in the scenery graphics rather than rely on the automatic system. The 'no draw' type is used to facilitate the AI holding point, not too far away from the runway, the actual drawn line been placed by a .bgl scenery file at the correct location. AI holding at the proper hold position would otherwise never get permission to proceed from ATC. MakeRwys didn’t properly recognize NO DRAW hold points, so airports using them a lot, like UK2000, have T5 files with runways not ending at a hold short. That caused programs like Pilot2ATC and, probably, ProATC/X, to fail to provide departure taxi instructions. This was fixed in MakeRunways version 4.880 last year. No draw hold points are now included and encoded as Type 7 (see the documentation). I know that Pilot2ATC was changed to use these as well as Type 2 (the normal hold points). Maybe ProATC/X wasn't fixed like this, but then it would have had problems with the UK2000 EGKK in any case. I think you need to re-run the older MakeRunways against your current scenery, so you can see what happens then with UK2000 EGKK. If ProATC/X likes EGKK then, I'll need to see the T5.csv and Runways.txt files for that run so I can understand why. Note that some ATC programs (eg Radar Contact) don't use the hold short points to mark where to stop, but distance from runway encroachment. That's also what the default ATC does. Pete

The EGKK taxiways in the older T5 file are from the default airport, not an add-on. There are 100 taxiways listed there. The newer T5.CSV contains 263 taxiways for EGKK. It looks like you installed the UK2000 Gatwick between using the older MakeRunways progrm and the newer one. So, they are not comparable! I really do not know why you think there's a problem with MakeRunways. You will need to be more specific, and show the changes you think are messing things up for you other than a change in your scenery library. Best to run the version of MakeRunways you think is okay on your latest scenery so that the files are comparable, and supply the T5.CSV and Runways.txt file from that run AND from the latest. With all the relevant and comparable data from the two versions of MakeRunways I can tell you what the differences are, if any, and you can then ask ProATC support why this messes them up. Pete