FSXBA F/A-18C HORNET

[PhantomTweak]

Ok, here we go with today's interesting trouble shooting 

I deleted anything in the fsx.cfg that had "HornetFCS.dll" in it. Double checked it with the Find feature, all using NotePad. Opened as Admin, as usual. Saved it off, and closed it. I deleted all versions of any form of F-18, except the default.
Opened FSX. Loaded the default F-18, no problems. Rechecked the fsx.cfg file, no HornetFCS entry of any sort. So far, so good. Closed FSX, and loaded the v17.1.31. Started FSX, and selected the v17.1.31 from the menu, as usual. Before selecting Fly Now, I checked the fsx.cfg, the 2 entries for the v17.1.31 were there, as I expected.
Not what I'm used to from FSX, as it never popped up the little windows asking if I wanted to trust etc etc., but it seems Steam changed FSX somehow so that it doesn't any longer.

Selected Fly Now, and once it loaded, got the FAIL message on the HUD. As I expected. Including to two warning lights on the Warning Light panel. FCS HOT and Bus Tie Failure. As expected.

Ok, as a test, I copied the entire Panel.Fleet from the v16.1 into the v17 folder, as Panel.Fleet1, and assigned an entry in the aircraft.cfg to it. Shut down FSX. Restarted FSX, and selected the plane I'd chosen for the v16 panel. So, now I'm checking the v17 plane, with the v16 Panel.Fleet folder, including it's own, older version of the Hornet.FCS.dll file. A panel I KNOW worked previously. Flashing FCS FAIL on the HUD.
Selected a plane with the v17 panel, the FCS Fail wasn't flashing, but still there.

Double checked the C++ Redist 2015. The X86 version is still properly installed. I even uninstalled the X64 version of it, to be certain. No help.

Something on my system is keeping any plane with any HornetFCS.dll version from functioning. No idea what/why/where/how, yet, but I'll get it figured out. Sooner or later. The .dll file is making a call to SOMEthing on my system that is missing. I'll get it yet. I'm closing in, and I think I've eliminated the actual HornetFCS.dll file as the problem...

I'll keep working when I can on this.
Pat☺

[jimi08]

interesting.... you got anti virus?  Try disabling it and giving it a go.

[PhantomTweak]

Yes, I do have AV.
Turned it off, and no luck.

Good idea to try, though, Jimi. Thanks for the idea.
We'll find it eventually, and I'll feel like an idiot for not realizing it was XXXXXXXX all along, if you see what I mean.

Pat☺

[PhantomTweak]

Ok, well...
I've re-installed Simconnect (all 3), C++ Redist 2015 (X86), FSUIPC v 4.974b, and even .NET Framework v4.6.2 .

Rebooted after each new install, installed all "as Administrator".

No luck yet, but I must be closing in. Not much left to check on   
Pat☺

[jimi08]

Pat,

If possible, can you post up both your aircraft.cfg and panel.cfg?  I would like to take a look.  Thanks.

[D5turbi]

Hi jimi08,

First of all, congratulations on this beautiful aircraft

I recorded a short video in which I indicate how I proceeded to get the TACAN / ILS in the HUD and the result for the deck landing.

If you wish, I can send you the ContentErrors.txt which reports many errors, especially in the gauge FA18_HUD_VC_R.xml.

(sorry for my poor english  )

https://youtu.be/TIcAz8LH908

Best regards,

Jean

[jimi08]

Jean,

Thanks for he good words!  I'll be sure to pass them along.

Took a look at your video.  Very interesting.  Although I've done some work recently to the CRS display and functionality, I'll take another look.

And yes.  Please send me the Content Errors.txt if you don't mind.  Thanks!

Jimi

[D5turbi]

Here, the ContentErrors.txt file from P3D v4.2.

Jean

[PhantomTweak]

Glad to, Jimi.
ANYthing that might be of help. They are both from the v17.1.31, and they are both "out of the box". I've made no changes. I was considering adding the 2D HUD in on [Window0], but I've uninstalled and re-installed so many times, I thought I'd just leave it.

Hope something in these is the trouble, that I'm just missing somehow...
Pat☺

[jimi08]

Here, the ContentErrors.txt file from P3D v4.2.

Jean

Merci

[jimi08]

Glad to, Jimi.
ANYthing that might be of help. They are both from the v17.1.31, and they are both "out of the box". I've made no changes. I was considering adding the 2D HUD in on [Window0], but I've uninstalled and re-installed so many times, I thought I'd just leave it.

Hope something in these is the trouble, that I'm just missing somehow...
Pat☺

Took a looks, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary.  Sorry Pat...

[PhantomTweak]

I was hoping
I have to work on my truck for a few days, so I'm taking a short break. I'll get back at it as soon as I can.
Thanks very much for all the help and ideas I've received so far, everyone! Maybe this break will let my little pea-brain mull things over and come up with something. 

I'll get it. I'm persistent    
Pat☺

[expat]

A fairly infrequent poster here, my two cents . .

I had not flown this one for a few years.  Seeing the thread over at SOH http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/107165-FSXBA-Hornet-(ver-17-30) and having converted exclusively to P3Dv4 I downloaded a couple of weeks ago the v17.1 followed the install instructions somewhere (not sure where these are now?) and either didn't have or managed to get rid of the red "FCS FAIL" in the HUD.  All was good.

BUT . .  I yesterday went to fly 17.1 and low and behold there was the "FCS FAIL" and I could not get rid of it.  Moved 17.1 to the hangar, downloaded 18.3, moved the HornetFCS_Data.CAB into, first, the Panel.Fleet and then within that folder, the Gauges folder.   No luck.  FCS FAIL here to stay.

A wild theory, as I had done nothing whatsoever to the 17.1 install between it working and not working:  would a Microsoft Update (am on W 7 Pro 64 bit) mess this up for me and others?

PS - where do I find definitive installation instructions for 18.3 P3Dv4?  Also, the aircraft is awesome and was doing for the first time some acceptable trap scores in vLSO within 10 minutes of downloading - thanks for this!

[jimi08]

Expat,

If I remember correctly, the 17 series Hornet worked for FSX and the earlier versions of P3D but not P3Dv4.

Based on what you've written, it sounds like you put the HornetFCS.dll into the following folders:
-P3D/SimObjects/Airplanes/FSXBA F........./Panel.Fleet
-P3D/SimObjects/Airplanes/FSXBA F........./Panel.Fleet/Gauges

Try this:
-Take the HornetFCS.dll file and place it in the following folder:
-P3D/Gauges



Restart P3D and try again.

Let me know if this fixes your issue.

As for the definite installation instructions, I do not have any.  I guess I can type up a "read-me" and also add the basics to the front page of this tread when I get some time.  I'll also bring back the auto-installer (once I get the time)

Lastly, glad to hear about your trapping results!  Just wait until you get the FCS working, should be even better!

-Jimi

[expat]

IT'S GONE !!!

OK, did not work my first attempt - a bolter - but then I fished around some more in the P3D folder - moved (not copied) some files found there into main/gauges - and presto change-o no more FCS FAIL.

Re an auto-installer, I actually prefer manual downloads and installs so I know where things are going if I need to backtrack.  Down side is if the there are additional manual steps - which I don't mind at all doing (part of the fun of this hobby is that it's like a kit you assemble) the install instructions may need to be 100% precise or unhappy campers. But then precision is our middle name naval aviating . .

Now, question, what exactly is FCS and what does it do?!