Tpod flir setup help

[Ghostmaker]

Hi all quite new to all this and dcs so a big learning curve lol

 

Im wanting to use th tpod flir on the fa18, i can get it to start up and look forward what dcs key / hoa comands do i need to setup to actually move it around? So qhen in the air i can search and zoom in and out? Before designating a target to drop on.

 

I have a thrust master warthog

 

Cheers

Arron

[razo+r]

Moving is done by the TDC slew, you can either bind an axis to it or use buttons for up/left/right/down.

Zoom is done with the antenna elevation, or as an alternative by the buttons on the DDI.

[CBStu]

Don't forget that you need to have the small diamond in the top right corner of the screen where you have the flir. I usually run flir on the right screen so I SCS-R to put the diamond on the right screen. Then I click menu, then click flir, then click the vvsv (I think there is one more letter in there that I don't remember) button twice. That usually gets me to a curser type that I can slew. If not, flicking the SCS to the right will cycle through the various cursers until I get one that moves. I zoom w/ my mouse hitting various buttons to the left of the screen. I need to try the antennae elevation button next time.

[Czar66]

You can slew the flir to a waypoint with boxing weapon designate on the HSI or SA page. Given you already have the flir on one of the DDI, make it soi with SCS to the screen position (if it is on the right DDI, SCS Right. If it is on the left, SCS Left. Lower DDI, SCS down.)

To unlock it from the waypoint you repeat the previous SCS command to switch the tracking mode to area track without the center diamond. This is on the ATFLIR pod. PAGE 222 on the manual onwards.

If you want to place the TPOD at somewhere on the ground with the HMD/JHMCS (helmet mounted display). Press SCS up and UNDESIGNATE so you can see a clock style crosshair on the center of the HMD/JHMCS. Press designate to target at somewhere on the ground and all the aircraft sensors will point at that location, including weapons. Slew the FLIR to whatever you want to target from that point. PAGE 323 on the manual.


I fully recommend reading the manual or watching thorough guides as videos to get the system philosophy first.

This schematics can be helpful. 

Source:Dcs F 18 Flight Manual (windows.net)

 

[Ghostmaker]

Sorry all. Not been about so just replying now. 

New to all this, when i search for tdc under the dcs commands for the fa18c, i dont get any results. What else is this called or am i going mad lol

[razo+r]

Look under axis and there you should have it. 

TDC = Target designator control/cursor or similar. For the exact naming, refer to the manual. 

[Shimmergloom667]

14 hours ago, Ghostmaker said:

Sorry all. Not been about so just replying now. 

New to all this, when i search for tdc under the dcs commands for the fa18c, i dont get any results. What else is this called or am i going mad lol

You can mouse over any switch and see it's exact name in the pop-up box that you then get. That name is what you are looking for in the controls config as well.

[Ghostmaker]

Ok found it in the axis comands, however.... when i assign a new switch or hotas control you click the box and add the movement or button to the selected. For some reason when trying to add to the tdc on the hotas it doesnt even open to add to. If this makes sense

[Razor18]

Make sure you try it in the Throttle column in the first place. And you can only assign it to an analog stick axis (and not to a 4-way switch), if you choose Axis commands. On the TM Throttle, only the nipple under your middle finger will be the only analog axis there to assign it to.

[Ghostmaker]

Ok so the action is called

TDC Slew horrizontal (mouse)

TDC Slew Vertical (mouse)

When i click on the joystick section or the throttle section nothing happens, i can only open the actual pc mouse control section, for all other actions, i can assign stuff to them. Why (mouse)?

 

If i go onto f15E i have the TDC option without mouse so i can assign hotas to that one? Any ideas

Edited April 4, 2024 by Ghostmaker

[Phantom711]

Open. Your. Eyes.

Go down by 2 lines!
Take the „Throttle Designator Controller - Horizontal axis/vertical axis“ and assign axis to your liking.

[Ghostmaker]

Thought the TDC to control the Flir pod was Target Designated controller not throttle?

[Razor18]

Not sure I understand what you mean...

[Shimmergloom667]

14 minutes ago, Ghostmaker said:

Thought the TDC to control the Flir pod was Target Designated controller not throttle?

The TDC (or Throttle Designator Controller) is a control element ON the throttle. At this point you will have to decide how to control that element. With an axis or a button/x-way switch? The axis control is called Throttle Designator Controller - VERTICAL AXIS and HORIZONTAL AXIS that you may have to bind on your HOTAS, otherwise take a look at the same control in the non-axis controls of the F-18.

[Ghostmaker]

Ah i was getting confused between the phrase as the diagram a few posts up says target TDC. Also does it matter its not slew? Ill have a go in the morning and hopefully this will work

[Chaffee]

Have a look up on YouTube, mate: "DCS F-18 ATFLIR" or "DCS F-18 Litening"

Lots of good stuff, and they'll even show you how to set up controls, ripple JDAMS, use mark points, etc: Tricker, Grim Reapers, Wags, Deephack, et al.

Great stuff!

[Ghostmaker]

30 minutes ago, Chaffee said:

Have a look up on YouTube, mate: "DCS F-18 ATFLIR" or "DCS F-18 Litening"

Lots of good stuff, and they'll even show you how to set up controls, ripple JDAMS, use mark points, etc: Tricker, Grim Reapers, Wags, Deephack, et al.

Great stuff!

Cheers mate, thats great thank you ill have a look

[rob10]

One small point on the U-Tube stuff is to be careful because things may have changed since it was created.  So if something doesn't work the way the video shows and it's more than a couple months old it's worth doing some digging to make sure their hasn't been a significant change (i.e. in the radar).

[Ghostmaker]

Yeah had a look at the videos, i found that some of the dcs versions also changes how thinks look. Im on the latest 2.9 and some of the videos shown are early 2.7 and there loadout images and screens look different. Not to much to worry about though. 

 

Ok so i can now control the TDC via my throttle mouse, how do i make it alot less sensitive? Is that part of axis settings?

[rob10]

2 hours ago, Ghostmaker said:

Ok so i can now control the TDC via my throttle mouse, how do i make it alot less sensitive? Is that part of axis settings?

Yes, you can tune the axis with curves.  However the watchout there is that the Radar, SA and FLIR pages have very different base slew rates so it's a bit of a balancing act.  I have mine set: Saturation X 100, Saturation Y 55, Curvature 31.

[Ghostmaker]

4 minutes ago, rob10 said:

Yes, you can tune the axis with curves.  However the watchout there is that the Radar, SA and FLIR pages have very different base slew rates so it's a bit of a balancing act.  I have mine set: Saturation X 100, Saturation Y 55, Curvature 31.

Thanks mate for your settings ill have a go tomorrow and see if i can slow the movements down. Yesterday every slight touch of the TDC made it impossible to click on any object lol

[rob10]

2 minutes ago, Ghostmaker said:

Thanks mate for your settings ill have a go tomorrow and see if i can slow the movements down. Yesterday every slight touch of the TDC made it impossible to click on any object lol

Forgot mention a deadzone of 2 for this reason.

[Ghostmaker]

Cheers bud. Hopefully this fixes my crazy movement speeds 

[Razor18]

This way you maintain original max movement speed of each sensor at the far end of the axis movement range, but the initial  sensor moving speed will be damped.

You start with increments of let's say "3" going up each axis (0, 3, 6...) entered manually in each little window at bottom. At the end you leave the far right axis to 100 no matter what, then by adjusting the next to last slider with your mouse now you smooth oour the last "oscillation wave" on the curve graphic (ended up at 40 on my picture). If you need more damping, you start with increments of "2" instead of "3", or if you want to have more movement, you make increments of 4 or 5. Your discretion.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2024 by Razor18

[Ghostmaker]

Cheers mate, ill have a play with these settings aswell. And see what works for the best. Thanks for the pic it shows how to do this as well