Setting up a visual system...

[maufus]

Hi,

I'm trying to use FS2004 as a visual system for a true simulator.

I wrote a VC++ code which interfaces to FSUIPC writing all of the 6 DOF params in a single "process".

Again: I do only write the 6 DOF params.

The result is that the plane moves around the planned track (a circle on the horizontal plane) but it shakes while moving. My feeling is that FS2004 tries to apply its own dynamics after I set position and attitude.

I tried with update periods of 50 and then 100ms.

Do you think I should get faster?

Or should I set some special status flag inside FS2004?

FS2004 Version 9 (no update) / FSUIPC Version 3.30 (Registered)

[Pete Dowson]

The result is that the plane moves around the planned track (a circle on the horizontal plane) but it shakes while moving. My feeling is that FS2004 tries to apply its own dynamics after I set position and attitude.

If you have it running in normal flight mode, yes, it will be doing that. What frame rate does FS show? (Shift+Z twice).

I tried with update periods of 50 and then 100ms.

Do you think I should get faster?

I don't really know -- you'd need to experiment.

Certainly at 100 mSecs you are only trying for 10 fps, so even if FS didn't do its own thing as well it would look jerky to most folks. 50 is better as that is 20 fps. But I think the most important thing to do is to try to match the FS frame rate. Try it at 50 and set the FS Frame Rate limiter to 20 (Options-Settings-Hardware-Display). If you try faster, match FS each time.

Or should I set some special status flag inside FS2004?

There's no "flag" for doing this sort of thing. Microsoft didn't set out to provide such a facility so there's nothing ideal. Other things to try, though, are:

* Setting the sim into slew mode, so that FS doesn't recalculate anything (offset 05DE)

* Pausing the sim -- same reason (offset 0262)

* Setting the Sim Rate to 0 (offset 0C1A)

Not sure if any of those will get you what you want. This application of FS is not really my field. It's been done by WidevieW (for its clients or slaves), and by the program which displays scenery for Aerowinx 747 PS1 (see links on the download page), but I really don't know how smooth they look now which technique they adopted.

FSUIPC Version 3.30 (Registered)

Versio 3.30 is not supported since 3.40 was released. Version 3.41 will be released soon.

Regards,

Pete