FSX Cessna 441 Conquest II V2.2 Instrument problem

[Ed McComb]

Peter,

Please see the posting I have in Flight 1 Simforms. I would appreciate any help and/or advise you can offer.

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_p?TID=23866

Regards

Ed

My email if you prefer is emccomb@twcny.rr.com

[Pete Dowson]

Please see the posting I have in Flight 1 Simforms. I would appreciate any help and/or advise you can offer.

Why didn't you just repeat the question here? I would be a lot more efficient and help others stumbling on this thread. Seems I have to do it:

Your problem was:

The Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) and the NAV2 Omni Bearing Indicator (OBI) Course selector knobs change the set points by 10 degrees for every single click and don’t allow 1 degree changes at all. The knobs should allow for 1 degree changes so that any heading from 001 – 360 degrees can be selected.

and you were advised to use the "fix control acceleration" option in FSUIPC.

Basically you are trying to use what must be an FS9 panel in FSX and it is one of those which rather unwisely sends frequent multiple controls, most of them of no consequence (being repeats), but having the side effect of causing incorrect acceleration of other controls. The reply you got saying it is a general problem which could affect default aircraft too is wrong. It doesn't affect any default aircraft because none of them use the methods these type of panels use.

To illustrate how the problem arises try enabling event logging in FSUIPC (Logging tab) and, without touching anything, see what sort of streams of controls are being sent all the time. Show me a section if you like.

When, long ago, I discussed the problem with Microsoft guys they explained that what they are doing is correct and it was up to the panel writers to follow the documented methods and not devise these rather OTT methods for controlling things. The fix in FSUIPC3 for the resulting symptom was intended as a temporary work-around, hoping panel writers would mend their ways. MS are certainly in no mind to change what FS does in this area.

Unfortunately, that fix was based on a hack into FS9 which I cannot repeat easily on FSX as the actual compiled code of FS has changed dramatically and such things are becoming more and more difficult to find. Hopefully, for FSX, there would really be no need for it anyway as really the panel designers who did this sort of thing should be mending their ways and doing things correctly using all the new facilities at their disposal in FSX.

Maybe, in the New Year (no time before Christmas I'm afraid) I may pluck up enough courage and have enough time to dive headlong into some of FSX's code to see if I can help. But on my few forays so far I don't hold out a lot of hope. As they use new highly optimising compilers and rewrite more and more in convoluted high level C++ it gets more and more difficult to work out what the hell is going on, no matter how hard you look. Added to that, I'm getting too old for the long long hours needed.

Regards,

Pete

[Ed McComb]

Peter,

Thank you for getting back to me I appreciate your help.

I’m sorry for giving you the original link; I promise I won’t do that again. I will come directly to you here with FSUIPC4 questions.

Because of what others have recommended in response to this problem has caused some confusion.

1. I am not using a FS9 panel in FSX

2. The aircraft in question and with the problem is Flight 1’s Cessna 441 Conquest II designed solely for Flight Simulator FSX and purchased from them.

3. I also have a registered copy of FSUIPC4 installed in FSX

4. The fact that I was advised to use the “fix control acceleration” option in FSUIPC has caused the problem and I apologize for that. I have FSUIPC4 (the FSX version), I do not have FSUIPC (the FS9 version).

5. I am assuming that the “fix control acceleration” option was in FSUIPC and not include in FSUIPC4. In any return comments you may offer please confirm this if you will.

Now, this still leaves the problem as originally stated by me in the other forum:

The Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) and the NAV2 Omni Bearing Indicator (OBI) Course selector knobs change the set points by 10 degrees for every single click and don’t allow 1 degree changes at all. The knobs should allow for 1 degree changes so that any heading from 001 – 360 degrees can be selected.

I don’t know that if knowing that I am dealing with a FSX aircraft and FSUIPC4 will change your original response to me. I hope that there is still the possibility that this problem can be resolved in some way.

This confusion all started with an original posting of my problem in another forms thread. I have since learned that I should have started a new topic instead of replying to the existing thread.

I you are interested in the posting that I am referring to and may shed some light on the subject I am offering a link to that posting.

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_p?TID=23750

My member ID in that form is gem27745

Thank you

Ed

[Pete Dowson]

1. I am not using a FS9 panel in FSX

2. The aircraft in question and with the problem is Flight 1’s Cessna 441 Conquest II designed solely for Flight Simulator FSX and purchased from them.

I very much doubt that the panel has been re-written for FSX. If it had been it would not have had this problem, because they would most certainly have used the FSX tools available.

4. The fact that I was advised to use the “fix control acceleration” option in FSUIPC has caused the problem and I apologize for that.

Er, please don't apologise -- what problem has such advice caused? I'm confused now. I thought you had a problem and were looking for a solution?

I have FSUIPC4 (the FSX version), I do not have FSUIPC (the FS9 version).

Yes, fine. I don't see where that is relevant nor why you are assuming I thought you did.

5. I am assuming that the “fix control acceleration” option was in FSUIPC and not include in FSUIPC4. In any return comments you may offer please confirm this if you will.

I thought I already made that extremely clear? Where's the confusion? You were advised to use an option that, so far, has not been possible to implement in FSUIPC4. The reason you were advised to use it is because that's how they got around the problem in FS9. I explained all about how I fiddled it for FS9 but not for FSX.

Now, this still leaves the problem as originally stated by me in the other forum:

Of course it does.

I don’t know that if knowing that I am dealing with a FSX aircraft and FSUIPC4 will change your original response to me.

No, because I knew all that, excepting for the fact that I suspect your belief that you have a completely newly-written FSX aircraft panel is mistaken. It will be an FS9 panerl made to work in FSX.

I hope that there is still the possibility that this problem can be resolved in some way.

Not by me in FSUIPC4, excepting, as I very clearly said before (and here I've emboldened the salient words which you seem to have missed):

Unfortunately, that fix was based on a hack into FS9 which I cannot repeat easily on FSX as the actual compiled code of FS has changed dramatically and such things are becoming more and more difficult to find. Hopefully, for FSX, there would really be no need for it anyway as really the panel designers who did this sort of thing should be mending their ways and doing things correctly using all the new facilities at their disposal in FSX.

Maybe, in the New Year (no time before Christmas I'm afraid) I may pluck up enough courage and have enough time to dive headlong into some of FSX's code to see if I can help. But on my few forays so far I don't hold out a lot of hope. As they use new highly optimising compilers and rewrite more and more in convoluted high level C++ it gets more and more difficult to work out what the hell is going on, no matter how hard you look. Added to that, I'm getting too old for the long long hours needed.

You seem to have been very confused by my reply, where I thought I was being helpful and explaining everything. I can see I should refrain from that in future. In particular I find your next paragraph rather odd:

This confusion all started with an original posting of my problem in another forms thread. I have since learned that I should have started a new topic instead of replying to the existing thread.

Surely I made it clear that I fully understood the problem? I even repeated your complaint (which you now repeated back to me!?). It appears you simply have not read much of my explanation, so I'm sorry for wasting your time.

In summary, at present there is absolutely nothing I can do to resolve such panel programming. If you ever do wish to re-read my earlier message and actually do the Logging I suggested I will certainly take a look and see if there's some way I could help. But really the problem is in the panel, and the programmers should have fixed it. Relying on the work-around I did for FS9 is not a good excuse.

If i don't hear from you again I will understand you don't want me to look at it further.

Regards

Pete

[Pegase64]

If i don't hear from you again I will understand you don't want me to look at it further.

Regards

Pete

)

Oh no ! Peter, don't do this :wink: !

Ed McComb is not alone with these problems of bad programmed FS9 (or pre-FS9) gauges used on FSX :-)

Your "fix control acceleration" was a great enhancement for FSUIPC 3.xx and I'm confident in your ability to recreate such a function for FSX.

I think the mood of this thread is only a misunderstanding beetween McComb and you. There are very few real FSX planes on the market and most of them ask for an Acceleration update. I understand that MS Aces have modified codes beetween FSX-RTM and FSX-SP1 and again beetween FSX-SP and FSX-Acceleration so it's a quest without end to fix all that mess :cry:

We, users, only hope that Aces don't despair all add-ons programmers before FS11 and it's promising new base !

Thanks for your wonderful work :D

Pierre Néel (please excuse my bad english but I'm only a frog)

[Pete Dowson]

Your "fix control acceleration" was a great enhancement for FSUIPC 3.xx and I'm confident in your ability to recreate such a function for FSX.

Actually, shortly after my last reply I had a sudden stroke of inspiration and tried a different way to find the relevant timer in CONTROLS.DLL.

I think I've found it, so I'm making a new interim version of FSUIPC4 (version 4.206) for testing. I'll append it here later today. I've no way of testing it properly because I've found nothing which causes the problem. Perhaps you and Ed can test it for me and let me know?

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I think I've found it, so I'm making a new interim version of FSUIPC4 (version 4.206) for testing. I'll append it here later today. I've no way of testing it properly because I've found nothing which causes the problem. Perhaps you and Ed can test it for me and let me know?

Okay, here it is, 4.206. Please try the "Fix control Acceleration" option and let me know. It should work with the original FSX release, SP1 and SP2/Acceleration, but as I say I've no way of testing.

Regards

Pete

FSUIPC4206.zip

[Ed McComb]

Peter,

I have downloaded and installed your FSUIPC4 update (version 4.206) and it works as intended, the Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) and the NAV2 Omni Bearing Indicator (OBI) compass headings can now be changed in 1 degree increments.

Thank you very much for your help in this matter.

Regards

Ed

[Pete Dowson]

I have downloaded and installed your FSUIPC4 update (version 4.206) and it works as intended, the Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) and the NAV2 Omni Bearing Indicator (OBI) compass headings can now be changed in 1 degree increments.

Ah, good! I'll make it available in the FSX Downloads announcement above, then. Thanks for letting me know so quickly!

Regards

Pete

[Pegase64]

Peter,

Yes, it's magic :D

I've downloaded and tried 4.206 and it works !

Even on old planes like the ATR 72-500 of F.Sanchez-Castanez (gauges from FS2002 just revamped).

Thanks a lot for your genius and your "sudden stroke of inspiration" :)

Best regards

Pierre Néel