Problem with maskable events

[DragonflightDesign]

Maskable events doesn't seem to operate the way I expect. Code follows:

    hr = SimConnect_MapClientEventToSimEvent(hSimConnect, KEY_A);
    hr = SimConnect_MapInputEventToClientEvent(hSimConnect, KEYBOARD_INPUT, "a", KEY_A, true); 
    // Sign up for notifications 
    hr = SimConnect_AddClientEventToNotificationGroup(hSimConnect, GROUP_KEYBOARD, KEY_A);     
    // Set a high priority for the group
//    hr = SimConnect_SetNotificationGroupPriority(hSimConnect, GROUP_KEYBOARD, KEY_A, SIMCONNECT_GROUP_PRIORITY_HIGHEST);
    hr = SimConnect_SetNotificationGroupPriority(hSimConnect, GROUP_KEYBOARD, SIMCONNECT_GROUP_PRIORITY_HIGHEST_MASKABLE);

// At another place in the code where I can be sure the sim is fully started:
        if (isLoaded)
        {
            hr = SimConnect_SetInputGroupState(hSimConnect, KEYBOARD_INPUT, SIMCONNECT_STATE_ON); 
        }

When I press the A key it's correctly trapped by the event but the cockpit camera also activates. It's my expectation that I'll trap the A key but the cockpit camera does not change, so I've either missed or misunderstood something (or both). I've looked at the PMDG-style code here:

C: PMDG-style keyboard entry - FSDeveloper Wiki

www.fsdeveloper.com

and it would be easy enough to copy it and modify it suit my need, but that would rather defeat the object of trying to find out what I've done wrong and knowing how maskable events work.

 

[Anthony31]

You need a SimConnect_SetInputGroupPriority after the SimConnect_SetInputGroupState perhaps? It's in the PMDG code but not in yours.

 

[DragonflightDesign]

No, that wasn't it. I modified the throttlecontrol sample from the P3D SDK so that nothing of my code could possibly be getting in the way, but the result was the same.

 

[DragonflightDesign]

It seems that it might have been sort-of working all along, but not as I expected. This is the modified SDK throttlecontrol code:

        // Set up a data definition for the throttle control
        hr = SimConnect_AddToDataDefinition(hSimConnect, DEFINITION_THROTTLE, "GENERAL ENG THROTTLE LEVER POSITION:1", "percent");

        // Request a one-sec event which we'll use to connect
        hr = SimConnect_SubscribeToSystemEvent(hSimConnect, EVENT_1SEC, "1sec");

        // Create two private key events to control the throttle
        hr = SimConnect_MapClientEventToSimEvent(hSimConnect, EVENT_A);
        hr = SimConnect_MapClientEventToSimEvent(hSimConnect, EVENT_S);

        // Sign up for notifications
        hr = SimConnect_AddClientEventToNotificationGroup(hSimConnect, GROUP_KEYS, EVENT_A, true);
        hr = SimConnect_AddClientEventToNotificationGroup(hSimConnect, GROUP_KEYS, EVENT_S, true);

        // Link the events to the keyboard
        hr = SimConnect_MapInputEventToClientEvent(hSimConnect, INPUT_KEYS, "A", EVENT_A, true);
        hr = SimConnect_MapInputEventToClientEvent(hSimConnect, INPUT_KEYS, "S", EVENT_S, true);

        // Set a high priority for the group
        hr = SimConnect_SetNotificationGroupPriority(hSimConnect, GROUP_KEYS, SIMCONNECT_GROUP_PRIORITY_HIGHEST_MASKABLE);

        // Set the input to the highest priority
        hr = SimConnect_SetInputGroupPriority(hSimConnect, INPUT_KEYS, SIMCONNECT_GROUP_PRIORITY_HIGHEST_MASKABLE);

        // Ensure the input events are on
        hr = SimConnect_SetInputGroupState(hSimConnect, INPUT_KEYS, SIMCONNECT_STATE_ON);

What I expected from that is the A and S keys would be intercepted and increase/decrease the throttle (they do). What also happens - which I did not expect - is that the A key changes the internal views and the S key changes the external views at the same time as changing the throttle setting. I thought that masking the key inputs would prevent the keypresses from going through to prepar3d.exe?

Just in case you're wondering what that EVENT_1SEC is doing:

                case EVENT_1SEC:
                {
                    // Send this request to get the user aircraft id, then stop coming though here
                    // This allows you to stop racing the sim for a sim start avent
                    if (i == 0)
                    {
                        i = 1;
                        hr = SimConnect_RequestDataOnSimObject(hSimConnect, REQUEST_THROTTLE, DEFINITION_THROTTLE, SIMCONNECT_OBJECT_ID_USER, SIMCONNECT_PERIOD_ONCE);
                    }
                }
                break;

Saves having to restart P3D every time and race it to getting the console app running in that short period between SimConnect starting up and 'sim_start' being transmitted. Damn silly idea that was on someone's part! (Variable i is a static int).