InfinityWingman

You might want to try Helios. It does all of that for you and a lot more. https://github.com/HeliosVirtualCockpit/Helios/releases

Not ideal, but you could define polygon zones in the editor around trees in the ME. https://flightcontrol-master.github.io/MOOSE_DOCS/Documentation/Functional.Detection.html

You might expect a manual for $1000 euro, but I'm surprised that anyone would want to actually read a joystick manual unless it's about how to do mechanical adjustments. Winwing and Thrustmaster joysticks are "dumb" input devices in the same way. They simply send on/off button or axis values to a standard joystick interface. You need to do what everyone else does which is to use software like Gremlin, Helios, DCS-BIOS, FreePIE or DCS-BIOS to do any sort of control logic. In my experience, Target software is total garbage. It took me 10 years, but I have perfected my control inputs which includes several devices, including MIDI surfaces in my "pit" Python scripting with FreePIE and vJoy is optimal to me and I've tried everything. It works with any sort of control input. All of my planes are scripted how I like and I never have to mess with Target or anything. Just jump in and fly.

There is a technique where you can "overscale" the video resolution of the monitor that displays the DCS VR to 4K and then do a screen capture. This can be done in the NVidia CP in adjust size and position. This has worked better for me fps-wise over using VR mirrors, etc. You only capture one eye, which can make things look shifted, but for me it's smoother than other methods.

Update for anyone having the same problem. It appears to be a hardware/driver issue with the intel LAN interface on my Mobo. I switched from Ethernet to USB wifi and that resolved all these issues. The ASUS Z390-A motherboard has an intel i219-V Lan interface. For some reason, DCS triggers some sort of hardware failure, but I don't think DCS is to blame. intel is known to have LAN hardware bugs with no workaround, but nothing specific on the i219-v I could find. I ordered a USB 3.0 Ethernet adapter and will call it a day if that works. PITA

It -seems- like DCS is somehow locking up my PC Ethernet interface. It happens every time I play MP. I've been struggling with this for days and hope someone might have some ideas for this. - Everything works great in Multiplayer for maybe 10 minutes. - Suddenly, my PC loses internet entirely (browser, discord, etc) - I'm completely desynced from the DCS server, but I can still play. DCS never crashes or anything. - Internet does not recover until I exit DCS or reset network card. I don't have similar problems with anything else I have tried re-installing LAN drivers, older versions, etc. I haven't played MP in awhile, so I can't pinpoint something I changed, but I had upgraded to an ASUS Z390-A Nothing in DCS logs at all. Game doesn't crash. I ordered a WIFI adapter to isolate my network card/switch, but any ideas of what else to look for would be great. I'd like to be connected with Ethernet

This may not answer your question exactly, but I run a 1080ti with 3 monitors, VR and a Mimo USB touchscreen monitor. I use that with Helios. You could run 2 USB monitors no problem.

Do you have multiplayer chat turned on? That should report who or what killed you.

WOW! This is incredible work! I would pay $400 for that if it had an MFD display and OLEDs. I think we can make one. Your sim pit is amazing and is similar to what I'm working towards. I'll get some photos uploaded sometime. Thank you also for releasing the STLs for all of those switches. That is a ton of work. I also really appreciate the design here. The layouts look extremely good and compact and versatile for different planes. I have an electronics design background, so I can make circuit boards and all firmware with mounted switches, rotaries, OLED, whatever. We could possibly work together to adapt your control design with such circuit boards. We could also add the OLED capabilities to your design maybe and maybe MFD touchscreen displays. I'd send you the finished circuit boards ready to go if you want. I really need someone to help that is good with the layout design. You are great at that. It's very possible to do this and is exactly what I want to do with my next DCS project.

Ah yes. Thanks for the info on Simhub. You are right. That is what I'm thinking of. Simhub projects are all car racing, but I can see how you could do a DCS input controller. I guess that's I'm trying to do. Simhub for DCS. I still like what you are doing with the OLEDs. It might be useful to use OLEDs on a "Simhub" panel. I use arduinos where I can, but I have a ton of Atmel chips on rolls of tape. I'd spin my own boards and use ATMEL studio to write and burn the code. I'd probably do i2c control between different circuit boards with switches, OLEDs, dials, etc. I can do non BGA STM MCUs also. (Not too good at BGA yet!) Let me know how your OLED project goes!

Les - This is a good example of what I'm thinking: https://imgur.com/gallery/dkaXGAj#fGHVICn We would basically create our own Cougar MFD overlay (with more switches, etc) that would go over a monitor display. Is this basically what you're thinking too? Of course, we can create the overlay to be whatever we want including the MFD switches and other game specific layouts.

Great. I can work with Solidworks. I used to use Autodesk Fusion, but the free subscription ran out. For the electronics, I used to use Altium, but I'm working with KiCAD recently. I like it. I can sketch up a rough block diagram for the electronics that we could talk about. Let me know what you come up with. I'd really like to do something with this. Matt

Very interesting Les. I have one of these momo USB monitors that I found on Ebay for $40 https://www.mimomonitors.com/products/mimo-vue-hd-display-um-1080c-usb-capacitive-touch I use it with HELIOS. The touch screen is ok, but it's not as good as real physical buttons. I have an idea of doing a switch panel "overlay" that would be attached to the MOMO screen. It would be a circuit board with switches and rotaries in a 3D printed or resin mold overlay with a USB interface for the switches to the PC. The overlay would have "cutouts" in the panel that would show DCS aircraft displays like the MCDs or RWR displays. It would probably use HELIOS to drive the displays and buttons, but it wouldn't have to use that. It would basically be a helios display with physical buttons overlayed on the monitor. I suppose it could be used for any game. I could make a different overlay for each aircraft or game or have a general overlay that works with multiple aircraft. Any thoughts on that? You've sort of inspired me with this idea. I have a home electronics lab and can manufacture low volume runs. I have 3D printers and can do resin molds too. Matt

Les, That is a very impressive display. Are these touch sensitive or push buttons? Electronics look interesting. Almost like a home spun board back there?

Are you using trim controls? Warbirds need to be trimmed often, especially when you take off and change RPM or lose weight (fuel,weapons). You need to balance the torque of the engine.

There's always a nut behind the wheel.

Everything works really well for me. Sometimes there are problems, but not what you describe. What are you describing?

Les, This is very interesting. I've had rough similar ideas as this, but haven't gotten as far. I ended up going with a small USB touchscreen and HELIOS to basically do what you are proposing, but I still like this idea. It would be great if you put your code on Github. This is my VRBox project: https://github.com/msdlogic/VR_Toggle_Box One of the things I did that you might incorporate would be the DCSBIOS capability along with joystick emulation. It was pretty simple. It's a lot of work to set up DCSBIOS, but it really gives you the best control over everything in the plane. It automatically switches the layout based on the aircraft you are flying. There are things you can do with DCSBIOS that you can't do with the standard input controls. For large sim pits.. DCSBIOS is the way as far as I know. Or Helios maybe. I like VRBox because I fly a lot in VR and for me, I can locate the controls blind pretty well. I have some idea for refinement. It's about being able to find the controls blind. Your project is interesting to me because I also fly in TrackIR and play other games that could use your sort of interface. DCSBIOS also has a capability to send indicator messages to hardware, so that you might be able to light up controls and things on your input device. It's a 2 way communication versus a joystick emulation. For example, if you could add standard bar indicators or warning lights, you could get information to display from the aircraft on the sort of multi-use display you are describing. Matt

You might try some of the tips at https://vr4dcs.com/ It's geared towards VR, but most of the performance tweaks apply to both. I switch between VR and TrackIR triple monitor. I have a similar setup, but with a 1080ti and get good 40fps average in VR and 90+ on 3 screen with most DCS settings maxed out (no SSAA and I use MSAAx2). I can get getter fps if I turn down some things. It's about finding the sweet spot. It's a lot of small improvements that add up to give you 10-20 more smooth fps or more. For me, I push it to the edge. I'm ok with a little stutter now and then in complex scenes, but you may think otherwise.

You should be able to get something reasonable with settings and optimization. See this guide here: https://vr4dcs.com/

The AV8R seems like it should work fine. I believe it has a twist rudder, which you'll need if you want to taxi and takeoff. Obviously, you don't need as many buttons as the F16. You might try it out with the free P51-D in the Caucasus map before you buy more warbirds. There are a good number of WW2 assets included for free, but the asset pack is really a great add on (flak guns!) and you can use them on all maps. You can get the Normandy + WW2 Asset Bundle and save some money. Wait for it to go on sale. I personally prefer the Normandy map because I'm most interested in the history there at the moment. However, the scenery in channel map is better and there are several historical places to build missions around. Combined arms is also fun if you like driving the tanks and such, but I don't spend a lot of time doing that.

Once you're in VR, press Ralt-R to recenter You can remap that to a controller button in Options->UI Layer->Recenter VR Headset

I go back and forth. For me, TrackIR is best for learning and mission building. It has better graphics/performance and is the best way to record video. It helps to have a good TrackIR setup. Triple screens with a touch screen running Helios interactive cockpits. Almost as good as VR and being able to see your controls is an advantage, especially for learning. However, I'm always blown away going into VR. It's just incredible. Matt

I've had limited success with this idea using OVR toolkit to overlay a webcam that is focused on my physical controls. I've also tried mounting the webcam to my VR goggles so that it tracks with my head movements. I gave up on it mainly because it requires running SteamVR and I have the Oculus Rift. In my case, there's a bad performance hit in VR by having to run SteamVR. It was by no means perfect, but it did work. In VR, you can move the webcam window to the lower part of your field of view and so it did help to orientate to physical controls. You can also play youtube vides or anything else in VR as an overlay while you are flying, but not all that useful to me. Hope that helps. It's been awhile, so maybe there are better alternatives to OVR toolkit. Maybe I'll look at it again.

Thanks Taz! Great mod. I flew my Spitfire low through a WW2 tank battlefield in VR. With the canopy and pilot door open. I swear I could taste the oil in the smoke. Scared the hell out of me.