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MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting
https://www.ocs-support.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3630
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Author:  musky [ Sat Jul 24, 2021 5:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

OK I will try a couple of flights and doument everything I try and will send you the logs when complete

Many thanks

Author:  musky [ Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

OK first flight log attached I had modified Hotkeys so Key "\" was Request Higher and "shft+\" was Request Lower.

Basically all Request Lower communications worked but were repeated by VCP and PF3 either granted request or responded with Unable at this time. which is fine

All Requests for Higher were ignored but this may have been down to me using the same key "\" for both Higher and Lower.

Next flight I will use the follwing Hot Keys Request Lower will be "shft+\" and Request Higher will be "shft+/" this should avoid any conflicts and will report back

Author:  musky [ Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

Attached are the logs for latest flight during which i got all the issues of previous flights while requesting Higher/Lower altitudes

I made several attempts requesting higher and lower and the result were

VCP requesting climb/descent to current altitude

Sometimes the VCP did make the climb/descent request I wanted and PF3 responded as required

Sometimes it just triggered the numeric Hot Key e.g Requesting Climb/Descent 2000ft and VCP requested Hot Key 2 (Destination ACARS ATIS)

Then PF3 just stop responding to all Higher­/Lower request. I got the beep indicating a Hot Key had been detected but nothing else.

The reason this is a big problem for me now is because the Flight Planning Manager in MSFS is not fit for purpose and groups involved in improving default aircraft basically are having to rewrite this.
I have found in MSFS I am being left way to high at destination airport basically because of the FPMs descent profile. I have seen descent profile that has you crossing a waypoint 12 miles out at 15000ft then having to be at 3000ft 5 miles further on.

Because of this I am using the Request Lower a lot more frequently as I try and get down a lot quicker and a lot earlier. This was not a feature that I had to use all that often in P3D.

Changing the Hotkeys for Lower/Higher did not help so I have just gone back to the H & L Hot key assignments

Author:  Dave March [ Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

Thanks for the logs.

I really feel this is a keying/timing issue, especially when you are using a two-key combination prior to using the numeric key. The following error message appears in the log each time the keying sequence is not activated:-
Quote:
Altitude change request not initiated due to invalid altitude value!
So when using Shift+\+ 2 PF3 is (some of the time) only recognising the Shift+\ and takes the \ key as an invalid altitude request... so far better to stick to single key combinations preceding the altitude request. As you know, sometimes this same keying sequence worked just fine.

All this requesting lower altitudes though seems a bit excessive to me. You say the MSFS flight planner is causing you problems but there are a couple of ways to address this. Firstly you could use another flight planner. Personally I don't have any issue with said planner and use it all the time. But I do, and this brings me on to my second suggestion, always check my flight plan within PF3 and make any necessary adjustments... like removing waypoints that are (a) too close together (b) are too close to my departure airport (c) too close to my destination and (d) adjusting the descent profile altitudes if necessary, although PF3 makes a pretty good job of doing that automatically for you.

Author:  musky [ Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

Thanks for the response.

I also think it is a timing issue its just that its happening all the time and for me its only a problem with PF3. And while it works sometimes when it stops working that is it for the rest of the flight . The excessive altitude requests I made are not normal I was just trying to demonstrate the problems.

With regards to the MSFS Flight Planner I used the term "Flight Planner" because that is the term used in all the posting about it but it is not the actual Flight Planner its the software that loads the flight plan into the FMC of the aircraft that is flawed. I use Simbrief for actual flight planning which produces pretty good flight plans. There has been a lot of issues in default airliners not following FMC flight plans and so on and the common thread is the limitation of this part of MSFS.

I mainly use PF3 on flights with the FlyByWire mod A320neo and they have said they just cannot implement basic functionality like Holds, Direct To and accurate lateral or vertical flight management until the implement their rewrite of this part of MSFS.

Currently if PF3 just picks up the L or H hot key with no number it is translating to "L+0" or "H+0" Request Descend/Climb to current altitude I don't know if that is by design or an accidental feature but if it was changed to a simple Request Climb/Descent

Author:  Dave March [ Tue Jul 27, 2021 11:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

The default functionality of Lhotkeys L and H is by designed.

You could always use the default hotkeys 3 and 5 to request lower altitude due to clouds/turbulence

Author:  musky [ Tue Jul 27, 2021 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

Ah yes 3 & 5, the problem with these options if PF3 seems to frequently repond with tough you are just going to ride it out as we are unable to comply with your request at this time, which is reasonable. But you are correct and I am going to use 3 & 5 as a backup in future and see that works better

Regards

Author:  Dave March [ Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

It's completely randomised so if you get an 'Unable at this time' just try again... I've just tried the function 25 times and got 10 'unable' and 15 'ok'

Author:  Dan77 [ Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: MSFS HotKey Windows Higher/Lower Altitude Requesting

Also just to expand a bit on the point Dave made about descent profiles - I don't use MSFS so I can't offer any suggestions but if you find you are consistently too high at the destination, adjust the waypoint altitudes on the PF3 waypoint page before the flight so you have a better descent profile. If you hover your cursor over the waypoint names, a popup will display showing the distances to adjacent waypoints as well as to the airport, and you can adjust the altitudes so you get down sooner. Note that if you change a waypoint altitude, the others will not automatically change, so check the distance to adjacent waypoints to see if they need to be adjusted as well. Hopefully this will reduce the number of times you need to request lower during descent.

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