Controls Stops Working

[bradrcfii]

I mapped the Level D 763 HSI and range selector knobs to a GoFlight rotory knobs via the buttons & Switches panel using the Aircraft Specifac and key press features. I mapped to the key press shown in the level D Custom Controls menu. The mapping works great until I do something with the FMC. I run the FMS/CDU on a touch screen monitor. As soon as I enter something on the FMC, the knobs(mapping) no longer work. I can then go back into FSUIPC, open the buttons and switches panel, rotate one of the controls so that the mapping appears, click OK and then the mapping works up and to the point I use the FMC.

Pretty strange?

What do you think?

[Pete Dowson]

I mapped the Level D 763 HSI and range selector knobs to a GoFlight rotory knobs via the buttons & Switches panel using the Aircraft Specifac and key press features. I mapped to the key press shown in the level D Custom Controls menu. The mapping works great until I do something with the FMC. I run the FMS/CDU on a touch screen monitor. As soon as I enter something on the FMC, the knobs(mapping) no longer work.

If you are sending key presses I suspect that the FMC is taking the keyboard focus away from the FS routines which are intercepting those key presses. You'd need to click back on the main FS screen to restore focus.

Pretty strange?

Not really. It's the way Windows keyboard focus works.

Can you not assign the buttons direct at all, or use controls? Doesn't the Level D aircraft get support from the Nico Kaan interface program?

It may be possible for me to add an option for FSUIPC to check where the focus is and maybe restore it to the FS screen each time, but I wouldn't want to do that as a general rule because sometimes the user might intend the keyboard focus to stay in one place when he's moved it by mouse or touch screen (which is effectively a mouse operation too). Maybe I'd need to provide a "restore FS focus" control for assignment to a spare button, too.

I'm also not totally sure it can be made to work consistently even so.

BTW please also always state FSUIPC version numbers when asking for advice. I don't even know whether you are referring to FS9, FSX or even FS98, but I do need actual FSUIPC numbers please.

Regards

Pete

[bradrcfii]

I am running FSX and 4.60a of FSUIPC.

I tested the keyboard focus and you are correct. After clicking back on the main screen, the knobs work.

I just took a look at the Nico Kaan tool. I would rather stay with FSUIPC as I do not look forward to another steep learning curve. I don't know, maybe it will be worth it.

A FSUIPC parameter that provides automatic windows focus would be great for me.

Thanks as always for your help.

[Pete Dowson]

A FSUIPC parameter that provides automatic windows focus would be great for me.

Well I'll have to experiment, see what's possible. It won't be for a couple of days, I'm a bit tied up. Look out for info in the Download Links subforum. The current FSX FSUIPC there is 4.656 -- you are a bit out of date. If it changes to 4.657, scroll through the list of changes, to the end, to see if I've managed it or not.

Regards

Pete

[bradrcfii]

Well I'll have to experiment, see what's possible. It won't be for a couple of days, I'm a bit tied up. Look out for info in the Download Links subforum. The current FSX FSUIPC there is 4.656 -- you are a bit out of date. If it changes to 4.657, scroll through the list of changes, to the end, to see if I've managed it or not.

Regards

Pete

Great! I will be watching. I am too in the software business so any change to include windows focus within 6 months will be a thrill.  Just looked at the downlaod site.  It says 4.6?<div>edit:</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

[Pete Dowson]

<div><br></div><div>edit:</div><div><br> </div><div>Just looked at the downlaod site.  It says 4.6?</div>

Not sure what all those <div>s and things are, but I didn't say "download site" but the Download Links subforum, here, one of the useful subforums and the one in which all interim updates are provided.

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Look out for info in the Download Links subforum. The current FSX FSUIPC there is 4.656 -- you are a bit out of date. If it changes to 4.657, scroll through the list of changes, to the end, to see if I've managed it or not.

Okay, done. 4.657 contains these additions:

48. Two new facilities are added to allow users to ensure keypresses assigned to buttons (or sent by external programs as FSUIPC controls) are directed to the main FS window for processing. This would normally be the case except that folks using Windows external to FS might be changing the keyboard focus away from the main FS window. Using a touchscreen, for instance, moves the keyboard focus even though it is the mouse which is activated by touch.

The two facilities are for use in different user circumstances. First, you can add the line

KeyboardFocus=Yes

into the main [buttons] section in the FSUIPC.INI file. This will make FSUIPC restore focus to the main FS window every time it is asked to send a keypress. The FS window will become the foreground window at the same time.

The second is an alternative for use by more ambitious users who wish to retain focus elsewhere for some keypresses. It is the addition of a new assignable control called "key focus restore" (number 1125) You can assign this to a button separately to restore the focus when you need to, or use multiple assignments just with those buttons intended to send keypresses to FS. Multiple assignments either means editing the INI to make the addiitonal assignment to the same button press, orelse just assigning the key focus restore control to the 'press' and the keypress sending to the 'release'. In this case you'd need to use the "key press and release" control for the keypress action instead of programming it directly on the left-hand side of the button assignments tab.

Regards

Pete

[bradrcfii]

Okay, done. 4.657 contains these additions:

Regards

Pete

WOW!

Thank you very very much.