alhefner

Well, darn it! CoolIP, I see that you used the same search term I used and actually came up with a result! No idea why it didn't work for me. Thank you sir!

tried to find that one with a search of the library... couldn't find it using either "Flight Simulator First Officer" or just "First Officer". Any chance you have a link?

As it turns out, FSX button assignment in addition to FSUIPC assignments DID cause double button presses! Using one or the other works fine but if both have button assignments, both will send button presses to FSX... so, a button to toggle the landing gear, for example, assigned in both FSUIPC and FSX will not raise the landing gear because the program receives two button presses. It doesn't matter, as far as I can tell, which one you use to assign buttons as long as it is only one of them. Now, I gotta figure out the axis calibration thing! It's all working but I kinda want to refine how the yoke axis respond a bit. Not sure how to get FSUIPC to override the FSX (windows) calibration...I'm sure it's in the manual...I just ain't deciphered it yet.

I assigned buttons via FSUIPC just like I had/have them through FSX itself. When I tried them out, it 'seemed' that I was getting the result as if I had pressed the button twice. Sooooo.... do I have to remove the button assignments from FSX? What about control axis assignments and calibrations? Should I delete the yoke, throttle, and pedals (I use CH pedals) from FSX then go into FSUIPC to calibrate and assign the axis to functions? What about the toe brakes? I couldn't find an axis in FSUIPC for those at all. Just a little noob confusion going on here is all. Thanks folks!

I see that the wideFS 'server' is part of FSUIPC now. I don't have my computer networked to any other machine and don't plan on doing so. Since there is no networking going on, is there some functionality that the wideFS client would provide?

When I use free flight, I don't seem to have a co-pilot to handle the radio, set flaps, etc... It makes flying some aircraft a bit of a chore to say the least. On pre-configured 'missions", I sometimes have a co-pilot that at least handle the radios. Any way for me to get that co-pilot functionality with just FSX or will I need to get an addon for that?

I'm convinced... I'll be getting the full version of FSUIPC soon. It seems that setup might be a little 'involved' but it also sounds like it's very much worth the price and effort. Thanks folks!

Sounds like "it is what it is". That's OK too. I ay get an ATC addon as suggested. For now, I think I'll make my flight plans VFR for the short hops and sight seeing tours...I might also drop using larger jets to fly those with

First of all, I am not a real world pilot nor do I have ANY training. I play around with FSX for the learning experience and to have a bit of fun. Anyway, just for the fun of it, I made a flight plan from Reno, NV to the Tahoe airport on the north end of Lake Tahoe with a bit of sight seeing on the way and flying a Bombardier CRJ700. The straight line path is very short but the 3 sightseeing legs of the trip add time as well as allowing for a fairly easy approach to the destination. First thing I noticed was the ATC directing me off of the path in the flight plan. In fact, ATC has kept me off of the path I had intended though it did direct me to the destination airport in a more straight path. I did miss an approach and the ATC seemed to be directing me back onto the flight plan I had filed for the next attempt but I had to quit the game as other things happened before I could finish it up. So, is it normal for ATC to direct someone off of a flight plan that has been accepted?

Hmmmm...something to be working on I think. It would be kind of nice to be able to make the flight plan, such as a sight seeing plan, in google earth or even some mapping program like Delorme or Garmin then export the "route file" to use...it would have the elevations associated with waypoints...hmmmmm....

That's good stuff for routes already planned and saved but, I want to be able to sue the topography in the planning stage. Perhaps there is a way to interface FS Commander with Google Earth for that too? If so, I would love to know how that's done!

I like using FS Commander for making my VFR flight plans but the default map is pretty much jut a black background with a few features such as lakes and rivers along with all the navaids and airports. I was wondering if there is something out there that would put the topography on the map.

I have FS Commander so, I do have some FSUIPC installed so that can communicate and I've been considering getting the full paid version of FSUIPC for better control/calibration and use of my yoke and pedals. If I do get the full version, will I have to go through an uninstall procedure of what FS Commander put in when I installed that?

I found that using "uninstall" from control panel doesn't quite clean things up very well. You also should delete the folder that contains the program files and then run a good registry cleaner to sort out all the misc. stuff left behind. Once you do that, all traces of the old FSX install should be gone and the install process of putting it back won't take quite as long... it'll still say removinb applications but, it shouldn't sit there forever.

I didn't see that radio button... probably because I didn't look for it! I'll have to try that out tomorrow when I'm at home. Knowing I can change it in notepad is interesting too. Thanks!

To be clear, the flight plans I'm trying to use were generated using FS Commander and saved. When I load a saved flight plan, I'm unable to use it in VFR flight. If I choose VFR from the flight plan page after laoding the plan, FSX takes me to where I would be generating a new flight plan and saving it. Does that mean that FS Commander is not allowing for VFR flight in the flight plan it generates and when I change that on the FSX flight plan page, it becomes a new flight plan with all my waypoints gone? As far as I can see, FSX won't use the route I put ib using FS Commander and insists on generating a route for me. Also, when I load a flight plan into FSX and use ATC, the ATC doesn't seem to have that plan and directs me onna totally different course. From what I can tell, that is normal FSX operation anyway so, is there a better ATC addon that could be used? Thanks folks! This forum is a huge help!

Cool! Only a couple of years to go then! I'm slowly gettiing the hang of it. Now, I'm trying to figure out why the flight pauses every time I click on the little gps window or switch over to the moving map...

OK, I had the path to the flight plans messed up but it's right now. The planning feature is GOOD! I made a plan and loaded it into FSX without a problem. Works just like it should that way sand using the FSX panel GPS does fine for me. I'm a bit confused on how to close out the flight planning window though. It is on top of the map page and when I click on the flight planning tab, the window for that pops onto it so I can make the plan but, after I save the plan, that planning window doesn't go away...I can't find out how to get rid of it other than closing out FS Commander and starting it up again. The other thing is the little GPS window that opens when I connect the FS Commander GPS to FSX doesn't show the plan or anything other than text describing various poisitions and such... seems to be more of a status display.

I did run the database utility. All tha airports in FSX show up. I thought I could run the moving map and the GPS on a single monitor if I didn't use full screen mode? I'll go to that forum and see what I can find.

I have FS Commander loaded up and connected to FSX. The "Nav data" display comes up and so does a little black window...that never changes or displays anything. I would love to have the moving map visible but, I'm unable to change the size of it so, when I have it visible, it blocks out my cockpit view and that kind of makes flying a bit difficult. I tried making a flight plan to depart from 4SD (Reno/Stead), fly around sight seeing, then return to 4SD but, all the waypoints I put in dissapear when I try to save it. Also, I get an error that it can't find the flight plan in FSX if I connect there. If I try to put the same flight plan in FSX, it won't allow me to put in any waypoints of my own like FS Commander does. I know that I'm simply not understanding how things work and interract between FSX and FS Comander but I don't seem able to decipher what I'm doing wrong from the manual that Areosoft has put out (that's where I bought FS Commander since it comes with FSUIPC). In short...I'm simply confused on how to use this program thaqt so many people are using successfully.

You have all been very heplful! Thank you! I dug ihnto my wallet and bought FS Commander and am now trying to learn it all... <_< It took me a bit to figure out how to make FSX start in something other than full screen mode but, it ended up being pretty simple. Now, I can use FS Commander with FSX. My next ordeal is learning how to put the moving map up and sized so It's usable while I'm flying around... then on to making flight plans for sight seeing in the wilderness...then I gotta.... When I got FSX, I was thinking it might be a nice 'little' flying game. Boy, was I ever wrong! So much to do...so many options...so much to learn...I love it!

Kinda like stree naming huh? That "DBS Studio Airport GPS" addon looks promising! Not too expensive. I'm looking into it now.

I think I'm just looking for general knowledge and not airport specific right now. The suggestions above though are darned good ones! I did find charts/maps of airports using google and the sky vector site. I'm not to the point of trying to find a specific gate or ramp area yet but that will happen eventually...

I know that the numerical designation of a runway indicates what compass direction it runs but that's about it... I'm unsure of the "right" or "left" meaning in reference to the runways or much else about things like taxiway designations and things like that. A map of whatever airport I was at would certainly help a lot! Not sure is there is something within FSX or an addon that I could use for that. I guess what I'm looking for is something that would help me understand how to perform the directions given by ATC while on the ground. What the airport layout conventions are and such.

It's the actual FRAPS output that's wrong. It shows up that way right off when played in media player too. I tried playing around with my Win 7 settings but that didn't help any either. Here's an example: