rocketeer

I reported this two months ago. No users have replied. That's fine, maybe this issue is beyond them. But ED has nobody going to verify if this is indeed a bug? At least acknowledge this being reported, even if it can be looked into later on. If it is possible for the F-18 DDIs all 3 to have black background in VR mode, then it should be possible for the F-15E too with a patch in the future. Right now with all 3 MPDs in the F-15E having transparent background, it is impossible to read anything on the screens in VR mode. Github Helios refused to fix this, claiming it's a DCS issue not Helios.

that is a reasonably good suggestion. But I'd have to relabel my panel to show the ON being in the middle and RESET at the top. Not only that, during testing, say pin 6 to OFF, 7 to momentary, when i flip toggle to the mom side, in DCS it goes to OFF like when it's on the latched off side. in DCS it just doesn't go to the center RESET position even though physically I'm willing to let that be at the other end. so we are back to ON OFF in DCS only. physically flipping a 3 way toggle (where actual off is in the center) to either latched off side or mom side in DCS it goes to off, which is wrong. So it looks like a 2 way toggle is a better solution. I won't know when to use the reset anyway lol to have to use left mouse click. Appreciate the suggestion anyway.

DcsBios::Switch3Pos fCasYaw("F_CAS_YAW", 6, 7); //Front Roll CAS Switch DcsBios::Switch3Pos fCasRoll("F_CAS_ROLL", 8, 9); //Front Pitch CAS Switch DcsBios::Switch3Pos fCasPitch("F_CAS_PITCH", 10, 11); I find that I wire pins 6, 8 and 10, instead of 7, 9, 11, they work as 2 way switch UP DOWN as ON OFF. Then to get to center RESET, use the mouse via left click as the only option.

thanks for the info, Ramsay. Usual momentary toggles will spring from one end to the center. This is the opposite where it springs away from the center. Since there won't be such physical toggles switches easily found in the market, I suppose to mimic this in a physical cockpit I'd have to use a 2 way ON-ON toggle as ON-OFF and just forget about the center RESET. To use the RESET it looks like it has to be done with the mouse, not a physical toggle.

The above 3 toggles look like they are 3 way position toggles. UP (ON), CENTER (RESET) and DOWN (OFF). using the left mouse click will toggle between UP and DOWN, not stopping at the CENTER. When toggle is in UP position, right mouse click will momentarily flip it to CENTER in a split second. Left mouse click will just keep flipping it UP and DOWN. It just won't stop at the center. The panel labeling RESET in the middle suggests it is a 3 way toggle. DCS BIOS also shows it as 3 way toggle. In the game it is behaving like a 2 way toggle. Is this a bug or it is meant to be a 2 way toggle? User manual says it is spring loaded to ON. What does that mean? it is supposed to always skip the center position? then how and when do we use the center position?

I run F-15E instruments and MPDs in Helios. In 2D, the MPDs have black background. In VR, they become transparent which makes it hard to read them. Instruments still have black background in VR which is good. I made this thread about the issue weeks ago and not a single person gave any comment or help. In F-18C, it is the opposite. MPDs have black background in VR, but instruments are transparent. Ideally for all aircrafts, MFD/MPDs and instruments all have black background in VR mode for readability. I care more about the F-15E. I reached out the Helios Github team who says this is a DCS problem, nothing for them to fix. I know the F-15E is still in Beta. But I wonder if this can be eventually fixed? IMG_6337.HEIC IMG_6338.HEIC

Recently I was very happy to learn that now it is possible to show MFD in VR by adding these two lines to monitor setup lua. VR_allow_MFD_out_of_HMD = true VR_allow_MPD_out_of_HMD = true https://imgur.com/bQxmrHi Some instrument is transparent but the MFDs here have dark background in the F18 so if displayed on a second monitor it will be easy to read. Then I tried on the F15E but the MFDs are transparent. https://imgur.com/3HSiLhM These MFD have dark background in F15E when not in VR. Someone suggested this. DCSWorldOpenBeta\Mods\aircraft\FA-18C\Cockpit\Scripts\Multipurpose_Display_Group\Common\indicator\BAKE\MPD_common_bake_page.lua to have background black HUD_only_back.material = MakeMaterial("",{0,0,0,255}) to have background transparent HUD_only_back.material = MakeMaterial("",{0,0,0,0}) The F15E doesn't have the same path for BAKE folder. D:\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\aircraft\F-15E\Cockpit\Bake\MFDG by default it is all 255 mfdg_base.material = MakeMaterial(nil,{255,255,255,255}) I tried tried mfdg_base.material = MakeMaterial(nil,{255,0,0,0}) mfdg_base.material = MakeMaterial(nil,{0,0,0,255}) and various combinations in between. I tried making background of MFD in Helios black. https://imgur.com/0yNyocS Nothing worked. All I can do is to increase brightness and contrast of the transparent MFDs to make them more visible. If anyone knows how to make these MFDs with opaque background in the F15E like the ones in the hornet please let me know.

So Thanos would be the thing that determines compatibility with DCS?

D-box is crazy $$$. SFX100 is cheap but from all the YouTube videos looks like a ton of work, people 3D printing parts and doing machining etc very complicated process. DOF Realty is also cheap, but it’s balanced from the chair below and the vendor says don’t mount cockpit over it, just a chair! Else there’d be weight balance issue. Plus unfriendly staff. I’d want a motion solution with 4 actuators. They look strong and can let me put my home built cockpit on it. Recently I heard of PT Actuator still $6-12k. Then e-racing lab is at $2-3k. Both are from China. Some forums and Reddit people say PT much quieter and better built than eracing lab. But it’s still pricey. Has anyone tried eracing lab for DCS? I don’t know how good is their product and if it’d even work for playing DCS.

thanks Agrasyuk. What will you be using to drive this 16 segment display? The Tacan needs a 14-16 segment to display the X/Y. The UHF seems to work fine with the normal 7 segment display or am I missing something?

I figured how to use the MAX7219 to make the VHF, UHF and ILS work on the A10C. But the Tacan has the X/Y that needs a 14 segment display which the MAX7219 does not seem to be able to handle. What do you guys use to drive the 14 segment? Do they come in 0.36 or 0.4" size? The common 0.56" is too big for my taste. And please share the sketch as well for the type of driver board you use. Thanks.

Thanks guys.

For those of you who 3D print panels, is there a brand that you have tried that is a good translucent white that can work as top or light panel before being painted black? Most PLA filaments are transparent clear or opaque white. I have not really seen any translucent white which is best for spreading out light evenly. There are translucent PLAs for other colors but just not for white.

thanks for being so quick to answer. I don't see any vendor out there on amazon, ebay or aliexpress selling removable max7219 tube other than 8 digits. can't find 4 or 2 digit removable type. those less than 8 digit use other types of chip, same with color. it sucks to have to search high and low to get the right number of digits and color.

So you guys are saying get the max 7219 tube for its PCB sake. Then change the LEDs on top? Never thought of separating them. Good idea. I see some type have removable pins thus no need to desolder, resolder. But to replace them with the right color 7 segments its asking to choose common cathode or anode. I suppose the max7219 tube would state which type it uses.

How do you open up the 7 segment to change the LED? it looks sealed.

thanks for the explanations. my displays are too big. can't fit into the panels. i'm going to try the smaller 0.56" ones and max7219 but these seem to be mostly red, sometimes blue. all the green ones i can find on ebay and aliexpress are the TM1637 type. hmm.

No1sonuk, Thanks very much for sharing the code for ILS. It works. like you said, it shows 4 digits only. There is no space on the panel for 2x4 digits displays anyway. I think the way to show 5 digits is those tedious 5x1 displays. I tested your IAS again. It still does not work for the A10C or A10C II. maybe it due to my dcs bios version? I'm using 0.7.41. I used manual install, not using the hub version, which stops working for all switches after 5 minutes every time. But it works on the P-51, and even on the F-18, though the digital display is about 10 knots lower than the hornet's speed on the HUD. So these adafruit GFX and LEDbackpack libraries are the correct ones for my 7 seg display. Do you mind sharing the code for the VHF, UHF, Tacan too? I know how to get all digital inputs working. And basic LED output too. But these 7 segment display have all kinds of string, char, float conversions from the examples i've seen for tacan and vhf. For the mega, the wire the SDA and SCL to pins 20 and 21. I don't specify pin numbers like those using the max7219. So for each mega it can only handle 4 digits? Like for VHF AM or FM we need 2x4 digits we will need 2 megas? or they can be daisy chained? wait, there is no space on the panel for 2x4 digits. Do you guys get those 6 digits display instead? I see besides HT16K33, there is max7219 and TM1637 type of 7 segments. Looks like I not not only bought a less popular type, I bought them too big. My displays are 0.75" tall. I see there are 0.36" and 0.56" ones. Which type and what size do you guys recommend for the VHF, UHF, TACAN etc? I know TACAN will need to be a 14 segment display.

NO1sonuk, I tried all the examples in example library. The 4 digit 7 segment display lit up each time. But when I used your code nothing happens. Maybe because there is no expected digital IAS, only for servo IAS? I saw something has example for alphanumeric HT16K33, 14 segment for the A10 Tacan. I also have one of these. Again I tried the examples and it lit up, showing that i wired it correctly. But again when I ran it in the sim it did not light up at all. I know this HT16K33 is not as common as the max7219, but I’ve heard of the adafruit brand before and my impression is that it is not that uncommon. Is there no one else using this 7 segment display for the A10 to help? I studied the keywords in the library and tried editing and compiling the code many times. Yet to figure out enough to make it work. I didn’t expect it to this difficult.

Yes Vinc I now realized it’s different than the max 7219, but this is adafruit which should be quite common too. On the mega it’s pin 20 and 21. if I were to use the max7219, can you provide some example of the code in the A10C? Whether for the radios or tacan or ILS etc?

I recently bought a bunch of HT16K33 7 segment displays. Four digits each. It has 4 pins-VCC, ground, and D and C. I googled for examples of how to use them in dcs bios. Some used sevenseg.h, some HT16K33.h, some adafruit display etc. I installed the libraries and code but couldn't compile. I followed the example of sevenseg and my display lit up but couldn't figure the dcs bios code. Please someone provide example for 7 segment code for tacan, ILS, or VHF/UHF etc? I got all input code for the A10 working but output is totally new to me.

thanks guys!

I haven’t bought the kneeboard extension yet. So this is built on top of the standard kneeboard utility? I want to add my custom pages. Do I need a custom tab for custom pages?

Max, sorry I missed the part about showing the current module. It did not show and I was wondering why. When it started working it still did not show initially. Then yesterday it started to show the module that I was flying. If I ever have issues again, I’d turn on debugging logs first. Thanks again.

I tried using the dcs bios hub browser method. It consistently stops working after 5-7 minutes. Then I tried using the old method. Version 0.7.1 has multi port com. The latest ones don’t. So i installed the latest ones but copied the multi port com file to run several arduinos. That worked till I tried to disable one toggle and Reupload and it errored out. Now running single or multi com port gives the dreaded socat permission denied error. So I’m back to using the hub and it’s still timing out after a while. Is there a way to not let it stop working?