Text window

[DrDave-]

Is the text/window function in Simconnect working yet (e.g. plug in AllTexts.lua). 

Display.connect and display.show - a bit of confusion: the Lua Library states this is for WideClient only. The WideClient User Guide states "with the exception of: ask, buttons, display,....". please explain.

Can one run WideClient on the server if one wants to use its display functions on the server.

I assume that any Lua Plug-ins need to be in the WideClient folder?

Could you provide a bit more description of how to set colors in the wnd background and text color commands?

[John Dowson]

2 hours ago, DrDave- said:

Is the text/window function in Simconnect working yet (e.g. plug in AllTexts.lua). 

No, and they never will be - they have been deprecated by Asobo. You need to use the Wnd library to display text.

2 hours ago, DrDave- said:

Display.connect and display.show - a bit of confusion: the Lua Library states this is for WideClient only. The WideClient User Guide states "with the exception of: ask, buttons, display,....". please explain.

Can one run WideClient on the server if one wants to use its display functions on the server.

None of this will work (reliably) as the SimConnect_Text function is broken. Use the Wnd library for the time being.

2 hours ago, DrDave- said:

Can one run WideClient on the server if one wants to use its display functions on the server.

You can run WideClient on the server, but no point if just for text display purposes  as these are broken. The only possible reason that you would want to tun WideClient in the server would be to use the button page facilities.

2 hours ago, DrDave- said:

Could you provide a bit more description of how to set colors in the wnd background and text color commands?

No - no point.

[John Dowson]

I do have some ideas to replicate the SimConnect_Text function in the WASM (using jsp) and switch to using this. There is a lot of new APIs I need to understand before I can do this, and need quite a bit of time to study and play around with this. Maybe I will have chance one day, when I get less support questions. It is VERY difficult to get any development done as I am spending 90% of my time on support at the moment.....

John

[DrDave-]

Thank you. No hurry on the Simconnect Text. There are several plug-ins that show how to display text. Seems as if most don't work.

Can I assume the wnd library is the go to?

You mentioned wnd library. I have written an lua to start the window and thus the question about colors in the background and font variables. Not sure how to judge what numbers determine which color.

I assume one creates the window with an Lua in the WideConnect folder. Can one execute a wnd.text() command in a server Lua (using ipc.set and ipc.get) to print on the WideClient window created by wnd commands.

To debug some aircraft command while I learn more about MSFS, I would like to display variables I set via controls (both offsets and SimVars).

I have tested and wideclient opens on my test pc server My flight sim has a server and a client running wideview.

[John Dowson]

On 11/18/2023 at 12:03 AM, DrDave- said:

There are several plug-ins that show how to display text. Seems as if most don't work.

Anything that relies on text (or menu) display using the SimConnect_Text function will not be functioning correctly, including lua plugins and offset controls. From the README.txt:

Quote

Text/message/menu display facilities: do not work due to issues with SimConnect_Text API function, which has been deprecated.
It is recommended to switch to using the lua Wnd library for textual display, but menu selection is not supported.

 

On 11/18/2023 at 12:03 AM, DrDave- said:

Can I assume the wnd library is the go to?

Yes, as its says in the README.txt, and as I indicated in my previous comment: 

On 11/17/2023 at 7:05 PM, John Dowson said:

You need to use the Wnd library to display text.

On 11/18/2023 at 12:03 AM, DrDave- said:

the question about colors in the background and font variables. Not sure how to judge what numbers determine which color.

As it says in the documentation:

Quote

The colour is given as 3 hexadecimal digits, 0x000 to 0xFFF, with the digits representing the amount of Red, Green and Blue in 16 steps. Thus 0x000 is black and 0xFFF is white.

So 0xF00 would be red, 0x0F00 would be green, and 0x00F would be blue, and combine different quantities of each colour for other colours.

On 11/18/2023 at 12:03 AM, DrDave- said:

I assume one creates the window with an Lua in the WideConnect folder.

What is WideConnect? Do you mean WideClient? As I said, there is no reason to use WideClient on a server PC UNLESS you want to use the button-screen facilities. Just use FSUIPC to run your lua scripts.

On 11/18/2023 at 12:03 AM, DrDave- said:

Can one execute a wnd.text() command in a server Lua (using ipc.set and ipc.get) to print on the WideClient window created by wnd commands.

No - and I don't understand why you would want to do this, and why you are using WideClient. Why don't you just use the wnd facilites in lua script on the server? You should be able to exchange the wnd window reference between scripts running on the sane server (process), but not between WideClient-controlled lua scripts and FSUIPC-controlled lua scripts. You can use ipc.get/ipc.set to exchange data between client/server lua scripts. but with restrictions, and should be used sparingly. Handles, such as wnd handles, can be passed but they will not be useable as a handle created on a client will have no meanung on the server, and vica-versa.

On 11/18/2023 at 12:03 AM, DrDave- said:

To debug some aircraft command while I learn more about MSFS, I would like to display variables I set via controls (both offsets and SimVars).

I would just use the logging facilities for this, either via ipc.log or using FSUIPC's (offset) logging facilities. And you can also keep the logging console open so that you can see what is being logged in real-time.

John

[DrDave-]

4 hours ago, John Dowson said:

So 0xF00 would be red, 0x0F00 would be green, and 0x00F would be blue, and combine different quantities of each colour for other colours.

This makes absolute sense to a computer person. Look up the HTML/Windows color you want, divide each decimal R,G,B amount by 16, convert to hex. For a non-technical person, the documentation makes no sense.

4 hours ago, John Dowson said:

What is WideConnect? Do you mean WideClient?

Sorry, was creating the post on my phone. Brain fart. Your unforgiving statement.

4 hours ago, John Dowson said:

No - and I don't understand why you would want to do this, and why you are using WideClient. Why don't you just use the wnd facilites in lua script on the server?

Because The Wnd Library documentation has more reference to WideClient than anything else.

"The size and position can therefore be set by the user, and these values are saved, according to the "title" in the [ExtWindow] section of WideClient's INI file, and restored next time."

"Closes the window w. Windows created by WideClient/FSUIPC are also closed when WideClient/FSUIPC closes."

"wnd.show(w) or (since WideClient 6.999z3): wnd.show(w, Option)"

"This small Lua plug-in, saved as, say, "showtext.lua" in the same folder as WideClient, is used on my own system instead of ShowText.exe, to show the Radar Contact menu:"

4 hours ago, John Dowson said:

I would just use the logging facilities for this, either via ipc.log or using FSUIPC's (offset) logging facilities. And you can also keep the logging console open so that you can see what is being logged in real-time.

As I have a home built cockpit, I don't use the on screen MSFS cockpit (see attached). I want to use FSUIPC text capability to display the state of switches that are exercised by MOM switches in my sim, especially in emergency situations. E.g. Fuel Valve, Fuel Crossfeed, Ignition, etc. The window would be placed on the Fire tablet to the right of the glare shield (easily attached to either the server or client using Spacedesk). The two TVs on the side walls are attached to the client using WidevieW, saves significant FPS on the server if to use rendered windows.

You seem to expect you customers to be as familiar with all the documentation and functions in FSUIPC as you. You live this product. We are part-timers. You deal with tons of questions. Each post is someone's individual misunderstandin or ignorance.

[John Dowson]

16 hours ago, DrDave- said:

This makes absolute sense to a computer person. Look up the HTML/Windows color you want, divide each decimal R,G,B amount by 16, convert to hex. For a non-technical person, the documentation makes no sense.

It is what it is - a programming API. You scale each RGB value to 16, not divide.

16 hours ago, DrDave- said:

Because The Wnd Library documentation has more reference to WideClient than anything else.

This is because the wnd library was initially in WideClient only. It was later incorporated into FSUIPC.

16 hours ago, DrDave- said:

You seem to expect you customers to be as familiar with all the documentation and functions in FSUIPC as you. You live this product. We are part-timers. You deal with tons of questions. Each post is someone's individual misunderstandin or ignorance.

I would like users to at least consult the documentation before posting, and at least try for themselves. FSUIPC contains a lot of features, and I know there is a lot of documentation and it can be difficult to find and understand relevant sections, and the documentation can certainly do with an update/overhaul in many areas. Many support questions are covered by the documentation, but I always try and explain and point to the relevant section of the documentation. If the documentation is not clear, I will update it to try and make it more understandable, as I would like to try and reduce the time I am spending on support, so I can spend more time on improving the functionality and also improving the documentation. 

[DrDave-]

On 11/19/2023 at 6:34 AM, John Dowson said:

I would like users to at least consult the documentation before posting, and at least try for themselves.

Great answer. Appreciated.

A bit of input from a retired PhD business consultant, if I may.

A business model "Mac Truck Model". Every job needs a backup because anyone can be hit by a Mac Truck at any time (in your case, Lorry). 

It would be worth it to us (your users) if you increased the price of FSUIPC to train additional resources to update documentation and take on some of the more simple support issues. 

[John Dowson]

17 minutes ago, DrDave- said:

It would be worth it to us (your users) if you increased the price of FSUIPC to train additional resources to update documentation and take on some of the more simple support issues. 

Unfortunately this is not an option. The current income from FSUIPC barely supports me, and increasing the price would mean even less sales. And don't forget I also support other products for other sims (FSX and P3D, all versions) both freeware and payware. It takes a lot of time just keeping up with beta and official releases of MSFS and P3D, although at least MSFS is more stable now and there are less breaking changes in each update. The first 2 years after MSFS was released was a bit of a nightmare, just keeping up with the changes, fixes and bugs introduced in each version.

And don't forget that these are user support forums. The idea being that users should help each other out, not just me. It would be a lot easier for someone with in-depth knowledge about a particular aircraft or subsystem, or how a particular controller/joystick works, to answer many support requests rather than me. However, there seem to be very few users who respond to other peoples requests.

Many users also seem to assume that I  know how every aircraft works, every subsystem, as well as how to map this functionality to ANY controller. I don't - it can take me quite a while to understand requests when it comes to specific aircraft and subsystems, and details on how these are modelled. 

[DrDave-]

Thanks

I'm not sure you would lose customers.

But $10 - $15 is not that much to Simmers, especially if they are purchasing Flight Sim hardware. Look at sales of such and their growth. If a user can purchase a $750 set of rudder pedals?

The balance is lost customers due to documentation or support or frustration or price increase to support the above.

A way to find out is to use the forum to email a survey to all your users. 

If you would like to take this discussion, please email me.

I am very sympathetic as I have lived in the UK twice. Once with the US Navy at the Embassy and once working for EDS just north of Heathrow. I am a programmer to computer executive to IT business consultant.

[John Dowson]

1 hour ago, DrDave- said:

But $10 - $15 is not that much to Simmers, especially if they are purchasing Flight Sim hardware. Look at sales of such and their growth. If a user can purchase a $750 set of rudder pedals?

Maybe, but it would certainly put off a lot of casual simmers, or 'gamers'. And such an increase, assuming that sales remain the same, would only generate another $1500 or so per month. Certainly not enough to pay someone else to work on this, even if someone with thee required knowledge/experience could be found.
I really should have changed the licensing model, only giving one years support + updates on the initial price, and charging an additional yearly fee for support and updates. A lot of software is switching to this licensing model.

FSUIPC has been going for 20+ years as a one man operation, preciously my father, and I took over from him around 5 years ago when he retired. I was completely new to flight simming when I did this and it was (and still is!) a steep learning curve. My dad could not find anyone with the required knowledge/experience to take over and so I agreed to give it a go....

1 hour ago, DrDave- said:

If you would like to take this discussion, please email me.

No, this discussion has already gone on far too long as far as I am concerned. I know you mean well, but these type of conversations are just another distraction and of no help whatsoever. 

1 hour ago, DrDave- said:

am very sympathetic as I have lived in the UK twice.

Not sure why this is relevant. I have been living (mainly) in Spain for the past 25 years...

None of this has anything to do with the topic of this thread, so I am closing this now.

John