FSUIPC and Saitek X36

[kimbo]

Okay, here's the issue:

because Saitek's drivers aren't the greatest for the X36 and Windows XP I'm using HazardSripts. I've followed the directions to the letter and it worked great. I recently installed FSUIPC and all of the buttons didn't work again. I reran the hazardscript program and they work. I have to run the hazardscript program to get the buttons to work in FS with FSUIPC running.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix the problem?

Kim

[Pete Dowson]

because Saitek's drivers aren't the greatest for the X36 and Windows XP I'm using HazardSripts. I've followed the directions to the letter and it worked great. I recently installed FSUIPC and all of the buttons didn't work again.

Hmmm. Strange. FSUIPC doesn't actually do anything unless you ask it to.

I reran the hazardscript program and they work. I have to run the hazardscript program to get the buttons to work in FS with FSUIPC running.

What does this "HazardScript" program actually do?

Unless you are programming buttons in FSUIPC, it doesn't actually do anything with them, although it will of course be scanning them. There should most certainly be no reason why a call to Windows inquiring the state of buttons should reset anything.

FSUIPC also checks to see if EPIC is installed so it knows whether to scan it for buttons as well. This does involve an initialisation check -- I'm wondering if this HazardScript program is using the same sort of interface and the EPIC inquiry is confusing it.

To stop FSUIPC looking for an EPIC, add the line:

PollEpicButtons=No

to the [buttons] section in FSUIPC.INI (add the [buttons] line before it if it isn't already there).

Incidentally, if there's no other solution, you could get FSUIPC to run HazardScript automatically for you each time to run FS. See the section entitled "Programs: facilities to load and run additional programs" in the FSUIPC Advanced Users guide.

Regards

Pete

[kimbo]

For some reason, Win XP doesn't recognize the x36 joystick. Saitek's drivers don't work with XP either. Ron Hunt has a site : http://saitekhelp.simhq.com/index.htm

that has new drivers. HazardScript's program an automated programming template for the joystick buttons. After running the program windows recognizes the buttons where it didn't before.

Also, now the buttons are crazy when I go into the game controllers properties.

After I start FS9 the buttons, POV and axis kind of spike and cause the A/C to not be controllable.

If I unintall hazardscript will FSUIPC allow the use of the buttons (if programmed) even if they are not available in the Win XP game controllers screen?

[Pete Dowson]

For some reason, Win XP doesn't recognize the x36 joystick. Saitek's drivers don't work with XP either. Ron Hunt has a site : http://saitekhelp.simhq.com/index.htm

that has new drivers.

Just looking there I see there are two drivers -- only one needs HazardScripts:

Presently there are two versions of Dhauzimmer's Drivers available.

* Version 1.1b are the basic drivers that allow very basic options and programmability.

Why not try the simpler variant?

HazardScript's program an automated programming template for the joystick buttons. After running the program windows recognizes the buttons where it didn't before.

Also, now the buttons are crazy when I go into the game controllers properties.

After I start FS9 the buttons, POV and axis kind of spike and cause the A/C to not be controllable.

It sounds like HazardScript isn't compatible with something else in your machine then. And if Game Controllers shows crazy buttons there's no way FSUIPC will be able to fix them.

If I unintall hazardscript will FSUIPC allow the use of the buttons (if programmed) even if they are not available in the Win XP game controllers screen?

No. FSUIPC only uses standard Windows joystick calls to read the buttons, the same as Game Controllers does.

Try the simpler drivers -- uninstall the others first of course.

Odd that Saitek doesn't support all those operating systems? That website even says Win98SE isn't supported by Saitek! Are these joysticks that many years old they only got support for Windows 3.1?

If they are really old Game Port connected devices they should be okay driven by one of the default drivers provided by Windows. There's nothing much simpler.

Regards,

Pete

[kimbo]

I uninstalled all of the drivers for the Saitek X36 and then reinstalled the simpler drivers. I followed the directions to set up here:

http://saitekhelp.simhq.com/installing_olo.htm#xp

The Direct X seems to be the issue, everything works like the directions until I reboot, then about 15 buttons show that they are pushed and the axis' don't respond. I can't calibrate either.

Does FSUIPC run independant of FS9? Could it be causing an issue with Direct X?

[Frank.O]

Hi,

Does FSUIPC run independant of FS9? Could it be causing an issue with Direct X?

No, FSUIPC is an FS module and thus is only loaded when FS is launched. It cannot interfere with DX when FS is not running.

Regards,

Frank

[Pete Dowson]

Does FSUIPC run independant of FS9? Could it be causing an issue with Direct X?

No, FSUIPC is an FS module, and it doesn't use DirectX in any case. In fact it doesn't touch joystick axes at all -- only, optionally, manipulating the values in internal FS controls which can result for axis movements.

Pete