Seperate Engine Start offsets in FSX

[Tomlin]

In the course of my experimenting with FSX, I have discovered that either the offsets for having seperate engine start switches is different, or something really screwy is going on.

Im using the SYS3/InterfaceIT software for the engine start switches (default LJ45 btw) and it works brilliantly in FS9. FSX is another story entirely.

I had hoped that the offsets would be the same, but apparently they are either different or I have something programmed that's working in 9 but not X.

Can someone who's succsessfully moved to FSX and has hardware controlling your engine starts seperately please look and see what offsets you are using for:

Engine 1
Engine 2
Avionics Master

Ive discovered that the key combination for Batt Master is different from FS9 to X, and I have it working fine but these other two are driving me nuts.

thanks,

[Peter Dowson]

In the course of my experimenting with FSX, I have discovered that either the offsets for having seperate engine start switches is different, or something really screwy is going on.

Seems you must have something screwy going on.

I had hoped that the offsets would be the same, but apparently they are either different or I have something programmed that's working in 9 but not X.

The offsets are the same. The default startup system in FSX is a complete mess, full of bugs and simply doesn't work correctly as you can check by trying to do it with their 737-800 panel (never mind FSUIPC).

However, i've made the best jo I can with the mess, and with PM and PMsystems here, along with a transported and slightly modified FS9 PMDG 737-700, it works. The only slight problem appears to be that it seems to prefer the Starter Levers moving to Idle before N2% reaches 20% (should be nearer 25%) -- it sometimes starts okay if I leave it later, but the spooling sounds start again. Maybe I could edit those ...

Can someone who's succsessfully moved to FSX and has hardware controlling your engine starts seperately please look and see what offsets you are using for:
Engine 1
Engine 2
Avionics Master

Engine 1 and 2 offsets are identical, as is "Avionics Master", though there isn't one in a 737. Surely you have no problem with that?

When investigating these things, use the FSUIPC Monitor facilities -- Logging tab, right-hand side. Enter the offsets (up to 4) and their type, and select "FS window" for a real time display on screen, and, better "ormal log" -- in the latter case you not only get the FSUIPC offset changes logged, but also the SimConnect reads and writes to which they relate.

If you put FSX into Windowed mode you could also enable the Console Log and see what is actually being logged in real time, too.

Ive discovered that the key combination for Batt Master is different from FS9 to X, and I have it working fine but these other two are driving me nuts.

Key combination? Are you using keypresses? not offsets after all?

Key combinations are user-defined. They did change a lot of the defaults, of course, to make room for the mission system stuff and other additions. but you can make them what you like. I never use the keyboard myself, or any keypresses except hotkeys feeding other programs.

Regards

Pete

[Tomlin]

Hi Pete and thanks for your response. In my interfacing quests, I have discovered that sometimes it's easier to assign and key combination to achieve a desired result, and sometimes I can simply use the offset directly. It works PERFECT in FS9 the way I have it all configured, using GoFlight and Flight Deck Solutions SYS cards. FSX is another story altogether and so here I am with the need to post this thread to begin with.

Basically when running PMRJ (which is unfinished and a bit odd in some things to begin with) I found that using a key combination for the Battery Master was easier than the offset for it. Why? Cant tell you, only that it works. So, yes I use a combination of offsets and keypresses.

Thanks for reminding me of the loggin facilities.


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Oh, how I wish we could have the higher resolution ground textures in FS9 like FSX. That would be as near as a perfect sim platform for me as anything.

If I could get ahold of Maurice for encouraging me to try FSX, he'd be blue from the choking (:-{})

[Peter Dowson]

In my interfacing quests, I have discovered that sometimes it's easier to assign and key combination to achieve a desired result, and sometimes I can simply use the offset directly.

But that isn't the choice. The choice should be between using the FS control and writing to an offset. That's a valid choice, and controls are often simpler and more predictable.

It is just the use of key presses which I find rather depressing. After all they are merely assigned to FS controls in FS and then sent the way you could have sent them in the first place. Not only that, but they go through keyboard and message queues, and may even be subject to problems because of other keys pressed or shifts stuck. When there's ALWAYS an FS control associated with the key press assignment it doesn't make sense to me.

It works PERFECT in FS9 the way I have it all configured, using GoFlight and Flight Deck Solutions SYS cards. FSX is another story altogether and so here I am with the need to post this thread to begin with.

I can come up with lots of examples where things worked "perfect" on one version of FS but not on the next, and it most often is not a problem of FS changes but errors in the original method which just didn't do any harm then. Things like writing a 32-bit value for a 16-bit offset. When the other two bytes weren't used it worked fine, but then, with more facilities added in the next version, that broke it.

Some things are due to changes in FS, changes in unspecified behaviour about which assumptions were made which shouldn't have been. Like the fact that in FS9 writing the Mach value when in IAS autothrottle mode did no harm (and vice versa) but in FSX writing one changes the other (which actually seems more logical to me, but still ...).

Regards

Pete

[Tomlin]

But that isn't the choice. The choice should be between using the FS control and writing to an offset. That's a valid choice, and controls are often simpler and more predictable.

Regards

Pete

I may misunderstand what you are meaning when you say '..isnt the choice...' but it actually is a choice in the InterfaceIT software. You can assign an input via offset or by typing in an offset. I asked several months ago what the difference was between the two offsets that had the word 'avionics' in it. The response was that the two did essentially the same thing (the post is here: http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/show...battery+master). However, that was clearly not the case with my sim as the PMRJ software reacted differently to each offset. In my case with the Battery Master, the offset didnt seem to work correctly but using the keyboard command worked great.

[Peter Dowson]

I may misunderstand what you are meaning when you say '..isnt the choice...' but it actually is a choice in the InterfaceIT software..... the offset didnt seem to work correctly but using the keyboard command worked great.

Sorry, you completely miss my point. The choice SHOULD be between using the FS controls, the things that buttons and keys convert to via FS or FSUIPC assignments, and offsets.

What i don't understand is why you'd want to use keypresses instead of the controls they get converted into when you should be able to use the controls directly, just as you would iif you used buttons nad switches.

If you are saying the interface software you are using only allows the choice of writing to an offset or sending keypresses, I suppose you've no choice, but it just seems daft to me.

On the matter of Avionics or Battery switching, the offsets in FSUIPC are converted to the FS control and this gets sent to FS, and this is the very same control your keypress would send! If it isn't I want to know! It's been this way for many years -- only in FS98 and before were offsets actually internals of FS!

Please try using the extensive logging facilities in FSUIPC to see this -- that is what they are for, so you can help yourself sort your stuff out. Just randomly trying alternatives and assuming things don't work is not a good method and won't get things fixed, EVER, if there really is any problem.

Pete

[Tomlin]

If you are saying the interface software you are using only allows the choice of writing to an offset or sending keypresses, I suppose you've no choice, but it just seems daft to me.



Pete

No, the software allows either offsets or keypresses, that's what I meant.

At any rate, thanks and I will take a look at the logging function.

Thanks,

[Peter Dowson]

No, the software allows either offsets or keypresses, that's what I meant.

Shame.

Regards

Pete