FSX Macro Assignment

[Dave_M]

Hi,

I have been trying to assign a series of Macro commands to an axis on my CH Throttle quadrant to control the Spoilers on the PMDG MD11, at first it seemed to work then on reloading the assignments no longer worked. I had a look at the FSUIPC4.ini file and there seems to be a problem with the way the Assignments are being written.

this is the excerpt from the ini:

3=1X,256
4=1X,U,8704,13824L1:K,0
5=1X,B,4608,8960L1:S,0L1:X,0
6=1X,B,-1040,2816L1:C,0
7=1X,B,-7152,-1690L1:T,0
8=1X,B,-16384,-9882L1:D,0

I would have expected the entry to be more like:

3=1X,256
4=1X,U,8704,13824,M1:1,0
5=1X,B,4608,8960,M1:2,0,M1:6,0
6=1X,B,-1040,2816,M1:3,0
7=1X,B,-7152,-1690,M1:4,0
8=1X,B,-16384,-9882,M1:5,0

The Macro is as follows:

[Macros]
Module="PMDG_MD11.DLL"
1=Spoiler_RET=RXd990*X8bcc
2=Spoiler_ARM=RXda30*X8bcc,31
3=Spoiler_1/3=RXd9b0*X8bcc
4=Spoiler_2/3=RXd9d0*X8bcc
5=Spoiler_FULL=RXd9f0*X8bcc
6=Spoiler_Disarm=RXda30*X8bcc

This is using FSUIPC4 v4331, FSX sp2 running on Vista64.

I tried to manually edit the ini but it just reverted back. I then tied creating and assigning a macro with another aircraft and the same thing happened.

Regards,

Dave

[Pete Dowson]

I have been trying to assign a series of Macro commands to an axis on my CH Throttle quadrant to control the Spoilers on the PMDG MD11

Doesn't the regular spoiler axis work on that? Strange if they've abandoned all connection with FS's facilities.

... at first it seemed to work then on reloading the assignments no longer worked. I had a look at the FSUIPC4.ini file and there seems to be a problem with the way the Assignments are being written.

These are assignments to AXES? Hmmm. Sorry, not tested Macro and Lua assignments very much there -- it was predominantly a Buttons and Keys facility. Good job I've got some ambitious users! ;-)

this is the excerpt from the ini:

3=1X,256
4=1X,U,8704,13824L1:K,0
5=1X,B,4608,8960L1:S,0L1:X,0
6=1X,B,-1040,2816L1:C,0
7=1X,B,-7152,-1690L1:T,0
8=1X,B,-16384,-9882L1:D,0

Ugh! What a mess! Looks like a confusion with the Lua additions. The missIng "," is very worrying too!

The Macro is as follows:

[Macros]
Module="PMDG_MD11.DLL"
1=Spoiler_RET=RXd990*X8bcc
2=Spoiler_ARM=RXda30*X8bcc,31
3=Spoiler_1/3=RXd9b0*X8bcc
4=Spoiler_2/3=RXd9d0*X8bcc
5=Spoiler_FULL=RXd9f0*X8bcc
6=Spoiler_Disarm=RXda30*X8bcc

Thanks for all the information. I will get onto this and fix it ASAP. I think it must be specific to the Axis assignments part only, as I've been using the Buttons and Keys parts quite profusely with no problems.

Unfortunately I am at the Lelystad FSWeekend all Saturday and Sunday, so if you don't see an update tomorrow I'm afraid it'll be Monday or Tuesday. :-(

Regards

Pete

[Dave_M]

Thanks for looking in to this.

I tried to assign the regular spoiler Axis but it would not select the intermediate settings only full and retracted, right clicking on the handle arms the spoilers and click spots are provided to set the intermediate settings so I thought I would set up the Axis with Macros. I have already done a similar thing a while ago in FS9 for the condition levers on the flightone ATR which worked well.

Regards,

Dave

[Pete Dowson]

I tried to assign the regular spoiler Axis but it would not select the intermediate settings only full and retracted

That sounds like you were checking them on the ground. With FS, if you move the axis through or near the "Arm" spot (which you have to to reach the raised zones), and the aircraft is already on the ground, FS acts as if it has actually touched down and provides 100% spoiler operation. You always need to calibrate and test the spoilers in the air.

This occurs with all the aircraft I know of, so I doubt it is peculiar to the PMDG MD11.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

.

I tried to manually edit the ini but it just reverted back. I then tied creating and assigning a macro with another aircraft and the same thing happened.

I've found the bug and am in the process of fixing it now. Please look out for FSUIPC 3.849 and 4.332 in the Downloads announcements above later today.

Sorry, but you'll either need to re-do the assignments or edit the INI file as you surmised.

Regards

Pete

[Dave_M]

I Installed FSUIPC 4.332 and this has solved the problem. Thanks again for the outstanding support.

By the way I tried again to assign the regular spoiler axis and tested in the air but It only gives either Down or Fully up and will not arm. My solution to does seem to work.

Thanks again for your help,

Regards,

Dave.

[Pete Dowson]

By the way I tried again to assign the regular spoiler axis and tested in the air but It only gives either Down or Fully up and will not arm.

You are not allocating a wide enough zone for the Arm position, then. One or two close values will not suffice since it is virtually impossible to find the exact same position again -- especially considering that the Delta value is probably defaulting to 256 or 512 in any case (i.e. changes less than that are being ignored). The zone would need to be larger than the delta, obviously.

The spoiler system and its calibration method, with an Arm zone, is used and tested extensively over several years and on all sorts of joystick axis inputs, from the very cheap to the very expensive, and it has never failed to operate yet when correctly calibrated!

Regards

Pete

[MELKOR]

Dave, a couple of comments.

1) I too had the same behavior in the air. When I switched the axis to use "Direct to FSUIPC", it works properly now.

2) Where in the world did you get (or figure out) those macros for the PMDG DLL??

Thanks,

- Bill

[Pete Dowson]

2) Where in the world did you get (or figure out) those macros for the PMDG DLL??

Hi Bill,

Take a look at the "mouse macro" facilities in FSUIPC -- anyone can generate macros for any panel which is written using the standard C/C++ panel SDK, one with the regular mouse rectangle structures in its coding. Once generated and tested, the panel doesn't even need to be visible any more, only loaded in memory, as the macro simply calls the routine itself rather than emulating the mouse action.

Regards

Pete

[MELKOR]

Oh wow, that is very cool!! 8)

Thanks for pointing that out, Pete, going to play around with it...

- Bill