DCS loses focus

[moggel]

(I have only seen this in VR so I assume it's not a thing in pancake.)

What happens, quite often, is I realize DCS no longer responds to physical buttons (HOTAS and other devices). Axis seems to work fine though. I have a TM Warthog HOTAS and also a SIM GEARS ICP (I'm pretty dedicated to the Viper) and both devices become "numb" when this happens, so it's probably not relating to the hardware itself.

What I need to do is quickly ALT+TAB to a different app and then back to DCS. That usually fixes it. Very annoying, especially when you realize nothing's happening when you try engage NWS after landing and the plane becomes unresponsive to rudder input and is starting to skid off to one side, or when you quickly need to work your switchology flow, running in for a ground attack while AAA is whizzing by on all sides.

Worth noting is that the "Window is out of focus" message, that usually appears when another window have obtained focus, does not appear in this case (until I actively ALT+TAB, of course).

Has anyone else seen this: Is it a bug in DCS or Windows? Any known workarounds (other than ALT+TAB)?

Edited May 23, 2022 by moggel
Clarified a bit

[speed-of-heat]

I usually avoid this by running in full screen mode

and or forcing it with ALT+ENTER

[moggel]

2 hours ago, speed-of-heat said:

I usually avoid this by running in full screen mode

and or forcing it with ALT+ENTER

I actually wasn't aware I could go full screen with VR but I'll see if I can figure it out. Thanks!

[cfrag]

You may also want to try the "Cursor Confined To Game Window" setting (in SYSTEM), so a click outside (unseen in VR) will not lead to a context switch.

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by cfrag

[Igor T]

Hello! Faced this problem, the mouse cursor does not work. can you advise what to do?

[speed-of-heat]

minimise the WMR window Maximise the DCS window, click in the DCS window.

 

If that doesnt work, bring up the WMR menu, and then close it , then click in the DCS window

[Igor T]

The first does not help, and if you close WMR, DCS closes with it.
When you click on the DCS icon, the mouse cursor moves only along the top border of the desktop

Thanks!

[speed-of-heat]

I didn't say close it,i said minimise it. 

[Steel Jaw]

On 5/23/2022 at 4:08 AM, speed-of-heat said:

I usually avoid this by running in full screen mode

and or forcing it with ALT+ENTER

AFAIK this hurts VR performance.

[Igor T]

11 часов назад, speed-of-heat сказал:

I didn't say close it,i said minimise it. 

Pressed, does not help!

[speed-of-heat]

The reason you are having problems is that the Wrong Window has the focus, this happens becuase you click outside of the Dcs game window, minimising the other windows that are in view reduces the likelihood, maximising the Dcs window removes it.

12 hours ago, Steel Jaw said:

AFAIK this hurts VR performance.

You are wrong.  If you have disabled full screen optimisation for dcs as per https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/104080-enable-disable-fullscreen-optimizations-windows-10-a.html

[Hiob]

12 hours ago, Steel Jaw said:

AFAIK this hurts VR performance.

Quite the opposite.

[Igor T]

8 часов назад, speed-of-heat сказал:

The reason you are having problems is that the Wrong Window has the focus, this happens becuase you click outside of the Dcs game window, minimising the other windows that are in view reduces the likelihood, maximising the Dcs window removes it.

You are wrong.  If you have disabled full screen optimisation for dcs as per https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/104080-enable-disable-fullscreen-optimizations-windows-10-a.html

Thanks a lot! Helped!

[maajr57]

On 7/30/2022 at 10:24 AM, Igor T said:

Hello! Faced this problem, the mouse cursor does not work. can you advise what to do?

I have also been struggling with this problem and I think I have found the problem! Yahoo! DCS loses focus when we click outside the game. We don't realize this when we have a VR headset on. I found that when I would click on the flap control in the P-51D which is very low, I would be starting other programs on my Windows task bar. My mouse viewed through my headset in VR was on the flap control but my mouse outside VR on my screen was on Microsoft Edge or P3D on the Windows Task Bar! The solution is to make sure you are running DCS with a full screen with the mouse cursor confined to the game. The mouse cannot be allowed to click outside the game to work other programs or the problems start. DCS should address this problem because being confined to DCS without access to other programs and windows is a burden. DCS needs to be closed to access other programs in this mode.  I hope this helps everyone. Please test and post your experiences here. Thanks.

Edited August 20, 2022 by maajr57

[Flappie]

Hi maajr57. Doesn't a simple Alt+Tab allow you to switch from DCS to another app?

[maajr57]

Point noted Flappie but that's not the way I normally change applications. I will start using it now to switch out of DCS to use another program. Any thoughts on the other issues like launching Microsoft Edge when raising the P-51D flaps? 

[Flappie]

Does that happen with "Cursor confined to game window" option enabled?

[maajr57]

Nope. That was part of the solution in my post but that prevented using other programs until Alt-Tab. I think most users just click to another open program rather than Alt-Tab wherein lies the Window Out Of Focus issue.

[KoN]

i close all windows down in VR accept the game window . And this is at full screen but use VR resolution in VR tab .