C310 Redux Autopilot backlighting and mapping

[fppilot 4,339]

Another pair of KAP 140 autopilot questions. 

Been completely through both the aircraft and autopilot manuals.  Both are great!  Thanks. 

Question: how to turn on backlighting for the keys of the autopilot?  I 've tried via the panel lighting and instrument lighting rheostats, and the radio lights switch. At certain angles to the sun and at dusk their locations (keys) are barely visible and the key names are not distinguished at all.  Have not tried night flying but would seem it would be more difficult.

Second question.  I use a Saitek Multipanel (primarily an external AP).  I have it working flawlessly with the original Milviz 310 with a profile set up with the Spad.Next configurator.  With the 310 Redux autopilot there are obvious conflicts between my profile for the Saitek MP and this more sophisticated  implementation of the KAP 140.  I am not asking for support for Spad.Next.  What I would like help with is that there are quite a number of available actions/variables in Spad.Next, each tying to either what is available via the simulator, Simconnect, or LVAR, or FSUIPC. 

Is it possible to get some help with a list of the mappings of the Redux's KAP140?

For example, the AP altitude adjustment knob of my Multipanel profile uses:
AP Altitude Value (FSUIPC:0000:07D4)

There are in Spad.Next a host of LVAR variables such as:
LVAR  KAP140 AltHoldFeet (LVAR)

But also:
LVAR  KAP140 AltHoldFeetSum (LVAR)
LVAR  KAP140AltitudeSelected(LVAR)
LVAR  KAP140 APCounter (LVAR)

Then there are Simconnect variables.....  

Edited April 3, 2018 by fppilot

[taguilo 33]

Hi,

As for your second question, in page 19 of the KAP manual there is a list of LVARS that can be used in LUA scripts + FSUIPC to control the AP keys and dials, and a list of the equivalent SIM events.

 

Tom

 

[Milviz 919]

We're investigating the back lighting and the controls.

[n4gix 4,947]

I've changed the assignment for the KAP140 from MultiplyBlend to Additive emissive mode, and edited the lightmap to increase the button brightness.

The RADIO knob controls all of the avionics, and will work during the day and night to help illuminate things.

Edited April 3, 2018 by n4gix
Remove redundant information

[fppilot 4,339]

1 hour ago, n4gix said:

I've changed the assignment for the KAP140 from MultiplyBlend to Additive emissive mode, and edited the lightmap to increase the button brightness.

The RADIO knob controls all of the avionics, and will work during the day and night to help illuminate things.

LOL Bill!  I'm a layman here (no pun intended). I have no idea on the difference between MultiplyBlend and Additive emissive. What will be the end result?  And when will these be added and available?

BTW. I am enjoying both the KAP140 implementation and the truly multifunctional transponder.  I do have to disconnect my Saitek Multipanel to use the 140.  The problem with that is that for some reason I must reinstall the driver each time before next use (in other aircraft).

Thanks,
Frank

Edited April 3, 2018 by fppilot

[n4gix 4,947]

52 minutes ago, fppilot said:

LOL Bill!  I'm a layman here (no pun intended). I have no idea on the difference between MultiplyBlend and Additive emissive. What will be the end result?  And when will these be added and available?

Right now, actually. I just posted a link for SP2 in the Milviz 310 Redux Support Forum...

MultiplyBlend mode simply takes the pixels on the lightmap and uses their relative values to "multiply" the values of the diffuse (regular) bitmap. The increase is modest.

Additive mode takes the pixel values from the lightmap and adds them to the diffuse bitmap. It is very much brighter. Achieving a good result is a bit more fiddly than with the other mode.

When you have time, you have all of the tokens you need to reconfigure your Saitek controller.

[fppilot 4,339]

42 minutes ago, n4gix said:

Right now, actually. I just posted a link for SP2 in the Milviz 310 Redux Support Forum...

Milviz.com 310 Support forum?  Not finding it. Combed through the whole forums side and looked under Downloads on the product site.

[Milviz 919]

You must be registered.  Please read page one of the manual. (or look in my sig)

[fppilot 4,339]

3 minutes ago, Milviz said:

You must be registered.  Please read page one of the manual. (or look in my sig)

I am long since registered and am currently logged in there under the same username I use here.  Are you indicating I need to make a product specific registration?

[Milviz 919]

yup.

 

Our support forums contain actual installers (as you're probably aware) so we must make sure that not everyone has access to everything.  Contact Osh and he will assist you... (doodlebug on the forums)

[fppilot 4,339]

OK.  Issue here is that I paid via Paypal and so my ebay related email address is associated with the purchase.  That is not the email address of record for my username and account settings at your forums.  So I will contact him and have him and have him switch me back to the "center tank" so to speak.

[tttocs 301]

16 hours ago, fppilot said:

I do have to disconnect my Saitek Multipanel to use the 140.  The problem with that is that for some reason I must reinstall the driver each time before next use (in other aircraft).

Hi Frank.  Getting the multi-panel set up properly to work with the 140 is my next project as well.  I haven't begun yet so I can't offer any advice at this point but I'll be interested to hear about any progress you make.  I may not have a chance to start on mine until the weekend.  For the sake of simplicity, I'm leaving the multipanel in place and mostly not touching it.  That works OK, except for altitude functions which the current multipanel config messes up.  There I do have to make adjustments on the multipanel rather than the VC unit and it works - wonky.  A compromise for now but I don't want to deal with re-plugging.

Scott

[fppilot 4,339]

26 minutes ago, tttocs said:

Hi Frank.  Getting the multi-panel set up properly to work with the 140 is my next project as well.

Scott,
I worked on it for about two and an half hours last evening and was not having fun.  I had a goal of quickly getting the Multipanel's AP Master, Nav, Hdg, and Apr switches to work properly with this 140 implementation.  I had no luck.  I got stuck on the AP Master switch.  Wanted to use a long press on the MP AP key to turn it on, and short press to cancel the AP.  Never got it to work like it should. I was using the (L:KAP140_Lua....) functions detailed on page 19 of the AP Guide Milviz provided.

Also struggled with what needs to happen when using NAV and switching to HDG, or vice versa.  i.e. activating NAV cancels HDG, or activation HDG cancels NAV.  Just could not get reliable results.  So I grabbed a glass of wine and quit to think things through.... Including what might happen with the single tuning knob of the MP vs two-knob (inner/outer) function of the Redux 140.  I ended up accomplishing virtually nothing.

My best experience with the Redux and AP is to just unplug the Multipanel.  Then reload the Redux.  Then the AP works like it should with no interference, and I really like the full-function and realism of the Milviz implementation.  It responds well to VC mouse input even when backed out for a wide panel view.  In all honesty, I use the mouse more often than the Multipanel in many aircraft, using the Multipanel for aircraft like the Beech C90 King Air where the VC AP is in such an awkward location.

I do have MP and AP functions working flawlessly in most other aircraft, including the earlier Milviz  C310.

Edited April 4, 2018 by fppilot

[tttocs 301]

Thanks for the update Frank.  That does NOT sound encouraging, especially as I still count myself as a relative novice with SPAD.neXt.

As a general rule, I'm happiest with aircraft where I can minimize mouse interactions.  The good news on the 310 is that the AP is visible and easily accessed so I don't mind dealing with it in the VC too much, but I don't want to have to plug and unplug the MP.  At minimum, I'd like to a least find a way to prevent it from messing with the altitude functions even when I don't touch anything.

Scott

[kowen 64]

1 hour ago, fppilot said:

I worked on it for about two and an half hours last evening and was not having fun.  I had a goal of quickly getting the Multipanel's AP Master, Nav, Hdg, and Apr switches to work properly with this 140 implementation.

1

I went down the same hole last for about 3 hours as well (wine included). Not much luck either, but some progress. I did end up removing all the stock autopilot commands and using the KAP140 LVARs provided. I did not use the ones in the manual (I think they mimic key presses), but if you do a search on 140 in SPAD, you will see a bunch more that are available.  I got the autopilot on and off, heading and NAV modes working but nothing for altitude or anything else. I'll post any progress, but my goal is to get it working. I use TrackIR and sometimes clicking switches in the VC can get annoying.