Project UFC FA18 DCS and RasberryPI

[ward8124]

Hi all,

 

I'm in the process of building an FA18 based cockpit and looking to create the UFC. As it stands I have two plans to implement this. Either I can use momentary on buttons couple with leobonar and possibly DCS-BIOS and go with an older generation look and thus more simpler or all go full retard and try and do the latest superhornet type which is touchscreen.

 

This is where you guys come in as there is some real talent out there much beyond my knowledge and skillsets and I'm old enough and ugly enough to know when I need to ask for help which is why I'm here.

 

I've got enough leo-bodnar boards and buttons to do plan A but I want to go full retard. As such I've bought myself a raspberry PI3 model B along with the OEM 7inch touchscreen.

 

I was daft enough to buy these before I really did my homework as I though that what I wanted to do was simple but I was spectacularly ignorant of the complexity involved.

 

I'd hoped that the PI3 would be able to act as a peripheral so that I can send simple keystrokes to a connected PC but this was a FAIL. I therefore was hoping that I could create a GUI with backend programming to generate keystroke commands and send to DCS-BIOS via a client but I've no idea if this possible or how to do it.

 

If I created a GUI and the macros to do keytroke combos as the first part of the puzzle, how would I then pass these to the PC and into DCS?

 

Can anyone make any constructive suggestions on how or where to start based on experience and knowledge?

 

Hope you can help!

 

Regards to all

 

Ward8124

-=Shrek=-69

[agrasyuk]

as i said in PM i would strongly advise for a DCS-BIOS based PI client device instead of programming PI to be a HID.

to get started here is Ian's github repo with python scripting example: https://github.com/jboecker/python-dcs-bios-example

if you want to process input from keyboard connected to the PI itself you will need to install "pygame" python library.

 

if you need additional HIDs instead of PI i would go arduino (the cheap mini) https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=117011

[RightStuff]

Why do you want to go the way via Pi (or Arduino)?

A native touchscreen with USB to PC and Helios would be less painful.

 

Example product:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/222312749455

[Thadiun Okona]

edit: wrong thread

[ward8124]

Why do you want to go the way via Pi (or Arduino)?

A native touchscreen with USB to PC and Helios would be less painful.

 

Example product:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/222312749455

 

I had bought a lilliput 7 inch touch screen with that very thought in mind as a backup plan. I wanted to create an app that would span other SIMs and fancied the challenge of DCS-BIOS but as I did more and more research and asked around it became apparent that what I had intended is not possible.

 

I'll be looking at helios as the primary source of output but I will also be looking at designing an app that opens as a window on the lilliput screen with generic buttons with macros behind them so i can change profiles quickly.

[MTFDarkEagle]

I had bought a lilliput 7 inch touch screen with that very thought in mind as a backup plan. I wanted to create an app that would span other SIMs and fancied the challenge of DCS-BIOS but as I did more and more research and asked around it became apparent that what I had intended is not possible.

 

I'll be looking at helios as the primary source of output but I will also be looking at designing an app that opens as a window on the lilliput screen with generic buttons with macros behind them so i can change profiles quickly.

You can do this with Helios. You can create a profile for every aircraft you fancy and have buttons displayed where you want, with key commands behind them as you desire.

When we're both on TS I'll explain :)