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Twin Otter DME problem


schroewo

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Depending of the saved state of the Battery Master and the Avionic Switch I'm unable to switch on the DME. I've done the following tests:

Saved state; Battery OFF, Avionic OFF, DME OFF -> Battery ON, Avionic ON -> DEM display stays dark

Saved state; Battery ON , Avionic OFF, DME OFF -> Avionic ON -> DEM Switch is always positioned at ON but DME diplay stays dark

Saved state; Battery OFF, Avionic ON, DME OFF -> Battery ON -> DEM Switch is always positioned at ON but DME diplay stays dark

Saved state; Battery ON, Avionic ON, DME OFF -> DEM works as expected

Seems like an initialization problem with the DME gauge. Sometimes the DME popup window shows the DME information but the display of panel mounted DME stays dark (see attachment)

My environment: Windows 7 64 Bit, FSX, Twin Otter V1.11, ASC not installed yet

Any hints on this?

Wolfgang

post-29641-126470020576_thumb.png

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Yes I saw that threads but they are about missing the DME gauge due to the installation of the ASC package. If you look at the picture in my previous post you can see that the gauge is there. One of the issues I have is that I can't activate the DME if I load the Twin Otter with a Cold&Dark panel (Battery Master and Avionics OFF). The other one I have sometimes is that the DME in the VC is OFF and in the DME popup it is ON.

Wolfgang

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Starting FSX with the Default Cessna and then loading the Twin Otter didn't make any difference. But I did some further testings and the issue seems very mystical. Now I have one configuration with a correct working DME and another one with the malfunctional DME. If you look at the two pictures below you can see the DME and the internal XML variables of the DME. There's no difference between the values of variables but one DME works and the other not.

Wolfgang

post-29641-126478354127_thumb.jpg

post-29641-126478355185_thumb.jpg

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This is neither a problem with the Twotter nor with your system, but us simply a systemic problem with FSX, which `records` many more parameters than are displayed in the saved flight scenarios or the options menu. The DME on/off is a toggle, and like many toggles when FSX and the switch position get `out of phase` you get precisely this problem when `on` equals `off` and the binary switch is simply set wrong.

What has happened is that the flight you used to load the dysfunctional Twotter is, frankly, screwed.

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So it seems an initialization problem of the gauge? Here's the code snippet of the DME XML gauge which controls the ON/OFF state:

<Macro Name="gaugeOn">

(A:ELECTRICAL MASTER BATTERY, bool)

(A:GENERAL ENG1 GENERATOR ACTIVE, bool) ||

(A:GENERAL ENG2 GENERATOR ACTIVE, bool) ||

(L:Radio circuit breaker state, bool) ! &amp;&amp;

(A:CIRCUIT AVIONICS ON, bool) &amp;&amp;

(L:dme off, bool) ! &amp;&amp;

</Macro>

I'm not a gauge expert but what I've done is to replace the whole content of the macro with '1' and the gauge is always ON as expected. So my conclusion was that the problem has nothing to do with any other saved states but only with the conditions evaluated by the macro (maybe I'm wrong). And no matter what the initial value of the local "dme off" is, it should always match the state of DME switch because the displayed bitmap of the switch depends on the "dme off" state. So an out-of-sync seems not likely.

Maybe we have here an XML gauge expert who can explain what can go wrong. Sorry to be so pedantic but it's job-related. I'm a software quality engineer.

Wolfgang

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Boolean = value output derived from LOGICAL CALCULATION from boolean inputs.

What you are achieving is bypassing the boolean, and replacing it with a fixed-state. This will be at odds with FSX which relies on boolean `if/but` statements throughout its operating protocols - the inputs.

Fine if it works for you but what you are doing is making a Ferrari with only first and second gear, instead of fixing the slipping clutch... which works pulling away from rest, but when you get to third gear, you're buggered.

Consider that this is NOT a problem for other simmers and the solution becomes clearer. It is NOT a gauge issue. The gauge conforms exactly to FSX protocols. Whereas your fix does not.

You may be creating further problems down the line which are both unsupported AND unique, driven by your sledgehammer to crack a nut process. If you ignore the simple in pursuit of the convoluted then you are doomed to fail - in a complicated fashion. ^_^

As an engineer I spend some of my day reigning-in the software engineers who want to fix a flat tyre with a software solution instead of a vulcanising patch and a footpump. :lol:

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Hey, your allegorical comparison (hope it's the right word) with the flat tire is excellent laugh.gif ! I also know statements like "the software will make it work right" if the hardware was designed badly. I see we have almost the same experience.

But now back to the topic. No, I didn't said that placing the '1' inside the macro is a solution. What I tried to do is to eliminate any calculation of the gauge state to see if something other (e.g. an internal FSX state) prevents the display of the gauge. That was my intention. And because with that temporary change the gauge was always ON my conclusion was that it has something to do with the macro. Logical? Most likely I have a special case with that setting.

Anyway because I have a saved flight where the gauge works as it should I will continue with my European Sightseeing Tour. For me the Twin Otter is one of my favorite planes for VFR.

Best regards

Wolfgang

PS: As a little gift for your patience, maybe you're interested on my Sightseeing Tours. They were created and using two other recommended Aerosoft products, the Flightsim Commander and the Pro Flight Emulator Deluxe. Here's the download link: http://www.ocs-suppo...a9140c82730a860. Hope to post the link didn't violate the forum rules.

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I get where you are coming from, but remember the saved gauge state is not automatically the same in the 2d as VC - now while this does not affect the VC-only Twotter it does indicate there's more going on in the background of FSX than simple yes/no statements with gauge positions. The saved flight .flt is one of those areas in the sim where there are more things saved than are accessible with a menu option.

I`d suggest you check your mod against a `fresh` new flight, loaded as normal from the GUI. That way you will confirm it works as expected, and there are no unwanted side-effects!

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