Another trouble with manipulators

[SchneiH2]

Hi everybody

I came across another issue with manupulators. Currently I am configuring the AP for the plane and noted that I cannot get work some manipulators. The irritating thing is that some of them seem to work and some not. Here is one example: the switch for HDG does not work with sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_mode used for the manipulator. Interesting is that the switch reacts normally to the dataref itself, i.e. when testing with the default gauge switch from XPlane10 it changes the positions accordingly. Moreover, assigning another dataref (e.g. sim/cockpit2/autopilot/flight_director_mode) to the object + manipulator works.well. Attached a capture of the settings in Blender.

 

Thank you up-front for possible help/comments.

Best regards

SHJ

[JGregory]

sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_mode is not a writeable DataRef.  Therefore you cannot use a DataRef manipulator to change it's value.  You will need to use a command manipulator with the appropriate command.  This is typical of most AP functions.

[SchneiH2]

Hi Jim

Many thanks for your great help! Indeed, this is the answer to the question/the solution of the problem. Although, this is not my first attempt to design a plane + cockpit for XPlane there is still a lot which I have to learn. But this makes it also interesting.

 

May I use this occasion to ask for another hint/advice: To my understanding there are 2 basic datarefs for the MFD in terms of the indication mode: one for the functional modes, i.e. ILS, VOR, map, plan and one for rose/arc mode. I have noticed that 'map mode' is always displayed as arc no matter if rose mode is selected (which is fine for my purpose). In fact I am searching for a solution to set the rose mode as default for the plane I am designing. I would like to display only VOR, map and plan mode on the MFD, whereby VOR should always been displayed only in rose mode.

Thank you up-front for possible help.

Best regards

SHJ

[JGregory]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe rose mode is the default at startup of the sim.  If you want to set up your plane with custom/restricted modes you will need to use a plugin.

[broberts542129]

G'day SHJ

 

Maybe you have this sorted however here is how I've implemented a AP with push button switching for a 3D cockpit and you are probably across this anyway.

 

 

Placed the buttons on the panel map in PM. The panel map has my preferred image of the AP panel on it.

Found the buttons used in PM and put the bitmaps (a copy) in the correctly created folder ("autopilot") in the cockpit_3D folder of my aircraft.

Deleted the image in the button bitmaps (in cockpit_3D: autopilot) leaving the Alpha using a graphics program. Now the XP buttons are invisible however still function.

 

In Blender modelled one button, mapped it to the cockpit panel image and duplicated the button, for example the Head button switch (HDG). 

Placed one button in the off position and one in the on position so the on position looks like it's pushed into the switch panel.

Used the Hide function on the button object in the off position that it would be hidden if the HDG function (switch) was activated:

 

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_status

 

and when it's not on the depressed button is hidden using:

 

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_status

 

Press the button (switch is mapped however invisible) and the button appears to push into the panel.

 

Here are all my little animations AP switch below.

 

You can find this in my PA30 Twin Comanche on my website.

 

Hope this helps

 

Enjoy, 

Baz

 

http://www.bnasroberts.net/Baz_XPlane_Download/Welcome.html

 

 

 

ANIM_show 0.00000000 1.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ANIM_hide 2.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 150702 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 1.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 150768 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_hold_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 150834 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/backcourse_on

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 150900 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/glideslope_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 150966 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/nav_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151032 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_show 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/flight_director_mode

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151098 60

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/flight_director_mode

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151158 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_hold_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151224 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/flight_director_mode

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151290 66

ANIM_end

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151356 66

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151422 66

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 1.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/backcourse_on

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151488 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/glideslope_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151554 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/nav_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151620 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151686 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ANIM_hide 2.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151752 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 1.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151818 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151884 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 0.00000000 0.00000000 sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 151950 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_status

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 152016 66

ANIM_end

ANIM_begin

ANIM_hide 1.00000000 2.00000000 sim/cockpit2/autopilot/flight_director_mode

ATTR_no_cockpit

ATTR_cockpit

TRIS 152082 60

[SchneiH2]

Hi Jim, hi broberts

Thank you for your replies. The problem with the manipulators I could solve thanks to Jim's advice. However, broberts advice seem to be an eligible alternative. The issue with the rose mode I will check. Not sure, but if Jim is right the problem would be solved.

Again many thanks for your repleis and help.

Best regards

 

SHJ

[JGregory]

Baz,

 

Could you explain why you are using a hide/show when you could simply animate the button (in and out) in Blender?

[broberts542129]

Baz,

 

Could you explain why you are using a hide/show when you could simply animate the button (in and out) in Blender?

G'day Jim

 

I could have that for some datarefs however I found that was not always a workable technique and would not always respond appropriately. This was particularly the problem with datarefs with more than off and on positions; 0, 1 & 2.

 

With the hide technique no-one is the wiser, looks the same and the functionality remained the same.

 

 

 

Hi Jim, hi broberts

Thank you for your replies. The problem with the manipulators I could solve thanks to Jim's advice. However, broberts advice seem to be an eligible alternative. The issue with the rose mode I will check. Not sure, but if Jim is right the problem would be solved.

Again many thanks for your repleis and help.

Best regards

 

SHJ

 

 

 

SHJ, with the NAV1, NAV2, GPS selection knob I created a narrow horizontal strip in front of the buttons and mapped it to the knob. That makes the knob very distorted horizontally however if I click in the middle I get NAV2 and the button depresses (although it's getting counselling), if I click to the right twice it selects GPS and the button follows NAV2 on the couch.

 

 

I made the knob bitmap transparent and the knob position on the panel map transparent also. The strip is invisible and you see the three buttons.

 

It's not perfect however it works.

 

Baz

[JGregory]

I could have that for some datarefs however I found that was not always a workable technique and would not always respond appropriately. This was particularly the problem with datarefs with more than off and on positions; 0, 1 & 2.

Seems to me the same problem would apply to animation or hide/show.  You need to set the parameters in either case.

 

With the hide technique no-one is the wiser, looks the same and the functionality remained the same.

Except you re making more "state" changes in the OBJ file with hide/show.

 

Most AP buttons are "momentary".  You push to "request" the mode from the autopilot and it will respond accordingly based on whatever the current mode is.  Typically there would be indicator lights somewhere to tell you the "status" of the mode, i.e. OFF, ARMED, or ON.  So, the button may animate when you push it, but usually will not stay depressed.  

 

The problem with having the button remain depressed is that it can be misleading as to the actual status of that particular AP mode.  For example, if you push the NAV button and it remains depressed... is the mode now ARMED or ON?  Unless you also have indicator lights or annunciators (preferably on the button itself), this can lead to confusion.

Edited December 2, 2015 by JGregory