Into the lion's den I go!

[namron2]

I have some very basic questions and would appreciate some assistance.

Givens:

1) My programming knowledge is virtually nil

2) I am a registered user..

3) I have read the manuals to the best of my abilities.

4) I have done many searches before posting my questions.

5) My knowledge OF Fsuipc is limited to using the basic interface supplied to program buttons and keypresses.

6) I have never used (or know how) to use a SDK.

Questions:

1) How do I use FSUIPC offsets?

2) Can I program offsets as listed in Fsuipc docs to keypresses?

3) With my limited (to say the least) programming knowledge, am I out of my league to even try to do #2?

3) If the answer to # 3 is negative, what tools do I need to do this?

4)If the answer to # 3 is negative,could I solicit step by step instructions on how to achieve this?

Any constructive help would put me out of my misery and would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

Norm

[Pete Dowson]

1) How do I use FSUIPC offsets?

They are really for programmers. There are some basic facilities to influence values from buttons or keypresses, but then the answer to your question, assuming you are not writing a program, is that it depends what you want to do.

2) Can I program offsets as listed in Fsuipc docs to keypresses?

You can use the Offset controls listed in the control drop-down to do so, yes. But it is best to decide what you want to do first, then ask the question of how, if the method is not obvious. 99% of things you want to do are already supported by ready-made FS or FSUIPC controls in any case.

3) With my limited (to say the least) programming knowledge, am I out of my league to even try to do #2?

3) If the answer to # 3 is negative, what tools do I need to do this?

4)If the answer to # 3 is negative,could I solicit step by step instructions on how to achieve this?

The answer to all these is really that I couldn't possibly comment, as you give no indication about what you want to do.

Any constructive help would put me out of my misery and would be greatly appreciated

What are you miserable about? If you explained what you want to do, if you asked the direct questions, it would be easier for me to help. As I said, most things people want to do are already done. It is only a matter of recognising what name Microsoft have given to the control you want to use. And often simply perusing the FS controls list will suggest the answers in any case.

Why the odd and rather obscure title to the thread by the way? Titles should really be such that other users may see from the thread list whether they are likely to be useful to them.

Regards

Pete

[namron2]

Thank you.

it depends what you want to do.

(within LDS767)

I would like to take each step of the range selection and each step of the mode selection in the Captain's EHSIand EADI and map each step to a keypress. Right now, the only drop down command I can see that relates to this is to use the + or the - control to do this? I want to be more specific and have the legs on a rotary be labelled the specific range or mode selection . Range examples 10,20,40,60,60,120 nm

[i saw from Nico Kaan's FSCONV program that, indeed these individualised offsets are available.

I would actually then use my XKEYS matrix board (PI engineering) to direct these keypresses to the rtotary legs.

Sorry if I am not explaining it very well.

The reason for my title was because I was concerned that my questions may appear dumb within the wealth of expertise available here.

Thank you again

Norm

[kiek]

Hi Pete,

I had a discussion with namron2 in the Level-D forum, so I can provide some background information.

Norm has a rotary switch (6 positions) connected to XKEYS, a kind of keyboard encoder, able to generate a key for each position. This switch is for selecting HSI range in the level-D 767.

What he wants, is to give an FSUIPC offset (one provided by FSCONV) a value dependent on the position of the rotary switch. FSCONV has offset 0x8B18 for that (4 bytes long) of which the first 6 bits represent each position of the Level-D rotary switch for the Range.

Normally one would not use a keyboard encoder for this, but an interface card of IOCards or FSBUS or EPIC or Phidgets and set these bits in the FSUIPC offset directly.

However he insists on trying to accomplish the task with what he has, therefor I recommended a possible way out, like this:

"Define separate keys for each range position, say A, B, C, D, E and F (any key-stroke combination will do). Let your XKEYS device generate these keys.

In a registered copy of FSUIPC, open the 'Key Presses' tab,

Set key 'A', choose as Control sent when keys pressed, Offset Byte Set at offset 0x8B18 and Parameter 1.

Repeat that step for the other keys 'B' - 'F': the same Offset Byte Set control at the same offset 0x8B18, but with different Parameters, 2 for B, 4 for C, 8 for D, 16 for E and 32 for F.

(Note For the HSI Mode, use the same procedure, but then at offset 0x8B19, with Parameters 1 to 32)

"

I assume this will work, OK? (although, like I said before, to me this does not seem to be the preferred way of interfacing).

Best Regards,

Nico Kaan

(author of FSCONV)

[Pete Dowson]

(within LDS767)

I would like to take each step of the range selection and each step of the mode selection in the Captain's EHSIand EADI and map each step to a keypress. Right now, the only drop down command I can see that relates to this is to use the + or the - control to do this? I want to be more specific and have the legs on a rotary be labelled the specific range or mode selection . Range examples 10,20,40,60,60,120 nm

[i saw from Nico Kaan's FSCONV program that, indeed these individualised offsets are available.

I'm afraid I know nothing about the LDS767 nor how it interfaces to anything at all.

The reason for my title was because I was concerned that my questions may appear dumb within the wealth of expertise available here.

The only dumb questions are those that remain unasked.

But I'm sorry, I don't know how to help with this question since I simply don't know anything about the aircraft and not very much about FSCONV. Most add-on aircraft either use mouseclicks for special functions, in which case programming is difficult (maybe needing Luciano Napolitano's Key2Mouse), or do have keyboard shortcuts assigned (as in the case of the PMDG aircraft).

I think the LDS767 aircraft does have a software development kit (SDK) to allow control via FSUIPC, but that's about as far as I know.

Hopefully some one else will be able to help. Is there an LDS forum? Or maybe one for FSCONV?

Regards

Pete

[kiek]

Pete,

I think you have missed my post, while answering Namron2...

[Pete Dowson]

What he wants, is to give an FSUIPC offset (one provided by FSCONV) a value dependent on the position of the rotary switch. FSCONV has offset 0x8B1C for that (4 bytes long) of which the first 6 bits represent each position of the Level-D rotary switch for the Range.

Thanks Nico for jumping in. But I'm still not clear.

I recommended a possible way out, like this:

Define separate keys for each range position, say A, B, C, D, E and F (any key-stroke combination will do). Let your XKEYS device generate these keys.

Okay. I assume he has instructions for that with his encoder ...

In a registered copy of FSUIPC, open the 'Key Presses' tab,

Set key 'A', choose as Control sent when keys pressed, Offset Byte Set at offset 0x8B1C and Parameter 1.

Repeat that step for the other keys 'B' - 'F': the same Offset Byte Set control at the same offset 0x8B1C, but with different Parameters, 2 for B, 4 for C, 8 for D, 16 for E and 32 for F.

Ah, so the positions are denoted by the individual bits, not the value itself. Ok, in that case, yes, that sounds fine.

Are there only 6 range values supported in a 767? There are 8 in a 737NG (5nm to 640nm).

(Note For the HSI Mode, use the same procedure, but then at offset 0x8B1D, with Parameters 1 to 32)

Again, values 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32? Surely there are not 6 modes? The normal is 4 modes, APP, VOR. MAP, PLN.

I assume this will work, OK?

From what you've told me, yes. But I don't know the aircraft nor the offset usage. Sorry.

Regards

Pete

[kiek]

Are there only 6 range values supported in a 767? There are 8 in a 737NG (5nm to 640nm).

Yes, there are 6 in a 767: 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 nm

Again, values 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32? Surely there are not 6 modes? The normal is 4 modes, APP, VOR. MAP, PLN.

Sure. (what's normal? ;-) )

The 767 has FULL ILS, FULL VOR, EXP VOR, EXP ILS, MAP and PLAN

regards,

[kiek]

FSCONV has offset 0x8B1C for that (4 bytes long) of which the first 6 bits represent each position of the Level-D rotary switch for the Range.

Offset 0x8B1C is for the FO EHSI panel, the Captains side is at offset 0x8B18 ....

I have checked this at my side by defining key 'A' for Captains HSI range selector set at 10 nm, and tried that using the keyboard, and it worked well!