AutoSave and Level-D 767

[dnunes]

Although I have been a long time user of FSUIPC (registered) only recently I have installed AutoSave (with FS9, Windows XP).

As I fly frequently online, AutoSave seemed to be quite useful, but I was afraid of its impact on framerate. After having been reassured by a fellow simmer that this would not be the case, I installed it. The problem I have felt is that not all information is saved, namely the FMC, which is restored in its initial state. I have been looking in this Forum for similar problems and found Peter saying in a thread that AutoSave only calls the FS save routines.

From my past experience of saving flights in FS, this seemed strange to me. So today I made a test flight, where I saved my flight using the FS option. As AutoSave is saving my flight every 60 seconds, the result of using the FS or the last AutoSave file would be very nearly the same. After having saved the flight I exited FS. When resuming, using the last AutoSave file, the result was what I had got before: no FMC data. However, calling the FS saved flight it was OK.

Why is this so? If AutoSave only starts the FS saving routine, why is the result different?

Regards,

[Pete Dowson]

The problem I have felt is that not all information is saved, namely the FMC, which is restored in its initial state. I have been looking in this Forum for similar problems and found Peter saying in a thread that AutoSave only calls the FS save routines.

Yes. What else can it do? It isn't aware of what other folks' add-ons may or may not do.

Many add-ons, like Radar Contact, and, at one time at least, the PMDG aircraft, monitor the saving of flights by FS and then automatically save their own files, with the same name but a different suffix. In fact, I thought the Level D 767 would do this because I seem to remember its predecessor, the Wilco one, did.

In some cases I've known them to actually add their own sections to the saved FLT file instead. I don't know if any still do.

Why is this so? If AutoSave only starts the FS saving routine, why is the result different?

That's a question for Level D -- maybe they are not actually trapping the Flight being saved, but looking for the menu action by the user instead. Sorry, I really couldn't say.

Did you use the menu, or more directly, via the ";" keypress?

Regards

Pete

[dnunes]

Thanks Pete for your prompt reply. Yes, I have used the menu to save the flight. Then, to resume the interrupted flight, I go to "Select a Flight", where I can either chose the AutoSave or the normal FS file.

But I have investigated a little deeper and found a difference: while AutoSave saves the WX and FLT files, FS saves one additional file, FMC. This explains the difference. Is there any way I can also have this file saved via AutoSave? There is in fact an additional difference: while the FLT file, saved via Autosave, has in average 9KB, the file saved by FS is 17KB (with the FMC file with 18KB).

Regards,

[Pete Dowson]

But I have investigated a little deeper and found a difference: while AutoSave saves the WX and FLT files, FS saves one additional file, FMC.

This is certainly not being saved by FS, but by the add-on aircraft code. It is as I explained already.

I'm pretty sure that the older editions (in Wilco days) used to detect the saving of Flights more effectively. Seems they've not done so well this time.

There is in fact an additional difference: while the FLT file, saved via Autosave, has in average 9KB, the file saved by FS is 17KB (with the FMC file with 18KB).

I repeat, the routine used by AutoSave to save a flight is the actual one in FS used to save a flight, whether from menu or by use of the ';' key. There is no other. If there's extra data added it is by some other add-on which is detecting the menu use instead. Have you looked to see what it is?

There is absolutely no way any one add-on, like AutoSave, can save data belonging to another. You must make your requests to Level D, or else choose an alternative add-on aircraft which is programmed to do these things properly.

Regards

Pete

[dnunes]

Thanks Pete for your help. I will try in the Level-D Forum to see whether someone has already addressed this problem. Meanwhile I will continue to use AutoSave. It will be a problem, of course, if I am in the approach phase, under ATC. But if it happens in mid-flight, it will not take long to load the data again into the FMC, although some information will be lost.

Regards,

[dnunes]

Hello Pete! I have checked in the Level-D Forum and the bad news are that AutoSave in FS9 will not save the FMC data. So we have to live with it!

Regards,