MP FLYING PROBLEM WITH FSUIPC

[elitehow]

I have been a user of registered FSUIPC for many years and have never had any problems, till now. I recently got a new computer with Windows 7, 64 bit. I am using FSX with Acceleration Pack, and FSUIPC 4.60 and update 4.604.

I fly with a VA that does a lot of on line Multi Player flying. We use FSInn and have two dedicated private servers. Server number 1 does NOT supply any weather. Server number 2 DOES supply weather, so that we can all have the same weather when we fly together. I believe the weather is from FSMETEO. The problem ONLY happens on server 2 with supplied weather.

The problem ONLY affects those of us using FSX and Windows 7.

The problem is that as soon as I take off, the plane starts a left descending bank, turn. I can correct the attitude with the yoke and pedals, but then it will start a right descending bank, turn. The plane becomes almost uncontrollable. If I engage the auto pilot, things do come under control, but I can see that the plane is constantly yawing left and right and banking up and down, slightly. In external view, close up, I can see the ailerons constantly moving and the plane constantly banking left/down/right/down, slightly, but the auto pilot keeps it under control. If I disengage the auto pilot, the plane again starts the movements. If I click on CAVOK, the weather engine is stopped and the plane flies normally. If I go to server 1, which does not have the weather, the plane flies normally.

We have done extensive testing to try and figure out what is causing this problem. It doesn't matter which aircraft we use, default, freeware, payware, it is always there. It does not matter where we fly. To make a long story short, the only way to get rid of the problem is to uninstall FSUIPC. This problem only happens to those of us who are running Windows 7 with FSX and FSUIPC and goes away if we uninstall FSUIPC. Even when I do a reinstall of FSUIPC, and do not use any of the weather tabs in FSUIPC, the problem is there.

Does anyone know what might be causing this and how to correct it?

Thanks

EDIT - I forgot to memtion that if I fly on line of off line with either FS Real Weather, or Active Sky running, there is NO problem.

[Pete Dowson]

To make a long story short, the only way to get rid of the problem is to uninstall FSUIPC. This problem only happens to those of us who are running Windows 7 with FSX and FSUIPC and goes away if we uninstall FSUIPC.

But uninstalling FSUIPC stops FSMETEO updating any weather, as it uses FSUIPC doesn't it? At least it always used to. So the result is the same as stopping FSMETEO. Right?

Even when I do a reinstall of FSUIPC, and do not use any of the weather tabs in FSUIPC, the problem is there.

By default FSUIPC does not touch the weather at all, unless it is asked to do so. If it appears to be doing something you need to find out what is asking it to act on its behalf.

EDIT - I forgot to memtion that if I fly on line of off line with either FS Real Weather, or Active Sky running, there is NO problem.

So, it certainly seems to be FSMETEO you need to investigate.

Regards

Pete

[elitehow]

Thanks for the reply. I should have said that I THINK it is FSMeteo, but I am not sure. I have asked our member who supplies the server for that info, but it may take him some time to get back to me. I will let you know.

Thanks.

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks for the reply. I should have said that I THINK it is FSMeteo, but I am not sure. I have asked our member who supplies the server for that info, but it may take him some time to get back to me.

Ah, the weather is supplied via the Server? And how is it then applied locally, to your copy of FS?

You could try enabling weather logging in FSUIPC, see what might be causing the problem. Maybe there's too much turbulence being applied? Though without any options applied in FSUIPC I can't see how it would make that any better or worse.

Regards

Pete

[elitehow]

Pete,

I am not very computer knowledgeable, but will try and figure out how to run the weather log today on our MP flight. I am not sure how to figure out how to tell how the weather is being applied locally to my FSX. We use FSInn to fly MP sessions. The member who supplies the server is away a lot, and I have not heard back from him yet, but another member told me he thinks the weather being supplied is from VATSIM, not FSMeteo. I know it is not Active Sky, as I have tested that by clicking on the CAVOK button on the FSInn panel, then starting Active Sky. The weather I then get is different from what the server supplies, and the plane then flies normally. The only thing we are certain of is that only FSX running on Windows 7 seems to be affected, and if we uninstall FSUIPC, the problem goes away. I will try and do the weather log thing today and post the results.

Thanks,

Howard

[Pete Dowson]

... he thinks the weather being supplied is from VATSIM, not FSMeteo. I know it is not Active Sky, as I have tested that by clicking on the CAVOK button on the FSInn panel, then starting Active Sky. The weather I then get is different from what the server supplies, and the plane then flies normally.

I assume FSInn sends the weather direct to FSX via SimConnect. FSUIPC4 cannot affect that unless you explicitly enable the option to influence FSX's own weather (not normally advised), or enable wind smoothing (which a lot of folks use to try to calm down FSX's excessive wind shifts).

The only thing we are certain of is that only FSX running on Windows 7 seems to be affected, and if we uninstall FSUIPC, the problem goes away.

FSUIPC is in no way different or sensitive to anything to do with the version of Windows you use. You must have something else going on there. Either way there is nothing I can change in FSUIPC to influence matters because it isn't directly involved at all when you aren't using it. It is certainly now sounding like a matter for FSInn folks.

Regards

Pete

[elitehow]

Hi Pete,

I set up a flight on our server 2 and ran the log during the flight. The control problem was there. I then shut everything down and looked at the log file. It was all Greek to me. I then did another flight , off line, the problem was NOT there. I shut down and tried to find the log file for the two flights to compare them, but only the second log was there. I guess I should have saved the first one with a name, as it appears that only the last one gets saved and gets overwritten with the next flight, so I don't have anything to send you to compare.

I then re read the manual, and also got into the advanced users manual and discovered that I could completely cut off all weather from FSUIPC. On page 2 of the advanced users manual, under General Weather Options/Weather Read Factor, third paragraph, it says if you want to stop all weather activities in FSUIPC4 you can change the Weather Read Factor value from 2 to 0 in the FSUIPC4 cfg file. I did this.

I have now flown five flights on our number two server with it's own weather and have not experienced any of the old problem. One of these flights was for two hours, and one was for three hours. One was our regular Tuesday MP flight and there were five of us on line for two hours with several take offs and landings. Everything was fine.

I am not saying that FSUIPC was causing the problem. It could be coming from FSX in combination with FSInn, our own server, the VATSIM weather, or some combination of these. And again, it only affects users with FSX running on computers with Windows 7. There are so many variables it is hard to isolate anything here. At least for now, everything is back to normal after I made the above change. The other members of our VA having the same problem are going to also try this fix. I will continue to fly on line and I will let you know if the problem comes back, or if it does not fix the other members problem.

Thanks for your help,

Howard

[Pete Dowson]

Hi Pete,

I set up a flight on our server 2 and ran the log during the flight. The control problem was there. I then shut everything down and looked at the log file. It was all Greek to me. I then did another flight , off line, the problem was NOT there. I shut down and tried to find the log file for the two flights to compare them, but only the second log was there.

Of course. I don't want to bog down your file system with logs. A new log gets created every session.

I guess I should have saved the first one with a name, as it appears that only the last one gets saved and gets overwritten with the next flight, so I don't have anything to send you to compare.

I then re read the manual, and also got into the advanced users manual and discovered that I could completely cut off all weather from FSUIPC. On page 2 of the advanced users manual, under General Weather Options/Weather Read Factor, third paragraph, it says if you want to stop all weather activities in FSUIPC4 you can change the Weather Read Factor value from 2 to 0 in the FSUIPC4 cfg file. I did this.

Okay. That will cut off FSUIPC's weather reads, so that no program which needs to read the weather via FSUIPC will get any.

The other members of our VA having the same problem are going to also try this fix.

That would be okay if nothing needs to read weather from FSUIPC.

Pete