How to record Mouse macros with FSUIPC

[Helge Rasmussen 7]

Hi,

here's a short introduction to how to create Mouse Macros in FSUIPC for use with LINDA.

 

What is it:

A Mouse Macro is kind of like a recorded mouse click, which you then later can replay to get the same effect. It normally works very well, but there are a few limitations:

 

• Not everything works with mouse macros. There is no simple rule for this, you will just have to try.
  
• The recorded marcros probably only works for the version of the plane they were recorded in. If a new version of the plane is released, then the macros need to be recorded again for that version. You can use a different livery without problems, but you will have to check to see whether different variants works with the same set of macros.
  
• You can only record macros with a full version of FSUIPC, so you will have to buy it. That should be a no-brainer. FSUIPC is the most important addon to get for FSX in my opinion.
  

 

I have only tried to record macros in a virtual cockpit and in windowed mode. It may work in the other modes as well, I just haven't tried it.

 

How to create a set of macros:

1. Load the plane into FSX. Be sure that the buttons and dials you want to use are visible.
   
2. Open FSUIPC from the addon dialog. 
   
3. In FSUIPC go to the "Buttons+Switches" page and click "Create Mouse Macro".
   
4. Enter a file name in the dialog that shows up. Please use a name that is descriptive... Like "mjc8q400" which was the name used by Capt. Pero's macros for the "Majestic Dash 8 Q400". The file will be placed in "...\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Modules". The same place where Linda was installed.
   
5. After pressing Ok, you are returned FSUIPC. Press Ok here too; this returns you to the cockpit view.
   
6. Now the magic starts. Right click, left click or scroll mouse wheel on the button/dial you want to record. Do exactly as you would when flying.
   
7.  When you do this a green or red window is shown (the colour does not mean anything, it just switches between red and green for each time you record a macro). This indicates that FSUIPC noticed you clicked on something.
   
8. Optional: You can now press TAB to try the recorded macro. This will perform the action again.
   
9. If satisfied, then enter a name for the macro (up to 16 characters) and press return. If not satisfied, press ESC.
   
10. If you want to record more macros, then repeat from step 6 again.
    
11. If you are done recording macros for now, then open FSUIPC in the Add-ons menu and go back to the "Button + Switches" page. 
    
12. Click "End Macro Making", then close the FSUIPC dialog and you are done recording the macros.
    

 

That is all there is to it... Easy  B)

 

How to use a macro from Linda:

To use the macro from Linda, you should create a function that "fires" the macro.

I am not going to explain in detail how this is done. You can check out the Majestic Dash 8 Q400 for an example.

See the contents of the actions.lua file in "....\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Modules\linda\aircrafts\Majestic Dash 8 Q-400".

 

Here is an example of a function firing a macro from that file:

 

function AP_HDG_press ()

    ipc.macro("mjc8q400: AP_HDG_press")

end

 

In the line above "mjc8q400" is the name of the macro file (leaving out .mcro), and AP_HDG_press is the name of the macro. That is, the name you typed in while recording the macro.

 

Please, please: Try to decide on a systematic way to name the macros. 

It should be possible to figure out what each macro does just from this name.

This makes it much easier to understand what happens when examining/writing the Linda file. It also makes it possible for someone else (or yourself for that matter) to re-record the macros later if a new version of the plane is released.

The names of the Majestic macros is a good example. I was able to redo them with the new Dash 8 version based only on the name of the macros.

 

For instance. What do you think the macro "AP_HDG_press" does?

Well, it presses the HDG button on the Autopilot (AP).

If Capt Pero had called that macro for "Coolname1" then I could not have re-recorded it easily

 

Editing macros:

You can edit the macro file with notepad; do not use Word or another word processing program. When you open the macro file, you can delete macros you don't want (maybe you recorded some by mistake), and you can rename macros if you think you have a better name for a macro or made a spelling error. 

Be sure not to modify the stuff after the second equal sign. That is FSUIPC's description of what you did when you recorded the macro.

I always renumber the macros if I delete some. I don't know if this is necessary.

 

Recording more macros:

If you go into FSUIPC and start recording macros again with the same file name, then the macros are appended to the file if it already exists.

 

Macro files can be used if they are in the modules folder. If you create some macro files just for testing, then delete them after use. Otherwise you use memory for a lot of macros that never are used.

 

If you need more help, then ask, or read the FSUIPC manuals.

 

Helge

[brian747 5]

Sincere thanks, Helge!

 

Mouse macros are one of those things that I really was always going to get around to one day — but time has gone by and somehow I still haven't. So I very much appreciate your helpful post.    ^_^

 

Kind regards,

 

Brian

[Jake744sim 0]

For some reason (maybe I'm doing something wrong) I cannot get the Mouse macro to work for me on any aircraft at all default or add-on.

 

I click create a mouse macro and type a name for the macro and then ok and ok then I click a button say on the mcp etc and the window does not appear nothing happens, am I missing something?

 

I'm trying to create macros for the pmdg 747 -400 (fsx) I know pmdg doesnt interface very well from what I have read, but I cannot get it to work on anything atm

 

My intention once I have the macro function working is to use it in the open cockpits SOIC software

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks 

Jacob

[gpbarth 12]

Same here...no macro is started or produced. I'm trying with the Carenado Grand Caravan EX, and already had the flaps and trim working using the default FSX commands with my Saitek X-55. I then attempted to assign the #6 switch to the Master Battery switch using the method you describe above. FSUIPC never shows the macro start screen. I can open the LINDA tracing screen and see the "66241 TOGGLE_MASTER_BATTERY" when I mouse-click on the switch (which turns on & off with each click). But when I add that command to the Joystick line for switch 6, nothing happens.

 

Anyway, FSUIPC does not produce a macro using that method, at least on my computer. I wonder if Pete Dowson has an answer for that.

[Bobsk8 12,669]

I am trying to create a Macro for the GA button for the majestic Q400 and following the directions, nothing happens either.  

[Glynn 405]

Fsuipc macros will only work with gauges coded in C/C++

They will not work on gauges coded in XML which is most of them these days, for those there is always Lua scripts and Linda if that tool works with your hardware.

For Goflight stuff and Xml gauges there is the Goflight interface tool from pollypot software

 

Here is something I wrote a long while back in the Eaglesoft forums for the Eaglesoft CX750 which is all C/C++ and works really well with Fsuipc mouse Macros

 

Page 37 of the FSUIPC user guide.pdf has a far better explanation (with pics) than I could write here.
Follow that to create your macro set for the CX750.

Before you start create a profile in Goflight Config for the CX750 and for your MCP set all functions to FS Default - No Assignment and save the profile, use this when flying the CX750

The basic steps to create a macro set are:

Load the CX750, then in FSUIPC go to the buttons tab and click on [create mouse macro] in the bottom left of this dialog.
Give your macro a name in the box that pops up, CX750 will do.
Click on OK to exit this dialog, then OK again and you will be back in FSX.
Press Shift7 to pull up the Remote instrument controller, we will create a macro for the ALT function

We will create two macro functions, Alt up and Alt down.
Hover your mouse over to the right of the alt dial (+ shows) and click on it
You will now see a green bar at the top of the screen with white text, when you see this it means that Fsuipc can succesfully hook into this gauge.

Type a name for the macro function, in this case use Alt up as a name, you will see it in the green bar as you type. then press enter on your keyboard, the green bar disappears
Do the same thing again on the left of the wheel (- shows), name the macro Alt down, then press enter on your keyboard, the green bar disappears.
Select FSUIPC from the addons menu again to re-enter Fsuipc and in the buttons tab click on [End macro making]
You have now made macros to control the Alt-up and Alt-down wheel on the Remote instrument controller, we now need to assign these to your Goflight MCP.

Back in FSUIPC in the buttons tab, tick the box for profile specific.
Then rotate the Altitude rotary on the MCP to the right and then put a tick in [select for Flightsim control] you will notice the Joy# Button# dialog change to reflect the clicks it has detected, there are two for each direction that can be used for normal speed and fast speed, the first is normal the second is fast, we will use both.

For the first click to the right select your CX750:Alt up macro from the [Control sent when button pressed]drop down list of controls (it will be prefixed in the list with CX750 if that was the name you used when starting the create macro process)
Do the same for the [Control sent when button released] drop down.
Repeat this for the anticlockwise clicks of your Altitude rotary using the CX750:alt down macro for these clicks

Thats it... your Altitude rotary is programmed.
You can re-enter the Macro making to add more functions to this set by simply typing CX750 into the dialog presented when you click on [create mouse macro] again.

Use the profiles function in FSUIPC to create a profile for your CX750 if you have not already and preferably before you start the macro making process, your life will become much simpler and all of your axis assuignments, calibrations macros, and buttons specific to the CX750 will be loaded automatically next time you fly her..
It is a very quick process once you are familiar with it, I typically create all my click spots for an aircraft in one go.
I am working from memory here so if anyone has any corrections ect. please post them.

Hope that helps you get started.