TouchPal - Touchscreen Cockpit

I was inspired by DickDastardly's profile for Touch Buddy, to go out and get a touch screen monitor. Unfortunately for my free time I was not satisfied since none of the indicators on the touch screen kept in sync with those in the virtual cockpit. Touch Buddy didn't seem to allow for the simulation to update button states, so I set about writing my own. I have finally got to a point where I think it's ready for other people to try it out.

I am open sourcing the code and I have created a google code site and will be updating documentation on how to create your own profiles and the network protocol that TouchPal uses to communicate with the simulation.

I've created a profile based on DickDastardly's TouchBuddy graphics, but made it fully synced with the virtual cockpit. The only item I could not extract from blackshark was the PVI-800 LED read out. Otherwise as soon as the simulation connects TouchPal will set all switches it displays to the values of the mission, and will reflect changes based on both clicking on the touch screen or using in game controls.

Step 1 - Download TouchPal

TouchPal-0.4.zip

Extract it to where every you want it. This is the application itself and the xsd which describes the configuration files.

Step 2 - Download Blackshark Profile

TouchPal-Blackshark-2-0.zip

Create a folder called TouchPal inside your My Documents folder and extract this file into that directory. You should end up with a TouchPal directory containing a blackshark directory, touchpal.xml and Export.lua.

Step 3 - Backup & Copy Export

Backup your existing Export.lua located in the Config/Export directory underneath the install folder for Blackshark. Once you have backed it up copy the the Export.lua file contained in the TouchPal directory created by Step 2 into the Config/Export directory.

Step 4 - Customize Layout

Open touchpal.xml in the TouchPal directory created by Step 2 in your favorite text editor. Locate the Layout section. The X, Y, Width and Height values here represent where you want the touchpal window to open. X and Y should be set to the top left of your touchscreen monitor.

   <Layout>
       <X>1920</X>
       <Y>0</Y>
       <Width>1024</Width>
       <Height>768</Height>

Limitations

This is a first release of TouchPal so there are a few limitations. I hope to resolve all of them over time. Feel free to have a look at the code and send me any patches to fix them.

1. TouchPal will not scale graphics. The profile I have uploaded is 1024x768.
   
2. TouchPal does not have any UI to select between multiple profiles.
   
3. TouchPal does not have any client/server capability, it is designed to run on the same machines as the game.
   

Step 5 - Setup Multi-monitor

Follow the directions in this excellent post to setup the ABRIS and shkval at the appropriate locations.

Important!

This setup REQUIRES patch 1.0.1. The Export.lua which gets data from the simulation uses functions that where not available until the patch.

Mr Dastardly let me know if you have an issue with my using your graphics and I'll take it down.

I have uploaded a new version of TouchPal which fixes the bug where key presses where not processed on 64 bit versions of windows.

do you have any screen shots of this working?

Would this work in FALCON AND OTHER SIMS?

A screen shot will look very much like DickDastardly's touch buddy profile (http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=38379&highlight=nirvana). The difference is this version displays all the lamp status lights and station indicators just like in the virtual cockpit. I have removed the yellow load out bar as the station indicators and ammo count displays work just like on the weapons panel in game. I'll try and shot a video sometime in the next couple days of this in action.

It will work with any application that can send/receive data via TCP. I'll document the configuration files over the next few nights. All of the buttons and commands/keys they send are configured through an XML file. Much like TouchBuddy you could create a set of panels for any game if you are so inclined.

I will be updating the profile here over the next few weeks. Mr Dastardly was kind enough to share some of his original photoshop files so I can create all the button states needed. I intend to do profiles for with and with out shkval and potentially add the laser warning system as well.

Thanks Gadroc,

This is a fantastic application.

-HuggyBear

sounds very promising, will try it for sure.

real time light/button states, awesome.:thumbup:

New version posted! Thanks to DickDastardly's help as he supplied some new graphics and designed the screen layout.

Enhancements:

1. Added LWS, Warning Lights and EKRAN
   
2. Added toggle between SHK and above added panels
   
3. Enhanced the CMS so it forces sync on client connect
   
4. UDP Networking. Now you can start and stop TouchPal after Black Shark and it will sync back up.
   
5. Fixed some dodgy buttons I did with DickDastardly's work.
   
6. Every button on the profile now depresses and lights up when appropriate
   

TouchPal-04.zip

TouchPal-Blackshark-2.0.zip - Fixed Link!

Impressive

Wow

There's a lot of work gone into this project and the results are truly impressive, I'm a avid Touch-buddy user and I believe that this application could evolve to do all that touch buddy does and more. The addition of network commands which relate to sim values makes this feel part of the sim not an addition.

Do you intend this to be developed for other sims, such as Falcon, FSX, etc or perhaps you plan for other parties to do this.

As the project stands at the moment it makes a brilliant add on for Blackshark :thumbup:

Well done chap!

'Rep

Thank you to the original creator of the TB profile Mr Dastardly, and to Gadrock for the hard work on TouchPal. Nice job to you both!

Out

Thank you to the original creator of the TB profile Mr Dastardly, and to Gadrock for the hard work on TouchPal. Nice job to you both!

 

Out

Yeah, what he said! :thumbup:

this work on LOMAC?

this work on LOMAC?

It's possible. Would require a new profile and an Export.lua rewritten to use the LOMAC export functions. I don't have LOMAC myself.

anyone tried on LOMAC before?

This.

Is.

F***ing.

Great! :-) ;-)

This is what I'm looking for!

(I couldn't setup correctly with DickDastardly's version)

So, thank you DickDastardly and Gadroc!

But I have just a little problem...

The ABRIS and the Shkval is missing, in these places on touchpal appears a big purple colour. :-S

What's wrong?

Thanks in advance!

(DCS 1.0.1, XPSP3)

Edit> sometimes not the big purple colour but nothing (the windows desktop) appears.

Hi, dnnzed. This has to be set up in DCS:BS multi-monitor mode the same as DickDastardly's TB profile. I'm pretty sure you have to set the multi-monitor Lua files up to display the ABRIS and Schkval screens in the cutout portions (where you can see the desktop or another background).

The big advantage with Gadroc's version is that it reads the Lua exports from BS and keeps the indicators in synch (and it's a big advantage :thumbup:).

Ahhhaaa, I seeee...

So I have to set it up as a multimonitor setup too, I have to calculate the proper/correct positions of the ABRIS/Shkval to match with the TB's window display, right?

Hmmm. I tried it. I can't able to make it to work... :-S

If I start DCS with TouchPal with a 2 monitor display setup in DCS where I configure the ABRIS and Shkval's display positions to match to TP's windows, doesn't work. DCS is "over" the whole display, I just see the DCS background on my secondary screen (and not the TP panel). If I Alt+Tab to TP, the whole secondary monitor will start flashing...

Gadroc, may I ask you to make a detailed installation procedure, that contains any DCS related changes and/or setup files?

Thanks.

Hey Dnnzed,

There really isn't more to it than what you've done. If you setup the Multimonitor and run with out TouchPal do the screens show up roughly where you want them?

The pink color should not be visible those should be transparent areas where you can see through to the desktop. In addition TouchPal should force it's way to the top most application. That way you see the black shark screens from behind the touchpal application.

The one thing I would say is I have not tested this on XP.

Hello Gadroc, thanks for replying!

Hey Dnnzed,

 

There really isn't more to it than what you've done. If you setup the Multimonitor and run with out TouchPal do the screens show up roughly where you want them?

 

The pink color should not be visible those should be transparent areas where you can see through to the desktop. In addition TouchPal should force it's way to the top most application. That way you see the black shark screens from behind the touchpal application.

 

The one thing I would say is I have not tested this on XP.

Yes, I have a "standard" 2 monitor setup what I have configured for my two 1280x1024 monitor, when I choose this setup it works properly (on the secondary monitor there are ABRIS and Shkval that I positioned), no problems at all.

So, I made from this multimonitor setup lua file another one for your TP, where I point the abris/shkval to TP's own positions.

And yes, both of the two displays appears the right position.

Edit:

now I'm in the state that TP is working, DCS running fine (with the secondary monitor displays) but TP's abris/shkval area is black/pink. Buttons are working.

Baahh, I give up. I'm afraid it is an XP related bug... :-S

But I figured out something. The abris/shkval doesn't need to to match onto TP's layout.

What I have only need is TP's clickable layout (and I will place on my sec. monitor beside the shkval/abris display!).

Gadroc, may I ask you to create a modified panel that doesn't contains the ABRIS rectangle? And "slew" the other panels to the left. Like this:

Thank you in advance!

One more things to ask/try. Are your running in window or full screen mode. If you are using fullscreen mode then try running in windowed mode.

Yeah, I have tried both.

First I tried with Fullscreen On; caused nothing worked; the only thing what I can is press "Esc" and quit... :cry:

The above working setup is done with Disabled Fullscreen option.

Uh I am planning on jumping into setup soon if my x52 can keep working. I think its developed the swine flu. I am running xp sp3 also. Will report. I hope to get to it maybe sunday.

@dnnzed

I do have one other thing to try. I'll PM you tonight with a test executable.