Voice chat: use module specific PTT keybinds and controls

[Northstar98]

Hi everyone,

In the recently released newsletter there was a document for the new voice chat feature, on page 10, there was a control menu example, with PTTs explicitly for voice chat.

Would it be possible to instead use the current PTTs/transmit switches and related controls that are already implemented for modules (which currently bring up the communications menu), allowing voice chat controls to be bound on a per module basis?

A possible difficulty however, will be the current communications menu, which is what the current controls bring up. Perhaps it could be set up such that if whatever PTT button/mic switch is quickly pressed and released (within a small fraction of a second) it brings up the current communications menu (allowing you to talk to ground crew, ATC etc, like we do now), and a press with a longer time before release inhibits the radio menu and just uses voice chat.

EDIT: Another possible problem with this is how would custom radios be facilitated? Particularly if you've got more radios than the module's switchology supports, perhaps that's where dedicated global keybinds could come in. Or maybe module specific 'custom radio x' binds.

EDIT: Deka with the JF-17 seem to be providing both a short-press/long-press option as described above, as well as a dedicated set of keys for the communications menu, and another dedicated set for voice chat, users can then choose what suits them best (personally, I think this is the best solution).

 

EDIT: Though, regarding the current system:

How are modules which have more radios than PTT switches going to be handled? For instance in aircraft like the Huey and C-101, there's only 1 transmit switch, and a selector to select which radio you're transmitting on. Will the current, dedicated, global voice-chat PTT binds key their own radios (allowing you to bypass the selector) or will they key transmit switches in modules?

So for instance, in the Huey, would the current 'cockpit r.1 VoIP PTT' bind transmit on whatever radio 1 is (and r.2, r.3 will be for whatever their respective radios are), or will it simply key the transmit switch, and the radio you actually transmit on will be controlled by the selector dial.

EDIT: modules seem to use their real world controls, and if there is a radio selector, you have to use it.

 

EDIT: @NineLine can this get moved to the appropriate section that was newly created? EDIT: Thank-you!

Edited February 15, 2022 by Northstar98
correction

[mobua]

I would rather see an addition of a VOIP category per module in the keybind and controls settings. This would give the user the freedom of mapping any key in accorance with their setup.

[bwRavencl]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb Northstar98:

Would it be possible to instead use the current PTTs/transmit switches and related controls that are already implemented for modules (which currently bring up the communications menu)? Allowing voice chat controls to be bound on a per module basis?

+1

[SharpeXB]

It would be great if you could simply double-map HOTAS or key controls to both the game comms/radio controls and the VIOP. Otherwise it’s all taking up too many buttons. 

[Northstar98]

3 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

It would be great if you could simply double-map HOTAS or key controls to both the game comms/radio controls and the VIOP.

My only problem with this is that it would bring up both, when ideally, I'd rather be able to differentiate between which I want to use.

For instance, if I want to talk on voice chat, it would also bring up the communications menu, I'd then have to key the PTT again to hide it, this might prove irritating for some users.

But if people aren't opposed to this, then I wouldn't say no.

3 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Otherwise it’s all taking up too many buttons. 

I mean, I'm more or less with you, and while I don't feel strongly about it, I'd rather have just 1 mic switch bind and it handle both, with some implementation to differentiate between them, though @mobua prefers to just having separate binds for the communications menu and voice chat.

Personally, either way I'd be happy even if I'm more on the side of just 1 set, but again, not something I feel strongly about.

[SharpeXB]

3 hours ago, Northstar98 said:

My only problem with this is that it would bring up both, when ideally, I'd rather be able to differentiate between which I want to use.

For instance, if I want to talk on voice chat, it would also bring up the communications menu, I'd then have to key the PTT again to hide it, this might prove irritating for some users.

Well then it would at least be just like SRS. Yeah you just have to bring up the comm menu to talk and then hide it. But mapping six different buttons to both comm and VOIP would be difficult. The long and short press idea would work. 

[Morat]

Are we overthinking this a bit? Shirley the correct way to go is to map to the real radio mic switches in the aircraft?

If you want extra freqs/channels over and above those provided in the cockpit, isn't that just Discord?

[Northstar98]

On 12/19/2021 at 10:33 AM, Morat said:

Are we overthinking this a bit? Shirley the correct way to go is to map to the real radio mic switches in the aircraft?

For me? Yes.

Though the main problem for me with this comes from the fact that we will have 2 communications systems: the communications menu used to talk to the AI (be that ATC, AI flight members, tankers, and ground crew) and voice chat.

Personally, I would like to use whatever transmit switch(es) present in the modules, rather than having dedicated, global, voice chats binds.

The issue with that though, is how do you differentiate between calling up the communications menu, and transmitting over voice chat?

For that, I suggested having a short press (i.e pressing the button and then immediately releasing it) bring up the communications menu (like it does now), but if the switch is held down, the communications menu is inhibited and it acts as a PTT for voice chat.

The issue that's been raised so far, is that some players like to simply 'mic click' by short pressing on whatever PTT switch, so far I'm not sure how to solve this.

If people are happy with being able to 'mic click' but just holding the PTT/transmit switch down for a little longer (say, half a second), then we're fine. Though some seem to prefer separate binds for voice chat and communications menu (and just use a modifier key) and some would rather it be one set of binds to do both.

On 12/19/2021 at 10:33 AM, Morat said:

If you want extra freqs/channels over and above those provided in the cockpit, isn't that just Discord?

I mostly agree with you in terms of custom radios, and I imagine most people who want to use them would just use an out-of-game solution.

The only difference is radios for Combined Arms (such as JTACs) and tactical commanders, where we don't have much of a choice other than to use a custom radio as CA units don't have their real radios present.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Northstar98
punctuation

[Northstar98]

It seems Deka has gone with the idea for the JF-17 in the next update, and it looks like they're going to provide both a separate keybind option and a short-press/long-press option for the communications menu and voice chat (just missing a communications menu only binding). Maybe that's the solution, have both separate bindings and a short-press/long-press for the communications menu/voice chat.

Quote

Support of radio com1/2 VOIP with new binding:

• HOTAS Throttle T4 Fwd/Bwd VOIP: for VOIP only
• HOTAS Throttle T4 Fwd/Bwd (w/ VOIP): quick push/release for radio menu
• HOTAS Throttle T4 Fwd/Bwd (w/ VOIP): long push (hold) for VOIP

Source

[viper2097]

I can't remember where, but I made exact that short/long press suggestion to ED for how the VOIP and COM menu should work as Deka seems to implement it now.

Thats by far the best idea imho and it would be great if that would work all over DCS.

[Aarnoman]

+1

[bwRavencl]

Am 19.12.2021 um 12:53 schrieb Northstar98:

It seems Deka has gone with the idea for the JF-17 in the next update, and it looks like they're going to provide both a separate keybind option and a short-press/long-press option for the communications menu and voice chat (just missing a communications menu only binding). Maybe that's the solution, have both separate bindings and a short-press/long-press for the communications menu/voice chat.

Source

This is the perfect solution and should be added for all modules!

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

Why the need for multiple PTT switch bindings? Pretty much every real life aircraft that I've flown has a single PTT switch for each pilot (some have a supplementary PTT switch on the glareshield but they're wired in parallel with the stick / yoke PTT switch). The different radios / intercom are selected to active in the COMM panel. Even in the older aircraft, you can select which radio is in use and your single PTT switch activates the mic.

I'm not going to use this feature if I have to set up 4 individual PTT switches. Am I misunderstanding how it works?

[Tarres]

Tested in the Mi-8 and works with only 1 PTT assigned. Radios are selected with the rotary selector.

A10C and M2000C for example need 3 and 2 assignations. They have 3 and 2 PTT IRL.

 

 

[Northstar98]

2 hours ago, Tarres said:

Tested in the Mi-8 and works with only 1 PTT assigned. Radios are selected with the rotary selector.

A10C and M2000C for example need 3 and 2 assignations. They have 3 and 2 PTT IRL.

That's good, I'll edit my OP.

[Tarres]

The main known issue is that you need different PTT for VC and IA comms.

Maybe as Northstar98 said, a "short/long pulse" will be the best solution.

One test that I want to made is in the Mossie: IRL pilot controls the SRC and copilot has the control oof the T/R1154-5.

In the Huey, we need a separate "copilot folder" in the key assignment part, like in the Hind and Hip. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Tarres

[Northstar98]

On 12/24/2021 at 5:04 AM, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Why the need for multiple PTT switch bindings? Pretty much every real life aircraft that I've flown has a single PTT switch for each pilot (some have a supplementary PTT switch on the glareshield but they're wired in parallel with the stick / yoke PTT switch). The different radios / intercom are selected to active in the COMM panel. Even in the older aircraft, you can select which radio is in use and your single PTT switch activates the mic.

I'm not going to use this feature if I have to set up 4 individual PTT switches. Am I misunderstanding how it works?

At the moment, you only have to bind as many PTT switches as you would need to in the real aircraft. Some have a single PTT switch but use a selector to select which radio you'll transmit on, others like the F-14 (pilot only), F-16 and F/A-18 have a separate PTT switch for each radio.

What I'm asking for is for options for how to set this up, as currently (apart from the JF-17) you have to use separate binds for the communications menu (used to talk to the AI) and voice chat, some modules have their own dedicated binds and some use the dedicated binds in the voice chat category (which is something more global).

What I would like to see is the following, across the board:

• Module specific controls allowing us to use the same bind for voice chat and the communications menu. I suggested in my OP that this be done by having a short press/long press set-up; if the PTT switch is press and immediately released, it would bring up/hide the communications menu; but if the PTT switch is held down, the communications menu is inhibited and it just transmits on voice chat. Only the JF-17 (so far) has this available.
• Module specific controls exclusively for the communications menu (every module but the MiG-19P (?) has this)
• Module specific controls exclusively for voice chat (only a few modules seem to have this; AJS 37, F-14, JF-17 and the Mirage 2000 have this so far).

Edited December 29, 2021 by Northstar98

[Northstar98]

On 12/24/2021 at 10:48 AM, Tarres said:

The main known issue is that you need different PTT for VC and IA comms.

Yes.

Though another major concern for me is that the voice chat PTTs are something global, rather than module specific.

Some modules have their own dedicated keybinds for voice chat and the radio menu (AJS 37, F-14, JF-17 and the Mirage 2000), but most (including all of ED's modules) do not.

On 12/24/2021 at 10:48 AM, Tarres said:

Maybe as Northstar98 said, a "short/long pulse" will be the best solution.

Personally, yes, I'd go for a short-press/long-press solution, as supposedly implemented in the JF-17 (I wonder if anyone has tested it?), whereby if whatever switch is pressed and then immediately released, it opens up the communications menu (and if this is done a 2nd time, it hides the communications menu).

But if the switch is held down, the radio menu is inhibited and it transmits on voice chat only.

But I'd do that in addition to having separate binds.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Northstar98

[Tarres]

Exactly 

[dutchili]

I am happy to see voice comms being available in the simulator itself instead of a separate tool. This makes it much easier for newbies and a better sim.

As radio comms work differently in modules, it would make sense to me that you just need to bind to the actual switches in the module so that the whole idea of a realistic sim stays as it is....or was.

The room option is nice for briefing and mission starts (instead of discord).

[ShaunX]

1 hour ago, Northstar98 said:

Personally, I'd go for a short-press/long-press solution, as supposedly implemented in the JF-17 (I wonder if anyone has tested it?), whereby if whatever switch is pressed and then immediately released, it opens up the communications menu (and if this is done a 2nd time, it hides the communications menu).

But if the switch is held down, the radio menu is inhibited and it transmits on voice chat only.

But I'd do that in addition to having separate binds.

That solution doesn't work if you're a Viacom user where you need to hold the PTT button while speaking your command to Viacom.

Only solution I can see is to use a modifier with radio buttons for AI, and no modifier with the same buttons for VOIP. Or vice versa if you prefer.

Perhaps even use a switch modifier rather than a held modifier to flip between AI and VOIP radio function.

[Northstar98]

57 minutes ago, ShaunX said:

That solution doesn't work if you're a Viacom user where you need to hold the PTT button while speaking your command to Viacom.

Only solution I can see is to use a modifier with radio buttons for AI, and no modifier with the same buttons for VOIP. Or vice versa if you prefer.

Perhaps even use a switch modifier rather than a held modifier to flip between AI and VOIP radio function.

I wonder if there's a possibility to integrate VAICOM where it can switch between voice chat and vaicom, allowing you to hold your PTT button for both.

But this is why it would be desireable to have both dedicated binds for the communications menu and voice chat, and the short-press/long-press solution.

[ShaunX]

Perhaps just a simple mic toggle button VOIP On/AI Comms off - VOIP Off/AI comms on

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by ShaunX

[Csgo GE oh yeah]

Wait can we not just tune in to the right frequency with our radio in the aircraft and be done with it ?

Edited December 24, 2021 by Csgo GE oh yeah

[Northstar98]

4 hours ago, Csgo GE oh yeah said:

Wait can we not just tune in to the right frequency with our radio in the aircraft and be done with it ?

This isn't related to frequency, in full-fidelity modules, you just tune the radio in the cockpit and that's it as far as setting frequency goes (presumably FC3 aircraft have to use the voice chat UI).

This however, is related to how you transmit on the radio.

Currently, for voice chat, there are separate, global, dedicated keybinds, solely for voice chat, so you have to use the same keybind for every module that doesn't have its own individual keybinds (which right now, only a small number do).

Personally, I would prefer to use the same keybind for both voice chat and the communications menu, for instance, have a short press that's immediately released bring up/hide the communications menu but if its held down the communications menu is inhibited and it acts as a PTT for voice chat. So far the JF-17 has this implemented.

Additionally, it would be good to get individual, dedicated keybinds for voice chat PTTs and the communications menu, for each module; right now, only the AJS 37, AV-8B N/A (?), F-14A/B, JF-17 and Mirage 2000C have the former, while every module has the latter.

It also might be useful for a keybind that does both, but you have a separate bind to toggle between voice chat and the communications menu.