FSUIPC commands for VRInsight

[Dirk DECAT]

Hello,

My first topic here, so sorry if not correct !

Is there a command, for FS9 and within FSUIPC, to change the squawk from Charly ↔ Standby in the IVAP screen ? If yes, what is that command ?

I would like using it to correct the MODE button on the VRInsight Combo.

The standard hotkey for this command is Ctrl+F5 so I tried to create a mouse macro for this, but when hitting the F5 key, FS9 becomes inactive. Or is there another solution via FSUIPC to work this out ?

[Pete Dowson]

Is there a command, for FS9 and within FSUIPC, to change the squawk from Charly ↔ Standby in the IVAP screen ? If yes, what is that command ?

If there is it'll be in the documentation for the IVAP software, probably some keypress or one you can choose. Then you'd assign it to a button or switch in FSUIPC. There's no built-in facility because FS itself doesn't simulate it and each on-line program does it differently.

With Squawkbox 3 there was an offset in FSUIPC which would control it. In Squawkbox 4 there's nothing, which is the one reason why I, as an FSX user, don't fly on-line. Unfortunately the Squawkbox developers seem to have given up development because I've been asking for this to be corrected for two years now, to no avail. :-(

I would like using it to correct the MODE button on the VRInsight Combo.

The standard hotkey for this command is Ctrl+F5 so I tried to create a mouse macro for this

A mouse macro? Why on Earth do you need to use a mouse macro? Why not just assign the Key combination, Ctrl+F5, in the FSUIPC Keys tab? What is the mouse macro doing?

but when hitting the F5 key, FS9 becomes inactive.

When would you hit the F5 key in a mouse macro? I think you must have your FSUIPC terminology mixed up? And just pressing F5 actually HANGS FS? Phew. It can't be FS itself, better report that to the IVAP folks.

Regards

Pete

[Dirk DECAT]

Sorry for my incorrect "FSUIPC terminology", I try to clarify :

I was able to "adjust" some buttons on the VRI Combo via FSUIPC using the tab "Key Presses".

On the left side there, one can select a button (e.g. WX on the Combo) and use that button for one of the listed commands.

When there is no suitable command listed, but there is a corresponding mouse click, then - on the right side of Key Presses - one can create the command via a mouse macro. On the PMDG panel, there is a mouse click spot to switch inches Hg to hPa. So I created a macro named "InchesHg/hPa" and now my WX Combo button works fine to switch from inches Hg to hPa.

I did not find a command Charly/STB (or similar) in the list, but the IvAp screen shows a mouse click spot (corresponding with the IvAp hotkey Ctrl+F5) for Charly ↔ STB, hence my question was if this could be used for a macro, let's say "CharlySTB". The next step would be to connect a Combo button (e.g. MODE) to this macro. Unfortunatly, pressing F5 directly or via the macro, makes FS hang.

I can now end as aboveor is there another solution via FSUIPC to work this out ?

[Dirk DECAT]

I asked the VRI people on same subject and they replied as follows :

"In your post over at the FSUIPC forum can you please ask Peter if the MCP Combo mode button is configurable in FSUIPC, if it's not Im sure he will add this feature if it is possible."

When I have FS and Combo running, and I open FSUIPC (I have 3.984), then in the tab "Key Presses" I cannot "select" the MODE button. So does that means that the MCP MODE button is not configurable ? Can this be realised ?

[Pete Dowson]

Sorry for my incorrect "FSUIPC terminology", I try to clarify

It evidently was not"incorrect terminology", but perhaps a misunderstanding of what a mouse macro is.

I was able to "adjust" some buttons on the VRI Combo via FSUIPC using the tab "Key Presses".

So, you are not using FSUIPC's VRInsight button programming facilities? You are using VRInsight's "SerialFP2" to produce keypresses from the device?

On the left side there, one can select a button (e.g. WX on the Combo) and use that button for one of the listed commands.

When there is no suitable command listed, but there is a corresponding mouse click, then - on the right side of Key Presses - one can create the command via a mouse macro. On the PMDG panel, there is a mouse click spot to switch inches Hg to hPa. So I created a macro named "InchesHg/hPa" and now my WX Combo button works fine to switch from inches Hg to hPa.

Okay, but that is a complex process compared to programming the buttons and switches on the VRInsight devices. I spent as lot of time adding VRInsight support.

I did not find a command Charly/STB (or similar) in the list

Because, as I said, it is not an FS function at all -- it is not simulated.

but the IvAp screen shows a mouse click spot (corresponding with the IvAp hotkey Ctrl+F5) for Charly ↔ STB, hence my question was if this could be used for a macro, let's say "CharlySTB".

You probably cannot use a mouse macro, unless the Ivap screen is a proper Gauge written using the C/C++ Gauge SDK. Did you try? That's the only way to find out.

Far better would be to use FSUIPC's button programming facilities to assign the correct keystroke.

The next step would be to connect a Combo button (e.g. MODE) to this macro. Unfortunatly, pressing F5 directly or via the macro, makes FS hang.

Two questions:

1. if you are programming a mouse macro to operate a hot-spot on a gauge, why would you be pressing F5? Where does F5 come in when using a mouse?

2. F5 is, by default, assigned to "flaps up" in FS. If F5 causes FS to hang you have something seriously wrong in your installation. Are you sure this is what you really mean?

I can now end as aboveor is there another solution via FSUIPC to work this out ?

You should be able to do all you want and more by using the new VRInsight facilities added in recent FSUIPC releases. You will find the topic dealt with in an Appendix in the Advanced User's guide. It is listed in the contents.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I asked the VRI people on same subject and they replied as follows :

"In your post over at the FSUIPC forum can you please ask Peter if the MCP Combo mode button is configurable in FSUIPC, if it's not Im sure he will add this feature if it is possible."

There's only one button marked "mode" and it is inoperative until one of the radio selector buttons is pressed. Once it is operating it sends a different code depending on which radio is selected. All 5 possible values it sends are detected in FSUIPC (when configured correctly) and are therefore individually programmable.

So the answeer is "yes".

However, this was a recent addition, after 3.98 and 4.60 was released. In those versions the radio section was not programmable. I added it later, in versions available in the Updates Announcement here, as described in the details there, thus:

2. The radio function buttons of the VRInsight M-Panel and MCP-Combi are now recognised by FSUIPC's buttons & switches tab, but this is provided primarily as a way of intercepting and therefore inhibiting some of the actions -- for instance when a separate radio stack is in use. It is still recommended that the VRInsight's radio handling be left mostly intact.

It is always worth looking through the Announcements from time to time as they do tell you these things.

When I have FS and Combo running, and I open FSUIPC (I have 3.984), then in the tab "Key Presses" I cannot "select" the MODE button. So does that means that the MCP MODE button is not configurable ? Can this be realised ?

You mean the Radio section's Mode button, I think. That's the only one on the MCP Combi.

The "Key Presses" Tab in FSUIPC is for detecting key presses, not Buttons. To detect buttons and switches you need to select the Buttons and Switches tab. That is why they are named that way. ;-)

If you don't see any of the VRI buttons there, then you've not followed the instructions to enable FSUIPC to see these devices. Please check the documentation. It is all explained there. The facilities were included in the 3.98/4.60 versions and updated since, as already explained.

Regards

Pete

[Dirk DECAT]

Brrrrr ! Hope we are not getting too old (=73) for this !

Forget about the F5, I never touched that, but it comes as part of the IvAp hotkey either "Ctrl+F5" or via the mouse click on the IvAp screen. Forget that now, as I understand that IvAp is not part of FS.

I still do not understand your saying "Key Presses tab in FSUIPC is for detecting key presses, not buttons". As I wrote you, I have changed the WX button and some "user programmable buttons" in the Combo via the Key Presses tab and that works fine.

Your reply learned me further that "I did not follow the instructions to enable ...." You mean Appendix 2 ? So I have to download and install that VSPE program ? I have not done it sofar, because someone told me that his FSUIPC and VRI were doing well without it. I will do it now.

[Pete Dowson]

I still do not understand your saying "Key Presses tab in FSUIPC is for detecting key presses, not buttons". As I wrote you, I have changed the WX button and some "user programmable buttons" in the Combo via the Key Presses tab and that works fine.

Well, that's not really using FSUIPC to advantage, but it is something to do with the VRInsight driver (SerialFP2) sending FS keystrokes for some things -- that usually depends on the aircraft loaded and so on.

If that's all you want to use, that's fine. but you cannot easily program keystrokes to produce other keystrokes. The problem is that they all go through Windows message queues looking the same, so, for example, a "Shift + X" programmed to sent a "Ctrl + F5" could end up looking like "Ctrl+Shift+X+F5", depending on the timing and gap between KEYDOWN and KEYUP messages.

FSUIPC contains many facilities and one of those is the ability to read joystick buttons, switches and knobs. Many years back that was extended to explicitly support EPIC controllers, then, also a few years back, GoFlight modules and PFC serially-connected devices, and then, just this year, VRInsight devices.

Unfortunately, because VRInsight devices use a serial port and have a lot of complex interactions to maintain the displays, it gets more complex for those than for the others I mentioned. Although a VRI device CAN be controlled completely by FSUIPC, it requires some plug-in programming, using Lua, to program the displays. That's obviously not for everyone, so another method had to be devised.

Without special low-level driver/monitor type software, serial ports cannot be shared between different programs. So the solution arrived at to allow VRI buttons to be programmed in FSUIPC whilst still allowing SerialFP2 to handle the displays was to employ an existing low-level driver to intercept the serial port on FSUIPC's behalf. The recommended one is VSPE, as you've now read.

Your reply learned me further that "I did not follow the instructions to enable ...." You mean Appendix 2 ? So I have to download and install that VSPE program ? I have not done it sofar, because someone told me that his FSUIPC and VRI were doing well without it. I will do it now.

Whether you want to use VSPE and thereby extend FSUIPC's capabilities for your MCP Combi is up to you. It really depends on how ambitious you are in using it for assorted FS add-ons. But it isn't too hard, I hope. AndyDigital over in the VRI Forum can help for sure. He was the one who got me supporting VRI devices in the first place! ;-)

Regards

Pete