Re-Focus Flight Simulator Feature

[pinyon]

One of the challenges I've encountered using AM with a touchscreen (+ knobster) is that when I manipulate an instrument, AM takes focus from x-plane. Then when I press keyboard shortcut to say, change my view in x-plane, it doesn't register, as the keypress goes AM.

This issue has been discussed in other threads on the forum. It seems the one solution found by thread contributors is to use an auto-clicker that clicks on the x-plane window every 10 seconds automatically.

Couldn't this be an option in AM? It's already looking for and finding the running sim, so it knows which sim it's interfacing with. Couldn't there be a checkbox option to tell windows to automatically transfer the focus back to the sim after a touch on the panel?

[Crash'n'Burn]

Oh, +1 this!

[Sling]

I guess the idea of AM is to make the mouse and keyboard redundant from the flight experience. Saying that however you will always need to use the sim interface at some point for loading flights etc.

+1 also if it’s possible but I wouldn’t want to have to click or touch twice to get focus back to AM.

[FlyerDavidUK]

What I found slightly confusing about the behaviour is that if you have a pop-up window for GNS or GTN using RealityXP plugin, then touching that returns focus to X-Plane program, while touching anything on the Air Manager panels (on the same screen) switches focus to Air Manager and then X-plane keystrokes don't work. This is presumably because the XP Plugin is running as part of X-plane task whereas AM is a separate task as far as Windows OS is concerned.

A comprehensive workaround would be to have Air Player running on a Raspberry Pi or other separate computer or using a standalone iPad with the App, but this would need a separate touchscreen for the GTN.

The much simpler workaround was to configure a joystick button to pause the simulation, since the main keypress I use when running is P for Pause. While it doesn't refocus the mouse, it means I then have time to use the mouse for menu selection (eg flight configuration) without really thinking about it. Other common keystrokes such as changing views can also be assigned to buttons if required. Alternatively, I have to remember to touch somewhere on the GTN screen panel before pressing a key.

Ideally it would all be transparent and the P command would somehow always just transfer focus back to the X-plane window, but that's probably asking quite a lot.

[Sling]

I’ve been thinking about this as well. I also came to the same conclusion and intend to make an AM instrument that I will run on a tablet initially and perhaps build dedicated hardware for if I feel the need.

I figured that if I can control everything I want in xplane from this then I can really minimise the use of mouse/keyboard to loading flights.

[Corjan]

Hi,


Did some more research, and looks like Windows has a method to bring a window to the front without being activated (getting focus).

That way the previous window will keep being activated when you press the AM panel window.
Downside is that CTRL+q no longer works, since that is also being redirected to the activate window.


Is implemented in AM 3.7 BETA 32, online now,

Corjan

[Sling]

Hmm,

How does that work then when you actually want to change focus. Does it only mean that the displayed AM panel and all of its controls will not take focus but everything else like the AM GUI or other Apps will take the focus as normal if touched or clicked?

[Corjan]

Hi,


Yes. Normally with Windows when you click with mouse or touch the window will be activated and put on top of other windows. Activated means that it is highlighted in taskbar, and it will get keyboard key strokes.

What I changed is that when you do mouse/touch action, it will still go to the top, but won't get activated.

Mouse/touch events will still be forwarded to the application, activated or not.


Corjan