Cannot connect even local...

[cvearl]

WinXP SP3 (.net current per manual) and FSX Gold edition and latest Plan-G...

I extracted the Plan-G zip into a folder on my desktop.  Ran it. Built the FSX database. The Options for FS Connection are currently at default.
 
I run FSX and start free flight for instance. Go to windowed mode and run plan-g shortcut I created. Hit Connect. It fails out and says "Unable to connect to Flight Simulator blah blah blah... check the log".

Log says...

10:48:20 PM RibbonButton_Click_ConnectFS
10:48:20 PM SimConnect.Connect
10:48:20 PM SimConnect.Connect - local
10:48:20 PM SimConnect Connect failed: BeatlesBlog.SimConnect.SimConnect+SimConnectException: Pipe Connection Failed ---> System.IO.IOException: You were not connected because a duplicate name exists on the network. Go to System in Control Panel to change the computer name and try again.

   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
   at System.IO.Pipes.NamedPipeClientStream.Connect(Int32 timeout)
   at BeatlesBlog.SimConnect.SimConnect.Networking.Connect()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at BeatlesBlog.SimConnect.SimConnect.Networking.Connect()
   at BeatlesBlog.SimConnect.SimConnect.OpenCommon(String strAppName)
   at BeatlesBlog.SimConnect.SimConnect.Open(String strAppName, String strHostName, String strPipeName)
   at BeatlesBlog.SimConnect.SimConnect.Open(String strAppName)
   at FS._SimConnect.Connect()
10:48:20 PM FSUIPC.Connect
10:48:20 PM Error opening FSUIPC: FSUIPC.FSUIPCException: FSUIPC Error #14: FSUIPC_ERR_RUNNING. FSUIPC is not running.
   at FSUIPC.FSUIPCConnection.Open(FlightSim RequiredFlightSimVersion)
   at FSUIPC.FSUIPCConnection.Open()
   at FS.FSUIPC.Connect()

[cvearl]

To beat this I had to use the free simconnect configurator tool. http://simconnectconfigtool.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=10386

Made 2 situations... 1 for local and 1 for networked.

Now  I can connect locally or over the network from my laptop. I can use the laptop like a GPS. :)

Charles.

[GOLF]

Wonder if SimConnect Tool would make it possible to make the connection even if one only have SP1 installed in the flight simulator?

[tim arnot]

Not familiar with SimConnect Tool. Must take a look...

[cvearl]

All I can tell you is this...

I know ZERO about simconnect or what it was for in the first place. At least not until I tried to set up Plan-G. Even then it took some figuring out what it was for.

Per the instructions...

10.2 Connecting to FSX from a Networked PC with SimConnect 10.2.1 FSX with SimConnect
There are two steps required to connect the two PCs with SimConnect. Don't be put off by the seemingly technical instructions which follow – The procedure is actually quite easy: -
 Create or modify a special file ―Simconnect.xml‖ on the FSX PC
 Configure the SimConnect parameters in Plan-G to match those in SimConnect.xml.
Plan G User Manual V 1.2 November 2009
Page 39 of 49
Note: You do not need to build a SimConnect.xml file if you are running FSX and Plan-G on the same PC.

Firstly... Just installing the Plan-G on the computer (basically my FSX computer) and expecting to connect direct, it did not work. Bah. Darnit! Whatever. I will install it on my wife's computer next to me and do the network thing. The SimConnect.XML file was not on my FSX computer (looking in the location where my FSX.CFG file resides as per the instructions in the manual for Plan-G) so that was not successfull. I have NO idea why. No XML file whatsoever. Then I googled around and found that free SimConnect Tool. Thank God because I was not in the mood to learn about making an XML file in notepad and all that crap. I get enough IT hardship at work as I am a computer systems administrator in the education field and look after end point management systems and so on. I just wanted this to simply wortk for as little effort as possible.

Again... Right here... Very safe and easy to use. http://simconnectconfigtool.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=10386

I installed that tool and set up 2 modes from it's "drop down templates" and simply changed on the IP address entry for each (using the IP address of my FSX computer) and made note of the "PORT". Went back into Plan-G and set up the FS Connection TAB in Plan-G and entered the IP address for IPV4 and set the port to what the tool defaulted to. 9 thousand something or whatever. Aside from paying attention to the "type" of connection you are setting up and making note of the IP and port in that tool, it is dummy proof.

Both locally connected, from the wife's computer and from my laptop over the network all work now. Beutiful! I have it set to 1 second update. Groovy. Google Earth based GPS with FSX waypoints all throughout and AI traffic in real time. Could it be any more cool than this?! The flight planner I cannot do with out now. Oh but to get the FSX waypoints and nav aids plotted on the two non-fsx computers I had to find the MDB database files from my Plan-G folder on the FSX computer and simply copy those MDB files to the same folders on the wife's and my laptop and those items are all displayed.

Genius. Simply Genius. :)

I would have just been happy with the moving Google Earth Map! This is crazy awesome to have all this other stuff built in and so damn simple. Great work!

Charles.

[flyingppg]

Hi,

I've also been having trouble getting Plan-G to work with my FSX Gold (Deluxe + Accel Pack). Having now worked it all out, unfortunately I believe that the problems come from a combination of bugs in Plan-G, the Plan-G documentation, application mouse over help and changes to the default behaviour of the SimConnect server with the Acceleration Pack installed . Apart from all that, it's very groovy indeed and I'm loving it! The following details my findings and I hope it helps someone. I'm running XP Pro with all service packs up to date.

A) I'm running my FSX and Plan-G on the same computer.
1) I'll assume you have already installed FSX Deluxe and the Acceleration Pack and that it's working. Having done this the SimConnect server will also be running in it's default configuration with FSX running. Run FSX.
2) Run Plan-G and open the configuration options (see section 6, specifically 6.4 in the documentation)
3) Select the FS Connection Tab
4) Set Connect to: Auto or SimConnect; Network Mode: IPv4; FSX Computer: Delete whatever is in this field and leave it blank; Server Port/Pipe: 0. Finally click OK.
5) Click the Plan-G Flight Simulator connect button and your yellow location plane should appear on the map.

Notes:
a) The above settings are outlined in the forum FAQ but not in the manual, which is incorrect. Only the above will work without additional configuration of the FSX SimConnect server, see B for that.
b) Section 9 of the manual, and the application mouse over help says to use either 'localhost' or '127.0.0.0' as the 'FSX Computer' setting, and that the port setting 'is ignored with a direct connection'. This isn't true if you have either 'localhost', '127.0.0.0' or correctly '127.0.0.1' set in the FSX Computer field. Actually 'localhost' and '127.0.0.0' never works. The correct local host IP address is '127.0.0.1' however, this will also not work with the default port of 4504 without additional configuration of the SimConnect Server, see B below how to do this if you want to.
c) SimConnect creates three default local servers in the default config with the Acceleration Pack installed. These are an IPv4 server on 127.0.0.1 using a random port, and IPv6 server (which won't start if you are not also running IPv6), and a named Pipe server called 'Microsoft Flight Simulator\SimConnect'. This is why using IPv4, 127.0.0.1:4504 won't work in Plan-G locally by default as the port is probably wrong and changes each time you start FSX. For it to work, you need to create a server with a specific port with the SimConnect Config tool, see below, (or use the named pipe server, which does also work but isn't covered in this post).

B) I'm running my FSX and Plan-G on separate computers across a network connection.
1) I'll assume you have already installed FSX Deluxe and the Acceleration Pack and that part is working. You also already know the IP address of your FSX computer; you will need it so go find it out if you don't know it already. Having done this the SimConnect server will also be running in it's default configuration with FSX running. Don't run FSX just yet though.
2) Download and install the SimConnect Config tool (http://www.codeplex.com/simconnectconfigtool) on your FSX computer and run it from your computer Start menu.
3) Select 'Create Custom SimConnect settings'; Click Add button.
4) At the dialog box set: Presets: Custom Configuration; Tick Configuration enabled; Protocol IPv4; Scope: Global; Max Clients: 64 is fine; Port: 4504 (but see note below); Address: 0.0.0.0; click OK, and OK again to close the tool and also save your settings.
5) Run FSX.
6) Run Plan-G on the other computer and open the configuration options (see section 6 of the documentation, specifically 6.4)
7) Select the FS Connection Tab
8 ) Set Connect with: Auto or SimConnect; Network Mode: IPv4; FSX Computer: <the IP address of the FSX machine that you found out at B(1)>; Server Port/Pipe: 4504 (or whatever you set for the port at step B(4)). Finally click OK.
9) Click the Plan-G Flight Simulator connect button and your yellow location plane should appear on the map.

Notes:
a) The SimConnect config tool creates your SimConnect.xml file for you (Detailed in section 10.2.2 of the manual) so you don't need to do it manually. Please note, it only saves the changes you make after you exit the tool.
b) A Global server assigned to the 0.0.0.0 IP address will accept a connection on any network interface on your FSX computer, including the localhost (127.0.0.1) if you then want to run Plan-G on the same machine as you are running FSX at some point. There is no need to also create a second local server as detailed in the manual at 10.2.2.
c) If you want to know what SimConnect servers and ports are configured, or are still having difficulty, take the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Core Utilities Kit\SimConnect SDK\config\simconnect.ini file and copy it to your My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files (C:\Documents and Settings\<my user>\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files) folder before starting FSX. This will then also start a SimConnect Diagnostic console and show you which SimConnect servers and ports/names you have running, as well and run all sorts of coms stuff up the console when Plan-G is connected. Delete the file when you no longer need it to do this.

As an aside, I notice that the airspace restrictions shown in Plan G are at least 5 years out of date at least for at least the UK. I'm familiar with http://notaminfo.com (as I'm also a real PPG pilot) which allows registered users to download a KML for use in Google Earth of all up to date airspace and NOTAM restrictions. Is there a way to update the airspace shown in FSX/Plan-G with this up to date information?

Good Luck!

Rich.

[tim arnot]

Thanks - that is most helpful.  :)

Yes, the airspace in FSX was fixed in 2005. I am not aware of any updates covering the UK.