Post by Travis on May 1, 2022 12:08:23 GMT -5
Hello Captains,
Version 1.8.3 Service Pack 1 (Alpha 1) is now ready for your inspection. This Service Pack offers no new features, but lots of bug fixes, changes, and overhauls to some of our internal systems. We want a good foundation before we release a build for MSFS later this summer.
If you like being an early adopter, please take a few minutes to read this post (it's another long one) and follow the steps we've outlined. We want to keep your flying environment clean and fun.
While this release is called "Alpha 1" we have had nothing but positive reaction and we may choose to jump to Release Candidate status at any time. So if you normally wait until we reach Beta Testing... that may not occur this time!
Reporting Problems
================
We're not self-important enough not to think there may be new problems in this build, or old problems may have taken on a new shape. If something goes wrong and you want to continue testing, make the notes you feel would help us find the problem, take any screenshots that would help illuminate things, and supply any new Admin, FCDU and FSCaptain logfiles. These logs are a key element in our ability to triage problems.
You can either post here in the forum, or by email (see the link in my signature below for clues on how to email us).
Our log files capture such things as your "username on your computer" as well as your "computer's name" so if you don't want that to appear in public, we're happy to receive bug reports by email. (Most of our support is done via email, for whatever reason.)
These logs can be found in your \FSCaptain\Data\Logs\ folder.
This is a Refresh Build
==================
A Full Backup is Necessary
======================
For your own convenience, we strongly urge Captains to back up your entire FSCaptain installation prior to installing this! It takes less than a minute, and can guarantee you a stress-free ability to 'roll back' the changes.
I recommend going into Windows Explorer and copying your entire FSCaptain folder from your simulator and pasting it on your Desktop. That's what I do, because it keeps my backup in my "line of sight" in case I need to revert to a previous version. I recommend that you use the Crtl+C and Crtl+V method rather than a drag-and-drop because of the slight chance you might move the folder instead of copy it.
If something contained in this Service Pack build is "unhelpful" to your flying habits, you will need to restore your backup over your simulator's FSCaptain folder. (Don't bother with the "Uninstall Program." I've never used it, and I likely never will....)
Plus this build of FSCaptain is the first made in nearly seven years on a new PC and using new build tools. It is possible that some PCs may need to update their Microsoft Visual C++ libraries before SP1 will run properly. SP1 has been successfully tested on OSes as old as Windows 7, so we feel we're in good shape overall. (See the end of this message if this applies to you.)
If you feel you have to restore your FSCaptain backup, first delete everything in your active \FSCaptain\ folder, and copy the contents of your backup \FSCaptain\ folder into the active folder. (Don't use the "uninstall" program.)
If you use the FCDU or FCOM gauges, look inside your restored \FSCaptain\ folder for a folder named \Simulator-Gauges\. Copy the GAU files from that folder into your simulator's \Gauges\ folder. You will need to overwrite the gauges already in there.
If you are an FS9/FS2004 Captain, look inside the \FSCaptain\ folder for a folder named \Simulator-Modules\. Copy the FSCaptain.DLL from that folder into your simulator's \Modules\ folder.
General Things
============
-- MakeRunways 5.129 is included in the SC-32 and SC-64 Installers. The FS9 Installer includes MakeRunways 4.700 - as advised by the Dowsons.
-- If you are asked by the Installer to overwrite any files, you must allow that to occur. We've updated some Config files, and some of these are normally read-only.
-- The User Guide was updated as of January 2022, but the Administrator underwent a complete layout change in April that hasn't yet been documented. Everything works the same; it's just that some things have moved around on their dialog.
-- A change to the flight save structure means that flights made before 1.8.3 SP1 cannot be properly loaded. Please finish all important flights before updating!!
New Features
===========
-- None. This is a bug fix and improvements release.
Changes
============
-- The Administrator is oriented for wide-screen displays, allowing lower resolution screens to see all of the dialogs.
-- The Administrator is no longer available from the in-sim menu system.
-- FAs will not call out that service is suspended due to a high bank level. Service will be suspended, but just not announced to the cockpit or cabin.
General Ground Deicing
The "Load Complete" screen
Min & Max Block Time Revision
AI Freeze
These cleanups have eliminated several "why did this happen?" issues / bugs reported by Captains.
Bugs
=====
-- If only one DDF was assigned to an airport, it would not be recognized!
-- When you've completed a DDF deicing in a turbojet, your FO would immediately bark about the flaps being down.
-- If you accidentally started your simulators' "Magic Pushback" after you've gone IN, your flight's state would revert to TAXI_IN, and "hilarity" would then occur.
New Interfaces
============
-- There are no new aircraft interfaces. It's almost as if aircraft developers have stopped making complex aircraft for older simulators.
And Now... The Links
=================
11.2MB - SimConnect 64-bit Refresh Install - only for existing P3D4 & P3D5 installations
www.fscaptain.net/downloads/10Ep8Z9m/FSCaptain_10803_SC64.zip
11.5MB - SimConnect 32-bit Refresh Install - only for existing FSX, FSX-SE, and P3D2 & P3D3 installations
www.fscaptain.net/downloads/10Ep8Z9m/FSCaptain_10803_SC32.zip
10.2MB - FS9 Refresh Install - only for existing FS9 / FS2004 installations
www.fscaptain.net/downloads/10Ep8Z9m/FSCaptain_10803_FS9.zip
Finally
==========
Earlier, I mentioned that it could be possible that any given PC might need to update its Microsoft C++ libraries to run this new build of FSCaptain. If that's the case for you, here are the official MS links for its C++ Redistributables:
MS Libraries for x86 OSes
aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x86.exe
MS Libraries for x64 OSes
aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe
Happy Flying with ACME!
Version 1.8.3 Service Pack 1 (Alpha 1) is now ready for your inspection. This Service Pack offers no new features, but lots of bug fixes, changes, and overhauls to some of our internal systems. We want a good foundation before we release a build for MSFS later this summer.
If you like being an early adopter, please take a few minutes to read this post (it's another long one) and follow the steps we've outlined. We want to keep your flying environment clean and fun.
While this release is called "Alpha 1" we have had nothing but positive reaction and we may choose to jump to Release Candidate status at any time. So if you normally wait until we reach Beta Testing... that may not occur this time!
Reporting Problems
================
We're not self-important enough not to think there may be new problems in this build, or old problems may have taken on a new shape. If something goes wrong and you want to continue testing, make the notes you feel would help us find the problem, take any screenshots that would help illuminate things, and supply any new Admin, FCDU and FSCaptain logfiles. These logs are a key element in our ability to triage problems.
You can either post here in the forum, or by email (see the link in my signature below for clues on how to email us).
Our log files capture such things as your "username on your computer" as well as your "computer's name" so if you don't want that to appear in public, we're happy to receive bug reports by email. (Most of our support is done via email, for whatever reason.)
These logs can be found in your \FSCaptain\Data\Logs\ folder.
This is a Refresh Build
==================
You MUST also install this on top of the most recent public release of FSCaptain - that's version 1.8.3. This Service Pack build only contains the files which have changed since the prior public release.
The Installers do not check for the prior version, so they will happily install into anywhere. It's up to you to check this step.
A Full Backup is Necessary
======================
For your own convenience, we strongly urge Captains to back up your entire FSCaptain installation prior to installing this! It takes less than a minute, and can guarantee you a stress-free ability to 'roll back' the changes.
I recommend going into Windows Explorer and copying your entire FSCaptain folder from your simulator and pasting it on your Desktop. That's what I do, because it keeps my backup in my "line of sight" in case I need to revert to a previous version. I recommend that you use the Crtl+C and Crtl+V method rather than a drag-and-drop because of the slight chance you might move the folder instead of copy it.
If something contained in this Service Pack build is "unhelpful" to your flying habits, you will need to restore your backup over your simulator's FSCaptain folder. (Don't bother with the "Uninstall Program." I've never used it, and I likely never will....)
Plus this build of FSCaptain is the first made in nearly seven years on a new PC and using new build tools. It is possible that some PCs may need to update their Microsoft Visual C++ libraries before SP1 will run properly. SP1 has been successfully tested on OSes as old as Windows 7, so we feel we're in good shape overall. (See the end of this message if this applies to you.)
If you feel you have to restore your FSCaptain backup, first delete everything in your active \FSCaptain\ folder, and copy the contents of your backup \FSCaptain\ folder into the active folder. (Don't use the "uninstall" program.)
If you use the FCDU or FCOM gauges, look inside your restored \FSCaptain\ folder for a folder named \Simulator-Gauges\. Copy the GAU files from that folder into your simulator's \Gauges\ folder. You will need to overwrite the gauges already in there.
If you are an FS9/FS2004 Captain, look inside the \FSCaptain\ folder for a folder named \Simulator-Modules\. Copy the FSCaptain.DLL from that folder into your simulator's \Modules\ folder.
General Things
============
-- MakeRunways 5.129 is included in the SC-32 and SC-64 Installers. The FS9 Installer includes MakeRunways 4.700 - as advised by the Dowsons.
-- If you are asked by the Installer to overwrite any files, you must allow that to occur. We've updated some Config files, and some of these are normally read-only.
-- The User Guide was updated as of January 2022, but the Administrator underwent a complete layout change in April that hasn't yet been documented. Everything works the same; it's just that some things have moved around on their dialog.
-- A change to the flight save structure means that flights made before 1.8.3 SP1 cannot be properly loaded. Please finish all important flights before updating!!
New Features
===========
-- None. This is a bug fix and improvements release.
Changes
============
-- The Administrator is oriented for wide-screen displays, allowing lower resolution screens to see all of the dialogs.
-- The Administrator is no longer available from the in-sim menu system.
-- FAs will not call out that service is suspended due to a high bank level. Service will be suspended, but just not announced to the cockpit or cabin.
-- The biggest focus of the Service Pack is that several FCDU systems have undergone a considerable cleanup process, including:
The "Load Complete" screen
Min & Max Block Time Revision
AI Freeze
These cleanups have eliminated several "why did this happen?" issues / bugs reported by Captains.
-- The OnRunway() method has been completely revised, and we hope will be much more reliable.
We are using this expected reliability to add a "Did you land in the TDZ" calculation which will eventually be able to optionally penalize a Captain for not landing in a TDZ (under non-emergency conditions). There are as-yet-unspoken FSCaptain features that depend on a reliable Runway Detector, so this is a critical testing area!
During the Alpha and Beta Test phases, the "power up" page of the FCDU will indicate your current ground speed and the runway you're on. ("0" indicates 'no runway'.) If you press the DISP key, the FCDU will calculate your current TDZ value and display that information for a few seconds. This is the mechanism we've used to test runways and we've been able to knock out many bugs and quirks in the past few months.
So if you want to test the OnRunway() changes, all you need is an easily taxi-able aircraft and an FCDU. (I recommend the venerable FSX trike... usable even in P3D4!)
There likely will be some confusion on intersecting runways, but I think we've got most situations handled. However this is where group testing can come up with scenarios we haven't thought of. For example if you're taxiing down Runway 36 and cross Runway 9, as long as you don't try to turn onto Runway 9, the indicator should still show you're on 36.
For any OnRunway() testing reports (including TDZ reports), please include a screenshot of how things look when an improper result is reported. You may need to mention which airport you're at, if it's not noted on the FCDU screen. If it's a third party scenery, please mention that as well.
Finally, check the value of the RUNWAY_DETECT value in your options.cfg file. RUNWAY_DETECT needs to be non-zero for any of this to work, and the lower that value results in quicker updates of the displayed runway. (I have mine set to RUNWAY_DETECT=1.)
So if you want to test the OnRunway() changes, all you need is an easily taxi-able aircraft and an FCDU. (I recommend the venerable FSX trike... usable even in P3D4!)
There likely will be some confusion on intersecting runways, but I think we've got most situations handled. However this is where group testing can come up with scenarios we haven't thought of. For example if you're taxiing down Runway 36 and cross Runway 9, as long as you don't try to turn onto Runway 9, the indicator should still show you're on 36.
For any OnRunway() testing reports (including TDZ reports), please include a screenshot of how things look when an improper result is reported. You may need to mention which airport you're at, if it's not noted on the FCDU screen. If it's a third party scenery, please mention that as well.
Finally, check the value of the RUNWAY_DETECT value in your options.cfg file. RUNWAY_DETECT needs to be non-zero for any of this to work, and the lower that value results in quicker updates of the displayed runway. (I have mine set to RUNWAY_DETECT=1.)
Bugs
=====
-- If only one DDF was assigned to an airport, it would not be recognized!
-- When you've completed a DDF deicing in a turbojet, your FO would immediately bark about the flaps being down.
-- If you accidentally started your simulators' "Magic Pushback" after you've gone IN, your flight's state would revert to TAXI_IN, and "hilarity" would then occur.
New Interfaces
============
-- There are no new aircraft interfaces. It's almost as if aircraft developers have stopped making complex aircraft for older simulators.
And Now... The Links
=================
11.2MB - SimConnect 64-bit Refresh Install - only for existing P3D4 & P3D5 installations
www.fscaptain.net/downloads/10Ep8Z9m/FSCaptain_10803_SC64.zip
11.5MB - SimConnect 32-bit Refresh Install - only for existing FSX, FSX-SE, and P3D2 & P3D3 installations
www.fscaptain.net/downloads/10Ep8Z9m/FSCaptain_10803_SC32.zip
10.2MB - FS9 Refresh Install - only for existing FS9 / FS2004 installations
www.fscaptain.net/downloads/10Ep8Z9m/FSCaptain_10803_FS9.zip
==========
Earlier, I mentioned that it could be possible that any given PC might need to update its Microsoft C++ libraries to run this new build of FSCaptain. If that's the case for you, here are the official MS links for its C++ Redistributables:
MS Libraries for x86 OSes
aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x86.exe
MS Libraries for x64 OSes
aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe
Download and install the one that's applicable to your PC (it won't hurt to install both if you have an x64 OS) and re-run the FSCaptain installer. That should ensure everything the installer needed to do was done.
Happy Flying with ACME!