Hi Dave,

Running P2ATC on a client PC, it seems that Spad.Next's Remote Joystick Client utility is working fine. I say this because the two joystick buttons configured in Spad.Next on the host PC show up on the utility's UI (PTT Pressed and PTT Released, and the same for the second joystick button). Strangely, I had this working fine not too long ago but now no longer works after the installation of a fresh copy of Windows 10 Pro.

When trying to assign the vJoystick under Config-Btns-PTT joystick button-Set-Select joystick button from the dropdown list, I select vJoy Device then press the desired button on my CH Yoke connected to the server PC. The box already contains '-1' which might be an indication that it recognized the button but it doesn't because the PTT is never activated. I tried assigning a different button from the same joystick and nothing budges. If I use the client PC's keyboard to assign a key to PTT, it works fine.

I've read your latest user manual and noted your comment about an alternative using Multiplicity. That didn't work for me because I could never get the button to work without having the mouse cursor on the client's desktop. I'm trying to get it to work as if both the flight simulator and P2ATC resided on the same computer. But I'm having a hell of a time! (Ha,Ha).

In view of the history of this issue, I'm not expecting a magic solution from you but if you you've got leads that I could pursue, then sharing them with me would be much appreciated.

By the way, I'm using XP11.35 and love your creation. Been using it for quite some time now. 

Regards,

JJ

(Jean-Jacques Malette)

 

Hi JJ.  

Joystick buttons should be from 0 to n, so if it's displaying -1, that probably means it's not getting a button press.  I haven't used the vJoystick myself, so I can't be sure.

It does sound like the upgrade in Windows modified some settings or permissions.  

With Multiplicity, there is a way to make the button press work without giving the client focus.  It's buried in their documentation, but it's a "Triple-click" of the Ctrl button.  It basically broadcasts keystrokes to all computers.  Here's their description:

Pressing the Ctrl key three times will toggle keyboard input being sent to all computers
Pressing the Ctrl key (left one) three times on the Primary will send any subsequent keyboard input to all Secondary Multiplicity computers simultaneously.  Pressing it again three times stops the keyboard broadcasting. An audible 'beep' will sound when turned on and off.

 

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.  Perhaps someone out there is also using vJoystick and has some ideas.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Sorry for not providing feedback sooner. I simply want to say that I've continued testing Multiplicity and that the only way I can get P2ATC to react to a joystick button to which is assigned a hot key (I chose your choice, the number pad 'asterisk') is to have the Client PC desktop active on the Server PC's desktop. As soon as XP11's window is activated, the command doesn't transfer to P2ATC. I've also found on Multiplicity's forum a post in which a representative from Stardock confirms that the triple-click of the Control key feature to activate the two keyboards (Server and Client) is not offered in the basic package. So even if it did work, I'm not sure in want to invest $56 Canadian just for one button!

As mentioned, I had the SpadNext feature working before I replaced Windows on the Client PC. I will contact the author of SpadNext and seek his thoughts. For example, a long list of Microsoft redistributables and other Microsoft software packages were deleted from the older version (the list is produced automatically) and one or more of these 'utilities' may be required by SpadNext or P2ATC. Who knows!

Thanks again for your help. If I get SpadNext to behave the way it should, I'll make sure to report that to you.

Regards, JJ

JJ,

Thanks for the update.  Look forward to hearing what you find out about SPADNext.

Dave