rocketeer

Is the UFC not in clickabledata.lua? If so you can do what you taught me above. I have not paid much attention to the switches and button in the front console yet. I am eager to try your info on my left and right console. So many switches! Does anyone know how much switches are there on the A10C? Seems like more than the F-16.

the TM Warthog is so expensive, but no point of me building an A10C pit and then use the X52, which by the way is giving me big problems. When I plug in the X52 the mouse pointer starts to run down the screen! The later once I activate a profile the mouse button on the throttle keeps sending out the keyboard command for the down position. sometimes when i hold it up for a while it stops. I googled and it says it's not software bug but hardware problem, so now patch is going to fix it. Now isn't that a very valid reason for a change?

Kuky you are amazing. If you are girl I'd kiss you! :D No you don't write too much. I'm grateful for your detailed explanation. Ever since I was told that the only way to control switches that don't have keyboard commands assigned (which is a lot of them!) is to use LUA, I've been trying to piece together the mystery of LUA without much luck. I've asked several people for help. they have given me links here and there, but mostly related to SOIC, but since I haven't bought the OC cards yet I can't try that approach. Now with this newfound info I'd give my BU0836 and another old input card a try, just to see if I can control any of the switches. I've made prototype panels and switches for many of the left and right consoles. I was waiting for something like this to let me control those toggles, buttons, pots, encoders etc. Like you I really hate using the keyboard, or mouse clicks. This is awesome! Thank you sir!

Thank you so much Kuky for your example. A few clarification, the joy buttons you have in the file. How do I tell DCS which device is that for? I read for OC, SOIC will show the device number. What if I am using the BU0836 or some other USB plug in cards? How will I be able to tell the device number for other cards? Then after that do I just add the device number to device.lua? Even then how does DCS know that these joy buttons added for the left and right MFCDs are for this new device, and not my X52 which also have joy buttons etc?

Kuky, can you provide a simple example of a function that is currently not available as a keyboard command and show us how/what is added to the keyboard.lua? I suppose we don't have to identify devices and we just make up some new keyboard combination for that function?

when you want to build a cockpit bed, with your hotas and rudder at the foot of the bed and switches on both sides, with a seat that can recline 180 degree flat to sleep.

You should offer discount for those buying plans for all panel. I can't imagine if one would just buy the plans for a few panels, then figure out the rest himself?

It depends on the price and how comprehensive the products are. For the plans is it just the dimension of the pit frame front and sides, or it include details like the dimension and drawing of each panel that we can print? For the 'manufactured' panels do you mean just the acrylic pieces with holes for the switches, or it includes the aluminium back plates, engraved lettering? without the price and the details of the product we can't tell.

for knobs it's almost impossible to get every one that looks like the real thing. Those that happen to be the same as the F-16's are still possible. A few of them I borrowed, made molds, then returned to the lender. Others I simply improvised, esp. volume knobs etc. from Radio Shack or Fry's. You have to decide when it's close enough when the ones that you find. Learning how to make molds to replicate is a great skill, saves you money and have fun at the same time. Also, sometimes you can combine a knob and a flat disk for the round base, or simply shape something from an acrylic block or wood, it depends on your creativity level and skills with tools. Part of the process is to have fun. But if these are too tedious and not fun to you, then it's better to buy them off the shelve if you can find them. Take a look at this fuel panel lever knob for example. I don't think it can be bought anywhere, so I shaped it from an acrylic block.

Does anyone know if using xpadder can control the switches (that are currently not assigned key commands) without LUA and if so how?

I looked at the key commands list. Most switches on the panels are not key assigned. I only found them in the clickabledata.lua file. The keys assigned so far are view, hotas, systems etc. Very few of the switches on the right and left consoles have been assigned. If they are, I'd know what to do as I have used I/O cards before and SVMapper. Right now I dont know what key commands are assigned for these switches, so I can't do the key press recording. Maybe I'm not getting what you are saying. Please elaborate.

I have to keep leaning forward in order to read the whole hud. Leaning back cut offs some data on the HUD. If I center my Track IR to be close so that I don't have to keep leaning, then everything looks to close up to me, like zoomed in. I want a wider view but yet able to read the HUD. Trying to adjust the seat for a better view of the HUD, I could only adjust the seat one way (down) with left mouse click on the seat adjust toggle. Doing the same click and trying to move the toggle in the opposite position doesn't move the seat up. When I use the right mouse click instead, it opens the canopy! seems like a bug.

ok, in clickabledata.lua I found this -- Fuel System Control Panel elements["PTR-FSCP-EXT-TANKS-WING"] = {class = {class_type.TUMB,class_type.TUMB}, hint = "Extenal Tanks Wing" , device = devices.FUEL_SYSTEM, action = {device_commands.Button_1 ,device_commands.Button_1}, arg = {106,106}, arg_value = {1,-1}, arg_lim = {{0,1},{0,1}}} This is the left side fuel system top left most toggle. say I want to control this via a physical switch. how do I use the lua stuff above to interface with say BU0836 or SOIC?

Thanks guys for your input. So if USB devices are too complicated, say I use other solutions like OC or whatever with ethernet connection that produces the keyboard emulation, my questions is still where do I begin for lua? There are several lua files in the DCS installation folder. How do I know which ones to work on? And given the functions of many panel switches are not assigned to key commands, where do I find the list of these functions/code and what do I do with it? The best way for us lua newbies to start is to have someone to show us a very simple example, say any of the toggles in the top left Fuel System control panel. They are not assigned key commands. If I have an I/O card and if I know the assigned key command by DCS then I'd just assign it to the toggle. But there are no key commands in this case for these toggles. So how do I find the functions or codes for this panel, these toggles? Then after I find them how do I make the lua talk to my I/O card to control the function of the toggle? I think this example doesn't get simpler than that. Once I know how to do this one simple example I can figure it out for other panels, other switch type like push buttons, pots, encoders etc. I just need one simple example! I'm sure other newbies would appreciate this too.

I searched the forums about lua. so far mostly random questions about it. Can someone show me where to start? find the lua file in the A10C folders and then edit it? If I have a very simple I/O card right now, eg. the BU0836, not OC/SOIC stuff, where do I begin to control simple things like toggles in fuel system control panel?

Besides the need of a proven solution, another issue would be support. For OC there are many 'veterans' would can lend support in the forums. For your proposed solution you'd have to show how/why it's superior to OC to convince people, and also provide support, which can be overwhelming as people can have all kinds of hardware/software related issues. I think providing support is a bigger challenge than proving it as a viable solution. I've heard of Arduino but you lost me when you talked about the other stuff. Also you'd need lots of documentation to educate users how to set it up, else they won't know how to begin. Tons and tons of examples for all kinds of switches and input/output setup would help.

Thanks for your input. I guess that's how the BS builders like Oakes, Bad CrC and Gillesdrone etc. did the interfacing. I know most people use OC, so they talk about SOIC, but I haven't given much thought about lua. I kept thinking lua is for very customized thing that the pit builder is trying to do. Now it seems like a broad necessity to use lua for many of the functions that are not provided as key commands. So much to read, the A10C manual, SOIC, lua etc. Now I need to search this forum for examples of how lua was implemented in BS.

Are you saying it'd be something FSUIPC where there's a list of code internally assigned to each switch function, so we send those codes when a switch is flicked and it'd be like onscreen mouse click? Is this list of code already in lua or you make it up yourself? Sorry I don't know much about lua script.

Is the key map complete? I don't think so. I know this is only Beta. There's a lot of generic stuff, please some keys for the HOTAS. But how are we going to control the hundreds of switches on the panels? Are more keyboard commands going to be assigned to these switches? Or are they going to be controlled only through the mouse? if only the latter then there is no point building our cockpits if the switches are not going to be controlled through keyboard commands. Not sure if it's even possible to find enough combinations to assign key commands to all the switches in the A10-C!

Falcon was good and detailed at its time, but its really dated now. DCS 10C is even more complex and better graphics. I haven't played Falcon since Lock On came out.

The OC mastercard has 72 inputs at 55 EUR. The BU0836X has 32 inputs at 45 GBP/51 EUR. doesn't that make the OC much cheaper, almost twice as many inputs for about the same price. I suppose people use the BU board if they only need inputs without output and because it's easier to set up.

OK I did find their forum in the bottom right. It's also lots of spanish like OC.

Two questions to pit builders. 1. In Hispapanels.com the parts sold look similar to OC so I thought they are related. even the pictures of the components look like OC's! But then at the simcard section the motherboard and daughter boards look completely different than OC's selections. If the two sites are related, does it mean OC has come up with new sim cards? I know OC cards are widely used with good reputation. Just wondering if anyone has tried these new looking red simcards. If this site is not related to OC then they are on their own, with no forum to provide support? I read the manual of one of the card, looks good. The only problem I have with OC is that some of the manuals and forum posts are in spanish, with no english translations. and the card design look a bit dated with those DB connectors, but hugely popular. 2. How are you guys connecting the individual panels to your I/O solution? What kind of wires and connectors? DB25/15/9 combination with ribbon cables? cat5/6 cables? then extending these wires to the I/O's mastercard? Or bringing the mastercard(s) to the panels, ie. short connection to the panels, but long extension from mastercards to the USB card and PC? I know all combinations are possible. Just wondering what's popular or proven methods. I was toying with a series of RJ45 connectors compared to DB connectors. What do you guys suggest? Any pictures to help illustrate your work?

thanks guys for the quick reply. my question was generally for all panels, but more for the main panel. the side panels probably require less guess work than the main panel, as you can more or less tell the width required. we know the dimension of the thrustmaster f-16 MFD. if that is roughly the same as that of the A-10C, then I guess we can extrapolate from the main panel picture the width of the panel? and even the height etc.

Hey DM did you happen to know the actual dimension of the panel or it's just guess work? Looking very nice. Same question to y2kiah for his wonderful panels. I have no idea how big or small to make mine.