Note to Admin ref menu system

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    It would be quite confusing to display a four engine setup page when there is no default aircraft that needs it. Most users then will think they need to set those settings or otherwise something might not work. I understand the desire to make this easier for users of the add-on aircraft but it also makes it more confusing for everyone else.

    This does not stop you from implementing aircraft with more than two engines though and I'm sure if we ever add an aircraft with four turboprop engines or four piston engines those menus will be added.

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    ... when there is no default aircraft that needs it

    With the desire for more aircraft I hold back a lot - but this is such a steep template for the Airbus A400M.:)8)

    Tschüss, Michael (🍎🚁)

    Configurations:

    - MacBook Pro (16", 2024); Chip: Apple M4 Max; actual macOS
    - Controllers: | WinWing: URSA MINOR-Fighter-Joystick R, EFIS-L & FCU & EFIS-R | Thrustmaster TCA AIRBUS EDITION: 2x Quadrant, 2x Quadrant Add-On | Pro-Flight-Trainer: PUMA X | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    - iPad (12,9", 4th Generation, RAM: 6 GB); actual iOS | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    A380 and B747 are four-jet aircrafts and have 4 ThrustLevers.

    C130 is a 4-engine turbo prop aircraft and has 4 ConditionLevers in addition to the 4 ThrusLevers.

    I have two TCA Quadrant Throttles from Thrustmaster. In the FS 4 menu, I set the two left levers as Throttle and the two right levers as ConditionLever. In a 2-engine TurboProp aircraft, each lever always operates one engine, in a 4-engine TurboProp aircraft, each lever always operates the two motors on one side.

    Tschüss, Michael (🍎🚁)

    Configurations:

    - MacBook Pro (16", 2024); Chip: Apple M4 Max; actual macOS
    - Controllers: | WinWing: URSA MINOR-Fighter-Joystick R, EFIS-L & FCU & EFIS-R | Thrustmaster TCA AIRBUS EDITION: 2x Quadrant, 2x Quadrant Add-On | Pro-Flight-Trainer: PUMA X | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    - iPad (12,9", 4th Generation, RAM: 6 GB); actual iOS | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    Would it not make sense to slave 1 and 4 to a lever then 2 and 3 to the other lever to avoid dissymmetry of thrust. Of course starting or stopping a single engine would be a problem as it effects two engines. This could only be done by tampering with the tmd so I guess striving for accuracy is frowned on.

    Also the Herc taxis quite well just on two engines and it even rattles now as it does...sounds courtesy of a very rattily old bus that we have in these parts, as 'Pa Larkin' would say, perfick, just perfick.

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    Would it not make sense to slave 1 and 4 to a lever then 2 and 3 to the other lever to avoid dissymmetry of thrust.

    Mhm, would at least be an alternative. And from my point of view, it would be best if the user could switch between symmetrical and asymmetrical use with a simple switch.


    @IPACS:

    In general, I would also like to be able to assign flexible external controllers in the menu at a kind of "expert level". For example, I have the FCU from WINWING, which has buttons for AP1 and AP2. But unfortunately I can only assign AP-MASTER in the menu. And this cannot be customised directly in the gc-map.mcf, because I can't get the variables mapped there. At least an adjustment in the gc-map.mcf is desirable.

    Tschüss, Michael (🍎🚁)

    Configurations:

    - MacBook Pro (16", 2024); Chip: Apple M4 Max; actual macOS
    - Controllers: | WinWing: URSA MINOR-Fighter-Joystick R, EFIS-L & FCU & EFIS-R | Thrustmaster TCA AIRBUS EDITION: 2x Quadrant, 2x Quadrant Add-On | Pro-Flight-Trainer: PUMA X | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    - iPad (12,9", 4th Generation, RAM: 6 GB); actual iOS | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    Yep. :)

    The FCU is also correctly recognised by the FS 4 with all keys as a keyboard control assignment. Nevertheless, I can unfortunately not assign some buttons such as SPD MACH, AP!, AP2 etc.

    It doesn't bother me that this currently doesn't work in the menu.

    However, I would like to make the assignment directly in the gc-map.mcf. From the controls.tmd I know the corresponding names for message such as "Autopilot.Master0" and "Autopilot.Master1" but unfortunately not the names of the corresponding FunctionID.:(

    Tschüss, Michael (🍎🚁)

    Configurations:

    - MacBook Pro (16", 2024); Chip: Apple M4 Max; actual macOS
    - Controllers: | WinWing: URSA MINOR-Fighter-Joystick R, EFIS-L & FCU & EFIS-R | Thrustmaster TCA AIRBUS EDITION: 2x Quadrant, 2x Quadrant Add-On | Pro-Flight-Trainer: PUMA X | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    - iPad (12,9", 4th Generation, RAM: 6 GB); actual iOS | Steelseries: Nimbus+

    With the availability of more elaborate controls and joysticks perhaps more should be done to accommodate these ever expanding devices. A simple Bodnar card can do 32 switches and 4 axis so building your own device is not that hard.

    We also have a similar problem as I mentioned earlier regarding the landing lights. Most large aircraft have 2 switches, left and right, but we can't do this in the default menu system. To get around this problem I 'borrow' a key assignment not in use, most of the time its the beacon light and assign that to either left or right in the tmd file. If the argument is always, 'you can do this within the cockpit,' then why allow any keyboard and joystick assignments. Night lighting is a great visual aide and helps the user become more involved with the simulation.