FSUIPC7-Beta for MSFS

[John Dowson 85]

A beta version of FSUIPC7 (for MSFS only) is now available for download at the following locations:
   http://fsuipc.simflight.com/beta/FSUIPC7.zip
   http://www.fsuipc.com/download/FSUIPC7.zip

FSUIPC7 is being released as a beta-version. It is currently not possible to purchase a license, but
a time-limited license, valid until the end of October 2020, is included in the download. We hope to
have a release version ready by then, if not I will extend the beta license.

We are initially releasing FSUIPC for MSFS as a beta due to the state of the MSFS SDK, and in particular
that of the SimConnect API. There is still a lack of documentation on what is actually working in this SDK,
especially in relation to key events/control, upon which FSUIPC heavily relies.

There are several SimConnect updates planned in the months following the official MSFS release. We will
continue to update and test FSUIPC7 as these updates are released.

 

Installation
Currently no installer is provided. To install FSUIPC7, simply create a folder (e.g. FSUIPC7)
and copy the FSUIPC7.exe and FSUIPC7.key files to this folder (or simply move the FSUIPC7 folder
created when you unzip to the required location).

If you have previously used FSUIPC, you can also copy and rename your
FSUIPC4/5/6.ini file to the FSUIPC7 installation folder as FSUIPC7.ini, and
also remember to copy any other auxiliary files or folders you may use (.mcro, .lua, .dll, Profiles, etc).

Note that the SimConnect.dll is no longer required. If you have copied this to your FSUIPC7 installation folder
for an earlier release, this can now be removed.

Usage Instructions
FSUIPC7 as now a standalone executable, and no longer an embedded dll.
Simply run the FSUIPC7.exe to start.

FSUIPC7 will then sit in the system tray. To open, double-click the tray icon or
use the provided context menu.

A default windows hot key (currently Alt-F) is also acquired when you start FSUIPC7
which will display/open the FSUIPC7 main window. If this hot key cannot be acquired
(e.g. as its already in use) then a message will be logged. You can change the key
assigned by manually editing the following ini parameter:

InvokeFSUIPCOptionsKey=70,12

where, in the above example, 70 is the F key (0x46) and 12 is the modifier (which is
actually a hex value, 0x12 which is VK_MENU, i.e. the Alt key).

For no hot key, use

InvokeFSUIPCOptionsKey=No

Using WideFS
If you have a license for WideFS7 that you would also like to use, you can do this by
adding the following lines to the included FSUIPC7.key file:

NameForWideFS=<your WideFS registration name>
WideFSaddress=<your WideFS registration email/address>
WideFS=<your 12 character WideFS key>

You will need to restart FSUIPC7 for the license to take effect.

Missing Functionality 
The following functionality is not currently available in FSUIPC7. We may look at re-instating some of these
items at a later date, if and when such facilites are provided by the MSFS SDK:

1. Mouse Macros (and other mouse functionality, e.g “mouse look”, etc):  pending facilities to be provided
2. lVar access: pending facilities to be provided (if lVars still exist!)
3. AI Traffic management (Traffic Limiter and Zapper): pending facilities to be provided.
    Note that the offsets for AI traffic are populated.
4. Text display facilities: pending SimConnect functionality (some basic functionality may work)
5. Menu facilities: pending SimConnect functionality
6. Weather: apart from a few variables concerning ambient conditions at the aircraft, no other weather information
    is currently availablefor reading or updating

Limitations
Currently no documentation on what key events/controls from the SimConnect API are actually working.
Many do not currently work. These include:
   - events for view control
   - events for slew control
   - events for weather

For view and slew control, it is recommended to assign these functions directly in MSFS for the time being, as the corresponding events
are working when assigned in the sim itself.

SimVar status: it looks like some simulator variables that were previously read/write are now read-only.
For such variables, it will no longer be possible to write/update them.

Text/message/menu display facilities: may not work correctly due to issues with SimConnect_Text API function

Keyboard input is not masked, and so any key assigned in FSUIPC (via any mechanism) will also be seen by the sim.
Keyboard input is also recognised when either MSFS or FSUIPC7 have the window focus. The colon key (’:’) cannot
currently be assigned (as MSFS is continually sending notifications for this key if requested).

Issues
1. If you receive the following error when running FSUIPC7:
        The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.
   Please see https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/vcruntime140dll/8fe4965d-2013-49cb-816e-17cc2bb0c077?auth=1

Documentation
Currently no User documentation is provided. Documentation for FSUIPC4/5/6 should generally be applicable.
The UI for FSUIPC7 is slightly different, as its now an executable rather than an embedded DLL, but
it should be relatively easy to navigate the UI if you are familiar with previous versions of FSUIPC.

Attached is a spreadsheet (for OpenOffice or Excel)) containing details of the current state, as far as we know, of the FSUIPC offsets.
This is a work-in-progress, and eventually will be used to provide an updated FSUIPC Offset Status document.
I am relying on feedback from FSUIPC7 Beta users/testers to make this as complete as possible.

I will provide further documentation as and when available, and all existing documentation will be updated for use
with FSUIPC7 by the official release date.

Functionality to be Added (ToDo list)
The following is a short list of some of the main work still to be done in FSUIPC7 (in no particular order):
1. Allow a 'button screen' facility to be added to the main window of FSUIPC7, similar to the functions provided
    by WideClient.
2. Enable FSUIPC7 to work on a client PC (using a networked SimConnect).
    Note that this would be different from using WideClient, as the offset area maintained by FSUIPC7 on
    a client PC would be distinct from the offset area used by FSUIPC7 on the FS PC (although of course the data
    received from the sim to populate the offsets would be the same).
3. Add registration facilities.
4. Re-instate aileron/rudder trim control axes: either when/if axes added back to SDK, or switch to using simulator variables
5. Re-instate functionality in offset 0x2FE0 ('Add-on' menu entries) but allow menu entries to be added to FSUIPC7 menu bar.
6. Add [Programs] section to profiles
7. Provide an installer

Feedback

Please use the following sub-forum for all FSUIPC7-Beta / MSFS related issues:
        https://forum.simflight.com/forum/183-fsuipc7-beta-for-msfs/
Where possible, please provide feedback on which offsets are working for both read/write access, together with any issues
found. Any problems with events/controls will for the time being be collated, and be addressed as and when we have further
documentation in this area.

Attached is a spreadsheet (for OpenOffice or Excel) containing the status of each offset. I will update this on a regular basis
from feedback, internal testing and MSFS SDK updates.
 

John Dowson, 17th August 2020

offsetStatus-v0.1.ods

Edited August 19 by John Dowson
SimConnect.dll no longer required

[John Dowson 85]

FSUIPC7 has been updated and no longer requires the SimConnect.dll. I have modified the installation instructions (above) accordingly.

John

[John Dowson 85]

It seems that the latest SDK has issues with Flight loading/saving. I will investigate . This was previously working with SDK 0.4.1.0..

John

[John Dowson 85]

An update has been released, with build date 21/08/2020. This contains the following changes:
    - default location of Flight files and plans updated for released version and Steam/MSFS installations.
      Auto-save files should now be removed correctly. However, still problems with flight load/save due to known SimConnect issues.
    - Additional Project Magenta controls added
    - various minor UI updates
   - version 0.2 of the offsetStatus document, updated with known issues.

John

[John Dowson 85]

An update has been released, with build date 25/08/2020. This contains the following changes:
    -  sim rate read/write offset 0x0C1A now working
    - default 'Sound' path removed: please remove this from your ini (it will be wrong!). There is no 'Sound' folder in MSFS. You will need to set this manually to point to
      the location you use to store sound files used via FSUIPC's sound interface.
    - correction to profiles: there was a problem if you created an axes profile, didn't import your general settings and didn't add any new axes assignments.
    - I've re-enabled the freeze toggle, although this is currently not working as the KEY_FREEZE_LATITUDE_LONGITUDE_SET event is currently not working, nor sim variable IS LATITUDE LONGITUDE FREEZE ON
    - version 0.3 of the offsetStatus document, updated with known issues.

John

[John Dowson 85]

An update has been released, with build date 26/08/2020. This contains the following changes:
    - the Rudder and Aileron Trim Set controls have been added back. These are undocumented but are working.

John

[John Dowson 85]

An update has been released, with build date 28/08/2020. This contains the following changes:
    - Rudder and Aileron trim calibration panels re-enabled

John

[John Dowson 85]

An update has been released, with build date 08/09/2020. This contains the following changes:
  - correction to some key event names, and event TOGGLE_AIRCRAFT_EXIT_FAST added
  - event used for Master Avionics (offsets 0x2E80 & 0x3104) changed from toggle to set
  - automatic re-connection on TransmitClientError failures, + new optional ini parameter TransmitErrorsReconnect added (default value of 5 if not specified)
  - ALT key recognition removed from key assignments panel
  - fix for spoiler arm deflection when set to arm with 4800 at offset 0x0BD0
  - ICAO designator, manufacturer and model added at offsets 0x0618, 0x09D2 and 0x0B26 respectively

John

[John Dowson 85]

An update has been released, with build date 14/09/2020. This contains the following changes:

  -  pause indicator and control offsets (0x0264 and 0x0262) now working:
     0x0264 will indicate different pause states with flags 0x1 (PAUSE_SET),, 0x2 (PAUSE ON/OFF), 0x4 (esc pause).
     0x0262 accepts flags 0x1 and 0x2 to turn on using PAUSE_SET &  PAUSE_ON, and 0 to cancel both of these pause states.
     Note that esc pause is detected but cannot be controlled
  - transponder state added for read/write at offset 0x0846
  - changes to key handling: multi-key presses (when FSUIPC7 has focus) now passed through to the FS,
    keys masked when assigned in FSUIPC7 and FSUIPC7 has the focus, not masked if MSFS has focus
    All key input events requested via SimConnect, but some still not working correctly, e.g. numpad keys 0-9
  - logging an dtall time updates to track down TransmitClientEvent failures

John

[John Dowson 85]

An update has been released, with build date 19/09/2020. This contains the following changes:
    - additional AI simvars re-enabled and used to populate AI tables: IS USER SIM, TRANSPONDER CODE:1, AI Traffic State, AI Traffic Assigned Runway, AI TRAFFIC ASSIGNED PARKING
    - removed subscribtion to non-existing events TextEventCreated and TextEventDestroyed
    - Added COM SPACING MODE to offset 0B47 and 0B48
    - Fixed TransmitClientEvent failures and resulting crash of FSUIPC7
    - Additional key events (a.k.a. assignable controls) added: KEY_HEADING_SLOT_INDEX_SET, KEY_SPEED_SLOT_INDEX_SET, KEY_ALTITUDE_SLOT_INDEX_SET, KEY_VS_SLOT_INDEX_SET
    - logging updates: all exceptions now logged without the need to activate 'Extras' logging

John