Where can I find more info about the columns in the logging window

[Hans Billiet]

I am experimenting with FSUIPC4 (just downloaded, and bought a license). I find the logging extremely useful, as it allows to identify which commands are triggered.

I have searched both the normal user manual, and the one for advanced users, but none of these documents seems to give a description of what the different columns in the log file mean.

Example:
"108797 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66529 (0x000103e1), Param= 0 (0x00000000) EYEPOINT_BACK"

• What is the first number 108797 - I assume some kind of "timing"?
• Where does the description "EYEPOINT_BACK" comes from? Is this defined by the simulator (FSX), or is this mapped somewhere in one of the FSUIPC files (a "human readable" format of the Cntrl?)
• Are these the same labels used in "Key Presses"/"Control sent when keys pressed"? For the above example, I find the same text "Eyepoint Back" (although, not in CAPS and without underscores).

Bottomline - if I press a button in a plane, not knowing exactly what the command is, can I use the logging to identify it's description (EYEPOINT_BACK), and by this know which control to use when defining keys? Would be handy, because some controls have not always "obvious" names.

[John Dowson]

18 hours ago, Hans Billiet said:

What is the first number 108797 - I assume some kind of "timing"?

Yes, its the time FSUIPC has been running in milliseconds.

18 hours ago, Hans Billiet said:

Where does the description "EYEPOINT_BACK" comes from? Is this defined by the simulator (FSX), or is this mapped somewhere in one of the FSUIPC files (a "human readable" format of the Cntrl?)

Yes, its defined in SimConnect and is the string name of an event. Not sure where the FSX SimConnect documentation is (maybe installed with FSX?), but the P3Dv3 documentation ids here and it should be pretty similar: http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/utilities/variables/event_ids.html

18 hours ago, Hans Billiet said:

Are these the same labels used in "Key Presses"/"Control sent when keys pressed"? For the above example, I find the same text "Eyepoint Back" (although, not in CAPS and without underscores).

Yes, they are the same. However, note that not all controls are from the FS. Some are added by FSUIPC and may operate using simulator variables rather than controls.

18 hours ago, Hans Billiet said:

Bottomline - if I press a button in a plane, not knowing exactly what the command is, can I use the logging to identify it's description (EYEPOINT_BACK), and by this know which control to use when defining keys? Would be handy, because some controls have not always "obvious" names.

Yes, that is the usual way to find out what a UI control uses which you can then assign to a button, switch or keypress.

John

[Hans Billiet]

1 hour ago, John Dowson said:

Yes, they are the same. However, note that not all controls are from the FS. Some are added by FSUIPC and may operate using simulator variables rather than controls.

@John Dowson Thanks for your quick reply.

Can you just tell me what you mean with "simulator variables" vs "controls"? Are these variables the so called "LVars", which are kind of "Local" (although, they seem Global) variables that contain values like "speed", "altitude", etc...? But how about controls? I would also assume that these are variables like "Up = 1", "Down = 2", but as you mention them separately, I assume this is a different method?

(Sorry, I'm still a newbie... but learning fast 🤓)

[John Dowson]

Just now, Hans Billiet said:

Can you just tell me what you mean with "simulator variables" vs "controls"?

Simulator vartables are distinct from lvars (which are variables defined in/by an individual aircraft, not the simulator). They are part of the SimConnect API, as are the events. Please see the SimConnect API documentation for a list of the events and simulator variables provided by the sim.

FSUIPC uses both events and simulator variables. It can also use lvars (but knowns nothing about them - they are aircraft dependent). If you look at the offset documentation provided by FSUIPC, it tells you whether and event or a simulator variable is used, but really you do not need to know this as an end user.