Anyone not seen Helios in Action with DCS A10-C

[majapahit]

How did you get the touch screen to work Loz? I can't seem to get mine to work on the correct screen unless the touch screen is set as my primary monitor.

 

win7

Control Panel

"Tablet PC Settings"

Configure / Setup

"Touch this screen to identify at as the touch screen"

 

you need - default -

TabletInpuService SERVICE running (autostart)

[98abaile]

Ok Sorry I'm using Win7.

If you open the Start Menu and type at the bottom in the search, either Touch or Calibrate you should come up with, as an option, "Calibrate the screen for Pen or Touch input"

It is also available in "Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Tablet PC Settings/Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input"

 

If you are not using Win7, I've no idea. Not even sure that touch screens are supported below Win7.

Lol, the advice you just gave me, I've seen before and it stumped me then. I know windows needs a reinstall (it won't accept the SP1 update), do you think that's the problem?

 

What OS and touch screen are you using?

W7 64bit with an AOC e2239Fwt

 

EDIT:

you need - default -

TabletInpuService SERVICE running (autostart)

That was the problem, I'd forgotten that I'd disabled it while tweaking. Thanks.

Edited July 8, 2011 by 98abaile

[Duke]

Absolutely awesome setup Loz, probably the best I've seen so far. Similar to Spike, I also run a nVidia setup. Mine is 2XGTX580's running 3x26" monitors at (3X)1920X1200 and as you stated correctly, you cannot drive another monitor using any combo of nVidia cards, even if you had a tri or quad setup, which seems to be the biggest limitation of going the nVidia route. The only thing I don't like to much is the pop ups for the side panels which I guess would be cured by using multiple touch screens.

Maybe this would be best asked over at the Helios forums but I'll ask anyway. Would it be possible to run a setup like mine as my main view and then run a secondary networked PC pushing the 3 touch screens? I have a very capable 2nd PC I built for my son, also with nVidia SLI (2XGTX280's) that I could use when he's in bed or at school or whenever the hell I want ;)

If that would work all I need is 3 new touch screens.

[Loz]

Thanks Duke. Glad you liked it. I've improved the profile even more now and version 2.1 is available for download at scsimulations.com if you are interested.

What you suggest for your setup sounds very feasible but I am not well up on that, so the best place to ask would definitely be the forums for Helios.

 

Using the popout side panels is not ideal but the only option for me, without the extra touchscreens........Stop it. don't tempt me. :megalol:

 

Edit: Just found a whole thread about network support in Helios HERE

Edited December 27, 2011 by Loz

[Duke]

Thanks for the speedy reply, looks like running the networked PC will work :) which will be a big bonus for not only nVidia users but all multi monitor users by offloading all the processing requirements to a 2nd PC.

Loz, I also noticed in one of your vids that even though you display functioning MFCD's on your Helios profile, you still have at least one TM MFCD hooked up to your box. Why is this?

[Gadroc]

Be aware that you will not get RWR, or MFCD actual displays on a networked computer. Helios does not render those. You can render the bezels but not the actual displays themselves. DCS is the one that has to draw the MFCD displays (they are actual 3D renders of the game world and not reproducible outside the game engine.)

[Loz]

Thanks for the speedy reply, looks like running the networked PC will work :) which will be a big bonus for not only nVidia users but all multi monitor users by offloading all the processing requirements to a 2nd PC.

Loz, I also noticed in one of your vids that even though you display functioning MFCD's on your Helios profile, you still have at least one TM MFCD hooked up to your box. Why is this?

 

To be fair I've never benchmarked the hit, taken for exporting to a fourth monitor, but I don't think it is much. Someone else may be able to quantify that. But things are certainly a lot easier with the eyefinity setup, to ouput to multi monitor.

The TM MFCDs were there just because I hadn't bothered to disconnect them!

I don't use them anymore and really should put them for sale. :thumbup:

[Duke]

Be aware that you will not get RWR, or MFCD actual displays on a networked computer. Helios does not render those. You can render the bezels but not the actual displays themselves. DCS is the one that has to draw the MFCD displays (they are actual 3D renders of the game world and not reproducible outside the game engine.)

So really as it is, nVidia users wanting to run a triple screen environment and run helios would have to have some of their main 3 screen real estate used by MFCD's and the RWR and use 1 or more touch screens networked for all the other panels/gauges or switch over to ATI ... Ugh! ;)

[Loz]

Yea not so good for "Green" owners.

Four screens or more, time to go "Red"

Seriously though a single HD6970 is as good or better than anything else for running this type of setup as things stand at the moment.

 

UPDATE EDIT as at Sep 2012

 

A bit out of date this, but didn't want to sound too much of an AMD fanboy. Now Nvidia do make single cards that do support 4 monitors.

Edited September 16, 2012 by Loz
UPDATE

[Cowboy10uk]

Wow, can't believe it's taken me this long to see this profile. Although have been looking at building a full pit for a while, but with the amount of new aircraft now on their way, I'm leaning towards a multi use pit, and Helios looks to be the best way with that.

 

Must say this is the best profile I've seen, it fits what I'm after perfectly, love the stunning idea of the pop ups to save on space and monitors. Has to be the best solution for us who are just starting in Helios and only have limited space and funds at mo.

 

Would I be pushing my luck in asking if you've managed to do anything like this for Blackshark?

 

If I go the route of Helios then of course I'll be hoping to use it on A10 ( sorted ;) ) BlackShark and P51. Hoping there will be updates to add the P51 cockpit soon.

 

Keep up the great work.

 

Cowboy10uk

[Loz]

Thanks Cowboy

Sorry to say that I haven't made a BS profile but if you look in the downloads section of Gadroc's new site http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/downloads you will see that the man himself plus at least one other has.

Good luck :D

[Cowboy10uk]

Thanks for the reply Loz, now downloaded your profile, gadrocs bs profile and Helios and even had the wonderful wife agree to me getting a touchscreen monitor. Acer T231 now in Basket.

 

Can't wait to see this thing in action.

 

Cowboy10uk

[DayGlow]

Has Helios development and expansion for DCS World modules stalled because of real world commitments?

 

I'd love to see new modules as the 3rd party modules come out, but there seems to be a lot of inactivity on the development forums.

[Rivvern]

I just found this thread and I just want to take the opportunity to thank you Loz for the great A10 profile. I have modified it slightly because i have the TM MFDs instead of the virtual ones in the profile.

 

I can not fly the A10 without Helios and your profile no more.

[Loz]

You are more than welcome Rivvern.

Glad you are enjoying using the profile.

:D

[docfu]

Be aware that you will not get RWR, or MFCD actual displays on a networked computer. Helios does not render those. You can render the bezels but not the actual displays themselves. DCS is the one that has to draw the MFCD displays (they are actual 3D renders of the game world and not reproducible outside the game engine.)

 

Thank you for posting this. You just saved me a TON of trouble...

 

P.S. Loz: Nice setup, if I decide to invest more money into my setup, a touchscreen will definitely be the way I go.

[Loz]

Good decision Docfu. Adds so much more to the immersion, and although the touchscreen is not so essential for general windows use, the four screens are certainly helping with watching as many Olympic live feeds on the BBC, as I can. ;)

[Dachs]

Hi Loz, I just wanted to say thank you for the profile. I just got done setting Helios and your profile up, and it's really a work of art.

That would likely have taken me forever trying to figure all that out, so I most definitely owe you a beer! :beer:

[Loz]

Glad you are enjoying it Dachs, and thanks for the compliment, but I have to add that my work really only complimented some fine work done by others, in particular, of course, Gadroc, without whom it could not have happened.

 

I have often pondered why he did not make a more realistic looking tool set, but I suppose apart from it being only applicable to DCS A-10C there might also have been a problem of copyright with Helios, initially being a full commercial venture.

 

But thanks again :thumbup:

[Dachs]

Nighttime version?

 

Loz, have you given any thought to maybe do a night version of your panels?

I did a night refueling hop yesterday, with the lights in the room turned off, and the touchdisplay was rather annoying with all it's brightness. While I did turn the monitors hardware brightness control all the way down, it was still much to bright for nighttime.

 

I wonder if it's possible to darken out all the inactive bits of the Helios dash and put some sort of green filter over everything else?

A simple hardware fix for it would be to put a dark green transparent sheet of sorts in front of the screen, provided that the touch function don't go bonkers over that..

 

I can't fire it up to check right now, but the panel and instrument light rheostats don't have any effect on the Helios dash, they just dim the lights in the "in-sim" virtual pit, right?

Edited September 20, 2012 by Dachs
Added title

[Deigs]

A night ops version would be awesome!

 

Loz thanks for the awesome profile and cheers Gadroc for this fantastic software.

 

I have one small question. Very new to all this and you fine gents have completely changed my A-10 experience. I have the 4 monitors, 3 in eyefinity, centre mounted touchscreen. How do you guys use the Radio Communications menu? I see when the radio button on my warthog makes the engine dials disappear, did the comms menu originally sit under there?

 

How do you use Helios and still see the menu options?

[Dachs]

Hi Deigs,

I moved the radio menus as per PeterP's instructions, wich can be found here: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=88996 amongst a lot of other good stuff for multimonitor users.

For actually using the comms menu, I use VAC (voice activation)

 

[url=http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=88996][/url]

[Deigs]

Thank You Dachs for pointing me in the right direction. Did a bit of research, played around and I have it working where I want it. Thanks mate.

[TomDK]

hehe , due I know that Gadroc and some of the smartguys familiar with Helios are reading in this thread:

 

1+

 

Yesss, it would be great to have the Helios interface dimmable like the cockpit :) On nightmissions it looks a little strange that the Helios monitor is not night illuminated. That would be a great tweek !