Support for X52 Pro MFD SDK

Hi, I am new to this forum, but I have been around for a while and neither did a search for x52 dig up information about this topic nor was it ever mentioned in the large Forum FAQ section which I scanned through from beginning to the end. :smartass:

When BS is released I would prefer to play it with my Saitek X52 PRO Throttle. The throttle comes with an interactive MFD, which can be controlled by the flight sim application or a respective plugin gathering information from the flight sim.

With the help of the MFD SDK anyone can implement a plugin for this purpose. The plugin can retrieve in-game info about the flight status and displays these on the MFD. :thumbup:

With this feature, you could display "Incoming Missile" and change the LED for the Chaff & Flare Release Button on the Throttle from green to red when the threat of an impact is imminent. You could display Gear and Trim Status or Waypoint Information when it changes and there is endless more potential in this feature. :joystick:

Please have a look at this page for more information about the interactive MFD:

http://saitek.com/uk/prod/x52pro.htm

BS seems to become a brilliant flight simulator and it would become perfect if you added support for the MFD SDK. This could either happen by providing an API so advanced users can implement the MFD plugin on their own OR by having the MFD functionality realized directly by the ED Dev Team.

As I am a software developer on my own I would prefer the first solution, as there is an infinity of possibilities for the fan community. Anyone could contribute to this feature.

What would you say - wouldn't that be a perfect addition to the TrackIR feature BS already comes with?

.......With this feature, you could display "Incoming Missile" and change the LED for the Chaff & Flare Release Button on the Throttle from green to red when the threat of an impact is imminent......

And therein lies the danger...........short of visually aquiring a launch in the Shark, there is no other way in which you are going to be forewarned!

Having a feature that is akin to a MLWS and even more - imminent impact warning - to name but one, is probably not the best idea and would inevitably open the floodgates to a plethora of other 'features', in all probability adding to the detriment of the simulation - specifically in a Multiplayer environment.

Probably not such a Good idea IMHO.........;)

+1 Viper

Why would you simulate something that doesn't exist in a hardcore-simulation like BS?

Not even daring to speak about the consequences for all the many people out there, who don't have an X52pro.

@Viper

You are right - if visual contact is required then my example is a bad one, Sorry. Furthermore, I did not mean immediate impact warning, but warning about possible impact because a missile launch has been detected.

I indeed want to preserve the realism of the vehicle. However, even though the missile launch warning system is not valid for BS it could be a realistic feature for the other modules to come.

The intention of my example was solely to visualize WHY the MFD Plugin would be a good thingy - feel free to imagine what many other REALISTIC information about the helicopter the plugin could display...

@Feuerfalke

If I understand you correctly you believe that enhanced support for the X52Pro would outcompete people who do not have this item?

Then you do also have to consider removal of TrackIR Support, because THIS system is the REAL advantage - 6DOF is such a neat thing in aerial combat.

One other thing: If you fear that X52Pro Throttle will be such an advantage in the game, then why not get yourself one via ebay? I got mine for 25Euros - not too expensive, is it?

Bei ebay Deutschland sogar. Check den Verkдufer nadine120981 - der verkauft gelegentlich X52Pro Throttles ohne Joystick - im Zweifelsfall einfach mal per privater Nachricht anfragen.

TO the OP: The possibility for you programming your MFD is there, since there are LUA exports of various flight devices - at least in LOMAC. I can't comment on BS right now since I'm under NDA.

Well, OMEGASquad, that example doesn't really fit:

If you don't have a TrackIR with VectorExpansion, you can still use the 6DOF-cockpit. Not by moving your head, but by moving the view with keys. Or you can use a webcam as tracker.

If you don't have the X52pro functionality, though, you just don't have access to a feature that DIRECTLY effects competitive gameplay, if you implement the feature as you described it.

So, to make your example work, the alternatives rather should be:

Fixed forward view or 6DOF-cockpit. That would also stop you from using some important features.

And then, of course, not all people have access to a 25Euro X52pro throttle, nor do they want to drop their own HOTAS just to have fency blinking buttons.

@GGTharos

Thanks for your helpful reply - I will investigate on the LUA interface and try to get familier with this opportunity.

@Feuerfalke

Well, I think the comparison is not too bad: I see a severe competitive difference between view steering via keyboard and looking-around via a visual tracking system.

This is like a bicycle messing with a car and the same applies to the throttles: There should be no restriction just because there could be a competitive advantage for one system or the other.

Sorry that we do not share the same opinion - this thread was not to try to talk anyone into a new throttle. Sorry if that was what you understood.

Sure, but you're still missing my point, but this is only partially about the hardware!

If the system you described ("With this feature, you could display "Incoming Missile" and change the LED for the Chaff & Flare Release Button on the Throttle from green to red when the threat of an impact is imminent.") is not implemented in the simulation, why make it available through additional hardware? This is what makes little sense IMHO in the first place. And THEN you only gain access to this "cheat" by using a X52pro?

The 6DOF instead is realistic, its in the game and more or less available for anybody. To what extend people use it is another question, as well as the hardware-options to achieve that.

That is why I said the thing with the fixed view: You would simply not be able to reach functions other people could activate in the clickable cockpit. Or you would have to add a blinking button to the HUD with the same functionality, but to my knowledge the KA.50 doesn't have something like you described above.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against output of flight-data on your display or stuff like that, but informations that are not available to the player by realistic means shouldn't be made available solely through a device you have to buy. Well, at least IMHO.

Hang on...Are you guys saying the ka-50 doesn't have an spo or rwr of some type?

EDIT: Did some research - The ka-50 DOES have a defensive system that will allow you to tell when, and from which direction, you are being lased by combat range-finders and laser designators. It is called the L-140 “Otklik” Laser Warning Receiver.

So: The ka-50 DOES have a way to detect a launch other than visually. I have no way to test the effectiveness of such a system and so I don't know how well it will work, but the fact remains that it is there, and is there for EVERYONE to see and utilize. Therefore, since it is an advantage that EVERYONE will posses, I see no reason why he cannot duplicate it on his MFD.

SO SO: I fail to see what the big deal is about exporting data for use with his joystick. People do this already with LO and have taken it much further than what he is describing. For an example, I would refer you to "touchbuddy" which has many of the same capabilities that he is describing. I am guessing in the dark here, but since the ka-50's L-140 LWR is mounted in a plain and easy to view area, and since it has nine different lights and indicators on it, I am assuming it would give ample (and probably audio) warning of any threat it detects.

Also: Since you already have a visual cue (and possible audio) for such threats in-game, all he is REALLY ASKING for is for the button on his joystick to change color from blue to red. Do you REALLY have a problem with his joystick changing colors? Mine doesn't change colors, and yet I feel no jealousy. Honestly, I don't really see WHY he wants to have his button change color, because I doubt it will give him any real advantage, but if that's what he wants, then he should have the right to try it out if the game supports exporting.

Also Also (And correct me if I am wrong here): Since you can't export something in the game which is not already reported in some way or another - ie incoming missiles, then there's really no worry about him cheating via exporting. All he can do is REPLICATE information that the game already gives him. If he wants to replicate it onto his mfd, what's the big deal?

What I see here is everyone jumping to the conclusion that OMEGAsquad wishes to cheat and aquire information from the game that is not available to everyone. And I believe that's just not what he intended by his post at all. He just has a cool MFD on his joystick, and he wishes to utilize it.

BUT: Even if exporting data NOT reported to the simmer were possible (and correct me if I am wrong and it is) then you really don't have a way to stop it. So you may as well not try. He is going to do whatever he feels will help him enjoy the game. And since ED has already made it quite clear that they will support exporting in BS (http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/index.php?end_pos=567&scr=default&lang=en), you may as well just let him get on with it.

The way I understood his idea is to have process for dropping flares/chaff automatically in case of being fired on. And I thought he wants to do this by using info from the game via lua export to tell him if missiles is inbound then for the software to automatically deploy defensive countermeasures.

I have an automatic fuel management system with an in-flight custom settable bingo that gets called out ... does that make me bad?

@ Kuky: If you will re-read his post, you will find that nowhere in it does he write the word "automatic." He simply says:

With this feature, you could display "Incoming Missile" and change the LED for the Chaff & Flare Release Button on the Throttle from green to red when the threat of an impact is imminent.

So...All that will happen is that his MFD will say "Incoming Missile" and whichever button he has mapped to chaff/flares will change colors. Obviously as anyone could see (I hope, although a few of you are making me lose confidence)...he would still have to press it.

Also: For his MFD to recieve information saying that a missile is inbound, his helicopter would need to be equipped with an SPO or RWR of some type. Since all it really has is the L-140 which only tells you that you are being lased and not when a missile is in the air, the point is moot. The only thing he will be able to export that might help him would be data from the L-140, and since it's already displayed in the game, I fail to see how he could possibly use such data to cheat...

And as always: Feel free to correct me if you have information that I do not.

Very Funny GG... the answer is NO :P

And you're right Rhino, I obviously missread his post :)

Hi, I am new to this forum, but I have been around for a while and neither did a search for x52 dig up information about this topic nor was it ever mentioned in the large Forum FAQ section which I scanned through from beginning to the end. :smartass:

 

When BS is released I would prefer to play it with my Saitek X52 PRO Throttle. The throttle comes with an interactive MFD, which can be controlled by the flight sim application or a respective plugin gathering information from the flight sim.

With the help of the MFD SDK anyone can implement a plugin for this purpose. The plugin can retrieve in-game info about the flight status and displays these on the MFD. :thumbup:

 

With this feature, you could display "Incoming Missile" and change the LED for the Chaff & Flare Release Button on the Throttle from green to red when the threat of an impact is imminent. You could display Gear and Trim Status or Waypoint Information when it changes and there is endless more potential in this feature. :joystick:

 

Please have a look at this page for more information about the interactive MFD:

http://saitek.com/uk/prod/x52pro.htm

 

BS seems to become a brilliant flight simulator and it would become perfect if you added support for the MFD SDK. This could either happen by providing an API so advanced users can implement the MFD plugin on their own OR by having the MFD functionality realized directly by the ED Dev Team.

As I am a software developer on my own I would prefer the first solution, as there is an infinity of possibilities for the fan community. Anyone could contribute to this feature.

 

What would you say - wouldn't that be a perfect addition to the TrackIR feature BS already comes with?

Let me take a brreath first, . . .. . . . . . . .

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@Rhino

Thanks a lot for your support. You understood my idea perfectly right.

This thread has not been started in order to know how to cheat.

Indeed I am solely heading for replication of in-game information to that hardware. What seems to be redundancy for some people can be helpful for other - and redundancy does not hurt anyone.

@All

Please don't get me wrong - there is no intention here to take the realism out of the game - there shall be no automatic counter-measures release or anything else what does not resemble the true system.

The aim of this thread was solely to know whether it is possible to support the player in case his hardware allows that - just like GGTharos who had yet another great idea on how to add to the value of the game with a custom tool telling about fuel status.

Well, now I do know the answer: ED provides the powerful LUA Scripting interface for its simulators. This was actually all I was searching for.

The x52 doesnt have any kind of automatic software like that. The MFD can display data that is output from the game. If the game developer does not have a function that will output user data that says a missile strike is imminent then there is no way to display that info or act upon it. Whoever develops a plugin has to make it translate that info into display data. It's pretty much the same thing as using a G15 keyboard.

I'm sure that whatever functions ED will allow for export in LUA's will not give any more info than what would be displayed on the game screen cockpit.