Kneeboard Program - good for VR?

[schmiefel]

That could be a solution for you, too, ... but I have no clue, if you could let it interact with the OK. I tried Vaicom Pro myself, but my 'German English' language skills seems to be not good enough so that it gets what I say

[edmuss]

All this talk of kneeboards has enthused me to make a thigh mount for my tablet. Chopped a bit of 100mm thick minicell foam to make a saddle that sits on my thigh, the tablet is velcro'd onto it and I've drilled a 16mm home on one side to act as a stylus holder.

With a bit of luck it will be stable enough without needing to be strapped. I shall endeavour to make more use of it

[Lt_Jaeger]

I got my tablet as well on my leg. I use it extensively. Calculate GS to make tot, Max trap, writing down case 3 instructions, checking the MDC, looking up the vaicom command I forgot, peeking at the parameter for the LALD release, drawing stuff on the map to get my SA up because the RIO is AWOL and so on. Worth it every penny and very immersiv. 

[dburne]

3 hours ago, schmiefel said:

That could be a solution for you, too, ... but I have no clue, if you could let it interact with the OK. I tried Vaicom Pro myself, but my 'German English' language skills seems to be not good enough so that it gets what I say

I love Vaicom Pro for ATC comms along with tankers , nineline, etc. So far it is working fine in conjuction with OK not sure why it wouldn't really. It uses original kneeboard though for briefings and such. Although there may be a way to put them in OK, have not delved quite that far into it yet. Main thing I use it for is comms.  But I sure am enjoying OK now. It just needs a good guide written for old senile dummies like me. It is not one of those that just naturally comes to ya - or at least not me lol.

Edited January 4, 2023 by dburne

[dburne]

13 hours ago, schmiefel said:

That could be a solution for you, too, ... but I have no clue, if you could let it interact with the OK. I tried Vaicom Pro myself, but my 'German English' language skills seems to be not good enough so that it gets what I say

 

One more probably dumb question if you don't mind. I did like you illustrated for my Spitfire setup. The software also has these default categories, like Aircraft, Briefing, etc. Is it better to put these in the appropriate heading or just leave them separate like I have my Spit set up? I am so happy now I can easily view the startup routine for my aircraft in VR, this along with other ones I will add is a great help for learning a module without taking headset off.

Thanks again for the help,

Edited January 4, 2023 by dburne

[schmiefel]

23 minutes ago, dburne said:

The software also has these default categories, like Aircraft, Briefing, etc. Is it better to put these in the appropriate heading or just leave them separate like I have my Spit set up?

I always put additional informations - be it Startup Reference Cards or certain Map Data, Mission Intel etc. - into seperate Tabs and change this according to my needs, different AC from time to time. Maybe OK will have AC wise autoload kneeboards sometime, but I don't know if the dev has any plans for this or if its at all possible with his concept.

I think his default tabs are for certain data that DCS delivers itself like the radio messages or mission briefing data, if the certain mission provides such. I never dig in deeper into what OK can provide alltogether and just focused on adding something like Mudspike Manuals or quickstart references when I need them. Else I use OK as a real virtual tablet to take notes in MP mission briefings and during a flight / mission.

Edited January 4, 2023 by schmiefel

[dburne]

8 minutes ago, schmiefel said:

I always put additional informations - be it Startup Reference Cards or certain Map Data, Mission Intel etc. - into seperate Tabs and change this according to my needs, different AC from time to time. Maybe OK will have AC wise autoload kneeboards sometime, but I don't know if the dev has any plans for this or if its at all possible with his concept.

I think his default tabs are for certain data that DCS delivers itself like the radio messages or mission briefing data, if the certain mission provides such. I never dig in deeper into what OK can provide alltogether and just focused on adding something like Mudspike Manuals or quickstart references when I need them. Else I use OK as a real virtual tablet to take notes in MP mission briefings and during a flight / mission.

 

 

Great I will proceed as I have been, thanks so much! I am so happy now.

 

[nikoel]

On 1/3/2023 at 9:45 AM, schmiefel said:

Open Kneeboard really shines when using it in conjunction with a real graphics tablet - I use a rather cheap one from Huion (https://www.huion.com/de/pen_tablet/Inspiroy/H430P.html ) that I attach with a kneeboard (I use this one also used in real aviation: https://flyboys.com/products/flyboys-reversible-kneeboard-with-clipboard ) to my leg.

I found the configuration in Open Kneeboard rather straight forward: you can manage everything that's possible via the settings tab. E.g. to add a PDF file with startup procedures just go to 'Settings', select 'Tabs' and '+Add a Tab' in the upper right corner. Then you can select a single file per tab, but that could consist of several pages, that's why I prefer PDF files, or if you have just a bunch of e.g. PNGs put them all together in a single folder and add this to a new tab via the 'Folder' selection.

If you make a PDF with empty pages and add this to an extra tab you can even use this im combination with such a graphics tablet mentioned above to make your own notes - a really useful feature if e.g, you fly in MP with a group of others and have to remember special mission informations for your flight or when you get mission updates during a mission - like in real live. And with some training its quite easy to make notes while wearing a VR headset and not seeing your pen but just feeling the tablet under it - add some velcro or other physical marks to the writing area of the tablet and its quite easy to find the right position for writing notes.

To navigate through the tabs and pages in VR you have several options under 'Settings' and 'Input' to assign certain keys or controls to navigate up and down through the tabs and left and right through the content in the actual selected tab. Outside VR you can simply use your mouse to click the navigation symbols on the top of the application. The order of your tabs can be changed via drag and drop with your mouse when using Open Kneeboard on the desktop.

Some tabs are configured by default so that e.g. radio messages are collected in the 'radio log' tab or certain mission briefing data, if provided, are presented via the mission tab etc.

Most of this is mentioned in the Quick Reference Manual that Open Kneeboard shows after the initial setup and start. Be sure to download and use the latest version (https://github.com/OpenKneeboard/OpenKneeboard/releases/tag/v1.2.4 ) as the functionality has been growing pretty good  over the time.

I would rate Open Kneeboard as one of few really essential tools especially for flying in VR.

I also have a ten year old flyboys kneeboard from RL Sorties. After all these years, looks like they kept the same design. Are you at all able to post a photo of how you end up using the setup?

I was trying to picture this in my head, and I concluded by the dimensions of the Huion tablet that you have it attached perpendicular (or portrait if you will), Is that correct? Do you use the default clipboard or did do something a bit more fancy with say a velcro. Lastly, How's the cable management? Do you find that you sometimes step on the cable at all?

Sorry for so many questions, hope it's not too much

Thanks again

Edited January 5, 2023 by nikoel

[edmuss]

I have my huion tablet portrait, I'm still working out if I want it on left or right leg though - I'm right handed but the angle it sits at means it's more comfortable to write on reaching across.

Have to remember to have the huion software running before firing up OKB otherwise the 90° rotation doesn't get translated through and all sorts of fun and games ensues

[schmiefel]

5 hours ago, nikoel said:

Are you at all able to post a photo of how you end up using the setup?

Off course ... here are two photos to illustrate how I have attached this to the Flyboys kneeboard: The two velcro stripes are to feel where the writing area begins. On the second picture you can (maybe) see the accessorie bag and pen holder on the right side of the leg. To take notes I have simply made an empty PDF and imported it in a separate tab. The Hoteky buttons on top and the bottom of the tablet are configured within OK to move tabs up and down and to switch right/left in the content:

If one needs ist I can post my Huion tablet configuration as well.

[unlikely_spider]

Pretty much every module has kneeboard procedures in the User Files section, which you simply drop into the DCS folder in Saved Games. It's what I use for the built-in kneeboard function. Do those not have what you need, @dburne?

[dburne]

34 minutes ago, unlikely_spider said:

Pretty much every module has kneeboard procedures in the User Files section, which you simply drop into the DCS folder in Saved Games. It's what I use for the built-in kneeboard function. Do those not have what you need, @dburne?

Hmm perhaps they do, did not know about this. Thanks for the tip, would certainly save me some time.