P3D4 TrackIR disable in external view

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P3D4 TrackIR disable in external view

Postby tjitah » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:05 am

I assume that many people have now made the jump to P3D v4 and enjoying all its 64-bit goodness. I'm also assuming that many people use TrackIR.

My question to those people is: how do you control the camera in external view? For FSX and up to P3D3, I use a utility called JAB_FSX.exe which automatically disables TrackIR when you switch to external views. This enables you to control the external camera with keyboard keys or joystick hat, instead of the camera swinging about wildly with your head movements. (Most flight sims do this natively, like X-Plane, Aerofly, DCS World, even FS9, but not FSX or P3D)

Unfortunately JAB_FSX is 32-bit and the author has stopped supporting it, so no luck getting it to work in P3D4.
i7-4790K @ 4.6 GHz, ASUS Maximus VII Gene, GTX 1070 8GB, 16GB DDR3 2400MHz, ASUS PG348Q 34" 3440x1440 monitor, CH Products Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro Pedals, Track IR 5, Oculus Rift, Windows 7 64-bit
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Re: P3D4 TrackIR disable in external view

Postby OldAirmail » Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:33 am

Welcome to Simviation, tjitah.

I've been using TrackIR for about four or five years and consider it an exceptional purchase. But I don't think that too many here have it.


Before I get into the ways to control TrackIR, let me say how I control it.

F9 toggles TrackIR on and off.

On my yoke and my joystick I have one button that switches to 3D cabin view. I have another button that switches to Locked Spot view.

The button that switches to 3D cabin view does that via my flight sim. It also sends the F9 key to turn TrackIR on from another program.

The button that switches to Locked Spot view does that via my flight sim too. But also sends the F9 key to turn TrackIR off from another program.

Essentially, each button does two things at the same time.


While I've never heard of "JAB_FSX", there are a number of freeware-shareware programs that you can use to do that.

SPAD - If you have any Saitek equipment, this is the best freeware way to control them. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that it can send keyboard commands. Most people will be satisfied with the original SPAD.

FSUIPC - The reason that I'm not all that certain about SPAD sending keystrokes to the computer is because SPAD works perfectly with FSUIPC. And THAT program will send keystrokes to the PC. There is a free version, and a paid, version of FSUIPC that will work with FSX or P3d V3. Try the free 32bit version, if you can, to see if you like it.

But be aware the old version is 32bit and will not work with P3d V4. For that, you'd need the paid FSUIPC5.

JoyToKey (AKA Joy2Key) - is a shareware/free program that is both small, simple, and yet powerful. It works with your computer directly, so indirectly it'll work with P3d V3 or V4.

HidMacros - is another small, simple, and yet more powerful program to send keystrokes to your PC. What's very unique about HIDMacros is that it will distinguish multiple keyboards, and even let you program numeric keypads. Normally, Windows doesn't do that. So if you might like to modify a cheap second keyboard just for ANY game, this will do it. It also works directly with your computer, so indirectly it'll work with P3d V3 or V4.



This next one isn't for everyone. But it'll give you COMPLETE control over any HID equipment that your computer can "see". It'll also work with any HID equipment that you can make too. :D

SPAD.neXt

It'll work with anything from Combat Flight Simulator, to FS9, to truck/train/racing games. It can also be used for any programs from CAD to Photoshop.

It'll even work with X-Plane 9, 10, or 11.

This is also the only program, that I know, that gives you complete control/assign commands to your flight sim for planes like A2A Simulations, PMDG , Majestic Dash-8 Q400, Aerosoft Airbus.

SPAD.neXt Is payware, but he'll give you a two week trial of the complete program.


The catch? Most people don't need, or want, all that power. But it's the only program that I know that will give you complete control.

The program is pretty simple to use once you get the hang of it. Most of the time you'll be selecting commands from lists and telling it what/how to use it.

Image

Image

Did you notice that you can even have it speak the text results to you?


Image

You can even decide HOW you want the buttons to act. And believe me, that can be important. :D

Image

You can do programming. If you want. I've never had the need to even try.


Example
For instance, I have a button box. Two of the buttons are used to start the engines on anything from a single engine Cessna to a four engine jet bomber.

Push the first button briefly, and engine one starts. Hold down the first button, and engine two starts.

Push the second button briefly, and engine three starts. Hold down the second button, and engine four starts.



To sum it up

If you just like to fly with a simple joystick, JoyToKey or HIDMacros will serve your needs and cost little to nothing.
.. .
Get the most out of your controls - SPAD.neXt

Image
. . . . . .Any time, any plane, any weather.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepar3d V4
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Re: P3D4 TrackIR disable in external view

Postby tjitah » Sun Jul 16, 2017 7:34 am

Hi OldAirmail, you're a genius, but you probably know that by now ;-)

I'm going to have a look at all your suggestions, but I think you have given me an idea already. I have the registered version of FSUIPC (version 4 unfortunately, not version 5 for P3D4), but I also use CH Products kit and they have a Control Manager, whereby you can string commands together. I've never tried that, but you have now given me so many ideas and options. Pure genius man!
i7-4790K @ 4.6 GHz, ASUS Maximus VII Gene, GTX 1070 8GB, 16GB DDR3 2400MHz, ASUS PG348Q 34" 3440x1440 monitor, CH Products Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro Pedals, Track IR 5, Oculus Rift, Windows 7 64-bit
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Re: P3D4 TrackIR disable in external view

Postby OldAirmail » Sun Jul 16, 2017 8:27 am

[quote="tjitah"]Hi OldAirmail, you're a genius, but you probably know that by now ;-)

...quote]
Everybody here knows that. :liar:

But I like to keep it a secret. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously - I'm a hack, not a hacker.

I find stuff that others have done, and use that to do what I want.


I tried the CH Control Manager software but found that you had to actually program it! :o

Not for me.

The original SPAD and FSUIPC let me do everything that I wanted, and the new SPAD.neXt lets me do more with even less effort.
.. .
Get the most out of your controls - SPAD.neXt

Image
. . . . . .Any time, any plane, any weather.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepar3d V4
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