External EasyFMC - Operations
Airbus and Boeing Look-and-Feel
External EasyFMC is provided with 2 different executable applications: 1 for Boeing and 1 for Airbus look-and-feel. Both applications are accessible through the Windows shortcuts created by the installer.
You just have to care about using the right look-and-feel, according to the Data Collector Gauge you have installed. You should avoid the wrong configurations, that are:
- The Boeing Data Collector Gauge with the Airbus External EasyFMC
- The Airbus Data Collector Gauge with the Boeing External EasyFMC
Viewing Features
The Airbus and Boeing External EasyFMC applications have some viewing features that can help, especially in the context of using them in a home-made cockpit. They are all present in the "View" menu and the "Help" menu shows the keyboard shortcuts associated to these features.
- Hide Menu Bar (Alt-M key)
Show/hide the menu bar. The pulldown menus are obviously not accessible when the menu bar is hidden, so press M again to show it if you need to get access to the menu. - Hide Frame (Alt-F key)
Show/hide the window frame. This is especially useful if you use External EasyFMC on a separate screen integrated in a cockpit. The window cannot be move or resized if the frame is not visible, so press F again to show it if you need to move/resize the window. - Show Clickspots (Alt-S key)
Show/hide the clickable zones. - Reset Ratio (Alt-W and Alt-H keys)
As the window can be resized in any way, you may lose the aspect ratio (the keys may not be square anymore). In this case, you can reset the correct aspect ratio by changing the window width (Alt-W key) or the window height (Alt-H key). - Initial Size (Alt-I key)
This resets the window size to its initial size, which is the original size of the background image that represents the FMC. - Always on top (Alt-A key)
Activate/deactivate the topmmost priority for the External EasyFMC window.
Status
As soon as you fly FSX, P3D or FS2004 with an aircraft that has a Data Collector Gauge in its panel, you just have to run one of the External EasyFMC application. The current status is always displayed in the window title bar. Here is the meaning of each status:
| No FSUIPC Connection | The External EasyFMC application cannot connect to the
simulator (FSX/P3D/FS2004) using FSUIPC. For this reason, it cannot get
the navigation information. This may be because FSUIPC is not installed in FSX/P3D/FS2004 (single computer) or WideFS is not running in dual computer mode. |
| Gauge not loaded | The FSUIPC connection is OK but the link with the Data Collector Gauge could not be established. This is probably because the aircrat used in FSX/P3D/FS2004 does not have a Data Collector Gauge in its panel. |
| Wrong gauge loaded | The FSUIPC connection is OK and the link with the Data
Collector Gauge works fine, but the wrong DCG is used with the current External EasyFMC
application. This happens when the Boeing DCG is used with the Airbus External EasyFMC, or when the Airbus DCG is used with the Boeing External EasyFMC. |
| Operational | Everything is running fine: the FSUIPC connection and the link with the Data Collector Gauge are OK. |
Keyboard Mode
The keyboard is always active with External EasyFMC. As soon as the
window is active, any key typed on the keyboard will appear in the
scratchpad. This makes data entry much easier.
The Backspace key can
be used to erase characters (equivalent to the CLR button). Please note
the / - + . keys are available on the numeric keypad only.
Functions keys are used for the LSK and RSK buttons:
- F1 to F6: LSK1 to LSK6
- F7 to F12: RSK1 to RSK6
Some minor differences exist between Airbus and Boeing keys:
| Airbus | Boeing |
| Up Arrow key: Scroll Up Down Arrow key: Scroll down |
Page UP key: Previous Page Page Down key: Next Page Del key: DEL |
Standard Operation
Except minor differences about the keyboard mode, External EasyFMC works exactly like EasyFMC, so please read the EasyFMC manual for the standard operation of the EasyFMC Flight Management Computer.