AAO switch assignment for BS Duke help

[Ident 203]

I am looking to assign my dual 5 position rotary knobs to create a start up sequence for the Duke Turbine. I show in the video what it is that I am trying to achieve. I know there are LVARs for this addon for these events but not sure if there is a better way. For Lorby, if you do not own the BS Duke and there is a way I can buy it for you to help me, I am more than willing to do so.

 

 

[Lorby_SI 2,081]

3 hours ago, Ident said:

I know there are LVARs for this addon for these events but not sure if there is a better way

No, the LVars are the only way. Each LVar can have three values (0, 1, 2), corresponding to the three positions of the rocker (up, middle, down).

You make AAO scan all LVars from the sim (Menu Scripting->Read LVars from sim), then you can select them from the usual event treelist (group "Local Simulator Variables" - use the Filter feature!) and assign them to your encoder positions. The value you dial into the little numerical box to the right.
Alternatively you can write RPN scripts with these variables and assign the scripts to your buttons.
All this is assuming that your rotary encoder is sending a distinct/unique joystick button event for each position.

I don't know about better or worse. The task, as I see it, is to replicate what happens when you use the mouse on the clickspot in the cockpit = to replicate the so called "behavior" code. That code can be anaylzed by everyone. You turn on the MSFS developer mode, then open "Tools->Behaviors". This dialog has lists with all the input events and all the LVars. In addition, when this dialog is open, you can just hover the mouse cursor over the knob/button/lever clickspot you are interested in, and when you press Ctrl - G the actual behavior code will be shown in the dialog (in most cases, there are aircraft where this doesn't work for some reason - in that case you have to use the filter and search features of the behavior dialog). 
The fist item to check is the section "Asobo_GT_Interaction....LeftSingle/Drag/Wheel/Whatever". These sections contain the code that MSFS will execute when you use the mouse. And that is what you want to replicate in AAO.

 

 

Edited May 18 by Lorby_SI

[Ident 203]

I'm making progress so thank you for sticking with me. I promise I will make a quick video to show how I get it assigned for others to reference once it's all set.

 

So this is what I got so far but don't see which small box to use to put the 0 in which indicates to turn on the fuel pump.

I'm obviously not using your software to the fullest but trying.

 

[Ident 203]

I figured out the little box I need to set the 0 value but still unsure of why I have a hard time assigning the correct controller. What does the ! and Lock red or green mean?

[Lorby_SI 2,081]

1 hour ago, Ident said:

I figured out the little box I need to set the 0 value but still unsure of why I have a hard time assigning the correct controller. What does the ! and Lock red or green mean?

...there is a 150+ pages manual for AAO, accessible with the little question mark in the top menu...

The ! is for ignoring devices or buttons for as long as the dialog is open. The Lock is for locking input pickup to the device that is currently shown.

If you have devices interfering that aren't actual game controllers, use Hardware->Device Blacklist to disable them for good in AAO. That is always a good idea btw., to blacklist all devices that you don't use in AAO.

Edited May 18 by Lorby_SI

[Ident 203]

On 5/18/2024 at 3:01 PM, Lorby_SI said:

...there is a 150+ pages manual for AAO, accessible with the little question mark in the top menu...

The ! is for ignoring devices or buttons for as long as the dialog is open. The Lock is for locking input pickup to the device that is currently shown.

If you have devices interfering that aren't actual game controllers, use Hardware->Device Blacklist to disable them for good in AAO. That is always a good idea btw., to blacklist all devices that you don't use in AAO.

This has been a crash course in AAO and I was moving along smoothly until the last few items to assign. I've done great with all your help at getting my LVARs assigned but then I hit a wall with the following items which are not LVARs. The four below are all on the Piston Duke as I got the Turbine all assigned.

Fuel Pumps
LeftFuelPump B:FUEL_Pump_1_Toggle
RightFuelPump B:FUEL_Pump_2_Toggle

Alternators 
LeftGenerator B:ELECTRICAL_Alternator_1_Toggle
RightGenerator B:ELECTRICAL_Alternator_2_Toggle

Cowl Flaps
LeftCowlFlaps L:var_cowlFlapSwitch_L 0=OPEN,2=CLOSE
RightCowlFlaps L:var_cowlFlapSwitch_R 0=OPEN,2=CLOSE

Pre Oiler
Pre-Oiler L:var_PreoilerSwitch 0=LEFT,2=RIGHT

I couldnt find the B: items in the master list of available items to pick to assign and the Cowl Flaps and Pre Oiler are LVARs but I couldnt find them in the Local drop down list that I've been finding everything else after doing a LVARs scan. I was able to do the blacklist and that worked great. Once I get these last 4 items assigned, I think I am all set on assignments. Your help is extremely appreciated.

[Lorby_SI 2,081]

4 hours ago, Ident said:

I couldnt find the B: items in the master list of available items to pick to assign

BVars and HVars are invented by the aircraft developer, AAO cannot know them in advance = they do not appear in these lists. And some LVars are only visible to the scan when you have used them at least once.

You have the following options:

1. (only for BVars and HVars): Check if there is an InputEvent with the same name. They are in the group "MSFS Input Events", but only when AAO is connected to the sim and you are sitting in the cockpit (IEs are read "live" from the sim)

2. Apply the variables in RPN scripts. AAO doesn't have to know the variable names to be able to use them. Scripts appear in the same treelist as the events and can be assigned to your buttons at will
Examples:
1 (>B:FUEL_Pump_1_Toggle)
or
1 (>B:FUEL_Pump_1_Set)
and
0 (>B:FUEL_Pump_1_Set)
(Bvars don't have fixed names, the "do-word" at the end usually can be changed to suit the use case)

and for the LVar
0 (>L:var_cowlFlapSwitch_L, Number)
and
2 (>L:var_cowlFlapSwitch_L, Number)

3. Add the variables to the AAO database manually (Scripting->Input custom variables manually). Then you can assign them to a button directly. 

 

Edited May 20 by Lorby_SI

[Lorby_SI 2,081]

The best way to find out about what happens when a button or lever is operated with the mouse is the MSFS developer mode

1. Turn on MSFS Developer Mode
2. Load the aircraft
3. Open "Tools->Behaviors" from the developer menu at the top

The Behaviors dialog has several useful tabs:
- A list of all Local Variables (LVars) with the current values
- A list of all Input Events (which are listed in the group "MSFS Input Events" in AAO for direct assignment)
- A debug dialog that can show you the actual behavior RPN code: click back into the simulator, then hover the mouse cursor over the switch, button or lever that you are interested in and press "Ctrl - G". That will bring up the behavior code of that item (most of the time). Normally there are components called "Asobo_GT_Interaction....LeftSingle/Drag/..." which contain the code that is actuated with the mouse. That is what you want to replicate in AAO.
 

 

 

Edited May 20 by Lorby_SI