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FSX Default .FLT Files | Cold & Dark | Lvars

S

SmallJet

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3
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us-california
Hello Designers,

I've got two (2) problems to solve at this time and I need your help. I'm having lots of difficulty getting a true Cold & Dark start on the default Cessna 172SP Skyhawk. The typical solutions of positioning the aircraft at the airport, shutting down all systems, turning off all switches, knobs, etc., and then saving the flight as default, just don't seem to fully work.

First Problem:

When starting FSX and clicking on "Fly Now," the aircraft loads with a partial Cold & Dark condition. By that I mean that everything is the way it should be, except that the "Radio LT/Panel LT BRT (brightness)" switch always loads in the On position, even when the Master Battery switch loads in the Off position. So, the cockpit panel always loads in a lighted condition, which should not be the case - the panel should load Dark with no illumination (all other power related conditions load in the Off setting).

Second Problem:

When starting FSX and clicking on "Fly Now," the "Magnetos/Ignition key always loads in the "Both" position. It should load in the "Off" position, because that's how the flight was last saved. It never loads in the "Off" position, no matter what I do before saving the default flight.

What I've tried thus far:

I've looked at the "Default Flight FSX Cessna 172.FLT" file and noted that everything under the Avionics section is set to "False" as it should be. The same is true with the "Systems.0" section (everything is set to "False" which should load as "Off"). The same is true for the "Switches.0" section (all "False" which should load as "Off"). There is no aircraft systems related section in the .FLT file that has any component loading in the "On" or "Active" condition. Everything is shut down inside the .FLT file.

I'm also using FSUIPC - the latest version. Using FSUIPC, I noted that there is no FSX Control for the Magnetos. The only FSX Control having anything to do with the ignition system is called "TOGGLE MASTER IGNITION SWITCH" and it has a value = 66534. However, that's just a toggle switch and the aircraft's ignition is a five (5) position switch (Off, Left, Right, Both, Start). So, trying to set a key assignment to use an FSX Control for 66534, does not seem like the right path to follow.

I then mapped a key through FSUIPC for "Log Lvars.lua" and began tracking mouse clicks within the Virtual Cockpit of the default Cessna 172SP. However, I found that there is no Local Variable being picked-up by Log Lvars.lua, whenever you click on either "Radio LT/Panel LT BRT," or the "Magnetos/Ignition Key."

When you click on the Radio/Panel brightness knob, it does move and the panel brightness does go to dark. However, no Lvar ever comes to screen in the Log Lvars window. The same is true for the Magnetos/Ignition switch. When you click on it, the key does move and the aircraft will start, but again, no Lvar is ever returned. The Log Lvars Log file also shows no trace of those two clicks, yet both of them do work inside the aircraft during the simulation.

So, I am unable to capture the Lvars name for Magnetos/Ignition switch and the Radio/Panel brightness knob, so I can set them both to "Off."

Ideally, I'd like to use the more elegant solution of simply entering these two lines into the .FLT file and then setting their condition to "Off" or "False" (whichever works). But, I need to know their names, so that they are readable within the .FLT file and I need to know under which Section within the .FLT file do they belong.

Any ideas on this one?

Thanks.
 
I sugest you use the "List LVariables" function in FSUIPC4 and then just scan that file for the LVars you want to manipulate.

I do this for all my aircraft...get the list, it is created in the FSUIPC4 log file I believe (away from the sim computer so can't give the exact details). I then remove all the superflous information and then save as a text file with the aircraft name.

As for the magnetos, I am almost certain there are FSX controls for those functions.

OK...I have the FSUIPC4 documentation here on my traveling computer....here is what you are nlooking for:

Code: 
MAGNETO1 OFF  65927 
MAGNETO1 RIGHT  65928 
MAGNETO1 LEFT  65929 
MAGNETO1 BOTH  65930 
MAGNETO1 START  65931

This is from the "Revised_List_of_FSX_Controls.pdf"...a document that you should keep at hand!

Paul
 
SmallJet said:
When starting FSX and clicking on "Fly Now," the aircraft loads with a partial Cold & Dark condition. By that I mean that everything is the way it should be, except that the "Radio LT/Panel LT BRT (brightness)" switch always loads in the On position, even when the Master Battery switch loads in the Off position. So, the cockpit panel always loads in a lighted condition, which should not be the case - the panel should load Dark with no illumination (all other power related conditions load in the Off setting).
Click to expand...

The default aircraft have quite a few bugs. This is one of them.

It could be that the illumination switch is using the gauge-internal G: variable type (L: variables are shared across gauges and between all views (VC, 2D, external)).
If you can acess it, take a look at the gauge containing the "Radio LT" panel switch and then swap the G: variable for an L: var if the above holds true.

When starting FSX and clicking on "Fly Now," the "Magnetos/Ignition key always loads in the "Both" position. It should load in the "Off" position, because that's how the flight was last saved. It never loads in the "Off" position, no matter what I do before saving the default flight.
Click to expand...

Sounds like an L:Var controlled variable.



Robbie McElrath's "Logger" can store and read L: Vars between MSFS sessions, so it might be worth a look and using it on the 172.
http://www.robbiemcelrath.com/fs/logger/about
 
My default FSX C172 loads with the ignition switch off if that's the way I saved as the default flight.

The cockpit light switch appears to be set according to time of day at loading - off during the day, on during the night.
 
Welcome to default sim platform settings.

Unless you reprogram your own gauges that will over-ride default settings, then you are stuck with what you have, I believe. By rewiring things in a XML gauge (like radios, if they are XML, not GAU or DLL, etc), then you can have it start up 'off' no matter what condition (including 'on' saves).

The same happens with fuel tanks. No matter what, you will have 'all' settings on startups even with left/right only selectors. :S
 
A more obvious bug in the default FSX C172 is that the NAV element of the NAV/GPS indicator is always illuminated with electric power off. This can be corrected by editing bitmap #21551 (0x542F) in the cessna.dll file in \Gauges.
 
I've redone most (all? ... can't remember) of the default aircraft in xml.
If there's anything specific (eg. starter) that you want I can paste it for you. The only problem is you'd need to extract the bitmaps from the .dll (I have the bitmap number/my name reference text file).
 
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