VisualPSX suite build 5464 released

[Garry Richards]

Hi Derek,

This feature already exists in the current version, build 5464. Are you using an older version?

Cheers,

[J D ADAM]

Thank you Garry,
                         As always there is a simple answer to a simpletons question!

Cheers
Derek

[Britjet]

Hi Garry

I wonder if you might have any suggestions for a problem that has developed with VisualPSX for me? Previously I had no problem..

I am running PSX on one machine, (4 instances, with one as server) and P3D on another machine.

I'm not sure if it coincided with the latest release, but I now find that if my P3D crashes for whatever reason, and I restart it, I am unable to connect again with Visual PSX, with the usual "unable to connect, 60 secs etc" message. The only way to get connected again is to restart BOTH PCs and start from scratch...

I am running VPSX remotely via a network and it always connects fine first time, provided that there hasn't been a P3D crash, but for any subsequent connection I have to restart. Very frustrating!

I hope that you can help?

Regards,

Britjet

[Garry Richards]

Hi Britjet,

FSX and, by your report, P3D, each leave a process running when they crash. The solution is either to use the task manager to find it and close it manually or to reboot that PC.

I don't know why you should have to reboot the VisualPSX PC. There is a bug related to disconnecting from FSX/P3D that I have addressed in the next version, to be released soon. Maybe that will help, but I suspect the cause lies with the SimConnect.DLL not re-initialising after a crash of FSX/P3D.

Cheers,

[Garry Richards]

Hi José,

But, I am yet to understand what's the true purpose of the option to use rw offsets. Presently I have that disabled and I am yet to find a problem with the scenery not matching, at least at the airports I use mostly for my flights around Europe and the USA ?

There is a strange "jump" when I takeoff on rw 21 at LPPT... It happens no matter how I set the rw offset option in VisualPSX, and it does not happen at other airports I have tried so far.  On the takeoff run, when I rotate and start gaining alt, all of a sudden FSX changes from a pitched up situation to a straight & level one at rw height, and then back to the climbing attitude ?   Why does this happen ? Is there a way to fix it ?

There are often small differences in the position of the runway threshold between FSX/P3D and PSX. Sometimes there are large differences such that without an offset an ILS-based automatic landing would see the FSX aircraft at the side of the runway or even on the grass.

There may also be heading differences so that without an offset a properly aligned approach by PSX will be seen as approaching the runway at an angle, rather than straight on.

There could also be differences in the runway slope. FSX runways are always level, while PSX runways have slopes. The offset takes the slope into account during takeoff and landing.

If you have the offset option enabled the correct offset with slope correction will be applied automatically on landing. For takeoff if you have taxied to the runway the offset cannot be applied automatically. You should set it at the gate when you know which runway will be used.

In your LPPT example I guess there was no offset and the runway had slope. When PSX lifted off VisualPSX started sending ground elevation from FSX, but without any correction for PSX runway slope. The result was that VisualPSX switched briefly back from air mode to ground mode before enough separation occurred for both aircraft to be airborne.

We learnt these lessons the hard way during development of PSX when the new concept of runway slope had to be taken into account and dealt with effectively by VisualPSX. I recommend using automatic offsets for landing and applying a manual offset for takeoffs from runways with slope.

Cheers,

[Garry Richards]

Hi Jermaine,

I'm thinking that if this feature you're describing is or was made available, maybe it could work using a FSX / PrePar3d push back system for example, GSX.

Basically, what I'd like to be able to do is, start the aircraft at the gate via what ever method needed, then use GSX to push the aircraft back from the gate which also slews PSX along with it. I like the fact that GSX has the whole start and push sequence programmed along with pushing you onto the correct taxi way.

Is this something that could happen?

While this is technically possible (and somebody else may wish to implement it) it is inconsistent with the purpose of VisualPSX and TrafficPSX, both of which are intended to allow PSX operations to be visualised in FSX. Essentially, FSX is used as a camera view from the PSX cockpit.

The necessary use of runway offsets ensures that the camera view matches the PSX windscreen view of the runway in use. The proposed option is to make it more efficient to position PSX so that the FSX aircraft is at a departure gate, without having to first taxi PSX to it.

GSX looks like an immersive FSX addon for external views. Don't forget that PSX has a pushback facility with pilot-ground communications and you can observe the pushback in an FSX external view, although you won't see the tug in FSX.

Cheers,

[Britjet]

Thanks Garry,

I will look forward to the update and see if that helps things.
I think you are correct in thinking it might be a Simconnect issue.
I moved the PSX server to the P3D machine, using 127.0.0.1,  and now seem to be able to reconnect after a crash without a restart being needed, but ergonomically it isn't an ideal configuration for me.

Cheers,

Britjet