OnCourse Software

Hello all,

I was just wondering if there is any way to turn off the on-screen messages that PF3 (and FDC) display on the screen from time to time? I have found that as I have got more and more comfortable with the software over time that they deliver me no information that I cannot find by other means if need be.

I have scoured the PF3 manual but found no reference to doing so. I think the messages may be being displayed through FSUIPC and have looked at documentation and settings there too, to see if I can turn off all messages, but have found nothing.

I would be interested in any suggestions as to how I might suppress these messages.

John

Hi John,

Could you give me some examples please?

Will do when I next get airborne!

John

Hi again, Dave,

Having managed an error-free flight (quite unusual for me!), I experienced six messages generated by FDC or TGS in PF3.They were:

FDC: FDC Active
PF3: Taxi Monitor is Active!
PF3: You've reached the holding point! TGS Deactivated!
. . . then at end of flight:
PF3: Taxi Monitor is Active!
PF3: You've arrived at the Gate! TGS Deactivated!
PF3 or FDC?: Total Flight Time was 2:0

If I had missed anything on FDC's checklists it would have supplemented the verbal "er, no, I forgot to do that" with a similar message box instructing me to "Correct the checklist item".

Example:


All of these message boxes are headed "FSUIPC Display" so if there is a way of killing them at the FSUIPC end that would certainly be an easy solution. I appreciate FDC is not being developed further so unless I have missed a setting there, I will live with those if need be. But it would certainly be nice to be able to turn off those TGS messages (which for me rather state the obvious as I use the TGS gauge).

Best regards,

John

Hi John

Open the PF3.INI file and under the [TGS] section change

Captions=1 to Captions=0

Make sure you do it in the [TGS] section

That will remove all those message apart from the first and last one

Sounds good, Dave, but one wee problem. It is set at 0 already:

Quote:

[TGS]
UseCM=1
PauseCM=12
TGSOn=1
Visual=1
Audio=1
HdgBug=0
ReduceVol=25
PromptAt=150
GateType=7
ATCTaxiSpd=1
ReadbackTaxiSpd=1
FinalPromptAt=50
Captions=0

I will try Captions=1 for the next flight to see if there is any difference.

Best regards,

John

Oh, okay, please try the attached TGS.EXE. Just extract it into your main PF3 folder and that should do the trick. Let me know how it goes and I'll include it with the next release.

Thanks, Dave,

Yes, it works! At least it does in principle.

Unfortunately, I again experience the "blinking" TGS gauge issue discussed back in January 2022 at http://www.ocs-support.co.uk/forums/vie ... php?t=3799. Normally I keep and old version of tgs.exe and copy it across after any updates but that will be obviously not be the solution here.

I have found some settings to tinker with in FSUIPC, it will take a few test flights to perfect things, but I am optimistic I can manage things from there.

Thanks for your time on this, it will help others wanting to remove the messages - my little problem seems unique to me as I haven't heard anybody else mention it.

Best regards,

John

johnhinson wrote: *

Sat Sep 16, 2023 1:55 pm

Thanks, Dave,

Yes, it works! At least it does in principle.

Unfortunately, I again experience the "blinking" TGS gauge issue discussed back in January 2022 at http://www.ocs-support.co.uk/forums/vie ... php?t=3799. Normally I keep and old version of tgs.exe and copy it across after any updates but that will be obviously not be the solution here.

I have found some settings to tinker with in FSUIPC, it will take a few test flights to perfect things, but I am optimistic I can manage things from there.

Thanks for your time on this, it will help others wanting to remove the messages - my little problem seems unique to me as I haven't heard anybody else mention it.

Best regards,

John

You still having that 'blinking' problem... I thought we'd sorted that?

dmarch wrote: *

Sat Sep 16, 2023 2:47 pm

You still having that 'blinking' problem... I thought we'd sorted that?

Alas, no. I thought we left it that I would copy the old version I have kept (dated April 2022) over after any updates, which continues to be the solution.

It is not the "blinking" that is the nuisance factor (it is only unlit for less than a second at a time) but the FDC checklists go into slow motion - not like a 45 rpm record played at 33, but with long pauses between checklist calls and their confirmation.

I have found another way to work, changing the FSUIPC.ini entry:
ShowMultilineWindow=Yes
to
ShowMultilineWindow=No
moves all messages from the "in your face" window up to the single green line at the top of the screen, which I find far less intrusive/distracting.

Changing SuppressMultilineFS=No to =Yes would be a bit drastic as it would block all messages, including indispensable ones like choices of runway change.

Unless you want to spend time fussing around a rare, possibly unique, user using the combination of FS2004, FDC and PF3, I'm happy to continue working with the messages at the top of the screen with the FSUIPC modification above.

Best regards,

John