Whateves

I'm having a problem, where when I have VR hand controls enabled, the F-14 is not taking any input from the vJoy axes. I double-checked the axis bindings. Disabling the VR hand controls resolves the problem with the F-14, at a loss of the VR hand controllers, and any ability to re-enable the controllers while in a multiplayer server. I'm not having this problem with any of the ED or other 3rd party modules. Any ideas?

Yeah, the major problem for me, is losing the laser pointer. Also, I should put this front and center: when you duplicate the control movements of real machines, you can likewise reproduce their injuries. For example, conventional rotary-wing controls can be an ergonomic nightmare – the dreaded “helo hunch,” as it’s called. There is a balance to the pursuit of realism in simulations. I do like the idea of additional customization/accommodation around the laser pointer, if practicable – turn it on, turn it off, something in-between or contextual, etc. One thing I've learned about control design, in general, is that people can be remarkably adaptive and flexible. For me, the visual reference “laser” from the controller, is far more important than any vector offset of a virtual finger. That’s more like catching a ball, and switching from a mitt to a bare hand. Whenever I try to come up with a control scheme, I know I make compromises. I start with my own ergonomics, and then fit in the adaptations for a long list of fixed-wing and rotary-wing craft. It would be difficult to come up with a universal cockpit, which could accommodate the entire DCS World module portfolio, with hand clearance to all controls of every cockpit. Some of that touchy-glove technology does seem interesting. Literally reaching out and flipping switches – that is fun! I’ll probably go get some of that stuff to have fun and play around with. However, I would not recommend that folks hold out their arms in free space for very long, operating virtual switches and holding virtual throttles/flight-sticks. That is a recipe for blown rotator cuffs. There’s also a serious problem in there with counter-conditioning to control loading, which is contra-realistic compared to any basic spring-centered control. Tonight’s Existential Question: Should the future of aviation be about conditioning pilots to adapt to many different aircraft, versus adapting the aircraft to a common interface, which could be controlled by many different pilots?

The web site lists it as €1249.00, which is about $2054 AUD. Did I mention that you can control it with python scripts sending it network packets? With an M36x2.0 fitting, and a cleverly designed linkage, it could probably be setup to operate a washing machine, or build up energy in a flywheel system, and mill grain. :D

Heh, and as for just being a joystick... It doesn't take long to browse through here, and see all of the neat things folks invest their time and resources in, like custom building cockpit controls to exacting detail, or recording hundreds of hours of tutorial videos to teach the community. This sort of control system is conceptually similar to the "active intercept" controls from the X-35 JSF program, which is out commercially as the "active sidestick" in jets like the Gulfstream 500/600. And conceptually, looking to the longer term future of civil and military aviation, the separation between remote piloting and software simulation is more just an issue of transporting CANbus data over some sort of wireless network. Sure, what the heck, let's call it a joystick. :)

Yes, it works. And it does depend on the module -- the F-14 is pretty neat with the CLS-E stick, with the shake effect and such. The F/A-18 doesn't seem to have any significant FFB effects, but the physical trim and hydraulic-feel work fine from the CLS2Sim profile.