VAICOM 2.0 for VoiceAttack

Workaround Found

Ever since the latest open beta update to 1.5.4.54855.129 VAICOM2 has stopped working :(.

 

When I speak a message to ATC which is understood, I can see in the VA app that it was understood, but instead of it being transmitted, it's doing <F2>.

 

I have NUM5 set to COMM menu and RCtrl-NUM5 to PTT. When I go to edit the P-51D Profile, specifically 'Process Management' -> '_Menu_Execute' I see this:

 

Press F12 key and hold for 0,05 seconds and release

Begin Boolean Compare : [Easy_Comms] Has Not Been Set

Press NumPad 5 key and hold for 0,05 seconds and release

End Condition

Begin Boolean Compare : [Easy_Comms] Equals True

Press NumPad 5 key and hold for 0,05 seconds and release

End Condition

Begin Boolean Compare : [Easy_Comms] Equals False

Press Right Ctrl+NumPad 5 keys and hold for 0,05 seconds and release

End Condition

Press F11 key and hold for 0,05 seconds and release

Press F11 key and hold for 0,05 seconds and release

 

BTW I've never actually edited the profile; only read it a few times. Somehow VAICOM2 seems to be reading the settings from somewhere and connecting the commands (COMM menu and PTT) back to the configured keys, which is fine by me.

I've found a workaround for this issue.

My last attempt to get this to work was to change

'Controls -> Communications -> COMM Communications menu' to <LCtrl><5> and

'Controls -> Communications -> COMM Push to talk' to <5>

where <5> is the key above <R><T>, and not on the number block, but this simply did not work.

Solution

I updated to VoiceAttack v1.5.12 (1), and set 'Apps Folder' to 'C:\Users\Orso\Documents\VoiceAttack Apps' to remove any possible issues with permissions of updating profiles within the 'C:\Program Files (x86)\VoiceAttack' folder structure.

I used WinMerge to check that the 'VAICOM v2.0 P-51D-Profile.vap' profile is unchanged by comparing with my originally downloaded P-51D profile.

While looking into the 'VAICOM v2.0 P-51D-Profile.vap' with the VoiceAttack profile editor, specifically 'Process Management' -> '_Menu_Execute', I noted that line 9 read 'Press Right Ctrl+5 and hold for 0.05 seconds and release' (2) and not Left Ctrl+5, which is what I had set in DCSW.

So I changed 'Controls -> Communications -> COMM Communications menu' to <RCtrl><5> and tried it out, and it works!!

Why VIACOM2 misreads what ever it is reading to get to the 'COMM Communications menu' setting, I have no idea, but that appears to be the situation.

(1) This may not be necessary, but it's a step I took.

(2) I am absolutely certain that VIACOM2 reads the control settings set for 'COMM Communications menu' and 'COMM Push to talk', otherwise they could not be reflected in '_Menu_Execute' without editing the profile.

F5E

Hi Hollywood... pardon for being a noob... will any of the profiles work with the F5E?

@paulu013 Sounds good

@Orso Thanks a lot for posting captain

@Vampire There is no dedicated F-5E profile at this time but you could try with using an existing one

Some people had ideas on this, see somewhat further down the thread https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=2875188&postcount=389

Cheers

New 1.5.5 version of DCS and Start Mission?

Hey,

I've just installed the new 1.5.5 version of DCS World and, coincidentally the new version of Voice Attack. I suspect this issue is more related to the new VA version, but i cannot be sure.

It isn't a major pain, but now, when I say "start mission" when the briefing appears at the front of the cockpit, in A-10C, i hear the two bleeps, but the briefing window does not disappear.

I have put a debug message in the Start Mission command in VAICOM, so i know that it is trying to "press" the Pause/Break key, but that doesn't appear to be getting through to DCS. DCS is working as it still recognises a press of the Pause/Break key on my keyboard.

Everything else appears to be working as it should, so it looks like Voice Attack now possibly has a setting somewhere that has changed the way that Pause/Break is treated.

I am probably missing something really stupid, but any help would be gratefully received.

EDIT: It does look like it is something that has changed in VA, as i have just tried this out on my DCS World version 2 install and that now shows the same behaviour as my 1.5.5, even though it was working fine before the VA update.

Just installed VA today and am still fiddling with "invalid radio", but that's another story...

Anyway...

While trying to understand how it works, I noticed that VAICOM_fetch_data.cmd tries to copy %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp\DCS\tempMission.miz to its internal TEMP-folder - but the file 'tempMission.miz' file doesn't exist. Even after switching between some missions, I see only new files in ... \AppData\Local\Temp\DCS\Mission\ but no joy for tempMission.miz.

Searched the whole disk - hoping ED has only changed the temporary path or name, but had no success.

Perhaps that's the reason for the problem, Greyman reported?

Try running VA in administrator mode, if you haven't tried that already. that sometimes gives it a nudge in the right direction.

I'm noticing the same thing Greyman reported, the pause key isn't being recognized by VA. Not sure, I don't read anything in the VA update that seems would effect that.

Rightstuff: that file definitely exists. Unless somehow your install changes that somehow. But it has nothing to do with the pause key issue.

Will take a deeper look into it tomorrow. Already tried VA in Admin-Mode, reset all comms-relevant key-kindings, etc. Still: "invalid radio". But commands are being recognized.

Looking at the commands in the VA profile, it appears that "invalid radio" appears when you do something like try to talk to ATC on something other than the VHF AM radio or to your wingman on anything other than UHF.

If you use the correct radio push-to-talk switch/key, that message should not be displayed.

VHF1 is VHF AM

VHF2 is VHF FM

UHF is UHF (figures;)

Edit: if in doubt, and i know how we men tend to avoid them, but the manual really is worth the read.

If you use the correct radio push-to-talk switch/key, that message should not be displayed.

 

VHF1 is VHF AM

VHF2 is VHF FM

UHF is UHF (figures;)

 

Edit: if in doubt, and i know how we men tend to avoid them, but the manual really is worth the read.

Well, as a new kid on the block (3 days; 3 posts), the "RTFM" sounds kinda rude.

There are better ways to win others as friends... :thumbup:

And yes, I know how to 'count' the radios.

Rightstuff: that file definitely exists. Unless somehow your install changes that somehow.

Yes, it exists - but later than from VAICOM expected. ;)

Quoting "VAICOM 2.0 User Manual.pdf", Page 14:

The profile initialize routine is done every time a VAICOM profile loads for the first time. However ideally this is done for every new mission, so that all settings are always cleared and up to date. This is made very easy to do: by using the Start Mission voice command every time you start a new mission in DCS.

So, when you're about to enter the cockpit, you just have to say "Start Mission". Right?

There's the problem: The temporary file tempMission.miz in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp\DCS\ will be created after pressing start.

After shutting down DCS tempMission.miz still exists. Even if you restart DCS. The tempMission.miz will be deleted (roughly - don't nail me for the correct timing), when you're in the selection screen for missions. At that point the old tempMission.miz is vanished. The new one from your actual mission will be created, when the mission is started (you see the Load Screen) and you're about to enter the cockpit.

So, I think here's a timing problem:

Maybe not a big deal as you can tell VAICOM "Menu Collect Data" when you're in cockpit, but that "collect data" will not work when you see the "Start" button and give the order "Start Mission". Activate logging in VA and you should see the error as well.

So IMO the startup routine of VAICOM deserves a check.

(Remark: File creation and deletion can be tracked with ProcessMonitor from Sysinternals)

Sorry @RightStuff if you took my post as being rude.

I was genuinely trying to help and having been through the process sometime ago, i thought that it might be of some use. You will notice that i used the word "we" and that wasn't accidental, as i had initially struggled with the VAICOM setup and reading the f***ng manual had been very helpful. As i don't know what joystick you have and what option you are using to activate PTT, i couldn't offer any more assistance, but would be happy to share my setup if you wish.

However, if you think that my lack of posts means that i cannot help then, of course, that is entirely up to you.

Again, sorry to have caused any offence.

Hi Greyman, no offense taken.

My joystick (Warthog) is IMO not relevant for this issue as switching between the radios can be done via keys as well.

Keystroke for PTT is SCRLCK and this key is not bound to any other command in DCS.

Just tried on RAMP using Intercom for "Power On" as I'm thinking that's the easiest way (even according to the 'FM' ;)) but still no joy... :(

I think the command output to DCS is 'blocked' in any way. But I have no idea how the communication between VA and DCS works. I haven't found so far a 'real' logfile which might help debugging this issue, any help on this might bring me a step further...

I've tried a fair few things, but i am becoming more convinced that it is a VA issue, that has crept in with their latest 1.6 release. OK, DCS has just released another 1.5 version, but my version 2 install has not been touched since i installed it and yet that has inherited exactly the same behaviour.

As VAICOM has not changed either, that would just leave VA and from the 1.6 release notes and the apparent lack of options to amend the way that the PAUSE/BREAK key is handled, i suspect that this is an "undocumented feature" that will need to be ironed out at some point.

It might be an unwanted consequence, of the changes that have been made to the PAUSE function, which can now take a delay value as well as supposedly acting as though the PAUSE key has been pressed. I have tried using the Quick Input 'BREAK' instead, but that doesn't work either.

Also, as there are two key press actions at the end of the "start mission" action in VAICOM, with both of them looking exactly the same, with a 0.05s push time, i had wondered if maybe the update had changed them from having the first one pushing the key and the second one releasing it, but changing that back didn't work either.

However, it's not a major issue, as i can always use the mouse to start the mission, without having to take the Rift off, but things like this grab my curiosity, more than anything else.

I might just need to get onto the VA forum and ask if anyone there has had a similar issue and hopefully make a somewhat better start. :)

Hey guys thanks for your inputs. I understand there may be an issue with VA update to 1.6 regarding the Start Mission function.

I haven't done testing yet myself but will investigate and see if I can reproduce.

Please share any additional findings you may have here.

As a general note the Start Mission uses a double pause/break command send.

During testing this has proven to give the most reliable results. Most missions automatically unpause on start.

Some missions need manual unpause, though I haven't traced the root cause of this yet.

The *.miz mission/setting data loads normally at Start Mission, but I will check if the changes in VA1.6 perhaps have had an influence there.

Any other stuff you may have encountered regarding latest VA update let me know.

Thanks

UPDATE: Issue confirmed. In VA 1.6 the Pause keysend functions seems to be broken so that there is no automatic unpause on Start Mission.

I will report the bug to VA and update when there's a fix. In the meantime as workaround you can use manual unpause with the mouse.

Still use the Start Mission voice command to load mission data and settings.

In previous VA version things worked correctly, if you want to revert to VA 1.5.8.12 look here http://voiceattack.com/smf/index.php?topic=293.0.

Thanks for that @Hollywood_315.

I had better change those two key commands, at the end of the Start Mission command, back to being 0.05s depressions, rather than the "down" and then "up" that i had changed them to.

BTW, VAICOM really does make the game more immersive, especially with a HMD mounted to the front of your face. I've now been able to reduce the need to take it off, to allow me to see the keyboard, to an absolute minimum.

VAICOM really does make the game more immersive, especially with a HMD mounted to the front of your face. I've now been able to reduce the need to take it off, to allow me to see the keyboard, to an absolute minimum.

Thanks Greyman yep that was kind of the idea :thumbup: Good to hear it works for you

I'll follow up if there's news to share on the VA Pause thing

Cheers

I can't seems to get it to work at all in 1.5x it works fine in 2.0 (which I use pretty much all the time). Any ideas? Cheers

I am guessing that you are using the same VA/VAICOM install, with the same profile, for both DCS 1.5 and 2.0, so the inconsistency must be at the DCS end.

what exactly is it doing that it shouldn't or not doing that it should?

Yes, same install. My switch input is working as it should as it comes up in the Vaicom/VA window. I assume the key commands (for instance Radio) in both 1.5x and 2.0 are the same. It just doesn't recognise anything in 1.5! In 2.0 it works as it should for the commands that I give.

check that you don't have VA always trying to send commands to DCS 2.0 as that would stop it sending your selected commands to DCS 1.5.

It should be set to send active commands to the active window i think.

Prolly a long shot, but it's worth checking.

Edit: also check that an override hasn't been set for "send commands to" in the profile settings.

Maybe try running VA in Administrator mode

Mojo did you double-check the / keybind in 1.5 config? Check the note if you're using UK keyboard layout. Grtz

the latest patch 2.0.4 contains a fix ....''Name of airfields in the radio menu corrected''. Does that mean what i hope it means?

Maybe, but I'd guess not. It's the order of the airfield names that is fixed by the mod in 1.5' to allow VAICOM to know what airfield it is selecting, by its position in the list. This fix appears to be more about making sure that the names are all included and spelled correctly.

Fingers crossed for a gameplay option to set the sort order by either distance or fixed-position though.