FS2004 How to produce different action depending on a conditions with a single mouse click?

[Milos Jovanovic]

My name is Miloš, I'm 45, a professional orchestra musician, father of two boys age 1 and 8. So, not a gauge developer, or an XML expert in any way. Just a flightsim fan for over 25 years. I own a FSX Steam (it was as cheep as 5 EUR on a sale, so I got it) but I don't use it. It's heavy on my 10 years old PC's resources. Instead, I still use my FS2004 and I'm happy with it.

I've been visiting this forum occasionally for a long time. About from when fs2x.com forum was closed. Since then, I have created several very basic XML gauges my self, and modified a few freely available on the web made by others, for my personal use.

Several days ago I've started making this ATS gauge for use in a DC-10 by HJG (former SGA aircraft with Mike Baumann panel, edited by HJG team). It's the first time for me trying to use L: vars in a gauge. And I'm stuck. I was wondering if someone can give me a push? Or a helping hand, anyway. I suppose it's a peace of cake for you guys.

Anyway, here is the code. What it should do is by moving the ATS (autothrottle) levers on a MCP turn ON the TOGA if the aircraft is on the ground, or engage SPD mode if levers are moved from OFF to ON position inflight. Here:

Moving lever to
ON (inflight) will engage SPD mode
unless TAKEOFF or G/A mode is
energized. On the ground, moving
lever to ON will engage CLAMP mode
unless TAKEOFF mode is energized.
No automatic movement of throttles
can occur with CLAMP mode
engaged.

Using L: vars, is it even possible, I wonder... I got the TOGA to activate, eventually. But it won't stay ON. Instead, the commandand the indication light are flickering, turning on and off very fast.

<Gauge Name="DC-10 ATS" Version="1.0">
   <Image Name="ATS base.bmp" ImageSizes="575,762" Luminous="1"/>

   <Element>
       <Select>
           <Value>(L:ATS levers, bool)</Value>
           <Case Value="0">
               <Image Name="ATS levers OFF.bmp" Luminous="1"/>
           </Case>
           <Case Value="1">
               <Image Name="ATS levers ON.bmp" Luminous="1"/>
           </Case>
       </Select>
   </Element>

   <Element>
       <Select>
           <Value>(L:ATS levers, bool) if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM) }</Value>
       </Select>
   </Element>

                                <!-- ATS levers activation on ground trigers TO/GA mode
                                         ATS levers activation inflight engages SPD mode -->
   <Element>
       <Select>
           <Value>(A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) (L:ATS levers, bool) if{ (&gt;L:ATS TOGA, bool) }</Value>
       </Select>
   </Element>

   <Element>
       <Select>
           <Value>(L:ATS TOGA, bool)  if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) }</Value>
       </Select>
   </Element>

   <Mouse>
       <Area Left="50" Top="143" Width="463" Height="289">
           <Help ID="HELPID_AUTOPILOT_AUTOTHROTTLE"/>
           <Cursor Type="Hand"/>
           <Click>(L:ATS levers, bool) ! (&gt;L:ATS levers, bool) }</Click>
       </Area>
   </Mouse>

</Gauge>

If someone can help me, please? It's been a three days struggle for me.

Thanks, Miloš

 

[antaris]

fs2x.com

Hello Milos, this great website is up and running again! Check it out.

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

Hello Milos, this great website is up and running again! Check it out.

I know, thanks kindly
However, their forum is offline...so I'm posting my question here.

 

[ddawson]

...

   <Element>
       <Select>
           <Value>(L:ATS levers, bool) if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM) }</Value>
       </Select>
   </Element>

                                <!-- ATS levers activation on ground trigers TO/GA mode
                                         ATS levers activation inflight engages SPD mode -->
   <Element>
       <Select>
           <Value>(A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) (L:ATS levers, bool) if{ (&gt;L:ATS TOGA, bool) }</Value>
       </Select>
   </Element>

   <Element>
       <Select>
           <Value>(L:ATS TOGA, bool)  if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) }</Value>
       </Select>
   </Element>
</Gauge>

These three elements are being evaluated 18 times per second, which means those events are being thrown 18 times per second.
The individual <value> lines should be in your mouse click.

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

These three elements are being evaluated 18 times per second, which means those events are being thrown 18 times per second.
The individual <value> lines should be in your mouse click.

Thank you, sir! Did you mean all three, like this?

            <Click>(L:ATS levers, bool) if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM) }
                      (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) (L:ATS levers, bool) if{ (&gt;L:ATS TOGA, bool) }
                      (L:ATS TOGA, bool)  if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) }
            </Click>
        </Area>
    </Mouse>

Obviously not. How can I do it, then? Sorry, I am really a beginner in this. Have mercy

 

[Heretic]

When interacting with a K: type variable, you should check the status of the corresponding A: type variable to avoid the event flooding that Doug described.

Also, you need to link your conditional statements and provide code for disengagement and any combination of input conditions that may occur.


Here's how I would do it:

Code:
<Gauge Name="DC-10 ATS" Version="1.0">
   <Image Name="ATS base.bmp" ImageSizes="575,762" Luminous="1"/>

                               <!-- ATS levers activation on ground trigers TO/GA mode
                                        ATS levers activation inflight engages SPD mode -->
   <Element>
      <Select>
          <Value>
(L:ATS levers, bool)
if{ (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool)
     if{ (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) ! if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM) }
         (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } }
     els{ (A:AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD, bool) ! if{ (>K:AP_PANEL_SPEED_HOLD_TOGGLE)  } } }
els{ (A:AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD, bool) if{ (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_HOLD) }
      (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM) }
      (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } }
</Value>
      </Select>
   </Element>


   <Element>
      <Select>
          <Value>(L:ATS levers, bool)</Value>
          <Case Value="0">
              <Image Name="ATS levers OFF.bmp" Luminous="1"/>
          </Case>
          <Case Value="1">
              <Image Name="ATS levers ON.bmp" Luminous="1"/>
          </Case>
      </Select>
   </Element>

   <Mouse>
      <Area Left="50" Top="143" Width="463" Height="289">
          <Tooltip>Automatic Throttle System%((L:ATS levers, bool) (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) and)%{if} (On, TOGA mode)%{end}%((L:ATS levers, bool) (A:AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD, bool) and)%{if} (On, Airspeed mode)%{end}</Tooltip>
          <Cursor Type="Hand"/>
          <Click>(L:ATS levers, bool) ! (&gt;L:ATS levers, bool) }</Click>
      </Area>
   </Mouse>

</Gauge>

I hope this works. My regular text editor marks all opening and closing brackets, which immensely helps with determining the right amount of brackets to use.

You can leave out the custom tooltip if it is too complicated. I prefer to invest a bit of effort in them to have appropriate readouts while in the cockpit.

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

When interacting with a K: type variable, you should check the status of the corresponding A: type variable to avoid the event flooding that Doug described.

Also, you need to link your conditional statements and provide code for disengagement and any combination of input conditions that may occur.


Here's how I would do it:

Code:
<Gauge Name="DC-10 ATS" Version="1.0">
   <Image Name="ATS base.bmp" ImageSizes="575,762" Luminous="1"/>

                               <!-- ATS levers activation on ground trigers TO/GA mode
                                        ATS levers activation inflight engages SPD mode -->
   <Element>
      <Select>
          <Value>
(L:ATS levers, bool)
if{ (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool)
     if{ (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) ! if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM) }
         (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } }
     els{ (A:AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD, bool) ! if{ (>K:AP_PANEL_SPEED_HOLD_TOGGLE)  } } }
els{ (A:AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD, bool) if{ (>K:AP_AIRSPEED_HOLD) }
      (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_ARM) }
      (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } }
</Value>
      </Select>
   </Element>


   <Element>
      <Select>
          <Value>(L:ATS levers, bool)</Value>
          <Case Value="0">
              <Image Name="ATS levers OFF.bmp" Luminous="1"/>
          </Case>
          <Case Value="1">
              <Image Name="ATS levers ON.bmp" Luminous="1"/>
          </Case>
      </Select>
   </Element>

   <Mouse>
      <Area Left="50" Top="143" Width="463" Height="289">
          <Tooltip>Automatic Throttle System%((L:ATS levers, bool) (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) and)%{if} (On, TOGA mode)%{end}%((L:ATS levers, bool) (A:AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD, bool) and)%{if} (On, Airspeed mode)%{end}</Tooltip>
          <Cursor Type="Hand"/>
          <Click>(L:ATS levers, bool) ! (&gt;L:ATS levers, bool) }</Click>
      </Area>
   </Mouse>

</Gauge>

I hope this works. My regular text editor marks all opening and closing brackets, which immensely helps with determining the right amount of brackets to use.

You can leave out the custom tooltip if it is too complicated. I prefer to invest a bit of effort in them to have appropriate readouts while in the cockpit.

Thank you so much for your help, Bjoern! It means a lot! Let me take some time to "translate" your code completely, (including fantastically complicated Tooltip) so I can learn something. It's not my goal to use you people for writing free codes for me.

Thanks again! I'll get back to you!

 

[Heretic]

Formatted text is a whole different world in terms of syntax, but is pretty easy to use for simpler conditional text once you've practiced for a bit.

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

Thanks again, Bjoern! I have understood at least this level of coding, thanks to you. You know how it goes, every time you learn something new, you would love to use it again, and again. Because, it's a great feeling when you create something by your self, and it works!
However, I would like to write codes to quickly, I'm afraid. I've looked everywhere. Nick Pike's tutorials are of big help! I just can't get this new code to work. Will someone care to help, again?

Here is the code with my custom variables. I would like to be able to trigger TOGA power if all these conditions are met. That new L variable is L:Automatic TO takeoff

    <Element>
    <Select>
        <Value>(L:Automatic TO takeoff, bool)
            if{ (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) 
            if{ (A:TURB ENG N1:1, percent) 35 &gt;
            if{ (L:TRC TO mode, bool) (A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) and (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) and
            if{ (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } } } } }
        </Value>
    </Select>
</Element>

I'm struggling again. Nothing that I've tried worked.

Thanks!

 

[rpmc]

I would like to be able to trigger TOGA power if all these conditions are met.

Try

(A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) (A:TURB ENG N1:1, percent) 35 > and
(L:TRC TO mode, bool) and
(A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) and
(A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) and
(A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! and
   if{ (>K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) }

Note that brief event flooding will occur until the a/c is no longer on the ground.

I don't see the need to create (L:Automatic TO takeoff, bool).

Bob

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

Hello, Bob!
I have tried lot's of variants of that code, with the and too, but always with

if{ A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! if{ (>K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } }

like this.

I don't see the need to create (L:Automatic TO takeoff, bool)

I thought I need (L:Automatic TO takeoff, bool) for the annunciator lamp, but you're right, I could make only

(A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) (>K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA)

for that one.

Thanks very much! I'll give it a try and let you know!

 

[rpmc]

Hello Milos,

(A:SIM ON GROUND, bool) (>K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA)

That will create a problem. Anytime the aircraft is on the ground the autothrottle is set to Takeoff/Go Around.

This might help - experiment with the attached gauge. It's a replica of your example, but instead of using the AVars, it uses LVars that you can change (on lines 6 through 10) to see what's happening. The gauge size is a 200 x 100 and can be added as a separate window in panel.cfg.

Eventually, you might want to use a gauge debugging app like Blackbox or LOCALVARS class in XMLTOOLS to help debug code logic.

Bob

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

Bob, no luck again... Like in my previous attempts, only thing I get is FD to engage at (A:TURB ENG N1:1, percent) 35 &gt; if it wasn't on before, and that's it.

But then I tried your code in FS2004 default B737, and in worked as it should I guess Steffan Ahlberg's Mike Baumann's old DC-10 panel has some custom gauges preventing my (and yours) code to work correctly. That's OK, I know now that I have to base my test gauges on default aircraft, with default FS2004 autopilot. That is, until I construct my own, some day Thanks for your help!

 

[Heretic]

Check the aircraft.cfg if it is set up for autothrottle at all: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526949.aspx#mozTocId942782 (says ESP/FSX, but is also applicable to FS9)

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

Check the aircraft.cfg if it is set up for autothrottle at all:

Thaks, Bjoern. First thing I did... In Aircraft.cfg there are these lines

autothrottle_available= 1
autothrottle_arming_required= 1
autothrottle_takeoff_ga= 1

Must be something in that panel custom gauges (gau files)

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

One thing I don't understand. Why this code work like Bob put it together, but not if introducing L var with it, like I want it. Even with default 737.

Element>
      <Select>
          <Value>(L:Automatic TO mode, bool)
              if{ (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool)
              (A:TURB ENG N1:1, percent) 35 &gt; and
              (L:TRC TO mode, bool) and
              (A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) and
              (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) and
              (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! and
              if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } }
          </Value>
      </Select>
    </Element>

BlackBox gauge shows all conditions at 1, but still, no TOGA

 

[rpmc]

Milos,

First of all, it's very nice to see the use of gauge debug tools like Robbie McElrath's Blackbox and Doug Dawson's xml vars, as well as a panel Reload button. Those are best practices. Well done.

You say Blackbox shows all conditions at 1, however (L:Automatic TO mode, bool) is zero. Because of that, the red if{ below, which includes the nested >K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA, will not be evaluated.

The if{ operates based on what precedes it. If it (the top of the stack) is 1, then if{ is evaluated. If the top of the stack is 0, the if{ is not evaluated.

For example, this would have given you TOGA:

<Element>
 <Value>
  1
   if{
    (A:SIM ON GROUND, bool)
    (A:TURB ENG N1:1, percent) 35 &gt; and
    (L:TRC TO mode, bool) and
    (A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) and
    (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) and
    (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! and
     if{
      (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA)
     }
   }
 </Value>
</Element>

Bob

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

Milos,

First of all, it's very nice to see the use of gauge debug tools like Robbie McElrath's Blackbox and Doug Dawson's xml vars, as well as a panel Reload button. Those are best practices. Well done.

Thanks, Bob. As I've already said replying to Bjoern, It's not my goal to use you people for writing free codes for me. I want to learn XML if possible, or as much as possible, so I can create XML gauges of my own, and ultimately fly a DC-10 with my own panel, and possibly share it with FS community I use FS2004 panels and gauges SDK, Nick Pike's tutorials, BlackBox and XML vars. But, I need help from time to time. More then the others, I might say Thanks for your nice words, and your help! It's greatly appreciated! I new how if{ works, but didn't quite understand defining L vars.

My code now looks like this:

   <Select>
          <Value>(A:SIM ON GROUND, bool)
              (A:LIGHT LANDING, bool) and
              (A:AUTOPILOT THROTTLE ARM, bool) and
              (L:TRC TO mode, bool) and
              (A:TURB ENG N1:1, percent) 40 &gt; and
              (&gt;L:Automatic TO mode, bool)
          </Value>
      </Select>
    </Element>

        <Element>
        <Select>
            <Value>(L:Automatic TO mode, bool)
                if{ (A:AUTOPILOT TAKEOFF POWER ACTIVE, bool) ! if{ (&gt;K:AUTO_THROTTLE_TO_GA) } }
            </Value>
        </Select>
    </Element>

My problem was introducing the new L variable in the correct way. Now the L:Automatic TO mode is defined, and used to trigger TOGA power, which is what I wanted to begin with. Now comes the tremendously difficult task of creating other modes in Thrust Rating Computer. OK, one code at the time

And one more question if I may ask. This has now nothing to do with the initial theme of this post titled

How to produce different action depending on a conditions with a single mouse click

What is the right way on the forum? Should I open new post every time, or I can continue using this post for my XML related questions?
Thank you all!

 

[rpmc]

What is the right way on the forum? Should I open new post every time, or I can continue using this post for my XML related questions?
Thank you all!

It's a judgement call, but I'd say if you think the specific topic changes, then start a new thread, taking time to write a good, descriptive title so forum readers clearly know what its about. That will help greatly with future topic searches.

Some threads in here meander far off the original topic and it probably would have been better to snip it and start afresh.

Bob

 

[Milos Jovanovic]

It's a judgement call, but I'd say if you think the specific topic changes, then start a new thread, taking time to write a good, descriptive title so forum readers clearly know what its about.

Will do. Thanks, Bob!