Understanding FSUIPC Macros

[dmoblay]

Hi,

I have just bought FSUIPC & WideFS and am trying to understand how to make everything work. I have built a temporary panel with toggle switches and encoders and read the mouse macro section of the FSUIPC guide a number of times, but can't get the switches to do what I want.

My goal is to build a 737 inspired MCP, and so use the encoders for things like altitude change, and the toggle switches for FD on/off etc.

FSUIPC recognises the switch, but then when I activate mouse tracking and close FSUIPC the macro doesn't recognise the adjustment of the heading or altitude knobs by the mouse. In-fact the only action I can get FSUIPC to acknowledge whilst in the mouse macro mode is the landing gear up/down.

Can anyone suggest what I am doing wrong?

I am using FSX and have now tried this with all of the default 737 aircraft and the learjet.

Thanks

Luke

[Pete Dowson]

I have just bought FSUIPC & WideFS and am trying to understand how to make everything work. I have built a temporary panel with toggle switches and encoders and read the mouse macro section of the FSUIPC guide a number of times, but can't get the switches to do what I want.

Why do you think you need to use "mouse macros". What FS panel are you trying to operate which doesn't respond to normal assignments or keystrokes?

My goal is to build a 737 inspired MCP, and so use the encoders for things like altitude change, and the toggle switches for FD on/off etc.

For most aircraft there are regular controls for all of these sorts of things.

FSUIPC recognises the switch, but then when I activate mouse tracking and close FSUIPC the macro doesn't recognise the adjustment of the heading or altitude knobs by the mouse. In-fact the only action I can get FSUIPC to acknowledge whilst in the mouse macro mode is the landing gear up/down.

I really have no idea why you are trying to do things this way. there are perfectly good FS controls for virtually everything. Folks have been using FSUIPC to assign to such controls for 10 years now. Mouse macros are a recent addition purely to get over problems with some recent and specific advanced FS panels which have non-standard autopilots and such.

I am using FSX and have now tried this with all of the default 737 aircraft and the learjet.

All of the default aircraft respond quite happily to regular FS controls -- they were designed by the FS team, after all. Many of the controls are even assignable in FS itself, without FSUIPC assistance. There are almost no places on any default panel on which mouse macros will work. This is actually mentioned in the documentation.

What I cannot understand is why you rush into complex matters to try things not meant for what you want to do without first looking at all the easy stuff, which does work and has worked for many years!?

Regards

Pete

[dmoblay]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your response. I guess I misunderstood the best way to interact with FS through FSUIPC for what I want to do.

I am new to the FS world and with so many forums out there I am still trying to understand how best to perform each task. Mouse Macro's had been talked about so much and there are so many videos of it floating about that I just assumed it was the way to do things..

Assumptions hey!!?!

Cheers

Luke

[Pete Dowson]

I am new to the FS world and with so many forums out there I am still trying to understand how best to perform each task. Mouse Macro's had been talked about so much and there are so many videos of it floating about that I just assumed it was the way to do things.

Well, they turned out to be a solution for some advanced cockpit designs, especially those by PMDG. Quite fortuitous really, as I had originally designed the facility to help operate the menus in a separate little utility program altogether, one that appears to have fallen by the wayside.

Please check the complete list of FS controls supplied, either in the Modules folder (for FSX) or within the FSUIPC ZIP file for FS2004. That lists all of the FS controls by the name you use to assign them directly in the FSUIPC Buttons or Keys Tabs. Most are reasonably self-explanatory, though there are a few obscure ones (Kohlsman, for instance, refers to the Altimeter pressure setting).

If you aren't sure, then for many of the functions you can find out the control name by enabling Event logging (in the logging tab in FSUIPC), then operating the thing in question, and examining the FSUIPC Log file, in the FS modules folder, to see what event was logged. the name will be given there. If it doesn't register as an event then it is likely to be a local gauge function which you cannot program on buttons.

Regards

Pete

[dmoblay]

Hi Pete,

I have been setting up the key presses again today. I started to assign some controls but then realised I had made some errors so started again, but for some reason the controls are now not doing what I want them to.

I have clicked 'restore defaults'

I am trying to assign 2 encoders, 1 to inc & dec comm whole frequency, and the other to inc & dec heading bug.

I have tried assigning both on just when key is presses, and also then setting the same for when key is releases but I get the same problem.

The encoders work in one direction but in the other direction both of them change the view.

One of the encoders also raises & lowers the gear.

Any idea what I am doing wrong.

How can I delete all assignments and start again?

Thanks

Luke

[Pete Dowson]

I have clicked 'restore defaults'

Where have you clicked that? not in my program?

I am trying to assign 2 encoders, 1 to inc & dec comm whole frequency, and the other to inc & dec heading bug.

I have tried assigning both on just when key is presses, and also then setting the same for when key is releases but I get the same problem.

The encoders work in one direction but in the other direction both of them change the view.

One of the encoders also raises & lowers the gear.

Any idea what I am doing wrong.

It sounds like your encoders are seen as buttons in FS and are being automatically assigned to default actions.

How can I delete all assignments and start again?

In Fs or in FSUIPC? You aren't giving me any information. Are you using FSUIPC? If so, just delete the INI file from the Modules folder, or edit it and delete the [buttons] section from it.

But if you aren't assigning those actions, the ones you don't want, in FSUIPC, then none of that will make any difference at all. You'll need to tell FS to disable the joystick inputs or at least delete its assignments, individually. Assigning in FSUIPC cannot override assignments in FS -- both actions will occur!

Regards

Pete