Helios 1.4 - Taking to the Skys Once Again

[derammo]

Any chance the helios authors could add support for this?

 

https://www.siminnovations.com/hardware/product/57-knobster

 

It's a rotary dial for touch interfaces. I use it in Xplane and it really helps make touch interfaces much easier to use. I use a 24" touch panel below my main monitors for helios in DCS and AirManager in Xplane and love the way it works.

 

I took a look. It seems like it is tied to their Air Manager software. This software seems like Helios for civilian sims. Since the knob itself would probably not be worth much $$, this makes sense and I doubt they would have an open interface. I found none.

 

However, we should totally borrow/steal the interaction style! I love it. We could do something like "touch any rotary control and then you have a few seconds to grab a rotary input controller and start noodling." For the actual hardware device, we could use something that comes up as a game controller initially, because we have that code. The Phidgets interface is about to be de-rusted and should be possible to use also, maybe? Otherwise, we would have to support something people can buy directly like a FlightPanels box. Right now we support turning knobs with a mouse wheel, but you have to mouse click first, which is nonsense on a touch screen. So supporting this "press on rotary and then turn physical knob" is genius.

 

Cheers.

[MAXsenna]

Damn! That'd be awesome! It looks just like a wired remote I had for a Sony car stereo once!

 

Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk

[j9murphy]

I took a look. It seems like it is tied to their Air Manager software. This software seems like Helios for civilian sims. Since the knob itself would probably not be worth much $$, this makes sense and I doubt they would have an open interface. I found none.

 

However, we should totally borrow/steal the interaction style! I love it. We could do something like "touch any rotary control and then you have a few seconds to grab a rotary input controller and start noodling." For the actual hardware device, we could use something that comes up as a game controller initially, because we have that code. The Phidgets interface is about to be de-rusted and should be possible to use also, maybe? Otherwise, we would have to support something people can buy directly like a FlightPanels box. Right now we support turning knobs with a mouse wheel, but you have to mouse click first, which is nonsense on a touch screen. So supporting this "press on rotary and then turn physical knob" is genius.

 

Cheers.

 

Assume you saw the video demonstration... works very well. I've exchanged emails with the creator before, If you like I can ask him if he has or would be willing to provide an api that could be used with helios.

[derammo]

Assume you saw the video demonstration... works very well. I've exchanged emails with the creator before, If you like I can ask him if he has or would be willing to provide an api that could be used with helios.

 

Absolutely please do ask if there is an API somewhere or if it speaks any standard protocol. Specifically, we don't want to interoperate with the software, we just want to support the hardware device as a "controller." Maybe it already is a game controller anyway :)

[j9murphy]

Absolutely please do ask if there is an API somewhere or if it speaks any standard protocol. Specifically, we don't want to interoperate with the software, we just want to support the hardware device as a "controller." Maybe it already is a game controller anyway :)

 

I sent him an email will let you know when I get a reply. It's an Arduino Nano device if that helps at all. It's connected this way...

 

 

Rotary encoder pin - Arduino Nano pin

Inner encoder A - D4

Inner encoder B - D5

Outer encoder A - D3

Outer encoder B - D2

Push button - D6

[BluFinBima]

@j9murphy, probably better to use an arduino pro micro or other board with an atmega32u4. Plenty examples of using this as a standard game controller and you'd be able to use x and y axis for the knob travel and I even found this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYMYF_zXgu4. I agree with derammo that the interaction style would be nice to have in Helios.

[derammo]

@j9murphy, probably better to use an arduino pro micro or other board with an atmega32u4. Plenty examples of using this as a standard game controller and you'd be able to use x and y axis for the knob travel and I even found this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYMYF_zXgu4. I agree with derammo that the interaction style would be nice to have in Helios.

 

yeah that's real nice. If we could only find a retail wrapped one like that, for those folks who don't want to tinker and want a nice enclosure

[BluFinBima]

It has been a little time since we released a version of Helios for Windows 32 bit, however with 1.4.2020.0530 you have the opportunity once again to run Helios on lower function machines. There is also the usual 64 bit version. For this release, most of the functionality is actually focused on Falcon BMS but there are also some bug fixes.

The team also wanted to make a single download site for distributions of Helios, and that sire is Github where Helios is developed. This means that the file while is downloaded from the DCS "user files" site is simply a link to the actual file on Github.

Finally, for those who are running a modern release of Helios which contains new release checking, you might see a pop-up offering you the ability to download the latest version directly. Some browsers will throw up a warning about the file, and it is obviously your choice as to whether you proceed, however if the file is downloaded from our Github releases, then I believe this should be the genuine article, and there are checksums on the site for you to validate an unaltered zip file.

[PSYKOnz]

It has been a little time since we released a version of Helios for Windows 32 bit, however with 1.4.2020.0530 you have the opportunity once again to run Helios on lower function machines. There is also the usual 64 bit version. For this release, most of the functionality is actually focused on Falcon BMS but there are also some bug fixes.

The team also wanted to make a single download site for distributions of Helios, and that sire is Github where Helios is developed. This means that the file while is downloaded from the DCS "user files" site is simply a link to the actual file on Github.

Finally, for those who are running a modern release of Helios which contains new release checking, you might see a pop-up offering you the ability to download the latest version directly. Some browsers will throw up a warning about the file, and it is obviously your choice as to whether you proceed, however if the file is downloaded from our Github releases, then I believe this should be the genuine article, and there are checksums on the site for you to validate an unaltered zip file.

 

Hi there, I've been trying to install the new version and it keeps stopping and not instaling saying that a newer version is already installed, however, the installed version is not the new one I just downloaded through the auto downloader thing

[BluFinBima]

Hi PSYKOnz, until we revise the release numbering system again, you will have to manually remove the previous Helios via "Add or Remove Programs" before installing the new one.

[JCae2798]

Just wanted to come here and say thank you so much for the time you put into this software. Gamechanger.

 

 

For those struggling with custom profiles there are linked tuts in the wiki, i learned a lot from this guy:

 

 

Thanks again for this and sharing it with us all!

[BluFinBima]

JCae2798, your public appreciation is appreciated. Cheers

[JCae2798]

Hello all. Since i've expanded my screens my kneeboards are now positioned on the extended display behind helios. Anyone know a quick fix for this? i thought there was an option to easily move the positions of kneeboards but have not been able to come across it now if this is the case...

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

EDIT:

After further searching i was able to find some solutions... Struggled at first. Here's one i came across: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/1984009/

Edited July 5, 2020 by JCae2798

[derammo]

Hello all. Since i've expanded my screens my kneeboards are now positioned on the extended display behind helios. Anyone know a quick fix for this? i thought there was an option to easily move the positions of kneeboards but have not been able to come across it now if this is the case...

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

EDIT:

After further searching i was able to find some solutions... Struggled at first. Here's one i came across: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/1984009/

 

search a little more also. There are other threads about this issue, including a discussion (sorry I have no links this is from memory) about how some of the kneeboard fixes break integrity check and others avoid this problem by duplicating a lot of lua files and just selecting a different one from a "higher" point in the Lua call tree, where there is no integrity check.

[JCae2798]

I saw mentions of this multiple times but have yet to see something that worked. In the Kneeboard software i did not find a simple answer to tweak it for all kneeboard files so i ended up just editing the ViewportHandling.lua file which surprising i could not load from the SaveGames folder which is annoying. Do you have any references to options that work without breaking during update or MP? Luckily for now i have not tried or joined MP sessions just yet but that will change in the future. Just surprised when i searched this thread no one has mentioned it yet....

[derammo]

this is really unrelated to Helios. it just happens because DCS doesn’t place the kneeboard very well when you have multiple monitors

[JCae2798]

Have to disagree sir. Nothing against helios but in some cases people are enabling a 2nd screen to enable this feature and that's when this comes to light, otherwise I was fine before. So not that Helios breaks this directly but it seems it should be part of someone's setup to be ready to make changes to kneeboards should they enable that extra screen. No? Sorry not trying to flood this thread but create this topic of discussion with links or tips on how to address should someone else run into the same issue...

[derammo]

I don't disagree with you. It would be helpful to have a link to the best resolution for kneeboard issues in this thread and also in the Helios wiki / Discord support channel. It has come up more than once in the Discord and Helios community members had some answers. You could always check the Discord and share this information here like you suggested, so that the next person will have an easier time.

[JCae2798]

After some extensive testing i've come to see that i'm losing ~20 frames when loading Helios. It seems it is tied to the LUA from the F18. If i disable this script alone things go back to stable and higher frame rate. Poking around the CORE LUA i see scripts are called on intervals to update switches etc. i'm sure this is because of syncing switch states. However i wanted to ask if there was a way to minimize this even if it causes a delay with switches being synced? I'm no scripting guru so looking for assistance.

 

 

Also on top of the lower frames, i see constant frame spikes again i'm thinking tied to the constant calls from the scripts. anything i can do to minimze this is appreciated. My goal with Helios was to create a button box approach to use with my left hand so i dont have to use the mouse as much.

 

 

Thanks

 

 

___

EDIT

Ugh just realized i use Capt Zeen's Hornet profiles which i think is not supported or talked about here?

Edited July 9, 2020 by JCae2798

[JCae2798]

Ok further testing :)

I just reset all scripts and when i create a simple interface for F18 left DDI and run that only directly from Helios i still get the same frames drop. The export.lua file generated for the profile still has similar settings that i believe are impacting this..

 

 

Example from LUA:

gExportInterval = 0.067

gExportLowTickInterval = 1

 

 

Could be wrong maybe something else but the end result is i lose about 20 frames :( Is this to be expected?

[derammo]

what’s your frame rate before and after? the Lua exports unfortunately run on the DCS main thread so yes it can affect performance

 

knowing your frame rate loss isn’t enough information without knowing what the rate was before

 

finally yes you can turn down the updates per second. for the helios exports you can adjust this in the DCS interface editor dialog in the profile editor

 

for capt zeens exports there is a parameter in the script itself also but you have to just edit it, since it doesn’t work with the UI

[JCae2798]

Ah interesting, I went back and saw the setting but didnt seem to help even after recreating the export file.

 

 

When i test i'm going from ~90frames to ~65. I'm basically loading the same very basic training missing available by ED for the F18 when i compare these results. Basically i run the mission and then rename the export *.LUAX and reload to see the difference. (after DCS reboot)

 

 

What's strange is a couple weeks back my game was stuck at ~60 frames even after all my changes to graphic settings. After researching my SaveGame folder i was able to restore my frames but now this change is acting the same way.

 

 

 

Any other thoughts on what tests or changes i can make to look for improvements or see if it's exactly related?

Edited July 10, 2020 by JCae2798

[derammo]

Ah interesting, I went back and saw the setting but didnt seem to help even after recreating the export file.

 

 

When i test i'm going from ~90frames to ~65. I'm basically loading the same very basic training missing available by ED for the F18 when i compare these results. Basically i run the mission and then rename the export *.LUAX and reload to see the difference. (after DCS reboot)

 

 

What's strange is a couple weeks back my game was stuck at ~60 frames even after all my changes to graphic settings. After researching my SaveGame folder i was able to restore my frames but now this change is acting the same way.

 

 

 

Any other thoughts on what tests or changes i can make to look for improvements or see if it's exactly related?

 

I would like to work with you on testing this, because my setup does not act like that. Can you reach out on Discord please? This forum isn't really good for many round trips of discussion / testing.

 

Discord: ammo#7063

[hreich]

I need help...since i am using few software that add lines to export.lua file i dont know which one is reseting my settings in export.lua file. I am using tacview, helios, virtual cockpit by igor and voice attack...every time i start the game export.lua file is changed And lines inside export.lua get deleted. does anybody else have similar provlem?

[derammo]

I need help...since i am using few software that add lines to export.lua file i dont know which one is reseting my settings in export.lua file. I am using tacview, helios, virtual cockpit by igor and voice attack...every time i start the game export.lua file is changed And lines inside export.lua get deleted. does anybody else have similar provlem?

 

Helios does not contain any code to write any config files from Control Center. The only time it changes anything other than its own preferences is when you use the UI in Profile Editor. So it’s not us :)