Jump to content

Stream Deck inclinometer for peripheral vision


Recommended Posts

Hi, folks!
It occurred to me I can have a BIG (!) slip indicator in my Stream Deck XL.


My (mini)problem was:
1. I have a new warbird and I'm not sure how to coordinate turns. Sitting in a chair I can't feel slip/skid.
2. The inclinometer in the cockpit is somewhat low on the instrument panel, which forces me to look up-down-up-down all the time (I've got 2D screen and TrackIR) to see both the ball and outside the cockpit.

 

That's why I wanted my "stream deck inclinometer" to be readable with peripheral vision, so that I could look at the screen and still see the slip (more or less would be good enough). I have my SD sitting right under the screen.

 

Since I'm one of the most artistically untalented people in the world, my solution looks ugly. However, it works pretty well.
Once I get the feel for rudder in the new plane, I may no longer need this contraption, but for teaching myself muscle memory it may come in handy.

 

I'm using ctytler's great DCS plugin for SD. The patent here is very simple: find slip indicator "variable" in the export script for your plane, then use a string of any two-icon controls from the plugin ("momentary button with lamp", "switch input" or whatever). Then assign "Image State Change" command to this variable (for each of them) and set the appropriate value of the variable - different for each control, of course.
Each consecutive control in the row must have a bigger value (in positive or negative values depending on slip direction).
For example, in P-47 it is variable "28" and it swings from -1.0 to 1.0, so I set my controls like this:

<0.6, <0.4, <0.2, <0.1, >0.1, >0.2, >0.4, >0.6

(I may fine tune the values later on, we'll see.)
You can get an idea from one of the pictures below.

 

Credits:

@ctytler for his invaluable plugin: New StreamDeck Plugin

@nosaMtrevoC (bloody masons!) for P-47D-30.lua export script: DCS-ExportScripts P-47D Thunderbolt .lua script
Thanks a lot for your work! 🙂

 

 

01.png

02.png

03.png

04.png

05.png

06.png


Edited by scoobie
  • Thanks 1

i7-8700K 32GB 2060(6GB) 27"@1080p TM Hawg HOTAS TPR TIR5 SD-XL 2xSD+ HC Bravo button/pot box

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, Weegie!
TBH I have no idea if this is going to teach my feet "play the rudder" in warbirds, I only hope so 🙂

But even if it doesn't, at least it may show you that you're uncoordinated in a dogfight (so you're "underperforming") and you may want to correct for that.

 

I've just done a slightly different version for the Spit and I like it more than the previous one for the Jug:
- 7 buttons (so odd number), instead of 8,
- the middle button is "dead" (doesn't do anything, works only as a "separator" betweeen left and right slip, so the eye can easily catch it),
- scale is more "nervous": <0.3, <0.2, <0.1, >0.1, >0.2, >0.3,
- all this is done in the top row of buttons.

 

Technically it's an inferior scale (only 6 buttons work, instead of 8 as in the version for the Jug), but such scale somehow feels nicer. It's more "lively", "faster", I don't know.

Of course the Spit is a very different bird from the Jug - probably these different "feels" you get stem from this fact.
Anyway, experimenting is the way to go with this, I think 🙂


Edited by scoobie
  • Thanks 1

i7-8700K 32GB 2060(6GB) 27"@1080p TM Hawg HOTAS TPR TIR5 SD-XL 2xSD+ HC Bravo button/pot box

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Again very much appreciated @scoobie

 

I think I know what you mean and the slip indicator can be difficult to keep track of with everything else going on in the spit

 

Good of you to post up again and let us know how things progress.

 

Although the AV-8B has a HUD mounted indicator I wonder if this would be applicable or if use in that module as well.

 

When in VSTOL sideslip can lead to all sorts of havoc, ask me how I know 😉

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...