Hi all, I am trying to build a Citation cockpit. I am using an add on Eaglesoft Citaion aircraft. I purchased a Gammaray v2 I/O card from betainnovations. It looked fairly easy to set up, but I can't figure out how to get the card to interact properly with the FS. I can program my switches to operate basic MSFS commands, but can't get them to execute any of the more advanced ones. What is the best way to get everything to work properly. I am new at cockpit building. I tried using A key board emmulator but the aircraft does not use key board commands, or I just don't know what I am doing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Can you tell more? Are you using FSUIPC and are you using offsets?

I am using FSUIPC. Not sure what you mean by offsets. I got a response from BETA tech support, this was there response:Some 3rd party aircraft add-ons will only work byclicking the mouse on the instruments in the cockpit and most will acceptkeyboard shortcuts. In this case the limitation seems to be that it willnot respond to inputs through the FS variables (BIFS) because ofthe way the developers implemented the module. Unfortunately there are manyadd-ons that do not lend themselves well to cockpit building.Assuming there is nothing wrong with your setup,then there will be nothing you can do to interact with this add-onunless they provide some sort of SDK for developers like myself toincorporate support for it within BIFS, but most won't bother since cockpitbuilders are a tiny blimp on their radar. If you must switch to anothermore suitable add-on, look for one that is possibly FSUIPCcompatible or at the very least has a complete keyboard shortcut list tointeract with the cockpit. Ideally you would want to avoid keyboardinteraction because it is slower then using BIFS, but as cockpit builder,you may not have the luxury of choice when it comes to aircrafts.My set up is working properly. I can get the swithches to interact with common functions like master Battery, ATC menu ect. It will not work with Generator starters, electric fuel pumps and a few others. I tried programming it with FSUIPC with no results either.

Hello from SwitzerlandYou could use the Key2Mouse software from Luciano Napolitano.Key2Mouse can be used for converting user-defined keypresses, into mouse's actions. Users of programmable joysticks, joypads, special keypads, or EPIC-related hardware, may find it useful for controlling instruments and gauges that accept mouse clicks only. visit http://www.wideview.it/Let me know if it worksKind regards, LouisPilatus PC-12 Cockpit Project

Hi Chris,I thought that my "extended" reply last night (to your email to me) explained what you should do. Here it is again (the relevant part at least). The answer is also relevant to other MSFS fans starting their road to cockpit building and thinking that anything that flies on MSFS can become a fully functional cockpit at home :-). As I said it then and I am repeating now, this is not so - unfortunately.If you wsant to simulate all (or most of) the systems which are not simulated by MSFS you should develop your own special "systems" software and interface it to MSFS engine. That's the way it is done properly - this is theway Project Magenta did it with their "systems" software.==========================================Thanks for the compliments.I see what your problem is but the solution is not that simple.The trouble is not with the hardware rather with the specific, "non-standard" aircraft you decided to use.The real problem is that there is no "standard" and each aircraft/panel developer takes decisions which do not necessarily take in consideration the fact that some of us may want to access it from the "outside". Glaring examples of developers who do not "care" about us are XXXX who had developed extremely realistic aircraft/panels but for some obscure reason refuse to allow external interfacing to it.So this brought me to what I decided to do.First I selected the Learjet because I like the aircraft and because the cockpit and the functionality is very simple. I was also prepared to make many compromises on reality but since I first wanted to "fly" using A cockpit and only last I was looking for total realism, the result is more than satisfying for me.Second, I looked for gauges, systems etc. that can be accessed via keyboard commands. After many searches and discussions w/ developers, I selected RealityXP gauges because they are similar to the Lear (for you they are PERFECT since the Citation uses Collins gauges!) and more importantly - all their functions are fully accessible via keyboard commands (and cost only $25 :-)Next, I red the Lear manuals and learned how the systems that I planned to emulate work - mainly the electrical, lights and engine panels. The rest were not important to me since I've already decided to use GF modules for MCP and radios. I used clever wiring behind the panel, combined with Gammaray to transform button/switches input into key presses. These key presses then are either programmed into FS directly, and if they are not available there, I use FSUIPC (registered version) to access specific internal FS functions. These are directly accessible also via the BIFS interface from Betainnovations. I had to use Excel to keep lists of key presses and assigned commands since there is not much choice left, so you must be careful not to "double program" a certain key-press.So by deciding on a standard aircraft model and going for keyboard controlled gauges, and using GammaRay + Keyboard Studio with a little help from FSUIPC, I had full control of almost everything. I agree that the Lear model is not perfect and not all the systems are simulated, but I have no choice - and I guess you don

HI AL, I started messing around with with key2mouse and it worked out fairly well. But you need to have the panel opened on an other monitor and in the right position for it to work. I have 4 monitors now. I used to have a panel opened on each monitor when I flew. I am trying to avoid this. I kept looseing track of where the mouse was. It can sometimes make for a hairy landing trying to find out where I left. If I can leave all the panels set up on 1 monitor and have it of the way that might work. There is no default citation, I did find one from ABACUS on there coorperate piolit 2 that is fairly basic and uses standard MS Commands. What I am going to do now is build a test panel using key2mouse and try it out for a while to see if it works out well after a couple of test flights. If it does not work out well I may go ABACUS aircraft agian easy to set up. I will just have to experiment until I find the right set that will make me happy. The GAMMA Ray from Betta Inovations is an excelent product and like you say on your web sight the support is execelant. That is one of the reasons I went with it. When I first contacted Leo I got a real quick response and some good info. Unfortunaltly I don't have a lot of knowldge on computer programing, but I guess now is a good time to learn. Any one else thinking of building there own cockpit I would suggest doing a lot of research before purchasing anything. It can save you a lot of money. There are a lot of web sights that can help you out. Thanks AL I will let you what I finally decide on. Chris

Yes, I didn't recommend the key2mouse thing exactly because of the reasons you mentioned here. The best solution is to develop your own systems program. If I think well, this should be done failry easily even in VB (although the VB runtime is a real resource and CPU hogger).Anyway, FYI, at some point I really wanted to build an RJ (FDS makes great panels for it) but then I added everything together and reached the upper thousands of $ for the cockpit alone - and I still didn't havea decent RJ aircraft+panel which can be interfaced...I am very pleased w/ the Lear 45 for now although I have already started work on the next version . It seems that ppl here were right: once you build one cockpit you never stop. It is always something to add, improve or tweak. And the total cost of ownership over the years can get rather high :-)And of course the motto "measure twice, cut once" is always true.

>HI AL,> I started messing around with with key2mouse and it worked>out fairly well. But you need to have the panel opened on an>other monitor and in the right position for it to work. I have>4 monitors now. I used to have a panel opened on each monitor>when I flew. I am trying to avoid this.For key2mouse the panel can be resized quite small too I would guess? It only needs to be large enough for you to be able to define the click spot for key2mouse. It can be all stuffed in one screen even - and you can even remove the monitor once you have everything setup correctly. Save the flight as your default flight?>might work. There is no default citation, I did find one from>ABACUS on there coorperate piolit 2 that is fairly basic and>uses standard MS Commands. What I am going to do now is buildAbacus stuff, from what I have seen, is a whole new definition for the word "bad quality".Another thing what you can actually do, is use something to simulate the systems yourself. Break it down to each system separately. It's a jet? Then it probably needs a hydraulics system. Study different aircraft, find some operating manuals etc, look at how stuff works on add-on aircraft and then decide on and design your own systems. It probably has electronics system with generators etc.Do you need pressurisation? Air conditioning? Whatever else?It can be implemented different ways, with something like the IOCards SIOC programming language logic that lights up indicator lights when you flip certain switches etc -- or some other ways.It's all pretty simple logic after all and that can be created with different methods. That's why it makes sense to first design what your sim will consist of (just like real airplanes are just a bunch of parts flying in very close formation :))Fuel system, define that, decide how many tanks etc..APU for bleed air, etc..?What kind of avionics? RealityXP has the Honeywell suite pretty well done, also you can look at Project Magenta (www.projectmangenta.com) for both avionics and system simulation software (pmsystems).Once you have a good picture of what you want, you will also know better what the electronics etc will need to be able to do for you. Then build it. IMHO it makes a lot more sense this way, since then, when you start to build, everything you add there will be relevant to simulated flying. And you will understand the logic and operation of the simulator.//T

I think I got it figured out. I used keyboard emulator to program my switches than programed FSUIPC key commands to convert them to the proper offsets to interact with project magneta PM Systems. Useing PMSystems I can simulate the systems I want to. Now I just have to change some of the logics in PMSystems to match what I need for a Citaion. Thanks for everyones help. Chris