XPUIPC the missing link to X-Plane

[Peter Dowson]

updated the XPUIPC plugin, now version package 1.4.0. at the beginning of this thread....

Hi Torsten,

I note you are needing to add new offsets specifically for XP. So that you do not needlessly prevent FS add-ons with their own private offsets from running correctly with XPUIPC when they could otherwise, I am reserving for your exclusive use in XP the offsets you are already using (6D88-6DAF, which were set aside for a project of my own which never happened).

In case you find you need more as development proceeds, please use 6F00-6FFF, which I've also recorded as being for XPUIPC. One day, when I am running short, though, I may come back and ask if you actually used them all so that some can be returned to the pool!

It is always best to apply for proper allocation of offsets if we are to maintain the best chance of compatibility between add-ons and simulators.

Thanks & Regards

Pete

[Spyy]

Hi Pete,

now I know again what I wanted to do before publishing the new version -> ask Pete.

You are absolutely right in what you are saying, stay compatible.....

I will use the areas you mentioned 6D88-6DAF and 6F00-6FFF.

Thanks a lot

Torsten

[luker22]

Hi fellow simmers,

Firstly I'd like to say thank you Torsten for this fantastic piece of work. There are very many talanted people in this community that share their creations with us all so we can all enjoy our hobby that much more and in return expect little. So at the very least a big thankyou !!!

I have always wanted to try X-Plane for driving my simulator. The physics seem that much more real but unfortunately most interfaces, hardware and software were primarily developed for the FS family so I had little choice.

I just had a question in relation to interfacing with X-Plane. I would like to take the plunge and try X-Plane. Will XPUIPC work with the demo of X-Plane?

Finally I use PM, Pete's FSUIPC along with Phidget boards and Alan Dyers great application FS2Phidgets. Sadly Alan has stopped supporting his software....so I was wondering how difficult would it be to continue to use Phidgets hardware to interface with X-Plane?

FS2Phidgets acted as a go-between, between FS and the Phidgets hardware boards. The software handled connecting and communicating with FS. So that as builders all that was left to do was assign a function using pre-defined (in most cases) FS functions such as "Gear Lever" to a specific output/input on the Phidget board. In the background the selection of the function "Gear Lever" would be mapped to the correct offset....

So am I right in assuming that to continue using the hardware (such as my gear lever and various switches and annunciators attached to my phidget boards with X-Plane I would have to write my own code for the Phidget boards as there is no equivalent to FS2Phidgets for X-Plane ???

Cheers,
Luke
Canberra Australia

[Spyy]

Hi Luke,

first thanks for the thanks....

XPUIPC is working with the demo

FS2Phidgets acted as a go-between, between FS and the Phidgets hardware boards. The software handled connecting and communicating with FS. So that as builders all that was left to do was assign a function using pre-defined (in most cases) FS functions such as "Gear Lever" to a specific output/input on the Phidget board. In the background the selection of the function "Gear Lever" would be mapped to the correct offset....

If FS2Phidges uses offsets of fsuipc then it should work with XPUIPC....(please refer to the XPUIPC list which offsets are available at the moment. No problem to add missing offsets....)

If that all works you can use your phidgets hardware with X-Plane....

Torsten

[Spyy]

Hi,

added a poll at the beginning of this thread....



Torsten

[luker22]

hi Torsten and fellow simmers,

Well I've managed to get around to testing the XPUIPC dll to connect to PM and FS2Phidgets.

It connects and works well with PM programs. Unfortunately when it comes to the FS2Phidgets program written by Alan Dyer, that interfaces with the phidget boards and through that the hardware I use in my flightdeck I get a subscript out of range error everytime I try to connect to "Flight Simulator" This was using version 4.3.6 of FS2Phidgets....

I'm not sure if any other users of FS2Phidgets have tried ???

As a result I don't have any working annunciators or switches other than those driven by PMSystems ...so given Alan no longer supports the software and hence cannot address this issue, I will have to put on hold my plans to use X-Plane until I can find a suitable interface solution.

Have a great weekend
Cheers
Luke
Canberra Australia

[Spyy]

Hi Luke,

can you send me please the FS2Phidgets app via private message ?

Will try it here.

Thanks

Torsten

[luker22]

Hi Torsten,

Thank you for your willingness to have a little look at this. I have sent you a PM

Cheers,
Luke
Canberra Australia

[mattevans]

I would like to know whether the following set-up can be expected to work - I want to run X-plane and the PM GA Glass Cockpit on either an older powerbook and a netbook or on a single computer with two screens.

One screen will be a 24"+ monitor for X-plane external views (with X-plane set to no-panel view). The second screen will be a smaller monitor (possibly a touchscreen) to run the glass panel. Cockpit controls will be a mix of CH Products and Saitek yokes/throttles/pedals and a bunch of GoFlight modules (MCP, GF166, GF46, RP48, P8,T8, SECM)

Specific questions I have are:
- Is it possible to run X-plane on an OS X PPC networked via XPUIPC to PM on a Windows netbook? If PPC does not work, will X-plane on Intel OS X inerface to PM on a windows machine?
- Alternatively, is this possible on a single more powerful Windows computer - most of what I have seen about PM is about running it networked, but I have seen threads that indicate (not definitively) that it can be run on the same computer
- Will there be any conflict between the GoFlight modules and the PM Glass Panel? ie If I change COM1 on the PM panel, will it commuicate back to the GoFlight module and vice versa
- Can I control the map range and whether or not waypoints, airports, etc will be displayed on the panel via the GoFluight modules?
- Will X-plane weather information be available on the PM map?

I have tried searching but could not find clear answers to the above. I apologize if I missed something obvious.

[Spyy]

I would like to know whether the following set-up can be expected to work - I want to run X-plane and the PM GA Glass Cockpit on either an older powerbook and a netbook or on a single computer with two screens.

One screen will be a 24"+ monitor for X-plane external views (with X-plane set to no-panel view). The second screen will be a smaller monitor (possibly a touchscreen) to run the glass panel. Cockpit controls will be a mix of CH Products and Saitek yokes/throttles/pedals and a bunch of GoFlight modules (MCP, GF166, GF46, RP48, P8,T8, SECM)

Specific questions I have are:
- Is it possible to run X-plane on an OS X PPC networked via XPUIPC to PM on a Windows netbook? If PPC does not work, will X-plane on Intel OS X inerface to PM on a windows machine?
- Alternatively, is this possible on a single more powerful Windows computer - most of what I have seen about PM is about running it networked, but I have seen threads that indicate (not definitively) that it can be run on the same computer
- Will there be any conflict between the GoFlight modules and the PM Glass Panel? ie If I change COM1 on the PM panel, will it commuicate back to the GoFlight module and vice versa
- Can I control the map range and whether or not waypoints, airports, etc will be displayed on the panel via the GoFluight modules?
- Will X-plane weather information be available on the PM map?

I have tried searching but could not find clear answers to the above. I apologize if I missed something obvious.

Hi mattevants,

I am afraid I can not answer all your questions...

1.
I want to run X-plane and the PM GA Glass Cockpit on either an older powerbook and a netbook or on a single computer with two screens.

=> It is possible to run X-Plane and a PM app on the same computer. The thing is you need a "strong" computer because X-Plane "eats" a lot of CPU power. Just try it...

2.
Specific questions I have are:
- Is it possible to run X-plane on an OS X PPC networked via XPUIPC to PM on a Windows netbook? If PPC does not work, will X-plane on Intel OS X inerface to PM on a windows machine?
=> No, because the XPUIPC plugin and the XPWideFS.exe are compiled for windows only.... sorry but I have no MAC

3.
- Alternatively, is this possible on a single more powerful Windows computer - most of what I have seen about PM is about running it networked, but I have seen threads that indicate (not definitively) that it can be run on the same computer
=> yes it is possible (see above). I have a config on a Quadcore with NVIDIA 8800 GTS

4.
- Will there be any conflict between the GoFlight modules and the PM Glass Panel? ie If I change COM1 on the PM panel, will it commuicate back to the GoFlight module and vice versa
=> Sorry I can't answer that I have no GoFlight modules... are they are working together with fsuipc or is the Sim reading it from the COM?? If the Sim is reading it you have to try if X-Plane is able to connect to it.

5.
- Can I control the map range and whether or not waypoints, airports, etc will be displayed on the panel via the GoFluight modules?
=> Hm, don't know (see above)...Sorry

6.
- Will X-plane weather information be available on the PM map?
=> What is the PM map ? There are the offsets for weather already available:
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For compatibility with FS98, the direction is Magnetic for surface winds (aircraft below the altitude set into offset 0EEE), but True for all upper winds. 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The baseline is: Try it out......

Torsten