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Apache profile using Helios for a second monitor


sobe

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As it was raining all day, I decided to do some additional experiments with my Apache Helios profile. 

I intend to program the buttons and switches using the key commands in the game rather than programing them directly in Helios.  This is not a great solution but takes a lot less time.

Besides the two MCUs of the pilot, I have added the viewport for the TEDAC of the copilot/gunner.  I have also decided to attempt to use the “switch” command in DCS to change my HOTAS from the pilot commands to the copilot/gunner commands.  I am using switch 24 on my WH throttle panel as the switch command.  Hopefully, this will enable me to avoid having to get another joystick or buying an Xbox controller.  Only time will tell if this works.

The first picture below shows the pilot profile with the center panel as a placeholder to add additional buttons and switches for the pilot seat. 

In the second picture, in the lower left corner are 2 buttons.  The top button labeled “pilot” is the default for the placeholder stuff to appear.  When the “pilot” button is pressed, the placeholder panel is hidden and the TEDAC viewport appears (hopefully). 

Finally, in the third picture, when I activate switch 24 on my throttle, a red line appears at the bottom of the “C/GUNNER” button to indicate that the switch command in DCS has been activated.  One more thing that I would like to do is to figure out how to combine the above paragraph and this paragraph into one command. 

I have no idea if any of this will work, but it was fun to learn a little bit more about using Helios.

PILOT PROFILE V1.png

PILOT PROFILE WITH TADAC VP V1.png

PILOT PROFILE WITH TADAC AND SWITCH 24 ON.png


Edited by sobe
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Scaley

The profile is still being changed daily by me.  In addition, are you comfortable with using Helios?  If not, you should be aware that Helios is probably the most unfriendly program in the DCS mod community.  As such, a Helios profile consists of images, profiles and the actual Helios program. 

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Yep, using Helios and making my own layout and profiles for the A-10, Hornet and UH-1.  I was mainly interested in the layout since it looks like you've used the standard buttons with text added directly via Helios, so that will move across with the profile and would save people (me) a ton of typing and laying-out.

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On 11/10/2021 at 2:09 AM, sobe said:

As it was raining all day, I decided to do some additional experiments with my Apache Helios profile. 

I intend to program the buttons and switches using the key commands in the game rather than programing them directly in Helios.  This is not a great solution but takes a lot less time.

Besides the two MCUs of the pilot, I have added the viewport for the TEDAC of the copilot/gunner.  I have also decided to attempt to use the “switch” command in DCS to change my HOTAS from the pilot commands to the copilot/gunner commands.  I am using switch 24 on my WH throttle panel as the switch command.  Hopefully, this will enable me to avoid having to get another joystick or buying an Xbox controller.  Only time will tell if this works.

The first picture below shows the pilot profile with the center panel as a placeholder to add additional buttons and switches for the pilot seat. 

In the second picture, in the lower left corner are 2 buttons.  The top button labeled “pilot” is the default for the placeholder stuff to appear.  When the “pilot” button is pressed, the placeholder panel is hidden and the TEDAC viewport appears (hopefully). 

Finally, in the third picture, when I activate switch 24 on my throttle, a red line appears at the bottom of the “C/GUNNER” button to indicate that the switch command in DCS has been activated.  One more thing that I would like to do is to figure out how to combine the above paragraph and this paragraph into one command. 

I have no idea if any of this will work, but it was fun to learn a little bit more about using Helios.G

Great work, i think a touch screen/helios solution will be a very clean and neat solution for Simulating the AH-64 cockpit! 

What resolution touch screen would you recommend for your profile?  I have bene using helios fairly succesfully, although my touchscreen monitors resolution is not great.

the worst is that my computer doesnt always recognise the touchscreen as the screen used for touch..... not sure how to get a workaround for that,

 

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SparrowHawk003

22 inch 1920x1080 resolution. 

In the Helios control panel, open up the "Prefs" button and in the next page down is a 2nd click suppression.  Set it on and move the arrow all the way to the right and see if that helps. 

Also, I sometimes have to try to calibrate my touchscreen 3 or 4 times before windows recognizes it.  However, 90% of the time I find it easier and more precise to just use the mouse.

Scaley

I am still playing with the profile.  The developers of Helios have confirmed to me that I cannot have Helios trigger the button on my Hotas that I have set to activate the "switch" command.  So for now, I have to physically press the button on the hotas to set the switch command in DCS. 

As a test, I am attaching the main monitor panel and the profile just to see how that transfers to others.  I have a CH throttle quadrant and I am using button 11 on it to set the switch command in DCS.  You will have to chose your own button if you do not have the TQ. 

All suggestions are welcome.  This has not been easy and I am still learning. 

If either of you are not on CaptZeens helios profile discord channel, you should join it now. 

 

APACHE NOV_11_TQ11_v2.hpf

PILOT PROFILE WITH TADAC AND SWITCH 24 ON.png


Edited by sobe

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The latest version.  I added some controls for the UFC in the lower right and cleaned up some of the other stuff.  I am hoping to put some buttons in the lower left that would otherwise go on the overloaded HOTAS.  Untitled.png

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Attached is my "gold" version of the Apache profile prior to the official release of the module.  Obviously, until the actual key commands are released, this profile is only a guess as what the buttons/switches do.  I ended up putting a number of commands located on the HOTAS on the lower left portion of the profile.  These commands do not seem to be needed to fly the helio and therefore, do not seem to be needed on the HOTAS. By doing so, and by my using both shift and switch DCS commands, I was able to place all of the remaining buttons and switches described in the manual that are located on the HOTAS on my WH TM HOTAS.  This includes the commands for George, changing the cockpit for the pilot/CPG and the TEDAC.GOLD VERSION.png

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Mapi

Was your keyboard view port that was exported, just the top part of the keyboard or the entire keyboard?  As you can see from my Helios profile, I had assumed that only the top part was exportable?  

What lua file did you use for the TEDAC?

 

Have you tried to export the flare and chaff count in the CMS?

 


Edited by sobe

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First Helios test results

It appears that for the view ports, there has to be one set for the Pilot and another set for the CPG.  For example, I have the MFDs and the TDU working fine for the CPG but when I go into the pilots seat, the TDU does not show up and the MFDs that show up in the pilot seat are those of the CPG and not of the pilot.  Further testing required.

Subsequent testing.   It appears that until a mod like the lantirn mod for the F14 is developed, only the CPG will be able to view the TMU (the middle screen).  

In the CPG seat, everything appears to work.  HOWEVER, IN THE PILOT SEAT, the export files appear to only pick up the MFDs for the CPG and not those of the pilot.  The result is that when you are in the Pilot seat in the Helios profile, you are only getting the MFDs of the CPG.  However, the MFDs of the pilot work fine in the actual game cockpit.  I am not sure why the export file is only exporting the CPG MFDs and not those also of the Pilot.  One possible explanation is that alphabetically, cpg comes before pilot and therefore it only picks up the cpg mdfs.  I tried to name the MFDs differentlyPILOT.png for the pilot and gunner, but that did not solve the problem. 

Here is the CPG Helios profile.CPG .png

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11 hours ago, sobe said:

First Helios test results

It appears that for the view ports, there has to be one set for the Pilot and another set for the CPG.  For example, I have the MFDs and the TDU working fine for the CPG but when I go into the pilots seat, the TDU does not show up and the MFDs that show up in the pilot seat are those of the CPG and not of the pilot.  Further testing required.

Subsequent testing.   It appears that until a mod like the lantirn mod for the F14 is developed, only the CPG will be able to view the TMU (the middle screen).  

In the CPG seat, everything appears to work.  HOWEVER, IN THE PILOT SEAT, the export files appear to only pick up the MFDs for the CPG and not those of the pilot.  The result is that when you are in the Pilot seat in the Helios profile, you are only getting the MFDs of the CPG.  However, the MFDs of the pilot work fine in the actual game cockpit.  I am not sure why the export file is only exporting the CPG MFDs and not those also of the Pilot.  One possible explanation is that alphabetically, cpg comes before pilot and therefore it only picks up the cpg mdfs.  I tried to name the MFDs differently for the pilot and gunner, but that did not solve the problem. 

Here is the CPG Helios profile.

Hi Sobe,

 

Good work! nice to see you have done some extra work on the profile. more buttons.

I used your initial draft and noticed the same problem.  I think you need to find the names of the specific viewports that DCS uses to recognise the all the MFCD etc etc.

The terms "Left_MFCD and RIGHT_MFCD" can work for all planes, but as you can see from my monitor.lua file some planes have their own specific naming convention. Like for the gazelle and the 10C II, but also F18 and F14 will have this. see below from my Lua

LEFT_MFCD = { x = displays[2].x + 328, y = displays[2].y + 1466, width = 625, height  = 625 }
RIGHT_MFCD = { x = displays[2].x + 1431, y = displays[2].y + 1466, width = 625, height = 625 }
A_10C_2_LEFT_MFCD = { x = displays[2].x + 278, y = displays[2].y + 1224, width = 430, height  = 430 }
A_10C_2_RIGHT_MFCD = { x = displays[2].x + 1425+217, y = displays[2].y + 1224, width = 430, height = 430 }
A_10C_2_CDU_SCREEN = { x = displays[2].x + 1223+217, y = displays[2].y + 1723, width = 222, height = 163 }
A_10C_2_RWR_SCREEN = { x = displays[2].x + 631+217, y = displays[2].y + 242, width = 185, height = 185 }
SA342_FM = { x = displays[2].x +1877-1377, y = displays[2].y +1540, width = 180, height = 30 }
SA342_NADIR = { x = displays[2].x +1753-1377, y = displays[2].y +1670, width = 339, height = 185 }
SA342_RWR = { x = displays[2].x +2194-1377, y = displays[2].y +1101, width = 231, height = 231 }
SA342_TV = { x = displays[2].x +1697-1377, y = displays[2].y +1085, width = 455, height = 360 }
SA342_UHF = { x = displays[2].x +1831-1377, y = displays[2].y +1804, width = 150, height = 32 }
SA342_WP1 = { x = displays[2].x +1827-1377, y = displays[2].y +1621, width = 195, height = 30 }= { x = displays[2].x + 328, y = displays[2].y + 1466, width = 625, height  = 625 }
 

Could you share your new profile again so I (try to) can help?

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Today's experiment.  I renamed the MFDs of the CPG and kept the current names of the Pilot MFDs.  However, nothing changed.  I am going to put together a zip file of everything I have done so others can try their own experiments.  Someone did get the Pilot MFDs to appear in Helios, but I have not yet been able to do so. 

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just found this on another thread

 

" The viewport names are mentioned in <dcs folder>\mods\aircraft\ah-64d\cockpit\scripts\displays\MFD\device\MFD_device_IDs.lua.

PLT_LMFD, PLT_RMFD, CPG_LMFD, CPG_RMFD (I believe, the center monitor viewport is named TEDAC)"

not sure if this helps. 

 

If you had a button to switch the profile from CPG to pilot and Visa versa, like the capt zeen one for the Huey? 

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Attached is my monitor config file for the pilot ((1920x1080) x 2), my changes to the init lua files to enable the exporting of the view ports and the Helios profile.  Note that the Helios profile does contain a sound file which is discussed in the Capt Zeen Discord>Helios support>march 14th>look for my discuss with Linknet.   If the zip does not work, i can load the separate files. 

ZIP.zip

For the time being, I have left my Helios profile such that in the CPG seat, my second screen has the CPG MFDs and TMU.  In the pilot seat, I have to use the MFDs from the game cockpit with zoomed snap views making them more readable and usable.


Edited by sobe

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4 hours ago, sobe said:

Attached is my monitor config file for the pilot ((1920x1080) x 2), my changes to the init lua files to enable the exporting of the view ports and the Helios profile.  Note that the Helios profile does contain a sound file which is discussed in the Capt Zeen Discord>Helios support>march 14th>look for my discuss with Linknet.   If the zip does not work, i can load the separate files. 

ZIP.zip 29.46 kB · 5 downloads

For the time being, I have left my Helios profile such that in the CPG seat, my second screen has the CPG MFDs and TMU.  In the pilot seat, I have to use the MFDs from the game cockpit with zoomed snap views making them more readable and usable.

 

Would you mind sharing the Helios profile also? 

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SparrowHawk

I thought it was in the zip.  Don't let the names confuse you. 

sound.ap.10.bak sound.ap.10.hpf sound.ap.10.hply

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On 3/9/2022 at 3:38 PM, sobe said:

Obviously, until the actual key commands are released, this profile is only a guess as what the buttons/switches do.

I'm working on making a Helios interface for the Apache that can be pulled into a profile to directly bind button commands. I've got the MFDs done so far, and expect I'll have the KU done tonight.

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