FS2020 event issue

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k8jb
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FS2020 event issue

#1 Post by k8jb »

To avoid using the keyboard as much as possible, I built a small hardware pushbutton box that connects through a BU0836 controller - works fine but I'd like to emulate it on AirManager. The box calls up saved custom viewpoint positions, moves the eyepoint, toggles pause, etc. The BU0836 is recognized by FS2020 so all I had to do was find the item I wanted to control and it all fell into place, no muss, no fuss.

When I use what should be comparable eventID variables, nothing seems to work - for example the GUI variable "TRANSLATE COCKPIT VIEW RIGHT" seems to be the same as eventID "EYEPOINT_RIGHT" and "LOAD CUST0M CAMERA n" should be "VIEW_CAMERA_SELECT_n". But triggering the event does nothing...To verify the AirManager panel I was creating worked at all, I substituted an eventID I knew worked elsewhere (happened to be an autopilot altitude hold) - and it worked here as well.

So, can anyone suggest where I'm going wrong??

John

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Ralph
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#2 Post by Ralph »

I think someone else tried this as well and came to the conclusion that those events do not work. Not all events that are listed work, or work as you expect them to.

k8jb
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#3 Post by k8jb »

I was wondering about that! Heck of a note when they publish things that don't work! Maybe when a far distant update is released.

tnx for the feedback, now I won't have to waste my time!


John

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Crunchmeister
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#4 Post by Crunchmeister »

Camera events are listed in the SDK, but aren't actually active.

The only way you can switch camera views in MSFS at the present time is using keybinds from within the sim itself. Hopefully at some point Asobo can pull their heads out of the sanctuary of their arses and enable these events.
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k8jb
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#5 Post by k8jb »

Tnx, apparently events like pause toggling, return to main, etc, also don't work outside the sim. I wonder if there's a list of which ones work and which don't - sure save a lot of trouble!! I can understand when aircraft-specific events don't work (even in the AC you pay for - the Aerosoft Twotter has several at the moment) but you'd think the sim itself would be up to date - but it's only been two years - almost...

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Crunchmeister
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#6 Post by Crunchmeister »

k8jb wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 9:58 pm Tnx, apparently events like pause toggling, return to main, etc, also don't work outside the sim. I wonder if there's a list of which ones work and which don't - sure save a lot of trouble!!
There's no list of the ones that don't work or aren't already implemented. Normally, just not including vars and events that aren't active / accessible in the SDK documentation fixes this. They likely plan on making it available at some point. It just isn't now. But their documentation is kind of bad in terms of accuracy.
k8jb wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 9:58 pm ...aircraft-specific events don't work (even in the AC you pay for - the Aerosoft Twotter has several at the moment) but you'd think the sim itself would be up to date
That's a bit different when it comes to 3rd parties. When it comes to simple planes, often typical SimConnect commands are used. But when building more complicated planes and systems, 3rd party devs will typically use custom lvars to control their aircraft instead of standard vars and events. This is true of pretty all Carenado, Aerosoft, and SWS planes to date. At least all the ones I've seen and built instruments for. Even free mods like the Working Title CJ4 are based on custom Lvars. Some 3rd party devs will publish a list of their vars, some don't. If they don't, you can find them yourself digging into the plane in dev mode.

I don't have the Twotter and can't confirm it, but I'm willing to bet almost everything that works in the Twotter's virtual cockpit you can't get working via standard keybinds and controls has a custom lvar attached to it you can access via SimConnect. I know it's definitely like that with the CRJ. It's almost completely driven by custom lvars.
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jph
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#7 Post by jph »

I don't believe Asobo / MS have any real interest in 'expanding' access.
A hell of a lot of currently available access is deprecated in the SDK already with no sign of ANY replacements.
There is absolutely no need or incentive either really.
IMHO they have zero - zilch - nada - eff all interest apart from game controller access for xbox where the future of the game is for them.
Joe. CISSP, MSc.

k8jb
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#8 Post by k8jb »

Been thinking about ways around the issue - at least for keyboard commands.

All I want to do is emulate keyboard entries - that's all my blackbox basically does - fortunately the BU0836 is recognized by MSFS so it worked with no problem.

Here's my thought: every AM instrument has a subfolder labeled "libs" and I've never found one that wasn't empty. I'm guessing the folder is there for a reason but I haven't found any documentation suggesting what it's for (external hardware perhaps, your own software??) Anyway, a simple client/server system to send the equivalent of keyboard commands to the simulator PC would be a decent workaround if there was a way to connect AM to it. I say "simple" because it would be trivial in Linux but I don't have to the tools for Windows...I do have an Arduino Micro connected to my AM and it handles another set of switches but it doesn't interface to the sim PC directly.

I have a spare Arduino Leonardo sitting on the shelf, maybe that's the answer - use it to connect to AM and have it emulate the keyboard - I wonder if someone hasn't already done this?? Or maybe a Raspberry Pi would be better??

Thoughts anyone?

John

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Keith Baxter
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#9 Post by Keith Baxter »

k8jb wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:56 pm Been thinking about ways around the issue - at least for keyboard commands.

All I want to do is emulate keyboard entries - that's all my blackbox basically does - fortunately the BU0836 is recognized by MSFS so it worked with no problem.

Here's my thought: every AM instrument has a subfolder labeled "libs" and I've never found one that wasn't empty. I'm guessing the folder is there for a reason but I haven't found any documentation suggesting what it's for (external hardware perhaps, your own software??) Anyway, a simple client/server system to send the equivalent of keyboard commands to the simulator PC would be a decent workaround if there was a way to connect AM to it. I say "simple" because it would be trivial in Linux but I don't have to the tools for Windows...I do have an Arduino Micro connected to my AM and it handles another set of switches but it doesn't interface to the sim PC directly.

I have a spare Arduino Leonardo sitting on the shelf, maybe that's the answer - use it to connect to AM and have it emulate the keyboard - I wonder if someone hasn't already done this?? Or maybe a Raspberry Pi would be better??

Thoughts anyone?

John
Hi,

The lib folder is for library. For larger instruments, code is fragmented into these library's.

Keyboard commands are not naively supported by AM. However there are workaround's.

For a external device, like a keypad or other button device. This can be linked to a HW board.
Specs on the device would be needed but the hw_button_array_add() function is a starting place.

Keith
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jph
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Re: FS2020 event issue

#10 Post by jph »

k8jb wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:56 pm Been thinking about ways around the issue - at least for keyboard commands.

All I want to do is emulate keyboard entries - that's all my blackbox basically does - fortunately the BU0836 is recognized by MSFS so it worked with no problem.

Here's my thought: every AM instrument has a subfolder labeled "libs" and I've never found one that wasn't empty. I'm guessing the folder is there for a reason but I haven't found any documentation suggesting what it's for (external hardware perhaps, your own software??) Anyway, a simple client/server system to send the equivalent of keyboard commands to the simulator PC would be a decent workaround if there was a way to connect AM to it. I say "simple" because it would be trivial in Linux but I don't have to the tools for Windows...I do have an Arduino Micro connected to my AM and it handles another set of switches but it doesn't interface to the sim PC directly.

I have a spare Arduino Leonardo sitting on the shelf, maybe that's the answer - use it to connect to AM and have it emulate the keyboard - I wonder if someone hasn't already done this?? Or maybe a Raspberry Pi would be better??

Thoughts anyone?

John
John,
Why do you need to do this through AM ?
If you want a simple keyboard emulator for your own button box or whatever then you can use the leonardo or any 32U4 Arduino with the Arduino Keyboard or Game Controller HID Library and dont use AM at all. You could set it up as a game controller with 32 buttons - or even multiple game controllers on the one device if you wish and it is then seen as any normal hid game controller by windows and also by the MS game. For religious reasons I cannot use fs2020 so cannot test it. ;)
If you wanted to use it with AM then you could use messageport by using the serial 1 port as well as the HID USB.
I have not used the game controller routines in AM so cannot comment on the suitability but it may well be possible to use an Arduino 32U4 flashed as a game controller with 32 buttons - plus whatever axis you may need and intercept them in AM. As said though, I have never used the built in Game Controller parts of AM. Using the 32U4 HID library with the Arduino IDE is straight forward.
Joe
Joe. CISSP, MSc.

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