"Custom Tooltips" mod

- custom tooltips text

- custom tooltips size and lifetime

- tooltips size comparision

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Input shortcuts on Cockpit Tooltips v. 1.0 10 July 2010

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OVERVIEW

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1. Introduction

2. Package contents

3. Instalation / uninstalation

4. Script files info

5. Known/predicted issues and limitations

6. ToDo

7. Thanks to

8. Contact

1. INTRODUCTION

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NOTE 1:

This package was created to extend great mod "Tooltips with Keyboard Shortcuts" created by Miguez

(many thanks for the inspiration).

Thread about this mod can be found on ED Forums

( http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=615135#post615135 ).

NOTE 2:

Another usefull mode I have extend in this package is the "Cockpit Tool Tips (Hints) improved visibility" mod

created by Bucić (thanks for excelent start point)

( http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=890758#post890758 )

What it extends?

No key shortcuts are hardcoded into the scripts.

Shortcuts are taken from current user configuration before the mission load.

Tooltips format is widely configurable. (even too widely, perhaps)

Tooltips size and lifetime is configurable from within gameplay menu.

What are the benefits?

Shortcuts are always compatible with your configuration, even if the configuration has changed.

Background of my work is really simple. I have noticed that when we change some key bindings

we have to change originally modifed (see Note 1) clickabledata.lua script manually.

As a result we have two places where our bindings are stored. I was digging up tons of LUA scripts

to find a way to link cockpit tooltips with the input commands programatically.

Finally, oryginal game hints have been extended by the key sequence currently bound to each input

option, so there is no need to modify clickabledata.lua file in case of key binding changes.

2. PACKAGE CONTENTS

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This package consist of:

BlackShark\modules\me_options.lua - widget bindings/load/save

BlackShark\modules\me_options_form.lua - labels initialization

BlackShark\modules\dialogs\me_options_gameplay.dlg - new widgets to configure tooltips

Config\tooltips.cfg - Tooltips configuration file

FUI\Resourcesbs\DHint.res - hints lifetime and delaytime and size

Scripts\Aircrafts\Ka-50\Cockpit\clickabledata.lua - entry point for hint_map.lua script

Scripts\Aircrafts\Ka-50\Cockpit\hint_map.lua - searches for input mappings

3. INSTALLATION / UNINSTALLATION

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Before instalation make sure that you back up all your oryginal/modified files listed above.

Installation/unistallation using ModMan 7.3.0 or later is adviced. Mod is compatible with

DSC: Black Shark v.1.0.2

In case of any conflicts with any existing mods or serverside files, please inform me by email.

(My email address is at the bottom of this file)

4. SCRIPT FILES INFO

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First of all. It seems that files can be unreadable to the game when edited with unsupported encoding.

All files provided in this package are encodd with UTF-8.

hint_map.lua

This file has three purposes:

A. Read all user input configuration and store it in local table for further use.

B. Create mapping between cockpit switches and input options available to the player.

C. Replace old LOCALIZE function implementation with the new one.

A.

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package.path = package.path .. ';./blackshark/modules/?.lua'

local NewInput = require('NewInput')

dofile('scripts/input/layout.lua')

dofile('scripts/input/aircrafts.lua')

local oldGetDeviceType = getDeviceType

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These lines initiate oryginal tools which provide support for input configuration files.

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local function addDeviceCommandCombos(commands)

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This function adds all key shortcuts for specific command to local variable inputShortcutsMap.

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local cfg_path = 'Config/Input/Aircrafts/'

local aircraftName = 'ka-50'

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Some named strings.

local devices = NewInput.getDevices()

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Gets all devices currently detected by the game.

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for i, device in pairs(devices) do

local path = getLayoutPath(aircraftName, device)

local layout = Layout()

layout:open(path)

addDeviceCommandCombos(layout.keyCommands)

addDeviceCommandCombos(layout.axisCommands)

end

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Function "getLayoutPath" finds configuration file path for input device in hierarchical manner

('\Config\Input\Aircrafts\ka-50\keyboard\keyboard.lua' or

'\Config\Input\Aircrafts\ka-50\keyboard\default.lua')

For details see 'scripts/input/aircrafts.lua' file. Next the Layout wrapper object is created

based on configuration file. Then keyCommands and axisCommands are added to map.

B.

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hintInputMap = {}

-- CPT MECH

hintInputMap["Gear lever"] = {"Gear lever"}

(...)

-- ZMS_3 (Magnetic Variation Entry Panel)

hintInputMap["Magnetic variation selection rotaty"] = {["Left"]="Magnetic variation knob left", ["Right"]="Magnetic variation knob right"}

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In this part mapping is created for each hint. For example, "Gear lever" has only one function

which is titled exactly the same "Gear lever" in options menu. But "Magnetic variation

selection rotaty" has two functions: "Magnetic variation knob left" and "Magnetic variation

knob right", thus first function shortcut will be displayed on the tooltip as

"Left = ( RShift + RCtrl + M )" and the second one as

"Right = ( RShift + RAlt + M )". Finally, the whole tooltip will looks like this:

"Magnetic variation selection rotaty Left ( RShift + RCtrl + M ) Right ( RShift + RAlt + M )"

C.

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local function getInputShortcuts(input, key)

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This function builds shortcut string for specified input option (ie. "Magnetic variation knob

left") and key (ie. "Left"). If the control has only one function, key will be equal 1 and won't

be added to shortcut string.

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local OLD_LOCALIZE_REALIZATION = LOCALIZE

function LOCALIZE(hintText)

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Input mapping search. Replacing of the LOCALIZE function in order to change tooltip string

(proposed by Alex O'kean on ED Forums http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=615249&postcount=7 )

5. KNOWN/PREDICTED ISSUES AND LIMITATIONS

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- I have found no explicit linkage of cockpit controls with the key codes placed in input configuration.

All mappings are done manually.

- It would be nice to have shortcuts placed below the switch tooltips in a multiline manner. (this is imposible at this time due to tooltip size calculations - no "\r" nor "\r\n" extends its height)

- Several tooltips are really long.

- Mod has been tested only with English version of DCS: Black Shark. It should work in Russan version as well (old LOCALIZE function is still in use), but it should be checked.

- New gameplay Menu options are always English. I have found no way to localize them.

- This is my first LUA script so there should exist a simpler way to get the same effect with more reliable approach.

- Only the "Real mode" shortcuts are supported. They are also displayed in Arcade mode. (I don't know how to get the name of the current aircraft in lua script)

6. TODO

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- Add support for 'arcade' mode

- Multiplayer may be affected. Dont know how the server may react on such modifications.

7. THANKS TO

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Thanks to Bucić for his DHint.res file attached to this package

8. Contact

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In case of any issues, corrections or bugs feel free to contact me using email provided in readme.txt file.

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Hopefully this mod will save your time and help to master the cockpit of the Black Shark.

Happy flying,

Hubert 'Baal' Bukowski