Helios And Fc3

[OverDhill]

Moved this from another thread to stay on topic there.

Helios works really well with Falcon BMS. I also use it for IL2 (using UDP Speed for gauges). I am working on a Freespace 2 Open skin for controls (about 90% done).

You obviously have an advanced version of TB. Does your RWR/TEWS exports work on a networked PC or just on a second monitor?

Last year I tried registering on the TB website but with out success. I really like Helios. It plays well with other applications like MFDE and UDP Speed as well as Falcon BMS's own extracted gauges and MFD's.

I would love to get a FC3 skin that is as robust as my Falcon BMS one. It has just about everything functional.

[Snacko]

Sorry, yes I knew it worked with Falcon too.  I think he did special programming to make it work with both DCS and Falcon.  I am wondering if you can get Helios to work with 'any' game you want?  Or is it just specific to Falcon and DCS. 

 

How does it send commands to other games?  What interface would you use in Helios to send commands to other games.  Like Clod?  Or a car race sim, or FSX?  I didn't think it could do that...

[OverDhill]

Well if your talking about sending keyboard commands then yes it can do use Helios for any game/sim you want running a network PC by using a small app called Pittools. Pittools has both client and host applications for sending keyboard commands from one PC to another. I use it all the time and it is what I used for Freespace as well as FC2. You just assign keystrokes to the buttons or controls. They then get sent over the network when a button is pressed.

[OverDhill]

Here is my Helios skin for Freespace 2 Open
 


help screen popup

[OverDhill]

Just to keep it all in one place. Here is my current FC2 skin. I will be going over and making changes for FC3

 

Pittools webpage

 

http://gigurra.se/gurrasPitTools/

Export script file for DSC Lockon FC3 to use Helios

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=97222

[OverDhill]

Snacko does your RWR/TEWS exports for Touchbuddy work on a networked PC or just on a second monitor hooked to the main PC?

[Snacko]

I think so, but I can't remember. I don't see any posts about users complaining that export does not work in network mode though... I have only used local mode.  But either way, you can just map a network path to the location of the TB export data file and tell TB where it is.    But TB will send keycommands over a network.

 

Somebody posted this over on the TB site.  It's a new touchscreen app.  Looks interesting...

 

http://power-grid.roccat.org/en/Home/

 

Here's a couple profile samples:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj129/aliveathome/ROCCAT_Power-Grid.png

http://power-grid.roccat.org/en/Store/Grids/Games/Simulation/145/

[OverDhill]

Its Touchbuddy rendering the RWR/TEWS or creating them from data exported or are they coming from DCS and you are displaying them in TB?

[OverDhill]

Update:

 

I got the Leavu export working with FC3. Bad news is that Leavu and Helios does not play well on my client PC. Leavu displays will flash garbage on the screen when run together. That is why I never used it for my FC2 skin in Helios.

 

It is a start at least knowing FC3 can export some of the displays to a networked client.

[Snacko]

The RWR/TEWS; Warnings Panel; and Loadout are all rendered by TB using number data in the export file.  This was all developed way back for Lockon 1.0. 

 

Question:

If you run Helios in network mode, can DCS send it's MFD and other displays to the networked pc, or do you loose that ability by going client-server with Helios?

 

Also, how much of a framerate difference does it make to run Helios in local vs client/server?

[OverDhill]

Helios never did do MFD's or other displays but it does do gauges and controls. Most people using it either use MFDE or BMS's own extractor and place them in blank areas on your Helios panel. As for DCS I am not sure if it will do networked extraction for the displays. All I have found is threads talking about doing it to a second monitor on the same system.

 

I will have to check into TB again. Do you have a screenshot of your Lockon FC2 panel?

[Snacko]

Attached are screenshots of 3 TB profiles I have been modifying to work with my 23" touchscreen.  I have just been moving several of the tabs onto one or two tabs since I have more room.

 

The Su25t profile is pretty much done.  I have been testing with it.

 

The other two are works in progress.  DCSFC3wip is just my old FC2 profile with the flights, fighter, and bomber tabs all moved onto one main tab so far.  There are a few commands that are duplicated, and need to be removed.  And the layout needs to be improved.  But I think most of the commands are there.

 

The DCSFC3F15wip is RuggButt's F15 profile.  I never really flew the F15, but since I really like this graphic I thought I would update it and give it a try.  Unfortunatly about 2/3 of the buttons are just for looks (they are not buttons).  But it still looks cool, and I may make changes to it.

 

I have played with making a Huey profile, but since it's in beta I didn't want to was too much time on it.  So, it's just got some ugly buttons so far.

 

 

[Snacko]

I read a post by PeterP on the DCS forums about setting all of this cockpit stuff up.  Basically he was saying it was a lot of work that may not be worth it with sims that already have a clickable cockpit.  He showed a post of someone who just put their large touchscreen in front of the 3 main game screens and had the game use this screen also.  So, he always had the cockpit in view on the touchscreen anyhow and could touch the switches. 

 

I was thinking of trying that when my new rig comes.  I just probably need to map a button to pause TrackIR so the screen doesn't move and I can touch the switches.  Maybe a foot pedal or something to keep my hands free...

 

I think I would just have to tell DCS my monitor size (total width and height) and it should work.  But I don't know if you can get other games to use the 4 displays that way.  Just have to try I guess, and see how they handle it.

[OverDhill]

That might be fine for A-10C but FC3 does not have a clickable cockpit. 

 

I did play with LEAVU some more and it all works (I had 4 displays at once) with FC3 but again when you try and run it with Helios the LEAVU displays go crazy. It is a shame as they look pretty sweet. I really need to figure out why they are doing that. So I can run Helios and get all the gauges and run LEAVU and get the displays but not together.

 

I did fire up a TB panel (just picked IL2 sample I had) and it did not mess up the LEAVU displays.

 

I will keep digging. To be honest not having the displays on the touchscreen is not as much of a loss as not being able to have quit access to controls but I would really like to get them working.

 

I chose FC3 because it had a simpler flight model as I am not sure I am ready for A-10C yet and also like the F15.

[OverDhill]

Looking at your screen shots and the ones on the website I don't see any gauges like RPM, Altimeter or ADI. Are these not possible to get in TB?

[Snacko]

TB does not have any other guages.  But you can always cut transparent holes in a background and find some other way to display anything you want.

[OverDhill]

Do you have a TB profile for FC2 or 3 that I can play with? I want to check out the RWR/TEWS displays. Thanks

[Snacko]

Yes, you can download the small profile designed for smaller screens on the TB website here.

 

Attached to this post is the Export script that I have got working with DCS/FC3.  (If you want to test FC2 you can download that version here)

I assume you know where to put those export files?  (C:\Users\xxxxx\Saved Games\DCS\Scripts)

The new DCS/FC3 version will write the TB export data to: C:\touchbuddy-export.dat

 

To configure the export to load into TB you need to edit the touchbuddy.cfg file and look for this line:

lomac_data_file = C:\touchbuddy-export.dat

 

The new export for FC3 is what I use and that line should look just like that.

If you download the FC2 version, the .zip should have a readme that tells you how to set that line, and where the export writes that file.

 

Then start TB and your game and give it a test.

 

If you want my unfinished FC3 profile I can share that with you.  But it is unfinished..

TouchBuddy_DCS_Export.zip

[OverDhill]

I get "You do not have permission to use the Send to Friend feature."

 

Sure I will take a look at yours also. Thanks

[Snacko]

Are you registered at the TB site?  Maybe you need to be logged in for that page..  Try this.

 

My New FC3 profile is attached.  It does not include every tab since it's a WIP and has over 2 gigs of training videos and maps, etc..  I just included the profile which would just be the buttons and TB modules (rwr, loadout, warnings).

DCS FC3.rar

[OverDhill]

Well I have it working. The TEWS display is updating. I did not see any changes in the Caution Lights Panel but that may be just that nothing was going on.

 

I have played around with my Helios FC3 skin and rethinking what you mentioned about seeing the instrument panel with TrackIR. Actually looking directly forward I can see the Vertical Situation Display (VSD) and TEWS Display Unit perfectly without even glancing down. Even looking down and moving forward the Caution Lights Panel on the FC3 F15C screen is barely readable. I think they assume you will listen to all the warnings being spoken.

 

On the 24" touchscreen I can see the following gauges updated in real-time in Helios:

 

Mach Meter

Attitude Director Indicator (ADI)

Altimeter

Horizontal Situation Indicator (not sure it is fully functional)

Engine Tachometers (right and left)

Fan Turbine Inlet Temps FTIT (right and left)

Angle Of Attack (it was off by +12 degrees but fixed the Export script file)

Vertical Velocity Indicator

 

Here is what I have so far. I am not really going to miss the VSD and TEWS as they are both clearly visible

 

 

[OverDhill]

Ok I did get to see the caution lights panel working. I wonder why Gadroc did not include the CDU since it was included in FC2 (at least the later version). Oh well.... maybe Helios 2.0 will have it when ever that comes about.

[Snacko]

I am not so sure the he is so interested in working on that anytime soon.  I pm'ed him when I saw that he was from my town and he said something about spending more time with his wife and kids.  I hope he does thought, because he has a great app there.  I wish Zorlac had not bailed on TB, but he did it for the same reason.  His wife was complaining.

 

It would be cool if he would make Helios and Open Source app, so other developers could take it to the next step and continue if he does not.