Stream Deck XL Thoughts

[GregP 35]

1 hour ago, Byronb said:

How does this compare to Touch Portal for Tablets.

Brian

A few months ago I tried a StreamDeck XL but eventually returned it and instead got a $100 8” Android tablet for use with Touch Portal. And I’m very glad that I did, because now for less than half the cost of the XL, I can create as many buttons as I want to fit onto the screen and not be restricted by the relatively small number of physical buttons the XL has. In addition to TP there’s also another great app called Matric that does the same thing. I use both actually, on two tablets. 

And then if you have a Microcenter near you, as Flypops pointed out below, you can actually get a 10” tablet for 1/5 the cost of the XL! I picked one up last week and may grab another.

So yes, I very highly recommend people seriously look at using a tablet for this purpose before spending so much on a nice but relatively expensive piece of gear.

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by GregP

[Rocky_53 1,612]

52 minutes ago, GregP said:

A few months ago I tried a StreamDeck XL but eventually returned it and instead got a $100 8” Android tablet for use with Touch Portal. And I’m very glad that I did, because now for less than half the cost of the XL, I can create as many buttons as I want to fit onto the screen and not be restricted by the relatively small number of physical buttons the XL has. In addition to TP there’s also another great app called Matric that does the same thing. I use both actually, on two tablets. 

And then if you have a Microcenter near you, as Flypops pointed out below, you can actually get a 10” tablet for 1/5 the cost of the XL! I picked one up last week and may grab another.

So yes, I very highly recommend people seriously look at using a tablet for this purpose before spending so much on a nice but relatively expensive piece of gear.

 

Yes, but what you don't get with the tablet of course, is the actual physical button feel, which to some, like me is important. But I will check out your recommendation all the same. 

[Donka 671]

Another Streamdeck XL user here. Upgraded from the regular 15 button version but still swithering to run both or not. The physical feel of the buttons allow you to make changes without the need to keep looking as you would with a touch screen.

I use the excellent free Flight Tracker plugin from Flightsim.to but there are  few software options to use. It's actually quite easy to set up, the biggest issue is deciding how you want to set it up and finding some of the more obscure sim variables. I'm currently in the process of setting up some specific aircraft profiles as I was always using a generic single profile up till now. The real time feedback possible on the keys gives it a dual purpose - control and information.

[MrBitstFlyer 3,927]

I had never heard of the Stream Deck!  Read this thread, watched some YouTube videos and my Stream Deck XL is on its way from Amazon 🙂

I read the post above about the Touch Portal, but I think having physical buttons makes the Stream Deck XL a better option for a flight Sim.

[MrBitstFlyer 3,927]

17 hours ago, Little Jenny said:

I have two StreamDecks (32 button XL and 15 button) and absolutely love them.  I use SPAD.NEXT to handle all the mappings (config for each plane I fly).  I know there are many who use Axis & Ohs to run their StreamDecks.  I use one for whatever buttons/switches I want to map and the other for camera views and master caution/warning lights.  Seriously considering getting another one but for now, the two work for me.  Does take time to set up the configs due to finding the appropriate Simconnect & LVAR events to map.  But it's well worth it.

 

I note there are three external plugins referenced in this thread...

FlightDeck (is Flight Tracker better)
Spad.Next
Axis @ Ohs

Flight Deck seems a good choice as a new Stream Deck user when mine arrives.  Any info please on why I might choose another?  I have  the Honeycomb Yoke and throttle.  No other hardware.  I fly almost exclusively GA but the MilViz ATR has interested me for the future.

Edited October 17, 2021 by MrBitstFlyer
added reference to Flight Tracker

[Donka 671]

15 hours ago, nyfirefly11 said:

I just bought flightdeck.to ‘s software for the stream deck (works for all sims). The MSFS version is actually open source, so you could download it without paying.

It has a bunch of ready-made profiles for a few different a/c, it makes it really easy.

I haven’t had time to use it all that much but seems great so far.

Do you need to make an account to see the free version? Never tried this one before.

[Donka 671]

1 hour ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

I note there are three external plugins referenced in this thread...

FlightDeck (is Flight Tracker better)
Spad.Next
Axis @ Ohs

Flight Deck seems a good choice as a new Stream Deck user when mine arrives.  Any info please on why I might choose another?  I have  the Honeycomb Yoke and throttle.  No other hardware.  I fly almost exclusively GA but the MilViz ATR has interested me for the future.

Do you have any of the Just Flight aircraft? I have a FlightTracker profile for the Warrior I can share if interested. It's still a work in progress but has most things covered ans I'll adapt it for the Arrows next.

Edited October 17, 2021 by Donka

[Matchstick 1,926]

10 hours ago, Dominique_K said:

Interesting thread and posts. I looked into it but haven’t got one : 

- I love a good VC and manipulating switches, levers and whatnots. Case in point : the gyropilot in the DC6. How dull would it be to handle it without looking at it ?

- it is a slick gizmo all right but, at the end of the day, isn't just a glorified numpad ? 

Now, never say never. 

It's a numberpad where you can set the button labels in realtime including displaying data from the sim

[Little Jenny 317]

1 hour ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

I note there are three external plugins referenced in this thread...

FlightDeck (is Flight Tracker better)
Spad.Next
Axis @ Ohs

Flight Deck seems a good choice as a new Stream Deck user when mine arrives.  Any info please on why I might choose another?  I have  the Honeycomb Yoke and throttle.  No other hardware.  I fly almost exclusively GA but the MilViz ATR has interested me for the future.

I cannot speak of either of the other two options (I only use SPAD.NEXT).  I started using SPAD long before I bought a StreamDeck.  I only bought one after I found out that support was coming for it in SPAD.  SPAD handles all of my hardware, so that's why I use it.  I have done some looking at A&O but not really seeing a reason to buy another config tool.  Definitely look at what suits your purposes.  Lots of people around here using the various options I know.  

[MrBitstFlyer 3,927]

51 minutes ago, Little Jenny said:

I cannot speak of either of the other two options (I only use SPAD.NEXT).  I started using SPAD long before I bought a StreamDeck.  I only bought one after I found out that support was coming for it in SPAD.  SPAD handles all of my hardware, so that's why I use it.  I have done some looking at A&O but not really seeing a reason to buy another config tool.  Definitely look at what suits your purposes.  Lots of people around here using the various options I know.  

So Spad.Next and Axis @ Ohs are better for those with lots of hardware to connect to?  Flight Deck or Flight Tracker may suit me better as I only have the Honeycomb yoke and Throttle?

[Tva 32]

I`m gonna go againts the curent here and say that even if mapping hotkeys is a breeze working with different software like axis and flight tracker is a pain. I just touched the surface with the flighttracker plugin, is powerfull but you really need to hunt down all those simconnect variables and some of them are just not there. I tried the trial version of Axis@OHH but couldnt make it work so there is that. And a word of caution, even if you could map a lot of things for default aircrafts, when you move to payware most of the events and variables are custom so you need a little bit of experience with the chosen software to find them out.

Oh, FlightDeck doesnt worth the money, it doesnt do anything you cant do with the free plugin FlightTracker, you just pay for a bunch of copy/pasted profiles.

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Tva

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

https://github.com/nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck/blob/main/FlightStreamDeck.Core/TOGGLE_EVENT.cs

https://github.com/nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck/blob/main/FlightStreamDeck.Core/TOGGLE_VALUE.cs]

https://github.com/nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck/blob/main/docs/USERGUIDE.md

[Tva 32]

7 hours ago, Waldo Pepper said:

https://github.com/nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck/blob/main/FlightStreamDeck.Core/TOGGLE_EVENT.cs

https://github.com/nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck/blob/main/FlightStreamDeck.Core/TOGGLE_VALUE.cs]

https://github.com/nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck/blob/main/docs/USERGUIDE.md

Yeah, that's what I'm using but besides some basic commands you cant find events for every switch even for default planes.

[webstef68 55]

Guenseli (who is reading) made a lot of quality templates to be used in conjunction with AAO. He even made cool animated buttons based on the actual cockpit graphics ! For the DC-6 for ex, i use a 15 buttons version for the AFE and Radios, and a 32 for all the rest. Every penny worth for me ! Just make a search for AAO  on flightsim.to !

[Matchstick 1,926]

16 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

So Spad.Next and Axis @ Ohs are better for those with lots of hardware to connect to?  Flight Deck or Flight Tracker may suit me better as I only have the Honeycomb yoke and Throttle?

Personally I wouldn't want to use the Honeycombs without Spad.Next now. There's an awful lot of functionality in both of those that can be exploited very well by Spad.(Same is undoubtedly true of AAO as well it's just i am more familiar with Spad)

Edited October 18, 2021 by Matchstick