Still no joy with FSUIPC working EFIS items

[Simran737]

Hi all,

First let me tell what I have set up, and maybe that will help fig out whats wrong here.

I have fs2004 on a main PC and 2 clients, one the capts Magenta PFD/NG and the other a center Magenta engine/MCP. I have a CPFLIGHT MCP and some real aircraft modules, like an EFIS, Transponder, NAV/COMM, with GoFlight's PT, P8, 45s, etc mounted onto the backs of these modules. The EFIS, DH, Baro press were going to the MCP PC and I was using GoFlights old 2003 Remote software. The NAV and some other boards go to the main fs2004 server PC. Those ones work fine, either with Goflight main software or FSUIPC.

So following your advise to have everything assigned thru FSUIPC, I moved and plugged in, the EFIS stuff as a test, to the main PC from the client MCP PC. I turned on the game and everything, and pulled down FSUIPC and went to buttons. I then turned the EFIS range ring rotory and it showed some numbers, like 101 and a #4, lets say. I hit both fs and PM tabs and was able to assign it to PM ND range 20. It took great. I then hit one of the pushbuttons for APPT and again I was able to assign it in FSUIPC. I hit OK and even rebooted the game, but when I went to turn the range ring 20 rotory, nothing worked on the ND. Of note, I was able to assign the VOR one on the EFIS to the AP on mode as a test, and it worked fine, but would only turn on the game's (when I hit W to bring up the MIP for fs2004) default MCP and NOT the CPFlight's one. Same with taking the same EFIS rotorys and assigning them GEAR and again they would work for that. It seems that anything PM was not working, but only FS items, even though on FSUIPC I had hit both FS and PM tabs and they were assigning OK.

FSUIPC for some reason was only setting fs2004 main panel items. I even deleted all of GoFlights software from both the server and clients, and still the same, if not worse, in that it cut off my engine display in PM and cut off use of spoilers and flaps displayed in PM, yet they were working on the games default OK. I was able to fly and had defalut engine displays and controls. I reloaded GoFlight and PM displays came back on. The Goflight software was still needed to recieve FS info to PM. I am not sure how this works or why. My axis controls are thru GoFlight quad boards.

So thats the story. I am able to assign but for some reason PM is not reading anything from FSUIPC. Only items for the default game function is taking. Am I missing some setting somewhere that allows PM in when assigning buttons from FSUIPC.

Thanks
Randy:(

[Bob Reed]

2 questions....... 1st..... Are you running WideClient on the the client machines? And have you a registered copy of FSUIPC and WideFS?

[Simran737]

Hi Bob,
Well I bought all of Dawson's stuff years ago now. I think then he gave me keys or registar stuff. The fact that the server and clients talk to each other and I can fly and PM works with WideFS, does that indicate that all is OK, at least with what you just asked?
Thanks

[Bob Reed]

Have you told PM's MCP that you are using the CPFlight MCP? You have to configure PM to see the hardware.

[Simran737]

Hi
I have no problem with CPFLight working. I did all the things that they told me to do and it works great. I even assigned thru FSUIPC a pushbutton on the EFIS panel to turn on the NAV lights which in turn, turn on the CPFlight backlights. The only thing that seems not to work is either GOflight or USUIPC software not letting or telling PM to let whatever buttons I set for such, to work.

[Michael Carter]

And an addition if I may; because the function is assignable and you get a response from the control in FSUIPC, does not mean that the assigned function will work in the aircraft model.

Because you see the assignment as 'taking' in FSUIPC when you work the control in FSUIPC during the test portion, does not mean that that control will operate the desired function within the aircraft model.

As I said in your other thread on this subject, the logical function of the control listed in the drop-down box in FSUIPC may be miles away from what the developer used for that command function. Experimentation may be required.

I have a real Sperry SP-50 integrated into my Boeing 727. It took better than a week to figure out all of the commands that the developer used for the on-screen Sperry unit, and there is still one command to this day I cannot uncover for this unit.

Patients my friend, and experimentation is probably required.

[Simran737]

Hi,

Are you saying that the 737-700 model that I might be flying (not the defaut) may be the problem or is it FSUIPC's list of items that is off? I cant believe that FSUIPC is off from their list of things to what they do really control. Should I use the games default 400 as my aircraft and then maybe everything will work??

[Michael Carter]

FSUIPC has an extensive list of commands that the developer could have used for their flight model, or could have used none of them at all. Another possibility is that the command is included within the flight model, but is not something that you might associate with that particular control in FSUIPC.

As I used in my earler example in your previous post, "Mixture Full Rich" for my fuel flow levers has nothing to do with a tubo-fan(jet) aircraft, but it worked for my flight model when the logical choice of "open fuel valves", "start fuel flow", etc, did not work.

The problem is what the developer did or did not chose to use for the logical command using the FS off-sets as it relates to the command list in FSUIPC.

I'm almost of the opinion that third-party aircraft software developers do not want their product used for a physical flight simulator as it could be used for commercial purposes, however benign, to reap profits from a product for which there is no commercial license required, nor offered for the product they provide.

Your chances to have everything working are probably greater with a default FS model than they would be for a third-party aircraft. That is not a guarantee, only a greater probability. I know very little about how FS programming works including gauge files, panels, etc., but I have enough experience tackling problems with my aircraft model, FSUIPC, and Dreamfleet, to know that not everything may be as it seems on the surface of the problem.

[Simran737]

So your plan for me must be to try the fs2004 default 737-400?? Is that right? Whats strange is that all the fs2004 MIP default items are what they are and work, when I assigned them in FSUIPC. It seems strange to me that just the few EFIS ones that I want to work, might not be the right ones from what your saying, for the flight model I have for a 737-700.

[Michael Carter]

That is what I'm trying to say. You need to experiment with different commands for the function you are trying to program for your flight model. Developers do not always use what you think they would use for a certain command that is in FSUIPC.

I would try to program the default 737 with commands you plan to use for those same functions on your chosen flight model. See which commands work and whick one's do not between models.

I did not have this avenue to explore as there is no default 727 model within FS.

[Simran737]

Thanks for the info. What I am not clear on is from what your saying, all add ons, PM, CPFLIGHT, etc get their flight info from the flight model that one happens to be flying with. So PM range rings for example, are still based on what flight model is up and running. Is that right. Just a simple changing of the PM range rings in the ND, is dependent on the flight models setup? Are not the range ring functions, just a generic thing and would not be dependent on aircraft models being used? Same for DH or Baro press.

[Michael Carter]

From what I understand of reading material here, PM systems only provides for the instrumentation aboard the aircraft. The panel in other words.

For the hardware part of the problem, FMC, GPS, etc., I have read that you should be able to use the functions in the the FSUIPC command assignment drop-down box for PM commands (if you have the checkmark in the box that will automatically include those commands) directly and they should program without (too many) problem.

In other wordes FSUIPC is a link between your PM systems panel and FS. Not neccesarily the flight model of the aircraft. The flight model or .air file is separate from the PM panel used to talk to FS.

As you have brough PM systems software into this discussion, I am getting in beyond my knowlege of just how this program communicates with FSUIPS and FS.

This is better left to those with experience. But I would still suggest programming the default aircraft with the commands you want to use with the -700 and see what happens and compare results.

[Simran737]

I just flew with the default (it appears I had that all along) and same old thing. Nothing is happening with the buttons thru FSUIPC for anything connected with Magenta. I maybe will set the sim on fire and roll it down the street.

[Michael Carter]

NEVER give up! Someone, somewhere has a solution for this problem. It ain't like you're building a 727, Fokker, Falcon, or T-38...

Someone will help you. Don't pull the fire handles just yet...

[Simran737]

PM wrote me that Dowson now has from march 2007, a goflight software, that I have now downloaded. If I can fig out what the heck he is saying, maybe that might help.