Hardware & Technical For cockpit building - does Elite expose any game-state info for external hardware?

Archvillain · Dec 29, 2014

Is there any info about the game-state that can be captured by cockpit hardware while playing? Anything from "the keyboard capslock LED lights up when landing gear is down" to "All 3d motion is available as a feed so that motion-platforms can simulate the appropriate forces". I've looked but haven't heard anything.

I'm interested in making some custom controls/panels, but options for feedback would be nice - eg a big Hyperspace button would be better if it only lights up when mass-lock ends and you're "Ready". Or an indicator lamp showing whether hardpoints are stowed, etc.

Stein · Dec 29, 2014

What you're looking for is an API of some sort, and AFAIK it doesn't exist yet. It was discussed here:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20046&page=2
I think that this is a rather niche demand that would be fairly low on Frontiers to-do list. Would like to see it implemented myself though, especially force vectors for motion platforms.

Surfinjo · Dec 29, 2014

This:

http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=205

The lights ect might be a problem, as has been said. But think about it. If you can stretch your imagination from sitting behind a computer screen, imagining you're whizzing through space, 1000 years from now, it shouldn't be too difficult to take that one step further.

Stein · Dec 29, 2014

I have one of these integrated in my car/space cockpit:
http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/2014-track-boss.html
It uses a USB controller similar to the leo bodnar one. I don't use it for ED, though, with a Saitek X55 I really can't find a need for extra buttons, it's hard to find enough functions to fill out all the buttons on the throttle as is.

I read somewhere here on the forum that ED doesn't (or didn't in Beta) support other USB inputs than joystick / keyboard so I haven't tested if the button box works with ED yet. Will do that when I get home from work.
If/when they implement a proper API, the hardware for lights could be something like this
http://www.symprojects.com/shop/dlc-247/
(perhaps a bit overkill if you only want to run just a few landing / mass lock lights

and you'd need to write a program for it yourself)
and this is a cheap button controller
http://www.symprojects.com/shop/jc24-joystick-controller/

Stein · Dec 29, 2014

Just checked - the button box does not work with ED, button presses aren't registered.

Surfinjo · Dec 30, 2014

Stein said:
Just checked - the button box does not work with ED, button presses aren't registered.

That's very sad. I know quite a lot of people who have wanted to build a Console have used this using successfully.

Can you post your source for this please?

Stein · Dec 30, 2014

Surfinjo said:
That's very sad. I know quite a lot of people who have wanted to build a Console have used this using successfully.

Can you post your source for this please?

I tried it on my own button box. Key presses weren't registered when I tried to bind a key in the ED control setup meny. The button box is shown as a separate USB-device / game controller in Windows, connected to the same hub as the X55 Hotas. I know there's a lot of games that can't deal with more than one or two USB-devices, maybe that's the same with ED.

But you're saying that others have managed to get external button boxes working with ED? Maybe I should try again.

Surfinjo · Dec 30, 2014

Stein said:
I tried it on my own button box. Key presses weren't registered when I tried to bind a key in the ED control setup meny. The button box is shown as a separate USB-device / game controller in Windows, connected to the same hub as the X55 Hotas. I know there's a lot of games that can't deal with more than one or two USB-devices, maybe that's the same with ED.

But you're saying that others have managed to get external button boxes working with ED? Maybe I should try again.

You probably should. I do wish you luck.

The interface is supposed to work quite seamlessly. I have several USB devices at any time on my PC, working fine.

If I may, does the button box register when ED isn't running, say with notepad?

Stein · Dec 30, 2014

I stand corrected, it seems.

Partly at least. I have quite a lot of "game controllers" connected to USB - pedals, racing wheel, gear shifter, the button box, xbox controller and the throttle and stick of the HOTAS, all connected to the same powered USB-hub and each of them show up as a separate USB device in Windows. The button box is connected and working, button presses are registered in the Logitech Profiler software, but it isn't registered in ED. Just tested it The pedals though are registered in ED, as an axis. I dunno, maybe the box would work if I removed some of the other devices. Doesn't matter for me as I don't need it for ED. But what I said in the previous post isn't entirely correct.

DD_Crash · Jan 1, 2015

I am sure that the button box would need at least 1 axis. ED recognizes my Bodnar board with 6 axis on it. Joy2Key or Xpadder would allow you to assign keypresses to your buttons.

LCplCombat · Jan 1, 2015

Stein said:
Just checked - the button box does not work with ED, button presses aren't registered.

That was possibly from my quote, I had submitted a ticket with a query regarding This: http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/32-button-no-matrix-controller.html

I received a negative reply from the devs saying they don't plan on supporting anything of its nature.

However, a bit of digging on the Derek Spear Designs website turned up this page: http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/technical-guide.html

Halfway down is a link to Joy2Key: http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/download/JoyToKey_en.zip which DOES enable the 32 button matrix to function within ED. You have to setup JoyToKey with keypresses after you have configured the game client but that's not much of a bind (pun intended) really.

Rog · Jan 1, 2015

Hi everyone, the issue with button boxes/single-axis controllers not being recognised is a long-standing stupid bug (#9905 on the OLD ticket system) that's been open since June 2014, and FD seem less than keen or are unable to fix it.

E: D is buggy about which controllers it recognises: button boxes/controller interfaces/single axis controllers *without* joystick 'X' and 'Y' axes present seemingly are ignored.

I have a (homebrew, Arduino based) single axis throttle controller that was not being recognised by the game and I couldn't understand it since it was recognised by Windows and other games. After changing the configuration of the controller so that it pretended to have an 'X' and 'Y' axis, E: D recognised the device. This was the *only* change made.

People had it with rudder pedals too, they had to get the manufacturer to change the firmware to circumvent the game's bug.

I suggest you all submit your own support tickets (CLICK HERE), and reference outstanding ticket #9905 (old system) when you do so.

They might fix it one day.

Surfinjo · Jan 1, 2015

If I were thinking of building an interface, I think I would certainly go for one of the button boxes.

There do seem to be ways around any problems experienced by some. That, after all, is what building your own set up is all about.

If you are going to be put off by something as trivial as finding and programming the correct software, then perhaps you shouldn't be bothering in the first place.

Just saying.

Rog · Jan 1, 2015

Surfinjo said:
If I were thinking of building an interface, I think I would certainly go for one of the button boxes.

There do seem to be ways around any problems experienced by some. That, after all, is what building your own set up is all about.

If you are going to be put off by something as trivial as finding and programming the correct software, then perhaps you shouldn't be bothering in the first place.

Just saying.

The problem is that commercial off-the-shelf button-boxes (and some rudder pedals, Thrustmaster MFDs, single-axis controllers, etc.) aren't working because of a bug in the GAME that hasn't been fixed.

Despite being reported many times over the last year.

Putting the burden of finding a fix on to the users seems an interesting approach to game development.

Stein · Jan 2, 2015

So - from my very limited testing I could deduce: My Derek Speare box doesn't work. It has a Derek Speare button controller board in it. My HPP pedals did work, or at least were recognised as an axis in ED. IIRC, HPP uses a Leo Bodnar controller, that's a credit card size board with a few axis inputs and support for 32-ish buttons. So if you're planning to build an ED button box, choose a Leo Bodnar controller. (?)

Surfinjo · Jan 2, 2015

This is somewhat experimental an would need some pretty good soldering iron skills, (which sadly, I no-longer have), but I did read about people experimenting with cheap keypads. They opened them up and intercepted the circuits just before the keys.

These number keypads are available on Amazon for cheap and chips.

Just an idea really.

Good luck to everyone.

LCplCombat · Jan 3, 2015

Stein said:
So - from my very limited testing I could deduce: My Derek Speare box doesn't work. It has a Derek Speare button controller board in it. My HPP pedals did work, or at least were recognised as an axis in ED. IIRC, HPP uses a Leo Bodnar controller, that's a credit card size board with a few axis inputs and support for 32-ish buttons. So if you're planning to build an ED button box, choose a Leo Bodnar controller. (?)

Did you see my response earlier re DSD boards?

xetura · Jan 7, 2015

I'm using the 2570 controller board from Desktop Aviator. I just hooked it up tonight and everything works fine in the windows controller testing screen, but none of the button presses register with ED. I downloaded XPadder and configured the buttons/switches to correspond with keyboard presses and it works fine that way. Kinda lame it doesn't work off the bat, but oh well.