Dialog freeze on dx button page v 4.20 (including 4.205)

[martiner]

Hello Pete,

I'm running 4.205 on Vista 64 (also tried 4.20), FSX SP1. I have the following strange issue:

When I go to the "Buttons + Switches" page in the dialog, the dialog "freezes" the moment I click the mouse, press a DirectX button or press a key on the keyboard (anything that changes the focus on the dialog it seems). By freezing, I mean the dialog and FSX becomes unresponsive to any command or input, such as clicking with the mouse doesn't work, and another page cannot be navigated to, the dialog cannot be moved or closed by the mouse, neither can the FSX window (all is frozen). I've tried this in full screen and windowed mode, same thing. The only way out is to kill the FSX process from task manager. When it's stuck, I can occasionally see heavy flicker under the line that reads "Press the joystick button you wish to program" right next to the word "BUTTON". It looks like it's trying to change the label text over and over.

All the other pages in the dialog were tested and function correctly, including the Axis Assignment page and the Joystick Calibration pages. Again, all working well. FSX does see my directX buttons in the regular control assignment dialog, and the buttons can be assigned there as well. I also verified that the FSX controls were deleted via the controls dialog before being assigned via FSUIPC.

I'm attaching the FSUIPC log file for your review.

********* FSUIPC4, Version 4.205 by Pete Dowson *********

NOTE: SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07 is supported, but it isn't installed.

User Name="Etienne Martin"

User Addr="martiner@rrcol.com"

FSUIPC4 Key is provided

WideFS7 Key is provided

Running inside FSX on Windows Vista (SimConnect SP1 May07)

Module base=61000000

DebugStatus=255

63 System time = 17:35:15

63 FLT UNC path = "C:\Users\administrator\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\"

63 FS UNC path = "\\DELEN\fsx\"

921 LogOptions=00000001

921 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

2777 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61355.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61242.0)

2777 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

2777 FSUIPC Menu entry added

2840 C:\Users\administrator\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\SF260 Denver Test.FLT

2840 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\RealAir SF-260\SF-260.AIR

67315 System time = 17:36:22, FSX time = 17:35:20 (00:35Z)

67455 Aircraft="SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 G-AERO"

68859 Weather Mode now = Custom

89717 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

Configuration:

Vista 64 Ultimate

Intel QX9650, FSX SP1 running on 4 cores

8800 Ultra

4Gb memory

CH Products yoke, throttle quadrant (CH Control Manager 4.30V)

Best regards,

Etienne Martin

[Andydigital]

I've had this problem appear on XP as well and the only way to stop it from happening again was to reboot the machine. Make sure all control devices are plugged in and active before launching FSX, as plugging in a device after FSX has started is when FSUIPC seems to stop responding on the Buttons/keys page.

PS you gotta love the RealAir SF-260, i rarely fly anything else anymore. Hmm thinking about it does it do it on every plane or just when using the SF-260 i've not investigated it that much really.

[martiner]

Thanks for the reply.

I've tried what you suggested and it happens to me even after a cold boot, and can be reproduced at will. I've tried hot-plug and reconfigure after booting vista and re-downloading the profile. I used the same profile under Windows XP with no problems. It has a total of seven devices, 5 of which I use for FSX. I'm wondering if the issue is vista specific. Again, only for buttons, not for axes - these enumerate and are seen correctly. I also found that the FSUIPC doesn't see the 32 buttons on my Saitek pad. I'm wondering if that causes confusion because I'm using a DX 9c/DX 10 32 button compatible DINPUT device. I'll continue my tests and report back if anything changes.

Regards,

Etienne

[Frank.O]

Etienne,

this problem came up several times now. It may be an old joystick driver (gameport) for a stick that is no longer connected.

This thread may help you.

Regards,

Frank

[martiner]

Thanks for the reply.

This is a new OS install, and only the new CH Drivers installed for Vista. There are of course a number of default input devices Vista found, including a USB keyboard, mouse and my Saitek pad. There should be no old devices and certainly no old drivers - non were installed. Also, I do not have any go-flight device attached. All CH Products, and a Saitek pad.

There are no errors in the device page, all drivers and devices are found, test out correctly inside Vista's controller test applet or FSX's control mapping dialog. The same devices show correctly in the Axis Assignment. I've tried to disconnect the Saitek pad.

One thing I will try is to setup the mapping in raw mode (unmapped) to see if it makes a difference.

I also have a correction to make in that the flicker only occurs when I press a button on the keyboard or a controller. The dialog (and FSX) freezes the moment the button assignment tab is selected. It almost behaves like it gets stuck in an infinite loop.

Etienne

[peterhayes]

Martiner

This may have nothing to do with your problem but but in XP I have seen the "button flicker" and subsequent freezing up of FS9/FSX or not even being able to assign a button when the levers on my CH Throttle Quadrant were at the detente or near the detente position. In my case, I solved the issue by moving one or more of the axis lever(s) on the CH TQ to a different position. I hasten to add that this may have nothing to do with your issue as this phenomena sometimes did NOT allow me to assign or calibrate an axis until I moved one or more of the levers on the CH TQ. I guess that you do not have the same button assignment set in both FS and FSUIPC4?

Regards

PeterH

[martiner]

Thanks for the suggestion, I have not found a difference in behavior with the throttle set near detent or not. The FSX controls checkbox is cleared, and there are no duplicate mappings between FSUIPC and FSX. I can see how this could cause conflicts and other issues.

I do have some (good?) news to report, and quite puzzled with my findings.

First, I've removed any device that could cause an issue based on the other posts, and only going with CH product hardware, a USB mouse, and a keyboard.

If I do not enter mapped mode (load a CH Profile) for any game, including FSX, and stick to the default CH Product mode of direct, the dialog tab does not freeze. Everything works as expected.

If I load a profile (any profile - doesn't seem to matter) in CH Control Manager, which changes the list of USB devices from the default list, I get the freeze.

If I return to DIRECT mode, which, according to the CH Product documentation, restores the default "raw" mapping, I also get the freeze. This is odd, because the mappings look identical to boot time from the perspective of DxDiag and the device listings.

I've tried different combinations, loading profiles, not loading, loging out, reboot, etc... The only solution I have thus far if I need to enter button assignments is to do it before any profile gets loaded in the CH Product Manager.

I also noted that once the setup is completed in FSUIPC, the assignments work as programmed. I just need to avoid that particular tab. This is good news, because I have a way to program my buttons via FSUIPC, and can still load profiles for other titles without having to restart my PC to fly.

Here's my default device list (boot time, or when I'm using direct mode, eg, map unloaded) - dxDiag output:

-------------------
DirectInput Devices
-------------------
      Device Name: Mouse
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: Keyboard
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Pro Throttle USB
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x2
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC0F1
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Pro Pedals USB
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x3
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC0F2
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Fighterstick USB
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x4
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC0F3
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Throttle Quadrant USB
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x0
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC0FA
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Flight Sim Yoke USB
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x1
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC0FF
        FF Driver: n/a

Poll w/ Interrupt: No

Here's what the USB list looks like with a profile loaded (worked fine under XP):

-------------------
DirectInput Devices
-------------------
      Device Name: Mouse
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: Keyboard
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Control Manager Device 1
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x2
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC010
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Control Manager Device 2
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x3
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC011
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Control Manager Device 3
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x4
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC012
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Control Manager Device 4
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x6
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC013
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: CH Control Manager Device 5
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x7
Vendor/Product ID: 0x068E, 0xC014
        FF Driver: n/a

Poll w/ Interrupt: No

Regards,

Etienne

[Pete Dowson]

Sorry for the delay in replying -- as mentioned in the Announcements above, my wife and I were off touring Argentina & Chile (by steam trains where possible) immediately after I returned to the UK from the AVSIM FanCon in Seattle.

When I go to the "Buttons + Switches" page in the dialog, the dialog "freezes" the moment I click the mouse, press a DirectX button or press a key on the keyboard (anything that changes the focus on the dialog it seems). By freezing, I mean the dialog and FSX becomes unresponsive to any command or input, such as clicking with the mouse doesn't work, and another page cannot be navigated to, the dialog cannot be moved or closed by the mouse, neither can the FSX window (all is frozen). I've tried this in full screen and windowed mode, same thing. The only way out is to kill the FSX process from task manager. When it's stuck, I can occasionally see heavy flicker under the line that reads "Press the joystick button you wish to program" right next to the word "BUTTON". It looks like it's trying to change the label text over and over.

Have you ever used EPIC and have an EPIC driver loaded with no EPIC device connected? If so try adding "PollEpicButtons=No" to the FSUIPC4 INI file's main [buttons] section.

Otherwise it will be due to some constantly flickering button input or a rogue joystick driver. Try the attached JoyView to see what devices/actions it may find. You will have to open each of the 16 devices in turn to see if any are used. Joyview uses the same interface as FSUIPC4 does for buttons.

Regards

Pete

joyview.zip

[martiner]

Thanks Pete,

I'm jealous of the vacation, sounds like an exciting trip.

I do not have Epic hardware at all, and disconnected/removed any device I could see as a conflict (my Saitek pad). This is new hardware and a fresh O/S install, and the only thing installed driver wise is the CH Products Control Manager 4.30V for Vista. I will report on the joytest results as soon as I get home.

Etienne

[martiner]

Sorry this took so long.

I'm not seeing any errors unless there is something I'm not looking at right. Devices 1-5 are showing up in the Thrustmaster utility populated with data. 6-16 are not populated. The numbers appear for devices 1 through 5.

Again, no problems seeing the devices in the AXIS page, but I get a lockup in the button assignment page unless the device list doesn't change. This is under Vista 64 - could this make a difference?

Thanks,

Etienne

[Pete Dowson]

I'm not seeing any errors unless there is something I'm not looking at right. Devices 1-5 are showing up in the Thrustmaster utility populated with data. 6-16 are not populated. The numbers appear for devices 1 through 5.

Okay. And are the button values and joystick values related to 5 devices you actually have connected? Are there 5 joysticks listed by Game controllers and FS too?

Do the button values only change when buttons are being actively pressed or released? Because it sounds to me like one of the button inputs is activating continuously.

Again, no problems seeing the devices in the AXIS page, but I get a lockup in the button assignment page unless the device list doesn't change.

Not sure what you mean by "unless the device list doesn't change". What device list and why would it keep changing?

This is under Vista 64 - could this make a difference?

May be. Possibly the driver for one of the 5 joystick devices you have connected is not compatible.

Regards

Pete

[martiner]

Hello Pete,

After some more testing and drawing a blank, I decided to do one more thing: I've installed FS9 under Vista 64 (that took a week thanks to Vista's curious handling of external firewire hard disks), and curiously, I was unable to experience the button & switch dialog crash in FS9 on FSUIPC 3.70 (yes, July 2006, my backups are dated!).

I find this very interesting because using the very same joystick/driver configuration (by this, I mean, exit FS9, run FSX), FSX crashed at that dialog. What is different in the 4.2x handling of buttons from 3.70?

I saw you posted a new version of FSUIPC yesterday, I'm going to try this next and report back.

Holiday cheers,

Etienne

[Pete Dowson]

curiously, I was unable to experience the button & switch dialog crash in FS9 on FSUIPC 3.70 (yes, July 2006, my backups are dated!).

3.70 is very very old and unsupported. you should be on 3.75 or later.

What is different in the 4.2x handling of buttons from 3.70?

There is no difference between 3.75 and 4.20 in that department. I could not say regarding such an old version as 3.70, but the main differences would be in FSX which is a completely different beast to FS. To start with the dialogues are managed via SimConnect in FSX, whereas FSUIPC3 uses the Windows features exclusively.

Regards

Pete