HAT Programming FSX (Re: Pg. 30 of User's Manual)

[wheelerbg]

Hello, Peter. I have another reason to answer your statement in the user's guide: "You might well ask why this facility [buttons + Switches] is provided here at all when FS offers something similar". It comes in mighty handy when your yoke, throttle quadrants and pedals decide to reset or flake out within FSX. I didn't unplug anything to cause this. However, this was a Saitek system (yes, I'm getting the yoke replaced). I was so frustrated chasing the joystick settings that would come back after deletion that I disabled all controls in FSX and decided to do it all in FSUIPC.

My thanks to you for creating a utility that takes care of everything needed. You da man! When did you first start working on this utility in its infancy?

Anyway, since you have a section on page 30 regarding HAT programming for FS2004, and I was doing the same thing in FSX, I thought I'd pass on to you what I ended up with in FSX running on Vista 32-bit. I made 2 essential changes to the listed procedures. Below is the applicable section from the fsuipc.ini (hope I included all that's pertinent):

68=R1,32,C65734,0

69=R1,36,C65735,0

70=R1,38,C65671,0

71=R1,34,C65672,0

72=R1,33,C65856,0

73=R1,35,C65857,0

74=R1,37,C65855,0

75=R1,39,C65854,0

76=U1,36,C66416,-1

77=U1,38,C66416,-1

78=U1,34,C66416,-1

79=U1,35,C66416,-1

80=U1,32,C66416,-1

81=U1,33,C66416,-1

82=U1,39,C66416,-1

83=U1,37,C66416,-1

The 2 changes I made from what's in the document are:

1) Use PAN VIEW for the "Control Sent when button released" rather than PAN RESET COCKPIT. This keeps the view where I move it in Virtual Cockpit, rather than popping it back forward. If I'm turning final and looking forward left and up, I don't want the PAN to pop back straight ahead.

2) Put in a parameter of -1 below this setting to eliminate a one-line up jump in the Virtual Cockpit PAN when I would pan side to side.

This is working exactly as advertised. I tested it out a bunch of times to make sure it was stable. So, FWIW, that's how it looks for FSX. Many thanks for helping save me from a lot of frustration!

Barrie

[Pete Dowson]

I have another reason to answer your statement in the user's guide: "You might well ask why this facility [buttons + Switches] is provided here at all when FS offers something similar". It comes in mighty handy when your yoke, throttle quadrants and pedals decide to reset or flake out within FSX. I didn't unplug anything to cause this. However, this was a Saitek system (yes, I'm getting the yoke replaced). I was so frustrated chasing the joystick settings that would come back after deletion that I disabled all controls in FSX and decided to do it all in FSUIPC.

Ah, right. Yes, I suppose that's another (hopefully rather rare, however) reason! ;-)

When did you first start working on this utility in its infancy?

FSUIPC? The first version was for FS2000, but made to work on FS98 as well so I could make it compatible with all the nice FS98 add-ons I had at the time, and which used "FS6IPC", Adam Szofran's little interface module which did actually simply open a window into FS's global data module. Of course, by FS2002 not much was actually global or easily accessible at all!

All the added user facilities really arose through user requestsFSUIPC just hapened to be positioned in the right place to accomplish all these things efficiently.

Anyway, since you have a section on page 30 regarding HAT programming for FS2004, and I was doing the same thing in FSX, I thought I'd pass on to you what I ended up with in FSX running on Vista 32-bit. I made 2 essential changes to the listed procedures.

Okaythanks.

The 2 changes I made from what's in the document are:

1) Use PAN VIEW for the "Control Sent when button released" rather than PAN RESET COCKPIT. This keeps the view where I move it in Virtual Cockpit, rather than popping it back forward. If I'm turning final and looking forward left and up, I don't want the PAN to pop back straight ahead.

2) Put in a parameter of -1 below this setting to eliminate a one-line up jump in the Virtual Cockpit PAN when I would pan side to side.

The RESET option was really an option in any case -- I prefer views snapping forward when I release the change, but I can see how others wouldn't. However, I don't fully understand why, in that case, you need anything on the release. Won't the view stay put in any case? What does "PAN VIEW" actually do?

This is working exactly as advertised. I tested it out a bunch of times to make sure it was stable. So, FWIW, that's how it looks for FSX.

Okay, good. Once I understand why you need the PAN VIEW with -1, could I publish this in my User Guide (credited to you of course, or do you prefer anonymity?)?

Regards

Pete

[wheelerbg]

The RESET option was really an option in any case -- I prefer views snapping forward when I release the change, but I can see how others wouldn't. However, I don't fully understand why, in that case, you need anything on the release. Won't the view stay put in any case? What does "PAN VIEW" actually do?

Yes, in Virtual Cockpit and Cockpit views, the views will hold as you leave them if you don't include the PAN VIEW (when released). What I want, however, is for the Virtual Cockpit to hold where I leave it, and the Cockpit view to snap back forward upon release. PAN VIEW (when released) does this, but I can't really explain why. But it is the effect I prefer. The -1 parameter suppresses a one line up jump in the Virtual Cockpit view upon release of the HAT switch. Otherwise, when I release the HAT, the view jumps up just a fraction. Looks better and smoother with -1. No credits needed; just a small thing, really, and yours to do with as you think best.

Thanks again.

Barrie

[Pete Dowson]

No credits needed; just a small thing, really, and yours to do with as you think best.

Thanks!

Pete