3.998 Fixed?

[GHD]

After installing FSUIPC V3.998 from FSUIPC3998fixed.zip, FS9 hangs at 0% loading scenery objects. It works fine with 3.997 of 23rd June.

FSUIPC.log:

********* FSUIPC, Version 3.998 by Pete Dowson *********
Running on Windows Version 5.1 Build 2600 Service Pack 3
Verifying Certificate for "U:\ZFS9\MODULES\FSUIPC.dll" now ...
   SUCCESS! Signature verifies okay!
Running inside FS2004 (FS9.1 CONTROLS.DLL, FS9.1 WEATHER.DLL)
User Name="George Davison"
User Addr="****"
FSUIPC Key is provided
WIDEFS not user registered, or expired
Module base=61000000
WeatherReadInterval=4
LogOptions=00000001
DebugStatus=15
     1422 System time = 24/09/2011 09:42:09
     1422 U:\ZFS9\
     1422 System time = 24/09/2011 09:42:09, FS2004 time = 12:00:00 (00:00Z)
    38250 FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM.flt
    38375 AIRCRAFT\c172\Cessna172SP.air
    38687 Aircraft="Cessna Skyhawk 172SP"
    60969 ERROR: Can't change message filter: functions not available
    78250 C:\Documents and Settings\Valued Customer\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files\UI generated flight.flt
    78375 Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded

Log from 3.997:

********* FSUIPC, Version 3.997b by Pete Dowson *********
Running on Windows Version 5.1 Build 2600 Service Pack 3
Verifying Certificate for "U:\ZFS9\MODULES\FSUIPC.dll" now ...
   SUCCESS! Signature verifies okay!
Running inside FS2004 (FS9.1 CONTROLS.DLL, FS9.1 WEATHER.DLL)
User Name="George Davison"
User Addr="****"
FSUIPC Key is provided
WIDEFS not user registered, or expired
Module base=61000000
WeatherReadInterval=4
LogOptions=00000001
DebugStatus=15
     1422 System time = 24/09/2011 09:37:58
     1422 U:\ZFS9\
     1422 System time = 24/09/2011 09:37:58, FS2004 time = 12:00:00 (00:00Z)
    38234 FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM.flt
    38359 AIRCRAFT\c172\Cessna172SP.air
    38672 Aircraft="Cessna Skyhawk 172SP"
    60922 ERROR: Can't change message filter: functions not available
    77984 C:\Documents and Settings\Valued Customer\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files\UI generated flight.flt
    78109 Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded
    78547 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled
    91984 System time = 24/09/2011 09:39:29, FS2004 time = 11:53:36 (16:53Z)
    91984 *** FSUIPC log file being closed
Memory managed: 60 Allocs, 750 Freed
********* FSUIPC Log file closed ***********

George

[Pete Dowson]

After installing FSUIPC V3.998 from FSUIPC3998fixed.zip, FS9 hangs at 0% loading scenery objects. It works fine with 3.997 of 23rd June.

Hmm. Strange. The changes between 3.997b and 3.998 are pretty much only concerned with axis filtering and additions to the VRInsight capabilities. And the "fixed" one was just a change from indicating version 9.98 to applications to the correct 3.998. No changes really which would affect things during initialisation, and certainly not before the stage indicated by the next message which should appear:

78547 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

which was never reached in your 3.998 install.

This suggests that either the WXStationList.bin (in the same folder as your FS9.CFG file), or the WX file being loaded initially, is corrupted. These binary files will be processed in FS when FSUIPC tries to initialise its weather offsets, with completion indicated by the above message.

FS appears to process these binary files blindly, assuming they are correct, without any validity checks. Bad values can wreak havoc and cause corruption in other areas of FS memory, resulting possibly in crashes or hangs or even nothing obvious at all. Just the small change in memory arrangement between 3.997b and 3.998 could make all the difference with unpredictable corruption such as this.

If renaming or removing the WxStationList.BIN and WX files (in your FLTs folder(s)) doesn't help, please show me your entire FSUIPC.INI file, in case there's some setting there which I need to test here.

Regards

Pete

[GHD]

I renamed wxstationlist.BIN to wxstationlist.BBB and renamed all wx files. Same problem.

Created a new flight with the "Clear weather" theme.

********* FSUIPC, Version 3.998 by Pete Dowson *********
Running on Windows Version 5.1 Build 2600 Service Pack 3
Verifying Certificate for "U:\ZFS9\MODULES\FSUIPC.DLL" now ...
   SUCCESS! Signature verifies okay!
Running inside FS2004 (FS9.1 CONTROLS.DLL, FS9.1 WEATHER.DLL)
User Name="George Davison"
User Addr="****"
FSUIPC Key is provided
WIDEFS not user registered, or expired
Module base=61000000
WeatherReadInterval=4
LogOptions=00000001
DebugStatus=15
     4156 System time = 24/09/2011 23:22:39
     4172 U:\ZFS9\
     4172 System time = 24/09/2011 23:22:39, FS2004 time = 12:00:00 (00:00Z)
    68047 FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM.flt
    68250 AIRCRAFT\c172\Cessna172SP.air
    68562 Aircraft="Cessna Skyhawk 172SP"
    93015 ERROR: Can't change message filter: functions not available
   138609 C:\Documents and Settings\Valued Customer\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files\UI generated flight.flt
   138750 Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded

FSUIPC.INI:

[General]
History=GLP8UBDWHRPJ84RI6LDX2
TCASid=Flight
TCASrange=40
TrafficScanPerFrame=10
AxisCalibration=No
CentredDialogue=Yes
ClearWeatherDynamics=Yes
MainMenu=&Modules
SubMenu=&FSUIPC ...
WindSmoothing=Yes
WhiteMessages=No
GenerateCirrus=No
WindShearSharp=No
UpperWindGusts=No
ExtendMetarMaxVis=Yes
AutoClearWeather=Yes
ExtendTopWind=Yes
WindSmoothness=5
SmoothPressure=No
PressureSmoothness=5
SmoothVisibility=Yes
VisibilitySmoothness=2
MaxSurfaceWind=0
WindLimitLevel=200
WindDiscardLevel=400
WindAjustAltitude=No
WindAjustAltitudeBy=2000
MinimumVisibility=50
MaximumVisibilityFewClouds=10000
MaximumVisibility=5000
MaximumVisibilityOvercast=3000
MaximumVisibilityRainy=1000
OneCloudLayer=No
ThinClouds=No
ThinThunderClouds=No
CloudThinness=1000
ThunderCloudThinness=10000
CloudTurbulence=No
CloudIcing=No
WindTurbulence=No
SuppressAllGusts=No
ExternalOptionControl=Yes
AutoTuneADF=No
MagicBattery=Yes
KeepFS98CloudCover=No
RudderSpikeRemoval=No
ElevatorSpikeRemoval=No
ReversedElevatorTrim=No
AileronSpikeRemoval=No
ShowPMcontrols=No
TrapUserInterrupt=Yes
NavFreq50KHz=No
ClockSync=No
SmoothIAS=Yes
SetVisUpperAlt=Yes
VisUpperAltLimit=25000
SuppressCloudTurbulence=No
SuppressWindTurbulence=No
FixWindows=No
FixControlAccel=No
OwnWeatherChanges=No
WeatherReadInterval=4
GraduatedVisibility=No
LowerVisAltitude=6000
UpperVisAltitude=25000
UpperVisibility=10000
ThrottleSyncAll=No
SpoilerIncrement=512
MoveBGLvariables=Yes
MaxIce=3
ShortAircraftNameOk=Substring
AutoTaxiWind=No
DisconnTrimForAP=No
WindSmoothingDelay=0
WindSmoothAirborneOnly=No
VisSmoothingDelay=0
VisSmoothAirborneOnly=No
ZeroElevForAPAlt=No
PropTaxiWind=No
TimeSetMode=Partial
TimeForSelect=4
WeatherReadsFast=No
MinIce=-1
TrafficControlDirect=Yes
LimitWindVariance=No
StopAutoFuel=No
ShowMultilineWindow=Yes
SuppressSingleline=No
SuppressMultilineFS=No
UpdatedByVersion=3998
CorrectVSsign=No
MouseWheelTrim=No
MouseWheelTrimSpeed=1
AxisInterceptIfDirect=No
ZapSound=firework
UseProfiles=Yes
DontResetAxes=No
BrakeReleaseThreshold=75
JoystickTimeout=20
PollGFTQ6=Yes
BlankDisplays=No
LuaRerunDelay=66

[JoystickCalibration]
FlapsSetControl=0
ReverserControl=66292
MaxThrottleForReverser=0
AileronTrimControl=0
RudderTrimControl=0
CowlFlaps1Control=0
CowlFlaps2Control=0
CowlFlaps3Control=0
CowlFlaps4Control=0
Rudder=-16380,-512,512,16380
LeftBrake=-2667,16380
RightBrake=-2032,16380
SepRevsJetsOnly=No
Reverser1Control=66422
Reverser2Control=66425
Reverser3Control=66428
Reverser4Control=66431
ApplyHeloTrim=No
FlapDetents=No
AllowSuppressForPFCquad=Yes
ExcludeThrottleSet=Yes
ExcludeMixtureSet=Yes
ExcludePropPitchSet=Yes
MaxSteerSpeed=60
UseAxisControlsForNRZ=No

[JoyNames]
AutoAssignLetters=No
0=Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2
0.GUID={C7A5B4A0-72E0-11DE-8002-444553540000}

[MacroFiles]
1=737 OHD
2=767
3=APchart

[Buttons]
ButtonRepeat=20,10

[LuaFiles]
1=TripleUse

[Sounds]
Path=U:\ZFS9\Sound\
Device1=Primary Sound Driver
Device2=Realtek HD Audio output
Device3=Logitech USB Headset

George

PS. I use FS9 only for testing other people's problems so using the previous version of FSUIPC is not a problem.

My normal use is FSX with FSUIPC4

[Pete Dowson]

I renamed wxstationlist.BIN to wxstationlist.BBB and renamed all wx files. Same problem.

Hmm Strange. I can't see anything odd in the INI file -- in fact it is much less complex than my default one.

just in case, though, could you please, just as a test, remove it (save it or rename it) before running FS9 just to see if default settings make any difference?

PS. I use FS9 only for testing other people's problems so using the previous version of FSUIPC is not a problem.

But it is still a problem for me, nevertheless. And its a bit intractable at present. It is stopping in a place where nothing has been changed for many releases, and I've no other reports. I need to narrow it down somehow. This 3.998 was supposed to be the last "Beta" before a full user release with updated documentation, next month maybe. I can't do that if even only one person has such a problem!

I may need to insert additional logging around the area in question and ask you to run tests. would that be okay?

Oh, one other thing. Do you have any FSUIPC-using applications installed which might be trying to use FSUIPC as soon as it is is loaded and ready? If so, or you're not sure, perhaps you could enable ipc Read and Write logging and do the test with 3.998 again, please? Either add LogWrites=Yes and LogReads=Yes to the [General] section of the INI, or set the options with 3.997 and then change over.

[LATER]

I just tried using your INI on my XP SP3 system with 3.998 and it was finem as shown here:

********* FSUIPC, Version 3.998 by Pete Dowson *********
Running on Windows Version 5.1 Build 2600 Service Pack 3
Verifying Certificate for "D:\FS9\MODULES\FSUIPC.dll" now ...
   SUCCESS! Signature verifies okay!
Running inside FS2004 (FS9.1 CONTROLS.DLL, FS9.1 WEATHER.DLL)
User Name="##########"
User Addr="##########"
FSUIPC Key is provided
WideFS Key is provided
Module base=61000000
WeatherReadInterval=4
LogOptions=00000001
DebugStatus=255
 	7500 System time = 25/09/2011 00:07:23
 	7672 \\FSXBEAST\D\FS9\
 	7938 System time = 25/09/2011 00:07:23, FS2004 time = 12:00:00 (00:00Z)
	12422 \\FSXBEAST\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files\737 at EGCC.flt
	12485 AIRCRAFT\b737_400\Boeing737-400.air
	22250 Aircraft="Boeing 737-400"
	24297 ERROR: Can't change message filter: functions not available
	28469 \\FSXBEAST\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files\UI generated flight.flt
	28875 Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded
	29407 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled
	37610 Traffic File #13 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic030528"
	45266 WeatherOptions set, now 4000370F (timer=0)
	49032 System time = 25/09/2011 00:08:04, FS2004 time = 00:07:45 (23:07Z)
	49032 *** FSUIPC log file being closed
Memory managed: 8 Allocs, 341 Freed
********* FSUIPC Log file closed ***********

I'm now very concerned over what on Earth could be different on your system to cause such a problem? This may take a while to determine. I would suggest redownloading the DLL in case of corruption, except that if it were corrupted it would most certainly fail its signature test..

Regards

Pete

[GHD]

No, the only applications I have written are started after FS9 and of course I haven't tried any of them.

I renamed the .ini file and it still fails on loading.

I am not sure what you wish me to do. If you want further logging, please tell me what statements and where I place them.

BTW. wxstationlist.BIN has not been recreated, but UI generated flight.WX has been recreated.

Regards,

George

[Pete Dowson]

I renamed the .ini file and it still fails on loading.

As expected -- I tried your INI here, as I said.

I am not sure what you wish me to do. If you want further logging, please tell me what statements and where I place them.

Sorry, evidently I was not clear. When I said "I may need to insert additional logging around the area in question and ask you to run tests. would that be okay?" I meant I would have to alter the code to get more information. There is no logging between where it logs "Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded" and a little later "Advanced Weather Interface Enabled". All it is doing is establishing the assorted weather offsets. It has reached the first of those two messages but not the second. I will have to start burrowing into the ancient code in that intervening area, code which hasn't changed in years, to find out what part of your system is being called when FS hangs. This means working out salient places to log an extra message so I can see where it gets to.

This will take some time and probably several iterations. This is why I asked if it was okay with you to proceed down such a path. I need to be sure it isn't actually a true FSUIPC problem. If it turns out to be an unexpected quirk in FS9 which has never been discovered before I will hasve to work around it. If neither then at least I might be able to pinpoint which part of your FS9 installation is corrupted.

BTW. wxstationlist.BIN has not been recreated, but UI generated flight.WX has been recreated

.

The default Station List is in the FS Weather folder, but a new updated one is only created when you download weather from the Microsoft/Jeppesen site -- i.e. the FS real weather facility. It keeps an updated station list because Jeppesen remove or add stations from time to time.

So, what is your answer to the above? I don't know when I'll get time to do the work involved in this, but I would email you the test versions plus instructions if you agreed, as and when I can work them out. I'd need your email address. If you don't want it broadcast here, write to me at petedowson@btconnect.com so I can reply privately.

Thanks & Regards

Pete

[GHD]

Hi Pete,

I will be happy to do any testing you require when you are ready.

I have sent you my email address.

Regards,

George

PS. I use the "no disk" version of FS9.

[GHD]

After a long day, it is now working in FS9 :-)

Thanks Pete.

George