Introducing Pilot's Deck, a StreamDeck Plugin

[Fragtality 127]

*bump*

New Version released: https://github.com/Fragtality/PilotsDeck/releases/tag/v0.6.5

Now supports the vJoy Driver! I ran out of lame Excuses 😅

[c912039 111]

I reckon that this is, by far, the best SD plugin for flightsims!!!.

I do have one suggestion for an additional button type, but Im not sure if the SD API will allow this.

A 3 position switch.

Given that the SD push buttons are primarily 'binary', Ive thought about how a user might be able to operate a 3 position switch in the plugin.

A normal press can be associated with any of the existing actions avail, a long press can be set up for an alternative action.
IE a normal push might 'increase' the switch position, and a long press would 'decrease' the switch position.

 

The button would need 3 states, where for each, the value of an LVAR can be checked. Each state would have its own graphic/icon.

This would be useful in many cockpits where lights, such as Landing lights or nav lights have 3 stages.

Ive tried using the existing button types in this plugin, but I couldn't work out how to use any of the existing for this type of operation.
If possible, some generic switch icons for the 3 positions (down, midway, up), easily selected from the menu options like some of the other PD buttons has, would be fantastic.

Regards

David

Edited February 11, 2022 by c912039

[Fragtality 127]

Hmm, I don't know if understand the Use-Case completely. Because: Switches with 3 (or even more) Positions/States shouldn't be a Problem in the most Cases, I have several of such Actions defined. 🙂

 

8 hours ago, c912039 said:

I do have one suggestion for an additional button type, but Im not sure if the SD API will allow this.

Elegato's API/SDK is not the Limit here - the Plugin has its own State- and Image-Handling. It receives KeyDown/KeyUp Events and depending on what (Plugin) Action it is and what the Actions Settings are, the Plugin will send a Image through the API (regardless if this Image is a static Image-File [e.g. Dynamic Button] or rendered Graphics [e.g. Display Value, Korry, Gauges]).

 

6 hours ago, c912039 said:

A normal press can be associated with any of the existing actions avail, a long press can be set up for an alternative action.
IE a normal push might 'increase' the switch position, and a long press would 'decrease' the switch position.

The "Long Press" / "Second Control" is already implemented on all Actions (which are meant to be pushed). The only exclusion is: if the "normal" Push-Action is a non-trigger vJoy (FSUIPC and vJoy-Driver), there is no "Long Press" allowed/available.
So a increase/decrease on the same Button is no Problem (or even more complex, two different Lua Functions/Scripts which do something like a Toggle-On or Toggle-Off or even two completely different Things). Combined with the Fact that "Control" and "Second Control" don't have to be the same Action Type and some Action Types allow Sequences (Macro, Control), there are plenty Possibilities 🙂 

 

6 hours ago, c912039 said:

The button would need 3 states, where for each, the value of an LVAR can be checked. Each state would have its own graphic/icon.

This would be useful in many cockpits where lights, such as Landing lights or nav lights have 3 stages.

For 3 States (for one Offset/Lvar Value) and 3 different Images, the "Dynamic Button" has already that Functionality. You can define two Images/Values for the States "On" and "Off". Then there is the "Special State" which can show a third Image for either a specific Value or "any Value". And On, Off and Special are just Names, they could also be named "1st", "2nd" and "3rd". 
You can "hack" even a fourth State: Error Image. When the Value does not match the On, Off and (non-any) Special State, the Button will load the Error Image (but also when the Plugin has a Connection Error or Problems).
 

If there are more than 3 States, but the Content to be shown is only text-based, the "Display Value with Switch" and the "Mappings" Option is a very powerful Combination!
For example the 787 Transponder: a Knob with a Lvar which can have several States ("STBY", "ALT OFF", "XPDR", "TA" and "TA/RA"). Normal and Long Press to decrease and increase the Knob and using "Mappings" to map the numeric Value to a Text Representation (like 0=STBY and so on). Combined with the right Font (and maybe disabling the Frame) this Action behaves like a Dynamic Button with multiple Images.
The Combination of "Display Value with Switch" and "Mappings" also greatly reduces the need to create specific Images for some Use-Cases (if they only contain Text, for e.g.).
I use these Mappings a lot myself, for Example to name a few: ranging from Autobrake-Selector (QW) over WXR Gain (FSL) to the IRS Knobs (QW/FSL). And of course the 787 Transponder 😉 (although I have two Lua Functions behind that to toggle between XPDR<>TARA (normal) and STBY<>XPDR (long)) 

 

8 hours ago, c912039 said:

Ive tried using the existing button types in this plugin, but I couldn't work out how to use any of the existing for this type of operation.
If possible, some generic switch icons for the 3 positions (down, midway, up), easily selected from the menu options like some of the other PD buttons has, would be fantastic.

Then maybe one Example could help here 🙂 
Let's take the FSL 320's Nose Light as an Example (I know it is a Bus, but bear with me^^): It can be OFF, TAXI or TO (which is down, midway, up). It has a Lvar which can have the States/Values: 0 (OFF), 10 (TAXI) and 20 (TO).
So I take a Dynamic Button with these Settings:
On Image / On Value: LightOn / 20
Off Image / Off Value: LightRetr / 0
Special State: Enable
Image / Value: LightOff / 10

What is then being configured as "Control" and "Second Control" is completely up to the User and his Use-Case and Preferences. To easiest would be to bind "Switch Up" and "Switch Down" (which for the FSL would either be two Macros or two Control-Codes). In my profile, I use two Lua-Functions to toggle between TAXI<>TO on the "normal" Press and OFF<>TAXI on the "long" Press to make it more comfortable (e.g. Taxiing around a big Airport with Runway Crossings, I can quickly "normal"-push all the different Light Buttons when entering/leaving the Runway.)

If it is not a Light Switch with three States or somebody doesn't like the LightX Images (or their confusing Names^^): The Images are in no way "hardcoded" in the Plugin and can therefore be added, modified/replaced or renamed as needed or preferred. Although I would not recommend modifying or renaming the included Images, as that would complicate an Update to a new Plugin-Version - just unzipping the new Version would overwrite such Changes, whereas added Images would not be touched.
 

Explore these Options and Example, I'm sure for the most Cases the Plugin should already have the Features you need 😉 
 

The Thing which the Plugin does not has anything for, is for Multi-State Controls (4 or more States) with each State requiring an individual Image (with non-text Content). I had thoughts about that, maybe I'll add something like a "Dynamic Multi-State Button" or something like that in the Future. 

[Fragtality 127]

Something else, to every PilotsDeck User: does anybody of you also have MSFS2020 + FSUIPC7? Did anyone test that?

[c912039 111]

3 hours ago, Fragtality said:

Something else, to every PilotsDeck User: does anybody of you also have MSFS2020 + FSUIPC7? Did anyone test that?

I have MSFS2020 and FSUIPC (plus your PD plugin). Ive yet to try using your plugin with MSFS, but I will be starting to port my Airbus PD template over to use with FBW's A320 in MSFS soon.

[Fragtality 127]

*bump*
New Release:
- Version 0.6.6 released with a new "Reset Lvar" Option (for Lvar Actions)
- Tested with MSFS/FSUIPC7: Works without Problems (no specific changes in this Version ... older Versions should work with MSFS too)
- Profile added on GitHub for the Fenix A320

Coming soon / Latest Dev-Build (requires FSUIPC 7.3.5 / WASM 0.5.9):
- Integration of FSUIPC's WASM Module: Faster Lvar Access, Hvar & Calculator-Code Actions
- Will require .NET 6.0 ... be prepared (harhar)

Edited May 28, 2022 by Fragtality

[Fragtality 127]

Can somebody try the latest Dev-Build and tell if it works in general and with MSFS? (For me it does without Problems - just to check if every Library needed is included and if the Requirements are correct)
- FSUIPC 7.3.6 + with WASM installed and enabled required
- .NET 6.0 Framework required https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/6.0
(".NET Runtime 6.0.5" and ".NET Desktop Runtime 6.0.5" for x64)
- Check if and what you have installed: dotnet --list-runtimes (on the Commandline / PowerShell)
(Should show up as "Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.5" and "Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.5")

- Backup your PilotsDeck Plugin-Folder, delete the Contents and extract the Dev-Build

[BAW303 38]

Hi, I did see your profile on flight sim.to for the Fenix. I tried it yesterday for a few hours but could not get this to work at all. FSUIPC was loading the scripts. But nothing on the stream deck seemed to work unfortunately. 

[Fragtality 127]

Did you use PilotsDeck before with MSFS? Do we need to troubleshoot the Plugin itself or the Profile?

[BAW303 38]

I think it was likely the plug-in that didn’t work. Profiles loaded into steam deck ok.

[Fragtality 127]

So I assume: it's the first time you are using the Plugin *g*

Can you see PilotsDeck and its Actions on the right Sidebar?

If you click on any Action (in the Software): do the Dropdowns work (Action Type and Images e.g.)?

[BAW303 38]

Yes, first time trying your plugin.

All the button types are there within stream deck . But no action types in the drop down list.

[Fragtality 127]

Okay, that means your Plugin is getting blocked! The Configuration is stored in the Profile itself, the Plugin/Actions in the manifest-File of the Plugin - that's why you can see it. But the Plugin itself, it's binary, is not active!

Check the Troubleshooting Section and see if that helps!

[BAW303 38]

I followed that yesterday. Ran Powershell Command to unblock files. Still the same unfortunately. That's the point I gave up trying...

[Fragtality 127]

And Anti-Virus - has an Exclusion or is disabled?

In the Streamdeck Logs there is probably Entries, that the Plugin has crashed, right? (%appdata%\Elgato\StreamDeck\logs)
Does the Plugin create any logs? (%appdata%\Elgato\StreamDeck\Plugins\com.extension.pilotsdeck.sdPlugin) Could you share them with me somehow?