GTN ini File Questions

[ark 1,288]

I would like to check my understanding of the following GTN ini file options because I find some of the comments a bit cryptic. 

; connects GPS to Autopilot if true.

LinkOto = true     I know what this does, but what does the O in LinkOto represent? Seems like LinkAP would be clearer.

; connects GPS to HSI if true.

LinkHsi = true     Does this mean the GPS drives the HSI’s course deviation bar?

; connects GPS to HSI course motor if true.

LinkCrs = true     I assume this means the GPS drives the HSI course pointer arrow.

; connects GPS to OBS input if true (LinkHsi/OBS or AutoNavSource/OBS) (NB: HSI/OBS = NAV1 OBS).

LinkObs = true    Comment is confusing to me. Does this mean the GPS will drive a VOR OBS ring if the OBS ring is servo driven?

; connects GPS to VOR if true.

LinkVor = true     Does this mean the GPS will drive the VOR course deviation needle?

; enables automatic GPS/VLOC selection.

AutoSelect = true   Does this mean the GPS will switch from GPS to VLOC when a Localizer signal is received on an approach?

For the two parameters below, are the Shadin Air Data and Fuel  computers something the a/c developer would of had to specialty code?

; connects GPS to Shadin Air Data computer if true.

UseAirData = true

; connects GPS to Shadin Fuel Data computer if true.

UseFuelData = true

Finally, how can I permanently turn off the Optimize settings file .ini  option in the settings 2D popup?

Thanks, appreciate the help.

Al

Edited February 25, 2019 by ark

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

Autopilot aka "Otto"

 

FSX/P3D have separate variables for HSI and VOR..

Some airplane vendors use VOR on occasion when HSI would be a more logical choice.. this gives you an option to drive those gauges regardless of how they are coded..

[ark 1,288]

3 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

Autopilot aka "Otto"

Ah ha!    😃

Thanks  Bert

[ark 1,288]

1 hour ago, Bert Pieke said:

FSX/P3D have separate variables for HSI and VOR..

Some airplane vendors use VOR on occasion when HSI would be a more logical choice.. this gives you an option to drive those gauges regardless of how they are coded..

Yes, I was thinking if there is no HSI in the a/c, the GTN could be used to drive the VOR, e.g., a typical C172.  I guess the a/c developer would have to write code to implement having the GTN drive the OBS ring?

Thanks again,

Al

Edited February 25, 2019 by ark

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

No, that is what the options in the ini file are for.. you can drive the OBS setting via a flightsim variable.  That is, assuming the addon was programmed with the standard SDK as a guide..

Edited February 25, 2019 by Bert Pieke

[ark 1,288]

38 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

No, that is what the options in the ini file are for.. you can drive the OBS setting via a flightsim variable.  That is, assuming the addon was programmed with the standard SDK as a guide..

OK, I see now. In effect the GTN uses the same sim variable(s) that turning the VOR's OBS knob manually would use -- makes sense. A nice feature if you need it.

Al

Edited February 25, 2019 by ark

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

Correct..

[ark 1,288]

Another question.....

If I edit the GTN ini file and change the MasterDevice setting, say from false to true, then after I reload the plane ( without shutting down the sim ) I find the MasterDevice setting has been changed back to its original value. Do you have to make text editor changes to the ini file with the sim (P3dv4.4 in this case) shut down?

Thx,

Al

Edited February 26, 2019 by ark

[fppilot 4,350]

11 hours ago, ark said:

Another question.....

If I edit the GTN ini file and change the MasterDevice setting, say from false to true, then after I reload the plane ( without shutting down the sim ) I find the MasterDevice setting has been changed back to its original value. Do you have to make text editor changes to the ini file with the sim (P3dv4.4 in this case) shut down?

Thx, 

Al

Two answers to this that I know of.  Fiirst. If you change the .ini file with a text editor, then you will need to reload the subject aircraft in the sim.  I routinely load a different aircraft first, then reload the subject aircraft. 

Second answer is this.  If in the sim, in the subject aircraft, you have the gauge's settings menu open (shift +right-click).  If out of the sim you edit the .ini file with a text editor, and save it, then you reenter the sim, again with that settings menu open, then close that settings menu, it may rewrite variables into the .ini file.

Also it should be mentioned if not already, many of the RXP GTN variables are aircraft model specific.  So if you make changes in say the Milviz Baron, those changes will not cross over to for example the A2A 182 Skyhawk.  You must make the changes for both.  There is a drag and drop method for applying settings from one aircraft to another but I have not used that method.

[Indy511 686]

3 hours ago, fppilot said:

I routinely load a different aircraft first, then reload the subject aircraft.

Under Key Assignments is Reload User Object. I assigned Ctrl+Shift+Z. Works great after editing relevant files.

[ark 1,288]

Thanks for the ideas fellows. I'm still having some trouble getting the MasterDevice = true assignment in the GTN ini file to 'stick' for some reason.

Al

 

[RXP 2,336]

On 2/25/2019 at 2:29 PM, ark said:

; connects GPS to OBS input if true (LinkHsi/OBS or AutoNavSource/OBS) (NB: HSI/OBS = NAV1 OBS).
LinkObs = true    Comment is confusing to me. Does this mean the GPS will drive a VOR OBS ring if the OBS ring is servo driven?

; enables automatic GPS/VLOC selection.
AutoSelect = true   Does this mean the GPS will switch from GPS to VLOC when a Localizer signal is received on an approach?

For the two parameters below, are the Shadin Air Data and Fuel  computers something the a/c developer would of had to specialty code?

; connects GPS to Shadin Air Data computer if true.
UseAirData = true

; connects GPS to Shadin Fuel Data computer if true.
UseFuelData = true

Finally, how can I permanently turn off the Optimize settings file .ini  option in the settings 2D popup?

Hi,

A little late to the discussion but you've figured out most of it already.

First things first: there is no need to manually edit these settings. The GUI Configuration Panel offers a much better interface to the settings than notepad and shields you from user errors. There are only a couple settings only manually editable and documented in the User's Manual.

As for the Optimize option, it is opt-out always. This is by design for 4 reasons at least:

• There is no need to manually edit the settings.
• This de-clutters the file a lot because the GTN uses sane defaults already (only settings manually set to a value which is not the default is saved).
• This saves parsing file content when posted on the support forum helping spot user custom settings easily.
• This helps us moving forward with setting changes in the future.

Here is some more details for the other items:

LinkOto: instead of 'Otto' or AP: typo at first which got carried over, and this aligns nicely with the other 3-letters Link###

LinkObs: a strong advocate for using the GUI Configuration Panel instead! Try HSI+OBS+VOR, then unselect HSI and see what happens to OBS. TL;DR: either connect the HSI OBS if HSI (regardless of VOR link), or the VOR OBS is VOR link only.

NB: this setting is an input to the GTN: this 'feeds' the GTN with the OBS value (try pressing the OBS button on the GTN screen and then change the HSI/VOR knob depending, with an active TO WPT)

AutoSelect: it is deprecated and the latest version removes it from the ini file as well. The comment was wrong, so was the setting. Use AFMS GPS Selected instead.

NB: the automatic GPS->VLOC feature is a parameter in the GTN System Pages.

Shadin Computers: the GTN embeds a full simulation of Shadin Fuel and Air Data computers which connect to the GTN when enabled. This enables 'Sensor' data in the Utilities page (fuel planning etc...)

Edited March 5, 2019 by RXP

[ark 1,288]

Thanks for the info, Jean-Luc.

Al