[Throttle_prop pitch synchronisation]

I'm very grateful for your advice, Pete. Thanks a bunch.

The aircraft models the FADEC engine control system in the RW plane giving basically four power settings - idle, climb (2 speed settings here), and TOGA.

Really analogue axes are not terribly suited to that sort of control. But FSUIPC does attempt to allow such "gate" systems by allowing assignments to specific, fixed, controls on the right-hand side of the Axis assignments tab -- the ability to assign controls to different ranges within the axis movement. Is this what you used?

No, I've not tried that, and to be honest, I'm not sure I want to. At the moment I seem to have something near to what I had before with the Flightstick. For me, that is progress!

When I used a simple CH Flightstick Pro along with keyboard commands, it was possible to use the keyboard pitch controls to control the taxi speed with the throttles set at idle. This is neatly modelled in this version of the Dreamwings Q400 and is what happens in the RW aircraft as far as I know. (It is one of the delights of the plane, along with the superb sounds).

The prop pitch controls, you mean? (When I first read that I was thinking elevator, which is of course your prime aircraft pitch control! ;-) ).

Yes, prop pitch. But, in fact since my first post I have discovered that the .air file or the aircraft.cfg file does this by adjusting prop pitch via the power settings at taxi, providing the props are not set to feather.

I cannot do this with the set up above. In fact it is almost impossible to taxi since the throttle goes from idle to max thrust in three steps in the style of an Airbus.

But if you are not using the throttles to taxi, what is the problem using pitch as you stated? I've obviously missed something

See above.

I also cannot get the throttles to synchronise on autopilot. They are fine on manual but on switching to AP there is a 9% difference in torque (left engine > right).

Do you mean on auto-throttle? The A/P controls throttles as well? If there is no autothrottle then there should be no difference at all between the throttle with A/P on or off. If there is an auto-throttle then then your throttle setting shouldn't have anything to do with it, surely?

The version I have has an autothrottle but it works with the FADEC. For example if I set speed to 170 knots for climb and VS 1500 ft/min the power settings will adjust to 155 knots for that climb. In cruise and descent the A/THR works normally but it's not very responsive and can vary by 10 knots or more. The RW aircraft has no autothrottle but here it is a great help for descents and on approach.

Throttle1=-16209,-9063,512,16035

Throttle2=-16203,-9002,512,16027

So you aren't using the axis region facilities to assign fixed controls for your 4 modes? Wouldn't that be more precise? Perhaps that's the problem?

Maybe.

The FSUIPC.ini file is a bit of a mess - the result I suppose of many attempts to get things exactly right. I do not know the structure of this file or I would try to tidy it up manually.

Which parts of the file are you unsure of. most of those parts which users are expected to want to mess with are explained in the Advanced Users guide, and I can explain other parts for you if you wish.

I am attaching the FSUIPC.ini but really do not expect you to spend precious time on it. I have 'profiles' I think on Dreamwings Malev Q400; Dreamwings Fokker 50 (Flugfelag Island); Dash 7 (Milton Shupe); Project Airbus A320; and Cessna Skyhawk (this is probably incorrectly set). Of these I only have confidence that the Q400 and the Airbus are correctly set up. Apart from that, there seems a lack of order to say the least!

Regards

John

It's not possible to upload FSUIPC.ini as .txt or .doc ??

[Throttle_prop pitch synchronisation]

Overnight, after a good few attempts, including four separate 'sync positions' in the calibration, I now have the difference between power outputs in the two engines down to 2% on AP. This is acceptable and probably similar to RW.

I have also discovered that this Q400 (again as in RW) uses the power output to adjust prop pitch and therefore taxi speed. As long as the prop pitch is set to be 'working' and not feathering, the power levers do the rest.

John

[Throttle_prop pitch synchronisation]

After a lot of mostly self-induced hair pulling, I have managed to set up the Dreamwings Dash Q400 to use CH Eclipse yolk, Saitek rudder pedals, and GoFlight TQ6 throttle quadrant.

I assigned the yoke to FS; the rudder pedals and the GF inputs are managed by FSUIPC.

This version of the Q400 has a customised panel which includes a merge with vasFMC gauges. This may be the reason my settings seem so difficult to get right. The aircraft models the FADEC engine control system in the RW plane giving basically four power settings - idle, climb (2 speed settings here), and TOGA. There are thrust reversers which work on the throttles.

I have two problems:

When I used a simple CH Flightstick Pro along with keyboard commands, it was possible to use the keyboard pitch controls to control the taxi speed with the throttles set at idle. This is neatly modelled in this version of the Dreamwings Q400 and is what happens in the RW aircraft as far as I know. (It is one of the delights of the plane, along with the superb sounds). I cannot do this with the set up above. In fact it is almost impossible to taxi since the throttle goes from idle to max thrust in three steps in the style of an Airbus.

I also cannot get the throttles to synchronise on autopilot. They are fine on manual but on switching to AP there is a 9% difference in torque (left engine > right). The relevant FSUIPC.ini details are below.

PropPitch1=-16209,-9063,512,16039

PropPitch2=-16203,-9002,512,16023

Throttle1=-16209,-9063,512,16035

Throttle2=-16203,-9002,512,16027

The FSUIPC.ini file is a bit of a mess - the result I suppose of many attempts to get things exactly right. I do not know the structure of this file or I would try to tidy it up manually. I could delete it and start again but I've spent so many days and nights setting up five aircraft of various types that I want to avoid doing that if possible.

Thanks for any help.

John

[Goflight TQ6 trustreverse (button)]

I'm still struggling with setting up thrust reversers for twin jet and turboprop types. I'm running 3.972 and I've set PollGFTQ6=No. The reversers are identified as Joy 2, buttons 1, 2.

On the GoFlight module I have calibrated throttles and flaps (4 stages) and spoilers using FSUIPC and all work fine. (I also have prop pitch controls and mixture settings successfully calibrated for props and turboprops).

I have managed to get as far as reverse thrust activation with the TQ6 using key press F2 but this acts only momentarily. I have set F2 to repeat. I also tried using the FS control with Throttle Dec but this produced the same result - momentary reverse thrust only. Parameter showed 0.

Update:

Messing around, I just discovered that the mixture axes in the GoFlight TQ6 (far right levers 5,6) activate reverse thrust. No need for buttons! Hooray! All working like a dream now. Thanks, as always, Pete.

[Goflight TQ6 trustreverse (button)]

As for "FSUIPC seeing thrust reversers as buttons", there is no way to "see axes as buttons", ever.

.

Okay.

The "buttons" we were talking about are those also built into the TQ6 and, I think, depressed when you pull the sticks right back.

There are no actual buttons on the TQ6. The point is that the four upper middle axes can be set using the GoFlight setup program to function as thrust reversers. In the photo they are the four small white levers using the same 'runs' as the throttles. They look like levers (axes) but function as switches. They do not have potentiometers. They switch ON when pulled aft towards the user and OFF, hopefully, when pushed for'ard. I would like to know if it is possible to set these 'switches' up using FSUIPC.

Thanks.

John

[Goflight TQ6 trustreverse (button)]

So where are we on this? I have the same problem. How to set the TQ6 thrust reversers to activate and deactivate using FSUIPC (v.3.966) in FS9. I have levers 3 and 4 set up as throttles, levers 1 and 2 are prop pitch controls. Levers 5 and 6 are unused in this aircraft (F-50). I have disabled the FS joystick controls. How can I make FSUIPC see the thrust reversers in the photo above as buttons? Maybe I have missed something obvious.

John

[Propellor Pitch_Axis]

There are a few companies around these days making those, though whether they come flat-packed or pre-assembled I don't know -- most likely flat-packed as they're shipped world-wide. For 737NG especially you can get the MIP (main instrument panel, pilot only or both pilot and copilot) pre-cut and ready for glass screens and switches, also overheads and centre pedestals, all of which you can fit the switches and gauges and do your own wiring. Your choice of fittings and electronics, or they'll supply too, usually.

No, you'll be surprised at what you can find if you look around. My eyes were opened when I first visited the Lelystad FS Weekend a couple of years ago. There's a tremendous variety of stuff available, and more, it seems, every day. Pay a visit to MyCockpits some time and scan through the variations there, for starters. http://www.mycockpit.org

Regards

Pete

Thanks, yet again. I've just been listening to your interview on the mycockpit site. Excellent stuff. I looked at the SimSamurai site too and will go through the FSUIPC tutorial as soon as I get a chance. I'm sure his FS9 guide is equally good - I might even buy it. Between these two websites, and the next Lelystad FS show (?) I've got plenty to chew on.

[Propellor Pitch_Axis]

Thanks again. I like your precise way of doing things! I will take a look at the other website but I am pleased with my progress using your guides, especially now that I can 'profile' types of aircraft.

I am at the start of upgrading my controls and I do not really know where that will lead. I know that I would not have the expertise or the patience to design a cockpit but I could certainly build one if it came flat-packed. That is meant as a serious suggestion. A flat pack would just be a skeleton into which controls, switches and screens could be placed when or if required. Hopefully, there is some standardisation between different brands of switches etc. A cockpit like that would have to be adaptable to different aircraft types and would be designed for single seat operation only.

It is just that there would seem to be scope for a bare bones 'ready made' cockpit to fill a gap between the 'keyboard/joystick/monito-on-a-table' set up and the all-singing, all-dancing cockpits shown on the Project Magenta, PFC or GoFlight websites.

Just a thought. Probably unrealistic. :roll:

[Propellor Pitch_Axis]

As well as reversing (and re-calibrating afterwards), you will find you also need to calibrate the "brakes off" position with both pedals slighly pressed, otherwise you can find yourself inadvertently getting braking when simply using the rudders.

Joy! Reversing and recalibration cured the problem. I don't have exactly the same numbers for the Min ('brakes off') values but this doesn't seem to be critical.

Now that I have crept up the learning curve a little, I would like to delve deeper into FSUIPC. Without a knowledge of programming I find parts of the Users Guide a bit daunting, and the Advanced Guide is mostly incomprehensible. For example, now that I have set up a functioning, admittedly basic, Q400 profile, can I create 'generic' versions for GA singles, GA twins, twin engined jets, other twin turboprops, tail-draggers etc? Or is it better to set up individual aircraft? I have dozens!

Thanks very much again.

[Propellor Pitch_Axis]

It still certainly sounds like you are suffering from the rather over-strict timeout checks I put into FSUIPC 3.96. I would strongly advise you to replace the DLL with the later one from the Updates and other Goodies announcement above.

I did this and it did help I think. I have elevator, ailerons, throttles (2), prop pitch control (2) all functioning well - smoother inputs than when using FS9 calibration. I have assigned elevator trim and hat view buttons and these all work fine. I have also assigned rudder pedals and differential toe brakes.

I am beginning to understand the immense power and flexibility of FSUIPC but for now my remaining problem is with the brakes. I can operate differential brakes (shown by red indicators) with either toe brake but this is being over-ridden by a general brake command which does not respond to keyboard 'full stop'.

Are you sure you don't have interference occurring from assignments in FS? You must not have the same axes or buttons assigned in both FS and FSUIPC. Only one or the other, or they will certainly interfere with each other.

Yes, absolutely sure. In normal and slew modes. In fact, I have disabled joystick in FS9 Options/Controls.

Thanks again.

John

[Propellor Pitch_Axis]

Thanks.

I'm using 3.96. I made some progress since I posted. I had to close and re-open FSUIPC before I could set the 3rd and 4th assignments on the GF-TQ6 (axis propeller 1 and 2). When I re-opened FSUIPC again I could use the joystick calibration - page 5 prop pitch. I am still not sure that I used the calibration routine correctly. It was good for prop 1 but I could not calibrate prop pitch 2 separately. I just checked map 1 to 12; 2 to 34 and this seems to work quite well although sometimes it is not consistent - may indeed have something to do with timing. The Dreamwings Q400 models the real world FADEC system very faithfully so the manually controlled engine response curves are not a straight line - if that makes sense.

I am still not sure how to alter the sensitivity of the elevator/ailerons - is it simply by altering the slope function?

Thanks again for FSUIPC, WideFS and your help.

[Propellor Pitch_Axis]

After 30-odd years as a virtual aviator, I splashed out and bought myself a Goflight TQ6 throttle and a set of Saitek Pro Rudder pedals. The improvement in realism has been astonishing. That said, I felt that the calibration of the throttles using GF software left something to be desired even though I did all the correct things about disabling assignments in FS9 to prevent dual inputs. I've been experimenting with FSUIPC joystick and throttle quadrant assignment and calibration.

My aim was to set up controls for the Dreamwings Q400 Dash 8 specifically in FS9. This aircraft has customised vasFMC panel gauges. I have the throttles calibrated so that approx the lowest 1/4 of travel is reverse thrust - once I have this exactly right I will make some sort of detachable detente.

The problem now is that I cannot assign an axis to prop pitch. When I go into page 1 the 'rescan' and 'clear' buttons are blanked out. Even when I 'reload all assignments', then rescan and move the pitch controls nothing happens. An axis is not assigned as it was with the joystick and the throttles. The Q400 relies on prop pitch to control taxi speeds and this is very well modelled in the Dreamwings version. Without it the aircraft roars off the stand at 40 knots or more at idle throttle.

I don't want to go back to keyboard controls so if someone can put me right on this I'd be grateful. Believe it or not I have read the manual - it's just that I don't understand all of it. :?

[VATSIM etc with WideFS]

Of course, WideServer.dll in the Modules folder. :oops:

My objective is to run BA Virtual ACARS, other ACARS programs, FSBuild, and various scenery building programs on WideFS so that I can view these whilst displaying FS2004. I do not have a third monitor and the laptop is an ancient 386 running Windows98.

I found out last night that monitor 2 has a second input so I think the easiest way of achieving my objective is to find a replacement graphics card with two outputs for PC2. One of these will go to Monitor 1 as at present for Office tasks, the other to monitor 2. I can use a built in switch on monitor 2 to select when I want to use this monitor to display 'built-in' FS2004 tasks (FSNav, default GPA, pop-up panels, AI aircraft) when the KVM switch is set to show output from PC1, or WideFS tasks when the inbuilt monitor switch is set to the second graphics output on PC2. Of course, the graphics set up in PC2 will need to be altered to allow identification of two screens. It's not perfect but easy to do and cheap.

Thanks for your advice, Pete - it clarified my thinking on this. Thanks also for your programs - FSUIPC in particular has transformed the FS experience for me since I started using it so many years ago I've forgotten. :)

John

[VATSIM etc with WideFS]

The only bit which goes on the client PCs is the "WideClient.exe" program.

What about WideServer.dll? And the various applications?

I obviously will need another screen for this PC but the video card on PC2 has only a single MON connection and this is connected to the main PC as explained above i.e. for a second display.

Er. I don't understand. How isd the video card on your second PC providing a second monitor for your FS PC? That doesn't make any sense.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. I run two monitors from PC1 (FS2004 PC) using dual outputs from its graphics card. PC2 (the WideFS client) has a graphics card with one output. This connects with Monitor 1 via a KVM switch. Up until now PC2 has been used mostly for Office tasks etc. I can use the switch to choose which video output is active on Monitor 1 i.e. output from PC1 or PC2. Unfortunately, I cannot switch the output from the WideFS client to display on Monitor 2. As I use Monitor 1 for the main FS2004 display there is a problem. I suppose I will need a replacement graphics card for PC2 with two outputs, the second output displaying on a third monitor (maybe a laptop). Does that make sense to you or can you think of an easier way of doing things?

Only those which run outside of FS and use FSUIPC to talk to it. After all, WideFS is only a remote FSUIPC interface, nothing more.

It would seem that FSInn cannot be run as it requires FSCopilot. However, the ACARS program from BA Virtual will definitely run and I suspect other ACARS programs will do so also. The flightplanning program, FSBuild, will run as will scenery design programs such as SBuilder and AFCAD2 which connect to FS2004 via FSUIPC.

Thanks for your help. It's much appreciated.

John

[VATSIM etc with WideFS]

I've starting doing more online flying and find that running FSCopilot, FSInn, VATSIM, an ACARS program,Teamspeak, AIBridge and ActiveSky is beginning to test my frame rates. Not surprising I suppose.

At the moment I run a two monitor set up off a single PC with FSNav, TrafficView, cockpit panels and AI aircraft views displayed on Monitor 2, usually not all at once! This setup mostly works very well although FSNav is a little unstable and needs to be carefully managed.

I've read the WideFS manual but I am still not sure exactly how the program works. I know I need to install it on a second PC and I've done this. I obviously will need another screen for this PC but the video card on PC2 has only a single MON connection and this is connected to the main PC as explained above i.e. for a second display.

I'm running FS9 in XP Pro in my main PC. The WideFS client (PC2) has Windows 2000.

Any advice on how best to proceed would be welcome! I am not sure which of the applications in the first sentence above can be run via WideFS. Maybe I should be using WideView instead or in addition. :?:

John

[Any News of FS Nav forFSX]

Yet another reason, perhaps the most compelling one of all, to stick with FS9 for the foreseeable future. :(