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

[Yuma]

Question, can we have it not start by default when you initiate DCS?

Edit: I had an installation/Folder install issue that was causing the mod to iniate at start of the game. It's working properly now and only starting at demand.

Edited July 6, 2024 by Yuma

[aeronautes]

I've been working on a couple scratchpad extensions for awhile and thought now would be a good time to share them. One is used for cockpit management. It essentially provides a lua based interface to the cockpit controls as well as the DCS API. Around this is built some convenience features that gives functionality even if you dont do any scripting. These include LatLon input into the aircraft flight computer, both single click or saved sequence of waypoints. It also comes per aircraft customizations including autostarts, night lighting mode, maneuver calcluations, automatic PACS programming in F15SE and MFD setup. You can modify these customizations or create your own live while in the cockpit.

The other extension buffers the 3 types of messages you can receive in game, these are chat, radio and trigger. The trigger messages are the ones generated during the mission or by the server and usually appear in the top right corner. These messages are presented separately according to which message button you click. They are not all specifically persisted between sessions but the last viewed message type is saved to disk.

You can get them from the following github link. They require an updated version of scratchpad which is part of the repo. The changes to scratchpad have been submitted to rkusa for review and hopefully will be pulled into the main repo. https://github.com/aeronautes/dcs-scratchpad/archive/refs/heads/main.zip. If you want support for Anubis Hercules you'll need to install the patch at: https://github.com/aeronautes/Hercules-6.8.2-macrofix/archive/refs/heads/main.zip

Edited September 16, 2024 by aeronautes

[RePhil]

I have been using this in the 58 and is great but went back to the 60 to night and it showed its was loading but did not. I used the top portion for the 60 and the bottom for the 58?

 

[Biggus]

I noticed that on the Kiowa, before the current patch it would enter data on the right hand screen and after the patch it's entering it on the left screen.  Haven't really tried it with any other modules since the patch though.

[Draken35]

13 hours ago, Biggus said:

I noticed that on the Kiowa, before the current patch it would enter data on the right hand screen and after the patch it's entering it on the left screen.  Haven't really tried it with any other modules since the patch though.

Good catch! The role name changed from "pilot" to "Pilot" in the last patch... That affected the Apache and Strike Eagle as well.

Attached is the fixed extension .

02-QWERTY_KB and Load Coordinates.lua

[Biggus]

12 hours ago, Draken35 said:

Good catch! The role name changed from "pilot" to "Pilot" in the last patch... That affected the Apache and Strike Eagle as well.

Attached is the fixed extension .

02-QWERTY_KB and Load Coordinates.lua 49.57 kB · 5 downloads

Thank you, I appreciate the update. 

[Maddaawg]

Scratchpad is often skipping the first entry in the FA-18. A couple of times it did work, but I don't know what I changed to make it work.

I use it in VR and get 10 GPS locations from F10 map, then when I set up the DDI into HSI and data and select precise I select a starting waypoint such as 10. Then when I click to import the waypoints, it will skip the first one, in this case 10, but then enter the rest correctly. So, if I had 10 waypoints, I would get 9.

To manually solve it, I duplicate the first waypoint and start one waypoint earlier, so in this case waypoint 9. Then 10 through 19 will import.

[Recluse]

5 hours ago, Maddaawg said:

Scratchpad is often skipping the first entry in the FA-18. A couple of times it did work, but I don't know what I changed to make it work.

I use it in VR and get 10 GPS locations from F10 map, then when I set up the DDI into HSI and data and select precise I select a starting waypoint such as 10. Then when I click to import the waypoints, it will skip the first one, in this case 10, but then enter the rest correctly. So, if I had 10 waypoints, I would get 9.

To manually solve it, I duplicate the first waypoint and start one waypoint earlier, so in this case waypoint 9. Then 10 through 19 will import.

Are you using the latest version?  I do this exact thing, starting with WP10 and it works every time.  The ORIGINAL version and maybe some versions after automatically skipped the first WP assuming it was being used for BULLSEYE.  There has been a lot of editing done.. but if you grab this one, upthread, it should work for you. ( YOu might want to grab the updated 02-QWERTY KEYBOARD and LOAD COORDINATEs.lua extension a few posts up as well.

 

 

[Maddaawg]

3 hours ago, Recluse said:

Are you using the latest version?  I do this exact thing, starting with WP10 and it works every time.  The ORIGINAL version and maybe some versions after automatically skipped the first WP assuming it was being used for BULLSEYE.  There has been a lot of editing done.. but if you grab this one, upthread, it should work for you. ( YOu might want to grab the updated 02-QWERTY KEYBOARD and LOAD COORDINATEs.lua extension a few posts up as well.

 

 

That is the version (0.7.0.240617a) I have and downloaded it from Draken35. I will look at the other two, thanks.

[Recluse]

12 minutes ago, Maddaawg said:

That is the version (0.7.0.240617a) I have and downloaded it from Draken35. I will look at the other two, thanks.

That version should work fine. Make sure, if you installed it over a previous version that you replaced all the files in the appropriate folders. The correct folder placement is encoded into the zip file.

[Maddaawg]

1 hour ago, Recluse said:

That version should work fine. Make sure, if you installed it over a previous version that you replaced all the files in the appropriate folders. The correct folder placement is encoded into the zip file.

So, I removed all previous files from Saved Games, including the ScratchPadConfig.lua in Saved Games\DCS\Config, and the scratchpad folder with 0000.txt, the lua in scripts/hooks and the scratchpad folder in scripts. Then used the Draken35 download and the new 02-QWERTY KEYBOARD and LOAD COORDINATEs.lua. Still no joy.

When I watch it loading waypoints, I can watch the entries in the UFC and the first ones are all ERROR, then it moves onto the next waypoint and enters them from there.

I have noticed it is entering the feet, but not the coordinates. 

Edited August 19, 2024 by Maddaawg

[Recluse]

1 hour ago, Maddaawg said:

So, I removed all previous files from Saved Games, including the ScratchPadConfig.lua in Saved Games\DCS\Config, and the scratchpad folder with 0000.txt, the lua in scripts/hooks and the scratchpad folder in scripts. Then used the Draken35 download and the new 02-QWERTY KEYBOARD and LOAD COORDINATEs.lua. Still no joy.

When I watch it loading waypoints, I can watch the entries in the UFC and the first ones are all ERROR, then it moves onto the next waypoint and enters them from there.

I have noticed it is entering the feet, but not the coordinates. 

Ahh..  you might be running into the "frame rate is too high" issue.

Try editing the

local TICKS = 1 -- To slow down processing, increase this number

In the 02-QWERTY_KB and Load Coordinates.lua to a higher number (try 3)

In VR we almost never get a framerate too high, but it 2D it is very possible! 

Edited August 19, 2024 by Recluse

[Draken35]

@Maddaawg , @Recluse  is correct about the high speed issue... I was able to reproduce it in 2D, changed TICKS to 100, to slow it down to a crawl so I could follow the key presses and it is entering the data correctly... I must assume that the Hornet UFC key process got slowed down in a recent patch and cannot longer keep up with the default settings of the script

[Recluse]

1 minute ago, Draken35 said:

@Maddaawg , @Recluse  is correct about the high speed issue... I was able to reproduce it in 2D, changed TICKS to 100, to slow it down to a crawl so I could follow the key presses and it is entering the data correctly... I must assume that the Hornet UFC key process got slowed down in a recent patch and cannot longer keep up with the default settings of the script

LOL... I guess my suggestion of 3 was way too low 

[Draken35]

That depends on the specs of the PC running it... But 100 gave me like 10-15 seconds between presses...

 

[Maddaawg]

So I was filming it in 2D, but I am usually in VR. I slowed down the capture to 1/10th speed and it is not pushing in the OSP buttons on the first WP until altitude. I'll change to the 100 and give it a try in 2D and then VR. Maybe VR can have a shorter tics?

[Recluse]

1 minute ago, Maddaawg said:

So I was filming it in 2D, but I am usually in VR. I slowed down the capture to 1/10th speed and it is not pushing in the OSP buttons on the first WP until altitude. I'll change to the 100 and give it a try in 2D and then VR. Maybe VR can have a shorter tics?

I leave VR at the Default of 1 and it works.  I seldom get more than 60-65 Fps MAX in the cockpit, and usually LESS.

[Draken35]

100 is A LOT.... In my PC anyway... The script has no way to detect if it is in VR or not, so it cannot adjust itself if that is what you mean. 

[Recluse]

48 minutes ago, Maddaawg said:

So I was filming it in 2D, but I am usually in VR. I slowed down the capture to 1/10th speed and it is not pushing in the OSP buttons on the first WP until altitude. I'll change to the 100 and give it a try in 2D and then VR. Maybe VR can have a shorter tics?

One thing, in order to load the script properly, you should shut down DCS completely, make the change and restart.  I forgot to do this and saw no change.  When I did, with TICS at 20, it was PAINFULLY SLOW, but didn't error out.   (My 2D FPS was ~130). Ticks at 5 was passable, but I think I could have gone down to 3 without error.

IN VR, I leave it at 1, but I have to admit I haven't tried it since the last update.

 

EDIT: Just tried VR TICS=1 Worked fine. FPS = 58-61

Edited August 19, 2024 by Recluse

[Maddaawg]

So, my first try was 100 and that was so slow I went to fix something to eat, and it was still on the first waypoint when I got back. So, I changed it to 3 and that worked, from 2D. However, the JDAM's were way off now. It might have something to do with my setup since I am starting just outside the range of the JDAM. I'm using active pause, so maybe that is screwing up the settings. I tried it twice and zoomed in all the way on the targets for the 2nd try and had the same results with the JDAM's going all over the place, not even close misses. The second volley of 4 JDAM's I took it off of active pause and still failed. I did confirm the GPS of the first 4 waypoints once entered and they matched scratchpad. I'll have to check but maybe INS is not set correctly from a flying start.

I'll try a full run from VR in a little while. 

[Recluse]

6 minutes ago, Maddaawg said:

So, my first try was 100 and that was so slow I went to fix something to eat, and it was still on the first waypoint when I got back. So, I changed it to 3 and that worked, from 2D. However, the JDAM's were way off now. It might have something to do with my setup since I am starting just outside the range of the JDAM. I'm using active pause, so maybe that is screwing up the settings. I tried it twice and zoomed in all the way on the targets for the 2nd try and had the same results with the JDAM's going all over the place, not even close misses. The second volley of 4 JDAM's I took it off of active pause and still failed. I did confirm the GPS of the first 4 waypoints once entered and they matched scratchpad. I'll have to check but maybe INS is not set correctly from a flying start.

I'll try a full run from VR in a little while. 

That is odd because targeting JDAMS is probably the #1 use I make of ScratchPad Waypoints!  I am sure you know, but for JDAMS:

- Make sure each station is set to TOO

- With one station selected, do a WP DESG

- Change Stations, Increment WP, WP DESG

- Repeat as necessary

- If you have 2 bombs per station, remember to change to TOO2 when you designate for the second bomb on that station and be careful when DROPPING them that the right TOO is selected. I ALWAYS screw this up so:

- For 4 JDAM (2 per station) I usually program one bomb per station, then increment the WP but leave it as WP. When IN ZONE, I pickle off 2, then WP DESG, PICKLE, Increment WP, WP DESG, PICKLE and usually all 4 go where I want them. OF course if targeting vehicles, they may move on you between drops...but that's another story.

Edited August 19, 2024 by Recluse

[Maddaawg]

I've actually not had any issues with the JDAM's in the past, just the scratchpad entry. I have in the past just copied and pasted the first waypoint and started on 1 waypoint early. Then I get my correct waypoints and enter the JDAM info using TOO 1 and TOO2 and all 8 will hit accurately. I'm sure it was just because I was in 2D and not going over my INS settings since my HOTAS and keyboard are setup for VR, I can't even look around the cockpit.

[Draken35]

Part of the issue, when the script outruns the jet, is that you might have wrong coordinates / altitude due to "missing" key strokes ... I saw this when I tested earlier in 2D with the Hornet and that was why I slowed it down to actually see the keypresses

 

[Maddaawg]

In VR I settled on '2' for the ticks. Can decimal numbers be used, like 1.5?

Targets are finally being hit accurately. 

[Draken35]

4 hours ago, Maddaawg said:

Can decimal numbers be used, like 1.5?

 

No.