Saitek drivers do not work with a standard SimConnect installation onto a Prepar3D Server. However they can be made to work by doing so as if a FSX install then copying across the necessary drivers onto the Prepar3D Server.
My steps were these:
0) Install and connect all required devices onto the Prepar3D Server machine
(This step maybe technically redundant but was the starting point for myself as I migrated from a local to a network running of my Saitek panels. As it is likely to be yours then no steps are actually necessary here!)
1) Install Simconnect SP1a into the Server and Client machine;
2) If Prepar3D SimConnect is not already installed then install the three necessary config files;
3) Check SimConnect works - I use Plan G as as test bed
4) If SimConnect works proceed to installing Saitek drivers, if it doesn't then don't progress until it does!
5) Connect and install as necessary Saitek devices to the Client PC
6) Install FSX on third PC/laptop
7) Connect and install as necessary Saitek devices to this third PC/laptop
8] Manually delete existing Saitek folder contents on the Prepar3D Server machine
C:\Program Files (x86)\Saitek
9) Copy entire Saitek drivers folder from third PC/laptop to Server PC. Paste into same location as obtained:
i.e. replacing the non-working Prepar3D Saitek driver installation with one that does from FSX
For my FIPs, Switch and Multi-panels this is three folders of
DirectOutput
Pro Flight Panels
ProFlightPlugin
10) Ensure that the Prepar3D Server exe.xml has no Saitek references in it.
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D
(It will if you have originally installed your Saitek panels on the Server machine to run locally. Rename the original if necessary.)
My exe.xml runs as follows
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
<Descr>Launch</Descr>
<Filename>exe.xml</Filename>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
</SimBase.Document>
11) As per the Saitek SimConnect installation notes make two shortcuts to
SaiPanels.exe
SaiFlightSimX.exe
These are in order to start the drivers on the Client machine.
This should ensure then that you have
1) The correct FSX working Saitek drivers installed on your Prepar3D Server machine;
2) Correctly configured SP1a SimConnect (it will not work on the Prepar3D SimConnect version);
3) The Saitek panels and drivers configured to work on your Client; and
4) The necessary shortcuts to bootstrap the drivers on the Client.
On starting Prepar3D once the SimConnect is live (I run in verbose mode to check this) then start the SimConnect remote apps. In my case, ASE then Plan-G then the two Saitek shortucts to launch the Client drivers. With this the panels illuminate starting to register once the aircraft is settled within the sim.
This is the long-way around. For the programmers and sharp system watchers they should be able to identify the difference in driver installation on a FSX versus Prepar3D then copy over from the former to the latter the necessary missing parts of the Saitek folders. (Or at least I believe this is where the installation fails in Prepar3D). It may also be possible to copy the Saitek installation folders from the Client machine when this is done. To be safe though I did so into a FSX loaded machine. As I am not a programmer to spot the driver differences between a Prepar3D and a FSX driver installation I can not sadly deduce all the necessary difference. As an unemployed man though I do have all the time in the world to go through this long labourous process to find a successful network installation path!
Good Luck! |
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Saitek Instrument Panel Driver Update for Prepar3D
