FSXA Mixture contol 10% to 100% only

TiAr · 11 Dec 2016

In my Turboprob Soloy Mark 1 and 2 projects I am thinking about a Ground/Idle control gauge. It seems, the solution can be solved with mixture control. Stock mixture GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1 is working fine. However - if it goes to 0 engine is shut off.

But I have no idea to create a control gauge that begins with 10 percent and ends with 100 %. Both, modeldev xml and switchable gauge xml codes are needed.

Is there a solution?

Thomas

Heretic · 12 Dec 2016

An easy solution would be this gauge running in the background, which will reset the mixture lever to 12% whenever it tries to go below that value.

Code:

<Gauge>
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(A:GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1, percent) 12 &lt;
if{ 0.12 16383 * (>K:AXIS_MIXTURE1_SET) }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
</Gauge>

tgibson · 12 Dec 2016

Note that a joystick mixture control lever will be able to override gauges, at least for short periods of time.

TiAr · 12 Dec 2016

Thank you for your anwers, however I am looking for a simple switch - but I have no idea to combine the L: in the <click> area with the mixture control... The switch itself works with no problems...

Code:

<Gauge Name="Throttle_SET" Version="1.0">

  <Element>
    <Select>
       <Value>(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum)</Value>
       <Case Value="0">
         <Image Name="throttle_set_off.bmp"/>
       </Case>
       <Case Value="1">
         <Image Name="throttle_set_on.bmp"/>
       </Case>
    </Select>
  </Element>

  <Mouse>
     <Tooltip>Ground Flight Idle</Tooltip>
  <Cursor Type="Hand"/>
  <Click> (L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) ! (&gt;L:Dummy_throttleset, enum)</Click>
  </Mouse>
</Gauge>

Case Value = 0 should be mixture 10 percent, case Value =1 running mixture to 100 %.

Thomas

Heretic · 12 Dec 2016

In that case, the controller gauge will look like this:

Code:

<Gauge>
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 ==
(A:GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1, percent) 11 != and
if{ 0.11 16383 * (>K:AXIS_MIXTURE1_SET) }
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 ==
(A:GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1, percent) 100 &lt; and
if{ 1.00 16383 * (>K:AXIS_MIXTURE1_SET) }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
</Gauge>

TiAr · 13 Dec 2016

Yes, it works! But in my Soloy the automatic engine start via strg+E is not working anymore...

Roy Holmes · 13 Dec 2016

I thought that engine had power (throttle) and Condition (mixture) controls. That is what the stock King Air has and since it is a turboprop, setting the mixture to above the cut-off setting (about 5%) reduces RPM and Torque which puts it in the Ground Idle position. So You do not need a gauge, just use the Condition lever like in the real plane
Roy

Heretic · 13 Dec 2016

TiAr said:
Yes, it works! But in my Soloy the automatic engine start via strg+E is not working anymore...

That's because mixture is depending on the status of your L: var now. Mixture control keys also won't work anymore. You need to catch any mixture-related (key) events and then set your L: var accordingly.

Something like this:

Code:

<Gauge Name="Mixture" Version="1.0">
<Element>
<Select>
<Value>
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 ==
(A:GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1, percent) 11 != and
if{ 0.11 16383 * (>K:AXIS_MIXTURE1_SET) }
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 ==
(A:GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1, percent) 100 &lt; and
if{ 1.00 16383 * (>K:AXIS_MIXTURE1_SET) }
</Value>
</Select>
</Element>
<!-- Mixture Control -->
<Keys>
<On Event="MIXTURE_RICH">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 != if{ 1 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE_INCR">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 != if{ 1 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE_INCR_SMALL">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 != if{ 1 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE_DECR">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 != if{ 0 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE_DECR_SMALL">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 != if{ 0 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE_LEAN">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 != if{ 0 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE1_RICH">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 != if{ 1 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE1_INCR">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 != if{ 1 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE1_INCR_SMALL">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 != if{ 1 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE1_DECR">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 != if{ 0 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE1_DECR_SMALL">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 != if{ 0 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="MIXTURE1_LEAN">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 != if{ 0 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="ENGINE_AUTO_START">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 != if{ 1 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
<On Event="ENGINE_AUTO_SHUTDOWN">
(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 0 != if{ 0 (>L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) }
</On>
</Keys>
</Gauge>

Note that any event pertaining to enrich or lean mixture will influence your mixture switch. The discrimination between global mixture events and events for engine 1 mixture is only present to cover users with multi-engine throttle quadrants.
Also note that you may incorporate any L: var into the auto start sequence.

TiAr · 14 Dec 2016

Roy, the real Soloy Mark 1 is different to the most turboprobs - there is no condition lever. The second lever controls only propeller.

Bjöern, the gauge itself is working fine without autostart - with autostart, switch goes into flight idle and than sim freezes animations with no sound. You have to start sim again...

Thomas

Heretic · 14 Dec 2016

Probably because the sim-internal start up logic clashes with the switch-mixture logic in the gauge and causes command flooding. I have no idea how to work around this. It's probably best to remove the autostart event trap.

TiAr · 14 Dec 2016

Bjoern, I am with you - to ban autostart, is there a "fast" move, or should I have correct all other stuff like fuel_cutoff or starter switch etc.?

Heretic · 15 Dec 2016

Autostart can't be blocked, but it won't work anyway if the mixture control gauge controls mixture anyway.

tgibson · 15 Dec 2016

Hi,

Autostart can be blocked if you send another autostart command immediately after it is invoked by the user.

The trick is to be able to detect when the autostart is triggered (AFAIK not possible using XML). I use a C gauge custom coded for me.

Heretic · 16 Dec 2016

This might work.

Code:

...
<On Event="ENGINE_AUTO_START">
(>K:ENGINE_AUTO_START)
</On>
...

rcbarend · 18 Dec 2016

Hi Thomas,

If I understand you correctly, you want to control the engine Mixture with a VC lever to control a GroundIdle engine state.
So if the lever is fully pushed, Mixture is forced 100% and if the lever is fully pulled, Mixture is forced to 10%; and lineairly in between......Right ??
The following gauge does this:

Code:

<Gauge>

<Element>
  <Select>
    <Value>
      (A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1,bool)
      (A:GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1,percent) 0.1 &gt; &amp;&amp;
      if{
        100 (L:GroundIdle,number) 90 * - s10 (A:GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1,percent) - abs 0.1 &gt;
        if{ l10 163.84 * (>K:MIXTURE1_SET) }
      }
    </Value>
  </Select>
</Element>

</Gauge>

This code assumes you animate/control your VC lever in the modeldef.xml code with:
- (L:GroundIdle,number) = 0 (fully pushed down).
- (L:GroundIdle,number) = 1 (fully pulled back).
- And any value of the lever lineairly between 0 and 1, depending on it´s position.

This will allow for EngineAutoStart event/command when engine is Off.

As said above, the problem with EngineAutoStart events is, that FSX then controls the Mixture function too.
So this code only forces the Mixture function (based on your VC lever position) when the engine is actually running.
And allows the engine to be shutdown via a MixtureLean event/command too.

This code also prevents "event flooding", and eliminates the need to monitor/trap EngineAutoStart events.

Hope this solves your problem ...

Rob

rcbarend · 18 Dec 2016

PS: just noted that this GroundIdle feature is just a simple On/Off switch, not a lever.
But my above code works for a On/Off switch too (same formula).
So when switch is Off (0, default at aircraft load, pushed) Mixture is set to 100%.

Rob

TiAr · 22 Dec 2016

Thank you Rob and Bjoern,
I will take a closer look on it tomorrow - just arrived back from Spain this evening.

Thomas

TiAr · 23 Dec 2016

Hi Rob,

it seems, that the control gauge works, but I need a click event for the switch. I am sure, something like

Code:

<Click>(L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) ! (&gt;L:Dummy_throttleset, enum) 1 (L:GroundIdle,number)</Click>

is not working...

Thomas

n4gix · 23 Dec 2016

Why not this instead?

Code:

<click>(L:GroundIdle,bool) ! (>L:GroundIdle,bool)[</click>

By the way, please place all XML script in a "Code Box" so that the forum doesn't convert certain characters into emojies! :teacher:

rcbarend · 23 Dec 2016

As Bill said...

Just use the same Lvar in the clickspot code and the gauge code that controls the mixture.

Rob