Live View

Live View is a standard feature within the OpusMSFS Flight Simulator Interface; this feature provides a multi-screen networked display option for MSFS by synchronizing multiple networked PCs running copies of the simulator. The Live View server-client connection can be a mixed sim link. For example, using OpusFSI v6 and P3D on the server system and OpusMSFS with Microsoft's FS2020 on the client system(s).

With Live View, Opus Software have used their 30 year experience of developing high-performance real-time networked telemetry and data acquisition systems, to provide the networking software you need to create a multi-screened experience for the sim. No matter what complexity of system you intend to create, Live View will provide the ideal solution.

Live View is ideally suited to home cockpit builders and general enthusiasts alike. 

The Live View multi-screen networked display feature allows the sim to be synchronized across multiple networked computer systems, including laptops. Live View can be used to create a variety of panoramic views or to simply provide additional views on separate 'client' computers.

A networked Live View system is created by activating the SERVER program on your main 'flying' computer, and running the CLIENT program on each of your connecting client systems (PCs or laptops). The programs can be activated in any order, with or without the sim, which greatly simplifies the set up of your system.

The configuration of the Live View system is simple to the extreme, just tell the main 'flying' server how many Live View clients you wish to support, and configure the server's computer name or IP address into each of the client systems, and away you go. You can sit back and watch your client systems connect and start communicating with the server. Spy buttons help you monitor the activity over all the networked links, or monitor the overall activity and operation of the SERVER and CLIENT programs.

The OpusMSFS Getting Started Networked PCs guide explains how to set up the OpusMSFS network and also includes some Live View FAQs.

 

The main features of Live View are,

·         Live View synchronizes the aircraft's current position, attitude, landing gear, wheel movement, lighting, ailerons, elevator, rudder, flaps, spoilers (speed brakes), engine throttles, reversers and parking brake.

·         Live View  synchronizes the simulator's date and time, with either weather themes or the sim's live weather updates for the aircraft's surrounding area.

·         Live View employs and optimizes multiple dedicated high-performance network links to provide the highest level of performance and the smoothest possible operation.

·         Live View requires minimal set up and configuration to get up and running.

To ensure consistent views you should also have the same scenery, textures, and airport Add-ons installed on each MSFS system and the same MSFS sim settings.

Live View Weather Synchronization

The current version of the software supports synchronization of either Weather Themes or the sim's live weather.

 

In-Flight Moving Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The OpusMSFS In-Flight Moving Map can be positioned and resized in the usual manner and is used to follow the flight across the terrain with the aircraft superimposed over the user selected satellite, terrain, or street map, 8 different map formats are available.

Live Traffic

Traffic can be overlayed on the map by either setting the 'Traffic' (via map Option button) or using the 'Toggle In-Flight Map Traffic' Shortcut Control option. 

The display of live traffic is dependent on the 'Enable In-Flight Map Traffic' and associated 'Traffic Radius' Configuration settings.

You can use the Refresh Traffic button if you have made any configuration changes.

N.B. The requested 'Traffic Radius' is presently ignored by the MSFS simulator. It is left an option just in case MS/Asobo correct the omission. 

All traffic overlayed on the In-Flight Map is depicted using an appropriate Jet, Piston, Rotorcraft, or custom symbol. The symbol also reflects the current heading of the traffic and is colour coded. Traffic depicted in Grey refers to traffic currently parked up on the ground and White depicts taxiing aircraft. Traffic depicted in Green are airborne. Traffic depicted in Red are airborne and within 2000 feet of your current altitude, hence, may pose a threat.

Hovering the mouse cursor over an aircraft symbol on the map will display information about the traffic. For example, aircraft callsign, type, model, airline, flight number, current altitude in feet and airspeed in knots.

Hovering over an aerodrome marker will display the airport's key information, including its ICAO code, Name, Elevation in feet, all available Runways, and all relevant COM frequencies.

Each COM frequency is displayed in the form <code><freq>.

The following codes and display formats are employed,

 I = ILS                         I<runway>:<freq>

 A = APPROACH          A<freq>

 T = TOWER                T<freq>

 G = GROUND             G<freq>

 C = COM                    C<freq>

 S = ATIS                      S<freq>  

Hovering over a MET station marker will display the airport's key METAR information, including its ICAO code, Name, Elevation in feet, and METAR weather data. The METAR weather data is downloaded in accordance with the configured 'Weather Data' settings via the Configure dialog.

The Marker range is 320km (200 miles) for all In-Flight Map markers (e.g. airports, met stations, etc.).  

The Station Monitor window is displayed by double-clicking on the base of the required Airport/Aerodrome marker in the In-Flight Map.  

The Station Monitor can be toggled on and off display either via the Options dialog or by assigning an OpusMSFS Shortcut in the Shortcut Controls. The Station Monitor window aids flying the FS2020 sim by allowing the Destination (or Departure) to be monitored, showing all known details about the airport, including available runways and all communication frequencies, along with any nearby Met Station data (METAR) if one exists. The data associated with the closest Met Station within 64 km (40 miles) will be displayed. All Met Station data is updated whenever new METARs are downloaded.

On start up and after the In-Flight Map has been displayed for the first time (initialised) the Station Monitor will be automatically primed with the destination airport as defined within the current flight plan.

The Station Monitor's SIDs and STARs buttons simplifies the selection of departures and arrivals prior to programming the G1000/G3000 units. The SID and STAR selection is aided graphically by reviewing the departure/arrival route on the OpusMSFS Map. A selected SID or STAR can also be copied into the OpusMSFS Flight Planning form using the Open Flight Plan Form button.

Map Options

Map display options are provided to Keep Aircraft Centred, Keep Aircraft on Map, set Grey Scale Map, and set the Map Opacity.

 

You can tick the checkbox to Auto Select the aircraft icon or alternatively specify your own custom bitmap.

Select the options you wish to be superimposed on the map; traffic¹, met stations (blue), flight plan (magenta on dark magenta line)², airway (orange on dark magenta line), aerodromes (white), navaids (yellow) and waypoints (brown). 

Note¹: The display of live Traffic is dependent on the 'Enable In-Flight Map Traffic' and associated 'Traffic Radius' Configuration settings.  

Note²:  The PLN (flight plan) and the system's NavData source is specified within the 'Flight Planning and Navdata' dialog, accessed via the the server's Configure dialog.

You can specify one airway and up to four specified aerodromes, navaids and waypoints, or tick the All checkbox to display them all. 

If you tick the Show Display Controls On Map then control buttons will be displayed at the bottom of the map to enable you to toggle the traffic, met stations, flight plan, airway, aerodromes, navaids and waypoints on/off.  

The Update Weather button will download the METARs again to update the weather.

Enable the required options to Keep Aircraft in Centre or Keep Aircraft on the visible Map.

Selecting Map Server Cache will speed up the display of the geographic map by saving it to cache instead of downloading it via the internet. Note that for Google and Bing maps you are limited to the number of downloads you can perform during a session.

The Map Grey Scale option makes it easier to view certain data against the geographical map. All LWA and Wx Maps all default to a monochrome map display if no user preferences have been set. 

Opacity specifies the opacity for a map down to a minimum of 30%.  

Select either a Sizeable or Fixed format Station Monitor Window. 

Zoom

The + plus and - minus buttons are used to zoom in and out.

Map Type

Use the dropdown box to select the preferred map type. The following map types are available,

Bing Street Map
Bing Satellite Map
Bing Hybrid Map (default)
Google Street Map
Google Terrain Map
ArcGIS Street Map

Resize Map

You can drag the map edges to move and resize in the usual manner.  

 

Flight Planning and Navigation Data  

OpusMSFS will automatically import the current sim flight plan if you select the Auto Import Current MSFS PLN Flight Plan checkbox option or you can import it manually via the Import Current MSFS PLN Flight Plan button. However if you wish to manually import, edit, or enter and process a flight plan then you can do it via this Flight Planning and Navdata dialog (via Configure dialog).

The In-Flight Map can be displayed without the sim active and used to aid flight planning.

Identifying your Navdata Source

The flight planning assistance software decodes the standard Navigraph Navdata Navaids and Waypoints text files for use in identifying all Nav aids and general waypoints within the your flight plan. 

First locate your Navdata folder. The standard <SIM>\Navigraph\Navdata\ path is the default location for these files but you may Browse to different folders should they be located elsewhere (e.g. NavDataPro folder). The Navigraph Navdata supplied for the PMDG aircraft is in your <SIM>\PMDG\NAVDATA folder in the wpnavaid.txt and wpnavfix.txt Navigraph files. iFLY files are in the <SIM>\iFly\Navdata folder.

If you do not have any Navigraph files then a default version of the files (apart from SIDs and STARs) are installed into your OpusMSFS\Navdata folder. 

A default 'out of date' set of SID and STAR data (procedures) has been supplied in the form of a Proc.zip file, located in your x:\OpusMSFS\Navdata installation folder. If you intend using the default supplied SID/STAR data then the supplied Proc.zip file must be extracted and its '.txt' file content stored in the \OpusMSFS\Navdata\Proc folder.

To update Navigraph files subscribe to Navigraph's FMS data service at www.navigraph.com.

You will know if OpusMSFS has extracted the Nav data because the NAVAIDS.DAT and WAYPOINTS.DAT files will be created in the OpusMSFS folder. The NavData is reloaded each time you change the folder location, or press the Reload or Process buttons, or exit the dialog.

N.B. you only need to identify your Navdata folder once and it will be used for all aircraft types, you do not need to change the Navdata folder when selecting aircraft from different manufacturers. The same Navdata folder can be used for all sim types.

Entering a Flight Plan Manually

Not really applicable with MSFS unless you wish to  specify a different flight plan to the one generated by MSFS to be used with the OpusMSFS maps.

If you enter the flight plan manually then your flight plan should start and end with a station's ICAO code, i.e. in the form,

            <origin> <nav aids and waypoint fixes and airways> <destination>

e.g. EGCC 53.317167N2.318000W WAL33 TULIP LFST

Your departure and destination points are required in order for the software to identify the specific Nav aid or waypoint since many of them have shared names. So make sure you specify your origin and destination ICAO codes. The origin, destination and fixes can also be defined as Lat Lon fixes. 

The formats for Lat Lon fixes are as follows,  

<sign><lat>/<sign><lon>:<code>	e.g. 12-34-56/-123-45-67 12°34'56"/-123°45'67" or 1234/-12345 or 1.23/-1.23:ABC1
<lat><N or S><lon> <E or W>:<code>	e.g. 12-34-56N123-45-67W or 1234N12345W or 1.23N1.23W:ABC1
<N or S><lat><E or W><lon> :<code>	e.g. N12-34-56W123-45-67 or N1234W12345 or N1.23W1.23 :ABC1
<N or S><lat> <E or W><lon> :<code>	e.g. N12-34-56 W123-45-67 or N1234 W12345 or N1.23 W1.23 :ABC1

where  

<sign> =	+ (optional) to indicate North or East
	- to indicate South or West
<lat> =	dd-mm-ss
	dd°mm'ss"
	ddmm
	deg.deg
<lon> =	ddd-mm-ss
	dd°mm'ss"
	dddmm
	deg.deg
<code> =	optional ICAO code or station name
dd =	degrees in 2 digits
ddd =	degrees in 3 digits
deg =	degrees represented in decimal form e.g. 30 minutes would be 0.5 degrees
mm =	minutes in 2 digits
ss  =	seconds represented in decimal form

 

All LatLon fixes used to define either the point of departure or destination within flight plans are temporarily added to the OpusMSFS station list with a pseudo name Xnnn, where 'nnn' ranges from 000 to 999. If the LatLon fix is within 2km of an existing station then that station is assumed to be identified.  

 

SIDs and STARs 

 

SIDs and STARs may be selected from the Flight Planning and Navdata dialog or Station Monitor window and reviewed on the Map. Once selected the relevant portion of the SID or STAR can be cut and pasted into the current flight plan using the Open Flight Plan Form button.

 

 

User Specified LatLon Fixes

 

User Specified LatLon Fixes are ideal for including 'points of interest' or geographic landmarks to a flight plan.

Double-clicking with the right mouse button anywhere on the OpusMSFS Map will,

1. Generate a LatLon Fix of the form '<lat><lon>:USER'
2. Sound a short beep
3. Display a confirmation message on the map
4. Copy the generated fix to the Windows Clipboard

 

The generated LatLon fix is now ready to be pasted into a flight plan.

The saved LatLon fix is pasted in the usual manner either by right clicking within the flight plan text and selecting the 'Paste' option, or by positioning the text cursor within the flight plan and pressing 'Ctrl-V' to paste.

N.B. The inserted LatLon fix is automatically delimited with space characters. Once inserted, the 'USER' LatLon fix's name can be edited and replaced with any label up to twelve (12) characters in length (e.g. STADIUM, BRIDGE or HENGE). After processing the flight plan is automatically converted to upper-case and correctly delimited with single space characters.

All User LatLon Fix names are exported within the OPUSMSFS.PLN file so they will appear within the simulator's G1000/G3000 flight plan.

 

Saving and Loading a TXT Flight Plan

You can use the Save button to save your manually entered flight plan in a text file. These saved flight plans can be loaded in future flights using the Load button. All text flight plan files contain the cruise altitude and flight plan string on two separate lines. Text flight plan files are stored in the \OpusMSFS\Plans folder.

Importing a PLN Flight Plan

You can import any PLN formatted flight plan (with .PLN filename extension). The Import Flight Plan option will initialise its path to your OpusMSFS\Plans folder. The Opus Folder and Sim Folder button options allow the most useful Import/Export PLN folders to be specified without needing to Browse for the location. The Default PLN folder option is x:\OpusMSFS\Plans, the Simulator PLN folder option is the standard MSFS LocalState AppData folder for your installation. Your PLN folder's location is remembered by the FPA software after you have selected the required .PLN filename. 

The decoding of Lat/Lon coordinates in imported PLN flight plan files has been extended to accept delimited degrees (°), minutes (') and seconds (") coordinated values.

Processing a Flight Plan

If you have manually entered or edited a flight plan, or loaded a TXT flight plan then you need to process the flight plan. Click on the Process  button to decode the Flight Plan and display the result in the Flight Plan Route - Navigation Points box. 

The navigation aids and waypoints, where they exist, are displayed with their Lat/Lon coordinates, general type and country codes. Where possible the specified label of any lat/lon waypoint fixes are shown. Airway fixes are displayed in green. Alternate Met stations are displayed in red.  

The software ignores all identifiers that are not listed as Nav aids and waypoints. Airways are recognised provided the entry point is specified.

Flight plan points that are suspected to be erroneous are highlighted in red within the Flight Plan Route list. The Auto Correct Errors button option above the route list simplifies the removal of all 'suspect' points from the flight plan.

The Flight Plan Details editbox lists all identified navigation points extracted from your flight plan. A 'Separate Lines' option can be used to separate all flight plan points onto separate lines and scroll bars allow the display window to be scrolled.

Just remember to force a weather update to download the METARs. Until then there will be no METAR data since it hasn't been downloaded. After downloading, all the non-reporting Met stations are removed from the list. 

If you subsequently change your alternates then you will need to process the flight plan again.

Exporting a PLN Flight Plan

The Export PLN Flight Plan option will save the current processed flight plan into a standard user specified PLN file.  

Import Current MSFS PLN Flight Plan

The 'Auto Import...' option allows the CUSTOMFLIGHT.PLN flight plan file to be checked and automatically imported on start up. The CUSTOMFLIGHT.PLN file is checked and imported from the MSFS AppData folder automatically only if it has been modified within the previous 12 hours.

The 'Import...' button option allows the current CUSTOMFLIGHT.PLN flight plan file to be imported and processed on demand.

N.B. All newly activated custom flight plans are automatically imported at the time of activation.

Deleting a Flight Plan

To delete a flight plan simply press the Reset button.  

 

Landing Analysis

The touchdown and landing evaluation data is displayed in the main Spy window which will also display the previously captured landing data. The current evaluation is graded purely on the touchdown vertical speed in feet per minute (including any bounces). Landing completion is assumed once the aircraft has slowed to less than 30 knots. On landing the vertical speed is logged in both FPM and FPS units. The following evaluation gradings are now employed,

 

BUTTER LANDING < less than 60 FPM
EXCELLENT LANDING < less than 120 FPM
VERY GOOD LANDING < less than 220 FPM
GOOD LANDING < less than 320 FPM
MODERATE LANDING < less than 380 FPM
POOR LANDING < less than 440 FPM
HEAVY LANDING < less than 500 FPM
VERY HEAVY LANDING >= 500 FPM

An example Spy landing report is shown below. The evaluation is also given as a percentage value (100% for perfect landings). The touchdown airspeed, ground speed, vertical speed and lateral speed are shown. The lateral speed is always displayed in feet per second (FPS) for greater relevance.

LND  Previous Touchdown at 09:49:20 Hrs
LND  BUTTER LANDING, Evaluation 74 percent
LND  Airspeed 52 knots, Ground Speed 46 knots
LND  Vertical Speed 79 FPM, Lateral Speed 1.2 FPS

A Landing Analysis Popup window along with the Config options are also included. 

The Config options allow you to disable the popup, specify the display persistence time in seconds, and specify the popup window opacity. Defaults are set to display enabled, 60 second duration, and 70 percent opacity.

All landings are also logged in a User Landings Log file (LANDINGS.log) within the OpusMSFS install folder.

 

Opus MSFS - User Landings Log File
Generated 21 February 2023, 08:07 Hrs 

Aircraft : fnx320
Touchdown at 21/02/2023, 08:07:02 Hrs
POOR LANDING, Evaluation 42 percent
Airspeed 126 knots, Ground Speed 113 knots
T/D Vertical Speed 158.3 FPM (2.64 FPS), Lateral Speed 0.76 FPS
MAX Vertical Speed 158.3 FPM (2.64 FPS), Lateral Speed 0.76 FPS

Aircraft : fnx320
Touchdown at 21/02/2023, 09:30:11 Hrs
BUTTER LANDING, Evaluation 93 percent
Airspeed 118 knots, Ground Speed 104 knots
T/D Vertical Speed 39.4 FPM (0.66 FPS), Lateral Speed 3.19 FPS
MAX Vertical Speed 2368.3 FPM (39.47 FPS), Lateral Speed 191.24 FPS

 

Flight Capture and Replay  

The Replay feature is enabled by setting the 'Enable Replay Capture' option within the OpusMSFS - Replay Parameters and Options dialog. The automated capture of replay data is enabled by ticking the Enable Auto Capture checkbox.

 

Once enabled, the Replay Parameters set within the dialog will be used to automatically capture the final approach and landing phase of your flight. Alternatively, you may use the Start Capture and Stop Capture buttons within the dialog to capture any phase of your flight.

A minimum of 5 seconds of data is needed to create a Replay File. A maximum of 10 minutes of data can be captured by the software. Should the capture period exceed this limit then only the last 10 minutes of the flight data will be recorded and saved to the data (.DAT) file.

 

All replay files are saved within the c:\OpusMSFS\Replay folder.

A LOG file with the same filename is also created to record the details of the data capture.

 

 

The most recent replay is always stored in the LAST_REPLAY.DAT and LAST_REPLAY.LOG files. If the captured data ended at a known airfield then the replay is also stored in a date and time stamped files named ICAO_DDMMYYYY_HHMM.DAT and ICAO_DDMMYYYY_HHMM.LOG where ICAO identifies the airfield and DDMMYYYY_HHMM identify the recorded date and time respectively. If no airfield is known, or no landing has occured, then the ICAO code will be replaced with the phrase REPLAY.

Hence, four files will be created for each captured replay, for example,

LAST_REPLAY.DAT

LAST_REPLAY.LOG

EGNX_20012024_0931.DAT

EGNX_20012024_0931.LOG

 

Replay Parameters

The replay parameters determine when the replay data capture process is enabled, started, and ended. The following limits are enforced to ensure correct operation.

Flight Mode (Enable Data Capture) Criteria ...

The minimum 'Elevation' is 500 feet for both jet and piston aircraft types.

The minimum 'Airspeed' is 100 knots for jets and 80 knots for piston aircraft.

Approach / Landing Mode (Start Data Capture) Criteria ...

The specified 'Start Elevation' must be less than 100 feet lower than the specified 'Enabling Elevation'.

The specified 'Start Airspeed' must be less than 10 knots lower than the specified 'Enabling Airspeed'.

 

The following parameters are used to control the automated capture of the final approach and landing.

 

Flight Mode (Enable Data Capture) Criteria

The replay data capture is Enabled with a Delay of X seconds after the aircraft has climbed above the specified Elevation (in feet), accelerated to the specified Airspeed (in knots), the Landing Gear is raised, and the Flaps are fully raised. Apart from the specified Delay, all of the individual criteria can be enabled/disabled using the checkboxes. Separate Elevation and Airspeeds can be specified for Jet and Piston type aircraft.

 

Approach / Landing Mode (Start Data Capture) Criteria

The replay data capture will Start with a Delay of X seconds after the aircraft has descended below the specified Elevation (in feet), deccelerated to the specified Airspeed (in knots), the Landing Gear is lowered, and the Flaps are lowered. Apart from the specified Delay, all of the individual criteria can be enabled/disabled using the checkboxes. Separate Elevation and Airspeeds can be specified for Jet and Piston type aircraft.

 

Taxiing Mode (End Data Capture) Criteria

The replay data capture will End with a Delay of X seconds after the aircraft has landed and its ground speed has dropped below the specified speed (in knots). Apart from the specified Delay, the individual ground speed criteria can be enabled/disabled using the checkbox. Separate ground speeds can be specified for Jet and Piston type aircraft.

 

Replay File Archive

To prevent excessive numbers of replay files accumulating, the maxinum period (in days) for which the files are kept can be specified in the File Archive parameter within the dialog.

If you wish to keep specific replay files you should rename them, changing then from the standard ICAO_DDMMYYYY_HHMM filename format. This will prevent them being identified and deleted after the Archive period has expired.

Start/End Data Capture

Use the Start Capture and Stop Capture button to 'Manually' start and end the data capture respectively. The same button is used for both functions, its label changing to reflect the current capture status.

 

Loading Archived Replay Files

Use the Load Replay button to load any of the archived data (.DAT) files. Once loaded, the Start Replay button will be enabled and available to start the replay.

 

Starting/Stopping The Replay

Use the Start Replay and Stop Replay button to start and end the replay respectively. The same button is used for both functions, its label changing to reflect the current replay status.

 

Using The Replay Timeline Slider

After starting a replay the Replay Timeline slider can be used to adjust the timeline of replay, rapidly moving through and examining the captured replay data to resume the replay at your chosen point (e.g. when skipping ahead to short final).

Warning...

If you manually start the data capture then you must manually end the capture using this button. The software will NOT automatically end the capture of replay data after you have landing, all such automated criteria and functions are effectively suspended.

 

Shortcut Controls

Shortcut Controls enable you to assign joystick button and keyboard keys to common actions or controls within the SERVER program. All shortcut controls are defined using the Shortcut Controls dialog accessed via the SERVER program's main form. The Shortcut dialog will only be displayed if the sim is running.

 

 

At present, you can assign buttons and keys to,

·        Toggle the Spy window On/Off

·        Toggle the In-Flight Map On/Off ; In-Flight Map Zoom In ;  In-Flight Map Zoom Out ; Toggle In-Flight Map Traffic ; Toggle In-Flight Map Flight Plan ; Toggle In-Flight Map Airway ; Toggle In-Flight Map Aerodromes ; Toggle In-Flight Map Navaids ; Toggle In-Flight Map Waypoints ; Toggle Station Monitor Window

·        Select Cockpit View mode ; Select External View mode ; Select Showcase View mode

 

Note that the key/button assignments within the sim will still remain active, so assign shortcut keys/buttons not already used in the sim if you don’t want both sim and OpusMSFS shortcut actions to occur simultaneously, or alternatively you may find it useful.

 

 

 

Assigning Joystick Buttons and Keyboard Keystrokes 

All joystick button and keyboard events from the simulator are only enabled when the MSFS flight is loaded and you have clicked on 'Ready To Fly'.

 

OpusMSFS will accept buttons 1 through to 32 of Joysticks 1 through to 16. All button and registered key events are displayed within the Spy window when the button or key is pressed. If they are not displayed then the joystick or button is invalid, either not registered within the sim, already assigned elsewhere (i.e. 3rd party add-on etc), or just an illegal entry. 

The software allows the following keys to be assigned to Shortcut controls,

Numeric keys:  '0' to '9'.

NumPad keys:  'NumPad 0' to 'NumPad 9'. The numeric pad keys 0 to 9 can be used but they must be assigned with the Num Lock ON (for recognition), and used with the Num Lock OFF within the sim.

Letter keys:  'A' to 'Z'.

Function keys:  'F1' to 'F12'.

 

The entry is not case sensitive. 

N.B. The Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Left, Right, Up, and Down keys cannot be assigned to shortcuts. Unlike OpusFSI v5/6 you cannot use the Ctrl, Shift or Alt keys.

 

Click within the button or key command text boxes to specify the required assignment. When you click within the text box, the box will empty and turn red indicating it is waiting for your entry. You can now either click a second time to clear (delete) the entry, or press your desired joystick button or keyboard assignment. 

 

If you assign an already used button or key to a Shortcut Control you will hear an exclamation and bleep sound. In such circumstances the previously assigned button or key is automatically deleted in favour of the new assignment.

All joystick button and keyboard 'key press' events will be shown within the main Spy window unless they’ve been disabled via the 'Disable Button/Key Events in Spy' option in the Configure settings.

 

All Shortcut Command data is stored in the FSISERVER.CMD file.

 

 

GPS Output  (including SkyDemon and ForeFlight)

The OpusMSFS GPS Simulator interface can be used to feed data into an Aviation Planning and Navigation package running on an external device (e.g. SkyDemon or ForeFlight). The external device can be either a PC connected via Wi-Fi or LAN, or a mobile device connected via Wi-Fi (e.g. iPad, iPhone, or Android device).

Connecting to SkyDemon / ForeFlight on a Mobile Device via Wi-Fi

Step 1 - Find the Mobile Device's IP Address

Open the device's Settings -> Wi-Fi page.
IOS - Select the 'i' info button next to the connected Wi-Fi network.
Android - Select the Configure option in the bottom menu.
Make a note of the device's current IP Address.

Step  2 - Configure OpusMSFS

Open the OpusMSFS Configuration dialog and prime the GPS Output options. Within the Configuration dialog the GPS Simulator interface can be disabled, set to feed basic Simulator GPS data via a WiFi or Ethernet LAN link, set to feed both Simulator GPS and Traffic data via a WiFi link, or set to imitate an external GPS using the NMEA protocol via a VSP (Virtual Serial Port).

The following GPS Output Options are available from the dropdown menu and described below,

1. GPS Output Disabled
2. Basic SIM GPS Data
3. GDL90 GPS + Traffic Data
4. NMEA GPS Data via VSP

Either click on the Set Default Settings button or enter the Input Port and Output Port values manually.

1. GPS Output Disabled

This option should be selected when no external device is used. The option disables all GPS output preventing OpusMSFS from attempting to connect and communicate with any external device.

2. Basic SIM GPS Data

This option transmits basic GPS (lat/lon position, altitude, heading and airspeed) data without any traffic information. To use this option you should set the following OpusMSFS Configuration IP Address and I/O Port options. On the external device you should then select the Third-Party XPlane (or equivalent) option within the SkyDemon/ForeFlight packages.

IP Address : <Your mobile device's IP Address>
Input Port : 49001
Output Port : 49002

3. GDL90 GPS + Traffic Data

This option transmits both GPS (lat/lon position, altitude, heading and airspeed) data along with all the simulator's traffic information. The data is broadcast over a WiFi link to the external device using the aviation industry standard GDL90 protocol. Using the standard GDL90 protocol OpusMSFS is able to imitate 'in cockpit' GPS + ADSB Input/Output devices (e.g. SkyEcho 2).

Note, to display traffic data on the SkyDemon/ForeFlight you must also tick the Enable Live Traffic Updates option within the OpusMSFS Configuration dialog. The sim should also be configured within it's settings to generate some AI airline and GA traffic.

To use the 'GDL90 GPS + Traffic Data' option you should set the following OpusMSFS IP Address and Port Configuration options. On the external device you should also select any of the Third-Party SkyEcho, or GDL90 Compatible Device options within the SkyDemon/ForeFlight packages.

IP Address : <Your mobile device's IP Address>
Input Port : 63093 (Not Used)
Output Port : 4000

N.B. You must have a WiFi interface on the server PC for this link to function. It will not be able to make a connection via an Ethernet LAN connected router, even if the router itself is equiped with a WiFi output.

The Local WiFi Broadcast IP Address will share the same first three IP Address codes as your external device (e.g. IPad) with the final address code set to the Broadcast address of zero (0). Over local networks a router will typically assign local IP addresses ranging from 192.168.1.1 through to 192.168.1.253 (the router is normally assigned to local IP address 192.168.1.254). Hence on most systems the Local WiFi Broadcast IP Address will be 192.168.1.0.

4. NMEA GPS Data via VSP

This option transmits basic GPS (lat/lon position, altitude, heading and airspeed) data without any traffic information. The GPS data is transmitted to an Ethernet LAN connected PC via a VSP (Virtual Serial Port) using the industry standard NMEA GPS serial protocol. This protocol and VSP allows OpusMSFS to imitate an externally connected GPS receiver. See the section below.

IP Address : 127.1.1.0
Input Port : 0 (Not Used)
Output Port : 23 (The VSP's TCP/IP Port Number)

Step  3 - Configure SkyDemon / ForeFlight

Enable the X-Plane option and select 'Go Flying' mode.

In SkyDemon enable the X-Plane option in the 'Third-Party Devices' settings. Tap 'Go Flying' on the top menu and select the 'Use X-Plane' option.

Using The OpusMSFS GPS Option with an NMEA Output (Virtual Serial Port)

Step 1:

Download and install the HW Group Virtual Serial Port - HW VSP3 software from the HW Group website www.HW-group.com.

Create a desktop icon for the HW Virtual Serial Port.

Run the VSP3 program, open the Settings tab and turn OFF all options except for,

                TCP Server Mode
                Connect to Device even if Virtual COM is closed

Save your settings to the INI file using the button.

Open the [v]Virtual Serial Port tab and specify your general parameters for the VSP. I have mine set up as follows,

                Port Name: COM7
                IP Address: 127.1.1.0
                Port: 23

Click on the Create COM button.

The VSP Status will change to Creating.. then finally Created. The LAN Status will then go to Listen.

Step 2:

In the Opus SERVER program's form click on the View Device Driver Links button to display the Device Driver Links on the form.

Now Open the SERVER program's Configure dialog, select the NMEA GPS Data via VSP option from the dropdown menu. Either click on the Set Default Settings button or enter the IP Address (e.g. 127.1.1.0) and Output Port number (e.g. 23) in the fields provided.

Click OK to close the Configure dialog.

A Device Driver Link should become coloured showing the GPS Simulation Networked TCP/IP Socket link, this link will turn green when it connects to the VSP.

The VSP LAN Status should now change to Connected.

Step 3:

After running and loading the flight in MSFS you are now ready to run the SkyDemon (or other 3rd party) package.

You will now have to set up your SkyDemon package and specify an externally connected GPS,

Setup - > Device Connectivity Options ...

I have a Garmin handheld device
Port: COM7
OK

Setup -> GPS Navigation Options ...

General tab,
GPS Hardware,
Port: COM7
Baud: 9600 (I have my COM7 mode set to 9600,N,8,1)
OK

You are now ready to click on the Start GPS option in the top RH corner of the SkyDemon screen.

  

Device Drivers

The device drivers provide an interface to the popular panels and Addon hardware for MSFS. Each device driver will interface to the relevant aircraft simulation thereby eliminating the need to install separate drivers dedicated to each aircraft.

All device drivers are aware of any new aircraft selections even if the aircraft is changed in mid-flight. The appropriate interface (SimConnect or the manufacturer's SDK) will be initialised and employed automatically whenever necessary.

ButtKicker

Please refer to our OpusMSFS_ButtKicker.pdf document located in the OpusMSFS\Docs folder, also available from our downloads page. 

FSC Motorised TQ Driver for the MSFS Simulator and PMDG’s 737 NGXu Aircraft

The OPUSFSCTQ.EXE program is supplied free of charge as part of the OpusMSFS  software installation.  Please refer to the OpusMSFS_FSCTQ_User_Guide.pdf in your OpusMSFS/Docs folder.

CPflight MCP/EFIS 737 Panels

We currently have partial support for CPflight MCP/EFIS 737 Panels. The CPflight panel support is very limited due to severe limitations within the current MSFS SDK (the availability of SimConnect Variables and Events).

The following MCP737 panel features have been partially implemented. The CPflight panel interface is dependent on the correct action to SimConnect Events and correct feedback via SimConnect Variables. This is very much hit or miss depending on what aircraft is selected in the sim (see notes below). The following MCP panel features have been partially implemented,

Course Knobs and Displays (adjust and display the Nav 1 and 2 course settings)
Speed Knob and Display
Heading Knob and Display
Altitude Knob and Display
Vertical Speed Dial and Display
A/T ARM Switch. The MCP panel's A/T ARM will automatically disengage when not applicable, available, or settable on the selected aircraft.
Left F/D Switch
HDG SEL Button and Light
LNAV Button and Light
VOR LOC Button and Light
APP Button and Light
ALT HLD Button and Light
CMD A and B Buttons and Lights. The MCP CMD A and B buttons can both be used to engage or disengage the sim's autopilot. The MCP A/P DISENGAGE switch is also factored into the control interface and effectively disables both CMD buttons.

Flight Director Master (MA) lights will only be controlled after establishing a connection to the sim. As there is no feedback or relevant data in the sim, these Master (MA) lights simply mimic the current ON/OFF state of the left and right F/D switches.

Improved control of the MCP V/S light and vertical speed setting while the autopilot is not engaged allows you to prime both the A/P's target Altitude and V/S before takeoff. You should take note, the F/D ON/OFF switch on the CPflight MCP panel is not controllable so the F/D needs to be turned ON to allow V/S mode and speeds to be set. If you don't enable the panel's F/D first, the panel will override the sim, turning the sim's F/D OFF, resulting in the sim disabling V/S mode!

N.B. The following MCP Panel controls are not functional,

N1, SPD INTV, VNAV, LVL CHG, V/S, ALT INTV, CWS A, and CWS B buttons, RH F/D switch.

The following SIM A/P controls cannot be processed,

VNAV, BC, V/S, and FLC.

This is all due to omissions and limitations within the current MSFS SDK SimConnect. Many of the SimConnect Variables and Events either do not work as expected, do not reflect the true settings in the aircraft, or do not control the aircraft's panel switches. There are many MCP/EFIS features that are not supported at all in SimConnect (e.g. separate left and right flight directors, level change or FLC).

A full interface and full control will only be possible with upgrades from Microsoft/Asobo or when the PMDG 737NG3 SDK is available. We have requested Microsoft/Asobo provide full access to read and write all knobs, dials, switches, and displays within the aircraft's panels, including the aircraft's throttle quadrant.

This CPflight MCP panel interface is supplied on an 'as is' basis. We will improve the interface as much as we can using the available MSFS SimConnect features. At least you will be able to use your MCP panel knobs and dials to change some of the autopilot's settings.

 

Future Development Plans

Further upgrades and enhancements are also planned, see our website for details. All upgrades will be freely available from our web site. The OpusMSFS_Release_Notes.txt file in the OpusMSFS folder details all upgrades and releases.

If you have any comments or requests for added features we will be pleased to hear from you. 

   

Contact Details

Stephen Percy

Opus Software Limited

website:   http://www.opussoftware.co.uk/opusfsi.htm

email:  opusfsi@opussoftware.co.uk

 

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Please refer to our website FAQ page, OpusMSFS_Getting_Started_Single_PC and OpusMSFS_Getting_Started_Networked_PCs guides.