UltraMFCD - drag, resize and click display exports. Zero configuration.

[98abaile]

Unfortunately there is no way I can show you this bug as DCS only takes a screen shot of my primary monitor.

 

My (2) monitors are set up with the primary in the centre and the second to the left of it (which is why this program is of so much use to me given DCS' limitations with exported screens). When in game with both MFCDs powered down, if I try to display the flight control positions (RCtrl+Enter), the diagram seems to try and display in the left exported MFCD (although only the top is visible in the bottom left of the display.

 

Also, when doing the training missions, the yellow button/switch cues are leaving ghost artefacts over the exported displays.

 

Both these problems only occur when the MFCDs (and CDU) are powered down and not displaying anything, the control inputs cannot be seen at all when they are powered up.

[Sgt_Baker]

Unfortunately there is no way I can show you this bug as DCS only takes a screen shot of my primary monitor.

 

My (2) monitors are set up with the primary in the centre and the second to the left of it (which is why this program is of so much use to me given DCS' limitations with exported screens). When in game with both MFCDs powered down, if I try to display the flight control positions (RCtrl+Enter), the diagram seems to try and display in the left exported MFCD (although only the top is visible in the bottom left of the display.

 

Also, when doing the training missions, the yellow button/switch cues are leaving ghost artefacts over the exported displays.

 

Both these problems only occur when the MFCDs (and CDU) are powered down and not displaying anything, the control inputs cannot be seen at all when they are powered up.

 

Thanks for the report. I thought I'd managed to separate out all the UI stuff, but hadn't thought to check these. Will add some more detection code and patch along with the fix for the displays not dragging properly (which I believe only happens on Win7).

 

:)

 

B

[Rivvern]

The instruments disappear and i only see this. Cant click or drag anything. Am i doing something wrong here?

 

[98abaile]

Another possible bug found. I just connected my second monitor's touch screen capability (the infra-red bezel kind if that matters). Now when I try to click the MFCD's buttons with my finger, it registers as a double click. Through testing, it seems that holding my finger there highlights the button, but as soon as I take my finger away it double clicks

When using the CDU however, the regular grey buttons only register a single click (I didn't try the on screen buttons).

[Sgt_Baker]

The instruments disappear and i only see this. Cant click or drag anything. Am i doing something wrong here?

 

 

That's certainly an error with the program, Rivvern. Are there any problems reported in the System Messages section of the uMFCD UI? (Click the cog icon on the first UltraMFCD window, above "Waiting for DCS...")

 

Other than that, are you running any mods which affect DCS's graphics in any way?

[Sgt_Baker]

Another possible bug found. I just connected my second monitor's touch screen capability (the infra-red bezel kind if that matters). Now when I try to click the MFCD's buttons with my finger, it registers as a double click. Through testing, it seems that holding my finger there highlights the button, but as soon as I take my finger away it double clicks

When using the CDU however, the regular grey buttons only register a single click (I didn't try the on screen buttons).

 

Again, thanks for pointing this out. I don't have any touchscreen equipment handy at the moment, so had assumed that a touch is a click. I'm familiar with the touch =screen aspects of the systems I'm using, so it should be a simple matter of explicitly specifying a touch to be equivalent to a single click. 5 min job.

[Rivvern]

That's certainly an error with the program, Rivvern. Are there any problems reported in the System Messages section of the uMFCD UI? (Click the cog icon on the first UltraMFCD window, above "Waiting for DCS...")

 

Other than that, are you running any mods which affect DCS's graphics in any way?

 

It says its UltraMFCD is connected to DCS. For half a second i see the instruments before they disappear. I have used the mods Helios and Easy Monitor Configurator. Im also using some other mods like MoreVisibility.

 

But after removing all my mods, doing a DCS repair and also removing my SAVED GAMES/DCS folder. I still get the same result. Ill see if i can make a video for you.

[Postal2]

Hi , can i use this soft for F15c ??

 

 

thanks! .

[icemaker]

Rivvern Check that you're not in full screen

[Rivvern]

I might have found the problem. I think its either FRAPS or Shadowplay thats causing it.

[Sgt_Baker]

I might have found the problem. I think its either FRAPS or Shadowplay thats causing it.

 

That is extremely likely, as they use very similar techniques to get video out of DCS.

[Rivvern]

Confirmed that its FRAPS. Now working as intended.

[Sgt_Baker]

Confirmed that its FRAPS. Now working as intended.

 

Roget that.

[Rivvern]

I see that the radar for the MiG-21 is almost working. Its on my main screen but i cannot move it like the A-10C MFCDs. Is there something wrong or maybe you havent add that instrument yet?

[Sgt_Baker]

I see that the radar for the MiG-21 is almost working. Its on my main screen but i cannot move it like the A-10C MFCDs. Is there something wrong or maybe you havent add that instrument yet?

 

This beta, given that it's purpose is to verify the operation of the core technology, only officially supports the A-10C at present. Once we're 100% certain that it runs properly on unmodded copies of DCS, I'll add the remainder of the A-10's displays, followed by those of the KA-50. Once that's done, I'll start looking at other aircraft. It'll take some patience, I'm afraid. :)

 

Edit: We've already tested with the KA-50 internally, so its merely a matter of creating new button positions for the ABRIS.

[Sgt_Baker]

Hi folks,

 

Update 8 is live at the usual URL.

 

This update addresses one bug and introduces a new feature:

 

1) Some users reported that MFCDs would stop updating altogether while they attempted to drag them around their screens, only to "jump" to their final position once the mouse button was released. This bug is now history.

 

2) The CDU's Direct Type functionality is now included in public releases. You'll notice that the CDU now has a new icon in the top-left of the display. Clicking said icon will put the CDU in to Direct Type mode where all keyboard input will register as button clicks within the CDU.

 

The keyboard maps directly, except those keys which follow:

 

Escape will shut down Direct Type.

Delete (not Backspace, which does what backspace should) maps to the CLR button.

 

Additionally, any action that causes the CDU to be hidden when that option is selected from UltraMFCD's setting will also disable Direct Type.

 

Regards,

 

Baker

[thinkr]

Great work SgtBaker!

 

Alot of people are looking forward to your mod!

mean while we wait for the updates for other modules any chance on Icemaker fixing the Easy Monitor Configurator

since it works for more modules while this mod is still in beta.

 

Alot of people are looking since it is still a very useful tool with other modules.

Your configurator probably won't be broken when EDGE engine (fingers crossed) comes out...

 

Could we at least have an official fix for 1.2.8 compatibility plz?

 

Many people are still appreciate your wonderful work!

Edited January 12, 2015 by thinkr

[Sgt_Baker]

Great work SgtBaker!

 

Alot of people are looking forward to your mod!

mean while we wait for the updates for other modules any chance on Icemaker fixing the Easy Monitor Configurator

since it works for more modules while this mod is still in beta.

 

Alot of people are looking since it is still a very useful tool with other modules.

Your configurator probably won't be broken when EDGE engine (fingers crossed) comes out...

 

Could we at least have an official fix for 1.2.8 compatibility plz?

 

Many people are still appreciate your wonderful work!

 

Thanks for the positive feedback, Thinkr. The additional modules aren't going to take very long to implement once I'm happy with the state of the core technology, since the ability to implement a new module quickly is a feature of ultraMFCD's design.

 

As for EMC, I can't speak on Icemaker's behalf regarding where he intends to take it in the future. Icemaker has, however, been extremely supportive of uMFCD and has helped iron out some bugs that simply don't show up on any of my systems.

 

EDGE? Well.... we'll just have to wait Two Weeks™ to see. :)

[Sgt_Baker]

For those of you that noticed that the CDU would hop and jerk around a bit while being dragged, that minor aliment is patched in the next release.

[98abaile]

OK, I just took it out for another test flight, the drag issue with the displays has been solved (although you obviously know about the new CDU issue), the double click issue on my touch screen has also been solved.

 

The previously mentioned problem with the control positions display is still there (I didn't try a training mission, so I don't know if there is any difference in the tutorial markers). TV mavs are still displaying in colour.

[Sgt_Baker]

The previously mentioned problem with the control positions display is still there (I didn't try a training mission, so I don't know if there is any difference in the tutorial markers). TV mavs are still displaying in colour.

 

Yup, those are still unresolved bugs, and thus should still be present. Given that they concern uMFCD code that runs inside DCS, I tend to approach them with much more caution than stuff on the front-end, since making any mistake will instacrash the sim. :)

[Iku_CC]

I've been testing this new version and seems that those pointed problems has solved. I also tested to run with FPS switch to set 1/5...it will raise FPS but also it makes view to show as slide show...it seems to cut showed FPS to 1/5...but DCS world own fps view tools shows that fps is higher.

 

I know that kneeboard and uMFCD's use same port to show things so is it posible to add key to shut down / start again uMFCD on the fly so we can view kneeboard in middle of that?

 

Btw...I tested to use MFCD windows as big as I can (resolution 1200x1200) on my left and right monitor and that was where this tool shine...even with my bad eyes I can see maps and MFCD TV pictures well..no need to guess what is showed on MFCD's..:)

[98abaile]

Another couple of bugs.

 

The first one might be touchscreen related again. The same thing happened to me last night, OSB6 on the right MFD becomes stuck, this time while I was in TGP (I'm can't remember what it was last time), it was the button for the LSS or LSI (I can't remember exactly, I'm still learning). I don't have malfunctions on in the options.

 

Basically I was doing a practice flight and firing off some mavericks, and I'd decided to give LGBs a go to see if I could figure it out before reading the manual. Needless to say I couldn't get them to track the laser so I started pressing buttons (on the exported MFCDs, not the actual cockpit) to see what they do and that's when OSB6 stuck. In the cockpit visually it looked as though a number of buttons on both MFCDs where pressed in, but going around and clicking them all (this time in the cockpit) didn't solve the problem (although it did unstick the animations). The purple box that appears on the MFCD when you press a button was stuck on the screen 9pictured) but would momentarily disappear if you pressed or held the button (both in game and on exported displays). Powering the MFCDs and the CICU off and on again didn't clear the problem.

 

I will be testing this one again tomorrow with the aim of reproducing it.

 

 

This image now brings me onto the next bug. When trying to clear the previous fault, I started the task manager and killed ultraMFCD, a while later both MFCDs and the CDU display popped up on my primary screen similar to above (the above image was taken after I'd turned off both displays so I could see and later turned one back to take a screenshot), annoyingly while I was nearing final approach. I assume this is because your software changes DCS' display settings to display 4 outputs and with the software not running to tell them where to go, DCS just renders them on the primary monitor; but I just thought I'd mention it.

[Sgt_Baker]

Specifically OSB6 on the right MFCD? That's odd, since uMFCD doesn't really differentiate between left and right that much. I'll look in to this to see whether I can reproduce. The in-cockpit buttons remaining depressed is a visually annoying yet "just the way DCS works" thing that's been there for a long time. It doesn't actually mean the button is being held down, otherwise we'd experience the stuck key error every time we touched the darn thing. I would like to prevent that from happening for the sakes of visual appeal alone.

 

Next thing: "I killed it with task manager and weird stuff happened" isn't a bug. Lots of things go crazy when you poke them like that. You'll notice that it's impossible to close UltraMFCD while it's running, and this is because there's a lot of set up and tear down that needs to take place in order to make it work the way it does. :)

[MykillMetal]

I'm not sure what's going on. But it crashes every time I start a mission. I'm trying to use it on the navigation tutorial (as I just started playing DCS a few days ago) and everytime I go to launch the tutorial it just crashes the mission and brings me back to the "lesson select" screen. Do i NEED to have the cockpit displays deactivated? Or can I use the extra screen and still have them running in the cockpit, too? Because that's what I want/am trying to do.

 

Edit - Yeah, it doesn't matter. Activated or not, nav tutorial or landing tutorial, it doesn't matter. It just crashes the mission. Can't use this at all...

Edited January 15, 2015 by MykillMetal