Getting FS to start external programs

[Sean Nixon]

I've done this previously, but can't find how to now.

How can I get FS9 to start the CPFlight program FS_COMM automatically when FS starts?

Thanks.

Sean.

[Holclo]

It is in Run Options in FSUIPC
Bill
It was written by Jose Oliveira and is a freeware programme

[oal331]

If i'm not wrong, latest Fsuipc versions has the RUN Options within Fsuipc, not another exe.
You have to add the programs you want to start, at ini file in modules directory of Fs

Eddie

[iwik]

Hi Guys,
You are both right.You can edit the ini file or run Jose we exe and it puts it in the ini file automatically.When i tried to enter it manually i messed it up.Jose exe works great,failsafe.
Hope this helps
Les

[mascot]

Hello

Is there also a possibillity to do this in FSX?

Greetz Simon

[oal331]

Hello

Is there also a possibillity to do this in FSX?

Greetz Simon

Yes it is
Here is what Peter writes at Fsuipc4 for Advanced Users page 36

Programs: facilities to load and run additional programs
FSUIPC4 can, as an extra, cause other programs to be run each time you load and run Flight simulator. Details of what programs to be run are provided in an additional section in the FSUIPC4.INI file. This section cannot be edited in the on-line FSUIPC4 options dialogues. You need to edit the details directly in the INI file.
The additional section is
[Programs]
and can contain up to 16 requests to run other programs—up to 8 ―Run‖ parameters Run1 to Run8, and up to 8 ―RunIf‖ parameters, RunIf1 to RunIf8. Both sets are otherwise identical in format. The only difference is that the RunIf programs are not run if they appear to be already running. The ordinary ―Run‖ programs will be loaded without such checking.
The format is simply:
RunN=(Options,)
or RunIfN=(Options,)
where N runs from 1 to 8. Details of options are given below, but if none are required the parameter simplifies into just the full pathname.
For example: Run1=D:\RadarContact\RCV4.exe
might be used to run Radar Contact version 4.
If the program needs command-line parameters these can be included by enclosing the whole value in quotes, so that the space(s) needed don't cause problems. You may also need to include the quotes if the pathname includes spaces.
For example:
Run2="c:\epic\loadepic fs98jet"
The programs are loaded in order of the run number, 1–8. If a mixture of Run and RunIf parameters are given, the order is Run1, RunIf1, Run2, RunIf2, and so on.
The Options you can use are as follows:
37
HIDE tries to get the program to hide itself when it runs. This is only possible if the program defines its window to use default settings, so it isn‘t very useful for many programs, unfortunately.
HIGH runs the program at higher priority than FS. Use with care! Messing about with priorities doesn‘t work well in all circumstances, and FSX may not like it much.
CLOSE closes the program tidily (if possible) when FS is terminated.
KILL forcibly terminates the program, if possible, when FS is terminated.
LOW runs the program at IDLE priority. Depending on what the program does, this may actually effectively stop it until you direct user focus to it, as FS tends to soak up all Idle time.
READY delays loading and running the program until FS is up and ready to fly, and FSUIPC4 can supply valid data through its IPC interface. (This parameter may, of course, result in the programs being run in a different order to that specified by the Run number).
Of these really only CLOSE, KILL and READY are of general use. If you want to apply more than one option, list them separated by commas, but no spaces. For example:
RunIf1=READY,KILL,D:\FS2002\WeatherSet.exe

Regards

[pdpo]

Hi Guys,

as Eddie states, use the fsuipc run options, thee are also available in widefs which allows programs to be started from widefs on all connected computers as soon as fs is running,
then when FS closes also those programs can be close automatically and there can be even a timeout defined between the different starting programs, very easy ....

Greetz Peter

[oal331]

Hi Guys,

as Eddie states, use the fsuipc run options, thee are also available in widefs which allows programs to be started from widefs on all connected computers as soon as fs is running,
then when FS closes also those programs can be close automatically and there can be even a timeout defined between the different starting programs, very easy ....

Greetz Peter

Thanks Peter for the remark.
If we have widefs also installed, we can have the extra options below:
1) In Wideserver.ini :
Run, RunIf, Close and CloseIf parameters
These are still incorporated into WideServer for backward compatibility with users‘ existing set-ups, but these days it is much better to use the Run options provided in FSUIPC. If anyone needs information about them please ask on the Support Forum.
KeySend
2) In Wideclient.ini :
The [User] Section
Background=: WideClient will display a user-supplied bitmap in its window instead of the featureless grey. This allows suitable backgrounds for utilities such as EFIS, EFIS98 and Moving Map to be designed. Specify the BMP file to be used by adding this line into the [User] section of WideClient.ini:
Background=filename.bmp
The filename can contain the complete path to the file: useful if it isn't stored in the load path.
Run1=, Run2=, … Run9=: These tell WideClient to run the specified programs (specified by their full pathnames), as WideClient is initialising. For example:
Run1=f:\efis\Efisv2.exe
This would load EFIS Version 2. Other suitable clients are RWX5.EXE (Real Weather 5 by Jeff Wheeler and Steve Halpern), and Aeroview.Exe (the moving map free on the CDROM with Nick Dargahi‘s book). These are the ones I use and have tested, but any FS6IPC.DLL using program should run fine. If the program needs command-line parameters, these can be included by enclosing the whole value in double quotation marks (") so that the spaces needed don‘t cause problems.
Delay1=¸ Delay2=, … Delay9=: These optionally define delays, in seconds, to be executed after the corresponding Run parameter, above. Whilst the delay is operating WideClient is sleeping, so it will not attempt to make a connection during this time. The maximum delay which is set is 60 seconds.
Close1=Yes¸ Close2=Yes, … Close9=Yes: Add these to ask WideClient to close the programs it loaded by Run when WideClient itself closes or when requested by an appropriate KeySend. This is performed by sending the program‘s Windows a WM_CLOSE message, so if it ignores these, or has no Windows defined, this won‘t work. To forcibly terminate obstinate programs, substitute "Kill" for the "Yes", but be aware that this method is the equivalent of using the Windows Task Manager (Ctrl_Alt_Del) to delete processes. Use it with care. It provides no opportunities at all for the murdered process to do any sort of tidy up or options saving.
RunReady1=, RunReady2=, … RunReady9=: These are identical to the RUN options above, except they are not actioned until WideClient is actually connected to WideServer.
DelayReady1=¸ DelayReady2=, … DelayReady9=: These optionally define delays, in seconds, to be executed after the corresponding RunReady parameter, above. Whilst the delay is operating WideClient is actually still running. The maximum delay which is set is 60 seconds.
CloseReady1=Yes¸ CloseReady2=Yes, … CloseReady9=Yes: Add these to ask WideClient to close the programs it loaded by RunReady when WideClient itself closes or when requested by an appropriate KeySend. This is performed by sending the program‘s Windows a WM_CLOSE message, so if it ignores these, or has no Windows defined, this won‘t work. You can use Kill instead of Yes—see the description and warning under ―Close1 ... ― etc above.
RunKey1=, RunKey2=, … RunKey9=: These are identical to the RUN options above, except they are not actioned automatically at all, but only when a KeySend request to run them is received. This allows the programs to be loaded under explicit control from the server. See KeySend, below.
CloseKey1=Yes¸ CloseKey2=Yes, … CloseKey9=Yes: Add these to ask WideClient to close the programs it loaded by RunKey when WideClient itself closes or when requested by an appropriate KeySend. This is performed by sending the program‘s Windows a WM_CLOSE message, so if it ignores these, or has no Windows defined, this won‘t work. You can use Kill instead of Yes—see the description and warning under ―Close1 ... ― etc above.
Close=: This parameter can list up to three Windows CLASS names, representing programs that should be closed when WideClient itself closes. Separate the Class names with commas.
For example, EFIS98‘s CLASS name is TToolWindow97, so you can set WideClient to close EFIS98 automatically when you close WideClient by the parameter setting:
Close=TToolWindow97
To obtain Class names is not easy without programmer‘s tools, but the program‘s author can tell you. Class names for some of the possible Client applications are provided below, in the section on the KeySend feature. Project Magenta class names can be configured by parameters in the individual module ini files.
The Close parameter provides no facility to distinguish between two or more programs which use the same Windows Class name.

Thanks to Peter Dowson, today we have many different options and features via Fsuipc and WideFs

regards

Eddie

[Sean Nixon]

Thanks for the replys guys.

I remember what I did last time, I was starting the CPFlight MCP from within the Project Magenta Demo by adding a line to the MCP.ini file, so FS wasn't starting the program and that's why I couldn't find it.

But I'll use the above techniques for starting automatically as I'm using PMDG at the moment.

Thanks again.

Sean

[mascot]

Hello Friends

First of all thanks for the Info! So far I never edited any ini or other file. And guess what, it works even on my greenhorn computer. That means Peter has unique explaining skills....

So FSX Starts now Track ir, Leveld GF, and CPflight FS COM. Is it possible to add the command to FS COM to connect in the same phrase? He states something about command line parameters etc, but I have no clue about programming.. Could somebody show me a example phrase for such commands if possible?
The Options I dont know where to include them in the Phrase also...

Many Thanks

Simon