Setting up the BK117

[Nicola_M]

Setting up the BK

There is no right way or wrong way, I have just listed the adjustments and changes I’ve made, in the hope it may show others that there is a way to get the most out of the BK.

Equipment

This is purely down to individual choice whether you use a twist-grip joystick, or a dedicated and expensive setup, or whether you use a conventional rc usb-controller as I do. Each has its benefits and disadvantages.

My own experience is that twist-grip joysticks are not necessarily the easiest way to learn to fly helis.

"X-Mouse Button Changer" and your Mouse

Many of the settings within the BK117 can be more easily operated from your mouse, if you have a mouse with the amount of buttons most seem to come with today.

Most decent mice/mouses/mices have 5 buttons – that is, your conventional left and right buttons, plus a scroll wheel which can also be pressed down to click, and also two side buttons.

This type of mouse can easily be programmed (if Windows OS) so that the buttons can be mapped to do specific things in X-Plane.

http://www.highrez.c...ttonControl.htm

Using a free program called X-Mouse Button Changer I can have my mouse do the following:

Left click – as normal

Right button – now toggles Spot View

Scroll wheel click - toggles between 3D cockpit and 2D door panel (Ctrl+O)

Two side buttons – now used for + (zoom in) and – (zoom out)

Meaning I can use the mouse inside the cockpit, zoom in and click on things without moving my hand off the mouse, and without needing to press any keyboard keys.

There is an advantage to this, see below.

Keyboard Shortcuts

In the manual for the BK, Nils recommends setting Ctrl+1 as the keyboard shortcut for engine no 1 starter and Ctrl+2 for engine no 2 starter.

The problem with this is that once you press the Ctrl key with anything else, your mouse is then locked into position all the while that Ctrl key is pressed, meaning if you want to zoom in and check on a gauge while the engine’s starting, then you’ll have to wait until the engine is running and you’ve let go of the Ctrl key. You can see from the following shot that it's not easy to see the white dots on the N1 gauge;

There is a better way. Program a different key to Toggle Engine #1 Starter and Toggle Engine #2 Starter.

I don’t tend to use the Q,W,E, or R keys for viewing in a 3D cockpit, so I found that by programming Q and E for Toggle Engine #1 & 2 Starters, I only have to press just one of those keys to start the engines. By not using the Ctrl key I can now move the mouse around the cockpit and zoom in while the engine is starting.

This is particularly important when starting the engines because you have to press in the starter (in my case Q) and hold it until the N1 gauge moves to the first white dot. At that point you move the throttle/control lever to Idle while still holding the starter button (Q). Now, if you’re trying to start the engine using Ctrl+1, you’ll find it hard to see the N1 gauge and you certainly can’t zoom in on it until the engine is running.

Here I show the settings I have programmed into Keys & Equipment for mine. The sliders aren’t that important, they just make it easier to access opening the doors without going into the 2D panel. Shift+ESC and Shift F1 to Shift F4 operate the doors.

Where the sliders are important is with regard to the landing light switch. Currently you switch on the landing light via its switch on the throttle/collective lever. However, aiming the light around at night is virtually impossible using the 4-way button below it.

As a result, I use that same switch to turn the lights on/off, but as you’ll see I’ve programmed U and J on the keyboard for up/down and H and K for left/right. The means that if you’re hovering at night you can move the landing light around to see where you are, or see what you want to land on.

Shift ESC toggles Clamshell (rear) doors

Shift F1 toggles Pilot's door

Shift F2 toggles Pilot side rear door

Shift F3 toggles Passenger side front door

Shift F4 toggles Passenger side rear door

Shift F5 toggles Light switch (as does L)

Shift F6 toggles Engine Test Guard

Shift F7 toggles Fuel Guard for Engine #1

Shift F8 toggles Fuel Guard for Engine #2

Shift F9-F10 unused

Note, to open doors using Shift ESC & Shift F1-F5 means temporarily disabling CustomSBDatarefs004 and HangarOps in Plugin Manager (animated flags & hangar door opening).

You also may want to program F1 for "engines/throttle_down", and F2 for "engines/throttle_up". This way, you can use F2 to bring both engines up from Idle to Run as a pair instead of moving the control levers individually with the mouse.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Nicola_M

[Simmo W]

Cool tips Nicola! Im trying that Mouse cofiguratoriser today!

[Nicola_M]

Yeh, works a treat. It's a tool which is so useful it should come with every pc. I just wish they'd make it for Mac too, it's that good.