Introducing Pilot's Deck, a StreamDeck Plugin

[Fragtality 127]

*Version Bump*

The Release with a big Plus 😄

Version 0.7.8:

• Added Support for the SD Plus!
  • The Actions "Display Value with Switch", "COM Radio" and "Display Gauge" are also available on the Encoders
  • You can set separate Commands for Left, Right and TouchTap (no Hold or Long-Touch)
  • The Normal/Long Press (called Main and Second Command now) are mapped to pressing the Dial
  • Besides having more Commands to set, they behave the same as their KeyPad Variant
• Simple "Value Manipulations" possible on all Variables used as Command
  • Increasing/Decreasing by a defined Step with an optional Limit
  • Sending a Sequence of Values
  • The Calculator Command now understands two Templates for increasing/decreasing L-Vars and triggering K-Vars (SimEvents) without the Need to write full RPN Code. Especially the Template for inc/decreasing is very useful on the Encoders for Left & Right (on L-Var based Aircrafts. Else prefer Controls/K-Vars).
• "Toggle Switch" now available on all Actions and all non-Variable based Commands (except vJoys)
  • A separate Variable to Monitor can now be configured
  • But still only available for the Main Command
• Reset Value renamed to "Reset Switch." Available on all Variable-based Commands (except vJoys) and all Actions 
• A new Option called "Hold Switch" available on all Commands except vJoys. Because it will act like a vJoy! With that Option but you can directly configure the Commands (or Values) for down/pressed and up/unpressed in the StreamDeck UI!
• The Dynamic Button now allows to define an "Image Map". It works roughly like the Value-to-Text Mappings: You can map Values to Images, as many as you like (so more than 3 States are possible now!)
• The Format options now also allows to add leading Zeros
• The Plugin now has an Installer as the recommended Way to install it. It will check the basic Requirements and informs which are missing.
• The Plugin now uses the WASM Module from Mobi-Flight (Requirement now)
  • Situations where new L-Vars could not be read because FSUIPC ran into its Limit are gone now!
  • That also enables the Plugin to read any A-Var (SimVar) -they can be accessed without the Need for the myOffsets File. And generally accessing them by Name instead of an arbitrary Hex-Number - but you have to get the Units right, though.
  • FSUIPC is still the main Connection Method (and thus Requirement) for anything but X-Plane.
  • The Plugin is just using something else in the Background for LVars, HVars and Calculator. Nothing to reconfigure in your Profiles.
• The Plugin now includes ImportProfiles Tool to make it a little bit easier to use your own/downloaded Profiles for Switching
  • It asks for the DeckType and imports every Profile from the \Profiles Subfolder to the Plugin manifest
  • The selections are saved on each run. It will only ask for new Profiles (handy on Plugin Updates)
  • The old empty and preconfigured Profiles Whiskey, X-Ray and so on are not needed anymore. They can be deleted if never used.
• Some Improvements in the Property Inspector
  • Added a small Image Preview in the Property Inspector for every Image Selection
  • Renamed and Reordered some Options so that there is a bit more commonality, e.g. using the Terms Command and Variable throughout 
  • Tried to improve the Appearance a little bit, but my CSS-Skills are just INOP ^^
• The Default Image drawn when not connected is now closer to the current Configuration so that changes can be better previewed. A Value of 0 is assumed.
• The Readme was completely overhauled ... which is hopefully an Improvement!
• Much Rewrites/Refactors in the Background and Bugs I found on the Way ;D
• Airbus Profiles/Integrations with the new Features: FSLabs, Fenix, ToLiss. The FBW too, within the possibilities given ...

Edited February 10, 2023 by Fragtality

[level7 172]

you're the best Fragtality ... not much more to say

[Fragtality 127]

*Version Bump*

Just a little Maintenance

Version 0.7.9

• L-Var Names can now contain Colons : and Dots .
  (For Names like A32NX_ENGINE_N1:1 or A320.audio.1.tone)
• Version-Checks for the Installer improved, i.e. does not fail with StreamDeck SW 6.1
• Requirements increased: FSUIPC 7.3.19, NET 7.0.4
• Libraries updated

Edited March 22, 2023 by Fragtality

[awralls 5]

Tried to install 0.7.9 - informed me I needed .net 7.0.4 but the link I was sent to only has 7.0.2 which I already have.

Then tried to install 0.7.8 - informed I needed to update my SD app to v6.0 - I already have 6.1.0.18521.

Grateful for any hints as to how to proceed.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[Fragtality 127]

Well, one of the Things fixed/improved with 0.7.9 in the Installer is the Version-Detection. So that's why 0.7.8 is not detecting the StreamDeck SW correctly.

Yeah, I totally forgot that I had linked to specific Versions in the Installer and did not update them *D'OH*
Just use the "general" Link for .NET 7 to get the lastest Version: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/7.0

[Fragtality 127]

Installer is updated 😉

[Fragtality 127]

*Version Bump*

Version 0.7.10

• Fixed: DataRefs containing only 1 Character long Names where not recognized (The first Name in the Path still needs to be at least 2 Character long!)
• Fixed: Offset-Addresses where sometimes registered as L-Var (and thus a L-Var with that Name was created)
• Fixed: Links in the Installer pointed to the wrong minimum .NET Version (listed for completeness, was already fixed in the 0.7.9 Binary after the 3rd April)

[level7 172]

Thanks Fragtality!

With the 0.7.9 installer, it made an assumption that because I had MSFS installed that I wanted to install Pilots Deck there but I wanted to install for X-Plane only.

It would not let me proceed without proceeding without installing Mobiflight. Therefore I just did the manual install. Not a big deal but just pointing it out.

 

[Fragtality 127]

9 hours ago, level7 said:

Thanks Fragtality!

With the 0.7.9 installer, it made an assumption that because I had MSFS installed that I wanted to install Pilots Deck there but I wanted to install for X-Plane only.

It would not let me proceed without proceeding without installing Mobiflight. Therefore I just did the manual install. Not a big deal but just pointing it out.

 

Just had such a Case over at x-plane.org 😄

Well, the Installer of Version 0.7.10 did not change anything on that. If MSFS is installed, the Requirements will be checked (so a "real" X-Plane-only Use-Case would not fail at that Check - same for a FSX/P3D-only Use-Case).
The Installer is meant to make Life easier for both Users and myself since most Support-/Help-Inquiries are caused by incorrect Installation. Because of that, this Behavior will not Change in the Future.

BUT: I'm thinking about adding a Command-Line Switch to the Installer, which would be only documented on GitHub. If an User really know what he's/she's doing there and is aware of the Consequences, the Installer should not force to fail-back on the old and "uncomfortable" Way to install the Plugin.
I won't make it anything easier though! It is just that Experience shows that some Users tend to fail at the easiest Step, so if there would be a separate Installer or a nice Button in the GUI you can be 99.999% sure that there will be at least one User installing for "X-Plane-only" although it will be used with MSFS 😅

[level7 172]

19 minutes ago, Fragtality said:

BUT: I'm thinking about adding a Command-Line Switch to the Installer, which would be only documented on GitHub. If an User really know what he's/she's doing there and is aware of the Consequences, the Installer should not force to fail-back on the old and "uncomfortable" Way to install the Plugin.
I won't make it anything easier though! It is just that Experience shows that some Users tend to fail at the easiest Step, so if there would be a separate Installer or a nice Button in the GUI you can be 99.999% sure that there will be at least one User installing for "X-Plane-only" although it will be used with MSFS 😅

Maybe "choose the sims you would like to install for?" but agree this is probably a marginal use case, I'm just grateful your utility exists 😀.

[Fragtality 127]

Nope - because you can also bet that there will be at least on User not selecting MSFS, forgets about it, and then reports a Bug/Malfunction that the Plugin is not working with MSFS 🤣

[AlexB 0]

Which version of your plugin supports P3D?

I downloaded the latest version but it claims to only work with FSUIPC V7 (which is for MSFS only)..

Cheers,

AlexB

[Fragtality 127]

All Versions since the Beginning support P3D.

When MSFS is installed, the Requirements for that will be checked/enforced by the Installer. And the required FSUIPC Version for MSFS is 7.
You still need FSUIPC 6 installed for P3D, it is just not checked in that Way by the Installer.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Fragtality

[SergeyPe 92]

Hello Fragtality and thanks for the great plugin!

Still on P3Dv4.5 here with FSUIPC 6. While the controls are working flawlessly (using the Event ID's) I cannot get any values to be displayed. I've tried the simple Display Value action type with either PMDG's 737NGXu offsets (like 0x6C14 or 6C14 for the front door open/ closed annunciator) or the LVAR name for the same action (DOOR_annunFWD_ENTRY). The button displays always shows 0 (after the A/C is initiated; the three dots are showing prior to that). I've also tried the standard FSUIPC offsets (like the COM radio action with 0x034E and 0x311A offsets for Active and Standby frequencies or simply a Clock Seconds value- 0x023A offset)- always 0 is shown.

Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

[Fragtality 127]

Quote

Supported is understood as "technical and basically supported by the Connection Method". Support in Terms of ensured Compatibility, Fixing Issues and giving Support exists only for the latest Version of the three Major Simulators: MSFS2020, X-Plane 12, P3D v5.

 

I can have a look at the Logs, if something non-normal is visible there.
Some Ideas:
- PMDG's Data Broadcast is not enabled
- Wrong Syntax / Options for Offsets (incorrect Type/Length, BCD Decode not enabled)
- Used "as admin" for StreamDeck Software / Plugin (or maybe your Setup even requires running both as admin - there was once a Case)