FS Timekeeper Version 1.5

For use with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002

Platforms: Win98/ME/XP/NT/2K

Author: Mark Schilberg

Support email: fstimekeeper@sympatico.ca

Website: Here

Also required: FSUIPC (by Pete Dowson)

FS Timekeeper is shareware.  If you like it, please register it here.

What is FS Timekeeper?

FS Timekeeper is an easy to use "real time" synchronization utility plus a chronometer utility with logging functionality.  It provides a Flight Simulator independent time source from which it updates MSFS time since MSFS time will start to fall behind if you pause the simulation, access menus etc.  It will detect if you cross time zones during your flight and adjust its internal time source, and subsequently MSFS time, automatically.  FS Timekeeper's chronometer function tracks elapsed flight time, ground time and the total of the two.  It also logs this information which is displayable with the integrated log viewer or via your favorite spreadsheet application. 

Features:

- Keeps Microsoft Flight Simulator time accurate.

- Time zone aware.

- Chronometers keep track of how long you've been in flight, on the ground and the total of the two.

- Chronometer information is logged and can be viewed and annotated with the integrated log viewer.

- Chronometer log (tab delimited) can be opened with spreadsheet applications.

- Hotkey access for starting and stopping FST while you're in Flight Simulator.

- In flight information display (with hotkey).

Who is FS Timekeeper for?

FST is for people who like to fly in "real time" and find themselves having to adjust MSFS time to the correct time quite often due to pausing the simulation, accessing MSFS menu items etc.

FST is not for people who like to adjust the simulation rate to make time pass faster and will not work properly under those circumstances.

How does FS Timekeeper work?

FST has six on/off toggle buttons labeled as follows ...

When you're in the cockpit ready to start a flight, simply switch over to FS Timekeeper and select either the "Start" or "Start Loc" buttons.  You can alternatively start and stop FS Timekeeper without leaving the cockpit by selecting the respective hotkey.

Starting FST with the system time (Start) can be used if you want to fly in "real time".  If you select this option, FST will initially synchronize its internal time and MSFS time with your computer system's internal clock.  It will then maintain the correct time throughout the flight.  If you cross a time zone during the flight, FST will detect this and adjust its internal time, and subsequently MSFS time, automatically.

Starting FST with MSFS local time (Start Loc) can be used if you don't want to start with the system time but instead the local time currently designated by MSFS.  This is handy if you want to start a flight in a different part of the world at whatever time it is there.  If you select this option , FST will initially synchronize its internal time with the time currently shown in MSFS.  It will then maintain the correct time throughout the flight.  If you cross a time zone during the flight, FST will detect this and adjust its internal time, and subsequently MSFS time, automatically.

After FST is started, you may stop it at any time by selecting whichever "Start" button is currently activated (indicated with a green light) or whichever respective hotkey.  Note that stopping FST also stops the chronometers.

HOTKEY NOTE:  You may assign hotkeys to the "Start" and "Start Loc" buttons so that you don't have to switch applications to start FS Timekeeper.  Audible sounds are used to indicate on/off positions.  Select Info/Settings to set hotkeys.  Make sure the keys you select aren't currently being used by MSFS (unless you want to do something in MSFS AND FST at the same time with the same keys).

How often does FS Timekeeper check the time?

Every 20 seconds, FST compares MSFS time with its internal time and, if the MSFS time is different, FST corrects it.  If FST has to adjust MSFS time, it will notify you by playing a ticking sound.  (You can modify this default 20 second interval by selecting Info/Settings/Sync Interval.  You can also modify the sound FST makes ... see below).

An interval of 20 seconds was selected because it makes FST operation very non-intrusive, meaning that it's not always having to communicate with MSFS (via FSUIPC) to adjust the time.  Not that FSUIPC communication is that intrusive but us flight simmers are VERY performance conscious :-)

How do the FS Timekeeper chronometers work?

When you select "Start" or "Start Loc", FST will increment the Flight, Ground and Total chronometers every 20 seconds (default - select Info/Settings/Sync Interval to change).  Note that FST will not increment the chronometers if the simulation is paused.

When you stop FST by selecting whichever "Start" button is currently activated, FST will also stop the chronometers and log this information if the total elapsed time is greater than 60 seconds (default - select Info/Settings to change).  To be safe, FST will also log this information if it's on and you just close FST or if FS2002 is shut down before FST.

You can view, delete or add notes to the log information by selecting "Log" after selecting the "Info" button.  Your last log entry will automatically be displayed first so that you can take a quick look at it plus add a note to it if you like.  You can also view this information by opening the file "FSTimekeeper.log" in your FST installation folder (directory).  This is a tab delimited file so that it can easily be imported into your favorite spreadsheet program.

Notes:

- If you're going to use the MSFS "Go To Airport" function or any function which resets the flight (and possibly the time), make sure to turn off whichever FST function ("Start" or "Start Loc") may be on beforehand.  You can do this at any time but ideally its best beforehand.  Only start FST when you're ready to fly (i.e. as part of your startup checklist)..

- FS Timekeeper doesn't actually maintain an internal clock.  It uses the system clock with calculated offsets.  This reduces any CPU cycles that would otherwise be taken up.  Care was taken to make FS Timekeeper as "low profile" as possible.  In keeping with this low profile, FST also does not constantly display the current seconds in both the time readouts.  It does, of course, keep track of the current seconds value.  Also in keeping with this, you can adjust how often you want FST to "talk" to MSFS (see "How often does FS Timekeeper check the time?" above).

- The Long Date format displayed by FST is based on your Windows Regional settings and can be customized by going into "Regional and Language Options" from the Windows control panel (this may vary depending on Window OS).

- If you don't like the sound that FS Timekeeper plays when it corrects the time, you can disable it by selecting "Info/Settings/Disable time adjust sound" or you can use your own .wav file by removing the sound_sync.wav file from the FST folder (directory) and replacing it with your own .wav file (rename it to sound_sync.wav of course).

- When you start FST with the system time, FST may invoke an MSFS "environment update" whereby MSFS changes the look of the environment based on the time of day.  This may take a number of seconds and MSFS won't be accessible during that time.  Be patient.

- Before selecting the "Start with System Time" option, make sure the current local MSFS date is near, or ideally the same, as the current date.  This is for "daylight savings time" difference purposes so that FST can detect the correct Zulu (GMT) time offset properly.

Limitation for non-registered version:

There's a 20 minuite time limit if FS Timekeeper isn't registered.  You can restart FST if you hit the time limit.