How To - Assigning toggle switches to DCS using Helios.

glad it worked, and you guys feel free to do your thing, but i don't see why all the secrecy with PMs. i'm sure more info about this issue/solution can benefit other helios current and prospective users as well.

Your suggestion turned out to be the solution anyway, but IMO the benefit of discussing these things in PM isn't for privacy, but to cut out the back and forth in-between the initial question and the final answer. Having that discussion in a public forum just means more reading with no solution for future readers. When a solution is found, is when it should be made public.

I also went to PM because the person will get an email about it, rather than going unnoticed in the thread.

Rag, actually the wife switched the toggles a few times. I definitely need another Leo board and about 30 toggles so i can get most of the panels done. This is so much better than mouse clicks. Too bad I only have a couple toggles. Oh, btw, is there a way to set 1 toggle for multiple things... Ie: 1 toggle to set the 4 fuel switches in the startup, or is that not possible? I'll play around with it tomorrow after I cut out my Elec pane and start wiring up my UFC from PitBldr.

Haha, I just got my second board, hopefully that will get me through the majority of the panels I need! AHCP was more hungry than I expected it to be, lots of double throw switches!

I haven't tried, but theoretically you should just be able to assign multiple commands to the single switch in Helios, as though you were doing it for different switches, just with the same switch! Great idea though.

Yeah if that works, I'll steal an elec switch for the 4 fuel switches, and make 1 for the 2 ac gen switches. I only have a couple for now since we spent so much on Xmas stuff this year... If I can at least get the startup without touching the mouse (ahcp will have to wait) i'll be happy for now until I finish cutting my panels.

i use the GPwiz boards. in order to conserve inputs i plan to use the digital axis inputs with toggles and then translating that into keystrokes with Autohotkey. to simplify matters actions asigned to axis will be for items that already have associated keystrokes, like numbers on UFC so there will be no need to map things twice. that way it is 40 inputs per board

side note

at the moment i'm working on generic "desktop toolbox" Helios profile to run without the sim, will set passive label elements behind the TM MFDs (they are fastened to screen anyways) and translate their input into usefull actions - shortcuts for website, helios folder DCS folder, etc (yes, i know i can use the ordinary windows ones:) )

can't help but say what a great software. i really hope helios team adds FSX interface at some point.

I can confirm that you can set multiple switches to 1 toggle. I had set my BAT switch to when on, it turns on the Battery and the 4 boost pump switches. For now it saves me the 4 switches, especially since I'm no where near the Fuel panel.

Great job, very useful to know. I think I'll set mine up the same! You could also set a switch to turn on the CDU and INS aswell, perhaps even some of the computer systems. CICU, JTRS and IFCC!

Yep, for those with limited money for switches, being able to set multiple sim switches to a single switch will make things easier and cheaper.

hey Ragtop, your two videos on switches and pots are excellent. :thumbup:

Can you do a video on encoders and another on rotary switch? or at least give a brief explantion how the wiring should be done and esp. how the bindings should be set in helios for encoders and rotary switch?

should encoders be treated like two inputs with a common ground or like analog input with also three input, but besides the ground, one is like input and another +5V? screenshots or videos would really :helpsmilie:

Anyone who knows how to bind encoders and rotary switch is welcome to comment too.

Gadroc, any input?

Excuse me in advance for my ignorance on Helios. If you make up a profile for a panel to use in A10, would you have to run Helios when running A10?

I'm just starting up a project and I want to do as much planning as possible before I start building it. I also have the same question as rocketeer. How do the Rotary's work? I'd like to use one on my panel.

Hi Rocketeer and Zeke,

Binding of a rotary switch would be same as they way you do a toggle switch. Except there is more inputs and you need to assign them all.

@ Zeke. Yes if you have created a A-10 profile in Helios then you must start Helios Control Panel and start the A-10 profile. Otherwise it is not working.

With regard to the rotary encoders I kindly suggest you take a look at this:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1559063&postcount=18

It is some time back I wrote it but is still valid.

Cheers

Hans

Hans, Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that the rotary should work this way, but was getting confused from the multiple of 3 thingy in the G40Wiz instructions.

I loaded up the Helios software and watched the vid in this tread. Since I'm not running any extra monitors with Helios it shouldn't slow down the A10 any then, right?

Hi Zeke,

I wouldn't think so since Helios is not running any heavy graphics , but frankly I do not know. I have always used two screens with viewport for MFCD's etc , and my bottleneck is the fact that I am only running a GTX 560 graphics card.

Cheers

Hans

I am not sure if I'll get an answer, since the last post was in 2013. Does Helios still work? I ask, because I tried using it and it didn't really recognize the stuff I configured in DCS.

If it uses the *.lua file to change the properties, it might be because it no longer exists in this version (or I am just to stupid to find it, but all I found was some kind of diff file). So here's the question: Is there any other possibility to map toggle On/Off switches and On/Off/On switches in DCS?

Tue,

what aircraft are you trying ?.

the Export.lua is there but you don't change it, you have to put a different one that is made for Helios in the user/savedgames/ DCS/ Scripts file.

if you are only doing A10 or KA50 just make a copy of the Export.lua found in program files/ eagle Dynamics/DCS World/ Scripts. paste it to the savedgames location then point helios at it and press setup.

if you are into more than 1 plane or FC3 then it is a bit more complicated.

https://www.mediafire.com/?fc3cmtms6vtn2rc

this is my Export.lua which does A10c / KA50 And FC3. put into savegames/scripts point helios at this location DO NOT EVER PRESS HELIOS SETUP IT WILL WIPE THIS FILE.

if you need help ask again good luck..

Tue,

what aircraft are you trying ?.

the Export.lua is there but you don't change it, you have to put a different one that is made for Helios in the user/savedgames/ DCS/ Scripts file.

if you are only doing A10 or KA50 just make a copy of the Export.lua found in program files/ eagle Dynamics/DCS World/ Scripts. paste it to the savedgames location then point helios at it and press setup.

if you are into more than 1 plane or FC3 then it is a bit more complicated.

 

 

https://www.mediafire.com/?fc3cmtms6vtn2rc

 

this is my Export.lua which does A10c / KA50 And FC3. put into savegames/scripts point helios at this location DO NOT EVER PRESS HELIOS SETUP IT WILL WIPE THIS FILE.

if you need help ask again good luck..

Thanks for your help. I'm building a switch panel for the A10 and am now looking for ways to map 3-Way switches and On-Off switches. Since the *.lua file for the Joystick is now a diff.lua file, most of the tutorials regarding the matter ar obsolete. I found the Helios tutorial from 2 years ago and want to try it.

I guess the Helios launcher has to run when I launch DCS? Tomorrow I'll try more, I'm done for today :).

*edit: I can't find a 'scripts' folder in saved games/DCS. Do I have to create one?

yes just make one I can't remember if it was there or not, so many changes.

just copy and paste the other Export and setup helios.

is it a hardware panel or onscreen.

yes just make one I can't remember if it was there or not, so many changes.

just copy and paste the other Export and setup helios.

is it a hardware panel or onscreen.

Hardware panel, arduino based. Basically done. But before I start the wiring I want to be sure I can setup the rest in the software.

Ok I presume you are using arduino as a HID like Overpro's.

I am using bodnar boards for my switch panels and waiting for Boltz's solution to led's for one arduino the other will be either for more switches like you are doing or maybe displays for CMSP, Radios etc.

I have not done a proper cockpit due to space but have a 2 screen setup over/under with switch panels on each side of lower monitor.

I use Megajoy on an Arduino Mega, basically two 32 button joysticks, enough for my needs :).

I have 3 GroovyGameGear boards and all assigned through Helios. Check out the links in my sig for video tutorials.

I am looking for some help interfacing multiple GP-WIZ40 boards to helios or DCS. I am guessing it is how the interfaces are seeing the USB devices but not sure....

If I plug in 2 GP-WIZ40 boards they only show up as 1 "GP-WIZ40" with 40 inputs in Helios. If I open DCS I can see both USB devices in the controls menu with their full USB address but it is as if they are all sharing the same 40 inputs rather than having 80 available inputs between them. If I map an action to a switch mapped to input "A" on GP-WIZ40 board "1" and then try to map a different switch to input "A" on GP-WIZ40 board "2" it removes the action from board "1". This same thing happens in both Helios and DCS.

Hopefully that makes sense and any help would be appreciated.....

I should add that in DCS under inputs>Joysticks> it does not list any .lua files for the GP-WIZ40 devices. This may be part of the issue but I am at a loss.

I found a solution to my problem but I'm not 100% happy with it so try at your own risk. Here is what I did in a nut shell....

1. Change the names of the GP-WIZ40s to something that made sense for my application. Here is a good link to show you how to do that.

2. Search regedit for GP-WIZ40 and verified there were 3 devices in the registry as I had 3 plugged in.

3. Renamed the fist registry instance to GP-WIZ41, the send to GP-WIZ42 and the last to GP-WIZ43 leaving GP-WIZ40 for the next device I wire up and I will then rename it to GP-WIZ44 and so on...

Now all 3 show up in Helios with their own button mappings and everything seems to work so far. I will update my post if I find any issues doing it this way.