Question about the the Iris F-22 and MFD control

[Donald Weller]

So i am building a f22 cockpit and i am experimenting with using FSUIPC to allow swiches to control things. But things dont behave as i expect. For example if i set a switch on my warthog to switch the main battery on the power flips on and off repeatedly. And i cant figure out how the MFDs are controlled. I dont really see any definitive entries in the fs control list...

 

Som insight would be appreciated.

[Pete Dowson]

4 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

For example if i set a switch on my warthog to switch the main battery on the power flips on and off repeatedly.

It sounds like you have the switch set to repeat whilst pressed, an option in the assignment tab. The battery control is a "toggle" (Toggle master battery) so it goes on or off whilst a button is pressed, and a latching switch 'on' is always pressed.

4 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

And i cant figure out how the MFDs are controlled I dont really see any definitive entries in the fs control list...

I don't know what functions you want, but the easiest way to work that out is to use FSUIPC's logging facilities. Enable event logging (not the axis one) in the Logging Tab. Then when you operate a switch in your aircraft, eg using the mouse, if it uses a control at all it will be logged in the Log file in the Modules folder.

To make this an easier process, temporarily run the sim in Windowed mode (ALT+ENTER) and enable the Console Log in FSUIPC's Logging tab. Then you can see what happens in real time, on screen.

Pete

 

[Donald Weller]

5 hours ago, Pete Dowson said:

It sounds like you have the switch set to repeat whilst pressed, an option in the assignment tab. The battery control is a "toggle" (Toggle master battery) so it goes on or off whilst a button is pressed, and a latching switch 'on' is always pressed.

I don't know what functions you want, but the easiest way to work that out is to use FSUIPC's logging facilities. Enable event logging (not the axis one) in the Logging Tab. Then when you operate a switch in your aircraft, eg using the mouse, if it uses a control at all it will be logged in the Log file in the Modules folder.

To make this an easier process, temporarily run the sim in Windowed mode (ALT+ENTER) and enable the Console Log in FSUIPC's Logging tab. Then you can see what happens in real time, on screen.

Pete

 

Nope. I dont have reapeat on and it flickers. If i turn on repeat it flickers faster. This is in Prepar3d using the Iris F-22 if that helps...

[Pete Dowson]

2 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

Nope. I dont have reapeat on and it flickers. If i turn on repeat it flickers faster.

Well, in that case it isn't FSUIPC doing it. There's no way it can.

Possibly  you have conflicting assignments, maybe in the P3D (if assigning in FSUIPC you should disable controllers in P3D).

Or something else you have running is making this happen.

Otherwise It sounds like your hardware is playing up!

Pete

 

 

[Donald Weller]

I think it is whatever Iris simulations did. As with out FSUIPC i cant even get this far. The plane is gorgeous and flies well. But however they coded the cockpit is weird. I am gonna try using your log to see if i can learn anything.

[Donald Weller]

Ok so in the logging when i flip the main battery switch with the mouse it says keyup: vk=80, waiting=0

Or keydown vk=80, waiting=0

 

Does that mean anything to you

 

It also says key not programmed passed on to fs

[Donald Weller]

Ok now i see what is happening. Can you send multiple commands on a single switch flip? 

 

And the mfd buttons dont seem to send any commands at all. I am not sure how they work...i cant get the commands to show up no matter how much logging i do. 

[Pete Dowson]

2 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

Ok so in the logging when i flip the main battery switch with the mouse it says keyup: vk=80, waiting=0

Or keydown vk=80, waiting=0

Thats Button and Key logging, not Event logging! VK means "Virtual Key", and VK 80 is the "P" key. No idea what that has to do with the Battery. You need Event logging.

1 hour ago, Donald Weller said:

Ok now i see what is happening. Can you send multiple commands on a single switch flip? 

Of course, but in FSUIPC only if you edit the INI file to do so. But if you haven't disabled controllers in P3D then that will probably be sending things. And maybe something else is.

Since I can't see what you see, and you don't really describe it, I have no idea.

1 hour ago, Donald Weller said:

And the mfd buttons dont seem to send any commands at all. I am not sure how they work...i cant get the commands to show up no matter how much logging i do. 

You mean operating the "MFD" buttons on screen? Can you tell me what "MFD" functions these are? All MFD means is "multi-function display", it tells me nothing about what it does or what you use it for.

Pete

 

[Donald Weller]

The MFD does many things depending on what screen is currently active. The f22 comes with prepar3d if you want to see them. They can be an ehsi or an adi system status, engine status, moving map. Etc. 

 

What i am trying to figure out how to activate the soft buttons around the screen using hardware buttons.

[Pete Dowson]

6 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

What i am trying to figure out how to activate the soft buttons around the screen using hardware buttons.

I don't think there are built-in sim controls for those. They are probably mostly (if not all) local to the gauge itself, not affecting the sim engine itself.

I assume there are no keyboard shortcuts provided for them by P3D itself? No controls for assignment listed in the P3D assignments lists? If not then they armed at mouse only use.

Depending how the gauge was written there may be Local Variables (L:Vars) which you can write to in order to change the state. Try using the List Local Panel Variables control assignable in FSUIPC's drop down. It will list what's available in the current panel.  There's a section in the FSUIPC Advanced Users Guide (about page 33) about L:Vars and how to change them using assignable macros.

Note that this isn't a guaranteed method, and of course the macros you do for one panel are not likely to work on another -- Local Variables are local!It might take some experimentation to find the right variables to do what you want, even if they exist. 

Pete

 

[Donald Weller]

I am assuming if there was one clicking on the button in the sim would be logged?

 

What do i need to change in the ini file to get multiple commands sentnwith on switch?

[Pete Dowson]

2 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

I am assuming if there was one clicking on the button in the sim would be logged?

If an FS control (or "Event") resulted from clicking a button or switch on screen, and Event logging was enabled, then FSUIPC would log it. Yes.

2 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

What do i need to change in the ini file to get multiple commands sentnwith on switch?

You need to add the other command, or commands, as separate lines -- with different numbers in front of the =. They would be produced in the order of that entry number.

Pete

 

[Donald Weller]

Oh...so all the commands you set up end up in the ini file. So when you set up using the editor you go into the ini file and add additional lines to the ini file for the addional items operated by the switch?

[Pete Dowson]

4 hours ago, Donald Weller said:

Oh...so all the commands you set up end up in the ini file. So when you set up using the editor you go into the ini file and add additional lines to the ini file for the addional items operated by the switch?

Yes. This is to avoid over-complicating the user interface in the program itself for more specialised needs.

The format of items should be reasonably self-evident, but those areas which can have more complex assignments do have the format explained, and examples provided, in the Advanced Users guide.

With buttons and switches as well as multiple entries you can have conditional entries -- ones depending on an FS value perhaps (via its offset in FSUIPC) or on the pressing of other keys. There are flags which can be used to turn the button press into a locking toggle action - i.e. off->on on one press, on->off on the next, like the proper latching switch.

Since ALL of your settings will normally* be in the INI file you should make backup copies now and then so you don't have to start again. Conversely, you can delete it altogether to generate a default one to start again, if you wish.

Pete

* The exception to all the settings being in the INI are when you use Profiles and opt for UseProfiles=Files. This puts all the profile-related settings into separate files per profile, and those go into the Profiles subfolder. In this case you'd want to make backups of that folder too.

Such a complication isn't really worthwhile for most users. It is used by those whose INI file has become huge with different settings for different aircraft. Having separate Profile files makes it easier to locate and change things manually.