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VIDSERV

This is the VIDSERV/VMD suite, a set of programs that run alongside Aerowinx' 747-400 Precision Simulator. It provides transport of portions of the VGA screen image of the running simulator across a TCP/IP network, for display on a remote computer.

VIDSERV is a re-write of the original VMREAD program. VMD has been rewritten to work with VIDSERV.
NOTE: the version of VMD supplied in this package is NOT compatible with the original VMREAD programs.

Note: if you download these files, you must be prepared to face many frustrations. You must also not hold the author responsible for any problems arising from the buggy underlying Operating System. The author is Ivan Ngeow (rimb1991@yahoo.com). Remember, this is experimental and cutting edge technology developed exclusively to break through barriers put up for the purpose of making DOS programs obsolete in a Windows(tm) world.

Components

VIDTSR DOS Terminate-and-Stay-Resident (TSR) program that handles VGA hardware I/O and packs the screen data in a bitmap.
VIDSERV Win32 program that runs on the same PC as PS1 & VIDTSR. Accepts incoming TCP connections from VMD, reads VIDTSR's memory space and sends the bitmap data out on the network.
VMD Win32 program that runs on a remote PC. Receives bitmap data from the VIDSERV and displays the bitmap in subwindows.

Operation

These are instructions I mail to anyone on first contact:
I assume you have a two computer setup.

PC 1: do these in this order:
1. open a DOS prompt. cd into the VIDSERV folder.
2. run VIDTSR in this prompt
3. start PS
4. modify VIDSERV.INI so that "ps1path=c:\ps13" points to the
correct drive and folder where PS1 files are found.
5. start VIDSERV (using a shortcut, Explorer, Start menu->Run command,
or any other method).
[Note: you can combine steps 1 to 3 above using a simple BAT file.
See the VID.BAT file in the zip for a sample.]

PC 2:
0. copy VMD.EXE and VMD.INI into a folder (any folder will do).
1. modify VMD.INI so that the "vidservhost=xx.xx.xx.xx" line correctly
points to the IP address of PC 1.
2. modify VMD.INI so that the "brokerhost=xx.xx.xx.xx" line correctly
points to the IP address of the PC running Broker.
3. start VMD (using a shortcut, Explorer, Start menu->Run command,
or any other method).

In contrast to the old EICAS program, you don't need to press F11 inside
PS1 any more. New code technology allows automatic screen capturing as
long as PS1 is running, and the flight deck screen is displayed.
When you Alt-Tab into Windows, or if you ESCape into the Instructor
Screen, the screen capture stops.

Configuration

VMD uses the VMD.INI file for configuration.
vidservhost=127.0.0.1 IP address of the computer running VIDSERV
brokerhost=127.0.0.1 IP address of the computer running Broker
pfd_geometry=X,Y;WxH
nd_geometry=X,Y;WxH
ueicas_geometry=X,Y;WxH
leicas_geometry=X,Y;WxH
cdu_geometry=X,Y;WxH
 		specifies the location X,Y and size WxH of the PFD/ND/Upper EICAS/Lower EICAS/CDU subwindows respectively (in screen coords)
scale_bitmap=true|false determines whether the bitmap image should be scaled to fit the subwindow, or should be displayed at 1:1 scale.
white_cdu=true|false determines whether the CDU bitmap should be converted to a white monochromic.

Ivan Ngeow <rimb1991@yahoo.com>
Last modified 23 October 2003