Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

Support for the SimWareKits Knobster in combination with Air Manager and Air Player

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rogo99
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Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

#1 Post by rogo99 »

I hope someone can help me with this problem. FSX Steam and Carenado Aztec.
I have just finished making a DIY Knobster which works fine with most of my panels.
However in one situation I like to use two popups from my Reality XP GTN750 - Unit 1 to control Nav1 and Unit 2 for Nav2. Which works well with the mouse.
I have replicated my problem by creating one new panel and inserted two overlays for the GTN.
The popups are dragged onto the panel and lined up beneath the overlays. All looks good.
If I mouse click on unit 1 all is well and the nav/com frequencies change and I can click to swap. If I then mouse click on unit 2 the button lights up but the knobster still operates unit 1. I can of course change unit 2 settings with the mouse but that somewhat negates the point of the knobster.
My real time situation here is with two separate screens and two separate panels - same problem. On the unit 2 panel I can set the OBS on the VOR2 instrument with the knobster but not the 750 settings.
Am I trying to do something I can't do? Or, hopefully, am I doing something wrong or not doing something I should?
Thanks in anticipation.

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Ralph
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Re: Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

#2 Post by Ralph »

I assume that the instrument has a setting where you can choose between one and two. I would have to look to be sure, but you can also check it yourself.

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Ralph
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Re: Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

#3 Post by Ralph »

I've just checked and there is a setting for the device number, but that's for X-Plane only. RealityXP has no device selection for FSX/Prepar3D. You'll have to ask them to implement that, but I don't think that they'll be interested.

rogo99
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Re: Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

#4 Post by rogo99 »

Thanks Ralph,
I had noticed the X-plane setting and actually tried it just in case but it didn't help.
I'll do as you suggest.
Thanks,
Roger

rogo99
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Re: Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

#5 Post by rogo99 »

Hi Ralph,
This is Jean-Luc's reply (Reality XP):

"At least I believe I perfectly understand what you're trying to achieve, so let's try to find a way.

You might want to think of this not from a window manager standpoint, i.e. the "active" window, or the "focus" window would be the one receiving inputs. In effect, each device is standalone and has even no knowledge it is in a window (well technically it does otherwise it wouldn't draw, but it is rendering output surface agnostic in design and can draw on 3D panel, on popup window, etc...). Or said otherwise, the window state (focus) is not a RXP gauge state itself (and actually this state is not accessible via the SDK, it is something solely handled and managed by the simulator itself).

Instead, each device can be configured to receive commands from various inputs (keyboard, hardware, other gauges and modules), and each is individually binding to its own set of commands. Which means the selection/triage of what commands goes from your hardware to the simulated device must reside at the hardware level, not the simulated device level (i.e. at the source, not the destination).


In the particular case of the frequencies, since the GTN or the GNS V2 are synchronizing bidirectionally with the simulator, if you flip flop the simulator COM2 for example, the RXP GTN or GNS V2 device configured with COM2/NAV2 will automatically sync the change as well on its own display. So in this particular case, if you can manage to dynamically configure the Knobster to send COM1 flip flop or COM2 flip flop commands at will, then it will work as expected too with the RXP devices.

Now having said this, if you find the way to do this with the knobster, then it will be as-easy to extend this concept of dynamically changing the set of commands for more commands, including those pertaining to the rest of the GTN and GNS V2 controls.

So, maybe the easiest would be for the company making the Knobster to support dynamic banks of commands at runtime to get started. If they already do, then what would remain is finding a way to swap banks based on an external signal, but in this case, if it is about detecting which window is active because you've clicked on it, it is out-of-gauge jurisdiction and solely in the hands of the simulator. At this stage, wouldn't it just be easier to use 2 Knobsters instead, and if not for the GTN and/or the GNS V2, you can still use both for many different things (OBS, CRS, autopilot altitude input, vs input, etc...).

Hope this helps!"

So I obviously need to ask you if the Knobster supports dynamic bands of commands at runtime. Does it?
Thanks.
Roger

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Sling
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Re: Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

#6 Post by Sling »

rogo99 wrote: Thu Feb 10, 2022 8:45 pm If I mouse click on unit 1 all is well and the nav/com frequencies change and I can click to swap. If I then mouse click on unit 2 the button lights up but the knobster still operates unit 1. I can of course change unit 2 settings with the mouse but that somewhat negates the point of the knobster.
If you mean you click the main knob and it turns yellow and you then dial in the frequencies then this is because of the events used in the GTN overlay. The only events supported by the Rxp unit are some default sim events intended for control of the in sim GPS. FSX only supports a single GPS and there is where the issue lies. RealityXP would need to add some LVAR's to support the control of a second unit via sim connect. All they currently offer is control via keyboard shortcuts. These are described later in the user's manual.
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Sling
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Re: Using two GTN popup units with Knobster

#7 Post by Sling »

You could probably use the com/nav 2 events just for changing frequencies and the flip flop for that dial but then the FMS operation will not work when it should. Whatever you do it will be a compromise for the second unit without added support by Rxp.

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