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What DCS really lacks for VR Pilots is an update to the out-dated knee board. A real make-over! DCS needs a virtual EFB on our virtual lap. Like we do in the real world - we have an iPad on our lap. (EFB=Electronic Flight Bag). On that EFB we can run whatever apps we want. Here are some examples: Be it an aerial maps app (one that lets us slew the map around, zoom in and out, display or remove data layers such as different coordinate systems [MGRS,LAT/LONG], waypoints, terrain, Satellite imagery, terrain data, obstacles data, points of interest, Navids, routes, SAM and threat rings, weather data (dangerous thunderstorms, severe turbulence, winds aloft, etc..), and even mark something on the map freehand with an apple pen our finger, and much more. To that app you can add sensors like GPS, thus turning it into a moving map app, and even ADS-B data that turns it into a portable TCAS and updates the weather in real time. Be it a mission computer app or a portable data link app Be it a documents managing app that let us view PDF’s with our checklists, lists, aircraft manuals, mission data such as intel, objectives, coordinates, frequency lists, airport and approach charts, you name it. Be it Weight and Balance apps that would help us decide how to load the aircraft with payloads. I would suggest it to allow us to run real world apps on the virtual tablet (sort of like a virtual machine), for example ForeFlite, and be open to the public to write apps to this virtual tablet.. this could open up a market of apps for the virtual EFB, and lead to devs from the community write amazing apps for it. This EFB can also be linked to a real world iPad that would run a DCS EFB app on it that will allow us to freehand on the real life iPad with a real apple pen, and see it appear on the virtual tablet on our virtual lap in-game. Although the pilots in the 70’s didn’t have tablets and EFB’s in the cockpits, and it’s not realistic, they did have real hands and real maps and real pens and real knee boards that they could use to get all of this data that VR pilots just cannot access once the VR “helmets” goes on and limits our world to the DCS eco system. A virtual EFB could compensate all that and help us immerse into that virtual world. And of course one could limit the use of some of the EFB’s features through the mission editor, so WWII pilots won’t be able to cheat with a moving map or a portable data link app…. I also see an opportunity for Eagle Dynamics to make more income out of this - selling apps for the virtual EFB (a virtual App Store?), collaboration with real world vendors such as ForeFlite subscriptions, Navigraph subscription, and much more, even selling the real iPad app that would interface our real iPad/Tablet to the virtual EFB.. VR is the future of simming and It’s time for a makeover of that knee board. The sooner ED improves the immersion in VR - the better. The sky is the limit!

Hello friends! I wanted to share this project I have been working on. DCS WEB BIOS This project consists of a Web and Socket Servers to provide a Web Interface to communicate with the fantastic DCS World Combat Simulator via the DCS-BIOS package (the DCSFlightpanels fork). Update 2022-06-30 Added: AH-64D Keyboard unit for both Pilot and CPG AH-64D MPDs unit for both Pilot and CPG FC3 F-15 and SU-25 Modes (beta requiring an extra UDP listener installed in DCS, look for instructions in the thread) Update 2022-06-23 Current screens: F-14A and B Displays & Auto Pilot F-16c ICP (with DED) F-16c MFDs F/A-18c UFC (with display feedback) F/A-18c Left and Right DDIs F/A-18c AMPCD Motivation I don't have all the gadgets to have the MFDs or control panels as physical buttons, but I have access to some touch screens (RPi3 with official 7" screen, an iPad, etc.) which I can use to control DCS and avoid having weird interactions with the H.O.T.A.S while reaching for the mouse. I have uploaded a couple of videos showing the system in action: The project is an open source project which can be downloaded and discussed in the Github repo at: https://github.com/RafaPolit/dcs-web-bios Hope there is some interest in the project, looking forward to your suggestions and comments. Best regards, Rafa.

Nextcockpit I've created an app that allows you to send MFD keystrokes from a browser running on a touch device, such as a tablet. It works by sending key presses to DCS, and does not require any scripts to be running, so it will work anywhere! It's also built using old web technologies, so it should work on pretty old devices also. It works only one way, from application to DCS and it does not read any DCS data. It requires both host machine (running DCS) and the client (touch device) to be connected to the same network (WiFi, LAN, etc...). Help page is included in the web-app. It requires keyboard bindings to be set, which you can either set manually yourself or load the uploaded LUA fille in both DCS and the application. It's currently in beta, so feel free to leave feedback. Latest version: 0.0.3 Download: https://app.toper-web.com/nextcockpit/nextcockpit-0.0.3_setup.exe Changelog: 0.0.3 - fixed LeftWin keybind issue nextcockpit-jf-17.diff.lua