I have just purchased Axis and Oh's to use with MSFS to configure my controls. I had been using another product, but I decided to change after experiencing poor support from the developer. Lorbi SI seems to have more respect for its customers, so I hope this is a good move.

Right now I am trying to configure some of my flight yoke switches to handle camera views, but I haven't had any success. I think I could program virtual keys to do what I need, but I'd like to use events, if that's possible. In the Select Simulator Event dialog box I see two buttons, Test with 0 and Test with 1. I have tried to uses these buttons to see what specific events would do, but I never see any response in msfs when I do that. Do those buttons work?

Also, I have tried several of the Camera events under VIEW / CAMERA EVENTS in that dialog box, and none of them seem to have any impact within msfs.

Could someone help lead me to a better understanding of these things?

Thanks!

Hello,

(most of) the camera control events in MSFS are non-functional. They are listed in the SDK documentation of MSFS, but they don't do anything. This has been the case since the Alpha, and Asobo has been duly notified about that back then - by me and probably all other developers who make camera control apps. But instead of fixing them, even more native camera control options simply disappeared over time from the SDK spec (like the 6DOF get/set methods that were present in SimConnect).

At the moment your only option are keyboard events. But instead of using virtual keys directly from the Button assignment, I'd suggest using RPN scripts that force the app focus onto MSFS before triggering the key. RPN scripts are created with the built-in editor in the "Scripting" menu, and they look for example like this:
(FOCUS:FlightSimulator)·(SPLIT:200)·(VKD:56-184-164)·(VKD:38-166-76)·(SPLIT:200)·(VKU:38-166-76)·(VKU:56-184-164)

- The VKD/VKU you get by using the "Insert VKey" button on the editor
- The SPLIT commands are necessary, because MSFS can't handle Key events that happen to quickly (these SPLITs delay execution by 200ms - you can try to bring that down to 100, but some delay is always required).

But it is a bit of trial and error. If you are certain that MSFS will have the app focus anyway, you can try the direct assignment too.

And of course upvote all threads in the official forums that complain about this situation... personally, I have given up (although I also have a camera app waiting...). Since nothing has happened in 2 years now, I have no hopes that this will get any better. There are a few simulator variables now in the SDK doc that deal with cameras, but they are no replacement.

Edit: or assign the yoke buttons to view controls directly in MSFS. AAO does not override the sim, so you can use them in parallel.
 

Edited February 26, 20224 yr by Lorby_SI

Hello

no doubt that MSFS is a x-box game, not really a simulator. Don't expect more from M$oft & Asobo!

 

Thanks for the info. I will try working with RPN scripts to see what I can do with that. It's a bit of a learning curve, but it sounds interesting.

One question: I have not had much luck yet creating a setup even for one aircraft. twice now something happened and AAO crashed, and all the settings that I had configured disappeared. After the first instance I started saving changes as a template, but even that disappeared after the second crash. It seems that changes are not saved until the program closes. Is there a way to force a save to prevent the loss of changes other than closing the app?

Edited February 26, 20224 yr by GilYoder

43 minutes ago, GilYoder said:

Is there a way to force a save to prevent the loss of changes other than closing the app?

Tools -> Save Database now.

But the app crashing is not normal. Please go to Hardware -> Device Blacklist and move everything to the right with the "Ignore" button that is not a controller that you want to use in AAO. And make sure that you don't have one of the problematic controller config apps, like Corsair iCue.

Edit: "Ignore": that includes the keyboard and the mouse, they need to go on the blacklist too if they cause trouble. AAO has a low level access to these devices.

Edited February 26, 20224 yr by Lorby_SI

I had several that I guess shouldn't be active, but this raises another question.

Shouldn't I see my Logitech switch panel and multi-panel somewhere?

Okay, I just found where the panels are to be configured. It just wasn't where I expected.

1 hour ago, GilYoder said:

Shouldn't I see my Logitech switch panel and multi-panel somewhere?

No. Those devices aren't USB game controllers and they don't interact with DirectX. They need a completely different interface, that is why they are handled in a different place in AAO. There are some separate Bridge programs for even more exotic hardware, you can download those from the AAO website.

Please make sure to have the AAO user manual nearby. Many features and concepts are quite complex and not really intuitive to grasp at first glance.  

Edited February 26, 20224 yr by Lorby_SI

Lorby_SI,

Hi,

Don't mean to highjack this thread but is it currently possible/any plans to use implement XnO's app with virtual button applications eg Touch Portal.

Thankyou

Brian

 

47 minutes ago, SpaceMonkey said:

Lorby_SI,

Hi,

Don't mean to highjack this thread but is it currently possible/any plans to use implement XnO's app with virtual button applications eg Touch Portal.

Thankyou

Brian

 

Not sure I understand that one - what would be the benefit of doing that? TouchPortal is already sending keyboard events, is it not??

Thankyou, yes your quite right on that. However developers of addon aircraft (eg Fly-by-wire A32NX) create unique variables and events with respect to the operation of their aircraft. Currently Touch Portal relies on freeware enthusiasts developing API modules as an interface between MSFS2020 data/events and Touch Portal buttons and these modules are well out of date and don't get updated as the sim develops. 

I'm probably wrong but I assumed AnO's being a paid app provided a framework which was kept up to date in respect of simulator variables/events and may have allowed an end user to insert/change Lvars/events gleaned from the updated MSFS2020 SDK or publications issued by addon developers.

Regards 

Brian I'm nearly always wrong 

 

7 hours ago, SpaceMonkey said:

I'm probably wrong but I assumed AnO's being a paid app provided a framework which was kept up to date in respect of simulator variables/events and may have allowed an end user to insert/change Lvars/events gleaned from the updated MSFS2020 SDK or publications issued by addon developers.

You can directly use whatever variables and events you find or have knowledge of, be it LVars, HVars, BVars or stuff from the SDK. AAO offers all the mechanics that are necessary to control whatever is required, even really complex operations by virtue of the built-in RPN processor. But the assets (variable and event names, scripting and animation logic) of individual aircraft you will have to find yourself. The app has a couple of features to help you with that a little bit, but it can't do it for you.

About TouchPortal - AAO has a web server built in and I made a small example how you can make your own web pages with buttons on them -  without the need for any additional app or software - for any functionality you want. What we will not do is create an API plugin that makes TP communicate with AAO. I have looked into it, and the API of TP is apparently unable to do what would be required (= send XmlHttpRequests to the WebAPI of AAO and process the response)

Edited February 27, 20224 yr by Lorby_SI

Thankyou for your time in replying. What you outlined may be the better long-term option for me (if I can get my head around the implementation) so I'll have a look for the example at your website.

 

Regards

Brian

On 2/26/2022 at 1:00 PM, Lorby_SI said:

Tools -> Save Database now.

But the app crashing is not normal. Please go to Hardware -> Device Blacklist and move everything to the right with the "Ignore" button that is not a controller that you want to use in AAO. And make sure that you don't have one of the problematic controller config apps, like Corsair iCue.

Edit: "Ignore": that includes the keyboard and the mouse, they need to go on the blacklist too if they cause trouble. AAO has a low level access to these devices.

Thanks for that info - I was having my Stream Deck go back to Default profile every time MSFS lost focus.
Even actively flying, if I clicked on my other screen to look at something else, SD went back to Default profile.
I was going to ask about this, but I have now black-listed a few dozen USB things (no idea what they were, but many of them).
So, with only StreamDeck on the left side, I have no more profile switches!
I'm soo happy - thanks a million 🙂