KNEEBOARD Export for 'multimonitorsetup.lua' in all modules - DCS 1.2.4

Many thanks Peter ;)

I am a little nervous in trying out this mod as it usually takes me 2 or 3 times to get something right. Therefore, I have an idea. I will make a complete backup of my DCS World folder ["XDCS World"] and install the mod on the existing DCS World folder [the same for the saved games folder]. If things go bad, I can delete the DCS Folder and replace it with the backup. That way I assume nothing will be lost in my DCS folder, including the mods, etc that I already have in it that are working. Is this a good idea? I am a little concerned that the repair function could screw up my joystick and existing mods so I would prefer to do this my way rather than using the repair function as I have sufficient disk space. Any drawbacks to this idea?

With regard to the instructions for the A10, is the instructions for A and B alternatives so you can to A or B? If you do A, I assume nothing in your controller setup is lost. Correct?

Sorry I'm short at time , maybe someone else will answer your post in more detail.

Here are two quotes from the Documentation - please answer now your questions yourself:

before you edit: Make a Backup, make a Backup and make a Backup! - OK ?!

Please see the "Controller Profile edit.jpg" for reverence.

 

A)

 

This will keep all joystick files untouched and you only have to reset your Keyboard to Default,

but you can only control the kneeboard via the keyboard.

 

...

 

B)

...

 

Do it the same with the file in the "Keyboard" folder if you don't have done option "A)"

.

 

Now you can assign your own button presses for each controller in the Kneeboard category while you have kept you own inputs intact.

Works like a charm!!!! Very promising mod!

Many thanks for this wonderful mod.

Can I modify and include your "device_init.lua" in my "stereoscopic HUD" mod to make it compatible with your mod ?

Is there a way to have the kneeboard both in cockpit view AND in viewport ?

 

>>> WinRAR <<<

 

...If you have still problems :

Step out of your house > get some cake > go to your friendly neighbour with a I-net connection > show him this video > ask for help !

:)

Thank you Peter that did the trick.:thumbup:

Much to my amazement, I have the kneepad know in my A10 cockpit. This was accomplished after only 2 failures because of not following the instructions. However, after reading all the instructions and pictures, when I go to a mission in the game, I only have one map of the mission and cannot change what is on the kneepad. I am missing something. On post 23 above the picture shows a kneepad tab which I do not have. Did I screw up? I would like to get some of the airport diagrams in the kneepad but have not been able to figure out how to do that.

Sobe,

Yes, you must miss something ,

but your report gives little to none info what you have done at all - I'm not able to give you any more advises as restoring your DCS install to default and reading the documentation again and follow it to the dot.

If you have afterwards still problems - please don't come back and simply report "it's not working -I tried everything" - this doesn't help.

Instead please protocol every step you made so even my 92 years old grandma could reproduce it without that I /You have to sit besides her.

Here is some stuff for you to fill up your personal kneeboard with even more charts:

We released the updated set of charts: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=73419&page=16

 

- Aerodrome (Ground) Charts for DCS: A-10C and Flaming Cliffs 3

- Visual Approach and Departure (VAD) Charts for DCS: A-10C

- Visual Approach and Departure (VAD) Charts for FC3 aircraft (new)

Thank you Peter that did the trick.

jdkirk904, glad you got it working! - one question: what kind of cake did you offer to your neighbour?!

;)

...Q: I do usually long ferry flights and I'm very bored... - Can I take my Playboy collection with me?!

A: Yes! - Scan them and put the images in the "Custom_Charts" folder of your used aircraft/module...

Oh! That's good. Or I wouldn't install this mod. :D

Thanks PeterP. Great addition. I had a real kneeboard irl on my nee. It will be fun to use this multi-function mod.

Thanks again! :)

Oh! That's good. Or I wouldn't install this mod. :D

Oh wait a moment - I'm just uploading the version that allows you to watch videos....

...NOT !

(btw: "NOT"! is the american-eng. term for "hey ! don't take me serious - this was a joke!" ...funny - isn't it?!)

PS. :

About the Playboy collection - I tested it and it works - just make sure you scan at least at 150dpi - or the articles will be fuzzy to read...

Many thanks for this wonderful mod.

Can I modify and include your "device_init.lua" in my "stereoscopic HUD" mod to make it compatible with your mod ?

Is there a way to have the kneeboard both in cockpit view AND in viewport ?

Do whatever you like ! -

....Psst!! I tell you a secret! come closer! :

I also didn't asked someone from ED if I'm allowed to edit their files...

I just want to ask you to make sure that you share your version also on a forum that doesn't needs subscription for downloading. - it's possible here/in the user-files section up to now. - if not - well, that's your decision.

... And add a read-me/documentations that keeps the "ID:10-T" Errors as low a s possible (like you already did in your last release).

Thanks!

About having both at a time - yes it is possible - will add more explanation how all works together and its chained together once I have more time (the weekends) - but don't want to introduce it now as there is a high possibility to introduce more confusion, and I think (after long testing) that it's really not needed . - well, we will see.

Here is some stuff for you to fill up your personal kneeboard with even more charts:

 

 

 

 

jdkirk904, glad you got it working! - one question: what kind of cake did you offer to your neighbour?!

 

 

 

;)

German chocolate, the guys a freak for it, and I kinda like it myself.:thumbup:

Some ideas in my mind after a successful mission with that mod!

• Use sub directory to load custom images (one for checklist, one for mission...) and provide a way to navigate (as next/prev page, why not a next/prev dir)
  
• a second kneeboard for the other leg ^^
  
• option to disable the map features (not useful in A-10C)
  

Thanks a lot! Great job! :thumbup:

It's a great mod Peter P and many thanks for making it. However I'm not very experienced in lua and have been trying to configure a kneeboard_test.lua (it doesn't seem to be there after installing the mod as suggested in the 3rd jpg) and while I get a kneeboard in the top left corner that appears functional it's only about 2cm by 2cm (inch square for non metric people) and I can't figure out why changing the width and height - which I initially set as 300 by 450 as the third jpg suggests - won't increase the size. Only trying to configure one for the P51 at the moment by the way.

I tried quite a few things including the last (below) that would have made a quite large kneeboard I would have thought but no joy. Can anyone give me a clue where I've gone wrong please?

Thanks,

Stonehouse

_ = function(p) return p; end;

name = _('test');

Description = 'Kneeboard viewport'

Viewports =

{

Center =

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = screen.width;

height = screen.height;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = screen.aspect;

}

}

ED_P51D_KNEEBOARD =

{

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = screen.width / 2;

height = screen.height;

}

}

PeterP

Before I do a complete reinstall of your mod to attempt to locate my error, I want you to know that I also run a mod called IControl which puts of gauges and the MFDs on an IPAD. Do you think this mod could have an effect on your knee pad mod?

http://bit-shift.com/icontroldcs/index.html

Here are some additional graphics for Peter's Kneeboard mod.

These are the original Su-27/33 checklists from Flanker 2.0 (the ones that came on cardstock with a checklist O-ring keeping them together). Some of the information is dated, but much of it is surprisingly still accurate.

The contents are GME compatible and use the same naming convention as Peter's mod.

https://www.box.com/s/i22pbvm9o679hxjkv8xl

It's a great mod Peter P and many thanks for making it. However I'm not very experienced in lua and have been trying to configure a kneeboard_test.lua (it doesn't seem to be there after installing the mod as suggested in the 3rd jpg) and while I get a kneeboard in the top left corner that appears functional it's only about 2cm by 2cm (inch square for non metric people) and I can't figure out why changing the width and height - which I initially set as 300 by 450 as the third jpg suggests - won't increase the size. Only trying to configure one for the P51 at the moment by the way.

Your attached "monitorsetup".lua looks OK - BUT:

That you have only a very small knee-board in the upper left and not having the "KNEEBORD Test" selectable after 'installing' is evidence that you made something wrong and you missed to install the base mod or - you did it in a wrong way.

Read-the Readme - again - don't only look at it - follow it!

...to the dot !

;)

Some ideas in my mind after a successful mission with that mod!

 

• 1. Use sub directory to load custom images (one for checklist, one for mission...) and provide a way to navigate (as next/prev page, why not a next/prev dir)
  
• 2. a second kneeboard for the other leg ^^
  
• 3. option to disable the map features (not useful in A-10C)
  

Thanks a lot! Great job! :thumbup:

1. Not at this stage - problem: I have only a set of two commands to control the contend : previous page/next page . And it's not possible to add more commands to a module when they are not defined by the developer beforehand.

When I would have a "icommand" like, lets say :"Fists page" it would be 'very easy' to write a macro inside of DCS that first jumps to this first page and than goes X times forward or Back to bring you to a specific page. - so I have a absulute starting point . Than I would be able to write a set of macros that let you navigate in jumps through the charts.

But this is missing - so there is no way for me to determined which page you are seeing when using this macro....

Another problem is that if you add pages that I don't know about this macro(s) becomes useless and will not work any-more.

2. Possible - but please look what kind of problems some people have with only one kneeboard at the moment - and take also into consideration that I only have this two commands available that I can use (prev/next again: I can only add macros that are using this two commands - but I can't define absulute new ones arguments- that's up to the developer). Make your own thoughts what problems I will face if there is a second one that uses a other pre-set of charts but uses that same commands .

3. Yes, I could remove the Map from the A-10C , but why should I - is it so inconvenient to press several times next/back to jump to another section at start of a mission ? :

And I think that be a able to see the flight-plan it very useful!

I know - you must be one of these perfect pilots that never have a failure and you know every stone in the area you are flying... ;) - but please think about this :

Rookies can find their way even if their TAD-MFCD is perforated and not usable any-more.

(and I did put very strong batteries in this tablet so it won't run out of energy)

-Whatever-

Please post wishes like this here:

ED Forums » English » Digital Combat Simulator » DCS World » DCS Wishlist » Functional Kneeboard for all Modules!

PeterP

Before I do a complete reinstall of your mod to attempt to locate my error, I want you to know that I also run a mod called IControl which puts of gauges and the MFDs on an IPAD. Do you think this mod could have an effect on your knee pad mod?

http://bit-shift.com/icontroldcs/index.html

Unlikely that they interfere each other - I don't use this mod and didn't ever installed IControl . But I didn't see a plausible reason why the developer of I control could have modified files in the device-init.lua of the Modules to make his export functions work.

Please make your own tests with and without icontrol installed to be sure.

I won't do it for you.

Here are some additional graphics for Peter's Kneeboard mod.

 

These are the original Su-27/33 checklists from Flanker 2.0 (the ones that came on cardstock with a checklist O-ring keeping them together). Some of the information is dated, but much of it is surprisingly still accurate.

 

The contents are GME compatible and use the same naming convention as Peter's mod.

https://www.box.com/s/i22pbvm9o679hxjkv8xl

Thank you very much !

Will open up another thread to collect all community made pre-sets and add a link to the Readme/first post when it is wished.

So users of this mod have one central place to look for them.

Hi Peter - thanks for your reply. I went home and uninstalled the mod (I am using JSGME) and tried again using the rar file in the first post of this thread. I still cannot see kneeboard_test.lua anywhere when I unzip the package to a temp directory.

Anyway I made two JSGME mod entries, one for the base install and another for the P51 kneeboard. I installed the base and then the P51 part in that order using JSGME - choosing 1 Screen for my monitor config the mod works beautifully and I can see the knee board in the cockpit exactly as your doco says it should appear. However when I choose the monitor config that I posted a bit higher in this thread I still get the little 2 cm by 2 cm knee board in the top left and I cannot see your KNEEBOARD_TEST.lua in the MonitorSetup folder. I believe that I'm following the instructions you give exactly other than I use JSGME to copy the mods into place.

Have I downloaded the correct package? Should I be able to see kneeboard_test.lua as one of the files in the download? I assume I should be able to see this file going on the fact that the instructions are just to unzip the mod into place overwriting files and you don't run any script.

Considering the mod works properly in cockpit I also figure I have the JSGME bit right too.

Do you have any other ideas what might cause my viewport version to be so weird? Do I need to do anything else in DCS World options other than pick my lua file for the monitor config?

Thanks,

Stonehouse

Sorry, the KNEEBOARD_Test.lua is missing since the the last 'silent update' ... again: I'm very sorry for it!

(;)why should only ED be able to do something like this in their updates?!;) ...keep in mind: I don't have any private testers - you are!)

...a new upload is in progress. - but you don't need to upload it again - I only fixed the most pressing typos in the last 'silent update', well , and managed somehow to kick out the KNEEBOARD_Test.lua

Whatever... here is your 'fix':

On a second look I saw what's wrong with your monitorsetup.lua.

The coordinate instructions are put in a second set of curly brackets!

Do use this instead:

ED_P51D_KNEEBOARD =

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = screen.width / 2;

height = screen.height;

}

But maybe you want to use this instead - and keep in all situations the 2:3 aspect ratio intact , regardless of your used overall resolution.

ED_P51D_KNEEBOARD =

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = screen.height / 3 * 2;

height = screen.height;

}

EDIT: Now a version including the KNEEBOARD_Test.lua is up again.

Thank you again! I'll try out your lua suggestions as soon as I can (it's getting late here in Australia and wake up for work is 5:30am for me) and post up how it goes. I think it should all be fine for me due to your assistance.

Cheers,

Stonehouse

<edit> Decided I couldn't wait ;D so lost some sleep but gave it a go - all working fine now in either viewport or cockpit mode. Thanks again <endedit>

:D Someone did pass a Youtube link to me :

- and it made me very happy that I could help.

The video description:

This is footage from Sunday's UOAF DCS: A-10C Event #30 flying Operation Pilot Search. We had four A-10C's and a Ka-50 scout helicopter on station. This video also features Ricardo's new HD cockpit and PeterP's useful kneeboard mod that ironically saved my ass on its first use.

 

Timeline:

 

Takeoff and Opening Remarks by Command One - Actual:

Acquire and Engage Enemy at WP1:

Engage CC Vehicles & MANPADs with Mk82's:

Rearm & Refuel, M109 Paladins shooting from airfield:

The Power of CBU-97's and Sensor-Fuzed Weapons:

Flying Wild Weasel against Shilkas and Ground Vehicles:

CBU-97's Again

Blindsided by a MANPAD at 11,000 Feet:

Getting Revenge by dropping CBU-87 on single MANPAD:

Mogadishu '93 happens all over again,

It was hell. Three MANPAD launches within minutes,

,

,

Tablet kneeboard mod saves the day:

Flameout Landing:

 

Mods:

 

Ricardo's HD A-10C Pit

PeterP's Tablet Kneeboard

Edited the FAQ again - and as I think the info is quiet important for some of you, I want to give it a own post , just to give you the greatest possible transparency:

Q: I'm concerned if I can use this Mod together with other Mods - which files does it change?

A: This mod uses the files of the default Kneeboard as it is used by the P-51D/UH1H and FC3 since 1.2.4

But without touching them (in a way)

And each module has a modified DCS World\Mods\aircrafts\>module<\Cockpit\Scripts\device_init.lua to 'reroute' the calls for the Kneeboard to my new folder "KNEEBOARD_MOD_PeterP".

(The ka-50 and A10-C have also a modified devices.lua and a new input files in DCS World\Mods\aircrafts\A-10C\Input\A-10C.)

I have chosen this way to leave only a small 'footprint' in each module , and that I have to edit only one file to make a new module compatible with it.

Be assured:This 'core-files' of a module are normally not touched by any other commonly used Mod I know of. And you can use it save with any other mod.

But this Mod needs a closer look from me every time a new update from ED is out if it doesn't brake something. If you unsure if you can use it after a new update - please revisit this thread and observe the responses.

Almost forgot: It changes also the 'default-level' of the LeftMFCD of the A-10C - so the new Kneeboard and the L-MFCD are not 'fighting' each other if rendered as a viewport.