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VisualPS1 for FS9 and FSX - update 4183 available

Started by Garry Richards, Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:32

Garry Richards

Updates to VisualPS1 for FS9 and VisualPS1 for FSX to build 4183 are now available.

These updates fix a few bugs and add an optional update check and download facility to VisualPS1. You can now check for updates automatically or whenever you like from within VisualPS1.

I have also separated updates from the support files on the website to make downloads smaller.

Thanks to those who are reporting bugs that I was unaware of. It really helps to improve the software in preparation for PSX.  :D
Garry

Website: flightsim.garryric.com

mikeindevon

Hi Garry,

I sent you an email at support@garryric.com but it bounced back saying that it couldn't find the host.  The mail was about the possibility of developing a scenery interface PSX to X-Plane.

If you are interested, please get in touch.

Mike

Garry Richards

Hi Mike

I am not aware of any recent server downtime. Please try again. It's working now.
Garry

Website: flightsim.garryric.com

mikeindevon

Hi Garry,

Tried again, but this is what I got:

"
This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

  support@garryric.com
    all relevant MX records point to non-existent hosts

etc, etc"

You could try emailing me then I could pick up the address - see my profile.

Mike

Garry Richards

Hi Mike

I checked your profile yesterday and today to get your email address but it is hidden. I will check again later.

I don't know why your ISP can't reach me at support(at)garryric.com as others can.
Garry

Website: flightsim.garryric.com

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

#5
DNS MX record for garryric.com:

$ dig -t mx garryric.com

; <<>> DiG 9.6-ESV-R4 <<>> -t mx garryric.com
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 55394
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;garryric.com.                  IN      MX

;; ANSWER SECTION:
garryric.com.           900     IN      MX      10 mail.garryric.com.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
mail.garryric.com.      900     IN      A       101.0.64.100

Just one MX server, but correctly set up.

$ ping 101.0.64.100
PING 101.0.64.100 (101.0.64.100) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 101.0.64.100: icmp_seq=1 ttl=51 time=320 ms
64 bytes from 101.0.64.100: icmp_seq=2 ttl=51 time=316 ms
^C
--- 101.0.64.100 ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 received, 0% packet loss, time 1004ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 316.005/318.005/320.005/2.000 ms

Nothing wrong with network connectivity.

$ telnet 101.0.64.100 25
Trying 101.0.64.100...
Connected to 101.0.64.100.
Escape character is '^]'.
220-cp06.digitalpacific.com.au ESMTP Exim 4.69 #1 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:08:14 +1000
220-We do not authorize the use of this system to transport unsolicited,
220 and/or bulk e-mail.
HELO hoppie.nl
250 cp06.digitalpacific.com.au Hello vps41.hostice.eu [82.94.206.171]
^]
telnet> quit
Connection closed.

Looks perfectly OK.

However, from other hosts, I could not initiate the connection to SMTP port 25, while connection to ssh port 22 worked okay.

This may indicate that large segments of IP addresses have been blocked out by the server firewall in an attempt to block spam. Spam typically comes directly from individual machines. It is a known practice to only allow the central SMTP servers from big providers to deliver mail, and block the subscription addresses. Not a good practice, but widespread.

Mike: did you configure your mail program to connect to the addressee host directly, or via your own provider's SMTP relay?


Jeroen

mikeindevon

I am away at the moment, but will have a look at that when I get back.
I could post an email in a message if that is allowed on this forum.  Can't see how to make my email public - I can see it and I assumed everybody else could.   :roll:

Since writing  originally I see that Cedric Groux has done work on linking X-Plane and PS1.  

Basically what I was wanting to say was that I prefer X-Plane to MFS, particularly with regard to the airports, eg runways and lighting, which are the key features for me in any scenery.

I would like to have a go at developing such an interface if Cedric hasn't beaten me to it.  I am retired, but reasonably handy with C and C++, physics etc.  I was wondering if Garry could point me in the right direction or help with the code design.

As I understand the X-Plane SDK, you build a plug-in which has access to a large number of the sim variables.  The plug-in gets called once each sim loop.  I assume that you can feed in position (6 degs of freedom) and velocity and run the thing as a scenery generator.

I have also seen elsewhere that there may be some differences in airport positions that have led to pilots in fly-ins landing on taxiways.  Garry - your software seems to look after this.

If there is interest in following this through, we could start a new thread and handle the techy stuff by email.  , Whichever sim guys prefer, it would in any case provide an additional option.

Mike

Garry Richards

#7
Quote from: mikeindevonCan't see how to make my email public - I can see it and I assumed everybody else could.   :roll:
You can allow others to see it by editing options in your panel, or you could include it in your signature (without the @ symbol to prevent spam bots harvesting it).

Quote from: mikeindevonSince writing  originally I see that Cedric Groux has done work on linking X-Plane and PS1.  
Yes, and he is using your programming language. I write in VisualBasic 2010.

As Cedric is prepared to pass on his source code to you with the task partly completed that would be the most efficient way to go.

My VisualPS1 programs are heavily oriented to MSFS and would not transfer directly to X-Plane. My time is very limited and committed to conversion for PSX but I could discuss design issues either here or by email.

Good luck with the project. If you succeed it will be straightforward to convert it to work with PSX later.
Garry

Website: flightsim.garryric.com

mikeindevon

Quote from: Garry RichardsAs Cedric is prepared to pass on his source code to you

From what you say, I assume that you have talked to Cedric about this.  Has he run out of time / enthusiasm?  I don't want to tread on anybody's toes.

There are two architecture questions that I have:
- x-plane has an SDK that allows the developer to build a plug-in to get or put variables once during the sim loop.  I assume that Broker / Router (which should I use?) works in the same way and that I therefore have to build an asynchronous program which talks on the one hand to the x-plane plug-in and on the other hand the Broker / Router.  Am I right in this?

- in your experience, what application functions does this intermediate program have to perform apart from the obvious data comms, formatting, position vector exchange: alignment of scenery?, terrain height?, weather?, any configuration details of the cockpit?

Is there a stub of the Router to play with, or even a "hello world" type program with the comms to the router already implemented.

I was interested in Jeroen's comment elsewhere on the forum that in his opinion FS wins hands down over x-plane in the flying camera stakes.  I certainly don't want to start any wars about this, but I would be interested to know why.  I haven't done much with FS recently, but I found the runway, taxiway scenery and associated lighting more convincing in x-plane.  After all I don't want to start a project if there is some killer reason why it's a crazy thing to do.

By the way an email address that will work for me is my user name here on good ol' hotmail, the com domain.

Best wishes,

Mike

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Quote from: mikeindevonIs there a stub of the Router to play with, or even a "hello world" type program with the comms to the router already implemented.
Affirmative:   http://www.hoppie.nl/psxrouter/
Within reason, I can add stuff to mimic PSX as it develops. The high-speed scenery channel is not yet available in PSX, so for now it is 5Hz attitude and position info only. Data sheets not present, but keep asking what you need and it will appear.

QuoteI was interested in Jeroen's comment elsewhere on the forum that in his opinion FS wins hands down over x-plane in the flying camera stakes.  I certainly don't want to start any wars about this, but I would be interested to know why.
This comment was based on what I saw when looking around at what other people do, as I own neither MSFS nor X-Plane. It appeared to me that MSFS has the mind share, market share, and development focus of all addon and scenery builders. However I don't disqualify X-Plane at all!


Jeroen

Garry Richards

Hi Mike,

Most of your questions have now been answered in this and Cedric's thread. (Hi Cedric.) I can add a bit more:

The best way to understand what VisualPS1 does, and why, and how it evolved, is to download the support package and read the extensive manual. It's for the previous version but many of the features are still current.

Much of the development was motivated by the desire of many pilots to fly PS1 online with Vatsim which is MSFS-based. For this reason PS1 mimics an MSFS aircraft and receives MSFS weather. Other features were added to increase realism such as sending the MSFS ground elevation to PS1 to trigger it's radio altimeter.

VisualPS1 is multithreaded, the main threads handling comms with MSFS and PS1 through the Broker. Another handles the runway offsets heuristically. All threads are controlled by timers that effectively become separate threads. Thread-safe data exchange methods have to used as well.
Garry

Website: flightsim.garryric.com

Cedric Groux

#11
Hi Garry, Jeroen,

Thanks a lot for your messages and for sharing your experience. It has already spared me a lot of time!
Quote from: GarryOther features were added to increase realism such as sending the MSFS ground elevation to PS1 to trigger it's radio altimeter.
In the X-Plane plug-in, nothing is sent yet to PS1. It's all in the PS1 to X-Plane direction, but this is a good idea for improvement. Thanks.

For the comparison X-Plane vs MSFS as scenary generator, I find that the base scenario in X-Plane is not as coherent as MSFS, at least for Switzerland. For example, in X-Plane, in Geneva, there is a huge electrical pylon almost placed on the runway... However, the fact that I can run it under Linux compensate this for me. You can also install third party scenario. In the future, next X-Plane version (v10) is planning to build scenario from OpenStreetMap data, which is promising.

Cedric

Edit: Oops, sorry Jeroen. Fixed  ;)

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Having more than one scenery option (include FlightGear in the list) is always a very good idea.


Jeroen

PS. In Dutch, the "oe" double vowel is pronounced a bit like the English "oo" as in "ballOOn". Maybe this helps people remembering the spelling of my name... next thing, try spelling "Hoppenbrouwers". I have seen many funny variants over the years!

torrence

Quote from: Jeroen Hoppenbrouwerstry spelling "Hoppenbrouwers". I have seen many funny variants over the years!

From my limited linguistic skills, I assume your family once was involved with making good beer?  May have asked you that before.

Cheers,
Torrence
Cheers
Torrence

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Yep, and I may have added before that my mother's family is Wijnants.