How do you guys cope with switchguard?

[streakeagle]

If you check every time there is a patch like I do, you would be surprised by how often changes are made, even to long existing modules.

DCS patches change core items several times a year, resulting in changes in almost every single module.

The latest change is the new built-in radio/voice-chat functionality, which affected nearly every module that has lua edits.

I use Notepad++. Fixing one aircraft is painless. But when I used the Warthog throttle, I had custom scripts for a large number of aircraft. Sometimes, I would just finish getting everything caught up, when a hotfix or surprise patch would reset everything back to default. 

Mod manager programs don't really help me: I can paste all of the lua files over the updates in a couple of mouse clicks. Assuming there are no changes and blindly pasting over the new files can cause problems whether you use a mod manager or not. The only advantage the mod manager offers is automating the ability to swap between edited files and the latest versions provided by an update. I don't need software to do that. I could simply write a couple of batch files to backup/swap lua files.  What would help me is if only the files that had changed were updated by DCS, then I would know which ones need to be compared and patched back up.

I don't expect anyone to buy hardware to avoid a minor scripting hassle, but I will say that having switches that trigger a maintained DX button for every single position makes mapping controls much easier in most modules. It is only when modules have very poor scripts for mapping certain controls that I need to edit any lua files to get the desired results.

As for Target: I used the Warthog for many years. Target wasn't too bad aside from having to update the software every now and then, but the inherent limitations of using the graphical interface got in the way with many games. Using the advanced scripting option was no advantage over other means to get the same results. In DCS, the lua scripting was a simpler and better option for me rather than having to tie up my system with one more program running in the background while playing DCS. MSFS has such a horrible interface for mapping controls, that I always used the latest version of FSUIPC negating the need for Target. The only sim I played that Target was the best path forward was Steel Beasts Pro PE. So, I always had Target installed and up to date, but rarely used it.

[LeCuvier]

@streakeagle:That took me some time to read and try to understand. What I understand is that you're happy with your solution, whatever that is. I'll make it short and sweet: I'm happy with mine

[LeCuvier]

Just to add two other aspects that make me prefer the LUA editing approach:

1. There are various software solutions that allow you to program the command sequences that are produced upon activating a switch. This includes Target (by Thrustmaster) and interesting solutions like VoiceAttack, and there are a few more. Most of them emulate keyboard key sequences. I have used Target for some time long ago, and it certainly has some benefit if you have Thrustmaster devices. But I also experienced stability issues (like with most 3rd party software) and I got rid of target long before I bought the VIRPIL joystick and the DSD button box.
When I started to set up commands for VoiceAttack I realized that a very large proportion of the available bindings do not have default key sequences defined. So before being able to use VoiceAttack (or any keyboard-emulating software, I would have to define the many missing key sequences, without duplicating the existing ones. Well, I have stopped right there.

2. Many commands where we use UP/DOWN or INCR/DECR pushbutton bindings to rotate an axis are too "fast", and a few are too "slow". In most cass I can correct that by changing a "gain" parameter in "clickabledata" or a "value_down" parameter in "default.lua". Most of the "default.lua" files where I have added new bindings contain also these kinds of changes.

All considered, I find that the LUA editing approach woks best for me. Notwithstanding that, the best solution would be for ED to get their act together and ...
a) provide more comprehensive sets of bindings with well-tuned parameters
b) provide the flexibility for adjustments that would make LUA editing superfluous

[RogueSqdn]

On 1/6/2022 at 10:13 AM, streakeagle said:

If you check every time there is a patch like I do, you would be surprised by how often changes are made, even to long existing modules.

 

There's a mod out there that lets you save your edits in the Saved Games folder and applies them as DCS is launched.  You no longer have to edit LUAs after every update.

 

 

[streakeagle]

11 hours ago, RogueSqdn said:

 

There's a mod out there that lets you save your edits in the Saved Games folder and applies them as DCS is launched.  You no longer have to edit LUAs after every update.

 

 

That would have saved me a lot of time over the years of playing DCS when the Warthog was my throttle and quite a few aircraft needed a mod to make the flap switch work as well as anything I wanted to map to the other toggle switches. There is one benefit to doing file compares after patches: sometimes changes show up eliminating the need for the mod. But I would much rather have had "automatic injection", especially in some time frames where the patches and subsequent hot fixes were happening very frequently.

[hrnet940]

I have installed a small either ON-OFF-ON switch for my FIRE Guards and currently only one OFF-ON for my SPIN Recovery guard.  It only takes a split second to flip the guard switch and push the required switch.  It was quick and easy with only a small amount of deviation from the proper panel setup.  It works for me.  In the future I may move these the a special place, but like where they are now, I barely use them as I don't have failures running currently.  The SPIN guard I have used when I played with that on a few flights.

Happy Cockpit Building,

Wayne

F/A-18C Hornet Cockpit Builder

[Gipsy]

Hey,

 

First of all I would like to thank all the users that benevolently come here to help out other users. It is much appreciated and I've learned a lot.

 

I am in the process of building some panels for the MI-24 Hind and I came across some difficulties in assigning two toggle switches and respective covers bindings to my physical switches. I followed the useful help in this topic and for a row of 3 switches and covers, I have this edited in the default lua file:

 

{down = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_RELEASE_COVER_Ext,             pressed = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_RELEASE_Ext,                up = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_RELEASE_COVER_Ext,        cockpit_device_id = devices.WEAP_SYS,         value_down = 1, value_pressed = 1, value_up = 0,    name = _('Pilot Jettison Pylons Switch and Cover, UP/DOWN'),        category = {_('Weapon Panel')}},
{down = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_RELEASE_PU_COVER_Ext,         pressed = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_RELEASE_PU_Ext,             up = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_RELEASE_PU_COVER_Ext,    cockpit_device_id = devices.WEAP_SYS,         value_down = 1, value_pressed = 1 value_up = 0,         name = _('Pilot Jettison Launcher Switch and Cover, UP/DOWN'),        category = {_('Weapon Panel')}},
{down = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_EXPLODE_COVER_Ext,             pressed = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_EXPLODE,                     up = weapon_commands.Pilot_EMERG_EXPLODE_COVER_Ext,        cockpit_device_id = devices.WEAP_SYS,        value_down = 1, value_pressed = 1, value_up = 0,    name = _('Pilot Explosion on Jettison Switch and Cover, UP/DOWN'),    category = {_('Weapon Panel')}},

 

One of the switches (the third line of code) works flawlessly. It's perfect, my physical switch goes up and in the sim, the cover goes up followed by the switch. The other two don't work, even if it all appears normal and equal as the previous. My physical switch is activated and the sim cover goes up, but the sim switch goes berserk and just flicks on and off really fast, without stopping. Any thoughts?

 

They are connected through a Bodnar Board, BBI-32, and I've tested the switches in other bindings and they work as intended.

 

Thanks