VATSIM etc with WideFS

[John Fee]

I've starting doing more online flying and find that running FSCopilot, FSInn, VATSIM, an ACARS program,Teamspeak, AIBridge and ActiveSky is beginning to test my frame rates. Not surprising I suppose.

At the moment I run a two monitor set up off a single PC with FSNav, TrafficView, cockpit panels and AI aircraft views displayed on Monitor 2, usually not all at once! This setup mostly works very well although FSNav is a little unstable and needs to be carefully managed.

I've read the WideFS manual but I am still not sure exactly how the program works. I know I need to install it on a second PC and I've done this. I obviously will need another screen for this PC but the video card on PC2 has only a single MON connection and this is connected to the main PC as explained above i.e. for a second display.

I'm running FS9 in XP Pro in my main PC. The WideFS client (PC2) has Windows 2000.

Any advice on how best to proceed would be welcome! I am not sure which of the applications in the first sentence above can be run via WideFS. Maybe I should be using WideView instead or in addition. :?:

John

[Pete Dowson]

I've read the WideFS manual but I am still not sure exactly how the program works. I know I need to install it on a second PC and I've done this.

The only bit which goes on the client PCs is the "WideClient.exe" program.

I obviously will need another screen for this PC but the video card on PC2 has only a single MON connection and this is connected to the main PC as explained above i.e. for a second display.

Er. I don't understand. How isd the video card on your second PC providing a second monitor for your FS PC? That doesn't make any sense.

I am not sure which of the applications in the first sentence above can be run via WideFS.

Only those which run outside of FS and use FSUIPC to talk to it. After all, WideFS is only a remote FSUIPC interface, nothing more.

Of these: FSCopilot, FSInn, VATSIM, an ACARS program, Teamspeak, AIBridge and ActiveSky, I suspect only ActiveSky is eligible, Teamspeak/AIBridge only if you can move FSInn.. Certainly Squawkbox can be run on a WideFS client, but I don't know about FSInn -- you'd need to ask them. Of these: FSNav, TrafficView, cockpit panels and AI aircraft views there is nothing you can move as they are all internal to FS.

Regards

Pete

[John Fee]

The only bit which goes on the client PCs is the "WideClient.exe" program.

What about WideServer.dll? And the various applications?

I obviously will need another screen for this PC but the video card on PC2 has only a single MON connection and this is connected to the main PC as explained above i.e. for a second display.

Er. I don't understand. How isd the video card on your second PC providing a second monitor for your FS PC? That doesn't make any sense.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. I run two monitors from PC1 (FS2004 PC) using dual outputs from its graphics card. PC2 (the WideFS client) has a graphics card with one output. This connects with Monitor 1 via a KVM switch. Up until now PC2 has been used mostly for Office tasks etc. I can use the switch to choose which video output is active on Monitor 1 i.e. output from PC1 or PC2. Unfortunately, I cannot switch the output from the WideFS client to display on Monitor 2. As I use Monitor 1 for the main FS2004 display there is a problem. I suppose I will need a replacement graphics card for PC2 with two outputs, the second output displaying on a third monitor (maybe a laptop). Does that make sense to you or can you think of an easier way of doing things?

Only those which run outside of FS and use FSUIPC to talk to it. After all, WideFS is only a remote FSUIPC interface, nothing more.

It would seem that FSInn cannot be run as it requires FSCopilot. However, the ACARS program from BA Virtual will definitely run and I suspect other ACARS programs will do so also. The flightplanning program, FSBuild, will run as will scenery design programs such as SBuilder and AFCAD2 which connect to FS2004 via FSUIPC.

Thanks for your help. It's much appreciated.

John

[Pete Dowson]

What about WideServer.dll? And the various applications?

WideServer is the part which runs on the Server, in the FS Modules folder. Hence the name.

Applications aren't part of WideFS.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. I run two monitors from PC1 (FS2004 PC) using dual outputs from its graphics card. PC2 (the WideFS client) has a graphics card with one output. This connects with Monitor 1 via a KVM switch. Up until now PC2 has been used mostly for Office tasks etc. I can use the switch to choose which video output is active on Monitor 1 i.e. output from PC1 or PC2.

You share a monitor between two PCs. Fine I do that a lot.

Unfortunately, I cannot switch the output from the WideFS client to display on Monitor 2. As I use Monitor 1 for the main FS2004 display there is a problem.

There is only a problem if you want to see things on PC2 whilst flying. If it is only running ActiveSky you don't need to see that once it is running.

I suppose I will need a replacement graphics card for PC2 with two outputs, the second output displaying on a third monitor (maybe a laptop).

Why? If you have a third monitor why not connect PC2 to that instead of sharing the FS monitor? And if you have a laptop, surely that is PC3? You don't throw away the computer part of a laptop just to use its screen ,surely? And how do you wire it up? That makes no sense.

Regards

Pete

[John Fee]

Of course, WideServer.dll in the Modules folder. :oops:

My objective is to run BA Virtual ACARS, other ACARS programs, FSBuild, and various scenery building programs on WideFS so that I can view these whilst displaying FS2004. I do not have a third monitor and the laptop is an ancient 386 running Windows98.

I found out last night that monitor 2 has a second input so I think the easiest way of achieving my objective is to find a replacement graphics card with two outputs for PC2. One of these will go to Monitor 1 as at present for Office tasks, the other to monitor 2. I can use a built in switch on monitor 2 to select when I want to use this monitor to display 'built-in' FS2004 tasks (FSNav, default GPA, pop-up panels, AI aircraft) when the KVM switch is set to show output from PC1, or WideFS tasks when the inbuilt monitor switch is set to the second graphics output on PC2. Of course, the graphics set up in PC2 will need to be altered to allow identification of two screens. It's not perfect but easy to do and cheap.

Thanks for your advice, Pete - it clarified my thinking on this. Thanks also for your programs - FSUIPC in particular has transformed the FS experience for me since I started using it so many years ago I've forgotten. :)

John