LIGHTNING F6 SWITCH ASSIGNMENTS and INFLIGHT REFUELLING

[Blue Diamond 1]

Hello All

I have a query regarding F6 key assignments, I was looking at a past Forum query about assigning the Autothrottle to a key press, the reply was to modify the Lit_Tac.XML \\CHAFFE\\ entry to \\CLUTCH\\  to set keyboard key "C" to actuate the Autothrottle Clutch.  The enquirer responded to say they could now land without taking their eyes off the Runway.. Now when I apply this same modification, the clutch activates but has no effect on the autothrottle engine opperation. What I have had to do for most cockpit switches is to write some LUA to actuate the Switch, make the click noise and set off some FSX action to respond to the switch.  Am I going about it the right way or is there something wrong in my setup as Inflight refuelling has not worked for many a year (has once, after many reinstalls it still doesn't)

I hope someone can offer some advice.

Regards

Chris

[wingman5 149]

Hi Chris

     My apologies for the slow response , and lets see if we can get you sorted.

  First , what sim are you running ?That way I can see if I can replicate the problems.

    With the auto-throttle do the throttles not move when the clutch is mouse selected or only using the keyboard shortcut ?

   And for the F/R are you obeying the general  height/ speed restrictions or using something like tacpack  

  Cheers

 Dave R

[Blue Diamond 1]

Hi Dave

Thanks for responsing, sorry for late reply

I am running FSX CDROM version with TacPack and FSUIPC on Windows 10

 

If I engage the Clutch with the mouse, it actuates the clutch and the throttles as required 

If I engage the Clutch with the 'C' key, it actuates the clutch but the throttles are not not locked and I can move them.

In a similar fashion ..

If I engage Guided Weapons with the mouse the switch moves to GW and they show the arming lights in the Weapons panel.

If I engage Guided Weapons with the keyboard combination the switch moves to GW but the missiles do not arm.

on the other hand

If I select the Brake Chute with the keyboard combination the button actuates and the chute deploys.

All the RADAR functions work on the keyboard strokes assigned to switches via FSUIPC 

 

As for IFR this has been the pain of my life for years, its one these things that I wont let beat me but I think it has, Ive reset FSX, reinstalled Lightning F6, reinstalled TacPack tried anything I have seen in forums...

It has worked (although not consistantly) and my last note was load the App Plan G last and it works, but it no longer does and I am not sure when it stopped.  I did go through a session of flying the Aerosoft Airbus for a while.

 

Hope this is of help

Regards Chris

[wingman5 149]

Hi Chris
   Not sure I'm the one to help here , FSUPC is not a program I have ever used , and I suspect your commands to it are the problem here .
   In my XML coding the L;vars operate the animation then call up an event, ie. for the clutch :-

    <Name>switch_auto_throttle</Name>
        <AnimLength>50</AnimLength>
        <Animation>
            <Parameter>
                <Code>(L:clutch,enum) 50 *</Code>
                <Lag>200</Lag>
            </Parameter>
        </Animation>
           <MouseRect>
             <Cursor>Hand</Cursor>
               <TooltipText>Auto Throttle Clutch</TooltipText>
              <CallbackCode>
                (M:Event) 'LeftSingle' scmp 0 ==
                 if{ (L:clutch,enum) ! (>L:clutch,enum) }
          (L:clutch,enum) 0 == if{ 1 (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_OFF) 1 (>L:ASC_clutchoff,bool) }
          (L:clutch,enum) 1 == if{ 1 (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_ON) 1 (>L:ASC_clutchon,bool)  } 
             (A:AIRSPEED INDICATED,knots) 275 &gt;
                      (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) 1 == ||
                 if{ 1 (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_OFF) }          
              </CallbackCode>  
        </MouseRect>

 So the clutch animation operates the simulators K event AP_AIRSPEED_ ON or OFF which controls the throttles .
  The Parachute is pure local animation so is not calling up any inbuilt programming.
  Operating the FR switch within the required parameters triggers the refuelling through the Lightning F6.dll in the panel folder .
    If you open up the MDL in ModelconverterX you can view all the xml coding to see what the L:vars are calling up .
 Hope this  helps
 Dave R

[Blue Diamond 1]

Hi Dave

Thanks for info I will check it out

What I do with FSUIPC is assign Keyboard Key C to actuate clutch and Keyboard Cont+R to toggle AIRSPEED HOLD and a switch click noise to a Throttle button which I was surprised that it held the landing speed at 190 ish.

The reason for my query was because you answered someones query by telling them about setting up C to the Clutch. His reply was that he could now land without taking his eyes off the runway, suggested to me that pressing C on the keyboard fully initiated an autothrottle landing, am I wrong to assume this?

 

Regards Chris

PS do you have any affiliation to 'shiny' 5?

[Blue Diamond 1]

ooops

[wingman5 149]

Hi Chris

    Well I dusted off my bone dome and pilots notes and took the old "Frightning" for a jolly ..... and I pretty much found the same as you  ! ... so I amended the "Keys" entry to read :-

 

(L:clutch,bool) ! (>L:clutch,bool)

(L:clutch,enum) 0 == if{ 1 (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_OFF) 1 (>L:ASC_clutchoff,bool) }

(L:clutch,enum) 1 == if{ 1 (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_ON) 1 (>L:ASC_clutchon,bool) }

(A:AIRSPEED INDICATED,knots) 275 > (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) 1 == || if{ 1 (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_OFF) }

     And that works a treat . 

I guess the same goes for any other keyboard commands that require  more than just Lvars.

  Cheers 

       Dave

Edit     Ps   The pilots notes give the stabilised IAS as 175 -180 kts  in autothrottle so 190ish should be ok .

  Shiny 5  ? ....   Shiny's to us were office workers ( the backsides of their trousers became shiny from sitting down :0)  ...... I was a sooty

D

[Blue Diamond 1]

Hi Dave

Thanks for update and yes that works as you said, thanks...

I applied the same logic to the missile selection using what I found in the XML from the MDLand it seems to work in arming up the missiles but yet to test it with a firing. 

 

Still no  go with IFR I seem to meet all the parameters required... I also checked fuel transfer which I believe is the same DLL, I did notice from the XML it requires the engines to be over 70% which I may not heve done in the past, but that also refused to work. As I mention before in the distance past IFR has worked although not consistantly but I know I did not check the fuel transfer. I think at the time I hade a single throttle so it wasn't required... I have tried what I think is everything but still no go.

 

Regards Chris

PS I think Shiny 5 was local 'enderment' for 5 Squadron... I was a Fairy on 92 Sqd (F2, F2A) and 23 Sqd (F6)

[wingman5 149]

Hi Chris

     I have just flown a trip to burn off fuel and then held at 27,000 ish and 270 kts and the FR worked ok . ... slow but that's as it should be .

    How many kb is the lightning F6 .dll you are using ?  mine  is 65.5 kb,   there have been variations with P3d etc.

       I shudder to ask but you are flying the mk 6 and not the 2A or mk53 ?  There  have been a few embarrassed pilots that lined up on a tanker only to realise at the last second that they had no probe  ! 

     Before I had the fuel .dll    I had a simple XML  code :-

(height and speed parameters)

    if{ (L:FR_switch,bool) 
                         if{ (>K:ADD_FUEL_QUANTITY) } } 

 That gave instant topup .

 

   I never came across the term " shiny  5 " , but yes I was 5 sqdrn at Binbrook

Cheers

 Dave

       

        

[Blue Diamond 1]

Hi Dave

Sorry for late reply, I have been trying to get my head a around XML with Reverse Polish notation, I have dabbled in programming since leaving the RAF but RPN is something else, not good for an aging brain...

I ended up by just applying  (>K:ADD_FUEL_QUANTITY) }  and a 'click' to a keyboard key... Which without IFR does the trick. , thanks for that...

 

Yes, I am flying the F6, from one of your previous posts I have tried every conceiable DLL and I think my current one is from the V203 update. 

Size: 65.5 KB (67,072 bytes)

You mention the fuel.DLL, I am assuming this is from an older version as I dont see it.

I am sort of clutching a strings here, but I looked a the log and and saw L:RFOnXML and  L:RFRateXML (which are two LVars used by IFR) with the correct values but these seemed to be present before I see FR_Switch=1

 

The other thing that has alwayus played on my mind is whether my installation is correct... 

It is installed in default location C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X and installed it as administrator, until recently I always had an issue upodating files in say panel folder as I would always have save them on say Desktop first then copy them into Panel. folder. I did find something on the internet about taking ownership and did this for whole of FSX and now I can update OK.  Still get anoying message about User Account Control Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?.

 

Are there any checks or something that I can do to try and work out why IFR and Fuel transfer refuse to work?

 

Regards Chris

Just for info, after your coment about fIying with no probe, I am sure I read an article somewhere that said F2s didn't have refueling probes, so I did some research as we lost a pilot who had troubles on a refueling exercise. On my 5 years working on F2's on 92 I can't remember a probe. (it was 55 years ago mind) I could not find one picture of a 92 F2 with a probe, but I did find a 92 F2A with one. Just as I was thinking they didn't have probles I found a 19 Sqd F2 with a probe fitted. I have a feeling they only fitted them as requied not all the time as in later years....

[wingman5 149]

Hi Chris

     Didn't mean to confuse you , the "fuel .dll" I was referring to is the Lightning F6.dll ... its the code that runs all the fuel functions .

   An easy test should be to select an aircraft with O/Ws  and hit the fuel jettison switch ( down by the left of the seat , but

not the o/w tank jettison . )  you don't need to be flying  and the gauges start to drop pretty quickly ,

   I also  made this code for the IFR to go in the panel / Lit_F6 folder  . just add ......... gauge12=Lit_F6!refuel,       0, 0, 0, 0      ..... in the panel cfg.

 

refuel.xml

 

    It is set so it works on the ground and a high flow rate , adjust your fuel state to half and just hit the IFR switch  but if it works you can adjust the parameter's to suit .

IFR ; transfer and fuel dump are all controlled by the LightningF6 .dll so if one works they all should  !

 

  I have the same problem with having to make all changes in documents and then copy/paste back .

   All my FSX is installed in default  C :  with the aircraft in the simobjects aircrafts folder .

 Cheers

 Dave

[Blue Diamond 1]

Hi Dave

 

Not had much luck as neither worked...

 

For the refueling, the IFR panel lights up and thats about it (I did knobble the Lightning dll  and got the same result)

Fuel dump just nothing happened...

There was a reference to Fuel_dump.xml in the panel config but no xml present in Lit_F6 but this is maybe something from the past...

 

The link below allows to update files in panel folder... Its pretty eusful, just hope its not interferring elsewhere...

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3841-add-take-ownership-context-menu-windows-10-a.html

 

Regards

Chris

 

[wingman5 149]

Hi Chris

     Hm... It really looks like your system is not reading the Lightning F6.dll code , ( each  version has one so I don't see how they all could be corrupted ! ) 

  This one was working a few minutes ago so try that .........

LightningF6.dll

 

    The refuel lights are independent of the .dll and only show  that the  respected tank has filled ( out when full )

     The fuel dump. xml just gives the visual "smoke" of the fuel escaping you should have the code in the F6 ferrytank / panel / Lit_F6 folder 

   Check you have  the  line      gauge02=LightningF6!FuelXFR, 0, 0, 0, 0   in the panel.cfg's

       Do you have the F2A and the F53 ?   is so do they work  ?

          If you could do all your testing on the  XS904 ferrytank  model then I know we are looking at the same thing .

 Cheers

      Dave

 

 

[Blue Diamond 1]

Hi Dave

Not much luck I'm affraid...

I have never used the Ferry Tank before, so it was untouched by any of my gauge changes.

As I didn't need to take off I didn't need to use FSUIPC.

Fuel dump didn't do anything although I could see the smoke effect of fuel dumping

No joy with Refuel either

 

Replaced DLL and also tried the F2A, again no change

 

F53 has no overwings or probe, but it did give me chance to try a little rocket attack on Forth Rail Bridge Tch...

 

Sorry its a pain, I have this awful feeling I might have done something wrong or its Windows, what compatability mode do you run yours in?

 

The last time I do believe it had worked, albeit a bit flaky, was before I went on to fly the Aerosoft Airbus for a while.    

 

I get the feeling FSX doesn't like modern operating systems, several months ago in a effort to resolve IFR there was a TacPack upgrade that I purchased.  I had to uninstall the F6 to upgrade then went through several weeks of uninstall/reinstalling as the missles wouldn't fire or the missiles would show as fired but I didn't see them go, then I would see them go but not firing noise, and lastly they hit the target but you saw no explosion .... I eventually got to a point where it all worked without the TacPack update and I left like that. I had a spare PC that had all the same issues but wasn't easy to fly but it ended up working with TacPack upgrade installed IFR didn't work on it eiher. 

 

Regards

Chris

 

[wingman5 149]

Hi Chris

     There is not a lot more I can think of  , all your fuel problems point to the LightningF6.dll 

not being recognised , and I don't  know  why that would be . I believe it is possible for a .dll on another 3rd party model to effect others . You might try changing your saved default flight for one of the basic FSX aircraft . 

    I know it doesn't fix the problem but have you tried one of the refuelling gauges  you can download off avsim ?

  I run windows 10 but on checking it says I'm in vista compatibility mode.

     Your Tacpack problems  could simply have been the built in failure rate for the red top  where the missiles will just drop off , or fail to track , or fail to explode . The designers wanted to give an advantage to the newer missiles in online gaming so they gave a (fixed) percentage failure rate according to age  for each of those categories  ( I think they overdid it ) .  

Cheers

 Dave