Can no longer configure key stroke to my buttons with PFCcom64

[nantelp]

Hi, not sure what is going on, but since a few days now, I can no longer assign key stroke to my cirrusII using PFCcom64. When I go to the Yoke Buttons menu and try to assign the DEL keys to my yoke right front button , like in the picture I pick the option 1.use key press, I get press key but it like the DLL doesn't see my keyboard. 

I am running version 5.051. I tried with the beech or Mooney yoke same thing. I tried different buttons and the same thing happened I cannot assign a key to my unit. If I press the button I want to use , I do get the grey square on the right side, showing me which one is active. So the DLL does see my CirrusII. 

This use to work perfectly before.

Any help would be appreciated. 

Pierre 

[nantelp]

The problem also occur with FSUIPC7 / PCFcom64 in MSFS2020

Pierre 

[Pete Dowson]

8 hours ago, nantelp said:

I can no longer assign key stroke to my cirrusII using PFCcom64.

You have a serial port Cirrus II? I thought they were all HID devices!

8 hours ago, nantelp said:

This use to work perfectly before.

Before what? What have you changed? That'll be the clue to working out what happened.

PFCcom64 hasn't been changed for a while now -- not since 2017 except for changes last year to allow FSUIPC7 to load it too.

Pete

 

[John Dowson]

8 hours ago, nantelp said:

The problem also occur with FSUIPC7 / PCFcom64 in MSFS2020

What version of FSUIPC7 are you using? There were some changes in the latest SDK w.r.t. key presses, so make sure you are using the latest version, v7.0.4

Also check key press assignments are working in FSUIPC7.

[nantelp]

Hi,

Yes my Cirrus II is serial, it is about 15 year old but still working great. It's been a wild since I add to use this feature, so I do not know since when that problem started. I only need this feature to assign the <del> key to the right front yoke bottom. I need this when I use Multicrew and PF3, the <del> key is use to simulate push to talk. I know that PCFcom64 is a old DLL and it use to work find. 

For the version I am running fsuipc6 ver 6.0.8 and FSUIPC7 ver 7.0.0 so I will upgrade to 7.0.4.

The only new thing I have been playing with is Multicrew and PF3. Those two addons are running outside P3D 5.1 so if I do not load those software and test PFC I can deduct that it is not them.

I also upgrade window 10 to  version 20H2

I will run more test and report back

Pierre

[John Dowson]

28 minutes ago, nantelp said:

For the version I am running fsuipc6 ver 6.0.8

That's also out-of-date - latest version is v6.0.12 (just released), so can you please also update that.

John

[nantelp]

Ok I am all updated now

FSUIPC6 6.0.12 

FSUIPC7 7.0.4

PCFcom64 version 5.051

I have un-installed Multicrew ,Chase Plane and UTlive2, all new addons I added recently. I have un-installed window 10 20H2. I have upgraded all my FSUIPC and Download the PFCcom64, just incase. 

After all this, I still  cannot assign a key in the  Yoke Buttons menu in PCFcom64 and this in P3D and MSFS2020. I have look at the log in PCF and the DLL those see my front right bottom (see picture)

I think it's strange that the problem exist in both simulator. In my opinion it is not related to addons for P3D 5 because they will not also affect MSFS2020.

Pierre 

[Pete Dowson]

33 minutes ago, nantelp said:

I think it's strange that the problem exist in both simulator. In my opinion it is not related to addons for P3D 5 because they will not also affect MSFS2020.

Can you describe exactly what you are doing to assign this keystroke? And what the result looks like? Possibly, it doesn't support the "DEL" key, so test with a normal graphic character (A-Z pr 0-9) please. When you say it used to work till 'recently', is that with the DEL key or others? Do you have example assignments which used to work and don't now?

With no relevant changes in the DLL for the last 3 yrs it is difficult to work out why it has suddenly stopped working for you.

I do still have some serial port PFC hardware, but I won't be able to try things till late tomorrow at the earliest.

Pete

 

[nantelp]

Hi and thanks for the help

1 hour ago, Pete Dowson said:

Can you describe exactly what you are doing to assign this keystroke? And what the result looks like?

I went back to the documentation and I am following the right way. 

select Yoke Buttons menu, then I select the Beech or Mooney yoke, then I press the bottom I want to assign, just to make sure it works. I press on the right black arrow aligned with the right: front bottom. I get a drop down menu and I pick option 1.use key press. At that point I get the same screen I posted at the top (first one). So I hit the <del> keys on my keyboard and nothing. 

1 hour ago, Pete Dowson said:

Possibly, it doesn't support the "DEL" key, so test with a normal graphic character (A-Z pr 0-9) please. When you say it used to work till 'recently', is that with the DEL key or others?

I have been using this for at less 5 years, I am 100% sure it worked before in P3D. I never did it in MSFS2020 because I do not use it for now, it is too immature for me. So I only run the update. 

I have tried many other keys and none of them works. 

1 hour ago, Pete Dowson said:

Do you have example assignments which used to work and don't now?

Unfortunately it is the only bottom on my Cirrus that I have to program. I do all the other programming using FSUIPC. For some reason the only way that PF3 and Multicrew recognized that key stroke, is when I configure it using PCF and not FSUIPC.

Pierre  

[Pete Dowson]

16 minutes ago, nantelp said:

I have been using this for at less 5 years, I am 100% sure it worked before in P3D. I never did it in MSFS2020 because I do not use it for now, it is too immature for me.

MSFS isn't relevant. the only change for that was to let FSUIPC7 load it. Test in P3D for now.

19 minutes ago, nantelp said:

Unfortunately it is the only bottom on my Cirrus that I have to program. I do all the other programming using FSUIPC

So, considering you are 100% sure it worked before, for 5 years, why are you not using your existing settings? Are you starting again? Seems odd that you are re-cnifuring.

Do you have your working settings to compare with your revised attempts?

Pete

 

[nantelp]

Long story short, in PF3 you need to send a <del> key, this is your PTT switch to initiate a pause when using VR software (multicrew). You have two ways of doing it in Multicrew. 

So I always used the top one. With my new joystick I decide to try using one or the other depending on the plane I was using. So for about a week, it worked,  I was flipping from <del> when I was flying plane with Yoke and the Joystick bnt4 when using the airbus. 

I do not know why, but mid last week, the <del> key stop working, but the Joystick kept working find. So I started to do some testing and I deleted the keys assignment in PCF  and tried to assign with FSUIPC. Since then I can no longer re-assign my right front bottom or anyone else, a key in PCF. 

I am very puzzled 

Pierre 

[Pete Dowson]

11 hours ago, nantelp said:

So for about a week, it worked
...

I do not know why, but mid last week, the <del> key stop working, but the Joystick kept working find. So I started to do some testing and I deleted the keys assignment in PCF  and tried to assign with FSUIPC. Since then I can no longer re-assign my right front bottom or anyone else, a key in PCF. 

I am very puzzled 

Me too.  (What is PCF?)

Have you no idea what change happened mid last week? That might be key to understanding the problem.

Anyway, you appear to be saying that the problem in PFCcom64 is one you've not encountered before because you never tried to use the Key press assignments facility before. Is that right?

I'll try it later today anyway.

Pete

 

[Pete Dowson]

3 hours ago, Pete Dowson said:

I'll try it later today anyway.

Please try version 5.0.6, now in the PFCDLL.ZIP file in Download Links and on FSUIPC.com.

I fixed a serious problem with all of the button assignments pages.  They were attempting to use the older 32-bit events list in FSUIPC. I've fixed this so that now they use the proper 64-bit version of that list.

I'm still not sure what exactly you get as a result, but here any attempt to make any changes on those pages causes P3d to crash. This would have been the case ever since the 64 bit version was released for P3D4.0 back in 2017 (?).  I would have thought it cause P3D to crash for you too.

Please confirm that this does also fix your problem.

Pete

 

[nantelp]

5 hours ago, Pete Dowson said:

(What is PCF?)

Sorry it is a typo, should read PCF. 

I have download and installed the new version (just to be sure I have the right one, you did not change the update date on FSUIPC.com and neither the version number it is still 5.051.)

1 hour ago, Pete Dowson said:

I'm still not sure what exactly you get as a result, but here any attempt to make any changes on those pages causes P3d to crash. This would have been the case ever since the 64 bit version was released for P3D4.0 back in 2017 (?).  I would have thought it cause P3D to crash for you too.

This is funny, yesterday when I was testing I though that I had to select "list all FS Ctrls" and when I did P3D crash. I didn't report it, being a old IT guy, I didn't want to create an additional problem. 

I have tried the new version, I still cannot assign any key in the Bottom option menu. But now I can select the  "list all FS Ctrls" without having P3D crash. 

since Christmas I have updated or installed MultiCrew (update) PF3 (update) UTlive2 (update from UTlive1) and received many MSFS2020 and windows updates.  

Beside that I do not see what else I have change.

One question, the fact that it is not also working with PCF for MSFS2020 doesn't seem important for you. I am not using any of those addons with MSFS. 

Pierre

[Pete Dowson]

4 minutes ago, nantelp said:

Sorry it is a typo, should read PCF. 

Still same typo? Did you mean PFC?

5 minutes ago, nantelp said:

I have download and installed the new version (just to be sure I have the right one, you did not change the update date on FSUIPC.com and neither the version number it is still 5.051.)

No, the date is 13th January 2021 and version is 6.06.

I think you must have downloaded a cached version of the old file. Please clear your cache first. I think it's by F5 or something like that.

7 minutes ago, nantelp said:

One question, the fact that it is not also working with PCF for MSFS2020 doesn't seem important for you.

It's the same for MSFS as it is for PdD4 or 5. The change was 32- to 64- bit.

Pete

 

[John Dowson]

16 minutes ago, Pete Dowson said:

No, the date is 13th January 2021 and version is 6.06.

He means the date on the www.fsuipc.com web page - which still says July 20th 2020. I will update that shortly.

Not sure where he's getting the 5.0.5.1 version number from though! 

John

[John Dowson]

31 minutes ago, nantelp said:

the fact that it is not also working with PCF for MSFS2020 doesn't seem important for you.

But why do you think that? Its the same issue for both systems. No point in investigating both, if you solve it in one then you will have solved it in the other....

[nantelp]

29 minutes ago, John Dowson said:

He means the date on the www.fsuipc.com web page - which still says July 20th 2020. I will update that shortly.

Correct

29 minutes ago, John Dowson said:

Not sure where he's getting the 5.0.5.1 version number from though!

see picture, the version that you see on the first page of PFC

 

 

I did check the DLL version I am loading in P3D and it is the same as the one below, but when I open it in P3D I get the screen above.

53 minutes ago, Pete Dowson said:

 

 

33 minutes ago, John Dowson said:

But why do you think that? Its the same issue for both systems. No point in investigating both, if you solve it in one then you will have solved it in the other....

 

I was just thinking that what ever changed, affected both simulators. So by logic all the addons that I introduce was only configured for P3D and should not have affected MSFS. I was thinking that maybe it a change to window a patch for example. Does Microsoft Visual C++ play a role with PFC?

I have decided to un-installed P3D 5 and start with a clean plate, so I will only install P3D and FSUIPC/PFC and see what happened. No addons.

I will report back

Pierre

[Pete Dowson]

32 minutes ago, nantelp said:

the version that you see on the first page of PFC

Oh, blast. Yes, forgot to change that.

So, in that case the problem you have is NOT the one I fixed, but only related to trying to set a keystroke.

I'll have another look tomorrow.

34 minutes ago, nantelp said:

I have decided to un-installed P3D 5 and start with a clean plate, so I will only install P3D and FSUIPC/PFC and see what happened. No addons.

I will report back

A bit drastic, especially as it isn't P3D5 if it affects MSFS too.

Apologies for not testing sufficiently today. I'll be on it tomorrow.

Pete

 

[nantelp]

That's ok it will give me the time to re-install P3D. Before you go can you tell me if Visual c++ is in play with your software, I did get a updated version during Christmas

Just a though

Pierre

[Pete Dowson]

7 minutes ago, nantelp said:

Before you go can you tell me if Visual c++ is in play with your software, I did get a updated version during Christmas

Yes, I use VS C++ in VS 2017 or VS 2019, according to project. But I don't think any updates to that are relevant. It's more likely something else I overlooked when doing the 32- to 64-bit conversion.

Pete

 

[nantelp]

2 hours ago, Pete Dowson said:

Yes, I use VS C++ in VS 2017 or VS 2019, according to project

Just asking because I did received a update on 03-01-2021

I have a brand new install of Prepar3D and just FSUIPC6 6.0.12 and PFC 5.0.6.0 install as addons. I am still unable to assign keys in the Bottom menu. But now I can rule out all the other addons that I had.

I will wait to see if you are able to find something before I start re-installing addons.

Pierre

[Pete Dowson]

Well I can reproduce your problem here.

I could see what was going on but I didn't manage to figure out why it was going on. I'm still puzzling over that.

However, I've implemented a work-around ( extra code) and I've got it working. Please re-download the ZIP which now contains version 5.061 dated today, the 14th January 2021.

Pete

 

[nantelp]

Thank you so much Pete, It's now working

I do not remember, but I guess it ok for the reset bottom to stay there? Wonder what happened.😁 

Pierre

[nantelp]

Hi,

I have one more question, is it normal that in the log see picture, I can see the exact command when I use my trim bottom on my yoke or the left front bottom that is assign to AP & AT disconnect. But when I hit the bottom I have define to be the <del> key, I am not seeing the <del> transmit but rather the <null>?

 

Pierre