Elevator trim problems

[piperpilot12w]

I have the latest version of FSUIPC and am having trouble with the elevator trim on the Cessna 172 in FSX.

I'm using a VMax (PFC) yoke and want to program one of the rocker switches for elevator trim up and down.

I have tried to program the elevator trim in the buttons/switches screen of FSUIPC. What happens is it trims the nose down whether I push the rocker switch forward or back (programmed for elevator trim up and elevator trim down respectively) and when I release the switch the aircraft attitude goes back to the pitch it was before pressing the trim switch.

Example of my selection in FSUIPC for trim up.

I do have the Enable controllers in FSX unchecked

[Andydigital]

The pitch is resetting because that's what you have programmed the button to do in the second lower drop down box, in the second box you have programmed it so that trim is set to it's neutral point on release of the button, i.e. "Elevator Trim Set" with a parameter of "0" trims to the centre position. Clear the lower drop down box "Control sent when button released" with the clear button and it will function as you require.

[piperpilot12w]

I cleared the lower drop dox, but it still does the same thing.

The switch when pressed forward (trim down) or backward (trim up) always trims the nose down and then back to previous setting when switch is released.

[Pete Dowson]

I have the latest version of FSUIPC

And what is "the latest"? Please always report the VERSION number. "Latest" is meaningless to me. Folks have said that evidently meaning "the latest I have noticed", and in some cases they were a year out of date! Version numbers are important and not at all difficult to find.

I have tried to program the elevator trim in the buttons/switches screen of FSUIPC. What happens is it trims the nose down whether I push the rocker switch forward or back (programmed for elevator trim up and elevator trim down respectively) and when I release the switch the aircraft attitude goes back to the pitch it was before pressing the trim switch.

Example of my selection in FSUIPC for trim up.

Yes, and as your picture very clearly shows, you programmed the release of the button to send an "elevator trim set" with a parameter of zero, which will re-centre the trim every time you release the button. Take a look at the picture yourself! Hiw can you miss seeing it?

I don't know why you've done this, but FSUIPC is obeying your every command correctly.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I cleared the lower drop dox, but it still does the same thing.

The switch when pressed forward (trim down) or backward (trim up) always trims the nose down and then back to previous setting when switch is released.

What have you programmed the other button to do? Obviously if it is a two-way centre off switch it will be signalling TWO buttons to FSUIPC, not ONE. It sounds like you've cleared the release of one of them, but completely forgotten about the other -- and not only that you've programmed both to do trim down.

Regards

Pete

[piperpilot12w]

Yes, and as your picture very clearly shows, you programmed the release of the button to send an "elevator trim set" with a parameter of zero, which will re-centre the trim every time you release the button. Take a look at the picture yourself! Hiw can you miss seeing it?

I don't know what the definition of parameter means, would have to look it up to know how it applies in this case.

I selected Elevator Trim Set assuming it would mean the trim stops moving when the switch is released, seems common sense to me. Often times engineers design things that make perfect sense to them, but not to the end user.

What have you programmed the other button to do? Obviously if it is a two-way centre off switch it will be signalling TWO buttons to FSUIPC, not ONE. It sounds like you've cleared the release of one of them, but completely forgotten about the other -- and not only that you've programmed both to do trim down.

Take a look for yourself

What happens is it trims the nose down whether I push the rocker switch forward or back (programmed for elevator trim up and elevator trim down respectively)

And what is "the latest"?

I bought it 4 months ago

Version 4.57

[Pete Dowson]

I don't know what the definition of parameter means, would have to look it up to know how it applies in this case.

I selected Elevator Trim Set assuming it would mean the trim stops moving when the switch is released, seems common sense to me.

No, the SET commands all set a given value, the parameter. All of the joystick Axis commands are "SET" commands, for example. These are not my names for them. The list is produced from tables in the FS CONTROLS module. They are the control names chosen by Microsoft.

Often times engineers design things that make perfect sense to them, but not to the end user.

Possibly. But you seem to be interpreting things slightly oddly in any case. I don't know why one would assume you had to send another command to stop an action which is performed by holding a button down. The mere act of releasing it stops the repetition, just as it does with keys on your keyboard.

Take a look for yourself

Okay. Those are fine. You can check for yourself quite easily. Go to the FSUIPC options, select the Logging tab, enable "button" and "event" logging (don't touch anything else there). OK out. Operate your buttons, then look in the FSX Modules folder. In the FSUIPC4.LOG file you'll find the results of your button pushing. Show this to me and I'll tell you what is going on. It is sounding like a dual assignment, that you have something still assigned elsewhere, possibly in FS.

I bought it 4 months ago

Version 4.57

Version 4.57 is certainly out of date and unsupported. It it most certainly NOT the "latest". As I said, folks need always to quote version numbers as "latest" is as meaningless as it turned out to be here. :-(

Please do review the Announcements here in this Forum which tell you these things. You did NOT "buy" 4.57 but FSUIPC4. I only support current versions. Please update to 4.60 at least. There's a later update in the Updates announcement but you need to install 4.60 first.

Regards

Pete

[piperpilot12w]

In the FSUIPC4.LOG file you'll find the results of your button pushing. Show this to me and I'll tell you what is going on. It is sounding like a dual assignment, that you have something still assigned elsewhere, possibly in FS

Version 4.615

Results

********* FSUIPC4, Version 4.615 by Pete Dowson *********

Reading options from "D:\Fight Simulator X\Modules\FSUIPC4.ini"

Trying to connect to SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07 ...

User Name="Brent Andre"

User Addr="piperpilot12w@yahoo.com"

FSUIPC4 Key is provided

WIDEFS7 not user registered, or expired

Running inside FSX on Windows 7 (using SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07)

Module base=61000000

Wind smoothing fix is fully installed

DebugStatus=15

32 System time = 02/06/2010 11:09:11

32 FLT UNC path = "C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\"

32 FS UNC path = "D:\Fight Simulator X\"

297 LogOptions=00000000 00000001

297 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

2060 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61637.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

2060 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

2060 FSUIPC Menu entry added

2091 C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\SEA.FLT

2091 D:\Fight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\C172\Cessna172SP.AIR

48408 System time = 02/06/2010 11:09:59, Simulator time = 11:09:13 (18:09Z)

48408 Aircraft="Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1"

51512 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

180431 Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 59 secs = 35.0 fps

282830 LogOptions changed, now 60000000 00000001

288712 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 1=H0,34,K38,8

288712 SendKeyToFS(00000026=[up], KEYDOWN) ctr=0

288727 Sending WM_KEYDOWN, Key=38 (Scan code 72), Ctr=1

288743 KEYDOWN: VK=38, Waiting=0, Repeat=N, Shifts=0

288743 .. Key not programmed -- passed on to FS

288743 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65608 (0x00010048), Param= 0 (0x00000000) ELEV_DOWN

289866 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 1=H0,34,K38,8

289866 SendKeyToFS(00000026=[up], KEYUP) ctr=0

289882 Sending WM_KEYUP, Key=38 (Scan code 72), Ctr=1

289897 KEYUP: VK=38, Waiting=0

291005 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 0=P0,38,K40,8

291005 SendKeyToFS(00000028=[Down], KEYDOWN) ctr=0

291020 Sending WM_KEYDOWN, Key=40 (Scan code 80), Ctr=1

291036 KEYDOWN: VK=40, Waiting=0, Repeat=N, Shifts=0

291036 .. Key not programmed -- passed on to FS

291036 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65616 (0x00010050), Param= 0 (0x00000000) ELEV_UP

291114 SendKeyToFS(00000028=[Down], KEYUP) ctr=0

291130 Sending WM_KEYUP, Key=40 (Scan code 80), Ctr=1

291145 KEYUP: VK=40, Waiting=0

292144 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 0=P0,38,K40,8

293610 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 1=H0,34,K38,8

293610 SendKeyToFS(00000026=[up], KEYDOWN) ctr=0

293610 Sending WM_KEYDOWN, Key=38 (Scan code 72), Ctr=1

293641 KEYDOWN: VK=38, Waiting=0, Repeat=N, Shifts=0

293641 .. Key not programmed -- passed on to FS

293641 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65608 (0x00010048), Param= 0 (0x00000000) ELEV_DOWN

294421 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 1=H0,34,K38,8

294421 SendKeyToFS(00000026=[up], KEYUP) ctr=0

294421 Sending WM_KEYUP, Key=38 (Scan code 72), Ctr=1

294437 KEYUP: VK=38, Waiting=0

295295 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 0=P0,38,K40,8

295295 SendKeyToFS(00000028=[Down], KEYDOWN) ctr=0

295310 Sending WM_KEYDOWN, Key=40 (Scan code 80), Ctr=1

295326 KEYDOWN: VK=40, Waiting=0, Repeat=N, Shifts=0

295326 .. Key not programmed -- passed on to FS

295326 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65616 (0x00010050), Param= 0 (0x00000000) ELEV_UP

295420 SendKeyToFS(00000028=[Down], KEYUP) ctr=0

295420 Sending WM_KEYUP, Key=40 (Scan code 80), Ctr=1

295435 KEYUP: VK=40, Waiting=0

296418 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 0=P0,38,K40,8

312564 Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 28 secs = 34.8 fps

316152 Weather Mode now = Custom

316152 C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\Previous flight.FLT

318664 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65794 (0x00010102), Param= 0 (0x00000000) PAUSE_ON

[Pete Dowson]

288712 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 1=H0,34,K38,8

288712 SendKeyToFS(00000026=[up], KEYDOWN) ctr=0

288727 Sending WM_KEYDOWN, Key=38 (Scan code 72), Ctr=1

288743 KEYDOWN: VK=38, Waiting=0, Repeat=N, Shifts=0

288743 .. Key not programmed -- passed on to FS

288743 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65608 (0x00010048), Param= 0 (0x00000000) ELEV_DOWN

...

291005 [buttons.Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1] 0=P0,38,K40,8

291005 SendKeyToFS(00000028=[Down], KEYDOWN) ctr=0

291020 Sending WM_KEYDOWN, Key=40 (Scan code 80), Ctr=1

291036 KEYDOWN: VK=40, Waiting=0, Repeat=N, Shifts=0

291036 .. Key not programmed -- passed on to FS

291036 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65616 (0x00010050), Param= 0 (0x00000000) ELEV_UP

This log shows something completely different from the pictures you posted previously. You have the two buttons programmed Aircraft-specifically for the Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1 to send Keystrokes to FS -- not the controls you showed in your pictures -- and they also show those keystrokes doing the selected action (ELEV UP or ELEV DOWN) on FS. Neither of those are Trim functions, but elevator functions, as you have assigned the buttons to he keystrokes NUM 8 and NUM 2 (elevator controls).

Both pictures you showed before are NOT aircraft-specific assignments, but generic ones which wil be over-ridden when you load the Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1.

I think you are confusing yourself enormously by making all sorts of odd random assignments which you are then forgetting. Please do yourself a favour: delete the FSUIPC INI file and start again. But please be sensible. If you don't understand what you are doing, don't do it!

Regards

Pete

[piperpilot12w]

I'm not clear on what your saying. The settings haven't changed since I posted the images previously.

I do have Aileron, Elevator, Rudders specifically assigned to the 172SP, but the trim has remained the same until I consulted you.

These are the current images of the settings that were in place when the log file ran.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Andydigital]

Copy the FSUIPC.ini file to a safe location then delete the ini file in the modules folder and start again as Pete suggested to rule out any dual assignments in the ini, you can always copy the safely stored version back again later if you wish.

It does sound like an aircraft specific profile overriding general assignments to me too and doing the above will help make sure you rule this out.

[piperpilot12w]

I deleted the ini file and started over. It's working now.

Thanks for the help

[Pete Dowson]

I'm not clear on what your saying. The settings haven't changed since I posted the images previously.

I'm not saying they have, but the images previously show assignments made in a global mode, not aircraft or profile specific. The log shows you operating the buttons using an aircraft for which you have made explicit assignments which override those you keep showing pictures of, and those are not even to any trim controls but instead to Key Presses which, in FS, operate the elevator (not the trim).

I do have Aileron, Elevator, Rudders specifically assigned to the 172SP, but the trim has remained the same until I consulted you.

Not for that specific aircraft -- those buttons are most certainly assigned to elevator up and down key presses -- not controls and not trim.

These are the current images of the settings that were in place when the log file ran.

Yes, but they are not current when you fly that specific aircraft. Please do read what I write, else I am wasting my time.

If you do not understand any of this, please simply do as I have suggested. Delete the INI file and start again, and try not to use facilities you do not understand.

Regards

Pete