Voice Attack issue with F16 "Communication menu"

[karpiyon]

Hi, I posted this elsewhere and was told this is a known issue with Vaicom...
In DCS, the com menu is tied to key ''.

My VA plugin, amongst other things, is trying to press this key to bring up the communication menu. The problem is that it does not always succeed. That is I may have to say "show comm menu several times before it brings up this menu" and in each of these times VA recognized my command and presses the proper key (I verified this).

Sometimes the command is sent without any issues.

I tried remapping the key to something else and it did not help.

I decide to try with a clean profile, not plugin involved and 1 command

 

the same problem - the com menu may sometimes fail to load and I need to say it twice or more and in each, the command is recognized by VA.

VA is targeting DCS in the options

What can cause this? I don't think it happens with any other keys I press or the plugin presses and it is not plugin related as I showed.

[hornblower793]

Hi, I posted this elsewhere and was told this is a known issue with Vaicom...
In DCS, the com menu is tied to key ''.

My VA plugin, amongst other things, is trying to press this key to bring up the communication menu. The problem is that it does not always succeed. That is I may have to say "show comm menu several times before it brings up this menu" and in each of these times VA recognized my command and presses the proper key (I verified this).

Sometimes the command is sent without any issues.

I tried remapping the key to something else and it did not help.

I decide to try with a clean profile, not plugin involved and 1 command

 

the same problem - the com menu may sometimes fail to load and I need to say it twice or more and in each, the command is recognized by VA.

VA is targeting DCS in the options

What can cause this? I don't think it happens with any other keys I press or the plugin presses and it is not plugin related as I showed.

This is not a Vaicom question - you are trying to use a VoiceAttack command.

If you have Vaicom the way to bring up the menu is to pushh and hold the PTT and then say Options.

Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

[karpiyon]

It's not VoiceAttack  as VoiceAttack  send the command.

From what I've learnt, this is caused only when you use VAICOM and is a known VAICOM bug.

If I disable VIACOM plugin completely it works as it should 

[hornblower793]

24 minutes ago, karpiyon said:

It's not VoiceAttack  as VoiceAttack  send the command.

From what I've learnt, this is caused only when you use VAICOM and is a known VAICOM bug.

If I disable VIACOM plugin completely it works as it should 

But why are you not using the built in Vaicom command to show the radio menu?

 

Vaicom doesn't do the speech recognition that is the Microsoft speech engine (unless you are using VSPX). VA will then see if the command is in the known Vaicom list of commands and, if so, execute the plugin. If it doesn't find it there then it will check the first linked profile etc.

 

I have linked profiles that work quite happily. Your issue might be that the words you are using include words that are Vaicom commands and it might therefore be trying to execute a Vaicom command.

 

Please could you try it again and then post the Vaicom log file (found in <voiceattack install directory>\apps\VAICOMPRO\logs) - this will help identify what is happening

[karpiyon]

I build my own plugin which does much more then just handle the cockpit. I also use VAICOM.

In addition I want it to show the available phrase as you can see in the demo I attached.

This is why i must invoked the comm menu.

Demo for what I am trying to achieve:

Demo for the plugin: this is BMs but it works the same for DCS

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by karpiyon

[hornblower793]

2 hours ago, karpiyon said:

I build my own plugin which does much more then just handle the cockpit. I also use VAICOM.

In addition I want it to show the available phrase as you can see in the demo I attached.

This is why i must invoked the comm menu.

Demo for what I am trying to achieve:

Demo for the plugin: this is BMs but it works the same for DCS

 

 

I still need the log to see what is happeneing - run with Vaicom debug on

 

[karpiyon]

This is the content of the log.

I just run the mission and run my VA command: to show the Communication menu.

As you can see it tries to press /.

The first time nothing happened therefore I said the command again.

Other times it show the menu without the need to 'press'/say it again

 

VAICOM PRO logfile
Microsoft Speech Recognizer 8.0 for Windows (English - US)
VAICOM PRO command phrases loaded
Offline keyword training initialized
Ready for training.
Keyword recognized: Take 5 with confidence 74 %
Keyword recognized: Take 5 with confidence 93 %
Training mode closed.
----------------------------------
------------------------------------------
DCS mission | F-16C - Caucasus - Takeoff
Resetting selected units.
Player Chupi entered module F-16C Viper, unit callsign Colt11
Nearest ATC: Vaziani.
Captured sentence: status
Have result, identified as command: Status
PTT: use an active TX nod

 

   

 

I did not press the stick com buttons and VIACOM is configured to operate only when i press them

[hornblower793]

OK - I have managed to replicate the issue and I think the answer is you will have to either not use Vaicom or wait for it to be updated. In 2.7 ED changed how some of the comms work and are still changing them - this is obviously one of those cases.

 

With Vaicom running the keybind does not work so that is why your voice command will not work

 

Options does work in the meantime though

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by hornblower793

[karpiyon]

5 minutes ago, hornblower793 said:

OK - I have managed to replicate the issue and I think the answer is you will have to either not use Vaicom or wait for it to be updated. In 2.7 ED changed how some of the comms work and are still changing them - this is obviously one of those cases.

 

With Vaicom running the keybind does not work so that is why your voice command will not work

 

Options does work in the meantime though

 

 

 

Which keybind do not work ?

[hornblower793]

The \ (I have to use # as I have a UK keyboard)

[karpiyon]

Also I think this is not 2.7 only. The ones who pointed that this is VAICOM related has been experiencing this before 2.7 

I already tried modifying the key to something else and it did not work.

[hornblower793]

I have just had a thought - do you have Disable Menus ticked on the Preferences tab of Vaicom (I forgot I always fly with this on and that is why my keybind was not appearing to work).

 

If you have this checked then Vaicom is working as intended.

[karpiyon]

I do not tick it

I what the emphasis that it is not the the command to show the Communication menu never woks, it does work, only many times it needs to be said a few times.

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by karpiyon

[hornblower793]

I haven't set up my attached profile to run without pressing a TX, but when I do press a TX all I have to do is press the TX and then say the command twice to show the menu. It then works on / off as expected each time I say the command until I release the TX. I then changed this to use a conditional loop to run the command twice if necessary.

 

Because you are running open mic for these commands I think all you probably need to do is have a condition loop that checks whether you have initialised the chat (using a variable that you set once you have started chat).

 

I didn't change my setup round so still need to press a TX button for this to work. All I did was reset myToken to false on release of the TX button and got it working quite happily

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by hornblower793

[MAXsenna]

@karpiyon@hornblower793 is correct. VAICOM doesn't really use the comms menu, and it for sure doesn't use keypresses. It uses export.lua and communicates with DCS over IP. (One of the reasons tracks won't work, like with DCS-BIOS).
I haven't gotten around to test your plugin, it's probably awesome.
My setup is similar to Horn's. I have the comms menu hidden, and I haven't mapped any comms buttons in DCS. And I use the "options" command for sling loading etc. I have multiple TX1s and 2s etc. And I use the plugin to figure out which module I'm using so the correct TX button for that particular module is used. IE the trigger on my force feedback stick får helicopters. Correct radio buttons on my Cougar throttle for the Viper and the Jeff. Correct lay or for the A-10 on my Warthog throttle etc. For the C-101 I can even use multiple TX1s. I have only one VAICOM profile to achieve all this, and if I need Voice Attack to send any keypresses, I have those configured in a different VA profile that is piggybacked into the VAICOM one. But I also use the plugin here to determine what module I'm in, so "gear up" will trigger the lever command even if the different modules have different keyboard commands for this.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[sthompson]

On 5/9/2021 at 7:33 AM, karpiyon said:

Also I think this is not 2.7 only. The ones who pointed that this is VAICOM related has been experiencing this before 2.7 

I already tried modifying the key to something else and it did not work.

That is correct. This bug has been around for a long time. For me it's just a nuisance. When I want to make the menus appear (or more often to make them disappear) I press the communications key more than once as needed. It most often seems to need multiple presses when first starting a mission. I can see how this would be more of a problem if you are trying to press it via a VoiceAttack script. The problem is not the keystroke itself, but rather that somehow VAICOM is interfering with operation of the communications menu even when you do not have any of the special options (such as disable menus) selected. I could speculate about why this is happening, but without access to the code it's hard to know for sure, let alone to fix it. Perhaps you should PM Hollywood about it, or take it up through the official support channels.

[karpiyon]

On 5/11/2021 at 10:38 PM, sthompson said:

That is correct. This bug has been around for a long time. For me it's just a nuisance. When I want to make the menus appear (or more often to make them disappear) I press the communications key more than once as needed. It most often seems to need multiple presses when first starting a mission. I can see how this would be more of a problem if you are trying to press it via a VoiceAttack script. The problem is not the keystroke itself, but rather that somehow VAICOM is interfering with operation of the communications menu even when you do not have any of the special options (such as disable menus) selected. I could speculate about why this is happening, but without access to the code it's hard to know for sure, let alone to fix it. Perhaps you should PM Hollywood about it, or take it up through the official support channels.

Thanks, I found a workaround suggested by @Bailey which I implemented in my code for users who use VAICOM.
That forces the user to un assign F11 & F12 keys
 

//Workaround issue caused by VAICOM...
CommandLine.PressKey(_vaProxy, "F11", repeat: 3);//go up to previous menu
CommandLine.PressKey(_vaProxy, "F12");//exit menu
_allCommands["Communication menu"].Press(_vaProxy);//show menu
 
CommandLine.PressKey(_vaProxy, "F11", repeat: 3);
CommandLine.PressKey(_vaProxy, "F12");
_allCommands["Communication menu"].Press(_vaProxy);

 

 

On 5/11/2021 at 1:48 PM, MAXsenna said:

@karpiyon@hornblower793 is correct. VAICOM doesn't really use the comms menu, and it for sure doesn't use keypresses. It uses export.lua and communicates with DCS over IP. (One of the reasons tracks won't work, like with DCS-BIOS).
I haven't gotten around to test your plugin, it's probably awesome.
My setup is similar to Horn's. I have the comms menu hidden, and I haven't mapped any comms buttons in DCS. And I use the "options" command for sling loading etc. I have multiple TX1s and 2s etc. And I use the plugin to figure out which module I'm using so the correct TX button for that particular module is used. IE the trigger on my force feedback stick får helicopters. Correct radio buttons on my Cougar throttle for the Viper and the Jeff. Correct lay or for the A-10 on my Warthog throttle etc. For the C-101 I can even use multiple TX1s. I have only one VAICOM profile to achieve all this, and if I need Voice Attack to send any keypresses, I have those configured in a different VA profile that is piggybacked into the VAICOM one. But I also use the plugin here to determine what module I'm in, so "gear up" will trigger the lever command even if the different modules have different keyboard commands for this.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk
 

@MAXsennaDo you know how the Communication menu is exported, or how to export it from DCS?

Edited May 13, 2021 by karpiyon

[MAXsenna]

@MAXsennaDo you know how the Communication menu is exported, or how to export it from DCS?

I'm sorry I wish I knew. I believe Hollywood looked in the files and found his answers there. Just like they have made DCS-BIOS, and how the A-4E-C team has reversed engineered the DCS radios. Quite a feat hah?
I also have heard talk about a VA plugin for the Gazelle that makes you say "lights 30%" or something and that will work. And all they did was looking through the files etc. I saw this in the Polychop Discord. You are JanJan in VA Discord?
Sorry I can't be of more help. I'm not a coder, barely a scripter

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[karpiyon]

@MAXsenna Yes, I'm JanJan.
I would have liked to add the Communication menu to my plugin as well.
Still looking how to do this

[karpiyon]

19 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

I'm sorry I wish I knew. I believe Hollywood looked in the files and found his answers there. Just like they have made DCS-BIOS, and how the A-4E-C team has reversed engineered the DCS radios. Quite a feat hah?
I also have heard talk about a VA plugin for the Gazelle that makes you say "lights 30%" or something and that will work. And all they did was looking through the files etc. I saw this in the Polychop Discord. You are JanJan in VA Discord?
Sorry I can't be of more help. I'm not a coder, barely a scripter

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk
 

 

[StarLiner]

Ah, so this is what has been wrecking havoc on my stock Voice Attack scripts. I'm probably going to have to just get rid of Vaicom unfortunately, it seems to be causing a few issues with normal VA operation.

[MAXsenna]

Ah, so this is what has been wrecking havoc on my stock Voice Attack scripts. I'm probably going to have to just get rid of Vaicom unfortunately, it seems to be causing a few issues with normal VA operation.

Could you elaborate? VAICOM should not interfere in anyway with plain VoiceAttack commands.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[StarLiner]

2 hours ago, MAXsenna said:

Could you elaborate? VAICOM should not interfere in anyway with plain VoiceAttack commands.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk
 

Something about Vaicom seems to stop the comms menu (the one normally accessed with /) to stop reliably showing up. A few people in this thread seem to be experiencing it. This interferes with commands I have to say, load troops or check other F10 options that rely on that comms menu.

[MAXsenna]

Something about Vaicom seems to stop the comms menu (the one normally accessed with /) to stop reliably showing up. A few people in this thread seem to be experiencing it. This interferes with commands I have to say, load troops or check other F10 options that rely on that comms menu.

Well, this thread is old, and I can only speak for myself. If I have hidden the menu, it will only show with the "options" speech command. That's sort of the point.
If I don't, I can easily bring it up by either mapping the two radio buttons for the F-16, or the correct keybind which is RShft or RCtrl + "\", (backslash not forward slash "/"), IIRC, I have never done that. For most other modules with a single radio or radio button, it's RAlt + \.
Remember to keep pressing the TX when issuing the "options" command.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[StarLiner]

On 5/25/2022 at 5:29 AM, MAXsenna said:

Well, this thread is old, and I can only speak for myself. If I have hidden the menu, it will only show with the "options" speech command. That's sort of the point.
If I don't, I can easily bring it up by either mapping the two radio buttons for the F-16, or the correct keybind which is RShft or RCtrl + "\", (backslash not forward slash "/"), IIRC, I have never done that. For most other modules with a single radio or radio button, it's RAlt + \.
Remember to keep pressing the TX when issuing the "options" command.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk
 

Unfortunately, whether you assign / or Ralt + / to a Voice Attack commands, there's a 50/50 chance the command won't execute properly and the comms menu won't pop up. I understand that Vaicom is meant to serve a complete, total replacement of the comms menu, but there's just too many edge cases where that isn't practical. For example, on Enigma's Cold War, I rely on the comms menu to use the text based Overlord Bot commands. Or to load troops, or find CSAR beacons. I have voice attack commands bound to all of these, but they tend to fail due to this Vaicom bug, which seems to be reported in quite a few threads.