Stutters, Vsync, SimConnect ... a possible source of the problem?

[Aamir 2,907]

 

 

PM me and as for GSX and EZDOK those connect via v10.0.61259.0 ;-)

 

Sweet, thanks! Your advice with regard to finding the ESP simconnect in the programdata folder worked! Found ESP Simconnect there.

About GSX and EZDock, I kept getting an "EZDock cannot find FSX process running" or something to that effect. I'll try again with ESP Simconnect reinstalled.

[sbclark 55]

Currently, I have both FSX and P3D installed on the same system. Since it is critical that some 3rd party add-ons require SimConnect from FSX here are a couple of questions:

 

1) What happens if you have only install P3D on your system and FSX has never been installed. Does P3D install these necessary FSX simconnect mocules?

 

2) What if you decide to delete FSX and go completely over to P3D. When you uninstall FSX, does the Microsoft simconnect software get deleted?

 

I'm confused,

Bill Clark  

[Guest]

 

 

Instead of destroying your system, do not you think that the fault may be of the hotfix?

 

Not sure what you mean by destroying my system?  But my system is working great (well beyond my expectations) with just one SimConnect Client ... the problem surfaces when I have two SimConnect client's installed.  I'm not using the HotFix ... I installed with the full v2.5.12943.0 (so no need to apply the HotFix) ... regardless, other's are NOT having a problem with multiple SimConnects installed so that would indicate the problem is specific to my setup, not an LM issue.

 

Cheers, Rob.

[virtualstuff 764]

Currently, I have both FSX and P3D installed on the same system. Since it is critical that some 3rd party add-ons require SimConnect from FSX here are a couple of questions:

 

1) What happens if you have only install P3D on your system and FSX has never been installed. Does P3D install these necessary FSX simconnect mocules?

 

2) What if you decide to delete FSX and go completely over to P3D. When you uninstall FSX, does the Microsoft simconnect software get deleted?

 

I'm confused,

Bill Clark  

 

1.) in the \Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2\redist subfolder is where all previous simconnect

versions installers are, so if needed you can choose to install from that particular directory....

 

2.) See point 1 and the winsxs directory.

 

Cheers,

[Nemo 1,305]

My System (8.1) has never seen FSX. I started with P3Dv2.3 --> v2.4 --> uninstall --> install v2.5 --> hot fix and find the following entries in Control Panel/Software:

 

MS ESP Simconnect Client   v1.0.20.0             (9/12/2014)

MS FS Simconnect Client     v10.0.61242.0     (11/2/2014)

MS FS Simconnect Client     v10.0.61259.0     (9/13/2014)

 

Do I have to uninstall one or two. Or do I miss one?

[ADamiani 470]

Not sure what you mean by destroying my system?  But my system is working great (well beyond my expectations) with just one SimConnect Client ... the problem surfaces when I have two SimConnect client's installed.  I'm not using the HotFix ... I installed with the full v2.5.12943.0 (so no need to apply the HotFix) ... regardless, other's are NOT having a problem with multiple SimConnects installed so that would indicate the problem is specific to my setup, not an LM issue.

 

Cheers, Rob.

 

Make that two Rob! 2.5 was stutteering badly, so I uninstalled it and then I uninstalled all simconnect entries from control panel and then reinstalled 2.5 from scratch. Stutters nearly gone: now it is a different sim.

 

Nice find indeed!

 

Andrea

[mawibo 33]

Addons written for FSX needed a specific version of the SimConnect.dll library. During the lifetime of FSX, SimConnect was updated several times and new SimConnect.dll versions were created and installed as so called side-by-side libraries in subfolders of the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder. This side-by-side mechanism ensured that older addons could still find the specific version of the SimConnect.dll library that they were built against. As mentioned before, a manifest file (either embedded in the .exe. file or a standalone manifest file) indicates the version of the dll required. When the addon is launched, Windows will read the manifest file and load the required version of the SimConnect.dll file for the addon to use (if not already loaded by another addon).

 

Addons written for P3D no longer need the side-by-side libraries (i.e. the SimConnect.dll files in the WinSxS subfolders). P3D addons can link the library they need to talk to SimConnect statically now (the library becomes part of the executable). That's also the reason that there's no SimConnect.msi program included with the P3D SDK to install a SimConnect.dll on a client. The SimConnect.msi files in the redist folder are used to install the FSX SimConnect.dll's on a client.

 

dll's do not load by themselves: some executable most load a dll explicitly before it is used, so if you notice any change in behavior after you have uninstalled one of the SimConnect versions, an addon must have been using the version you just uninstalled.

 

Uninstalling a SimConnect version by itself cannot have any influence, unless it was in use; dll's that are not used, are not loaded and have no influence on performance whatsoever.

 

Just my $0.02

 

thanks, Maarten

[Guest]

Uninstalling a SimConnect version by itself cannot have any influence, unless it was in use; dll's that are not used, are not loaded and have no influence on performance whatsoever.

 

Hi Maarten,

 

Some add-ons targeting P3D platform will still use the older FSX SimConnect client ... there can be a mix-and-match SimConnect clients, using P3D built in SimConnect and/or using .net managed SimConnect deployed with product, or using a stand alone SimConnect client.  TrackIR 5 for example is fine with SimConnect client  v10.0.61259.0 and my GoFlight Interface (GIT) uses the .NET managed SimConnect ... but as I understand it none of the SimConnects "require" a SimConnect.cfg nor a SimConnect.xml with P3D.  I created these files for use with other products I have operating on a separate PC ... however, that Separate PC was not currently turned ON so it should have no influence in my issue.

 

I haven't pin pointed what my issue was with having two SimConnect clients operational ... but per other's suggestions, it might be possible two (or more) different SimConnects were being used at the same time resulting in some conflict in combination with the SimConnect.cfg and SimConnect.xml configurations.

 

IMHO, I would love to see all 3rd party developers targeting P3D platform to use the .net managed SimConnect, but they don't and I'm sure they have their reasons.

 

SimConnect has been a source of issues for me (on many different PCs) ... quick google search will reveal it's a source of issues for many.

 

Cheers, Rob.

 

EDIT:  FYI v2.5.12944.0 hot fix is coming out this afternoon fixes 4 issues (sun glare with HDR, shadow issue with wave and bathymetry, SimDirector gamepad, dull night lights in VC)  ... and so the cycle of more 3rd party updates begin.

[ComSimPilot 623]

Ok..you teased me enough, I had 4 SimConnects installations, removed all expect the latest version. Fortunately it seems everything is working correctly (FSUIPC, ASN, GSX, AXE...). 

I hope I didn't broke anything. As for performance I can't say I see a difference..placebo is my enemy..

[mawibo 33]

Some add-ons targeting P3D platform will still use the older FSX SimConnect client ... there can be a mix-and-match SimConnect clients, using P3D build in SimConnect and/or using .net managed SimConnect deployed with product, or using a stand alone SimConnect client.

 

Hi Rob,

 

I did not make myself clear enough I think. I didn't say that addons targeting the P3D platform will never use one of the older FSX SimConnect.dll's.

 

It's the older addons and addons that also need to talk to FSX that need one of these dll's. New addons targeting the P3D platform do not necessarily need one of the side-by-side SimConnect.dll's (or one of the dll's in the global assembly cache in case of a .NET program): native C++ addons can statically link the SimConnect.lib library and .NET addons can use the LockheedMartin.Prepar3D.SimConnect.dll library and put that dll in the addon installation folder (no need to put anything in the global assembly cache).

 

Older addons can still use one of the side-by-side libraries (or the global assembly cache), but on a client PC you need to use a SimConnect.msi installer to install the proper SimConnect version otherwise the addon on the client has no library to talk to. Those addons also need a SimConnect.cfg file on the client to configure the IP-address and port.

 

New P3D addons on a client don't need the SimConnect.dll (the library is statically linked in the executable after all in the case of native C++ and the LockheedMartin.Prepar3D.SimConnect.dll is present in the installation folder in the case of a .NET program) and also don't need the SimConnect.cfg file (IP-address and port can be configured within the executable itself)

 

Maybe this pictures makes it more clear:

 

The need for a SimConnect.xml file on the server did not change and it is still needed if you run addons on a client.

 

All of this still means that there's absolutely no need at all to go uninstall SimConnect versions on either the server or the client: if they are used, there's an addon that needs it, if there's no addon needing the particular SimConnect version, the dll is not loaded, not used and has no performance impact.

 

thanks, Maarten

[Eric Bakker 7]

FYI v2.5.12944.0 hot fix is coming out this afternoon fixes 4 issues (sun glare with HDR, shadow issue with wave and bathymetry, SimDirector gamepad, dull night lights in VC)  ... and so the cycle of more 3rd party updates begin.

 

OMG, are we on a weekly cycle now?

[Guest]

 

 

OMG, are we on a weekly cycle now?

 

Haha ... 12944 has some important fixes, especially for some 3rd party.  Unfortunate, but I'm glad LM addressed them quickly and made them available.  LM is trying to gather up information from 3rd party why their products break with EXE updates and what LM might be able to do to alleviate the issue ... obviously 3rd party are going to be protective about what they do for competitive reasons, so lets hope it can be resolved behind closed doors.

 

 

 

I didn't say that addons targeting the P3D platform will never use one of the older FSX SimConnect.dll's.

 

Ok, but I think that means you would need to update your diagram to reflect that?  i.e. P3D Addon1 ----> SimConnect Version B    

 

But otherwise, completely agree with you.

 

I'm going to try to locate the ESP stand alone installer so I can demonstrate the problem. 

 

Cheers, Rob.

[mawibo 33]

 

 

Ok, but I think that means you would need to update your diagram to reflect that? i.e. P3D Addon1 ----> SimConnect Version B

 

A P3D addon indicates an addon specifically created to for P3D, not using the side-by-side dll's nor the global assembly cache. An FSX addon is any other addon.

 

thanks, Maarten

[GSalden 4,679]

If I wait 2 more weeks we"ll be on v 3.135278... LOL

 

As I am painting my cockpit floor I won't be able to start upgrading to v 2.5 before next weekend.

( Lucky me...you guys will have worked it all out by then ... )

If I wait 2 more weeks we"ll be on v 3.135278... LOL

 

As I am painting my cockpit floor I won't be able to start upgrading to v 2.5 before next weekend.

( Lucky me...you guys will have worked it all out by then ... )

If I wait 2 more weeks we"ll be on v 3.135278... LOL

 

As I am painting my cockpit floor I won't be able to start upgrading to v 2.5 before next weekend.

( Lucky me...you guys will have worked it all out by then ... )

[denali 74]

GSalden, point the nose down, rudder opposite the spin!