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Using FSHost


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I had read about "jitter" issues with FSX and FSHost, so never explored using it at all. If everyone I'm hosting for is using FSX, is there any advantage to using FSHost, rather that straight FSX Direct IP? I'm thinking of giving it a try, just to see what it is like. I have a dedicated server that runs 24/7, so it seems an ideal platform for FSHost.

I don't understand how the weather is supposed to work. I see it's possible to set weather in FSHost, but then I read that FSX does not recognize that weather settings, and uses whatever the client has set. I assume then, we would still have to distribute the Flight Plans .FLT, .PLN, and .WX files, and everybody loads those so they have the same settings?

I connected to Peter's FSHost earlier, but got clouds at very low level, nothing like what was set in the flight plan I loaded.

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I don't understand how the weather is supposed to work. I see it's possible to set weather in FSHost, but then I read that FSX does not recognize that weather settings, and uses whatever the client has set. I assume then, we would still have to distribute the Flight Plans .FLT, .PLN, and .WX files, and everybody loads those so they have the same settings?

You may have misread this about FSX, or maybe I am one that it does work for. I have to check again I guess, but I'm almost 100% positive FSX recognizes the weather set by FSHost, it's the time that it doesn't recognize.

Scott

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Yeah, ok, maybe it was the time I read...I can't find it anymore. So that's good then if the weather gets read. I was about to connect to your FSHost earlier, then I got distracted talking to my brother on the phone. I did connect to Peter's and I suppose I did get his weather settings because the clouds were almost on the ground where I was in Minden.

What about CumulusX! settings? I guess that is still handled client side? Does your server use a CumulusX! soaring clock setting?

So, walk me through this, Scott...suppose you were going to host a soaring task that we would fly together. What are the steps you would take to ensure that we both end up in the same place, same time, aircraft, weather, CX! settings, etc.? Assuming I already know how to host Direct IP with save Flight Plans emailed to other participants, what is defferent or additional requirements when using FSHost?

What about the "jitter" issue I mentioned, with FSX, when flying close formation with other player? Have you encountered it?

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I did connect to Peter's and I suppose I did get his weather settings because the clouds were almost on the ground where I was in Minden.

Important point. FSHOST has globally uniform weather. I sat the server such that weather is deployed automatically to the clients, which was not a good idea. It will fit reasonably only to the region where it was designed for. I will turn off the weather deployment, so that weather can be freely defined by the clients.

What about CumulusX! settings? I guess that is still handled client side? Does your server use a CumulusX! soaring clock setting?

Both are handled on the client side. Time doesn't work anyway with FSX. It is mentioned somewhere in the FSHOST forum or on the some FAQ page.

What about the "jitter" issue I mentioned, with FSX, when flying close formation with other player? Have you encountered it?

Jitter is a non-uniform motion of the multiplayer planes, which comes from the effect, that FSHOST cannot update the multiplayer plane position and speed as fast as needed. So there builds some deviation from the precise values, which are eventually corrected in some discontinuous movement. This is the most sever disadvantage of FSHOST.

Advantages of FSHOST are, that it is lean server which runs on very low power machines, that you can use it even with missions (at least I think it works), and, most important, you can seamlessly reconnect, when the connection has been lost.

And it's free.

Cheers, Peter

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So, walk me through this, Scott...suppose you were going to host a soaring task that we would fly together. What are the steps you would take to ensure that we both end up in the same place, same time, aircraft, weather, CX! settings, etc.? Assuming I already know how to host Direct IP with save Flight Plans emailed to other participants, what is defferent or additional requirements when using FSHost?

I would be using the CAIset with both FS2004 and FSX participants. So the files that would have to be given would be the GPS-NAV.dat , the script file, instructions, and definitely a website that the FSX users can go to to get the time for that region.

What about the "jitter" issue I mentioned, with FSX, when flying close formation with other player? Have you encountered it?

I've never encountered it myself, but I haven't actually soared that close to another participant either (I don't think I have anyways).

Scott

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I would be using the CAIset with both FS2004 and FSX participants. So the files that would have to be given would be the GPS-NAV.dat , the script file, instructions, and definitely a website that the FSX users can go to to get the time for that region.

OK, so GPS-NAV.dat has the task, and FSHost sends the weather.

And you tell them which airport is being used, of course.

FSX participants are responsible for setting time of day. Why a website for the time? Don't you just tell them what time of day to set for the task?

What about CumulusX!? Do you distribute a .cmx file, or just specify a default setting?

Ok, here's an odd thing, when I joined Peter's server, and also yours last night, I spawned at a local airport, Belleville, Ontario (CNU4), and I used a flight plan that had summer, August 6. Then I selected a Multiplayer Soaring Clock in CumulusX! of 6 hours (Peter's instructions), and when everything reloaded, I had autumn colours on all the trees. What is going on there?

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FSX participants are responsible for setting time of day. Why a website for the time? Don't you just tell them what time of day to set for the task?

Sorry, I forgot to say that it is run as an online contest, and so everyone uses the same time so everyone has the same thermals (if thermals are used).

What about CumulusX!? Do you distribute a .cmx file, or just specify a default setting?

The script.dat file is used by CumulusX! to place the thermals in FSX.

Ok, here's an odd thing, when I joined Peter's server, and also yours last night, I spawned at a local airport, Belleville, Ontario (CNU4), and I used a flight plan that had summer, August 6. Then I selected a Multiplayer Soaring Clock in CumulusX! of 6 hours (Peter's instructions), and when everything reloaded, I had autumn colours on all the trees. What is going on there?

I think it has something to do with it not being Summer, but I'd have to look at the documentation.

Scott

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I forgot to mention, the FS2004 users get an additional file (a .bgl file to show clouds for the thermals) and also they will need the slope files for region.

Scott

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Sorry, I forgot to say that it is run as an online contest, and so everyone uses the same time so everyone has the same thermals (if thermals are used).

Yep, I understand that everyone must set the same time to get the same thermals. I'm just not sure why you are sending them to a website for the time, versus just telling them to set the time to 2:00pm, for example. I'm thinking in terms of multiplayer. What we have been doing is distributing the saved Free Flight files, which includes the time and season, weather, etc.

The script.dat file is used by CumulusX! to place the thermals in FSX.

OK, I'm not familiar with the scripts. I and my friends have just been using CumulusX! Autogenerated thermals with the default configuration. What does the script do that Autogen thermals don't?

I fired up FSHost tonight, and my brother and my friend could not connect (Session not found), but they were able to connect to Peter's no problem. I had forwarded on the router:

23456 UDP

6073 UDP

6112 UDP

2300-2400 UDP

80 TCP

However in the Windows Firewall, I had all the above, except I did not do the entire 2300-2400 range, but only 2300.

Reason: I could not be arsed to make one hundred separate exceptions for those, as the Windows Firewall GUI makes you do, while my brother and friend were waiting for me to finish! (I thought those ports were for FS2004)

Anyhow, I have since run a script which opened all one hundred of those ports, but haven't been able to test it yet, other than I just ran FSPortTest_1.5 and it says everything is OK.

Do the players also need to forward and open all of those same ports?

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Ok, here's an odd thing, when I joined Peter's server, and also yours last night, I spawned at a local airport, Belleville, Ontario (CNU4), and I used a flight plan that had summer, August 6. Then I selected a Multiplayer Soaring Clock in CumulusX! of 6 hours (Peter's instructions), and when everything reloaded, I had autumn colours on all the trees. What is going on there?

"Soaring clock" adjusts also the season to a "summer" range, depending on if you are on North or South hemisphere, and on the current actual zulu time and date (provided, that your computer clock is ok). This is to constrain the date and time a suitable soaring condition all over the world. Still every day is different. That has beamed you into September. At Belleville there is already "Indian Summer".

The soaring clock function is a one-shot thing. You may change the date afterwards again.

regards,

Peter

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Ok, I'm going to leave this thing running today. I will be able to check on it from time to time from the office.

If anyone has a chance please see if you can connect to it at:

8fsserver.dyndns.org

Thanks

The webpage works fine, just not the player connections.

NOTE: I still think my idea of running FSHost on a separate dedicated server is facing one last hurdle, and that is the requirements for FSHost machine, and players to have all the same ports forwarded. With FSHost and my game on separate computers, my router refuses to forward the same ports to two different IP. I gather this is really concerning the Direct Play range of 2300-2400, and I found out about some software on the FSHost forum that can split that range in two. If it doesn't work, then this idea is doomed.

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NOTE: I still think my idea of running FSHost on a separate dedicated server is facing one last hurdle, and that is the requirements for FSHost machine, and players to have all the same ports forwarded. With FSHost and my game on separate computers, my router refuses to forward the same ports to two different IP. I gather this is really concerning the Direct Play range of 2300-2400, and I found out about some software on the FSHost forum that can split that range in two. If it doesn't work, then this idea is doomed.

There is an FAQ at chocolatesoftware how to deal with this situation.

best regards,

Peter

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I've read the FAQ, which specifically recommends to run FSHost and FSX on the same computer. On the forum, there are some old threads by persons trying to do what I'm trying, which is run them on separate computers behind same router, but they are all old threads and no report if anyone ever got it to work.

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I have still set up my session, so we can try now.

Much thanks to Peter, who took the time to check this out. Fortunately I saw this post just before I was about to shut everything down. Connectivity is confirmed with my FSHost, and we could see each other, which I did not expect would work, since I only have the required ports forwarded to the computer running FSHost. Hopefully, this will not break down when there are a large number connected.

And also, thanks bruin! I just checked on the server by VNC and noticed you had made a connection a few minutes ago.

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