Help on Gaddoc's A10 Helios profile

[sobe]

I am in the process of attempting to use Gadroc's Helios for the A10C. My screens are both 1920x1080 with the touchscreen on the right.

After reading numerous posts, it appears that some of Gadroc's instructions are outdated and I have done the following:

 

First, I renamed the various lua files to be used in the master lua files as follows:

 

Eagle Dynamics A-10C =

----------------------

 

(MFCD_init.lua)

ED_A10C_LEFT_MFCD

ED_A10C_RIGHT_MFCD

 

(DIGIT_CLK_init.lua)

ED_A10C_CLOCK

 

(AN_ALR69V_init.lua)

ED_A10C_RWR

 

(CMSP_init.lua)

ED_A10C_CMSP

 

(CMSC_init.lua)

ED_A10C_CMSC

 

(repeater_init.lua)

ED_A10C_UHF_REPEATER

 

I then prepared the following master export file using the locations specified by Gaddoc in his master lua file. However, in preparing the coordinates, I am not sure for the various files if the x coordinate is 1920 plus a number or just the number in view of the fact that the new master lua file establishes the coordinates for the main monitor.

Here is my lua file taken from an example by PeterP:

 

_ = function(p) return p; end;

name = _('Export example');

Description = 'Export example';

Viewports =

-- Put your values in , and delete all exports that you don't want to use !

 

 

{

Center =

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = 1920;

height = 1080;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = 1.77777777778;

}

}

 

GUI=

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = 1920;

height = 1080;

}

 

UIMainView = GUI

 

--//////////////////////////////////////

-- Eagle Dynamics A-10C =

--//////////////////////////////////////

 

ED_A10C_LEFT_MFCD =

{

x = 65; [Note that I did not add 1920 plus 65 in this x coordinate or in any of the following x coordinates]

y = 62;

width = 375;

height = 375;

}

 

ED_A10C_RIGHT_MFCD =

{

x = 1485;

y = 62;

width = 375;

height = 375;

}

 

ED_A10C_CLOCK =

{

x = 520;

y = 830;

width = 110;

height = 110;

}

 

ED_A10C_RWR =

{

x = 505;

y = 102;

width = 280;

height = 280;

}

 

ED_A10C_CMSP =

{

x = 1126 + 21;

y = 50 + 686;

width = 309;

height = 309;

}

 

ED_A10C_CMSC =

{

x = 789;

y = 100;

width = 339;

height = 168;

}

 

ED_A10C_UHF_REPEATER =

{

x = 649 + 16;

y = 670 + 24;

width = 300;

height = 300;

}

 

Next, Gaddoc says to replace his init lua files for the lua script device files currently in the game (i.e., replace the above original init files with his files). However, with all the changes in DCS World, I don't think it is still necessary to do so. Rather, I have left all of the game init files for the above devices as is. Is that correct?

 

Finally, how does ECM fit into all this? Does ECM still work with 1.27?

 

PS. Ignore the monitor description in my tag below. It is outdated.

[mhe]

That should work nicely:

_ = function(p) return p; end;
name = _('Helios Touchscreen Side-By-Side');
Description = 'FullHD Main Screen + HELIOS Touchscreen Interface horizontal arrangement'
Viewports =
{
Center =
{
	x = 0;
	y = 0;
	width = 1920;
	height = 1080;
	viewDx = 0;
	viewDy = 0;
	aspect = 1.777778;
}
}

GUI =	{
		x = 0;
		y = 0;
		width = 1920;
		height = screen.height;
	}



RIGHT_MFCD =
{
	x = 3326;
	y = 120;
	width = 445;
	height = 445;
}


LEFT_MFCD =
{
	x = 1987;
	y = 120;
	width = 445;
	height = 445;
}



UHF_PRESET_CHANNEL =
{
	x = 2668;
	y = 477;
	width = 30;
	height = 30;
}

UHF_FREQUENCY_STATUS =
{
	x = 2555;
	y = 565;
	width = 120;
	height = 30;
}

UHF_REPEATER =
{
	x = 2576;
	y = 695;
	width = 110;
	height = 30;
}

DIGIT_CLOCK =
{
	x = 2400;
	y = 828;
	width = 122;
	height = 122;
}

CMSP_SCREEN =
{
x = 2995;
y = 190;
width = 270;
height = 70;
}

CMSC_SCREEN =
{
x = 2784;
y = 141;
width = 211;
height = 50;
}

RWR_SCREEN =
{
x = 2514;
y = 156;
width = 186;
height = 185;
}

UIMainView = GUI

 

Note that the Viewport names (e.g. "RWR_SCREEN") must match the target in the patched instrument exports. So you might have to rename the viewports either in this monitor config or in the respective instrument init lua. I have an extensive tutorial written in another forum, but unfortunately it is in German. :(

[sobe]

Help on Gadroc's A10 Helios profile

 

mhe

 

Thanks for your quick reply.

 

I had assumed that, based on PeterP's post, that the names of the devices had to be changed to the names that he suggested so that they matched their init file names. I guess you can name the gauges in the monitor file anything you want as long as their associated init file contains a cross reference to that name. More on this below.

 

I noticed that you generally added 1920 to my "x" coordinates. However, when I did that, my numbers didn't match your numbers for the x and your numbers for the y width and height are different then mine. They are close but not the same. Are you using Gadroc's profile also? On a 1920x1080 screen?

 

Now for the final question. Where does the cross reference of the name of the device in the monitor file go in the init file. I have uploaded two files dealing with the RWR init. The first init was found in the current version of the game buried in the Mods folder. The second file is the one that came with Gadroc's Helios profile. In another thread, I read that the gauge name in the monitor file should be referenced by the same name in the init file in the line "vp = env." so that the line, in the case of the RWR, would read "vp = env. RWR SCREEN". I couldn't find this line in the new game init file so I don't know what to do. Also, the two init files that I uploaded are not the same. The Gadroc file contains additional lines at the beginning that is not found in the game file. ?????

 

Your help on the above is greatly appreciated.

AN_ALR69V_init.lua

Gadroc AN_ALR69V_init.lua

[mhe]

Hi there,

 

The viewport names in the monitor config must match the names of the viewports the instrument init lua tries to send the output to. So for example, in your Gadroc-modified AN_ALR69V init lua, line 72 says

 

vp = env.RWR

 

So it is looking for a viewport named "RWR" in your monitor config. Renaming the files themselves does nothing as you will surely have found out. You don't have to touch the master.lua at all! It is the viewport name in the lua config and the viewport name in the monitor config that have to match. So in my file, you would have either have to rename "RWR_SCREEN" to "RWR" or change aforementioned line 72 to vp = env.RWR_SCREEN

 

The Gadroc file you uploaded contains extra code to export it to an extra viewport, so it is a lot longer. You have to rename it and replace the original instrument init lua with it. There are several instrument init luas you have to replace (while you're at it, you might want to look into the JSGME tutorial by Ebs, makes modding DCS a lot easier and less time consuming, especially when updating, because the auto-updater will break your tweaks to original game files every time an update is performed).

 

My file is actually not for the Gadroc profile but for Loz' 2.1 config (which looks a lot better and is in my opinion the best A-10C profile for Helios out there, find it here). The monitor config I posted you should work right out of the box with that profile on a 1920x1080 side-by-side screen config.

 

Sorry, I simply overlooked "Gadroc" in the profile name, mainly because for me Gadroc is the guy who made Helios, but I always used the Loz stuff.

 

The screen configs are similar but not the same. You can either use Loz' profile (which I highly recommend over any other A-10C profile out there) or you can tweak the settings above to match your config.

 

Please also check that your overall DCS resolution is set to 3840x1080, fullscreen is disabled and that the Windows Aero interface is left running while playing DCS. If you disable Aero, performance with Helios goes down the drain.

 

PeterP's tweaks with the aircraft name in the viewport is mainly there to make a difference between multiple aircraft, so one can switch between the Shark and the Hog without changing the monitor config in the options menu, so it is a nice comfort tweak. Files in different tutorials are not necessarily interchangeable, due to the flexibility of DCS there is usually more than one way to achieve something.

Edited March 11, 2014 by mhe

[sobe]

mhe

Thanks again for the quick but complete reply. I took your suggestion and spent most of the day configuring the touchscreen for the Loz profile. By nightfall, I finally got it all working (I think). I will have to test it more extensively, but with your very gracious help, I think I have done it. I don't think that I could have done it without your help.

 

Do you use Helios profiles for any other DCS game? If so, please let me know what they are. Right now I use Helios for BMS with a modified ICE profile.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[sobe]

Now some questions on the Radio

 

The following is from the readme from Loz:

If you use TM Warthog HOTAS with this profile you will notice that the Fuel Contents and Engine Instrument panel disappear when you select the Mic button UP,FWD, DWN or AFT. This is an intentional part of the profile as I use it, because you can get the Radio Messaging menu for VHF AM, UHF and VHF FM to appear in the black space when the Panels disappear. (By pressing Mic Up, the panel is then replaced.) This allows you, depending on your type of monitor, to either use the Mouse or the Touchscreen to make your Radio calls. It works very well but you have to change some of the /Eagle Dynamics/DCS A-10C/FUI/Resources/Radio .res files as per this guide. http://files.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/84648/

On my setup, I have fixed the position that it will appear on my monitor, made it clickable/touchable, and changed the font size to make it easier to read and operate and I have included my menu.res file

Some issues:

First the cite to the guide at DCS no longer works.

I would like to put the radio menu and make it clickable (by PeterP's mod) so that it appears in the black panel as described above and change the font as suggested by Loz. How to do this is the issue. I have found some comments on how to move the menu and have downloaded PeterP's clickable mod, but any help you can provide would be appreciated.

 

Second, I couldn't find the controls for the boarding ladder and the control for the UHF panel is labeled UHF panel cover. Is that the same?

The key bindings for these are already set in the profile, but you have to ensure that the sim knows of them too!

So.................. in the sim, in your Options/Controls make sure the following are set:

Boarding Ladder Raise/lower flap = LSHFb

Boarding Ladder press button = b

 

UHF Panel = RSHFp

[mhe]

Since 1.2.6 or so the clickable radio mod no longer works as simply as it did previously. There is a workaround by PeterP using a tool called AutoHotKey, but I didn't like that. So I settled with moving the radio text to the area on the touchscreen, but it is not clickable.

 

I have made a customized Loz profile which reveals a block with the F-keys next to the radio messages in the area that disappears when pushing a mic switch.. I don't longer know the details of how I modified the files themselves, I have packaged that modification as a JSGME mod and only enable/disable it nowadays. I have to look what is modified - I use a vertical screen arrangement, so my files won't be much use to you in that case.

 

UHF panel = UHF panel cover if I remember correctly. I am not at my flight sim rig today, so I can't look it up at the moment. Don't remember the ladder control name at the moment.

[sobe]

mhe

Do the 12 round engine, rpm etc gauges work in this profile? I started up the aircraft but they didn't move.

[mhe]

Yes, everything should move. You do have to have Helios installed in DCS (which you can do via the Profile Editor). The dials not moving tells me that you might have not installed Helios into DCS properly. It modifies the Export LUA in your home directory.

 

The only known bugs and shortcomings I can think of at the moment are:

 

ILS Power Button is inverted

UFC NVG Brightness control is inverted

Frequency dials for VHF and UHF don't show the proper numbers