Are the Cougar MFD's worth it?

[DocSigma]

For those of you who are users of the Cougar MFD's, are they worth the purchase, and are they easily used with DCS A10C etc..? Thanks for the input.

[pitbull]

IMO, they are worth every penny. Relatively cheap, plug & play with DCS:A10C. If your so inclined, you can also use a second monitor to display the MFC content, and stick the MFD's on it. I did it and it's frikin' just awesome

 

go for it!

[LawnDart]

Aside from DCS: A-10, I love the fact that they are programmable in TARGET as well (alongside your other TM devices such as the Warthog or Cougar).

[shu77]

With MFD output on a second screen it is a complete game changer, you are probably 10 times more efficient in operation. even in FC2, with various useful keyboard presses around them they are great. Right up there with a HOTAS or a track IR IMO..

[Yskonyn]

I never realised they are only the frames with the buttons, not actual displays... odd to name them MFD's us it not? They do seem handy though.

[Steel Jaw]

So then say the TAD map would not be displayed?

 

USELESS then IMHO.

[Slammin]

They are very cool when you put a monitor behind them. I use an 8" touchscreen with 1024x768 resolution and when you export a display to the screen with a Cougar MFD attached, it is totally awesome. Too much of a framerate hit with A10 beta 3 for me right now when exporting, but even without exporting the display, I still prefer to 'press' the button with my finger rather than with the mouse.

 

Pretty reasonably priced too, for what you get.

[Swaty]

Agreed!

Check here (before A-10C)

 

http://www.hotas.gr/content/view/75/51/lang,en/

 

Even without display are great

 

[airdog]

This is my rig below and why the MFD's, a second screen and HELIOS is worth the investment

[WishMaster]

Is the MFD information coming from helios on that second screen?

[DocSigma]

That is impressive. Let me get this straight. You have two small touchscreen LCD's with video output for both MFD's and the cougar MFDs aligned over them and a second large format monitor displaying those different panels?

[airdog]

That is impressive. Let me get this straight. You have two small touchscreen LCD's with video output for both MFD's and the cougar MFDs aligned over them and a second large format monitor displaying those different panels?

 

Negative......I have 2 monitors...main is a1920x1200 24 inch the 2nd is a 18.5@1366x768. The smaller one displays the mfd's thru the DCS interface and all the helios gauges are displayed in the areas left blank.The cougar mfd's are velcroed to the monitor bezel. The helios program lets you build the cockpit however you want based on your monitor setup.

Better pic here though the cougars are on the bezel not the screen now

Edited December 13, 2010 by airdog

[Yskonyn]

Ah right...

Well if I ever lay my hands on another monitor I'll be buying the MFD panels too. It does seem to make your life a lot easier switching and controlling the different systems on board.

[BaD CrC]

So you can export the displays AND display the HELIOS gauges on the same screen?

This is getting interresting. I have been trying to have the 4 BS gauges displayed with the ABRIS at the same time with no luck so far.

[Flim]

Yes , you can display Helios over anything you want... in Windows or sim.

[Slammin]

So you can export the displays AND display the HELIOS gauges on the same screen?

This is getting interresting. I have been trying to have the 4 BS gauges displayed with the ABRIS at the same time with no luck so far.

 

 

You can do this with TouchBuddy as well but Helios sure makes it a lot easier!

[Yskonyn]

That name 'TouchBuddy' remains sounding awkward, even after this long. :D

[Slammin]

Yeah, TouchBooty would have been a better name for it :-)

[DocSigma]

I'm sold. Using them with the two 8' mini lcd's outputting the two MFD's to each frame. Now I just have to find two 8' lcd's with VGA compatibility and a 800x600 resolution.

[Flim]

We are not exporting the MFD info from DCS!! All that is done the same way as always. There is no way for us to do it... DCS really needs a separate program built into the sim that allows us to do that.

 

Helios is for instruments,panels, switches, etc...

[Loz]

Another option if you have a triple screen setup is as below.

 

 

 

So in answer to your origional question. Yes MFCDs are definitley worth it but beware, make sure they are Version 2 (It only shows this on a small label on the base.) As the first version had lots and lots of switch and unit failures. I returned two sets of them and I'm still haggling for my money refunded.

Edited December 14, 2010 by Loz

[LawnDart]

Pretty sweet setup you've got there... (but what is that Warthog doing on the desk???). ;)

[Loz]

I find it comfortable there, and means I don't have to go hacking into my study floor for a stable mount. Anyway ergonomicly it works, even though not realistic for the hog. RL flying has made me happy with it there.

[power5]

How did you display the mfd over top of the normal viewport?

[Loz]

How did you display the mfd over top of the normal viewport?

There is all you need to know in this thread :joystick::pilotfly:

 

My ../Config/MonitorSetup/WS2MFCDs.lua is below

 

_ = function(p) return p; end;

name = _('WS2MFCDs');

Description = 'WideScreen with Left MFCD on the left monitor,bottom right corner, Right MFCD on the right, in the bottom left corner, and camera on the center.'

Viewports =

{

Center =

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = 6052;

height = 1200;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = 5.23;

}

}

 

LEFT_MFCD =

{

x = 1520;

y = 800;

width = 400;

height = 400;

}

 

RIGHT_MFCD =

{

x = 4132;

y = 800;

width = 400;

height = 400;

}

 

Edited December 15, 2010 by Loz