Keyboard Mod - Diy Flight Sims

[Perfesser]

I stumbled onto this today.

It's mostly about building sim cockpits from PVC tubing.

I have to admit, the PVC pipe has the right look for a sim pit.

There is this cool IL 2 keyboard mod.

It looks like you take a regular keyboard, mount vertical but upside down(spacebar on top), and print out a bunch of decals to overlay the keys.

* Designed for the online WWII air combat pilot

* You don't have to memorize endless key assignments

* Use this modified keyboard in addition to your regular keyboard

If I didn't already have too much to do I think I would spend the $15.

http://www.rogerdodger.net/diyflightsims/il2_keyboard_mod.html

[Trout]

I stumbled onto this today.

It's mostly about building sim cockpits from PVC tubing.

I have to admit, the PVC pipe has the right look for a sim pit.

There is this cool IL 2 keyboard mod.

It looks like you take a regular keyboard, mount vertical but upside down(spacebar on top), and print out a bunch of decals to overlay the keys.

* Designed for the online WWII air combat pilot

* You don't have to memorize endless key assignments

* Use this modified keyboard in addition to your regular keyboard

If I didn't already have too much to do I think I would spend the $15.

http://www.rogerdodger.net/diyflightsims/il2_keyboard_mod.html

With no offense to the maker, it's like a "poor-man's" simpit. I love it. Maybe one day...

[Perfesser]

Yes but I am a poor man.

[Jabo]

Indeed, and don't forget that's 14.99 PLUS the cost of a keyboard too!

Jabo

[T_O_A_D]

Site is messed up, too many dogs humping it, must of killed his bandwidth. LOL

[BadAim]

Damn, I was hoping to avoid spending anymore money right now.........

[Snacko]

If you have a spare monitor or computer sitting around, you can use TouchBuddy. You don't need a touchscreen, you can just use your mouse.

[MadTrooper]

HI Snacko, if you try that keyboard mod please let us know what you think of it. I'dd probably be interested too.

Thanks

[Snacko]

I won't be trying that keyboard thing since i have a touchscreen with TouchBuddy. No need for it...

[MadTrooper]

ok thanks Snacko but if someone else tries it please give some feedback.

MT

[Mayhem]

Hey Snacko,

How do you use a second screen with a mouse? When I'm in IL-2 it hi-jacks my mouse so I can't do anything with it on my second screen. I though about trying to run IL-2 in a window but won't that give me a boarder if it's even possible to do? I'd love to be able to actually DO things on my second monitor while flying.

As far as that keyboard "mod" if you can call it that goes, you'd be better off pulling the controller board out of that keyboard and making a box with push buttons and (MOM) off (MOM) momentary toggle switches if your not concerned with any analog input for trim control, fuel mix, whatever. I'm doing the same sort of thing however I need 4 analog axis as well so I have to look a little deeper into the interface aspect. I jet 10 of those switches in mini form from Jameco for 12 bucks. They can perform 2 functions per so I have 20 key functions just on the toggles alone. With a USB keyboard gutted for the controller board you can get 100+ function. You could make one really cheap especially if you scrounge for push buttons of old equipment.. You'll be WAY more satisfied with the results. Alternatively you could buy one of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175105 those not quite WW2 fighter style it is very cyber jettish. I like it. It has 3 states for over a hundred total functions and a couple of analog axis as well.

[Snacko]

To get your mouse to leave your primary screen in IL2 and allow it to move to your other monitors while in the game, just do this:

- go to the iL-2 directory

- open conf.ini

- look for the [rts] section

- change "mouseUse=2" to "mouseUse=1"

- save file

[Mayhem]

To get your mouse to leave your primary screen in IL2 and allow it to move to your other monitors while in the game, just do this:

- go to the iL-2 directory

- open conf.ini

- look for the [rts] section

- change "mouseUse=2" to "mouseUse=1"

- save file

Ah kool, I'll have to try that. Thanks, that's a great help.

[Cold_Gambler]

To get your mouse to leave your primary screen in IL2 and allow it to move to your other monitors while in the game, just do this:

- go to the iL-2 directory

- open conf.ini

- look for the [rts] section

- change "mouseUse=2" to "mouseUse=1"

- save file

Ah kool, I'll have to try that. Thanks, that's a great help.

By the way, Touchbuddy is a really cool app. I love it. I use my old 18" LCD + mouse off on the side in FSX to park all map, nav eq't and radios.

A big +1 from me

[DD_Brando]

The use of plastic piping is definitely cool! I've been looking for a way to (re)build my simpit for quite a while, so this topic is quite an eye-opener for me. Thanks for posting it.

B

[Snacko]

By the way, Touchbuddy is a really cool app. I love it. I use my old 18" LCD + mouse off on the side in FSX to park all map, nav eq't and radios.

A big +1 from me

Thanks CG!

[Crash]

To get your mouse to leave your primary screen in IL2 and allow it to move to your other monitors while in the game, just do this:

- go to the iL-2 directory

- open conf.ini

- look for the [rts] section

- change "mouseUse=2" to "mouseUse=1"

- save file

Thanks for this info Snacko, however IL-2 minimizes when I click on the secondary screen How can I sort this?

[Snacko]

Thanks for this info Snacko, however IL-2 minimizes when I click on the secondary screen How can I sort this?

No, that is how Windows works. If another program or the Windows Desktop get the 'focus' by clicking or Alt-Tabbing to them, then fullscreen programs, like games will minimize.

TouchBuddy gets around this by having special code that does not allow it to ever receive the focus. You can click on a TB button and it will click it, but it does not receive the Windows focus as the current program, so the game keeps the focus and does not minimize.

But you can use TB for lot's of things. You could make a profile that displays a web page and use it as a web browser, then you can browse the net and not minimize your game. You can use it to display Word, Excel, documents, Images, anything a web browser can display....

[B16Enk]

You have TouchBuddy working with A10C Andy?

Just downloading it now, finally got around to checking this out.

Plus I'm giving Pinnacle Game Profiler a whirl, as it seems to work well with my CH/MSFFB2 setup!

[Snacko]

I have a nice profile for the A10A for DCS: Lockon 2.0 that came out several months ago. But not for this new A10C. That profile needs testing to see how many of the commands still work with the new game. I am guessing some with and some won't... Simple ones like gear up/dn and lights on/off probably will, but since the new systems are more complicated others may not.

Also, I am going to try and get the TB modules that get data from the game to display RWR, Weapons Loadout, and Warning Lights to display in TB for this new game. I had it working for Blackshark, so I am confident I can get them to work again. But right now the LUA Export Script is erroring out when trying to just open my data file. It says the file is being used by another process, but it is not.... Argg..

[B16Enk]

I could have helped with the TouchBuddy site move

This software is impressive, original developer live(s/d) in Cambridge 6 miles away!

Is it still being developed by the same guy, saw mention of an iPAD version..

[Snacko]

No, Zorlac, the original developer bailed on it about 2 years ago. So, go over and ask him for a disk with the software maybe??

Luckily, in the state it is in, it works pretty well. There is only one version of TB. It is written in Perl and some users have gotten it to work on other devices.

I helped Badaim get setup with it last week. Let me know if you need some help. You can edit profiles with my Toolkit, and also configure TB settings in the touchbuddy.cfg flie.