Making mouse macros issue

[tony gh]

Hello Pete

 

I have fsuipc installed on my vista machine and this acts as a server for two other xp machines that run PM GA software and Plan G respectively. I have tried a number of times to make a mouse macro so that I can switch on the right alternator and with another macro the right fuel pump. The switches work in fsx when using the mouse (they go up and down using a mouse click) but when I come to create a macro, and using the proceedure detailed in the manual, I do not get a seperate screen come up to indicate that the macro is operating a specific switch.

 

I have a switch panel on the lower section of my Beech 58 cockpit and I am trying to get all of the switches to operate the appropriate virtual switches in FSX. I have FSUIPC and Wides fs installed on the Vista machine and two Leo Bodnar cards on on of the servers, one BBI 32 and one BU0836X. The cards are functioning correctly in respect of the rotary encoders I have installed for my altimeter, VOR's and Heading bug as well as the started switches and a number of other toggle switches.

 

The reason I have the Bodnar cards on the server is that I have not been able to get Vista to install either card and I have tried for a long time to resolve this problem. It seems that Vista will not recognise either card and I have tried for nearly a year to get it to do so without any success. Is this what would cause me a problem when trying to create a mouse macro or is there something I am missing. I have my main screen (projected screen image) set to the virtual cockpit view so that I can operate the switches and have fsuipc open to create the macro but when I go into the virtual cockpit and move the switch after creating a macro and naming it nothing else happens.I have watched a number of youtube videos on how to create the macros and the bit that does not happen is the pop up screen appearing to indicate that something has been operated

 

I am building a complete cockpit that has all of the switches and controls of the real Baron 58 so I would like to be able to switch on and off all of the virtual switches in FSX. Is this an FSX issue and if so do I need to get an addon Beech 58 to be able to operate all of the virtual switches?

 

Sorry for the long post, hope it makes sense.

 

Regards

 

Tony

[Pete Dowson]

I have fsuipc installed on my vista machine and this acts as a server for two other xp machines that run PM GA software and Plan G respectively. I have tried a number of times to make a mouse macro so that I can switch on the right alternator and with another macro the right fuel pump. The switches work in fsx when using the mouse (they go up and down using a mouse click) but when I come to create a macro, and using the proceedure detailed in the manual, I do not get a seperate screen come up to indicate that the macro is operating a specific switch.

 

You don't say what aircraft this is with. Mouse macros only work on gauges written using the FS2004 C/C++ gauges SDK. Very few are these days, they changed to xml. Even most of the default Microsoft gauges can't be used in this way because they themselves did not stick to the Gauges SDK rules.

 

... when I go into the virtual cockpit and move the switch after creating a macro and naming it nothing else happens.

 

 

Hang on, you just said you can't create a macro because the screen for testing it and naming it does not appear. Which is it?

 

the bit that does not happen is the pop up screen appearing to indicate that something has been operated

 

Ah. Two votes for no naming screen, one against. I assume your middle comment was talking about naming the File, not the specific macro? (Macro files can contain all of the macros needed for a specific aircraft, or indeed many aircraft).

 

I am building a complete cockpit that has all of the switches and controls of the real Baron 58 so I would like to be able to switch on and off all of the virtual switches in FSX. Is this an FSX issue and if so do I need to get an addon Beech 58 to be able to operate all of the virtual switches?

 

 

Ah, now we get to it -- you are using the default Baron?

 

In that case almost all of the switches will correspond to specific FS controls which you can assign directly, without macros.  Certainly the two switches you mention, alternators and fuel pumps, will have proper FS controls. Have you not looked for these?

 

A quick way to determine the name of the FS control which is used for a switch action is to enable Event logging in FSUIPC's logging page. If you temporarily run FSX in Windowed mode, you can also enable the Console Log on the same page so you can see the effect of operating switches in real time.

 

Certainly some of the functions in the Baron which relate only to the modes of specific gauges won't use controls and won't be programmable. That's because they only have local effect, on that gauge, and don't have any other consequences. For a complete cockpit build that shouldn't matter because your own instrumentation and displays would presumably have their own controls for these. For example, my 737NG cockpit uses Project Magenta software and it obviously controls its own displays.

 

BTW doesn't the PM GA software handle all the switches you need? Or is that only in PMsystems -- do you have that package too, for GA?

 

Regards

Pete

[tony gh]

Hello Pete

 

sorry for the confusion with the naming of the file etc. Yes it was the naming the macro that did not pop up.

 

I have some of the controls working with my switches, I do have the alternator working (it operates as just a single alternator) but could not set the left switch of the alternator pair of switches for left alt and the right switch for right alt as it is not listed in the FSX or PM options. This was why I was trying to set a macro for the right hand switch to operate the right hand alternator. Maybe there is not a right hand alternator on the flight model (default Baron)? I have just purchased the Carenado Beech 58 and will investigate the switch options in this to see if I can do something with them I cannot with the default model.

 

Am I correct in assuming that if there is not something that can be set via a macro then even when I have named the file, the second actual macro pop up will not show?

 

The PM software does have a lot of switch options in it but they mostly relate to the glass cockpit version of the GA software. Things like the PM EICAS .MCP, ND and PFD. I do not have PM systems so I cannot say what that may additionally do. As I stated above I have a limited number of switch options but am hoping to be able to assign them using fsuipc and macros if at all possible.

 

Thanks for the reply and .advice on event logging 

 

Regards

 

Tony

[Pete Dowson]

I do have the alternator working (it operates as just a single alternator) but could not set the left switch of the alternator pair of switches for left alt and the right switch for right alt as it is not listed in the FSX or PM options. This was why I was trying to set a macro for the right hand switch to operate the right hand alternator. 

 

Didn't you even bother to try logging as I suggested to see what controls, if any, the aircraft panel uses? That's generally the quickest and easiest way!

 

Looking in the list of FSX controls (see your FSUIPC Documents folder) there are these:

 

Toggle alternator1

Toggle alternator2

Toggle alternator3

Toggle alternator4

 

Did you not search on the word "alternator" at all?

 

If you want specific separate On and Off you might find the Generator switch offsets in FSUIPC do the job. There are separate offsets for each engine generator. You'd assign to an Offset control in FSUIPC for those.

 

Am I correct in assuming that if there is not something that can be set via a macro then even when I have named the file, the second actual macro pop up will not show?

 

Macro files can contain any normal FSUIPC control actions. The "mouse" macro variety, however, depends on the code in the Gauge. If it isn't suitable, it isn't suitable. It's black and white.

 

Pete