vPilot on second computer, cannot get PTT (yoke) to work

[Orest Skrypuch]

Great new client, unfortunately one big issue for me. The setup is not an unusual one:

 

Primary computer runs FSX and virtually nothing else. The yoke and pedals and various hardware pieces are connected to the primary.

 

The secondary computer runs add on programs like weather, Avialasoft EFB console, Navigraph for charts, etc, as well as my VATSIM client, which is currently FSInn and sometimes SQ4.

 

Simconnect is installed and working. I also have FSUIPC/WideClient running, for the programs that need it.

 

 

I currently have defined the FSUIPC offset for Xmit to be sent when a yoke button is pushed. That allows FSInn (and SQ4, which otherwise is a Simconnect client) on the second computer to react to the PTT.

 

This does not work with vPilot. You do correctly work to discover the state of the transponder (Bravo!), perhaps you could add monitoring of the Com Xmit offset as well?

 

 

I tried using a simulated keystroke in FSUIPC mapping, but this doesn't work either. vPilot does not notice this simulated keystroke, vPilot also does not allow for combos like Alt-F9. I expect it is sensing the keystroke at a lower hardware level, and is missing the WideClient simulated keystroke.

 

 

Sadly, for me that is a show stopper. I need to be able to trigger a Com Xmit by pushing my yoke button. Any chance that you can put this on the request list?

 

* Orest

[Ross Carlson]

Other users are making this work by having FSUIPC map the yoke button to a keystroke and sending that to the vPilot machine via WideFS. Not sure if that is an option for you or not.

[Orest Skrypuch]

Tried that, but can't get it to work. For example I set it to the SCROLL-LOCK button. The scroll lock button would light on the second computer, but vPilot did not seem to recognize it. If someone has got this to work, I'd love to hear from them.

 

Of course most of the keys are already taken. Further, you can't define combo buttons in vPilot (Alt-F9 or Alt-Shf-F9 etc.), and you can't set non-keycode buttons, like just plain Shift in FSUIPIC, so it is a little tricky.

 

The perfect solution lies elsewhere, any chance you can put on the list, to recognize the PTT Com Xmt FSUIPC offsets?

 

* Orest

[Ross Carlson]

The perfect solution lies elsewhere, any chance you can put on the list, to recognize the PTT Com Xmt FSUIPC offsets?

 

Which offset is that? (What's the address?)

[Orest Skrypuch]

I will get it for you, if someone else doesn't chime in first.

 

* Orest

[Orest Skrypuch]

Got it working, but bottom line I was incorrect in suggesting that it was a FSUIPC offset.

 

The FSUIPC/WideClient pair just uses the regular KeySend command, except that it generates a specific pseudo-keycode press that SB3/SB4/RW expect and understand.

 

FSInn uses its own server/client to communicate the keypress.

 

For vPilot I found this docomeent:

 

http://vpilot.metacraft.com/[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ets/Files/vPilotNetworkSetup.pdf

 

... right on your website, although it doesn't seem indexed for view when browsing. Perhaps you might like to give it some exposure. It just suggests using the FSUIPC KeySend command, but using a normal single keypress, that vPilot will be able to accept, and walks you through it.

 

 

So I'm good for now, but you might want to:

 

1) Add the ability to vPilot to accept a combo key (like Ctl-F12) to reduce conflicts.

 

2) Drop a note to Pete Dowson on his forums, or by email, believe it is [email protected] . I'm sure he wouldn't mind identifying the "pseudo-keypress" that the dedicated SB3/4 KeySend command sends. Would make it easier for your users if vPilot supported that transparently.

 

Thanks again for the software!

 

* Orest

[Ross Carlson]

Glad you got it sorted, Orest.

 

Note that it may seem like vPilot is using FSUIPC offsets to read the transponder, but in fact it is not. vPilot doesn't interact with FSUIPC at all, which is why FSUIPC is not on the system requirements list.

 

The way vPilot reads the transponder setting is by watching the "SquawkBox Client Data Area" via SimConnect. This is a block of memory that SquawkBox uses to read/write a number of settings such as the transponder mode and ident status. Pete Dowson added functionality to FSUIPC so that it'll write values into this data area when apps (such as add-on aircraft) write to the transponder offsets.

[Don Desfosse]

viewtopic.php?f=132&t=64672

Sixth FAQ in the FAQ list offers the link.

 

Perhaps there are enough people running networked that Ross should include a section in the Docomeentation on networking and link to this guide?

[Orest Skrypuch]

... Perhaps there are enough people running networked that Ross should include a section in the Docomeentation on networking and link to this guide?

 

I think it would be a good idea. Easy to add a link, or even just cut & paste it in. It would have saved me some time.

 

* Orest

[Orest Skrypuch]

The way vPilot reads the transponder setting is by watching the "SquawkBox Client Data Area" via SimConnect. ..

 

Ah, check all that.

 

In any case, one of the big barriers we hear reported these days to VATSIM is the installation of clients. A huge strength of vPilot is its turn-key simplicity in the setup. I'll get something added to our docs, to point folks to it.

 

* Orest