ronzie

What properties do you require for your airport database? Several of the files made by makerwys.exe for Radar Contact are comma delimited and can swiftly be read by Excel and probably Access for import. See the makerwys read me in your FS folder for file and field definitions. I am aware of additions to surface properties in the .xml format but if you just need comm frequencies, localizers, and locations of runway, taxiway, and parking components, f5.csv, t5.csv, g5.csv, and r5.csv might give you needed information to be merged as your require. You would need to write something to parse out the files and combine the data fields you want into a single file to be arranged in your desired field order. That merged data would then be imported into Access or whatever. In RC the airport location is derived from the runway coordinates using trig and elevation from the runway elevations. FS does not really support sloped runways so the elevation field in r5.csv is constant. The common index is the ICAO.

Ref: Free FS registry checker and repair utility Download from here: http://www.flight1.com/view.asp?page=library This file: FSX/FS9 Registry Repair Tool (36KB) to check and modify if needed. Be sure in VISTA and Win 7 to run it as an administrator.

Sorry, I was confused on that issue. (Nothing new there :) .)

We know FSHotSeat interfered with the FSUIPC processes Radar Contact uses and it is listed as causing incompatibilities. FSHotSeat is described as including the functionality of FSHotSeatFX. Perhaps a similar case is occurring. As I recall it affected the way FSUIPC reported some parameters. (Crossposted to AS forum.)

Here is the hierarchy when CH Manager is used unless it has changed in more recent releases: Windows USB device driver CH Control Manager Windows Applications (Such as FS) In relation to FS and FSUIPC FS (Continued from Above) including FS Setup Assignments FSUIPC Assignments or Assignment Changes (Full Version) Virtual Aircraft Devices In Model with Flight Loaded. I used to use a CHCM version in FS2002 but when I flew X-Plane that early version of CHCM created virtual axis because at that time X-Plane could only accommodate a maximum of two USB controllers. CHCM can map multiple CH devices into a few virtual CH devices. With FS2002 up I no longer had the need for it with the registered version of FSUIPC.

Hi, Pete: I'm also on XP Pro SP1 because I have a non-related app that does not like SP2. Same problem with 3712 not recognizing my full registration. Properties show your signed certificate and wintrust.dll is in place. I went to 3711.

http://www.stickworks.com/ has great information on setting up the CH Throttle Quad with FSUIPC (with or without the CHCM).

I have not tried this but the following thread documents how turning off brake noise filtering cured the lack of autobrake function in the PMDG Boeing products: http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=_id=121670

It also would not hurt to try turning on spike filtering for all your USB controls especially if these problems came about with a computer change. USB controls are subject to this kind of noise that can vary among computer types.

Thank you for replying. If multiple apps are writing to the advdisp window and the total goes above 127 characters (assuming that enough have scrolled off to ctrate space), will the window receiving function just throw those out so the allocated memory is not exceeded?

I occasionally have FS9 crashes or stutters when Adv Disp is open with a large amount of text such as ATIS looping from RC 3.1 or Flightwatch from AS 2004.5, or even long announcements. This happened with a few versions ago I think since 2.11. No change with the FS9 patch. DX9b. W98SE with 768 Ram (VCache adjusted) and go into FS with either 550 or 650 MB by cleaning out background stuff. On audio I occasionally get kind of a noise like a data clock with a pause. If I let FS9 ATIS display in the window (no RC or AS) and loop it the same thing happens. If I hide the window, is the text still being buffered in it? Latest FSUIPC. JD from RC states he had a problem a few RC 3.1 builds ago but patched it. Any chance under W98SE there might be a buffer overflow on data/audio conversion to display? Thanks for thinking about this.

I downloaded FSUIPC3411 from schirrati and I also have Norton AV updated two days ago. A full system scan yesterday showed no problems indicating no worms were placed by FSUIPC411. The poster must have picked it up elsewhere. Clean as usual.

FWIW I see in the advdisp window a message when the METAR from the refresh is written the text being the METAR. This could satisfy the request of a notice within FS when the initial write has occured. If the window is set to be invisible except when receiving messages this might satisfy the notification request of a completed write. My question about this whole business is the OP wants FS to startup AS and not have to go to its dialog. But then how do you get the weather into it without working with the dialog unless it is online all the time. AS will start writing the loaded weather data as soon as the location is recognized and as stated it will start rewriting it as the location changes when loading the flight as long as the pause on start is not set. So I do not see a need to trigger AS to start within FS. Now to clarify the FS startup issue I have it set to go directly to the opening menu. Yet FSUIPC.log still shows the default flight loading (KSEA out of the box) followed by AS weather writes (pause on start not set). As soon as I load the selected flight the log shows the flight loaded and AS restarting its weather writes. So even if starting up in the menu the defaullt flight is running before Fly Now is activated. Whew.

Location, Location. What happens for me loading a saved flight as a clear weather theme parked cold and dark is that when I go to AS (set paused on start until refresh) and refresh to start the weather writes I go back to FS to set things up in avionics, etc. Before the weather writes complete, AI is already taxiing to the clear weather runways for TO and are in the pattern navigating to them (about fifteen minutes worth of AI as I understand it). I also get the wrong ATIS which takes quite a while to change. (It is interesting to note that RC gives me the correct ATIS almost immediately which means to me perhaps FS delays implementing the changes to acommodate AI flights in progress.) As discussed in another thread, toggling AI off then on (with the FSUIPC button assignment) immediately updates the AI pattern (as evidenced on a TCAS gauge) and FS ATIS then matches the weather. So what I am asking for is an FSUIPC option that on FS startup toggles the AI off without user activating it so AI does not establish on the "incorrect" weather environment. Then AS at the completion of weather writes could send the equivalent of a toggle to load the AI. Of course specific function calls dedicated to AI off and AI load would avoid the complications of checking the state of a toggle to what state it is in. The other option is to allow the specific AI off function to be called on the initial refresh where the external program starts the weather writes and then executes a function call to load it at the completion of those writes. On my W98SE 2.53 GHz PC, it takes about two minutes to write all the stations in the area of AS's determined local area surrounding the aircraft and a minute or so for the FS weather to show the change. It just "automates" what I am manually accomplishing thanks to FSUIPCs toggle AI function. No big deal. Just a feature idea for any external weather program control to polish things up. Thanks for your comments.

Hi Pete: I've been in on this discussion over at the Flightsim FS9 forum: What would really be nice is an option in FSUIPC to pause just the AI portion of the engine at the start of the FS9 engine (which apparently is running with some kind of default flight anyway even while you are in the opening FS9 menu structure as indicated by the FSUIPC log) until a trigger is supplied by the external app (weather program when its initial writes are finished). In the case of AS2004.5 it does detect the location change and starts its refresh writes but if left in its default start mode it starts writing before to the default location before the selected location is picked causing wrong ATIS and near location wrong AI take-off and landing patterns. The original poster does not want to use the AS pause on start option and then go back to it to start the weather writes after the starting airport is selected. It is kind of an addition to the functionality you already have with the key programmable AI toggle which I have already proved corrects the ATIS and AI by toggling it off and then on (reload). I am just acting as an interpreter here. But the option to start FS9 with the AI portion paused for a kick either by the user (through the existing function) or the external program would be handy. Damien can take it from there.

Hi Pete: I've been in on this discussion over at the Flightsim FS9 forum: What would really be nice is an option in FSUIPC to pause just the AI portion of the engine at the start of the FS9 engine (which apparently is running with some kind of default flight anyway even while you are in the opening FS9 menu structure as indicated by the FSUIPC log) until a trigger is supplied by the external app (weather program when its initial writes are finished). In the case of AS2004.5 it does detect the location change and starts its refresh writes but if left in its default start mode it starts writing before to the default location before the selected location is picked causing wrong ATIS and near location wrong AI take-off and landing patterns. The original poster does not want to use the AS pause on start option and then go back to it to start the weather writes after the starting airport is selected. It is kind of an addition to the functionality you already have with the key programmable AI toggle which I have already proved corrects the ATIS and AI by toggling it off and then on (reload). I am just acting as an interpreter here. But the option to start FS9 with the AI portion paused for a kick either by the user (through the existing function) or the external program would be handy. Damien can take it from there.

OK. I started this query in another thread and posted the response in Active Sky forum on AVSIM. In my case I unssigned crtrl-t in FS9 and assigned that to the AI toggle. Pete: In FS9.1 I did not see ATIS or AI traffic flow change within a reasonable time after weather writer completion as rep[orted by FS9.1 ATIS. On using the toggle it did refresh after a reload. So I don't think the patch fixed it. Agrjag: I usually start from a parked location with adjacent parked AI. I can see them disappear and reappear. On large aircraft I have a TCAS function with Reality-XPs JL suite of EHSI. For smaller TCAS I use the gauge that came with Ultimate Traffic 2. I can see AI vanish and remploy on these gauges. There are some freeware ones around. An interesting observation before I applied the toggle: I think I recall with Radar Contact on the completion of weather writes from AS, I'd get one ATIS report (current) from RC but FS ATIS was still the old one. Not sure though. With the toggle all matches. Another application is if you are at a busy airport in a take-off queue. If I can't wait (I usually do) the "magic refresh" puts me in front. Also using this at the end of preflight when your aircraft has been set-up at a parking spot reduces the number of AI that have taxied into the take-off cue before you were ready to taxi. Without a real copilot it takes longer to set up an aircraft system so I do not feel guilty doing this after the setup. .

Off-Topic but just a thought: Some products check the flight sim version line in the FP. With the FS9 patch to 9.1 any plan created with FS9.1 has a different version number and has been causing problems with some products that check it closely. I use external planning apps and this has not been a problem for me. This is what I'd look for in any support forum for that specific product.

I was merrily flying along (3.40 fully reg, advdisp 2.123, AS2004.5 final, W98SE) when switching views FS9.1 froze in a side view with no type of escape procedure working except a hard reboot. I do not think FSUIPC was involved but when I went to look at the log for hints, it was blank. On a crash such as this requiring a hard restart was it blank because the file was not closed? Thanks for comment.

For those using external weather programs I'd like to see a hook to delay or restart AI when that program does its initial refresh weather writes and they are completed. This may allow ATIS to update appropriately and more importantly allow the initiation of AI traffic flow to the proper runways for the refreshed weather (but only on a flight start). With things happening in the current state of things, AI start up taxiing perhaps to the wrong runway and close arrivals may establishing a path to the wrong runway before the weather writes from a startup refresh are complete. Some people using your hot key assignments I believe do force an AI reload after weather stabilizes but it would be nice to have that as an automatic option (in the external weather program). Perhaps some kind of sim pause warning might be appropriate while this would be going on. I use AS2004.5 and if I missed this feature in your docs I appologize but if not I'd like to suggest it to the AS folks if it can be implemented. I mention the ATIS update as well for this purpose as I also use RC. By the time I get to listening to ATIS the weather updates are complete but some users may not be aware of the need to delay the start of their flight procedures. Perhaps it could be just a matter of an external program hook to simulate the key commands to pause the sim and then reload AI. If these features are already available, sorry I missed them.

Thanks for your reply. The fact that the ground tables are seperate clarifies it for my curiosity. I've got to download your latest SDK because I am always interested and thankful for your achievments. I should have thought about firing up Traffic Look. It has been quite some time and I forgot about the choices.

Nearest moving aircraft on the ground I would think should have a priority to provide collision avoidance interfacing in an app that can take advantage of it. Is this same table used for AI control as can now be performed in the air? I'm thinking of an app similar to the upcoming Radar Contact V4 that is supposed to apply some AI control. JD says there won't be much on the ground as I recall on the RC forum other than inhibiting AI from taxiing onto the runway when you are on final. While FS9 will stop an AI from taxiing into to you just beyond your radius head on, I'm not sure about right angle junctions. It would also come in handy for runway crossings where hold-shorts and crossing clearance could be issued especially now that with the new AFCAD2 "star invisible runway layout" technique runways no longer have to be parallel to be simultaneously active for AI. This also invites more taxiway usage in multiple paths.

What if on the FSUIPC calibration points you reverse the in and out (left and right) set points by clicking on them when you've pressed the opposite pedal? Would FSUIPC plot a reverse interpretation curve? (I'm think of the - and + values for each limit.)

Regarding PCs going to "you can power down ..." screen: In your bios you must have AIPC enabled and also in the Power Management section of Control Panel. This allows software (the windows shutdown task) to turn off the computer (but not totally the power supply). It might be possible that only ATX and some special older supplies have this software power control feature.

This required version of 3.30.8 is in the AS2004\Modules\ActiveSky2004\ folder. It must be copied from there to the FS9 Modules folder overwriting the old one (or drag your current fsuipc to another folder for safe keeping). It was distributed with the latest beta.