I stress: this is an interim patch because I was not happy with holding you up any longer. It's downloadable from the PILOT'S website for those early users such as yourselves. You don't need to clean out any files from either sim ('Delete Generated Files') shortcut but you will need to uninstall the current version and reboot if requested to do so.

I have fixed a lot of minor bugs. The major ones are:

VC trim controls now work

VC radios fixed

Fuel transfer fixed

2/3 gyropilot fixed (no rudder control yet - I thought that the pitch and bank were the most pressing need)

Updates to the Part 2 manual, especially around the gyropilot section. Also, I added a new section at the beginning detailing some problems with ALL versions of the sim.

 

Not fixed and being actively worked on:

 

The gyropilot rudder (obviously!)

VC cockpit startup procedure

ADF ident sound is currently permanently off. This one is giving every appearance of a bug in the SDK but there has to be a workaround. If you're a systems developer then you'll know how unreliable the FSX and all P3D SDKs are.

Some texture problems e.g. the rudder trim marker is black instead of white. Don't ask - I've been working on the assumption that there was a code problem which was my fault and the marker was completely missing. Someone here noted that the generator controls and the pyrometer-potentiometer have no backlighting and so can only just be read at night. This is correct; they don't have backlighting and they also do not have the luminescent lighting of the other instruments. I need to make these much darker at night so that can only be read with the overhead light turned on. There are a few other texture problems too.

 

IanFisher: your request to have the radios auto-tune. I thought long about this one and finally decided against it. I have two reasons for this:

1. P3D v5.1 introduced 8.33KHz channel spacing. This has only been officially in use in real life for that last five years or so, but does date back about ten years earlier. This is way out of the B-314's time period.

2. It would be a huge undertaking to re-code to ignore 8.33KHz stations. Basically I would need to scan the entire comms database in P3Dv5.1 and above, then tag which stations to ignore. This would need doing on every startup just in case a new addon has an 8.33KHz station in it.

I can be argued out of this position with good reasons.

 

Finally: thank you all for reporting bugs. Many of these should have been identified by the beta testers and I'm not going to make any excuses about it. Please keep reporting. It sounds like I'm using you as additional beta testers but this is far from the truth. I want this thing fixed so you can enjoy it.

-Dai

Dai thank you so much for the update! I bought the clipper yesterday, and was frustrated to see it was unflyable, but saw the potential,  knowing that you and Stefan are aware and working on the issues makes me feel better. This is such a rare aircraft to have in sim, if it takes a little longer so what, it'll be worth the wait.

Thanks again

Hi Dai,

Thank you for this.  Sorry to be so dense...but I'm not quite sure I understand the installation instructions.  You say: "You don't need to clean out any files from either sim ('Delete Generated Files') shortcut but you will need to uninstall the current version and reboot if requested to do so."  

I haven't done the update yet so maybe my confusion would be answered if I did...but as of now my confusion is "You don't need to clean out any files..." but then you say "Delete Generated Files"...that seems contradictory.  Also, after saying I don't need to delete any files you say "...will need to uninstall the current version...".  Also what does the reference to the "shortcut" mean.

So am I correct in that I will need to uninstall the current version and then load the updated version?  And, after that there will be some "Generated Files" from that install that I will need to delete?

Thanks,

Garry

'Delete Generated Files' is a command in all versions of P3D that cleans out any files that have been created by the sim. The most obvious one is that it resets all of your simulator Options to default settings. It's quite often useful to help kill off a rogue add-on and is frequently employed by developers to set the sim into a known state. What I am saying here is that you do not need to run the batch file. There's a bracket in the wrong place - my apologies. It should have read:

"You don't need to clean out any files from either sim (the 'Delete Generated Files' shortcut) but you will need to uninstall the current version and reboot if requested to do so."

 

Okay...got it...thanks,

Garry

Ohhh, I didnt know, thx for update, I'll try it.

Btw. ADF works now or not yet?

Edited December 18, 20205 yr by YoYo

RDF works 😄 but no ident signal. I turned it off permanently until I can find out why the KEY_ADF(2)_IDENT_TOGGLE methods don't work in the sim. There is a workaround because other releases have the on/off switch. I just haven't found it yet.

Thank you, Dai, this update is great news for me.

Peter

More to follow, just as soon as the gyropilot is in a releasable state. I say 'releaseable state' rather than 'fixed' because someone will find some way of breaking it... 😄

Edited December 18, 20205 yr by dragonflightdesign

Hi DragonFlydesign,

I know you as a respected contributor on FsDeveloper and I also understand you are taking over and fixing some else "production"...
So I hope you don't feel offended by my remarks.   

On 12/16/2020 at 12:52 PM, dragonflightdesign said:

If you're a systems developer then you'll know how unreliable the FSX and all P3D SDKs are.

You know much better than I that "event flooding" can have a significant impact on the simulator, the most well know being the impossibility of opening any door/exit except  the main (number one).
And its a petty, because the model have 4 nice exits, which can only be seen using the "DoorControl" small freeware gauge.

I discovered that there are between 600 and 1150 events sent every second to the simulator. Fixing that may (I say MAY) help on other issues.

In am using ONLY the VC. I can start the engines using only the starter : no Starter Booster, that KILLS the start process, no primer, no Engine Fuel Pump needed.

On 12/18/2020 at 4:29 PM, dragonflightdesign said:

ident signal. I turned it off permanently

Sorry, but suddently, while doing a short fly, they went on. Switching of the Rear Wall Radio receive and Radio trans switches (from the VC) did not "silent" them.
I don't remember having done anything special (I was even letting the autopilot manage the B314).

On 12/16/2020 at 12:52 PM, dragonflightdesign said:

I have fixed a lot of minor bugs.

For the future :
- We really need ToolsTip on some click spots : for example, it is almost impossible to verify that elevator trim is set to zero.
- The autopilot On/Off lever is labelled the opposite way than on the 2D panel - I think the 3D is wrong.

That's all for a first flight 🙂

Thank you for taking care of this beautiful FlyBoat.

Gérard

Edited December 20, 20205 yr by gaab

I am never offended by bug/problem reports! 😄

 

Hmmm...

The ident signal is definately off here.

Haven't looked at the VC startup yet - I did say that in the introduction.

I've killed a lot of the un-necessary events. Those that are left are needed and don't appear to affect my framerate. I have a mid-range PC (Intel i5 at 3.2Ghz) and I'm getting 50+fps on a 'new' installation of P3Dv5.1

I'm told it isn't possible to add dynamic tooltips to VC clickspots, but you're saying it is possible? Must look further at that.

I have fixed the autopilot label - it should have made its way into the patch but obviously didn't. My apologies.

The doors do open (shift + e).

 

What will be in the next interim patch:

 

That autopilot label!

The VC rudder trim indicator is now white instead of black

Gyropilot pitch control has been improved

Gyropilot rudder control

A 'helper window' to show what demands you have dialed into the gyropilot.

Trim control between the 2D and VC panel has been correctly aligned.

Additional pictures in pt.1 of the manual and additional information on the gyropilot in pt.2 of the manual.

 

After that: some textures and the VC startup.

Gérard : can you give me an exact VC startup sequence please? I can't reproduce the problem you are describing, except for the Booster button killing the engine rotation.

 

Sorry, I just discoverred your message.

I was convinced to have ask for notifications...

1 - The start-up sequence - just activate the  starter nothing else. As already mentionned the Starter Booster kills the start sequence.

I am not at home. Will give you the detailed sequence in few days.

2 - Event flooding : it is not a matter of fps, but the model has 4 doors. Just try to open the others : shift-e + 2 or 3 or 4 and let me know if you get them. 😉

Just ask on FsDeveloper...

3 - Tootips : you had some answer on FsDeveloper. To save time, look at the Learning Center :

SDK/sdk / panel / gauge / reference / tooltip.

Thank you to take the time to respond...

 

Gérard.

 

Hi Gérard

Pushing the starter with mags and fuel on for me just cranks the engine. No start, so yes, I do need an exact setup to find out why the engines start for you. Save a scenario and post it?

-Dai

A well known Dragonflightdesign wrote in October 2020 on FsDeveloper

Code flooding is never a good idea. Always avoid, even if it means writing check code to go around the actual event.

😉

You will get a detailed start-up sequence on Tuesday.

Gérard