In-Game Scratchpad Mod Available - Works Great In VR!

[greyeagle787]

On 10/19/2023 at 1:27 PM, Draken35 said:

Update for 2.9 - Changed the F-15E WSS back to 1 (Razbam fixed the 1A read only issue in 2.9)

02-QWERTY_KB and Load Coordinates.lua 36.9 kB · 28 downloads

Sorry to be a luddite, but where do I put this .lua? Thanks

[Draken35]

18 minutes ago, greyeagle787 said:

Sorry to be a luddite, but where do I put this .lua? Thanks

Exactly where the old one that it replaces is:

<your disk and user >\Saved games\DCS.openbeta\Scripts\Scratchpad\Extensions

Be advise that this is a partial update for the full package posted here:

 

[greyeagle787]

31 minutes ago, Draken35 said:

Exactly where the old one that it replaces is:

<your disk and user >\Saved games\DCS.openbeta\Scripts\Scratchpad\Extensions

Be advise that this is a partial update for the full package posted here:

 

yep, sorry, found it and replaced. Already have the complete updated download. Many thanks for all of this!!

[markcam4]

This is a headsup on my recent trials and tribualations of installing the "new" @Draken35 script with included keyboard layout extensions.

I read all pages in this forum thread to completely understand the installation process- i had a previous installation of scratchpad mod from a while ago, and thought the additional and fabulous option to have a VR keyboard and option to insert waypoints direct into aircraft was well worth this effort.

 

Well, 2 days later, I finally got it working- but a gotcha , that for me caught me out.

Initially, no matter what I seemed to do, I could only get the scratchpad without any keyboard layout, no matter what I did! 

All files were in the correct saved games folder and not under the dcs installataion folder as previous comments indicated could be a problem.

I then resorted to installing microsoft sysinternalls package to capture what was going on- and this helped! see screenshot image- 

Im my \scripts\hooks folder- I had re-named older scratchpad-hook.lua files , thinking they would not be actioned in anyway- how wrong was I- so I got rid of these files- just leaving the scratchpad-hook.lua and that was the issue resolved!

Maybe this will help those that have had a similar experience.

 

Thanks all who helped contribute to this great little add-on!

 

 

 

 

 

[Draken35]

19 minutes ago, markcam4 said:

This is a headsup on my recent trials and tribualations of installing the "new" @Draken35 script with included keyboard layout extensions.

I read all pages in this forum thread to completely understand the installation process- i had a previous installation of scratchpad mod from a while ago, and thought the additional and fabulous option to have a VR keyboard and option to insert waypoints direct into aircraft was well worth this effort.

 

Well, 2 days later, I finally got it working- but a gotcha , that for me caught me out.

Initially, no matter what I seemed to do, I could only get the scratchpad without any keyboard layout, no matter what I did! 

All files were in the correct saved games folder and not under the dcs installataion folder as previous comments indicated could be a problem.

I then resorted to installing microsoft sysinternalls package to capture what was going on- and this helped! see screenshot image- 

Im my \scripts\hooks folder- I had re-named older scratchpad-hook.lua files , thinking they would not be actioned in anyway- how wrong was I- so I got rid of these files- just leaving the scratchpad-hook.lua and that was the issue resolved!

Maybe this will help those that have had a similar experience.

 

Thanks all who helped contribute to this great little add-on!

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, the Hooks folder is not a good place to store backups  . Glad you figured out!

[Hotdognz]

I have set this up I think correctly, but does it work with the AH64, I saw the coordinates I assigned in the map to Scratchpad being entered into KB in the Apache but didnt have a waypoints on the map display page.

What am I missing ??

Cheers

[Draken35]

5 hours ago, Hotdognz said:

I have set this up I think correctly, but does it work with the AH64, I saw the coordinates I assigned in the map to Scratchpad being entered into KB in the Apache but didnt have a waypoints on the map display page.

What am I missing ??

Cheers

Yes, it does work as of the last OB. I have no clue what you are doing wrong.

[Recluse]

Did you make sure the ROUTE or POINTS were showing either in NAV or TGT mode of the TSD?  Click on the ROUTE OSB and add the points to the route if necessary. Might just be a display mis-selection on the TSD.

 

Here is a little video I  made showing it operating correctly.  Please excuse my fumbling around. It has been awhile since I operated the AH-64D TSD!!

I should have just increased the TSD scale to show all the points instead of PANNING.. Oh well.. been awhile!

 

Important thing is that SCRATCHPAD correctly imported the Waypoints.

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Recluse

[Captain Orso]

8 hours ago, Hotdognz said:

I have set this up I think correctly, but does it work with the AH64, I saw the coordinates I assigned in the map to Scratchpad being entered into KB in the Apache but didnt have a waypoints on the map display page.

What am I missing ??

Cheers

The Apache has a bug you may be hitting.

Open the TSD page

To add a waypoint (WP) click POINTS [B5], ADD [L2], WP [L3]

Now to identify the waypoint through button inputs you click IDENT> [L1], but here can be a problem. Whether you have a keyboard key bound to L1, a controller button, or you're clicking with the mouse, if you assert the key too long, it flips back off. This only happens if L1 starts unasserted, ie INDENT> is not boxed /actually the type of identifier directly below IDENT>, which in this case shows 'WP'. If WP is unboxed and you click and hold L1 WP will box for about a second and then unbox again. If it is boxed, no matter how long you hold L1 clicked, it will only unbox and remain so. This is the only ever happens with TSD -> POINT and nowhere else I could find--I've already reported it as a bug.

When Scratchpad runs thru entering the point data, I've seen it press L1 long enough to switch it off again--IIRC I had upped the 'TICKS' variable to 5, because I wanted to see something and had forgetting to turn it back down. You may have to try different settings until it works for you. When you click 'Load wpts' watch L1 and see if WP gets boxed and unboxed. If so, try turning your TICKS variable to one lower and try again.

[A.F.]

Hi, a small question:
Can I save waypoints for different missions? Scratschpad save all coordinates in the display field. But can I also, for example, call three waypoints for this mission, and then call three other waypoints for the next mission?
I just read that "The Way" can do it that way.

[Draken35]

4 minutes ago, A.F. said:

Hi, a small question:
Can I save waypoints for different missions? Scratschpad save all coordinates in the display field. But can I also, for example, call three waypoints for this mission, and then call three other waypoints for the next mission?
I just read that "The Way" can do it that way.

Nope.

[Recluse]

Potentially, couldn't you edit out the @[#] at the beginning of a line to exclude that line from entry and then add it back?

Since the  coordinates are persistent in the txt file, they will be there assuming no CLEAR was done.  Seems to be a bit of a pain to me but maybe?  I know this works with ScratchPad PLUS by editing out the * at the beginning of the line, but don't know if it applies to ScratchPad.

[Draken35]

anything before the @ would prevent that line to be processed... I think, never tried it... anyway it is not a "per-mission" thing... Not automagically handle anyway... A no, no plans on adding such a thing

[Recluse]

Just now, Draken35 said:

anything before the @ would prevent that line to be processed... I think, never tried it... anyway it is not a "per-mission" thing... Not automagically handle anyway... A no, no plans on adding such a thing

Right, it would require a lot of USER intervention to enable/disable based on the MISSION/MAP.  Easier (IMHO) to just replot your WP's.

[A.F.]

vor 8 Minuten schrieb Recluse:

Right, it would require a lot of USER intervention to enable/disable based on the MISSION/MAP.  Easier (IMHO) to just replot your WP's.

No problem

[Str][ker]

5 hours ago, A.F. said:

Hi, a small question:
Can I save waypoints for different missions? Scratschpad save all coordinates in the display field. But can I also, for example, call three waypoints for this mission, and then call three other waypoints for the next mission?
I just read that "The Way" can do it that way.

One possible way (I think) is to save to separate pages in scratchpad. I seem to recall that there is a way to do this and then you can use different pages. Use one for mission 1 then a second page for mission 2. Presumably you could have several text files in the scratchpad directory and swap between them as needed. I have never done this but it might do what you are looking for. Check the Scratchpad git page for details around multiple pages..

https://github.com/rkusa/dcs-scratchpad

[Recluse]

null

1 hour ago, Str][ker said:

One possible way (I think) is to save to separate pages in scratchpad. I seem to recall that there is a way to do this and then you can use different pages. Use one for mission 1 then a second page for mission 2. Presumably you could have several text files in the scratchpad directory and swap between them as needed. I have never done this but it might do what you are looking for. Check the Scratchpad git page for details around multiple pages..

https://github.com/rkusa/dcs-scratchpad

Yep, that could work. You could put several files in the Scratchpad folder and toggle through them with the arrows:

I don't know that you can SAVE AS from within ScratchPad, so, again, some User interaction needed to save outside of DCS

null

Edited October 26, 2023 by Recluse

[jnr4817]

On 10/24/2023 at 5:46 AM, SPAS79 said:

nice, thanks. That's going to be on my fork then, with due credit. Unless ADHD dictates that I lose interest in this before I get to complete it. But it should be easy enough, given the framework and the work you've already done. 

Will you post link of your fork for the 60? Thank you

[SPAS79]

7 hours ago, jnr4817 said:

Will you post link of your fork for the 60? Thank you

I'm working on it and not sure I can make it work as some of the logic still escapes me, but I think I have the main blocks down. 

I will of course publish it as a fork on git when it's ready. 

[Str][ker]

On 10/26/2023 at 5:13 PM, Recluse said:

null

Yep, that could work. You could put several files in the Scratchpad folder and toggle through them with the arrows:

I don't know that you can SAVE AS from within ScratchPad, so, again, some User interaction needed to save outside of DCS

 

The files are constantly saved. If you don't clear the page, it is there the next time you load up Scratchpad. 

[Recluse]

10 hours ago, Str][ker said:

The files are constantly saved. If you don't clear the page, it is there the next time you load up Scratchpad. 

Right,  I meant you cannot save them with a particular NAME, from within the game, but, yes if you initially create the BLANK files as MISSION 1, MISSION 2 etc.. then those will be autosaved. when changed.

[Direwolf]

I just installed the mod (version 0.7.1), but I´m having problems on dealing with it. After pressing Ctrl + Shift + X, I got the scratchpad window, but when I "walk around" the map (pressing the left mouse button to anchor the map, and moving the mouse around), to put the white dot on a spot (target, waypoint, whatever), the coordinates are linked to the anchor point and not to the white dot. I mean the coordinates ar elinked to the arrow of FD10 map and not to the white dot of scratchpad. What am I doing wrong? 

PS: I use OvGME to install the mods, and I used this mod sucessfully in the past (before DCS 2.9)

[Recluse]

Seems to work perfectly for me.  Maybe you can make a video or something? Seems like you are doing everything right.  When I hit the +L/L button, the coordinates captured represent the position of the dot.  I have been successfully dropping JDAMS since 2.9 using these coordinates, so it is definitely working.

[Captain Orso]

On 12/1/2023 at 4:43 PM, Direwolf said:

What am I doing wrong?

Since it seems nothing is working as it ought to, I would say you are doing everything wrong.

I'm sure, if you know what you are doing, you can use OvGME to implement the mod, but the fact that you are using OvGME to implement this into '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta' makes me question whether you actually do know what you are doing.

Follow the instructions and copy the downloaded '..\Scripts' folder into '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta'. Done.

When you say, you are "walking around" the map, are you talking about the 3D view or F10?

You do not click the LMB to "anchor"--whatever that is supposed to mean--the F10 map--the one you should be using with Scratchpad. In the F10 map, you press and hold LMB to drag the map to the position you require--the scroll wheel allows you to zoom-in and -out.

With the Scratchpad window open, click on the empty check-box to the right of the <-- --> arrows to place the center-dot at the center of your display and add the +L/L button to the right of that.

The white dot is what is used to tell Scratchpad what coordinates you wish to record. Where ever the dot is when you click +L/L determines the coordinates recorded. Zooming in as far as possible onto a position and putting the white dot directly over the point to record will give the most accurate results.

If you are using Draken35's download, follow the readme instructions to implement any required extensions, and follow the instructions to use them.

 

[Str][ker]

On 12/1/2023 at 10:43 AM, Direwolf said:

I just installed the mod (version 0.7.1), but I´m having problems on dealing with it. After pressing Ctrl + Shift + X, I got the scratchpad window, but when I "walk around" the map (pressing the left mouse button to anchor the map, and moving the mouse around), to put the white dot on a spot (target, waypoint, whatever), the coordinates are linked to the anchor point and not to the white dot. I mean the coordinates ar elinked to the arrow of FD10 map and not to the white dot of scratchpad. What am I doing wrong? 

PS: I use OvGME to install the mods, and I used this mod sucessfully in the past (before DCS 2.9)

You should check the video which I made to demonstrate Scratchpad with the mod. I provide step-by-step instructions for installing it all as well. If you can follow those steps, you should be golden. The video was linked in one of my earlier posts here.