Hi, im not sure if this helps but I modified the DLL for my own external cockpit display that sends broadcasts all of the available messages to UDP.
Peixacu, which messages do you require exactly? If the messages are available I could develop a DLL that broadcasts these over UDP.
Andy
This is mainly a post to anyone who like me was "thinking" of making the same change but was unsure.
I have only ever had the HTC vive and always thought it was great (even in FS2) but just accepted such things like the numbers on the gauges being blurry and difficult to read or having to move my head around to find the real sweet spot to read those gauges.
However, I started comparing other headsets taking into account spec / costs and whilst the Rift S on paper states only a slight resolution increase in terms of pixels, its actually something like 40% higher resolution than the Vive. Anyway, I nearly bought one new seeing as they were only £399 in shops but managed to pick a used one up cheaper and ... wow!
For me, it is significantly better, I actually cant believe how much clearer the numbers and gauges are. I mostly fly gliders and its actually the first time I have pressed buttons and gone through different pages of the display because I can actually read everything now. No longer leaning forward and best of all the sweet spot is SO much bigger for me, I can now keep my head still and move my eyes around and read everything. On top of that, the halo head band is much more comfortable, no trackers required and is a lot lighter.
If anything the ONLY downside (but is completely irrelevant in terms of immersion because of all the above) is that the FOV feels slightly less.
So if anyone else has a Vive, loves it but wants better, I recommend the Rift S (especially for the price)
NOTE: I do not work for Oculus or promote them for any gain, this is just a personal review.
Andy
I can run a little test later today and see what rate i'm getting. Its not something i have checked personally, I have just always run the data through a filter to smooth things out.
One thing I did notice was that the Update Call in the DLL doesn't appear to always have the message list. There is a check to see if the message list is not empty which I use, if you run without that check I was getting roughly ONLY 1 in 10 calls actually had data, the rest had zilch.
Hi, although i haven't been on for a while due to moving home, I have been checking in every now and again.
I still am developing my VR GPS map overlay but since then I have been doing further development in such things as:
External instrument panel (like Air manager) as well as output to Arduino for servo driven instruments.
NMEA output for interfacing with real GPS units.
Output to my DIY motion platform.
However, instead of just playing around with these for myself I thought I would see if these things would be of interest to anyone on here. There all unfinished projects but if there was an addon or something that you wish you had just say and I will try to help. Obviously I am limited to the inputs/outputs of the SDK interface.
Andy
I don’t think so. I don’t even know how to approach something like that. I have a button on my flightstick assigned to flaps. One increment per push.
Jet-pack seems to think it does, how confident are you that it doesn't?
Assigning an axis works just fine. The flaps will stop at the next setting if you move along the axis slowly and will move to full up or full down if you move the axis control to the end. I'm not sure about assigning individual settings.
Ray
Ill have to have a play later regarding this. The axis would be a better solution but only if it sets the flap settings linearly over the axis, is this the case?
E.G. 5 flap settings will be split along the axis at even positions?
Andy
Hi, is there a way to assign separate keys / buttons to individual flaps settings rather than up/down?
so F1 = Flap setting 1, F2 = Flap setting 2 etc...
Or (ive not actually tried this)
What happens if you assign an axis to the flaps (is this even possible?)
Thanks
Andy
It’s been asked many times and I agree, I love getting into to the sim for a flight but soon start to miss flying with others.
Fingers crossed!
Darn good start for sure. Thanks.
Thanks, I guess as this started out nothing more than a glider nav app it is pretty basic at the moment, but I am happy to turn it into something that the community can benefit from.
Just require input regarding what is required.
Andy
So I have done another little video showing its current development state.
Although, it is very difficult to record in VR and show it in its entirety. So again this video has some "jerkiness" to it but its simply because there is a lot going off whilst recording I guess, and this is only the left eye so doesn't quite record what im seeing!! So I will try to release a Beta version this weekend for anyone to try, including the "navigation / flight path creator".
Anyway, the red circles are waypoints (starting at my local glider airfield) and the black line is to the next way point (in this case it is a triangle back to the airfield). The blue line shows the current direction to the airfield.
Ahh I see ok.
So the current version that I have ready now, lets you import a flight path (or as I called them, tasks).
The flight path / task I create using another "in-broswer" web app which I've have developed, however if fswidgets or someother software allows you to export the flight path - I can then make it so you can import that into my Nav Device and it show over the map like it already does.
Basically - a list of way points (long, lat) and anything else such as alt?
Andy
Andy,
Keep thinking.
I am interested in seeing if your visual map can support a picture in a picture type box that we can feed active data. It would be outstanding if we could get a flight plan overlay on the active map with a box on the same screen with some text data.
This would be a whole new level of important data for the pilot, whatever the craft he/she may be flying.
I guess I can make it do anything you want (within reason of course!!) but feeding in data wouldn't be an issue or fetching data from "somewhere" either offline or online also wouldn't be an issue.
I assume by flight plan overlay you mean aeronautical charts?
Another feature I have implemented is it records the flight data. I thought seeing as I am capturing and processing the flight data I might as well save it in a format which you can then see the flight path back in google maps ETC. - not sure if will be of any use to anyone else.
Andy
Thank you for the comments. I like to think (hope) that IPACS might be working on wonderful features such as multiplayer or ATC etc.
However, I do agree that there is a nice community of modders on here from what i can see in my short time which is great. I actually had no idea about sceneProc and Aerosceney at the time of buying so when I found those I really was over the moon.
One thing I also developed which I really liked, was using "leapmotion" hands in Aerofly VR. If i get chance I will get a video going, it was more experimental than anything but the concept worked, however unfortunately "virtual interaction" with switches and knobs wouldnt be possible so it would require physical switches to actually touch and interact back with Aerofly to keep the immersion.
And my last idea for gliding was multiplayer competition using a plugin but without the visual aspects of other gliders in view, just the actual "real-time" data. However, i then realised this wouldn't work because thermals and conditions wouldn't match. 
Andy
Hi Michael, I actually never really thought about using it in other aircraft's as I thought i was only the glider suffering with no nav, but as its stands as this is an overlay it will work in any aircraft.
If its better than what is already in the C172 I wouldn't know as i dont fly the C172, however being the developer I can of course implement any features into it.
thanks
Andy
Hi Phil,
This is basically a low level overlay, which interfaces with OpenVR - it is still an overlay nonetherless - however it is not an overlay designed to "show" a window or browser from the desktop. Think of this more of a software navigation device which has built in VR overlay feature for Aerofly.
However, since starting this, I have found a few quirks with "overlays" and Aerofly, so this has now become very much much suited for Aerofly.
You can also now (using the Aerofly hands) simply pickup the device in the cockpit and position it wherever you like ETC. Works really well.
The actual mapping / navigation is also being done by myself which means I (or we) can have complete control over how we want it be.
I guess this could be made more "universal" so it fits with other aircraft too, but essentially I am developing this very much like the real stand-alone nav devices which are on the market such as the LxNav or the Oudie (https://lxavionics.co.uk/index.php?rout…t&product_id=77)
Andy
Hi Mark, as I am mostly interested in gliding, I am trying to tackle this very problem myself.
Fortunately I am software developer so I am developing own VR overlay navigation device, it connects to Aerofly to retrieve the data and overlays my device in VR.
This is currently only for visual navigation (moving map) & tasks (flying to waypoints) and currently aimed towards gliding. The tasks or navigation routes will be done online in a web browser and then saved for use in my navigation.
You can fine my development thread here: Glider Map / Nav App (just playing)
Here is the last video update i did, however it has come on quite a bit since and later this evening I will be doing another video showing its current status.
Thanks
Andy
Small progress update.
Done a lot of work on the actual VR overlay code itself and a then just made the map actually look like a device.
The video below shows some jerkiness/elastication but again in VR this does not occor so its just from the recording.
The video also seems to show the Nav device bigger than what it looks like in VR, in VR I have it so it looks something between a phone and a tablet.
Next few days I will be adding actual Tasks/point to the map.
I am a 3D modeller but not actually developed anything for FS2 yet. What format do you need these in, I could knock some up.
Andy
Using aeroscenery and scenproc you can get the whole of the UK quite easily. I have downloaded all the midlands but I used the cultivation from IZOJUB which is really good! The imagery is huge so it’s easier to just use the tools and do it yourself.
Andy
I like. If gliding all together would be better in AFS2 I'd play a lot less condor. AFS2 is such a more pleasant environment to be in.
I agree and my goal, although obviously I am limited to what can be done. But if I can at least get a decent map / nav system working then it will help to improve.
I just wish either Aerofly had condors wind, thermal system and multiplayer or condor got Aerofly graphics and VR performance.
🙄
