A question about Lua input files

[tjhowse]

When I was setting up a home-made AHCP the only way I could find to bind a switch to, for example, TGP on/off was to make it fire a toggle on either the up or down signal from the the joystick button that represents the TGP switch. I can't work out how to make it send an absolute command, rather than just a toggle. If I don't have all the switches set to the correct positions upon startup then my switches get out of sync, requiring clicking in the cockpit to get them aligned again.

 

I was wondering why the AHCP seems to be a second class citizen in terms of available bindings, when other panels have individual commands for the on and off states, like the EAC switch:

 

EAC: Individual state bindings

{down = iCommandPlane_EAC_ARM, name = 'EAC Arm' , category = 'LASTE Control Panel'},

{down = iCommandPlane_EAC_OFF, name = 'EAC Off' , category = 'LASTE Control Panel'},

 

TGP: Toggle

{down = iCommandPlaneAHCPTGPOnOff, name = 'TGP switch ON/OFF', category = 'Armament HUD Control Panel'},

 

Does anyone know why this is the case? Does anyone have a workaround?

 

Thanks,

tjhowse.

[ivanwfr]

If you bind it yourself like this, I think that's all you can do from your side:

 

[656] = { ["name"] = "TGP switch ON/OFF", ["category"] = "Armament HUD Control Panel", ["down"] = 1383, ["combos"] = { [1] = { ["key"] = "JOY_BTN1", }, }, },

 

When a toggle is bound to a DirectInput switch, its state should be detected by the process if startup is made correctly...

 

[edit]After some more thoughts, I would say that from this point of view, DirectInput has 64 distinct switches input states to report. Sensing only transitions rather than states would be a bad way to handle input events and I don't think DCS does a bad job from what I've seen so far. Could you be more specific on how what you expect is not working as it should?

 

[edit 2]As a matter of fact DCS A10-C cold start does not care about the current state of the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog console switches. I first have to sync them to what I see on the screen. This is true even for those 2/3 ways well defined switches like LASTE:

APPAT_MO = DX27

APAH = #51 (middle)

APALT_MO = DX28

... you need define only 2 values, the third being a fall-back default. Maybe you won't do better than TM after all.

Edited May 8, 2011 by ivanwfr

[tjhowse]

There is a setting in the DCS: A-10C menu which says "Sync HOTAS on startup", or something to that effect. This will solve the problem you're having.

 

My problem can be described thusly:

 

TM Warthog EAC switch example:

Game starts, EAC ingame is off, but switch on warthog throttle is on.

Player flicks EAC switch on warthog throttle to off, EAC swich ingame doesn't move.

Player flicks EAC swich on warthog throttle to on, EAC swich ingame turns on.

 

AHCP TGP switch example:

Game starts, TGP switch ingame is off, homemade AHCP TGP switch is on.

Player flicks homemade AHCP TGP switch to off, TGP switch ingame toggles to on.

Switches out of synch. Must manually resync.

 

Because the TGP switch doesn't have separate on and off commands, unlike the EAC switch, I can only toggle the state of the TGP switch upon state change of the TGP button from my homemade AHCP.

[ivanwfr]

Thanks to remind me about the Sync configuration option, I've buried this one among all those yet to digest details of my new hobby.

 

Back to the subject, I can point out that keyboard and DirectInput states may have different effect you could investigate while binding the function. Device Analyzer shows those input current states when EventTester wouldn't when it is started after a key has been pressed and not released...

 

[edit]Looking at this from TARGET point of view PULSE'ing a key when you flick a switch explains very well the situation you describe. (PULSE is the recommended way to handle virtual keyboard events as it avoids stucked pressed keys)... But it's also the best way to keep being out of sync with no way out.

 

Instead, DirectInput two-ways switches are reported through their current on/off states at any given time... leading back to my own concern BTW ;)

Edited May 8, 2011 by ivanwfr
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