Settings disappearing

[signmanbob]

Hello,

I have FSUIPC4 and a lot of add on aircraft. Is there a limit to how many settings the .ini file will hold?

It seems like if I put a aircraft setting in now and close FSX, the next time I open it, the last setting that I have put in disappears.

If I put it in again, it will work until I close FSX again. Then it is gone. :shock:

Do I need to start keeping multiple .ini files in a separate folder to hold the settings for all my aircraft?

Thank you,

Bob

[Pete Dowson]

Hello,

I have FSUIPC4 and a lot of add on aircraft. Is there a limit to how many settings the .ini file will hold?

Not specifically. As many aircraft as you like (but really those are best assigned to the new Profiles system, much better to organise and assign). There are limits on how many buttons, keys and axes you can assign, but these are very generous, running to the thousands. There's never been anyone anywhere near any limits yet.

It seems like if I put a aircraft setting in now and close FSX, the next time I open it, the last setting that I have put in disappears.

If I put it in again, it will work until I close FSX again. Then it is gone. :shock:

Sorry, I don't know what you are doing there, then. You need to check that the INI file has indeed been updates when you OK out of the FSUIPC options screen. Also, please check that you ARE using the very latest version of FSUIPC. Note that for FSX, FSUIPC 4.50 is the oldest which gets support. There is a later ones in the Updates announcement here which might be better for you.

D

o I need to start keeping multiple .ini files in a separate folder to hold the settings for all my aircraft?

No, never. Best to use the Profiles facilities in any case. They are much more user-friendly and convenient.

Pete

[signmanbob]

I'll check on those "Profiles Facilities" to see what you are referring to. I thought I was making profiles when I assign buttons and axis to a specific aircraft. I always assign profiles to specific aircrafts, but it is the whole profile that is disappearing in the .ini file the next time I go to fly that aircraft, if that profile was at the bottom of the list on the .ini file.

I use 4.50 because I have Captain Sim's 757 and that is the latest version that it will use. It don't seem to work with the newer versions. I had to revert back to it in order to fly his aircraft, otherwise (with the newer versions) when you cut off the autopilot the plane will go wild.

FSUIPC is an outstanding program and even with this little problem I can always find a work around. I just don't know what I did before I learned to use the controls configeration in FSUIPC and I know that I still haven't explored all of the features within this program.

Thank you,

Bob

[Pete Dowson]

I'll check on those "Profiles Facilities" to see what you are referring to. I thought I was making profiles when I assign buttons and axis to a specific aircraft. I always assign profiles to specific aircrafts, but it is the whole profile that is disappearing in the .ini file the next time I go to fly that aircraft, if that profile was at the bottom of the list on the .ini file.

Aircraft specific facilities have been in FSUIPC3 and FSUIPC4 for many years, but the streamlined Profile facilities were added in 4.50 and have proved very popular because they are so easy to use.

I use 4.50 because I have Captain Sim's 757 and that is the latest version that it will use. It don't seem to work with the newer versions.

What, you mean the interim updates, 4.517 for instance? Why is this aircraft not working? Why haven't Captain Sim been on to me about it then? Don't they care, does it only affect one or two people?

Soon, 4.517 or its successor will become version 4.52 or later and be released as the new full user release, and at that time support will be withdrawn from 4.50. This must occur before I go away on holiday in less than two weeks, so someone should start thinking about getting any such problems sorted, or Captain Sim users will be left hight and dry. There is no way i can or will support old versions.

I had to revert back to it in order to fly his aircraft, otherwise (with the newer versions) when you cut off the autopilot the plane will go wild.

One other person reported that -- from what he said it sounded like a bug in the aircraft which by pure luck didn't have any symptoms before because of a bug in FSUIPC. But I cannot maintain bugs -- they must be fixed. If someone from Captain Sim would only discuss it with me we might be able to resolve it.

:-(

Getting back to the main issue you have, I'll need to know a lot more about what you are doing and what the differences are in the INI file before and after you make settings, because absolutely no one else has the assignment problems you appear to be reporting.

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Further to this:

I use 4.50 because I have Captain Sim's 757 and that is the latest version that it will use. It don't seem to work with the newer versions.

I just checked. The other report of this Captain Sim problem said:

I made trials with all of them with same settings, the result was that V 4.323 is the latest with which I had no problems

So there's apparently some discrepancy going on anyway. You say it works okay till after 4.50, the previous chap said till after 4.323!

If you are, in fact, using a version earlier than 4.50, then there's no way I can even investigate your "settings disappearing" problem. There have been a number of changes in this area in any case and whatever problems you have may well be fixed now.

Regards

Pete

[signmanbob]

Where do I find for sure what version I am using? The log files say it is v4.50.

[Pete Dowson]

Where do I find for sure what version I am using? The log files say it is v4.50.

The log file will be correct. You can also look in the options -- FS Add-Ons menu, select FSUIPC. The version and date are on the main About page. You can also right-click on the DLL itself, select Properties then Version.

Incidentally, I noticed there's an update for the Captain Sim 757 for FSX

(see http://www.captainsim.com/products/x757/sp43.html )

The 757 Captain version 4.3 (FSX)

The 757 Captain (-200, -300, Freighter) upgraded version 4.3 for FSX is available and includes the following new features, fixes and enhancements:

Among the fixes it lists:

- Autopilot A/P disconnection fix

So maybe you should update your 757?

Regards

Pete

[signmanbob]

Thank you Pete. I did update to 4.3 and it did make the whole aircraft more stable, so maybe now it will work with the latest versions of FSUIPC. I never tried it yet with anything later than v4.50.

I go to your website and set it up with the latest version and let you know if everything still works.

Thanks,

Bob

[Pete Dowson]

I go to your website and set it up with the latest version and let you know if everything still works.

I don't have a website (well no operational one) -- only this Forum. Interim updates are always provided in the Updates Announcement at the top of the Forum, along with notes about what has changed.

The Schiratti "Dowson" page is not mine, but, as it states there, a collection of all my FS programs put in one place by Enrico Schiratti for general convenience. Only Mr. Schiratti himself can update that page, and it contains the last main releases -- so version 4.50 at present, which you already have.

According to Captain Sim's Forum it appears that the 757 is officially working correctly with 4.50 as that is what is installed by their update. And i notice several users are adamant that it all works okay.

Regards

Pete

[signmanbob]

According to Captain Sim's Forum it appears that the 757 is officially working correctly with 4.50 as that is what is installed by their update. And i notice several users are adamant that it all works okay.

It is working fine for me too. I'll check to see what interim updates are available and see if those will take care of my disappearing profiles and still work with CS 757.

[Pete Dowson]

It is working fine for me too.

Good.

I'll check to see what interim updates are available and see if those will take care of my disappearing profiles and still work with CS 757.

Only the latest, 4.517 -- but i don't think there are any new changes since 4.50 which have anything to do with settings. From your previous postsI had assumed, evidently incorrectly, that you must be using an old, unsupported version, but to my knowledge 4.50 is fine with all things settings-wise. The only change which could even remotely be affecting things is this one:

3. Fixed a problem in the new Profiles facilities which occurs when aircraft titles contain [ or ] characters. These are converted to ( and ) characters for use in Aircraft-Specific titles, as [ ] are disallowed in [section] names. The same conversion is now done before adding the aircraft name to the relevant [Profiles] section so that the match will be found okay.

But I seem to remember that you said you were not using Profiles -- in fact that you weren't even aware of this facility!?

I think we ought to start looking at the INI file, as I actually asked quite a few messages back if you recall?

Regards

Pete

[signmanbob]

That would be fine Pete. These posts only allow 60000 words and the file has over twice that much.

I tried attaching the file as an attachment, but it won't allow it.

Is there some other way to get it to you?

Thank you,

Bob

[Pete Dowson]

That would be fine Pete. These posts only allow 60000 words and the file has over twice that much.

I tried attaching the file as an attachment, but it won't allow it.

Strange, you should be able to attach -- a lot of folks do. But always ZIP files first. Anyway, it may be easier to attach the ZIP to an email -- send to petedowson@btconnect.com. Please explain what was done prior to the INI file being made. Really, I'd like to see a "before" (i.e. the INI after you somehow enabled the settings in question, with them working) and an "after" -- when you reloaded and found them not working. Please include the FSUIPC4.LOG for both too -- best make two separate ZIPS with the two files in each, "before" and "after". Tell me the name of the aircraft in question.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

... see if those will take care of my disappearing profiles and still work with CS 757.

Thanks for the logs. I see what the problem is already.

The big clue was the fact that in the "after" INI file, the one with the lost settings, the final line was:

Mixture=-1

whereas it should have been:

Mixture=-16384,16

The other clue was the file size AFTER -- 128,001 bytes. That's 128,000 (the size of the buffer I allocate) plus 1 byte for the end of file marker.

My allocation was based on twice the biggest INI file I'd ever seen. Yours exceeds that by 100%! I'll have to change the code to dynamically allocate as much as might be needed, then maybe double it! :-)

Looking at it, you have a lot of duplication throughout your sections. You aren't using the ShortAircraftNameOk facilities so that aircraft of same types cannot be grouped.

Really, I think you'd benefit quite a lot from using the Profiles facilities, setting up a different profile for each class of aircraft plus control configuration, then simply assigning new aircraft to a profile name in the drop-down menu you'd then get. The Profiles facilities were really aimed at exactly your type of situation. The smaller INI file you'd get would be more efficient, and your aircraft library could be extended as rapidly as you liked with very little hassle for you and your settings assignments.

Meanwhile, I will change the code to use a dynamic allocation so that this problem does not recur. Watch the Updates announcement above for a new interim version, maybe by or over the weekend.

Regards

Pete

[signmanbob]

Thank you Pete. I have to see if I can find how to make the profiles your talking about. That sounds like it would help a lot and save time also.

Your support for this product is the best ever.

Thank you,

Bob

[signmanbob]

Hello Pete,

I just wanted to let you know that the update fixed my problem and I don't have disappearing profiles anymore :D

Thank you very much for the great support of you little super program.

Bob

[Pete Dowson]

I just wanted to let you know that the update fixed my problem and I don't have disappearing profiles anymore :D

Thanks for confirming!

Pete