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Return to Misty Moorings (FSX/P3D/MSFS2020) => Misty Flying Club and Multi Player => Topic started by: kaha on April 24, 2019, 02:17:50 PM

Title: Cigar Box on client?
Post by: kaha on April 24, 2019, 02:17:50 PM

Is there a way to run Cigar Box on a client and connect it to P3D running on the server?

Karl

Title: Re: Cigar Box on client?
Post by: nbrich1 on April 24, 2019, 03:45:01 PM

Not sure Karl.. but will check into it with the Website boss if it's possible.

Norm

Title: Re: Cigar Box on client?
Post by: MFC0001 on April 24, 2019, 07:16:56 PM

Hi Karl,
It all depends on how the network is set up.  If you are running P3D on the Client then yes.  But if you are using two different computers, no.  The easy way is to set it up and see if Cigar Box can communicate with P3D. 

Neither Norm or I have tried it, so you get to be the official tester!

Henry

Misty Moorings Team Member

Title: Re: Cigar Box on client?
Post by: kaha on April 25, 2019, 03:26:11 AM

Thank you Henry. Yes, I'm using two computers. I gave it a try but it doesn't work. That's obvious cause there would have to be a configuration option to input the IP address of the server.

Here is my reason for asking initially. Cigar Box is working reliably, not on a single flight I had problems. However, I was experiencing that when Cigar Box is running (after pressing "Start Flight") it is interfering with the smoothness of P3D. This is nothing to blame Cigar Box for, it also applies to other software running in parallel to the sim like weather tools. My P3D is externally locked to 30 Hz and runs smoothly at 30 FPS. With additional software running  I see jumps in the FPS count and this causes stutters. This is rather a sync issue than a performance issue.

A possibility to avoid this is to run the additional software on a client computer (as I do with Little NavMap and Active Sky).

Another possibility is to restrict the additional software to cores that are less utilized by P3D. So I took a look with HWINFO64 and decided to restrict Cigar Box to cores 5 and 7 using an affinity mask to invoke Cigar Box.

Here is how I did it, maybe this can be for some help for others:

- create a file with the name xxxx.bat
- edit the file and put the following line into it:

   start /B "" /affinity A0 "C:\Users\YOURNAME\Documents\FS-Products\Cigar Box\kACARSII - MistyFlyingClub.exe"

- start xxxx.bat by double clicking it


A0 is the affinity mask for cores 5 and 7. Here is a affinity mask calculator:

http://www.gatwick-fsg.org.uk/affinitymask.aspx?SubMenuItem=utilties


This eliminated all issues and the sim is running smooth like silk again.

Karl

Title: Re: Cigar Box on client?
Post by: scanham on April 25, 2019, 07:21:40 AM

I have been running Cigar Box on a client computer using WideFS since first installing it and it works fine. However, I use FSX-SE on my main computer (not P3D).

I also run all my other software on the client including: Active Sky Next & Plan-G which frees up all the resources for FSX

Title: Re: Cigar Box on client?
Post by: kaha on April 25, 2019, 07:41:43 AM

Yes, WideFS forwards all connections to other PCs, so Cigar Box thinks it talks to FSX/P3D on the client.

I don't have WideFS, but yes, it would be an option. Have to check if there is a free version like with FSUIPC.

Thx,
Karl

Title: Re: Cigar Box on client?
Post by: MFC0001 on April 25, 2019, 10:15:59 PM

WideFS should be included with the paid version of FSUIPC.  Being somewhat of a purist, I don't use any programs other than charts and real weather and have never had an issue with the system bogging down.  But.......all is dependent on CPU, GPU and other resource dependent programs.  It is my understanding that this works well, but I don't for sure.

Henry