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VCP settings not working - are they global?

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martinlest
Post subject: Re: VCP settings not working - are they global?
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:16 pm
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Now I find my Dash7 aircraft don't have VCP working either, so I have been looking further into what may cause this... Flaps are not set at the start of taxi and neither flaps nor gear are operated by the co-pilot on approach. The co-pilot and VCP settings seem to be the same as in other profiles, where VCP works just fine. That is to say, in the section [CoPilot], all .pro files have VCPMode=1. And in the [VCP-X] section, VCPX=1. In the .uco file, #NTOF:15 (15 is a valid flap setting for these aircraft). I have tried setting autopilot both as default and third party. Still VCP ignores flaps/gear.

However, one thing that the Dash 7 & 8 profiles have in common is that under the paragraph [Flaps], the first line reads Preset=0, whereas in other aircraft there is a number. I can try changing this, but what number should I put? Any? What does the n value in Preset=n represent? Can I just add any number I like (I am assuming not, hence this post)? Not sure why this would affect the gear though?

Thanks,

Martin

LATER: Yes, that is the problem! I added a random number (Preset=36) to replace the zero and now, in that profile, VCP works and the Co-pilot is setting the flaps at start of taxi. I haven't tried approach yet to see if flaps and gear work then, but if the taxi setting is fixed, I am hopeful. I'll post back about that when I have checked.

But meanwhile, are you able to give any details as to how the preset number is calculated when a profile is created?


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martinlest
Post subject: Re: VCP settings not working - are they global?
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:34 pm
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(For the three a/c I found with the Preset=0 entry, for lack of any other information, I have changed the zero to any number that is not being used in any other .pro file for the Preset= value. Is that OK?)..


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: VCP settings not working - are they global?
Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:04 am
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The preset value reflects the choice made from the drop down list (top left) on the select aircraft options page, so I'm surprised if that makes any difference to your particular problem. Also when you go to the select aircraft page, entering an invalid number could result in a display problem. It really is not a good idea changing data files settings without knowing what the values relate to.

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

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martinlest
Post subject: Re: VCP settings not working - are they global?
Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 4:07 pm
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I don't see the problem - the values are easily changed back to zero again.. And for me, who writes and uses batch/vbs scripts a lot on the PC, I frankly find it easier to edit the files directly than use the FDC GUI for stuff like this. Plus my whole FDC installation is backed up, twice, in fact...

I have made a couple of tests and with Preset=0 VCP doesn't work, with it set to a number, it does. But as you say this is surprising I will test with a few more flights.

Martin


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martinlest
Post subject: Re: VCP settings not working - are they global?
Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 9:00 pm
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Hi Dave - some more feedback on this.

I found that there were three aircraft (a Dash7, a Dash8 and an A380) in my setup in which the .pro file had the value preset=0. VCP did not work as taxi began in any of them. I got "OK on the right ..." etc., and that was it, flaps were not set to the value in #NTOF and although gear was retracted automatically after take-off, the VCP didn't retract flaps at any point, whatever the IAS. Seems a bit too much of a coincidence that the three a/c which behaved in this way were the only ones to have profiles with the line Preset=0.

So I have again changed the Preset number in those aircrafts' profiles to a positive number. The result is that all three a/c now operate flaps and gear via the VCP at take-off in FDC: flaps are set correctly as taxiing starts and gear and flaps are operated too after take-off and during climb. Back to preset=0 and there's no VCP again.

I am still not sure about descent & approach though - the couple of tests I have done still don't have flaps and gear working via the VCP. If I simply slow the a/c down to almost stall speed after take-off, no flaps are operated. If I can't sort this out, I'll just have to remember to do it manually in these aircraft.

Any advice BTW as to how I might choose a more appropriate number for preset=? As I say, currently they are currently just any two-digit number I found that's not being used for the preset= line.

Martin


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