Understanding the purchase process

[gweilo8888]

Hi all

Apologies if this should be obvious, but I'm a little confused by how things are listed on the official website and simMarket store pages, and don't want to accidentally buy the wrong thing (either not everything I need, or extra copies of software beyond what I need). First, an introduction to my current and planned setup.

In terms of core software, I have FSX on Win7 64-bit for my main machine. I'm intending to run a second networked machine, but the OS isn't decided -- I have both XP Pro and Vista Ultimate licenses for it, and had been considering upgrading it to a Win 7 Pro license.

On the primary machine, I have a FeelThere ERJ v.2 model which supposedly can have an integrated weather radar if I have FSUIPC registered. I also have a PMDG 747-400X. The most important thing I need FSUIPC for is weather smoothing, as my PMDG 747 and to a lesser extent, the FeelThere ERJ are both affected by the sudden radical shifts in winds aloft with the standard FSX weather.

The secondary machine would be used for Aivlasoft Electronic Flight Bag once I purchase it, and possibly (not sure if Aivlasoft will already fill my needs in this area) some other software that will show a moving map with points on interest, airfields, etc. indicated. (I'm currently using the free Plan-G package for this purpose.)

Beyond that, I'm looking to offload anything I can to the secondary machine, to improve frame rates on the primary machine -- but I've not yet looked into figuring out what I might be able to move. I have Ultimate Traffic 2, and am planning to get either Real Environment Extreme or Active Sky Evolution for weather. Depending on whether Aivlasoft proves sufficient, I might also get something for flight planning, as Plan-G is nowhere near adequate in this area yet. I don't think these relate to FSUIPC, but I'm also considering picking up FS Global 2010 for a better global mesh, and am researching to see if I can find anything that will improve autogen globally, rather than having to buy a bunch of unrelated packages for different areas of the world.

So... to my confusion. I understand I need FSUIPC registered, and I also need WideFS for the networking.

On the Official Peter Downson Page it says:

FSUIPC4 4.60

NEW Full release of FSUIPC 4 (incorporating WideFS 7) for use with FSX March 3rd 2010 (3.3 MB)

WideServer7 is built into FSUIPC4, you will need the WideClient from the WideFS link below.

WideFS 6.78

The WideClient.exe included in this zip is to be used with the WideServer7 module which is included with FSUIPC4 from now on.

This implies that WideFS is now incorporated into FSUIPC itself. However, simMarket has separate listings for FSUIPC 4 (EUR 24), and for WideFS 7 (EUR 24), as well as mentioning a combo price for the pair (EUR 36).

So if I'm running just two networked machines, do I need to buy just FSUIPC, or do I need to buy both FSUIPC and WideFS? And if the latter, do I need one license for WideFS, or two licenses (one for the host, and one for the client machine)?

Also, is there anywhere official that sells FSUIPC and WideFS for US customers? I want to make sure as much of my money as possible is in Peter's hands for creating the software, and I believe if I purchase in Euros, my bank will do currency conversion at a not-very-good rate, then possibly charge me a per-item fee for the "service" on top of this. Hence, if there's anywhere official that I can buy in US dollars, that's probably preferable, even if it costs slightly more, so long as they money still makes its way back to Peter. (I'm concerned about buying from somewhere unofficial, and then finding out they're not an authorized seller, and my license isn't legit.)

Thanks to everybody for any help you can offer a (relative) FSX newb. (It's only recently that I've rejoined the community, as I've been using laptops that weren't up to running FS for most of the last decade, and so hadn't been using flightsim since FS2000 was current.)

Edited January 25, 2011 by gweilo8888

[Ian P]

Hi,

The reason there are two independent licenses available for FSUIPC and WideFS is that they do different things. You can use the unregistered version of FSUIPC with a registered WideFS, but the inverse will not work - WideFS must be registered to use it. However you can use FSUIPC "stand alone" without WideFS registered.

If you want to change the weather settings (one of the primary reasons I licensed FSUIPC was for the wind smoothing at high altitude), then you will need a licensed version of FSUIPC.

In order to "offload" things onto the second PC - something else I do - then you will need to license WideFS. This license is handled on the FSX PC, the same as FSUIPC is, and clients (which do not need a license to install) can then connect to the licensed WideFS server. However it is worth checking the software you are hoping to connect remotely does, in fact, use WideFS. A couple of things I have looked at recently - ActiveSky X and Squawkbox, if I remember correctly - now connect using Simconnect rather than WideFS. Other things, such as for instance FSCommander, do require WideFS/Wideclient to communicate from a remote PC.

Therefore, the answer to your question is that in order to use WideFS and FSUIPC's weather modifications, you will need a single FSUIPC license and, if necessary, a single WideFS license. You can, as the text you have quoted states, then put Wideclient on one or more client machine(s).

I understand - although Peter will correct me if I am wrong - that both FSUIPC and WideFS licenses are only available through simMarket. The fact that Pete only includes links to sM on the page at Schiratti.com tends to support this. Therefore I believe that anywhere else offering to sell you a license would not be a legal source.

Hope that helps?

Best regards,

Ian P.

[Pete Dowson]

This implies that WideFS is now incorporated into FSUIPC itself.

For efficiency WideServer.DLL (the server component of WideFS) was incorporated into FSUIPC4 during trhe re-write for FSX to save having to have two separate modules both seeking the same information from SimConnect in FSX. However, all that means is that you don't have to place a separate DLL into your FSX installation. The registration and consequent enablement of WideFS was always through FSUIPC in any case. WideFS will not operate without registration.

So if I'm running just two networked machines, do I need to buy just FSUIPC, or do I need to buy both FSUIPC and WideFS? And if the latter, do I need one license for WideFS, or two licenses (one for the host, and one for the client machine)?

Whether you need to purchase FSUIPC is dependent on what you want -- the User Guide tells you exactly what you get if you purchase it. You don't need to purchase it to install it or use it for other programs, including WideFS, to use for their FSX access.

Also, is there anywhere official that sells FSUIPC and WideFS for US customers?

Yes, SimMarket. They have an exclusive -- excepting Intercraft for a Japanese purchase only, and Project Magenta for bundling with a Project Magenta purchase. If you are really worried about how much I will get, please don't. I get a much better deal with an exclusive agreement than I would otherwise.

Regards

Pete

[gweilo8888]

For efficiency WideServer.DLL (the server component of WideFS) was incorporated into FSUIPC4 during trhe re-write for FSX to save having to have two separate modules both seeking the same information from SimConnect in FSX. However, all that means is that you don't have to place a separate DLL into your FSX installation. The registration and consequent enablement of WideFS was always through FSUIPC in any case. WideFS will not operate without registration.

Whether you need to purchase FSUIPC is dependent on what you want -- the User Guide tells you exactly what you get if you purchase it. You don't need to purchase it to install it or use it for other programs, including WideFS, to use for their FSX access.

Yes, SimMarket. They have an exclusive -- excepting Intercraft for a Japanese purchase only, and Project Magenta for bundling with a Project Magenta purchase. If you are really worried about how much I will get, please don't. I get a much better deal with an exclusive agreement than I would otherwise.

Regards

Pete

OK, great, thanks. So it sounds like I need both FSUIPC4 (so I can get weather smoothing, and I think my FeelThere ERJ weather radar also relies on a registered version), plus WideFS7 (for the networking).

I'll just have to eat the cost of the exchange rate conversion, as I can't see anywhere on simMarket to pay in US dollars. ;-)

Thanks for a staggeringly quick reply (and thanks to Ian, as well!)

[Pete Dowson]

OK, great, thanks. So it sounds like I need both FSUIPC4 (so I can get weather smoothing

If you are going to splash out for ASE you may not need to -- it's weather can be pretty smooth too, especially if you use its global weather mode (DWC).

Regards

Pete

[gweilo8888]

If you are going to splash out for ASE you may not need to -- it's weather can be pretty smooth too, especially if you use its global weather mode (DWC).

Regards

Pete

Thanks, Pete! I'd been hearing REX recommended a lot, but still have ASE on my list as I didn't want to exclude it without researching first. Would you say I'd need FSUIPC if I do decide to go with REX?

My goal with either weather addon is first and foremost to have as accurate/realistic real-world weather as possible, secondmost to have some kind of weather radar facility for planes that lack this built-in (eg. the PMDG 747). Prettiness is nice to have, but that's a reasonably distant third in my wish list behind the other two...

[JSkorna]

And just to add...ASE does not use WideFS to connect to FSX over a network, it just uses SimConnect.

Thanks,

[gweilo8888]

And just to add...ASE does not use WideFS to connect to FSX over a network, it just uses SimConnect.

Thanks,

Oh really? Wow, this is definitely a lot for a newbie to get my head around -- the Active Sky Evolution product page mentions FSUIPC / WideFS in reference to FS9, but doesn't say anything for FSX. I'm not familiar with SimConnect, but Google suggests it's a Microsoft tech. Is it already part of FSX (Gold Edition), or something I'd need to download separately?

Looking at Aivlasoft's EFB again, it looks like I was misremembering its requirements -- I can't see any reference to FSUIPC or WideFS in the install docs, so maybe it interfaces using some other method. And from an old thread, it appears UT2 can't be offloaded to a client either. So perhaps I don't need WideFS, unless I end up wanting Plan-G still.

And continuing my streak of being wrong on all fronts ;-), I could've sworn I remembered the FeelThere ERJ weather radar needing FSUIPC registered, but this thread suggests otherwise.

But threads on PMDG's fora suggest that if I go for ASE rather than REX, ASE's DWC mode causes problems with the 747-400X, plus it apparently makes weather radar and ATIS reports meaningless, so I don't think I'd want to use that. Hence presumably I'd still want FSUIPC registered for weather smoothing. Not to mention for the fact you're all helping me here free of charge, and undoubtedly deserve some reward for that. ;-)

[Pete Dowson]

Would you say I'd need FSUIPC if I do decide to go with REX?

No.

REX is good for textures and stuff, but it doesn't beat ASE for weather, in my opinion.

Oh really? Wow, this is definitely a lot for a newbie to get my head around -- the Active Sky Evolution product page mentions FSUIPC / WideFS in reference to FS9, but doesn't say anything for FSX. I'm not familiar with SimConnect, but Google suggests it's a Microsoft tech. Is it already part of FSX (Gold Edition), or something I'd need to download separately?

It installs with FSX. But if you want to run ASE from a networked PC you'd need to install SimConnect on that PC too -- it's done using an install file ("SimConnect.msi") which is on the FSX disks.

Regards

Pete

[gweilo8888]

No.

REX is good for textures and stuff, but it doesn't beat ASE for weather, in my opinion.

Thanks, Pete. Yours is an opinion I'd definitely give weight to, so I'll do some more reading on ASE when I've next got a free moment.

It installs with FSX. But if you want to run ASE from a networked PC you'd need to install SimConnect on that PC too -- it's done using an install file ("SimConnect.msi") which is on the FSX disks.

Great, makes sense. I'll look into that...

Thanks again for all the help!