Users - Simconnect Client Advice.

[jordanal 70]

OK, From a user's perspective, I understand that there's a seperate installer for the simmconnect client somewhere on the DVDs. (Where?, just haven't had a chance to find yet.) Many of us, including myself, run a WideFS/WideClient machine so I guessing that as Simconnect add-ons emerge, we're going to want to run them on a Simmconnect client just like a WideClient.I'd like to know what I as a user need to do now to be properly prepared for the first remote capable add-on.Find the installer, put it on the client PC, and wait?BTW, what ports need to be open for firewalls? I know WideFS was 8002.Thank for preliminary setup advise.:-beerchug

[Pete Dowson 558]

>I'd like to know what I as a user need to do now to be>properly prepared for the first remote capable add-on.First, let me say that this is not something I've had time to research much, so the following is just my understanding of what I've read in the SimConnect documentation, and gleaned from reading others' postings. It certainly is not what I have determined from practice.I suspect such add-ons, at least if professionally put together, would come with the re-distributable part of SimConnect (it is an MSI, Microsoft Installer package), and hopefully would install it for you and even configure it. As well as running the MSI file there's an INI file which would need IP address or server name and port parameter settings, and an XML file on the Server.Currently I think that file (simconnect.msi) is only available in the Core Utilities part of the SDK, which is only on the DVD for the DeLuxe edition. So if add-on publishers don't include it they are going to have many problems with non-Deluxe users.>BTW, what ports need to be open for firewalls? I know WideFS>was 8002.The WideFS port is configurable, but, yet 8002 is defaluted. Recent versions also used 9002 for broadcasting and initial automatic connection (optional). That's configurable too.For SimConnect I think it can be almost anything providing it's the same both ends (set in the Simconnect.CFG file on the client and the Simconnect.xml file on the Server). Unlike WideFS you can have connections from a client to more than one Server, and in that case the port would need to be different for each connection.There's probably a default port set when you install the facility, but I haven't done it myself so I don't know what it is offhand. There won't be a default Server address though, of course. I don't think there's a facility for automatically finding a sole server. Mind you, I didn't have one in WideFS till last year! ;-)RegardsPete

[rich135 0]

<<>>SDKCore Utilities KitSimConnect SDKlibSimConnect.msi .<<>>For a "wide" connection, the following things must be done by someone, or something, on both client and server (FSX) machine:On the server side, the file :Documents and SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftFSXSimConnect.xml must exist be be modified from the defaults as follows (assuming basic IPv4):global8002 (or any value between 1025 and 65000 would also be OK)This will cause FSX to listen on port 8002, all interfaces. If you want to listen on only a specific interface, then specify it in the

tag. Note, if you omit , the current behavior assigns RANDOM port numbers (not a fixed default port number) each time FSX starts up. This is probably not what was intended, but unfortunately what it does.Note, if SimConnect.xml does not exist, it should be copied from the SDK configs folder and then modified.On the client side, the file MyDocumentsSimConnect.cfg must be created (or copied from the SDK) as follows:IPv4

a.b.c.d

(substitute FSX server IP address)8002 (must match server port)4096 (must match server config)If the client and server values do not match, or configs are placed in the wrong folder, the client will likely return H_FAIL result on SimConnect_Open (in the .NET wrapper, an exception will be thrown by the the SimConnect object).<<>>Since there appears to be no default port number, your firewall must match the configured port number. If anyone has seen different behavior, please advise.Seeing how users and add-on developers handle the initial setup is going to be interesting.Regards,Rich Lucas