Baron Icing Switches
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@djw4250, the first test flight went well. All the switches move in the cockpit when I use the relevant Bravo switches. I still need to do another flight with icing conditions to verify the systems are working properly.
I ended up not using scripts in Spad, instead I just set up normal assignments that are setting data values rather than sending events.
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@RoughLandings that's exactly how I was trying to do it but I have run in to problems adding the "Condition" for the "Action". I get a big red cross on the left of the condition and nothing works. With just a quick look I can't see what's different between what you finished up with (that works) and what I arrived at (that doesn't work) but I plan to download your offering today and have a real good look at it. Thanks for sharing.
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@djw4250, can you post a screenshot of your settings?
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@RoughLandings will do. It will be a few minutes because my sim is not running yet. I will boot it up and take a picture of it.
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@RoughLandings I can't upload an image from my PC sorry, Apparently it has to have a URL address.
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I have spent ages scrolling through the BaronAnalog.xml trying to answer this question - "What's the Lvar for the BKSQ Baron's prop deice heating?" There are more options for the naming of it than I can imagine. Is it "propDeice", "propHeat", "propBoot" or something I haven't thought of yet?
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Sorry you've spent so much time looking for that. You will be happy to know that nearly all input and output variables for the Dukes are included in the manuals.
The propeller deicing in the Baron is possibly the only default template used in that aircraft, which is why you couldn't find it. The easiest method is to send the following B:Event:
B:DEICE_Propeller_1_Set
You can also send the conventional K:Event:
K:Prop Deice Switch:1
The former should move the switch in the cockpit as well, while the latter may not. These are the small things I improve from one aircraft to the next, which I feel like I am only beginning to perfect now. Sorry for any inconvenience.
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@Black-Square no apology needed. I am in awe of the work you have done (an absolutely mammoth task I think) and quite frankly feel privileged that you would bother to respond to my dopey questions. (Such as "What are the Dukes?")
With your kind help though, and also the enthusiastic assistance from @RoughLandings, I now have all but one of the Anti-ice switches working.
That one is labelled "Surface Ice" in my Baron. Maybe I should be looking for something else. Like "Structural Ice" or "Wing_boots" or "Leading Edge Deice" the options seem limitless.
So I'm not sure what to search for and I assure you, I have worked diligently at discovering it.
One thing I haven't tried thus far is opening the AnalogBaron.xml file with NotePad++. If that worked then I would have a powerful search tool to assist me.
I assume there's a matching electrical circuit switch to include as well and I have discovered the list of them in the xml file but I'm afraid I find their names a bit ambiguous but I am getting better at it. :)Respects
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No worries! I'm happy that you're patient with some of my shortcomings in these older aircraft too. I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel like my work as a one-man developer was often trivialized, but hopefully those who seriously engage with my aircraft appreciate them the same way I do when I have the rare chance to enjoy them.
The deicing boots are controlled with circuit number 27:
(>A:CIRCUIT SWITCH ON:27, bool)The deicing mode is controlled with L:var_airframeDeiceMode, where 0 = Auto, and 2 = Manual.
I hope that helps! Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
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@Black-Square Thank you for that information. I will have a go at that tomorrow after I get some sleep. If it all works, then that will be the first time I have had my sim completely working in nearly 7 years of building and rebuilding and modifying and revision - a total of 14 reiterations.
Iterations would be something I expect you would know well. I looked at the video link you sent through. I am speechless! When do you get rest? Even the video presentations is a huge amount of work. Add to that the Manuals and documentation - amazing. Then you have marketing too and customer support. I don't know how you do it.
I was a programmer/director of a software development company many decades ago so I have a little understanding of the environment you are working in. We (3 of us) folded our company in the face of the overpowering influence of bigger developers.
So here is one person who is cheering you on.
I sincerely wish you every success. -
Looking forward to the Dukes! In the mean time, I took advantage of the Just Flight spring sale and purchased the Analog Bonanza this morning, so looking forward to using that one!
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Have a look at this procedure I have developed and tell what needs to change. if anything.
Procedure:
- Run FS2020 & load the Baron in any
scenario. - Run SPAD.neXt.
- Click “DATA MONITOR’’ then “ADD LVAR”.
- In the sim toggle the switch to be set
up. - Click on the column header “Last Change” to identify what Lvar that switch is triggering – note what it is (one of the above 4 Lvars hopefully).
- Click “ADD DATA”.
- Select the “►LVAR” filter on LHS of SPAD window.
- Now search the list for the Lvar seen in step 5.
- Select it and click “OK” @ bottom of the SPAD window.
- Open the Controller/Devices window.
- Select the appropriate matching swich in your sim.
- Check that it is configured as a Switch, not a Button.
- Click “ADD EVENT”.
- Choose “Switched ON”.
- In the “Action to be executed” panel click “ADD ACTION”.
- Select “Change data value”.
- On LHS panel select Filter “►LVAR”.
- Find the Lvar from step 5 again.
- Select it and click “OK”.
- Select the Lvar’s Definition properties.
o Operation = “Set”.
o Static value = an appropriate value.
o Ignore the other properties. - Click “OK”.
- Click “ADD EVENT”.
- Choose same as in 14.
- Click “ADD ACTION”.
- Select “Send sim event”.
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- Select the event “A:CIRCUIT SWITCH ON: #”on dropdown list where # = 27 or 35 or 38 or 39 as appropriate.
- Define its parameters.
- Click “OK”
- Repeat from step 14 for the "Switched OFF" option.
- Run FS2020 & load the Baron in any
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Oh dear, I hope you're not asking me! I have almost no experience with SPAD, as I'm very old-school with my hardware setup. Has this been working for you, though? I hope so.
Thank you for your very kind message, btw. I meant to respond yesterday. It's very encouraging coming from another software manager. I have received praise from many of my users and fellow developers, but yours is the first message I've seen that actually recognizes the many hats I must wear. For that, I thank you. I create about 100,000 lines of code per year, 500 pages of documentation, three hours of edited video, 50GB of textures, and 2M polygons of 3D models. I say this not to boast, but only to share with the rare user who might understand the magnitude of those numbers.
Thank you again for your kind message. Let me know if there anything else that I can do to improve your simulation experience now that I've talked your ear off!
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@Black-Square that's OK. I thought that at least you might be intrigued to see what is involved from this end of things. I started from a place of complete ignorance as you may well have noticed in my first post. I have not discovered any way of cutting and pasting any code in to SPAD at all. There may be ways but as yet I don't see it. There's a functionality they call "SRIPTING" but I got bogged down in there.
Anyway it seems to be working although I haven't yet completed the settings for the Auto/Manual deicing switch. Confidence is high.
Regarding your work, I truly do admire your high level of "performance", your outstanding commitment and the excellence of your products.
Thank you too for your offer of ongoing support and encouragement.
I am curious about your "Old School" set up . At 74 years of age I would've thought that title would be reserved for me. Please tell me about your rig if you have some time.
Kind regards
David -
Sorry this has been so much work for you. I wish I could supply something that worked for every hardware and software combination, but everyone wants something a little different. It's also difficult enough as it is to avoid conflicts with all the popular hardware just as they come out of the box. The Honeycomb products have proven particularly difficult on the developer side.
I wanted to send this to you days ago, but I couldn't find it again when I went looking. I don't think many people know that this exists and can be helpful for anyone with any software. It's a community driven repository of aircraft controls on Mobiflight's website. I have even less experience with Mobiflight; however, if you can import some of these "presets" or enter code directly, you might find it more useful than SPAD.
I'm ashamed to say this publicly, lest I draw the ire of those with more complex setups and the developer, but I've been using the same Saitek X52 for 20 years now. I like to keep my things in good condition, so I've never really considered purchasing anything else. I've always been very low maintenance when it comes to such things, I suppose.
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No, not at all! It's been a great discovery adventure for me.
Yes, the honeycomb stuff does seem difficult, especially, for me anyway, the Autopilot setup.
I have puzzled over why I couldn't find such a thing as a repository. Cheers, I have saved the URL in my Favorites.
You have the X52 and I still use my original Saitek Pro Flight Yoke!
You might be relieved to hear that all my switches are working. I can start my sim "Cold and Dark" for the first time in years. Very nice. Thanks for your friendly help.
Very, very much appreciated. -
@djw4250, I love this procedure you have written up! I am saving a copy for future reference.
One thing I have figured out is that "Button Pressed" and "Button Released" function the same as "Switched On" and "Switched Off" in Spad. So if you have a toggle switch that is configured as two "buttons" in Spad, just select one of the "buttons" and assign the "On" events to the "Pressed" condition and the "Off" events to the "Released" condition and ignore the other "button".
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@djw4250 said in Baron Icing Switches:
No, not at all! It's been a great discovery adventure for me.
Yes, the honeycomb stuff does seem difficult, especially, for me anyway, the Autopilot setup.
I have puzzled over why I couldn't find such a thing as a repository. Cheers, I have saved the URL in my Favorites.
You have the X52 and I still use my original Saitek Pro Flight Yoke!
You might be relieved to hear that all my switches are working. I can start my sim "Cold and Dark" for the first time in years. Very nice. Thanks for your friendly help.
Very, very much appreciated.Are you using a Honeycomb Bravo? If so, I have a great set up for the autopilot.
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@RoughLandings, I am very happy that you have saved a copy of my SPAD "De-Icing Switches Procedure". Usually after I have clicked everything in sight and it accidentally works I have no idea why and can't recall the sequence of actions I took so just move on to the next thing and continue "fiddling around" with it. But because of your interest in the subject I kept a record of the procedure. I started it by taking notes while watching "How To" videos.
Yes I am using the HC Bravo and yes I have been having a great deal of trouble getting reliable functionality from its Autopilot feature.
And yes, I would be glad to investigate your configuration for it.
