Is it possible to 're-route' keypresses via FS2004?

[Darren]

A strange question this one.

Is it possible to re-route keypresses from one computer through FS2004 (with it completely ignoring it) to another computer?

The reason I am asking is that I am using the Photon hardware from Integrated Flight Systems as my I/O for my cockpit project. At the moment, however, it does not support software from HCSDT (A320 logic and ECAM) which is part of my set-up. However, the software for the Photon can send 'normal' keypresses to FS2004. The HCSDT software also of course accepts keypresses for its overhead and ECAM display.

I'm wondering whether I can send kepresses from the Photon via Fs2004 (which it will ignore) but then send it to ithe computer runing the HCSDT software?

I hope you can understand what I am asking! :D

Best wishes,

Darren Sugden

http://www.sugden.karoo.net (A320 Cockpit Project)

[Pete Dowson]

Is it possible to re-route keypresses from one computer through FS2004 (with it completely ignoring it) to another computer?

Yes, with a registered version of FSUIPC and WideFS. This is how:

In FSUIPC's Keys page, program each keypress you want to send as the "FS control" (actually one added by FSUIPC) in the drop down list called "KeySend". Allocate a different parameter to each one -- the values don't matter, just list them. First one parameter 1, second parameter 2, and so on.

Then in the WideClient.INI file on the other PC (the Client PC), you specify what keypress each of these KeySend codes should produce. The parameters just say KeySend1= a keypress definition, KeySend2 =, and so on.

Details are in the WideFS documentation for the latter. You can also get the keycodes for the keypresses you programmed in FSUIPC from the FSUIPC.INI file's [Keys] section.

On their own these KeySendN= parameters merely send the key code to Windows using its "recorded playback" facility. Whatever program which has keyboard focus will see the keypresses.

If your target program does not have focus then you would need to find a way to direct the keystrokes. WideClient offsers two ways -- one involves knowing the "Class" name of the window of the program to receive they keys. The easier way would be to get WideClient to load the program in the first place (using one of the Run or RunReady parameters). Then the SendKey parameters can be told which of those to send the keys to.

There is one catch. If the program reads key presses directly, or via keyboard state details, rather than relying on the normal Windows KEYDOWN/KEYUP and CHAR messages, none of this will work. To get things to work for such program I think you would need a much lower level driver progam, sitting below the normal Windows API.

Regards,

Pete

[Darren]

Wow! Thanks for your time in replying. I'll give it a go this weekend.

Many many thanks, Peter.

Best wishes,

Darren Sugden