I think this falls under "Player Tools", but feel free to suggest elsewhere!
Making my "Dashboard" more real!
Has anyone used USB encoders (the sort of thing used in home-made Arcade game cabinets) to create their own custom ED "switchbox"? EG: Big mechanical switches for "Cargo Scoop" or "Landing Gear" - a little like the hardware you can get for your flaps and throttle in flight sims (or those USB fighter HUD panels), but specially configured for those little on/off buttons we use all the time in ED.
I'd quite like a panel with landing gear, cargo scoop, lights, hardpoint deployment, and maybe even power management - all constructed on a dashboard using nice military switches. The sort of thing that normal folk have on their HOTAS setups, but more - well - spaceshippy rather than joysticky, if you get my drift.
It might even be cool to have "manoeuvring thrusters" on a separate arcade-style joystick, too (I'm willing to bet someone on eBay is selling some ex-military parts that would be awesome).
There's some really sci-fi looking LED-illuminated momentary push switches out there that would make a very flash-looking interface.
If anyone else has done this already, I'd love to hear how you got on. Show me your setups!
For the record: I'm an old-school electronic hobbyist, and this a project well within my skillset. Building this sort of thing is second nature and the sort of thing I really enjoy - it's not about what's commercially available.
Making my "Dashboard" more real!
Has anyone used USB encoders (the sort of thing used in home-made Arcade game cabinets) to create their own custom ED "switchbox"? EG: Big mechanical switches for "Cargo Scoop" or "Landing Gear" - a little like the hardware you can get for your flaps and throttle in flight sims (or those USB fighter HUD panels), but specially configured for those little on/off buttons we use all the time in ED.
I'd quite like a panel with landing gear, cargo scoop, lights, hardpoint deployment, and maybe even power management - all constructed on a dashboard using nice military switches. The sort of thing that normal folk have on their HOTAS setups, but more - well - spaceshippy rather than joysticky, if you get my drift.
It might even be cool to have "manoeuvring thrusters" on a separate arcade-style joystick, too (I'm willing to bet someone on eBay is selling some ex-military parts that would be awesome).
There's some really sci-fi looking LED-illuminated momentary push switches out there that would make a very flash-looking interface.
If anyone else has done this already, I'd love to hear how you got on. Show me your setups!
For the record: I'm an old-school electronic hobbyist, and this a project well within my skillset. Building this sort of thing is second nature and the sort of thing I really enjoy - it's not about what's commercially available.
