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Apache profile using Helios for a second monitor


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vor 4 Stunden schrieb Alpha_Mo66:

Okkkk.. we are making progress. I am able to receive MFD overlays. However, they seem to be static on TSD page (RMFD) and WPN page (LMFD). Any suggestions on how i can turn them into interactive overlays?

 

Have you done this?

► Switching PLT/CPG MFD’s requires DCS client restart.

Display/Use CPG Co-Pilot-Gunner MFDs (Default):
AH64_LEFT_CPG_MFD = { x = 80, y = 1520, width = 480, height = 480 }
AH64_RIGHT_CPG_MFD = { x = 1360, y = 1520, width = 480, height = 480 }

Display/Use PLT Pilot MFDs:
-- AH64_LEFT_CPG_MFD = { x = 80, y = 1520, width = 480, height = 480 }
-- AH64_RIGHT_CPG_MFD = { x = 1360, y = 1520, width = 480, height = 480 }

I have two Profiles in the DCS-MonitorSettings - one for the CPG and one for the Pilot. You have to edit the C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\MonitorSetup\H_AH64D_Multiseat_SwitchPit.lua. I have f.e. a H_AH64D_Gunner.lua and a H_AH64D_Pilot.lua and have to select one before I enter the seat.

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6 hours ago, Scaley said:

Short answer - no.  This bug has affected all ED flagship modules since the Hornet released.  It affects both Hornet screens, all Apache screens, and I understand one of the Viper MFDs (although that may be fixed).  It's something to do with the way ED render exported displays and despite it being bug reported and acknowledged since 2021 there has never been an update from ED on a projected fix.  The Apache is worse than the Hornet (as in, the exported displays are darker).

The current best workaround is to use ReShade to MASSIVLY boost the brightness of the DCS rendering on your second display.  The Apache is so bad you may need to stack up multiple layers of brightness-boosting!

I'm planning on making a video of how to set this up since this topic is coming up multiple times per day in various forums.  

Please include me when youll have a guide for this...


Edited by hreich
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[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Pilot from Croatia

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16 hours ago, Alpha_Mo66 said:

Okkkk.. we are making progress. I am able to receive MFD overlays. However, they seem to be static on TSD page (RMFD) and WPN page (LMFD). Any suggestions on how i can turn them into interactive overlays?

You're probably seeing the CPG screens. If both the Pilot and CPG screens are exported to the same view port, the CPG screens will draw on top. If you're using the LEFT_MFCD and RIGHT_MFCD at all, in any modules, and have them defined in your monitor config you need to remove them. Unfortunately right now the Apache exports its screens to the two default viewports whether you want it to or not.

14 hours ago, Tobur said:

I don't know if this is the right place, but it seems people have some experience with external monitors here. My export of the MPDs to my small monitors works but it's very, very dark (video brightness knob already turned fully up, tried night mode, too). In game MPD screens  look fine. I don't have this issue with the A10 MFDs. Any ideas? Can I adjust brightness anywhere? 

Have you edited both the init.lua and LCD.lua files to redirect them to your view ports? 

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Another update to my Profile and Interface. This time I'm including both of them in a single zip file so you have everything you need to use it in one place. I'm pretty happy with this now as it is, so I probably won't be updating it as frequently going forward. If there are additional functions you would like to see in the Interface, let me know and I can add them.

Changes:

Added Pilot and CPG COMM panel, Added Pilot and CPG NVS Mode Panel (NVS Mode switch and Tailwheel button / indicator).

Screenshot 2022-04-05 022624.jpg

Screenshot 2022-04-05 022700.jpg

Screenshot 2022-04-05 022746.jpg

To install the profile, copy the contents of the Helios\Images and Helios\Profiles folder to your Documents\Helios folder, then open it in the Profile Editor and perform a Monitor Reset. 

To install the Interface, copy the contents of the Helios Virtual Cockpit folder to your Helios install directory, typically this is C:\Program Files. 

To use the Profile, you must install the Interface. If you want to use just the Interface, you can skip the profile files. 

Bunnys AH-64D Helios.zip


Edited by Bunny Clark
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Bunnyclark...I just installed your profile...One problem i have now is that i dont see frequencies exported to my tablet, and characters from keyboard unit are only visible top row of pixels...check my pic...When i open your profile and use reset monitors, your profile has 4 screens and i have only 2 screens left main 1920x1080, right exported second 1920x1080...

Maybe that is problem, and maybe i dont have the right monitor.lua file...It doesnt exist when i use your profile, can you  please share yours monitor.lua? Or point me how to get radio comms exported and how to move characters from keyboard unit up ?

image.png


Edited by hreich

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Pilot from Croatia

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43 minutes ago, hreich said:

Bunnyclark...I just installed your profile...One problem i have now is that i dont see frequencies exported to my tablet, and characters from keyboard unit are only visible top row of pixels

My profile doesn't include any monitor setup for screen exports. Since the Apache is currently misbehaving in terms of screen exports I've been setting up everything manually. 

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Ohhhh guys please help...after latest update i dont see exported mfd screens on my tablet..Is there a procedure to enable it back after updateing DCS?


Edited by hreich

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Pilot from Croatia

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55 minutes ago, hreich said:

Ohhhh guys please help...after latest update i dont see exported mfd screens on my tablet..Is there a procedure to enable it back after updateing DCS?

The update will overwrite all modified game files in your install directory. They're not gone though, they are moved to a backup folder inside your install directory. Copy them back into your install and things should be back to the way they were.

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On 4/4/2022 at 8:57 PM, hreich said:

I'm planning on making a video of how to set this up since this topic is coming up multiple times per day in various forums.

Hello,
Thank you @hreich for this RESHADE solution, which is quite obscure for me ;-(
So I too am interested in a little practical guide 😉


Edited by Fasu
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On 4/5/2022 at 2:26 PM, 313_Paegas said:

And can you explain how? 😉

Sorry, I didn't come back and update this thread. 

In case you haven't already seen it and still have questions, I've made a new thread that is a guide for setting up display exports for the Apache: 

 


Edited by Bunny Clark
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On 4/5/2022 at 12:37 PM, Bunny Clark said:

My profile doesn't include any monitor setup for screen exports. Since the Apache is currently misbehaving in terms of screen exports I've been setting up everything manually. 

Just to clarify - you're not using Helios to export any viewports, right?  Instead, you're using custom PLT and C/PG monitor configs to handle viewport exports?  If that's the case, do you have any tips on how to dial in the placement and dimensions of the exported viewports so they line up with your Helios profile?  Up to this point, I've been using trial and error and it gets tedious with all the DCS exits/restarts.

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1 hour ago, Smashy said:

Just to clarify - you're not using Helios to export any viewports, right?  Instead, you're using custom PLT and C/PG monitor configs to handle viewport exports? 

Correct.

Quote

If that's the case, do you have any tips on how to dial in the placement and dimensions of the exported viewports so they line up with your Helios profile?  Up to this point, I've been using trial and error and it gets tedious with all the DCS exits/restarts.

There are viewport objects in the Helios profile, they're just not setup to export to a monitor config. Open the Helios profile editor, select the viewport you want to place, and in the right hand panel Helios will tell you its current height, width, and X and Y position. Just type those into your monitor config, doing math for the position as necessary for your monitor arrangement. 

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17 hours ago, Clr4ils said:

Any chance you guys could rehost the profiles? Or could I just get the file that loads the profile into Helios that I can bind to? Thanks so much!

What do you mean re-host? The download in this post should still be available and the most up to date for my profile: 

 

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On 4/4/2022 at 6:56 AM, Scaley said:

Short answer - no.  This bug has affected all ED flagship modules since the Hornet released.  It affects both Hornet screens, all Apache screens, and I understand one of the Viper MFDs (although that may be fixed).  It's something to do with the way ED render exported displays and despite it being bug reported and acknowledged since 2021 there has never been an update from ED on a projected fix.  The Apache is worse than the Hornet (as in, the exported displays are darker).

The current best workaround is to use ReShade to MASSIVLY boost the brightness of the DCS rendering on your second display.  The Apache is so bad you may need to stack up multiple layers of brightness-boosting!

I'm planning on making a video of how to set this up since this topic is coming up multiple times per day in various forums.  

I'd love a video on the reshade brightness boosting. Even partial textual instructions would help get us started.

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On 4/5/2022 at 3:55 AM, Bunny Clark said:

Another update to my Profile and Interface. This time I'm including both of them in a single zip file so you have everything you need to use it in one place. I'm pretty happy with this now as it is, so I probably won't be updating it as frequently going forward. If there are additional functions you would like to see in the Interface, let me know and I can add them.

Changes:

Added Pilot and CPG COMM panel, Added Pilot and CPG NVS Mode Panel (NVS Mode switch and Tailwheel button / indicator).

Screenshot 2022-04-05 022624.jpg

Screenshot 2022-04-05 022700.jpg

Screenshot 2022-04-05 022746.jpg

To install the profile, copy the contents of the Helios\Images and Helios\Profiles folder to your Documents\Helios folder, then open it in the Profile Editor and perform a Monitor Reset. 

To install the Interface, copy the contents of the Helios Virtual Cockpit folder to your Helios install directory, typically this is C:\Program Files. 

To use the Profile, you must install the Interface. If you want to use just the Interface, you can skip the profile files. 

Bunnys AH-64D Helios.zip 4.48 MB · 63 downloads

 

I'd love to see you add the Fire Detection/Extinguishing Unit that is left of the EUFD in the pilot seat. Any chance we can get that in the next update?

CMWS panel off to the right would be slick as well.
Thanks!

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On 4/20/2022 at 5:43 PM, Jusif said:

I'd love to see you add the Fire Detection/Extinguishing Unit that is left of the EUFD in the pilot seat. Any chance we can get that in the next update?

CMWS panel off to the right would be slick as well.
Thanks!

I've already got the CMWS buttons and switches programmed into the Interface. I can do the Fire Detection Panel too pretty easily. Don't know if I will add them to my Profile, but once they in Helios they're pretty easy for anyone to add.

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9 hours ago, Bunny Clark said:

I've already got the CMWS buttons and switches programmed into the Interface. I can do the Fire Detection Panel too pretty easily. Don't know if I will add them to my Profile, but once they in Helios they're pretty easy for anyone to add.

Oh, I didn't notice the CMWS buttons and switches in the interface - I'll take a closer look knowing this.
Yeah, I figured you could update the interface much faster than I'd fumble through it.
Sure, I can manage adding them to the profile. I do have a few questions for you as I've already started thinking about adding the Fire Detection Panel to my profile

  1. What is your preferred way of grabbing cockpit images? The textures are very strange to work with - as they have many different layers. I honestly have no idea where the yellow is coming from in the Fire Detection Panel as far as the textures are concerned. I ended up taking a screenshot from within the model viewer at at a slight angle - as part of the cockpit was blocking that panel...
  2. How would you go about implementing the interesting ENG 1, APU, ENG 2 buttons that have a flip cover and have 4 light states?
    1. FIRE - OFF, RDY - OFF
    2. FIRE - ON, RDY - OFF
    3. FIRE - OFF, RDY - ON
    4. FIRE - ON, RDY - ON

My initial thoughts were to try and use the common guarded switch control, but the underlying control is a switch vs a button and the interaction with it is weird with a button.
The button under the cover would also have to react to two different pieces of game data... Is there an existing common button that can handle that?


Working around existing control limitations, I'm thinking of using a transparent button that handles RDY'ing the system when pushed, and does not change its state based on any game data. Three user images would live underneath the transparent button. One being the basic button graphic with no lamps on. The other two images would represent the FIRE and RDY lamps and have their visibility powered by their respective game data in the interface. I'm not sure about a 'push' state for the transparent button yet, perhaps a bit of semi-transparent shading around the edges.

For the button cover, I'm thinking of using two buttons (or switches for the swipe gesture). The first cover switch representing the cover-closed state would be positioned on top of the momentary button and when switched up it would hide itself, and the second cover switch would unhide itself. The second cover switch would represent the open state and would be positioned up and out of the way of the actual momentary button for RDY'ing the system. When the second cover switch was switched down, it would hide itself and the first cover switch would unhide itself.

This is my first time messing with Helios and a profile. I hope your expertise with the controls and guidance can reduce this complexity, but I don't mind working around things if needed.


The apache is making me do crazy things 🤪

Reference photo during a light test.

image.png

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Alright, here's an updated Interface. This adds: CMWS Panel, Engine Controls Panel, Windshield Panel, Canopy Controls, Pilot Fire & Extinguish Panel, and CPG Fire & Extinguish Panel. Thanks to @osram for some of the programming for the CMWS, Engine Controls, Windshield, and Canopy Controls. I renamed a bunch of his work to fit in with everything else, but the data values were handy to copy over from his Interface. 

1 hour ago, Jusif said:
  1. What is your preferred way of grabbing cockpit images? 
  2. How would you go about implementing the interesting ENG 1, APU, ENG 2 buttons that have a flip cover and have 4 light states?

1. I use Photoshop. The buttons and the lights both come from different files, the lights are done as a transparent overlay. 

You'll find the CMWS panel in ah-64d_cpt06, the FIRE DET / EXTG panel in ah-64d_cpt04, the switch guards are in ah-64d_cpt22, the buttons in ah-64d_btns, and the lights all in ah-64d_cpt_lamps.

2. Those are going to be tricky. The button guards I would do as a simple toggle switch, which covers another button object when in the down position. The buttons themselves will be a bit special. Helios can do lighted indicators as a standard function, but only if the button has a single light on them. That'll work fine for the Discharge buttons, but the other three need to be something else. I'd build them as standard buttons, with the FIRE and RDY text as transparent cutouts, and then put a solid block of amber and green behind each transparent part of the button and tie them to the indicator lights. 

I attached a modified version of my Helios profile I used for testing the fire panels. It's super rough and basic, but may give you a starting point for making a pretty version. 

DCS.AH-64D.hif.json DCS Apache.hpf

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Alright, I decided to try and solve this problem, because it seemed fun. And pulling textures is easy, so I made some more of those too you for.

Here's some new background panels for the CMWS, FIRE DET / EXTG, Engine Control Panel, and Windshield Panel. 

And all the buttons and covers needed for the FIRE DET / EXTG panel, and a Profile with a working example of one.

Screenshot 2022-04-22 155256.jpg

Images.zip DCS Apache.hpf

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1 hour ago, Bunny Clark said:

Alright, I decided to try and solve this problem, because it seemed fun. And pulling textures is easy, so I made some more of those too you for.

Here's some new background panels for the CMWS, FIRE DET / EXTG, Engine Control Panel, and Windshield Panel. 

And all the buttons and covers needed for the FIRE DET / EXTG panel, and a Profile with a working example of one.

Screenshot 2022-04-22 155256.jpg

Images.zip 1.75 MB · 0 downloads DCS Apache.hpf 641.33 kB · 0 downloads

The people's champion is at it again, this is fantastic! I'm glad this interesting problem was tempting enough to draw you out of Helios retirement. You should record your screen while you do the people's work!

I'll check these out shortly.

 

But seriously what file has the actual color data for the white/yellow elements?

image.png

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