News:

Precision Simulator update 10.173 (24 February 2024) is now available.
Navburo update 13 (23 November 2022) is now available.
NG FMC and More is released.

Main Menu

WidePSX 2.5.9 : FSX, P3D and MSFS Compatible Scenery Generator Bridge

Started by JP59, Fri, 8 Dec 2017 16:17

petdocvmd

Regarding VATSIM integration via vPilot:  do I have to setup a PTT key in vPilot, or will the one mapped in PSX to Capt PTT suffice?  It would be nice to use the ACP natively for comms.  Is the Audio for VASTIM app required? I'm a bit confused about what's needed and what's not for PSX-to-VATSIM functionality via the ACP.

Thanks!

Scott
Scott L. Fausel, VMD

cavaricooper

Scott-

Both PSX and vPilot use the same PTT button in my case, so I'm not sure HOW it works... I am sure THAT it works :)

HTH- C
Carl Avari-Cooper, KTPA

petdocvmd

Quote from: cavaricooper on Sun, 19 Jan 2020 02:06
Scott-

Both PSX and vPilot use the same PTT button in my case, so I'm not sure HOW it works... I am sure THAT it works :)

HTH- C

Yes, I tried that and it works.  However by doing it that way, it continues to work even if you select a different mic path on the ACP e.g. when you want to speak to ground personnel regarding pushback.  What I was hoping for was for WidePSX to connect the ACP to vPilot, so you would have to have the correct mic path selected in order to speak on ATC frequency.  With parallel PTT assignments (in PSX AND vPilot), you'd be broadcasting your conversation with the tow operator to everyone on the airport ground frequency!

Scott
Scott L. Fausel, VMD

cavaricooper

Scott- for non ATC comm transmissions, I use the switch on the ACP itself.

C
Carl Avari-Cooper, KTPA

JP59

Hi Scott,

I first wanted to control vPilot PTT with WidePSX, and my code is written by taking the ACP MIC selection in consideration, and also ACP volume potentiometers position. However, vPilot doesn't allow 3rd party applications (like WidePSX) to access directly to the PTT function. So WidePSX can only tune vPilot frequencies and XPNDR settings, that's why you need to connect your physical PTT to your vPilot computer directly. Carl's method is a good alternative (use the R/T ACP switch with the INT position when you want to talk to the ground staff.

Best regards,
Jean-philippe

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

In the real thing, the PTT path is switched through the ACP as you expect (multiple speaker selections at the same time are OK, but there is just exactly one MIC selection). So a semi-realistic workaround is to add a stupid relay in the PTT line to the vPilot computer that only engages when the correct ACP path is selected.


Hoppie

Gary Oliver

Scott,

The standalone AFV client available from audio.vatsim.net supports PSX natively, you could use this instead of vpilot voice if you preferred.  Just make sure you run vpilot in remote/host mode with no voice on either instances.

There's a post on the forum somewhere that John or Rodney wrote on how to use it.  You have to edit the config file directly to access the secret PSX community mode :)

Cheers
Gary

andrej

Andrej

petdocvmd

Quote from: Gary Oliver on Sun, 19 Jan 2020 17:18
Scott,

The standalone AFV client available from audio.vatsim.net supports PSX natively, you could use this instead of vpilot voice if you preferred.  Just make sure you run vpilot in remote/host mode with no voice on either instances.

There's a post on the forum somewhere that John or Rodney wrote on how to use it.  You have to edit the config file directly to access the secret PSX community mode :)

Cheers
Gary

Thanks, Gary et. al. - I am really close!  I had the "fsuipc" box checked in AFV which overwrote the "psx" entry in the <Simulator> tag of the config file.  I corrected that and all is nearly well:

1.  I can transmit on VHF-L by holding the R/T button on the Capt's ACR panel (Tx lights up, ATC answers me).

2.  I CANNOT transmit via any other method:  "H" key does not work, mapped PTT button on yoke does not work, and PTT button on CAPT's glareshield does not work.  I verified that on "Situation->Human->Pilot" page, PNF is Right seat.  My PTT button DOES work with WidePSX's ground services module (not active for this test).

3. I cannot receive unless I press the receiver selector button for VHF-L i.e. having "mic" selected does NOT alone allow reception.

Any ideas?  Am I missing a setting in PSX? 

Thanks,

Scott
Scott L. Fausel, VMD

Gary Oliver

Scott,

I can easily fix 2, didn't know 3 was possible, can someone else confirm this is what we would expect in the real 744?

Cheers
G

petdocvmd

Gary, thanks!  Regarding #3, Check bottom left of Aerowinx Operations manual page 169 (green light icon).

Scott
Scott L. Fausel, VMD

Gary Oliver


petdocvmd

Quote from: Gary Oliver on Mon, 20 Jan 2020 03:40
Perfect, 3 it is too :) gimme a week.

Cheers
Gary

Wait...I think it is actually ok - sort of.  I had set the following:

<psxComRadio>1</psxComRadio>

to "0."  When I changed it back to "1" it seems to work fine - at least for the Capt ACP/Com1 combo (I can't get offside tuning to work i.e. if I set Capt mic switch to VHF-R I cannot transmit or monitor those freq).  I also can't just monitor COM2 by clicking the Capt ACP VHF-R receiver button to green.  When I had "0" in that setting I was able to monitor everything, but not transmit (with PTT - only the R/T switch transmitted).  I see in the original AFV thread that Martin has also tried this, but hasn't tested transmitting yet. 

This stuff probably belongs on the AFV thread, but I don't know how to move or X-post.

Scott
Scott L. Fausel, VMD

JRBarrett

I know that WidePSX is no longer in active development, but I am happy to report that it works just fine as a scenery injector for the new P3D version 5. I only needed to copy the example Simconnect.xml file from the WidePSX /util directory into the appropriate folder in P3D, and copy the WidePSX modified Posky model into simobjects/airplanes, and generate a new runways.csv file.

BTW, there is a new version of makerunways.exe at Pete Dowson's web site that is updated to generate the necessary .csv files in P3DV5.

The scenery injection is smooth as silk - it works just the same as it did in P3DV4.

Since there is not yet a P3DV5 version of Active Sky, I can't test whether the dynamic winds aloft injection module will work, but I assume it will once a new Active Sky is available.

Jim Barrett

JP59

Thanks for the feedback Jim. I am happy to see it still works solid and smooth even with the latest versions of P3D. I am confident about FS 2020 also as it will allow applications to use SimConnect like with FSX/P3D.

Best regards to all the PSX community !

GerdD

Hello JP,
how can you get contacted for purchase?
Thanks

Gerd

Answer found and PM sent.

SIMU-3G7

Hello all PSX simmers

WidePsx is working better with P3DV5 than P3DV4.5. Strange isn't it, i was very surprised even with ASP3D.

Enjoy :)

Gilles-Gabriel 8)
Up There With The Best Of The Best...

JP59

Hello,

Thanks for the feedback Gilles-Gabriel. I don't have any idea of why, but I'll take it  ;)

Best regards,
Jean-philippe

JP59

Hello,

As you probably know I have very good news about WidePSX compatibility with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator "2020". First, since yesturday and the Microsoft Patch release, WidePSX is running silky smooth with MSFS. No SimConnect issue anymore. I ran some testings, takeoffs, landings at several airports. The result is that everything looks fine at the first look. The aircraft height is correct everywhere except during rotation in "outside view" where the aircraft sinks a little bit, but it is not noticeable from the cockpit view. Also, some features don't work from the outside view (gear, landing lights, flaps are working) but flight controls, nav lights, strobes, beacon, spoilers don't work.

Please keep in mind that WidePSX was designed for cockpit view ONLY, the outside view features were a bonus, but the core aim of WidePSX is to provide a WINDSHIELD VIEW. There was a lot of issues with the Project Opensky 747-400 in FSX/P3D, there are a lot more with the MSFS 747-8. I don't plan to work at the external aspect.

Below is my "how to" guide to use WidePSX with this new MSFS :

- You can apply Gary's tweak to disable cockpit view (thanks Gary for the tweak (not tested at my side) :

Quote from: Gary Oliver on Sat, 22 Aug 2020 11:22

In the meantime we have been having a look at setting up a non cockpit front view in MSFS.... The best way is to navigate to


C:\Users\<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-b7478i\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_B747_8i\model


and remove any .bin files from this folder and then edit the model.cfg file to change the last line to read


interior=



This removes both the exterior and interior models.

The next challenge is to get the camera to line up correctly for any flyelise warping...

Cameras.cfg in the aircraft seem to provide


InitialXyz = 0.13, 0.94, 4.725
InitialPbh = 2, 0, 0


which may allow us to use the FSX method.

Cheers
G

WidePSX can now be run on a networked computer with MSFS following the instructions described below :

If you previously modified your SimConnect.xml file, adding an entry for WidePSX, please remove this entry. The port number you will set below MUST be only used once in this file !

- Insert the following, substituting the server IP address and port number you want to use on your MSFS computer, right after the <Filename>SimConnect.xml</Filename> statement:

<SimConnect.Comm>
<Descr>Global IP Port</Descr>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<Protocol>IPv4</Protocol>
<Scope>global</Scope>
<Address>192.168.1.10</Address>
<MaxClients>64</MaxClients>
<Port>29747</Port>
<MaxRecvSize>4096</MaxRecvSize>
<DisableNagle>True</DisableNagle>
</SimConnect.Comm>

Then save the file.

- Set Simconnect IP address and port in the WidePSX Network Tab according with your IP and Port you set in SimConnect.xml file.

- If you previously used WidePSX with FSX/P3D please remove the runways.csv file from the WidePSX folder. This file is no longer necessary with MSFS.

- Disactivate any damage detection in MSFS settings (Options \ Assistance \ Damages). You can only set the "Visual" option for the icing.

1 - Start MSFS, chose to 747-8, position the aircraft anywhere, and wait for the simulator to launch the flight
2 - Press "Ready to fly" button after the scenery has loaded
3 - Connect WidePSX
4 - Start the scenery generator bridge

- All the WidePSX offsets stuff are useless with MSFS. So forget all the error messages in the offsets section, there is no need to build the runways.csv file anymore.

- AloftWx module obsolete as we don't use weather add-on anymore in MSFS

- Ground Services module should work (not tested) but it had nothing to do with the simulator so I think it should work OK

- TrafficRadioXpndr module : to be tested, feedback appreciated ;-)

- Printer module OK

Currently known issues at this stage :

- Impossible to run WidePSX from a networked computer. WidePSX must be run on the same computer as MSFS (PSX can be run everywhere you want).

- I saw sometimes position synchronization issues when repositioning PSX, with WidePSX connected. If you have this issue, please read the following advice : When you want to reposition PSX, or load a new SITU, while connected with WidePSX and MSFS under WidePSX control, it is a good habit to close WidePSX, reposition PSX, and restart the process from step 1 (back to MSFS main menu), because sometimes (not everytime) the synchronization process do not work properly (air-air is working fine, but air-ground or ground-ground has sometimes some random issues).

Don't hesitate to feedback on this thread, but please forget the exterior view. It is just a bonus. WidePSX is a WINDSHIELD VIEW add-on. The only important thing are landing lights as they are important during night landings and takeoffs, even from cockpit view, and they work.

I plan to do a cleanup of the application, to remove all the unnecessary offsets stuff and AloftWx module. The injection process will also be simplified, due to the runways slope simulation in MSFS, some complex algorythms will be removed from the WidePSX code (I'll have a sharp look at repositioning behaviour). It will only be a cosmetic update and a code simplification, no new features addition are planned. From what I saw during my tests, the software is OK for MSFS.

WidePSX is a commercial application. You can download a free and fully functional 25 minutes limited trial version. For trial and purchase process, please have a look at the first post of this thread : http://aerowinx.com/board/index.php?topic=4558.0

Best regards,
Jean-philippe

JohnH

Hi Jean-philippe,

I have managed to setup the trial version of WidePSX using a 2 monitor network setup withe PSX and FS2020 and it is working very well.

A few things I noticed,,

If you start the FS2020 747-800 at a gate the engines will be off, you can still connect however you will not be able to retract the flaps or landing gear unless you start the engines

Gnd Service seems to work as expected

Traffic Xpndr says 'closest aircraft 400nm', however I do not get any indication on the PSX pfd with TFC selected.

John