Grumman Goose Fuel Pump Switch

[LuftWayfarer]

I'm a big Grumman Goose fan. I want it fixed... So I dissected the Gauges to find that the Grumman Gooses 'top_popup.xml' gauge has a bit of an error in it that makes the fuel pump switch run on only engine one. So I changed the 'Key event' so that is does all engines... All I had to do was delete the red digit in the code below. The problem is, this works fine and fixes the problem if you hit the fuel pump switch in the 2d popup panel but doesn't work in the 3D cockpit Switch. What I need to know is how to find out what gauge that switch in the 3d cockpit is aliased to. I'm guessing that it's assigned in the model somehow, I don't know. But I need to find the code for it. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

<MouseArea id="Fuel Pump Switch">
<FloatPosition>74.000,44.000</FloatPosition>
<Size>28,50</Size>
<CursorType>Hand</CursorType>
<MouseClick id="MouseClick">
<KeyEvent>TOGGLE_ELECT_FUEL_PUMP1</KeyEvent>
<ClickType>LeftSingle</ClickType>
</MouseClick>
<Tooltip id="Tooltip">
<DefaultId>HELPID_GAUGE_SWITCH_FUEL_PUMP</DefaultId>
</Tooltip>
</MouseArea>

[n4gix]

It is embedded in the ..._interior.mdl file and cannot be "edited" unfortunately!

[taguilo]

As Bill states, you can do nothing with the key event in the .mdl file.
But you do have a simple way to fix it:
In the same gauge of your code above, trap the TOGGLE_ELECT_FUEL_PUMP1 event and send a TOGGLE_ELECT_FUEL_PUMP2 from inside the trap.

Tom

[LuftWayfarer]

I can't find how to properly put two events in the same 'trap.' So I went through the sdk and found the key that turns all electric fuel pumps on instead. I did give it a run just changing the the switch to activate Pump 2 but still, the 3d switch activates only pump 1, and in this case the 2d switch activates only pump 2. I wasn't aware that you could code FSX key events directly into a model.

I model a lot, but I don't make aircraft, just static or animated scenery. I know you can add a harden to surfaces, and add 'no crash' scripts among other things. I figured the switch would be aliased to a specific gauge, and I could then modify the individual gauge. If not, then that sucks. This aircraft is my means in FSX.

[ddawson]

Something like this might do it for you:

<Gauge Name="fuel pump 2" Version="1.0">
<Value>(L:ADFConversionTemp,number) </Value>
<Image Name="RGB_000_bitmap.bmp" />
<Update>
(A:GENERAL ENG FUEL PUMP SWITCH:1,bool) (A:GENERAL ENG FUEL PUMP SWITCH:2,bool) !=
if{
(>K:TOGGLE_ELECT_FUEL_PUMP2)
}
</Update>
</Gauge>

Doug

[taguilo]

Originally Posted by LuftWayfarer

I model a lot, but I don't make aircraft, just static or animated scenery. I know you can add a harden to surfaces, and add 'no crash' scripts among other things. I figured the switch would be aliased to a specific gauge, and I could then modify the individual gauge. If not, then that sucks. This aircraft is my means in FSX.

Ok if you know how to place gauge in panels, you can build one with this simple code

<Gauge Name="Electric Pump 2" Version="1.0">
    <Keys>
        <On Event="TOGGLE_ELECT_FUEL_PUMP1">
             (>K:TOGGLE_ELECT_FUEL_PUMP2)
        </On>
    </Keys>
</Gauge>

Then put this gauge in [VCockpit01] , as the last one,
ie gauge16=path!electric_pum2, 0, 0, 10, 10

Tom

[LuftWayfarer]

Brilliant. A gauge to run an event that runs a gauge. Thanks for adding an open mind.

[LuftWayfarer]

Just writing back to say this works like a charm! It's people like you that help this simming community. I'm just too happy now with this. Thanks a lot.

[n4gix]

Just for the record, the assignment in the .mdl file is:

GENERAL ENG FUEL PUMP SWITCH:1#bool#50#

Note that the sim var index is :1 and it uses 50 keyframes for the animation. Unfortunately, if you try to use a hex editor to remove the index entirely, the resulting two blank spaces will cause the .mdl to not load at all...

...so it's a good thing to have found an alternate solution!

[taguilo]

Originally Posted by n4gix

Just for the record, the assignment in the .mdl file is:

GENERAL ENG FUEL PUMP SWITCH:1#bool#50#

Note that the sim var index is :1 and it uses 50 keyframes for the animation. Unfortunately, if you try to use a hex editor to remove the index entirely, the resulting two blank spaces will cause the .mdl to not load at all...

...so it's a good thing to have found an alternate solution!

Bill, that is the variable animation code, not the event code. This last one, if coded directly in <EventID> is not visible at all as it's compiled; if inside a <CallbackCode> it will show with an hex editor and you could change it very easy but this is not the case with the Grumman. As the event is assigned to Pump1 there is no way that you can act on PUMP2 by editing the .mdl.

Tom

[n4gix]

Originally Posted by taguilo

Bill, that is the variable animation code, not the event code. This last one, if coded directly in <EventID> is not visible at all as it's compiled; if inside a <CallbackCode> it will show with an hex editor and you could change it very easy but this is not the case with the Grumman. As the event is assigned to Pump1 there is no way that you can act on PUMP2 by editing the .mdl.

Tom

Tom, I'm very well aware that this is the animation code. I was pointing out that one cannot actually edit the 3d switch's animation assignment without killing the model's display.

[taguilo]

Originally Posted by n4gix

Tom, I'm very well aware that this is the animation code. I was pointing out that one cannot actually edit the 3d switch's animation assignment without killing the model's display.

Pst...both you and me know it is quite possible (and rather easy) to change animation variables and codes

In this particular case, there is no GENERAL ENG FUEL PUMP SWITCH variable, proper syntax supporting ENG1/ENG2 or SWITCH:1/SWITCH:2. So you could change :1 to :2 and the model will work ok, but the switch will actually change only when (>K:TOGGLE_ELECT_FUEL_PUMP2) is fired in the referenced gauge.


Tom

[n4gix]

Tom, I'm not even sure why this case of the Goose is even a concern to begin with, since it only has one electric fuel pump and is not engine dependent...

From the aircraft.cfg file:

electric_pump = 1
engine_driven_pump=0

Since this is the case, that's why there's only one fuel pump switch on the overhead!

As someone once wrote, it's "...much ado about nothing..."

[taguilo]

Bill, I originally assumed that he has coded two eng fuel pumps for the 2D panel...But what the heck, you're right. Further conclusions here are useless..let's go post something more constructive!

Tom

[LuftWayfarer]

Yeah, the switch does nothing but turn a needle on the left engine fuel pressure gauge. So I wanted it to do both gauges. The new gauge made that happen.

Are you implying there is a way to make the fuel pump actually do something? As it is, I can start the Goose with or without the fuel pump. Seems odd to me that the pump would be engine driven, yet a boost pump included. I read boost pumps are used to help start engines, yet in this case I don't need it. I doubt the engine driven pumps will stop working This was purely a cosmetic fix, but I wish I could make it a useful one. I'm sure it's a matter of me not knowing what the pump is actually for. Regardless, it use to only feed the left engine.

[n4gix]

The boost fuel pump on the Grumman Goose is electrical, not engine driven. The purpose of this boost fuel pump is to supply a constant higher pressure to the system during critical phases of a flight; takeoffs and landings.

The engine driven fuel pumps will normally supply sufficient pressure during normal cruise operations.

[taguilo]

Originally Posted by LuftWayfarer

Yeah, the switch does nothing but turn a needle on the left engine fuel pressure gauge. So I wanted it to do both gauges. The new gauge made that happen.

Are you implying there is a way to make the fuel pump actually do something? As it is, I can start the Goose with or without the fuel pump. Seems odd to me that the pump would be engine driven, yet a boost pump included. I read boost pumps are used to help start engines, yet in this case I don't need it. I doubt the engine driven pumps will stop working This was purely a cosmetic fix, but I wish I could make it a useful one. I'm sure it's a matter of me not knowing what the pump is actually for. Regardless, it use to only feed the left engine.

Actually General Eng Fuel Pump var is used by FS as a boost pump variable; when pump is ON what happens is an increase in fuel pressure at engine low on null RPM, and that's all. Is kind of a semicosmetic var, because one can start or stop the engines without the pumps (must be one for each engine!). Main engine pumps are implicit in the sim and, AFAIK, not contollable by code.

Tom