NEWBIE to FSUIPC

[manhattan]

HELLO.

I am about to purchase Majestic's Dash 8 which is very close to the real aircraft. I am hoping to provide all or most actual buttons/switches etc but I am at a loss as to how to make them function within the programme? I have no doubt that they can be mouse activated, but this would destroy any realism! I have a Hagstrom ke72 which allows me to interface switches using keyboard codes, but this may not be sufficient for the various devices on the overhead and main panels.

I am not familiar with FSUIPC, and have no idea how - for instance a physical switch thrown in the overhead, finds it's way via FSUIPC to the virtual switch in the programme - and therby actuating it!

Can anybody describe the physical and electrical connections required - as well as FSUIPC configuring, to complete JUST the above example?

I have seen reference to 'offsets' and don't know what it is they are 'off-setting!' and the charts they appear in are a mystery.

If there is a simple way of explaining things, I would be most grateful. Referring me to gobldegook will not help.

Thanks in anticipation.

TONY. Plymouth, UK

[Pete Dowson]

I am not familiar with FSUIPC, and have no idea how - for instance a physical switch thrown in the overhead, finds it's way via FSUIPC to the virtual switch in the programme - and therby actuating it!

Can anybody describe the physical and electrical connections required - as well as FSUIPC configuring, to complete JUST the above example?

FSUIPC does NOT, repeat NOT, touch any hardware. It doesn't read your switches. It reads joystick buttons and keyboard presses from Windows, just like FS itself. If you can assign things in FS, you can assign things in FSUIPC. Just more in the latter case.

So you first need to understand what you are connecting and what drivers and so on you need for that. I cannot help you there, you need to use the documentation for the device(s) or the support from their makers or suppliers.

I have seen reference to 'offsets' and don't know what it is they are 'off-setting!' and the charts they appear in are a mystery.

That's for programmers. Are you going to do any programming? If not, forget it. What on Earth are you reading? If you want to do programming, first learn a programming language, practice on something simpler, then download the FSUIPC SDK and try the examples. But you certainly need no programming simply to assign buttons and keys -- can you look at FS itself and understand how to assign things there? If so you can do it in FSUIPC. Have you even looked at the simple user guide to fSUIPC, with pictures? Tried anything?

If there is a simple way of explaining things, I would be most grateful. Referring me to gobldegook will not help.

What's written in gobbledegook? Where on Earth have you been looking?

Just refer to the user documentation you have for your devices and your aircraft and then FS, or if needed, FSUIPC. By all means ask specific questions if you get stuck, but please do not expect anyone to do everything for you. after all, you know what you want to do. If you can learn to fly a complex aircraft and understand what all the buttons switches and dials are for, then doing such simple things like assigning buttons or keys should be a doddle for you!

Pete

[manhattan]

I dont suggest that anything is already written in gobbldegook - I just asked for guidance that did not involve it!

Please let me know where I can find the "FSUIPC user guide". Yes, I have looked for it, and yes I do try to understand FSUIPC but sadly, most people that I speak to simply cannot speak plain english.

I was under the impression that FSUIPC could do more than read keystrokes which KE72 already does. I am aware that it has many other functions, but cockpit operation is my primary concern.

I presume that FSUIPC is only capable of listing items included within the design of the aircraft and can be translated as key presses?

I expect to use Majestic's Dash 8 pro.

As you can see, I am still very much in the dark and look forward to reading the 'user guide'.

Tony Gerard. PPL.

[Pete Dowson]

Please let me know where I can find the "FSUIPC user guide". Yes, I have looked for it

Have you looked for it inside the same ZIP in which FSUIPC itself is supplied? Naturally, the documentation is supplied with the product. Where else should it be? If you have downloaded the current user release of FSUIPC then you have the user guide, and an advanced user guide, and a history of changes going back many years. If you have not downloaded FSUIPC yet then obviously you have not got the documentation which comes with it.

I am rather surprised that this does not seem obvious to you.

I was under the impression that FSUIPC could do more than read keystrokes which KE72 already does.

Really? I thought the KE72 produced keystrokes, not read them?

FSUIPC, like FS, can read keystrokes and assign them to FS functions. It can do this for joystick buttons too. It can do a lot more, but you need no more at present. FSUIPC iis most certainly not a hardware driver, it is an extension to FS.

I presume that FSUIPC is only capable of listing items included within the design of the aircraft and can be translated as key presses?

Sorry, I probably don't understand that question, but FSUIPC does NOT deal with any add-ons whatsoever, only with FS. You will need to examine the documentation of your add-on to see how best to drive it.

Pete

[manhattan]

I have not yet purchased FSUIPC as I need to know more about it before I do! Putting the cart before the horse is not a satisfactory way of buying a product. "Where else should it be" - clearly available for potential customers to see before they buy.

I am sorry that I was not clear when referring to functions built in by the aircraft designer. This aircraft of course would be an 'add-on' and as such cannot be considered by FSUIPC. Under these circumstances, I presume that it would not be an advantage to use FSUIPC with the Majestic Dash 8 add-on in the areas that I have mentioned? I realise that I use non technical plain language, but I am not a technician.

Even though I am uncertain as to the value of FSUIPC to me, it's reputation precedes it, and I will be purchasing it (and hoping).

Thanks for your time.

Tony.

[Pete Dowson]

I have not yet purchased FSUIPC as I need to know more about it before I do!

You do not need to purchase FSUIPC to download and install it. FSUIPC is in use, unpurchased, on thousands of user systems, many many more than paid-for versions! It is used by many many add-ons, licensed or freeware, and users do not need to pay for it for those functions.

I expect all purchasers to at least read some of the user guide before purchasing. Else you are buying blind.

I am sorry that I was not clear when referring to functions built in by the aircraft designer. This aircraft of course would be an 'add-on' and as such cannot be considered by FSUIPC. Under these circumstances, I presume that it would not be an advantage to use FSUIPC with the Majestic Dash 8 add-on in the areas that I have mentioned?

I don't have all the products in the world, and specifically not that one, so I really do not know what is possible. Maybe that particular add-on uses 100% only facilities in FS, in which case they are all accessible via FSUIPC. Maybe it even uses FSUIPC for its functions, in which case it probably has some development kit which enables others to take advantage of these (the Level D 767 is a big example like that). Maybe it uses assignable keyboard shortcuts for many or all of its functions, so again assignable. Maybe its assorted panels are amenable to the "mouse macro" facilities in FSUIPC, so programmable that way -- as are, for instance, pretty much all of the parts of the PMDG 737 and 747 add-ons.

I just don't know. You have to do the research yourself. And to do that you have to download stuff and read a little.

Regards

Pete