Fuel/Payload

[gfd]

Greetings

Thank you for creating the .Net system for FSUIPC and FS. I want to write a fuel payload utility. I am not terribly familiar with offsets, etc. However, I can research that. I'd like to list what I think are the steps I would need to take to make this work. Perhaps you would be kind enough to point out where I might be going off track.

 

The following assumes I would connect with FSUIPC and then close the connection when exiting the program.

 

First, would I be able to get this type of program to talk to FSX from a remote machine via WideFS or would it be necessary to run it on the FSX machine?

 

-get/calculate standard weight of aircraft

-get maximum takeoff weight of aircraft

-show aircraft weight

-show maximum takeoff weight

 

Fuel Section

 

I am guessing that FSX starts the flight off with full fuel tanks, but if it were a multileg flight, would I be able to add to the current fuel level, or would I have to replace current fuel with the total amount required for subsequent legs, if any? I'll assume below, that I have to start over for each leg.

 

-set unit of measure

-if fuel has to be viewed/set by tank, query each tank and enable a textbox for each active tank on the aircraft

-get fuel capacity for each tank

-if subsequent legs, get current fuel level, then set necessary fuel for next leg, if that is possible

-if not set total fuel required for the leg

-show fuel capacity by tank

-show current fuel by tank

-show total current fuel

-show total fuel required onboard

-edit current fuel to show required fuel by tank

-set fuel to be added to aircraft for first leg

 

Payload Section

 

-set unit of measure

-set adult passengers

-set child passengers

-set infant passengers

-set cargo

-show all of above items

-show total cargo/luggage weight

-show total passenger weight

 

Is it necessary to have more than one passenger station? IE, do I have to have more than one type of passenger class other than for realism purposes?

If weight exceeds max; stop processing and alert user.

 

This is a rought outline. I just want to know if there is anything I would attempt to do here, that would be of the rails or violate the rules. The post is rather lengthy. I just wanted to limit it to one query and one set of answers. I am not asking you to tell me how to do this. You have included general documentation and by class. Thanks! If I can't figure that out, I won't attempt the project.

 

Thanks for reading this. Thanks for your help.

 

Graham

[Paul Henty]

Hi Graham,

 

Most, if not all of the payload and fuel information is accessed directly via the PayloadServices in my dll. This means you don't need to use the offsets directly as the dll handles all the complicated reading and writing to/from offsets for you. Your utility may need to access other information via offsets though.

 

Any program interfacing via FSUIPC (or via my dll) can run on the FSX machine or a machine running WideClient.exe. You program won't know the difference.

 

 

>> -get maximum takeoff weight of aircraft
 

You can get the 'maximum gross weight' from FSUIPC. I don't know if that's the same thing. I think the max take-off weight depends on altitude and air temperature doesn't it?

 

 

>> I am guessing that FSX starts the flight off with full fuel tanks,

 

It starts with whatever the fuel levels are in loaded flight (or default flight if the user does not load a flight).

 

 

but if it were a multileg flight, would I be able to add to the current fuel level, or would I have to replace current fuel with the total amount required for subsequent legs, if any? I'll assume below, that I have to start over for each leg.

 

You can do either really. It's possible to fuel the plane for all legs before the first take-off. Or you can refuel between each leg. When you set the fuel levels through FSUIPC you just tell it the new level. It's easy of course to simulate 'topping up' by calculating the new level to be the current level + the additional fuel required.

 

 

>> -set unit of measure

 

The dll will accept and provide fuel levels directly in Litres, US Gallons, Newtons, Kg, Lbs and Percentage.

 

 

>> -if fuel has to be viewed/set by tank, query each tank and enable a textbox for each active tank on the aircraft

 

Yes, fuel is set per tank.

 

 

>> -get fuel capacity for each tank

 

OK - available in Litres or US Gallons

 

 

>> -if subsequent legs, get current fuel level, then set necessary fuel for next leg, if that is possible

 

Yes, this is possible.

 

 

-show fuel capacity by tank

-show current fuel by tank

-show total current fuel

-show total fuel required onboard

-edit current fuel to show required fuel by tank

-set fuel to be added to aircraft for first leg

 

 

No problems here.

 

 

>>Payload Section: -set unit of measure

 

Payload is accepted and returned by the dll in Kg, Lbs, Newtons and Slugs.

 

 

-set adult passengers

-set child passengers

-set infant passengers

-set cargo

-show all of above items

-show total cargo/luggage weight

-show total passenger weight

 

Is it necessary to have more than one passenger station? IE, do I have to have more than one type of passenger class other than for realism purposes?

 

 

The payload stations are defined in the aircraft model. Some complex aircraft like those from PMDG have a payload station per seat. Others will may only have something like 'First class', 'Economy', 'Luggage'.

 

Unless your application is only for a specific aircraft, you'll need to present the user with whatever payload stations are defined and let them set the number of adults/children/cargo etc for each one. You'll then need to convert that into a weight to be applied via the dll.

 

 

>> I just want to know if there is anything I would attempt to do here, that would be of the rails or violate the rules.

 

From an FSUIPC point of view it's all possible.

 

If you decide to do it and need any more help or pointers, feel free to ask.

 

Paul

 

[gfd]

Thank you so much for the running start.