Hello,

I would like to ask for advice on how managing multiple aircrafts and templates is supposed to be done. I enjoy flying a diverse set of aircrafts which usually have a set of common controls (rudder/elevator/aileron axis, ...) and a set of unique controls (x-touch mini AP control). I really like that AAO will be able to automatically load a different configuration for each aircraft and configure all of my devices. However I have struggled to configure this to my liking.

To provide context, conceptually what I was expecting was that I would create a set of template to group functionality together, and then add those templates to the various aircrafts. So for instance I would have a "Basic Functions" template with all default axis/buttons, and then a "CRJ AP" and "CJ4 AP" for instance with custom assignments for the x-touch mini. However I have run into the following set of issues:

• Since templates are applied once to aircraft configuration, making any template change means having to re-apply template to all aircrafts it affects.
• Having multiple templates applied to a single aircraft makes it difficult to make a change since it seems the only process is to export the full config to a template, edit template, find all configs that were not part of the desired template to edit and remove them (very manual) to finally have a clean edited template.
• Once that template is edited, again in the setup with multiple templates applied to a given aircraft, to apply the updated template, one needs first to find and remove all configs for that template (or start from scratch and re-apply all desired templates).

I have a feeling that I am not using this correctly, could you please explain how to manage this? I cannot think of a way to manage that does not require a lot of manual steps. I have read the documentation so I understand what features are implemented I think, but I do not understand how to use those features to conveniently manage my controllers.

Is the database/scripts/template files available somewhere for direct edit, and if so where?

Thank you for your help,

AAO wants you to manage each individual aircraft configuration. The templates are just blueprints, their content is duplicted into the aircraft configuration when you apply the template. Their main purpose is the transfer between users though. Editing a template will not change anything in aircraft configs that were build from it.

To be honest, the use case that you would alter a template, and expect all configs to change with it, is a new one. What kind of changes are those? 

That being said, if you have to swap an entire device, AAO has a separate feature for doing that. And you can alter the AAO database file manually if you are so inclined, it is just simple XML. 

 

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Lorby_SI

Hello, thanks for answering,

Here are a few ideas for the use case:

• "Basic functions" template contains the normal axis, parking brake, and trims. I want this to be a constant position for all aircrafts.
• Use case: I would like to change the sensitivity of one of the axis, then doing that at template level which would update all aircrafts would make this change easier to make.
• Use case: I want to change the parking brake button to be short press=set, long press=unset instead of toggle.
• Use case: In the future I'd like to move the parking brake to a different button, then I could update the template to fix all aircrafts together. (I guess maybe you're saying that might be handled?)
• Use case: If I want to add a new function in the future (eg. AP disconnect on throttle), I can add it to the template which adds it to all aircrafts.
• Use case: If someone maintains a template for X-Touch mini for CRJ AP lets say, and they want to update it, the distribution/install process would be easier since applying/updating would be a quick process instead of the current process of deleting all previously defined controls manually and then applying the updated template again.

As I said there is also the issue of not mapping between controls and templates in the case where multiple templates are applied to an aircraft. I started out trying to create this basic template, I did a few axis but didn't map tilt/rudder correctly, which I corrected in an aircraft config. Moving that fix back to the template is made difficult since the aircraft config also contains a lot of aircraft specific configurations. Having the aircraft -> templates -> controls mapping would allow porting back the fix easier.

Talking of multiple template, I actually had another use case where in general my throttles are throttles except for Reno Air Race where they are prop pitch. I might map this to a button instead[1] but just to give the idea, my plan was to make normal aircraft config the union of template {Basic Functions, Throttles as throttles, AP specific} and for Reno I would have done {Basic Functions, Throttles as Prop Pitch}.

This also means it's harder to just try another aircraft, for instance I wanted to try the F18 but I had to give up and enable MSFS controller settings to get a few basic things working to try it out. That's because I couldn't really figure out a good way to update that broken base template. In this case I would have liked to just apply the base template, map one of the free aircraft specific buttons to after burner (in an F18 specific template) and be done.

Does these use case make sense? What is the default location of the database? I looked into install directory but didn't see anything specific. Knowing this I could probably at least try to come up with an homebrewed solution (I develop software as well).

[1]: When I dialed the sensitivity in MSFS for prop pitch I actually ended up with a non-S shaped curve to avoid over sensitive axis. Doesn't seem to be possible here, but that's probably something I can work out by setting a button as specific value on axis I assume.

Well, that is just not how Templates were ever intended to work, sorry.

I don't see any of those use cases covered in the app. And IMHO it is way too late to start implementing this now, it would probably invalidate all existing setups. Like, all assignments would have to remember where they came from, if they were created manually or through a template. Then, the arising conflicts must be resolved, when people change the aircraft configuration, and then, unaware, change the template. Or the other way round. Plus the "Master/Slave" configuration logic, that will further confound the whole thing.

Personally, I am not using templates at all. They were implemented as per user request, not because they were required. I handle all aircraft assignments individually. The general idea is, that you do this once, and then just fly, it shouldn't be a constant process (again IMHO of course). The only extra that AAO has in that regard is the controller replacement with the "Hardware change" dialog. I found it very annoying when Windows decides to change the controller GUIDs...

The folders where AAO stores the files are mentioned in the manual, chapter "File handling". Generally speaking, all database related files, that the user should stay away from, are in AppData\Local\LORBY_SI (those are the XML files you are looking for). All User files are in Documents\LorbyAxisAndOhs Files.

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Lorby_SI