Current_Wx_snapshot

[vonmar 122]

I have several Active Sky programs that I can run on my home network workstation PC.

ASE    outputs a Current_Wx_snapshot.txt file to location/path folder A

AS2012    outputs a Current_Wx_snapshot.txt file to location/path folder B

ASN-FSX    outputs a Current_Wx_snapshot.txt file to location/path folder C

ASN-P3D    outputs a Current_Wx_snapshot.txt file to location/path folder D




When a program like FSbuild or Aviasoft EFB needs to get Wx I need to tell it where to get it from .. A, B, C OR D depending on which ActiveSky program I am using today.

Is there a way to have a copy of the Current_Wx_snapshot.txt file from all versions of Active Sky sent to one "common folder" on the hard drive where ActiveSky is running .... folder E (for example)?

Now I can point FSbuild or any other program to always go to folder E to get current Wx during the flight ... no matter which Active sky program generated it.

 

[liketofly1 11]

Hi vonmar

 

Hve you tried it with a symlink...? should work.....

 

regards

Richi

[vonmar 122]

Richi,

 

I looked it up and will gave mklink a try ..

[liketofly1 11]

Hi conmar,

 

good, please post your results if it works that way satisfactory

 

regards

Richi

[vonmar 122]

Richi,

 

I tested ... as far as I can tell, mklink is good for linking just one file from one folder to a user (common) folder.

 

But, I have several ActiveSky programs .. each creates a snapshot file and puts it in a different output folder.

 

What I need is .... anytime any one of the activesky programs creates a snapshot file it is copied to a specific common user folder ... which I could then use mlink to get and later used by FSBuild (or other program).

 

So, at any one time the common user folder would contain just one snapshot file ... the one just created by whichever ActiveSky program I just used.

 

Do you know how to do that?

 

 

Note:

I am not sure if or how ofter these snapshot files are created .. like during a flight .. but the most current one would always be available in the Common folder for use by other programs ... and all other user programs would be getting their snapshot from the one common folder ...

[kterz 49]

Hi Vaughan,

 

Actually there is a way to do this. It relies on (undocumented) code that keeps compatibility with older versions of AS. Here are the steps to do this:

 

- Create a (common) folder you want to keep the exported file, let's call this "F"

- Create a registry key in HKLM (Local Machine) in Software\HiFi called "ASv6" (If needed create the key HiFi too)

- Create a string registry value called "Install_Path" inside this key and edit its value to point to "F"

- Open up notepad then click File-Save As and then select "F" as the target folder and as name "ASv6.exe" (including the quotes).

 

This fake file will make ASN believe that AS v6 is installed and it will export the snapshot into this folder. This file is updated each time ASN parses new weather data (and it depends on your setdownload interval). You may run into security issues if ASN is not able to access HKLM, but if you have UAC disabled and run ASN as admin, I think you will not have any issues

 

This is a "dirty" unsupported solution, so give it a try at your own risk. In any case, this is a very interesting idea and we may automate and make this official in the future.

 

Let me know if this works for you! 

[vonmar 122]

Kostas,

Thanks for the reply.


I would love to try the registry edit.

But.

I do not want to error in doing / properly constructing the registry edit entry.

Do you have a screenshot of (or text example) of what the finished registry entry should look like  ... knowing that my "path/data e.g. would be different?


 

[liketofly1 11]

Hi Kostas

 

Thanks for that tip, I'll also give it a try

 

regards

Richi

 

Edit:

Thanks Kostas - that works like a treat, anyway for x64 systems the Registry path is 

HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\HiFi\ASv6

 

Here you go....

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwD0Mexs_kFCTGFPZVFHYWVwYzg&authuser=0

[kterz 49]

Hi Richard,

 

that's great, thanks for confirming it actually works

[vonmar 122]

Hi Kostas

 

Thanks for that tip, I'll also give it a try

 

regards

Richi

 

Edit:

Thanks Kostas - that works like a treat, anyway for x64 systems the Registry path is 

HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\HiFi\ASv6

 

Here you go....

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwD0Mexs_kFCTGFPZVFHYWVwYzg&authuser=0

 

With that one registry edit, will you then be able to export the snapshot file from each of these programs :

ASE

AS2012

ASN-FSX

ASN-P3D

 

 

TO :

 

The 1 user file you have created?

 

 

 

 

[liketofly1 11]

Hi

 

Yup, all of them update the Current_Wx_snapshot.txt in that folder whenever they are running

 

regards

[vonmar 122]

Hi

 

Yup, all of them update the Current_Wx_snapshot.txt in that folder whenever they are running

 

regards

 

Ok,

Sounds great.

Thanks for the follow up.

 

I have not done it yet.

 

I get nervous when I even think about RegEdit .. let alond actually doing (typing in) an edit to the registry.

[vonmar 122]

I now have my ActiveSky Next for FSX and P3D all updated and working on my 2 PC home network.

So I would like to fix my registry to get this done.


My client workstation PC has a shared folder to hold the ASN FSX , ASN P3D and ASE snapshots.
The folder name and path on my Winsows Vista 32 bit client PC is :
C:\ActiveSkySnapshots
This is where I would like all ASky currentWx snapshots sent to.


I did a screenshot of my current registry entries.
I have not edited this in any way. This is what I initially see right now.


I need to know what to add, delete or modify to get this working so all my ASky programs will send there current weather snapshot to C:\ActiveSkySnapshots.

 

I hope I only have do a small edit .... to this original data in the registry?



*****

OK, done : - Create a (common) folder you want to keep the exported file, let's call this "F"

OK, It was already present :- Create a registry key in HKLM (Local Machine) in Software\HiFi called "ASv6" (If needed create the key HiFi too)

OK, Already present :- Create a string registry value called "Install_Path" inside this key and edit its value to point to "F"

 

** I do not understand this part  ...:

- Open up notepad then click File-Save As and then select "F" as the target folder and as name "ASv6.exe" (including the quotes).

 

*** I do not understand this part either

:This fake file will make ASN believe that AS v6 is installed and it will export the snapshot into this folder. This file is updated each time ASN parses new weather data (and it depends on your setdownload interval). You may run into security issues if ASN is not able to access HKLM, but if you have UAC disabled and run ASN as admin, I think you will not have any issues

 

*****

Additional info if needed:

To get to the snapshots from the server use this shared network path and name:
\\HOMEWS1\ActiveSkySnapshots

 

[kterz 49]

Hi,

 

assuming that the screenshot is at "Local machine" here, then 2 possibilites:

 

- Double click the install_path and paste: "C:\ActiveSkySnapshots"

- Make sure "ASv6.exe" is present in this folder. If it's already present in C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Roaming\HiFi\ASE, then copy it to C:\ActiveSkySnapshots. If it's not present, then make a fake one (as suggested above). If you run into trouble, let me know and I'll attach a fake "ASv6.exe" file to you

 

I am about to simplify this. I'll add an option ("Common export path"), so that you can do this using ASN itself with no need for registry changes. Not sure when this will be released though.

[vonmar 122]

Kostas,

 

It worked!

I had "ASv6.exe"  here already: C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Roaming\HiFi\ASE,

then copy it to C:\ActiveSkySnapshots..... I copied it.

 

I double clicked that registry line and entered C:\ActiveSkySnapshots

 

All working.

I Tested with ASE for FS9 and ASN (FSX) so far ...

 

I will test ASN(P3D) next ..

Yes , it worked also.

 

Thanks a'lot for the extra help.

Much appreciated.