VisualPSX Suite versions 6.2 and 7.2 released

[Garry Richards]

An upgrade of the VisualPSX Suite to versions 6.2 and 7.2 is now available.

This upgrade fixes a problem some users had with RunwaysPSX crashing without notice. This app is now more robust and handles irregular or missing addon airport data properly.

The upgrade also includes a fix for external traffic handling. Traffic injected into PSX from RealTraffic can now be forwarded correctly to FSX/P3D for display.

Happy flying!

[cagarini]

Thank you so much Garry!

Just a detail. The created folders and DLL still read "6.1", but the files are new and when ran VisualPSX correctly shows "6.2" ( I'm in FSX:SE ), and it's running smooth as silk!

I am now using it without rw offsets being calculated, and most of the time FSX:SE rws align perfectly with PSX.

[Garry Richards]

Thanks José, folder names updated now.

[Britjet]

Hi Garry,

Many thanks for the quick update!
I now have lots of 747's flashing by! (some at very odd angles...)

Peter

[Robert Staudinger]

Hi Garry,

thank you very much for your update. LOWW looks like the center of 744-traffic now.

Robert

[Garry Richards]

Hi Peter,

The traffic data from PSX don't include pitch or bank angles so TrafficPSX tries to estimate realistic values. I can easily change these so please offer suggestions. My algorithms produce these results:

1 Assign 5 degrees pitch up for level flight.

2 If climbing increase pitch linearly to reach 20 deg pitch up at 6000 ft/min.

3 If descending decrease pitch linearly to reach 10 deg pitch down at 6000 ft/min.

4 If ground speed <= 250 kt change bank to produce +/-25 deg bank @ 3 deg/sec turn rate.

5 If ground speed > 250 kt reduce bank change to produce only +/-15 deg bank by 350 kt @ 3 deg/sec turn rate.

6 Assign heading equal to track.

Cheers,

[Britjet]

Hi Garry,

I think those parameters all look very sensible.
The issue I was having occurred at get low level ( short final) on the ground.
Ground traffic in particular is banked and pitched at very large angles in many cases.
Is there a restriction on such traffic to have no bank or pitch?

Regards,

Peter

[Garry Richards]

Hi Peter,

I didn't take ground traffic into account so you are probably seeing aircraft banking a lot when turning at taxi speed. I will add a restriction, say below 120 kt to remove pitch and bank, but it may be a few weeks before I have time.

Cheers,

[Britjet]

Many thanks Garry.
I also notice that ground traffic seem to have a tendency to be subterranean, ( I guess it's some sort of airport terrain/ barometric thing) and they seem to have an inherent slight climb rate, so that they rise slowly out of the ground. It's like watching a re-run of Michael Jacksons Thriller!

Cheers,

Peter

[jb747]

Hi guys,

I've run into a strange one.  P3d v2.5 and 5641.  I am trying to connect using PilotEdge which uses a version of SB4.  Everything connects fine, the frequencies from PSX are read correctly as are transponder codes and the other transponder functions.  However, try as I might I cannot get the PTT to trigger.  It's configured via the USB input on the Server and is assigned correctly.

So I tried with FSX and SB4 and got the same result.  Everything connects fine except I can't key the transmitter.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,

Jon

[Garry Richards]

Hi Jon,

The Windows class name in the client config file is probably incorrect for that version of SB4. You can use Spy++ from Microsoft to find the correct name and add it to your config file.

Cheers,

[martin]

Greetings!

Using the newest VisualPSX (6.2, for standard FSX under Win7, everything on the same box), I am trying out the Slew feature (for coordinating gate position between PSX and FSX).

After setting the PSX lights as required, I do get the Slew-related text on the Status page of VisualPSX, but the keys mentioned therein seem to have no effect in FSX.

Which window should actually have the focus when these keys are pressed: PSX, VisualPSX, or FSX?

In my case, when PSX has the focus, the keys still operate as normal, e.g. "T" switches the autothrottle on/off, and "G" moves the gear lever.

Anything I am overlooking?

One possible suspect might be EZCA (EZdok) which I have installed, and which requires that a lot of the normal key assignments are taken away from FSX. Does the VisualPSX Slew mode perhaps rely on these in any way?

EZCA can be disabled (via an FSX menu item), but it did not make a difference (and I am not sure anyway if it really nullifies that key assignment shanghaiing.)

Otherwise, VisualPSX works marvelously. And now, FSX traffic generated with the UltimateTraffic2 add-on shows up in PSX, too!
Fantastic piece of kit!

Cheers,
Martin

[jb747]

Hi Garry,

Thanks for the input.  Actually I had a brain fart last night and this morning assigned the PTT control to FSUIPC in P3D.  Everything now works fine.

Jon

[Garry Richards]

Hi Martin,

I made the same mistake and was puzzled for a while. The solution is that the keystrokes for slewing must be entered into VisualPSX.

Hi Jon,

That's good news!

Cheers,

[martin]

Thanks Garry!

Making some progress, but not yet there: I am making sure that VisualPSX has the focus, but when the Slew keys are pressed, only a "bling" sound is emitted, while the FSX plane still refuses to budge.

I think the Slew modus is in fact active: not only do I see the Slew info on the VisualPSX Status page, but FSX does in this state not react to heading or position changes entered directly on the PSX Instructor page (which makes sense while in Slew mode).

The one thing still missing is thus the Slew movement of the FSX plane.

Another possible suspect: I am using a keyboard which is connected to the PSX/VisualPSX/FSX computer not directly but through Synergy.
Could that be a factor?
And what do these ?warning? sounds signify?

Strlewth,
Martin
"Not Slewing But Not Yet Slain"

UPDATE:

Belay the above, now it works!
[Belay this, too, see follow-up message below]

However, I am not quite sure why... [size=8](a state of things which I find always unsatisfactory)[/size]  

In practical terms (but this may need further confirmation), the trick seems to be to put FSX in its own Slew mode before starting VisualPSX and making the connection to PSX.

The FSX Slew mode (or at least the FSX "SLEW" indication) will then be cancelled, but Slewing under Visual PSX control is now possible.
There may be more to it, but I need to fiddle further before I can be sure.

In any case, once known this trick is easy enough to do; problem solved [size=8](albeit not understood)[/size]  

Cheers,
Martin
"Happily Slewing Through A Slew of Gates"

[Garry Richards]

Hi Martin,

Glad it works again. You shouldn't need "tricks" to have it work normally. In slew mode VisualPSX listens for standard Windows keystrokes and then moves PSX and FSX appropriately.

The cause was probably the Summer Solstice. Try sacrificing a virgin or two...

Cheers,

[Dennis B]

Hi Gary,

I am having trouble with your newest version of VisualPSX (although I am in doubt it's related to VisualPSX) ... I have set up a new PC with Windows 7, installed FSX on it and so on. What I want to do is to drive FSX on a Windows Desktop through PSX on a Laptop, both computers are in my local network.

Visual PSX just does not seem to see the PSX server. IP address and port for (remote) PSX are set, cfg and XML files are edited for local FSX.

Other PSX addons connect fine to the (fixed) IP of the PSX-Laptop on Port 10747 (I added the ports 10747 and 10749 to my router's port forwarding table). What else could be wrong? Nothing comes to my mind, so I am asking here; surely I've overseen something.

P.S.: I already had VisualPSX running successfully on another configuration.

[martin]

Glad it works again.

Well, I am sorry to report that I rejoiced to soon. Sometimes the keys work, sometimes (more often) I get only the "bling" sound; and the reason why what happens happens remains unclear.
In particular, putting FSX into Slew mode first does not guarantee success.

My next theory was that the PSX light switches must not be in VisualPSX-Slew configuration already when VisualPSX is started: one will see  the orange info text at once, but the keys may not actually work unless you cycle the light switches out of and back into Slew mode again.
But this theory is also incorrect (or at least incomplete).

With things being so, I don't think there is "at this point in time" much that can be done. So I am putting this on record here mainly against the time someone else might run into this issue.

VisualPSX listens for standard Windows keystrokes

I have a suspicion [size=8](Theory #3; if I can't work it out, I can at least have a theory)[/size] that this (in combination with my keyboard connection via Synergy) may be a factor. As I remember it, "keycodes" have at least two levels (was it hardware vs. OS vs. Windows GUI?) and are less straightforward than one might think. Or something.

The cause was probably the Summer Solstice.

Indeed! That and a major sun storm, too! (If it  were dark at night we might have seen a splendid aurora.)

Try sacrificing a virgin or two...

Logistics problem! Don't know any!

Cheers,
M rt n
[size=8]
Update
Theory #3a: Cycling all VisualPSX-Slew-related light switches out of and back into Slew configuration might help.
(At certain switch settings, the info text will appear in blue -- is that by design?)[/size]

[Garry Richards]

Hi Dennis,

I don't think that is caused by VisualPSX. I presume that FSX connects ok and the runways file loads ok? If VisualPSX is then trying to connect to PSX you should see an incrementing "Try" message every few seconds. Does that happen?

Cheers,

[Dennis B]

Hi Garry,

VisualPSX does neither connect to FSX nor to PSX. I have also tried that with TrafficPSX, as it only needs port 10747 on the remote machine, but did not succeed, either.

I have

- checked that ports 10747 and 10749 (boost) are open on the remote machine
- been trying PSXRouter, which connects fine to port 10747 on the remote machine, but TrafficPSX (and VisualPSX) do not seem to connect even to 127.0.0.1, port 10748 (PSXRouter port).
- Been checking Windows firewall permissions, seem all OK.

What could be my issue here?

Do VisualPSX and TrafficPSX FIRST try to connect to FSX before attempting a connection to PSX? Then this could be the problem here - I cannot establish a connection to FSX, either, but could not make out the reason yet ... should I first try that, or does the software try to reach both PSX and FSX at the same time when initialising?

Best regards

Dennis

EDIT: Solved - it seems that SimConnect.msi did not install properly (though it appeared in the installed programs list). After re-installing the MSI, VisualPSX is connecting to FSX and PSX. This, however, makes me assume that VisualPSX first attempts to connect to FSX and only if this is successful will try to connect to PSX (which makes some sense). Anyways, @Gary, would you mind to make your program a bit more verbose in case of one needs to pinpoint connection errors?