Simconnect - could someone explain?

[Kenjiro75 59]

Hi,

whenever I look i see topics related to that mysterious (for me) Simconnect. I know this is a dll library that somehow connects MSFS with third-party addons. What I'd like to know is if this simconnect (recently fixed for stuttering issue, as I have read) needs to be downloaded & installed somehow? Or is it a part of MSFS? How to use it? Is it used automatically? On the drive I installed MSFS I can see the simconnect.dll file, so it must have been copied there by MSFS itself or something else (but I don't have any addons yet). So, what should I do in relation to that simconnect, if I want to use say fseconomy or other external addon?

Thank you!

[Adrian123 1,015]

Simconnect simply runs in the back ground and is an interface to the "Outside World". Now if you want to use in a network configuration, there are a few more steps that must be implemented. Simconnect.dll is included with the sim and no futher action is required. Most if not all addons such as FSEconomy that uses Simconnect has a tutorial on how to set it up if needed most just....work. FSUIPC 7 for example.

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Adrian123

[dobee51 348]

I have several issues with Simconnect.

I have been trying to get Plan-G flight planner to work with MSFS 2020. I read that Simconnect was having problems with MSFS, but they were fixed with the last patch.

The instructions at Plan-G alpha forum say to copy the simconnect.dll from the SDK into the Plan-G main directory. The date stamp on that file is July 22. Is there an updated file in a different directory?

I was able to get Plan-G to work on the same computer as MSFS, but I would prefer to run it on my other laptop and sim-connect via the wireless network. That way I can have the map running on a second computer, and won't have to flip back and forth from the sim to the map.

It's been pretty much of a nightmare dealing with two different firewalls; this is not the first time I have gone round and round with simconnect applications. There should be an easy way to open a connection between two computers on a home network. Seems to me it used to be much easier.

[Adrian123 1,015]

Does Plan G tell you how to obtain the Simconnect.dll and where to install it? Then what to do to use in a network? I know Littlenavmap has a good explanation.  As far as firewalls, I feel your pain but it is a MS boogey man deal.

Edited September 4, 2020 by Adrian123

[Kenjiro75 59]

56 minutes ago, Adrian123 said:

Simconnect.dll is included with the sim and no futher action is required.

One more question, then. On MSFS forum I saw a tutorial for LittleNavMap. One of the steps gives a link to download & install simconnect. If you say Simconnect is included with the sim, should I omit that step or download and install?

[Adrian123 1,015]

3 minutes ago, Kenjiro75 said:

If you say Simconnect is included with the sim

Dont quote me on that! 😉 Get confused running three sims. You may have to install the simconnect.dll for MSFS, I think you do. It is acquired by enabling Dev Mode in the sim and downloading the SDK which includes the Simconnect.dll. Then installing, copy and paste. in the proper location. You can Google that location. (Why it's not there by default is beyond me)

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Adrian123

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

23 minutes ago, Kenjiro75 said:

One of the steps gives a link to download & install simconnect. If you say Simconnect is included with the sim, should I omit that step or download and install?

SimConnect is the API, the "application programming interface" of MSFS. The older sims had a similar API with the same name, and these APIs are somewhat compatible.

An API is not something that you install, it is part of the software itself. In this case, SimConnect is an integral part of MSFS, just like it was in FSX and is in P3D. The point of an API is to make communications possible for external programs, and to do that consistently the same way in every version of the software (otherwise everyone would have to rewrite their addons every time there is a new version of the base platform). A program that wants to access the API must be constructed using the API libraries that are provided by the manufacturer of the software. In case of our sims, if you want to write a program that talks to MSFS, you have to use the libraries provided by Asobo in the SDK. In the old days it was the same, you would compile your app with the libraries from the FSX SDK.

The SimConnect API is backwards compatible, but not the other way around. So a program that was made for FSK SimConnect can talk to MSFS - but no program that was made for MSFS could talk to FSX. But the different SimConnect API versions over the years are not fully independent. In the early days, an extra client program was required, as an intermediate between your program and the SimConnect "server". That architecture made it possible to run the addon on a separate computer, because that client program handled all the communictations to the sim over the IP network (even when installed locally).

Older software, that was built with the FSX SimConnect libraries, still requires this client program - and that is what you install. An up-to-date addon program, that was built with the current MSFS libraries, doesn't need any extra client. So if an installation manual says that you are supposed to install a SimConnect client, you know that this program has not been built to MSFS specification. That doesn't mean that it won't work, just that it is using old tech. It is the choice of the programmer if he updates his code or not. As long as people are prepared to install 14 year old client programs, everything is fine.

Long story short - a program that is using an old version of the SimConnect libraries requires an extra SimConnect client program. You have to install that, or the addon won't work.

Best regards

Edited September 4, 2020 by Lorby_SI

[Tinribs 52]

I remember SimConnect as a "mandatory" install if you were running things like ActiveSky over a network.

Just lately, I have found out SimConnect is also mandatory if you want to get things like the "JetSeat" & "Sim Shaker For Aviators (for the JetSeat)" or "SimShaker Sound Module (for the Buttkicker Gamer 2)" to talk to MSFS 20 so that Flaps, Gear, Stall Warning, Engine Rumble and a plethora of other things transmit to the JetSeat.

I don't know if things have change but I had to enable Developer Mode in MSFS 20, then download the SDK. However, this did not get SimConnect actually working. I had to download SimConnect as an additional install (it is quite small, so I installed it to C:) rather than my MSFS 20 install M2 Drive E:.

Once the above was done, Sim Shaker gave me a big fat green tick to say it was talking to MSFS 20/Jetseat. My kidneys have not been the same since!

[Adrian123 1,015]

You have an expert know with Lorby person. Thanks for jumping in there. 🙂

Edited September 4, 2020 by Adrian123

[Adrian123 1,015]

Just now, Tinribs said:

I remember SimConnect as a "mandatory" install if you were running things like ActiveSky over a network.

That's were i learned the simconnect world years ago!

[dobee51 348]

29 minutes ago, Adrian123 said:

Does Plan G tell you how to obtain the Simconnect.dll and where to install it? Then what to do to use in a network? I know Littlenavmap has a good explanation.  As far as firewalls, I feel your pain but it is a MS boogey man deal.

The PDF that comes with Plan-G only mentions that it now supports MSFS 2020 but none of the actual sample procedures, tutorials have specific instructions for MSFS.  One example tells you how to set up FSX with an IPv4  and using the IP address of the computer running FSX, and the next example half tells you how to do it slightly differently with P3d and IPv6. Then they say just change your simconnect.xml file, and that is asking for totally different values, like port number and it doesn't have an address field for you computer IP address.

I hoped FSUIPC would make it easier, but that didn't work either.

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

8 minutes ago, Tinribs said:

I remember SimConnect as a "mandatory" install if you were running things like ActiveSky over a network.

Just lately, I have found out SimConnect is also mandatory if you want to get things like the "JetSeat" & "Sim Shaker For Aviators (for the JetSeat)" or "SimShaker Sound Module (for the Buttkicker Gamer 2)" to talk to MSFS 20 so that Flaps, Gear, Stall Warning, Engine Rumble and a plethora of other things transmit to the JetSeat.

I don't know if things have change but I had to enable Developer Mode in MSFS 20, then download the SDK. However, this did not get SimConnect actually working. I had to download SimConnect as an additional install (it is quite small, so I installed it to C:) rather than my MSFS 20 install M2 Drive E:.

Once the above was done, Sim Shaker gave me a big fat green tick to say it was talking to MSFS 20/Jetseat. My kidneys have not been the same since!

"mandatory": because many programmers settled for one version of SimConnect: FSX Acceleration - and stuck to that forever. By forcing you to install the FSX Accel SimConnect client they never had to update their product to the current spec (and also because FSX:SE and P3D were providing backwards compatibility to that version - not so with MSFS, the API is only partially compatible/functional)

You can't just install any SimConnect client, hoping that it will somehow work. You need the client that belongs to the libraries that were used when the add was made. Only their installation manual can tell you which one that is.

Edited September 4, 2020 by Lorby_SI

[dobee51 348]

11 minutes ago, Lorby_SI said:

SimConnect is the API, the "application programming interface" of MSFS. The older sims had a similar API with the same name, and these APIs are somewhat compatible.

An API is not something that you install, it is part of the software itself. In this case, SimConnect is an integral part of MSFS, just like it was in FSX and is in P3D. The point of an API is to make communications possible for external programs, and to do that consistently the same way in every version of the software (otherwise everyone would have to rewrite their addons every time there is a new version of the base platform). A program that wants to access the API must be constructed using the API libraries that are provided by the manufacturer of the software. In case of our sims, if you want to write a program that talks to MSFS, you have to use the libraries provided by Asobo in the SDK. In the old days it was the same, you would compile your app with the libraries from the FSX SDK.

The SimConnect API is backwards compatible, but not the other way around. So a program that was made for FSK SimConnect can talk to MSFS - but no program that was made for MSFS could talk to FSX. But the different SimConnect API versions over the years are not fully independent. In the early days, an extra client program was required, as an intermediate between your program and the SimConnect "server". That architecture made it possible to run the addon on a separate computer, because that client program handled all the communictations to the sim over the IP network (even when installed locally).

Older software, that was built with the FSX SimConnect libraries, still requires this client program - and that is what you install. An up-to-date addon program, that was built with the current MSFS libraries, doesn't need any extra client. So if an installation manual says that you are supposed to install a SimConnect client, you know that this program has not been built to MSFS specification. That doesn't mean that it won't work, just that it is using old tech. It is the choice of the programmer if he updates his code or not. As long as people are prepared to install 14 year old client programs, everything is fine.

Long story short - a program that is using an old version of the SimConnect libraries requires an extra SimConnect client program. You have to install that, or the addon won't work.

Best regards

So what are you saying? Plan-G asks for the new simconnect.dll. MsFS has a new simconnect.xml. How do you make them work?

[Adrian123 1,015]

Why were they not all "Backwards" compatible? Always been curious about that.

 

[Adrian123 1,015]

Just now, dobee51 said:

simconnect.xml. How do you make them work?

Don't confuse simconnect.xml with simconnect.dll!