VNAV and FLC Controls(Simconnect Events)

[roa]

In most MSFS GA airplanes there are autopilot buttons for VNAV(VNV) and FLC. Does anyone knows which Events(Controls) that correspond with these buttons. I can't find them in the Control list.

 

Also, what is the difference between AP PANEl ALTITUDE HOLD and AP ALT HOLD?

[John Dowson]

17 minutes ago, roa said:

In most MSFS GA airplanes there are autopilot buttons for VNAV(VNV) and FLC. Does anyone knows which Events(Controls) that correspond with these buttons. I can't find them in the Control list.

The usual way to determine what events/controls are used is turn on Event logging in FSUIPC, then activate the button/switch in the UI and see what event/control is logged. However, the problem at the moment with the MSFS SDK is that  many actions (in the UI) don't (yet?) have associated controls, and even some of the ones that do have no affect when you send the same control externally via SimConnect. The latter point has been acknowledged and should be fixed in up-coming SDK updates. I've asked about the former point (i.e. any assignable action in MSFS should be exposed via SimConnect) but have yet to receive a reply.

I've checked VNV and FLC and these don't log any events, so I'm afraid that they are currently not assignable.

22 minutes ago, roa said:

what is the difference between AP PANEl ALTITUDE HOLD and AP ALT HOLD?

I think they are the same, just alternative names. Just checked them in the C172 and both work. The AP button in the aircraft itself uses the AP ALT HOLD event.

John

[Pete Dowson]

1 minute ago, John Dowson said:

29 minutes ago, roa said:

what is the difference between AP PANEl ALTITUDE HOLD and AP ALT HOLD?

I think they are the same, just alternative names. Just checked them in the C172 and both work. The AP button in the aircraft itself uses the AP ALT HOLD event.

I've not tested these in MSFS, but they certainly used to be different.  If there's an MCP altitude display, or, for GA, probably an adjustable speed bug on the speed tape/dial then they operated differently.

The "AP PANEL ALTITUDE HOLD" says to hold at the display or bug-set altitude, whereas "AP ALT HOLD" says to hold at the current altitude.

Pete

 

[John Dowson]

7 minutes ago, Pete Dowson said:

The "AP PANEL ALTITUDE HOLD" says to hold at the display or bug-set altitude, whereas "AP ALT HOLD" says to hold at the current altitude.

Ah, ok - that makes sense!

[roa]

Thanks for the answers, something new to learn every day:)

Quote

I've checked VNV and FLC and these don't log any events, so I'm afraid that they are currently not assignable.

I checked again in MSFS and found that a "Toggle Autopilot Flight Level Change"  binding to a keypress or a button works.

Did't find anything for the VNAV.

But, as there is a FLC control that can be accessed via keypress or button binding in MSFS, should that be possible in FSUIPC as well?

 

[John Dowson]

2 minutes ago, roa said:

But, as there is a FLC control that can be accessed via keypress or button binding in MSFS, should that be possible in FSUIPC as well?

Well, that would be the ideal situation, but unfortunately many of the MSFS assignable controls are not exposed through the SimConnect API. At the moment that is, hopefully these will be added as the SDK is developed.

For now, you could assign to a keypress in MSFS, and then assign your button/switch to the keypress.

[John Dowson]

On 9/6/2020 at 1:48 PM, roa said:

I checked again in MSFS and found that a "Toggle Autopilot Flight Level Change"  binding to a keypress or a button works.

I tried adding this simvar to FSUIPC7. It updates correctly when toggling the button in the UI for the aircraft, but changing this externally seems to have no affect (i.e. its ok for read but not for write).

There are currently quite a few reports on autopilot functionality not working via simconnect (especially for the G1000), so i think we need to wait for  a simconnect update to get these fixed.

[John Dowson]

On 9/6/2020 at 12:45 PM, roa said:

In most MSFS GA airplanes there are autopilot buttons for VNAV(VNV) and FLC. Does anyone knows which Events(Controls) that correspond with these buttons. I can't find them in the Control list.

I've now reported this in the Asobo 3rd party devs forum.

[Matthew Twomey]

Yep +1 on this, just ran into it myself. Using the map-to-key for now.