What am I supposed to see when WideFS is connected?

[Thralni]

Hey guys,

I recently bought WideFS and tried to connect my laptop (WindowsXP) to my FS machine (Windows 7 64 bit). Now, it seems that it actually is connected. WideFS says "connected" in the manu bar, and FS9, when ina flight, says "one client connected" or something similar. So, it seems there is a connection. However, is there anything that visually changes in the client (except the notification in the menu bar) upon connection? because all I see is a grey screen. Is that what I'm supposed to see? The client screen doesn't fill up with anything, is that correct?

The reaosn I'm asking is that I want to have FSCommander 9 link to FS9 via WideFS. In the manual it says that updating the airports in FSC9 is oh so very easy by simply connecting the computer on which FSC9 is installed via WideFS to the FS9 computer. Then you should run FSC9's database manager and select the drive on which FS9 is installed in a drop-down menu. However, I cna do no such thing. My first thought is that there might be something wrong with the connection (hence my question). My second thought was that the networks drive has exactly the same name and drive ketter as the drives on my laptop and the databse manager might find that a problem.

So, back to my question: can anybody tell me what the visual changes are in thw WideClient? here are some possibly relevant logs:

********* FSUIPC, Version 3.98a by Pete Dowson *********

Running on Windows Version 5.1 Build 2600 Service Pack 2

Verifying Certificate for "C:\Flight Simulator 9\MODULES\FSUIPC.dll" now ...

SUCCESS! Signature verifies okay!

Running inside FS2004 (FS9.1 CONTROLS.DLL, FS9.1 WEATHER.DLL)

User Name="Benjamin van Soldt"

User Addr="B.J.van.Soldt@inter.nl.net"

FSUIPC Key is provided

WideFS Key is provided

Module base=61000000

ClassOptions: UIPCMAIN=FF7F, FS98MAIN=FF7F, FS2KMAIN=FF5E

WeatherOptions(Orig)=401C360D[401C360D]

InitDelay: 0 seconds

WeatherReadInterval=4

LogOptions=00000001

DebugStatus=255

1934 System time = 16/11/2010 12:06:31

1934 C:\Flight Simulator 9\

1934 System time = 16/11/2010 12:06:31, FS2004 time = 12:00:00 (00:00Z)

18627 FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM.flt

18642 AIRCRAFT\c172\Cessna172SP.air

18658 Aircraft="Cessna Skyhawk 172SP"

23884 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

42432 \\BIMACWIN\Users\Benjamin van Soldt\Documents\Flight Simulator Files\UI generated flight.flt

42682 Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded

51231 Traffic File #371 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic_214_woa_pakistan international airlines_wi07"

51902 Traffic File #65 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic_000_woa_airblue_su08"

51917 Traffic File #407 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic_pai"

51980 Traffic File #137 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic_000_woa_emirates_su09"

52011 Traffic File #299 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic_000_woa_ultimate ga citation 550_su06"

52276 Traffic File #387 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic_254_woa_ultimate ga cessna 402_su06"

392811 System time = 16/11/2010 12:13:02, FS2004 time = 11:03:56 (07:03Z)

392811 *** FSUIPC log file being closed

Memory managed: 0 Allocs, 7221 Freed

********* FSUIPC Log file closed ***********

********* WideServer.DLL Log [version 6.78] *********

Blocksize guide = 4096 (double allowed)

Date (dmy): 16/11/10, Time 12:06:32.437: Server name is BIMACWIN

53930 Initialising TCP/IP server

53930 Initialising IPX/SPX server

53930 IPX/SPX socket() failed [Error=10044] Socket type not supported

53930 Failed to start IPX/SPX Server

53930 Initialising UDP/IP server

54366 Broadcasting service every 1000 mSecs

58719 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=532) TCP

58719 Connected to computer "MACBOOKPROWINXP" running WideClient version 6.780 (skt=532) TCP

396024 Close signalled to clients

397116 Closing down now ...

Memory managed: Offset records: 15 alloc, 15 free

Read buffer usage: 149 alloc, 149 free, max in session: 1

Write buffer usage: 14419 alloc, 14419 free, max in session: 1

Throughput maximum achieved: 2 frames/sec, 203 bytes/sec

Throughput average achieved for complete session: 0 frames/sec, 17 bytes/sec

Average receive rate from "MACBOOKPROWINXP": 0 frames/sec, 18 bytes/sec

********* Log file closed *********

********* WideClient Log [version 6.78] Class=FS98MAIN *********

Date (dmy): 16/11/10, Time 12:06:37.828: Client name is MACBOOKPROWINXP

282 Attempting to connect now

282 Trying TCP/IP host "BIMACWIN" port 8002 ...

282 ... Okay, IP Address = 10.0.1.3

21266 Error on client pre-Connection Select() [Error=10060] Connection timed out

21266 Ready to try connection again

22282 Attempting to connect now

53203 Connection made okay!

385125 Received shutdown offset code = ADBC

385125 FS closing down (param=ADBC), disconnecting

385125 ********* Interim performance summary *********

385125 Total time connected so far = 330 seconds

385125 Reception maximum so far: 2 frames/sec, 117 bytes/sec

385125 Reception average whilst connected so far: 1 frames/sec, 41 bytes/sec

385125 Transmission maximum so far: 0 frames/sec, 20 bytes/sec

385125 Transmission average whilst connected so far: 0 frames/sec, 19 bytes/sec

385125 Max receive buffer = 368, Max send depth = 1, Send frames lost = 0

385125 ***********************************************

385235 Received shutdown offset code = ADBC

388578 ****** End of session performance summary ******

388578 Total time connected = 330 seconds

388578 Reception maximum: 2 frames/sec, 117 bytes/sec

388578 Reception average whilst connected: 1 frames/sec, 41 bytes/sec

388578 Transmission maximum: 0 frames/sec, 20 bytes/sec

388578 Transmission average whilst connected: 0 frames/sec, 19 bytes/sec

388578 Max receive buffer = 368, Max send depth = 1, Send frames lost = 0

388578 ********* Log file closed (Buffers: MaxUsed 2, Alloc 610 Freed 610 Refused 0) *********

[oldJ3pilot]

Gray screen is all I see as well. The important thing is to be connected. Now open FSCommander on your laptop and, on the upper menu click on "Connect to FS9" (or something like that). FSC will center on your plane's location. It will be blue. You will also see other planes in the area. You can also click on the GPS button on FSC and get a small windo with readouts.

[Thralni]

Okay, thanks, that's what I wanted to know :-)

By the way, it appeared I had completely misunderstood what the FSC( manual tried to tell me. At the very end, in the appendix, I came across long explanation of how to configure shared folders, and thus made the folders available to my laptop. After I had followed up that explanation, I found the necessary folders in the database manager, and it is now happily scanning the FS2004 directory for scenery files. It seems the problem is solved. (In all honesty, I never in my life tried any networking and file sharing, and all the file sharing that I did too was with Mac OS X, not Windows) But, it's good to know that WideFS actually connects :-)

[Pete Dowson]

Further to the other reply:

I recently bought WideFS and tried to connect my laptop (WindowsXP) to my FS machine (Windows 7 64 bit). Now, it seems that it actually is connected. WideFS says "connected" in the manu bar, and FS9, when ina flight, says "one client connected" or something similar. So, it seems there is a connection. However, is there anything that visually changes in the client (except the notification in the menu bar) upon connection?

You can change things in the WideClient.INI file to display some extra stuff in the title bar -- like the current data frame rate between the FS Server and Wideclient. but there is normally nothing in the window area -- just narrow the window to just show your title bar, or even change the options (in the INI) to hid Wideclient altogether. It is really only a background program, supporting the interface to FS on your Networked PC.

because all I see is a grey screen.

The reason for the screen is that there are (or at least used to be) applications which actually docked themselves to the FS window. The Wideclient window just provides one to dock to if needed. You can have Wideclient load a bitmap into the window for display if you wished, but really the only useful information WideClient can give is Connected or not, and optionally the performance, or frame rate.

Regards

Pete

[Thralni]

Aaah, I see. Thanks for the clarification!