I'm glad to say that I have RC4 working and interacting with FSX.  Once I got past the teething stage, I encountered a few questions:

1. I think I missed a config step, but I can't find it in the manual.  I'm hearing FSX ATC talking over the RC4 ATC.  I first noticed this when getting ATIS.  Then I noticed it on Center frequencies. I'd hear ATC talking to names that RC4 doesn't seem to support, like "Bombardier."  Can anybody tell me the step I missed?

2. If I need to save a flight and shut down the computer, how do I resume things to include RC4 ATC? 

Thanks, 

Ed 

Hi Ed,

1) Turn ATC Sound to zero in P3D but leave the option enabled.

2) This topic includes discussion on it plus a link to another discussion where a link to the download is provided.

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/545485-how-to-reload-rcd-files-with-p3d/

 

Hi Ray,  I'm not in P3D. I'm in FSX.   I have unchecked "Voice" and will test that. If there's another instruction, please let me know.

I found the disussion of loading and saving in the manual.  I have saved several flights since starting with RC4, and have searched my hard disk, but no RCD files are found.  Note that I have only saved with the semicolon, or dropdown, but never with ctrl-shift-semi.  Perhaps I need to learn to do that?

Thanks,

Ed

Hi Ed,

Leave Voice enabled. Just move the sound slider to zero.

The RCD files should be in the main FSX folder. You might want to consider a paid version of FSUIPC. That has an AutoSave function that will save the flight every x minutes. You can configure x but 3 is a good start. Then should FSX crash you can restart FSX, start RC4 and then load the latest RCD in RC4 and the aircraft should be relocated at the last saved position.

The save flight command in RC4 is Ctrl+Shift+; and will save the flight to a RCD. But the Autosave in FSUIPC will do it automatically and is strongly recommended.
https://secure.simmarket.com/pete-dowson-fsuipc4.phtml

Hi Ray,

I have the paid version of FSUIPC (4.9??? latest, checked this month.) 

Doing a full search of c:\ using the windows explorer, I can't find any RCD files other than four dated 2018 in the FS Commander 10 directory, named blackbox.  Unrelated.  Nothing for any of the autosaved files or any that I've saved myself using ; or the menu.

I just restarted everything, and saved a flight. I got a file in the name of my flight plan with filetype rc4. Also a file with extension icpbin and the name of my saved flight.  All in the 'Documents\Flight Simulator X Files' directory.  Still no RCD files in the main FSX directory or anywhere on the disk.

You wrote elsewhere reminding me that the software is 12 years old. It's also newer than the manual, so is it possible that this just doesn't work any more or that it's been changed from what is in the manual?

I realize also that nobody is paying you to answer all these questions, and I really appreciate your time and effort.

Thanks,

Ed

Hi Ed, I’ve turned off my flight sim computer. See if this discussion helps.

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/396905-saving-rcd-files/

It’s been several years since I used RC4 with FSX but given RC was specifically designed for FSX the saving of RCDs should be problem free. The program is newer than the manual due to bug fixes.

Hopefully that discussion will help. Try a manual save with CTRL+Shift+;

Hi Ed,

Having read the manual RCD files are saved to My Documents\Flight Simulator Files with Ctrl+Shift+; or ; or from the menu - Flight - Save Flight. Plus the autosave feature in FSUIPC.

I can't understand why an RCD file is not being saved to that location. Where is FSX installed? C:\FSX or C:\Program Files(x86)...

That might be a factor.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X

I clicked the Flt/WX path button, and found a legend of "RCD output folder."  I found the highlight on "This PC." So I set it to my Documents\Flight Simulator X Files  directory.  When I went back to check, it was set back to This PC again.  Do you know where RC stores it's configuration data?

Note thatthe Flt/WX path button is not shown in the manual.

 

Ed

Ed, the way RC saves paths is a little non-standard but it does work. It’s stored in keyboard.dat in the main RC folder but under no circumstances attempt to edit it with Notepad. It will corrupt the file. You can open it but may not be much help.

In all your posts you’ve not mentioned if you’re saving flights whilst airborne. You are airborne aren’t you? Silly question but I need to ask.

RCDs should be saved to the same folder as your flight plan and will include a wx file too for the weather. From memory there are around 3 files for each save and if RC4 is running there must be an RCD file.

Sadly Ronzie who used to help a lot with these issues died a year or so ago so I’m afraid it’s only me left from the original beta team. There are other RC users who may be able to offer assistance but most use P3D these days. But I do know saving a flight will generate an RCD. We just have to find out why it’s not working for you.

Can you post a screenshot of RC4 when it’s configured for a flight. That would help.

Funally, where is RC4 installed to?

Hi Ray,  

1. My flights are saved in the air. Both manually and by FSUIPC (paid) autosave. 

2. My FSX flight plans are saved in C:\user\edg\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files.  There are indeed three files per save (FLT, FSSAVE and WX), and when RC4 is running, there is an additional file, but it's not an RCD file. It's a .icpbin. At least two of these were generated in the RC4 filename format: 187-43939-K3020N-7$1.ipcbin (and friends).

3. I'm configuring RC4 for a flight now. I'm not sure what to take a screenshot of.  

4. I note the following data in the options: ces 12345 Prop
display text(OFF) play pilot(ON) auto reply(OFF) ckpt ding(ON) AI interaction(ON) tune on contact(ON) vfr squawk(1200) 250kt alt(10000) Pause sim @30 Alt dev(300) Hdg dev(15) Spd dev(10) AI chatter(ON) Live chatter(OFF) IFR Training(OFF)
.FLT/.WX Path = 

So the path is empty.   I pop up .FLT/.WX path and select my plan directory. 

Now I get: ces 12345 Prop
display text(OFF) play pilot(ON) auto reply(OFF) ckpt ding(ON) AI interaction(ON) tune on contact(ON) vfr squawk(1200) 250kt alt(10000) Pause sim @30 Alt dev(300) Hdg dev(15) Spd dev(10) AI chatter(ON) Live chatter(OFF) IFR Training(OFF)
.FLT/.WX Path = C:\Users\edg\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files

I'll actually set up the flight and start FS...  And, after starting the flight and then rc4, I save and, voila, success!  I have an RCD file. (Along with that icpbin.)

I checkout out the keyboard.dat file. Nothing that looks like a pathname.  I also checked out rvc3.dat and found the location of my Flight Simulator X files, properly recorded.  So what happens when I close everything down and open it again?  Do I lose the path?  Let's see....  Nope, stop and start... still have the path.  I think the key was to set the path in the .flt/.wx button and then actually start a flight! 

Note that popping up the flt/wx selection button still sets it to "This PC" and when I cancel out, it's reset to blank.  I had the editor oopen on the rcv3.dat file (no save, I promise 🙂 ) and when I did what was just described, I got a warning that the file had changed since Editing started.  So it's not as sticky as one would like. 

Lesson...  The path must be set before starting the flight. Only once. Don't go back to the button to see if it took. It didn't. 

Thanks for your help.  Happy flying. 

Ed

 

 

Hi Ed,

Glad you got it sorted. Yes, it's the rc4.dat that holds the critical info plus path to plans. Once you've set it that should be it. Here's what mine looks like. I run RC4 on a networked PC.