FSX External fuel tanks release switches

Mellin · 28 Jan 2016

Hi.
I have a problem:

On my craft I have 2 external fuel tanks:

Code:

external1  =  3.23,  -3.87, 1.93, 33.0, 0.0    //Longitudinal (feet), Lateral (feet), Vertical (feet), Usable(gallons), Unusable (gallons)
external2  =  3.23,   3.87, 1.93, 33.0, 0.0    //Longitudinal (feet), Lateral (feet), Vertical (feet), Usable(gallons), Unusable (gallons)

And assigned to them stations loads for weight of empty fuel tanks:

Code:

station_load.4  = 20, 3.23,  -3.87, 1.93     // Weight(lbs), longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet)
station_name.4  = "L Ex Fuel Tank"

station_load.5  = 20, 3.23,  3.87, 1.93     // Weight(lbs), longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet)
station_name.5  = "R Ex Fuel Tank"

I've created 3 codes for switches, which would empty those fuel tanks and set to 0 weights of those stations loads, as well as hide meshes of those external tanks on 3d model:

Code:

<Animation name="Vanship_Left_External_Fuel_Tank" guid="66d187c5-8f82-4089-1155-7d9fdeee3186" type="Sim" typeParam="AutoPlay" length="100" typeParam2="Vanship_Left_External_Fuel_Tank" />

<PartInfo>
    <Name>Vanship_Left_External_Fuel_Tank</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Animation>
        <Parameter>
            <Code>(A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) 0 > 100 *</Code>
        </Parameter>
    </Animation>
    <Visibility>
                 <Parameter>
                        <Code>
                (A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) 0 >
            </Code>
                </Parameter>
        </Visibility>
            <MouseRect>
                    <Cursor>Hand</Cursor>
                    <TooltipText>First external fuel tank release switch - Tank is %((A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) 0 >)%{if}not %{els}%{end}released</TooltipText>
        <CallbackCode>
            0 (>A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)
            0 (>A:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 LEVEL, Percent )
        </CallbackCode>
            </MouseRect>
</PartInfo>


<Animation name="Vanship_Right_External_Fuel_Tank" guid="d24c4837-020e-44a5-9135-1e90d7d98ffc" type="Sim" typeParam="AutoPlay" length="100" typeParam2="Vanship_Right_External_Fuel_Tank" />

<PartInfo>
    <Name>Vanship_Right_External_Fuel_Tank</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Animation>
        <Parameter>
            <Code>(A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) 0 > 100 *</Code>
        </Parameter>
    </Animation>
    <Visibility>
                 <Parameter>
                        <Code>
                (A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) 0 >
            </Code>
                </Parameter>
        </Visibility>
            <MouseRect>
                    <Cursor>Hand</Cursor>
                    <TooltipText>Second external fuel tank release switch - Tank is %((A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) 0 >)%{if}not %{els}%{end}released</TooltipText>
        <CallbackCode>
            0 (>A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)
            0 (>A:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 LEVEL, Percent )
        </CallbackCode>
            </MouseRect>
</PartInfo>


<Animation name="Vanship_Both_External_Fuel_Tank" guid="6ac83ec8-3664-469c-771f-912786dcddd2" type="Sim" typeParam="AutoPlay" length="100" typeParam2="Vanship_Both_External_Fuel_Tank" />

<PartInfo>
    <Name>Vanship_Both_External_Fuel_Tank</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Animation>
        <Parameter>
            <Code>(A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) (A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) + 0 > 100 *</Code>
        </Parameter>
    </Animation>
            <MouseRect>
                    <Cursor>Hand</Cursor>
                    <TooltipText>All external fuel tanks release switch - Tanks are %((A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) (A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) + 0 >)%{if}not %{els}%{end}released</TooltipText>
        <CallbackCode>
            0 (>A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)
            0 (>A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)
            0 (>A:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 LEVEL, Percent )
            0 (>A:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 LEVEL, Percent )
        </CallbackCode>
            </MouseRect>
</PartInfo>

As you can see I have one switch for left tank, one for right and one that suppose to empty both of them.

The visibility, tooltips and animation works fine - I checked that by manualny setting station load in menu before starting flight...

..but for some reason I have no respons when i try to click on those switches.

Does anyone have any idea what I've screwed up again?

Roy Holmes · 28 Jan 2016

0 (>AAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)

A: variables are read-only
Roy

JB3DG · 28 Jan 2016

You need SimConnect to write to those A vars.

SierraB · 28 Jan 2016

...or Tom's excellent XMLTools.

Heretic · 28 Jan 2016

For draining fuel from tanks, there's also Tom's FuelDump gauge.

http://douglassdawson.ca/

spokes2112 · 28 Jan 2016

To keep it simple you could just add ~ 3 gallons of unusable fuel to each tank to compensate for the weight of the tanks themselves. Then... Just use the stock drop tanks commands.
(>K:RELEASE_DROP_TANK_1)
(>K:RELEASE_DROP_TANK_2)
(>K:RELEASE_DROP_TANK_ALL)

Use the gallons remaining (>2) of the tank(s) or a (L:Var) for the visibility of the tanks in the model.

Mellin · 28 Jan 2016

I think that SIMVARS from XMLTools would work the best (specially if it would help in the future cases).

But it doesn't work:

I've used this: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/resources/xmltools-2-0-xml-expansion-module-for-fsx.148/
I've copied XMLTools.dll into "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X"
I've change dll.xml file inside C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\, now it looks like that:

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>

<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
  <Descr>Launch</Descr>
  <Filename>dll.xml</Filename>
  <Disabled>False</Disabled>
  <Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Object Placement Tool</Name>
    <Disabled>True</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Mission Creation Kit\object_placement.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Traffic Toolbox</Name>
    <Disabled>True</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Visual Effects Tool</Name>
    <Disabled>True</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Special Effects SDK\visualfxtool.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>XMLTools</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>XMLTools.dll</Path>
    <DllStartName>module_init</DllStartName>
    <DllStopName>module_deinit</DllStopName>
  </Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>

I've changed codes of switches to:

Code:

<Animation name="Vanship_Left_External_Fuel_Tank" guid="66d187c5-8f82-4089-1155-7d9fdeee3186" type="Sim" typeParam="AutoPlay" length="100" typeParam2="Vanship_Left_External_Fuel_Tank" />

<PartInfo>
    <Name>Vanship_Left_External_Fuel_Tank</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Animation>
        <Parameter>
            <Code>(C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) 0 > 100 *</Code>
        </Parameter>
    </Animation>
    <Visibility>
                 <Parameter>
                        <Code>
                (C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) 0 >
            </Code>
                </Parameter>
        </Visibility>
            <MouseRect>
                    <Cursor>Hand</Cursor>
                    <TooltipText>First external fuel tank release switch - Tank is %((A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) 0 >)%{if}not %{els}%{end}released</TooltipText>
        <CallbackCode>
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 LEVEL, Percent )
        </CallbackCode>
            </MouseRect>
</PartInfo>


<Animation name="Vanship_Right_External_Fuel_Tank" guid="d24c4837-020e-44a5-9135-1e90d7d98ffc" type="Sim" typeParam="AutoPlay" length="100" typeParam2="Vanship_Right_External_Fuel_Tank" />

<PartInfo>
    <Name>Vanship_Right_External_Fuel_Tank</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Animation>
        <Parameter>
            <Code>(C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) 0 > 100 *</Code>
        </Parameter>
    </Animation>
    <Visibility>
                 <Parameter>
                        <Code>
                (C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) 0 >
            </Code>
                </Parameter>
        </Visibility>
            <MouseRect>
                    <Cursor>Hand</Cursor>
                    <TooltipText>Second external fuel tank release switch - Tank is %((C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) 0 >)%{if}not %{els}%{end}released</TooltipText>
        <CallbackCode>
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 LEVEL, Percent )
        </CallbackCode>
            </MouseRect>
</PartInfo>


<Animation name="Vanship_Both_External_Fuel_Tank" guid="6ac83ec8-3664-469c-771f-912786dcddd2" type="Sim" typeParam="AutoPlay" length="100" typeParam2="Vanship_Both_External_Fuel_Tank" />

<PartInfo>
    <Name>Vanship_Both_External_Fuel_Tank</Name>
    <AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
    <Animation>
        <Parameter>
            <Code>(C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) (C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) + 0 > 100 *</Code>
        </Parameter>
    </Animation>
            <MouseRect>
                    <Cursor>Hand</Cursor>
                    <TooltipText>All external fuel tanks release switch - Tanks are %((C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) (C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) + 0 >)%{if}not %{els}%{end}released</TooltipText>
        <CallbackCode>
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 LEVEL, Percent )
            0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 LEVEL, Percent )
        </CallbackCode>
            </MouseRect>
</PartInfo>

When I first started FSX I accepted usage of that new dll file.

Switches still do nothing, but for some reason it starts flight with those PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT set to 0 (I can see that from animation, visibility and tooltip).

taguilo · 28 Jan 2016

Custom C: vars are not supported in Modeldef file. You must interface with LVars, like:

Code:

<CallbackCode>
  0 (>L:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)
  0 (>L:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)
</CallbackCode>

Then, in a typical gauge included in [VC] section of panel.cfg:

Code:

<Update>
   (L:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds) 0 ==
   if{
       0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 QUANTITY,Gallons)
       0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)
     }
   (L:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds) 0 ==
   if{
       0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 QUANTITY,Gallons)
       0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)
     }
</Update>

From this starting point you can add whatever extra code would be needed to obtain the final result.

Tom

Mellin · 28 Jan 2016

But if I create custom variables L: PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT, wont they be equal 0 by default and thus change SIMVARS

AYLOAD STATION WEIGHT and SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 QUANTITY to 0 at the start?

taguilo · 28 Jan 2016

Yes, of course. That's the reason I spoke of a starting point

Simply config those LVars with greater than zero values, for example:

Code:

<Update>
  (L:Payload Init, bool) !
  if{
      (A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)  (>L:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:5, Pounds)
      (A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)  (>L:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:6, Pounds)
      1 (>L:Payload Init, bool)
    }
   etc.
   etc.
</Update>

Tom

Au-MaV · 28 Jan 2016

Not sue if its any help but have a look ere
http://www.aerodynamika.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1222949859
and here
http://www.aerodynamika.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1148034271/0#0

Mellin · 31 Jan 2016

Wait!

spokes2112 said:
(>K:RELEASE_DROP_TANK_1)
(>K:RELEASE_DROP_TANK_2)
(>K:RELEASE_DROP_TANK_ALL)

Those Event IDs are not present on the official list: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526980.aspx

Does it mean there are more Events? Is there another list with them?

PS.: Thanks spokes2112! It works!

Au-MaV · 31 Jan 2016

Mellin said:
Wait!

Those Event IDs are not present on the official list: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526980.aspx

Does it mean there are more Events? Is there another list with them?

PS.: Thanks spokes2112! It works!

They have been in the sdk's since at least fs9, no idea what is missing from the esp sdk but the acceleration sdk had some extra events in it from previous vers...
The drop tank events are only partly implemented, basically all they do is empty the external tanks of fuel there is no corresponding A:var for them