Mobiflight -> DCS

[void68]

Hello,

using Mobiflight for MSFS and my homecockpit to quite an extensive degree I wondered why it does not seem to work with DCS. While MF uses FSUIPC and writes deep into the simulation it also is capable of just sending keys to, well, everywhere - they say over at their forum. Outputs don't work, but I don't need outputs for DCS, inputs are important for VR flying.

DCS recognizes all my sticks, even the 3D mouse, but fails to accept key inputs from my mobiflight formatted Arduinos. Ok, I understand / accept that DCS might not recognize the (manipulated) boards, but as every other program (Word, Excel, games, browsers) gets the keys from the MF-Arduinos I wonder why DCS just refuses to do so. I got 2 keyboards attached, one is recognized (shows up in the controls section) and still both work.

 

Anybody there who got Mobiflight working with DCS?

 

[98abaile]

It's up to mobiflight developers (or contributors) to get mobiflight working with DCS if they want it. For now DCS uses a similar user made solution called DCS BIOS.

[void68]

Thanks, after a fast glimpse it looks like a lot of Python, I will dig through it a bit. But perhaps I just define an Arduino as a joystick. A shame all my MSFS gear is useless for DCS.

 

Still I don't understand why MF's keypresses aren't recognized by DCS.

[98abaile]

Mobiflight doesn't send keypresses to the simulator, it sends commands specific to the simulator or module. It's like sending a wind shield wiper command to a bicycle. You understand flicking the stem, but the bicycle just gets a simple command and has no idea what a windshield wiper is.

[Viper1970]

I would be interested in this too, because I have some Arduino Megas lying around here that I wanted to use with Mobiflight for special inputs for the big birds like transport helicopter or aircraft in P3D. When I heard in the Mobiflight forum that you can also use simple keyboard emulation for virtually any program without depending on the FSUIPC, I was excited. I also immediately thought of DCS.

My HOTAS are all based on TM elektronics and my cockpit is almost exclusively implemented with Pokey's cards, but some things like my 4 Engine Throttle Quadrant and other future things I wanted to implement with Arduino Mega cards, because I still have a lot of them left and thought this would be usable as a pure keyboard input emulation for DCS also.

Actually, this should be possible if the keypresses are really purely simulated. DCS would definitely have to recognize this as well, since this is nothing different than input via a keyboard or eg. like TM TARGET or Joystick Gremlin also can do. The Pokeys cards also work without any problems in DCS, so the Mobiflight boards, should do the same.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Viper1970

[void68]

yes, I simply dont get it... MF folks say "it's DCS fault", DCS (the forum, tbh) say it's MF task. For me as a simple user it "get DCS to recognize keypresses from non.keyboards, simple!"

[Viper1970]

Is there an option in Mobiflight to specify to which program (.exe) it should send the emulated keypresses?

I once had a tool for FSX that also worked with other simulations (LinkToFS Arduino Keys), but only if you explicitly specified in the config to which program the keypresses should be sent. Even if you only wanted to test everything in Notepad, you had to specify the Notepad.exe.

The Pokeys cards I use are different, they send out keypresses in general, just like a keyboard does, no program has to be in focus.

Unfortunately I haven't done anything with Mobiflight for about 3-4 years, so I'm not up to date. But that will change soon, when I make my 4-Engine Throttle.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Viper1970

[void68]

MF sends everything out... I managed to get keypresses into Word, Notepad etc with ease. No need to define anything.

 

I remember from my old Falcon4 cockpit I used Xkeys back in 200x. Just sent keypresses and it worked.