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XMLTools64 C:SIMVARS problem in P3Dv5.4

Henk Schuitemaker

Henk Schuitemaker

Messages
144
Country
netherlands
Some of the XMLTools C:SIMVARS aircraft variables which I used in xml gauges to set aircraft variables in P3Dv5.3 are no longer working in P3Dv5.4. This is what the ContentErrors.txt log says:

Code: 
error=Gauge/Script Error
Type: Gauge
Name: Config
Error: Invalid variable name: "SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:1"

The strange thing is that similar C:SIMVAR aircraft variables can still be set like C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 LEVEL, percent

Example from a gauge I use to update fuel and weight on the fly - the fuel update is still working in 5.4, the payload station update is no longer recognized:

Code: 
<MouseArea id="EXT_TANKS">
    <FloatPosition>110,137</FloatPosition><Size>20,20</Size><CursorType>Hand</CursorType>
    <MouseClick id="MouseClick">
    <ClickType>LeftSingle</ClickType>
    <Script>
    (L:ext_tanks, bool) ! (>L:ext_tanks, bool)
    (L:ext_tanks, bool)    if{ 100 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 LEVEL, percent) 100 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 LEVEL, percent)  450 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:3, Pounds) }
    els{ 0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL1 LEVEL, percent) 0 (>C:SIMVARS:FUEL TANK EXTERNAL2 LEVEL, percent)  0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:3, Pounds) }
    </Script>
    </MouseClick>
</MouseArea>
 
Last edited:
I am having a problem similar to the above. Can anyone confirm XMLTools64 works in P3Dv5.4?
Thanks,
Al
 
ark1320 said:
I am having a problem similar to the above. Can anyone confirm XMLTools64 works in P3Dv5.4?
Thanks,
Al
Click to expand...
It's not the DLL. P3D broke this in the new update 5.4
Please P3D fix or confirm you can fix this.

We use this simvar... PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT

Code: 
<Click Kind="LeftSingle">
        (M:Event) 'LeftSingle' scmp 0 == (A:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:3, Pounds) 25 - (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:3, Pounds)
        (C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:3, Pounds) 0 &lt;  if{ 0 (>C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:3, Pounds) }  
      </Click>

Code: 
[error.8]
error=Gauge/Script Error
Type: Gauge
Name: PAYLOAD
Error: Invalid variable name: "SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:3"
 
P3D5.4 and P3D6 reject all XMLTools C:SIMVARS aircraft variables which have a ":" character followed by a number. That is why e.g. SIMVARS:Turb Eng Corrected N1:1 does not work but others like SIMVARS:Fuel Tank Center3 Level still work.
 
Last edited:
Henk Schuitemaker said:
P3D5.4 and P3D6 reject all XMLTools C:SIMVARS aircraft variables which have a ":" character followed by a number. That is why e.g. SIMVARS:Turb Eng Corrected N1:1 does not work but others like SIMVARS:Fuel Tank Center3 Level still work.
Click to expand...
Did you report this to Lockheed Martin, are they aware of the problem?
 
I did not report it to LM because I guess they will not care about an old 3rd party simconnect plugin which seems to be incompatible now.
 
Henk Schuitemaker said:
I did not report it to LM because I guess they will not care about an old 3rd party simconnect plugin which seems to be incompatible now.
Click to expand...
I think the bug should be reported.
The point is not that a particular "old" plugin doesn't work, but the fact the fact P3Dv5.4 (and apparently P3Dv6.0 which I don't have) does not recognize a standard sim variable as listed in the SDK:

1691071091102.png

So this is a potential problem for new plugins as well as existing ones.
 
ark1320, I am NOT talking about the stock simvars PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:n, there is NO issue with them. The issue is with custom XMLTools C:SIMVAR's which are interchanged through simconnect between XMLTools64.DLL and the sim. That is the part where my problem is, so I do not think it is LM's responsibility to fix an issue with 3rd party modules. In the past if a 3rd party add-on became incompatible with a new P3D release, the 3rd party dev did fix it (or not).
 
Last edited:
Henk Schuitemaker said:
ark1320, I am NOT talking about stock the simvars PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:n, there is NO issue with them. The issue is with custom XMLTools C:SIMVAR's which are interchanged through simconnect between XMLTools64.DLL and the sim. That is the part where my problem is, so I do not think it is LM's responsibility to fix an issue with 3rd party modules. In the past if a 3rd party add-on became incompatible with a new P3D release, the 3rd party dev did fix it (or not).
Click to expand...
Well, delivery guy above is the developer of the Lear35, and he seems to think it is a P3D problem that Lockheed Martin needs to fix, so I just don't know where the problem is -- P3D, XMLTools64, or what.
 
So, assuming you have the SimWorks Studios Phantom,
Copy PhantomTools.dll into your Gauges folder
Add to [Vcockpit01]
e.g.
gauge19=PhantomTools!PhantomTools,0,0,0,0

In the XML gauge replace all
Code: 
C:SIMVARS:PAYLOAD STATION WEIGHT:
with
Code: 
L:PAYLOAD_STA_

I think that's all that's required, probably other alternatives also.
 
Essex, I already tried that and yes, the PhantomTools.dll PAYLOAD_STA_ LVars work perfect but there is one big caviat: PhantomTools.dll blocks all stick/pedal/elevator/aileron/rudder animations. I guess this was done because the Simworks Studios F-4B has external custom coded flight model/control animations.
Anyway, I am even more convinced now that the issue is the naming of the XMLTools C:SIMVARS. All those who use a ":" character followed by a sequence number are rejected.
 
Last edited:
Essex said:
I think should be possible to massively prune.
Click to expand...
Code: 
(L:ELEV, number) -163.83 / (>L:PhantomTools_ELEVATOR_POSITION_percent, number)
(L:AILR, number) -163.83 / (>L:PhantomTools_AILERON_POSITION_percent, number)
(L:RUDD, number) -163.83 / (>L:PhantomTools_RUDDER_POSITION_percent, number)
Click to expand...

I'm sure there's a better solution.
 
Henk Schuitemaker said:
P3D5.4 and P3D6 reject all XMLTools C:SIMVARS aircraft variables which have a ":" character followed by a number. That is why e.g. SIMVARS:Turb Eng Corrected N1:1 does not work but others like SIMVARS:Fuel Tank Center3 Level still work.
Click to expand...
I see the latest P3Dv6 patch has fixed this SIMVARS indexing problem, but unfortunately I haven't seen any similar fix for P3Dv5.4.
Al
 
There will be no patch for P3Dv5.4. LMCO's modus operandi (like almost all software companies) is to patch the current version only. In sixteen (almost seventeen) years of working for a company that wrote software to test software, they only once patched an earlier version and that a) cost a lot of money for the company concerned and b) it was only done because the company involved was unable to upgrade without a huge effort to ensure the new version had no unexpected nasties in it (federal requirements. Yes, it was a US company).
 
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