Two issues

[Dean B]

Hi Steve,

Two things that are causing me issues. The first has been around a while now. I don't remember if it's always been this way or it started with a certain build.

This is the sequence I have to go through to get to the FSX cockpit.

I run FSX in windowed mode.

I set IF up and hit 'Start FS'. I see the FSX splashscreen and I hear FSX load. The FSX window does not appear. IF window remains and has focus. If I hit ESC the FSX window with 'End Flight, Continue Flight ...' appears so I know FSX has focus as well.

I hit ALT+ENTER which then displays the FSX window in full screen.

Tap ALT+ENTER to take us to displaying FSX in a window.

This I do every flight.

Second issue. More serious. I run a piece of software (Skytrack), on my Client pc, via WideFS, which records Fuel Burnt, Fuel Loaded, PAX and Cargo for my VA. I upload this on engine shutdown & parking brake applied.
I've just noticed that for every flight I've started via IF, this software is recording both PAX and Cargo at 0 value. This is not good for stats IF is on the sidelines for this reason right now.

Oh yeh, one small thing - doesn't matter which airliner I select- LDS, NGX, Feel There - IF will always tell me Seat Belts weren't on for TO or Landing. Cough...cough. They were but IF hasn't recognized any of them.

[Steve Waite]

This is not a problem of IF. I would try starting FSX on its own, go into freeflight and make it windowed, then close it. Now open FSX, it should start at the sim in windowed mode. Now Alt+Enter to make full screen, close it. Now start a flight with the IF:FSX icon, or the IF:Fly! icon

You say you start Skytrack once you parked up after a flight and it does not work? Have you tried ending IF first then running Skytrack? However, there’s nothing IF does to stop that working.

Not all addon planes use the default No-Smoking or Seatbelt signals in FSX and so with these you must turn off the passenger signs in the mission page.

[Steve Waite]

Remember that IF is the sort of program that since it does a lot of stuff and uses magic and voodoo, it will get the blame for any problems. However, because of the way IF operates FSX, problems allways turn out to be a fault of another.

[Steve Waite]

Remember to use the passenger sign switches at the right time.

Before PushBack (or any moving off) set the signs on.

Once level or in steady flight, turn the signs off.

Before descent or approach, turn the signs on.

Once parked and handbrake on, turn the signs off.

Test this with a default plane, if it fails let me know. Addon planes don't allways play well here since they may rob these unused signals for another function.

Steve

[Steve Waite]

Another idea on your starting issue:

Latest builds of IF only bring FSX to focus once the network connection is established. So the window should pop into focus at "In Progress" and the addon menu should appear a second later.

Even if you have Alt+Tabbed into another window the FSX window will popup just when the network is established.

[Steve Waite]

Thinking about Skytrack: What information does it read to get its cargo/pax/fuel values? If you choose the IF: Save Flight menu item a new .FLT is made, there's no problem dumping all the sim values to file. IF is only another process waiting for a network transmission from FSX. Perhaps there is another way or setting, for running Skytrack?

[Dean B]

Steve,

Err...I know when seatbelts should be switched on & off. I use checklists plus 20+ years simming.

I only ALT+ENTER to force FSX to switch to full screen and grab focus back. If I didn't I would just sit there staring at the desktop listening to FSX but not seeing. If IF is handing the focus back, the FSX window never 'pops' back into view. I never ALT+TAB between apps; I know that can upset things.

Skytrack gets started once FSX has loaded and your AC is at the DEP gate with engines off and parking brake on. It monitors flight time and fuel burn. When you are at the ARR gate and engines are off, you stop Skytrack and upload the completed flight. Whatever IF is doing, Skytrack sees both PAX & cargo values as 0. If IF is not running then Skytrack fills the values in.

[Steve Waite]

Err...I know when seatbelts should be switched on & off. I use checklists plus 20+ years simming.

Hey Dean, don't forget this is an open forum and so answers are for allcomers, quite often I get asked about when IF detects the switching and is not so obvious from that point of view. Once you moved a little you may be deemed to not have had the switches on. Have you tried with the default 737 for example?

The sequence I was talking about:
I would try starting FSX on its own, go into freeflight and make it windowed, then close it. Now open FSX, it should start at the sim in windowed mode. Now Alt+Enter to make full screen, close it.

If you perform that then FSX may get it's window position correct from then on. IF only handles the panels and views. Some other thing is causing the FSX window to appear off screen maybe? None the less, IF opens a command prompt and types fsx.exe "Ideal_Flight.FLT" and so FSX should start if not running already, then when simconnect is established IF sends a bring to front. There's nothing else to that.

It sounds like skytrack is taking the readings of the plane before the plane is set up by FSX. Since IF opens a command prompt and types fsx.exe "Ideal_Flight.FLT", then FSX loads the flight, there's no other way to do it, perhaps you should run skytrack after the flight has started, say try using unpaused or Pause(allows the sim to start).

[Steve Waite]

The pax/cargo/fuel is set up in the .FLT file that is opened by FSX, the panels and views are set up from there too, these files are basically saved flight's.

Try starting a flight as normal, but then pull down the menu and choose "Start Flight" this might help SkyTrack initialise properly.

It may not be ending properly somehow, that's why I suggest at the end of the flight exit IF from the menu or the IF window, get your score, then in FSX end the flight and perhaps skytrack may pick up the current fuel load. You can see the fuel used at the bottom of the debrief, you can perform a saveflight and see the settings FSX saves in the .FLT.

[Steve Waite]

FSX refused to appear on screen for me after closing FSX from the Processes window.

If FSX does not appear on screen...

Close FSX in windowed sim mode on your main screen.
Open FSX into the sim in windowed mode and press "Alt+Enter" to make full screen.
Close FSX from there.

Now the FSX settings should bring FSX up in view on the desktop and on the correct monitor.