First keyboard mod thread- COMPLETED

[machineman9]

As reccomended by John, and with required keyboard being supplied for free as its old... I am going to be trying to make something similar to what has been done here and here


im just wondering, is there a free picture pack for something similar to those buttons shown there? in particular i am looking for modern fighter/modern civilian jets (like boeing 777s or something)


or, in general, anything that comes as a sticker that i could apply to my keys. any designs welcome (either yours, or someone elses, just to make the thing look cool)

oh, and knowing how to program it would be great too... is it just PnP and then change it in the sim? (i will be using 2 keyboards as talking via chat on multiplayer is always nice)

cheers muchly.



my first sim-pit creations are underway-


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Alright, thanks to a late delivery I am able to start work on the keyboard... Stay Tuned!

[JSpahn]

Your best bet would be to get a good graphic program like Gimp(freeware) and develop your own graphics. Get some inexpensive inkjet decal paper and an exacto knife and have fun

I like the idea of different shapes to distinguish between different controls. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
And yes you can change the assignments in flight sim, but there may need to be an external program to send different "keystrokes" from different keyboards.

[machineman9]

yeh, i was just wondering if there is any site where i can see what the buttons might look like- so that it doesnt look out of place

and ive got GIMP and Paint.net if i need them  :)



can i ask what you think of the 'beta' layout?




i wasnt really sure what to put, but its mostly the things that i use most often (and importantly, the autopilot controls as whenever i lean over with my mouse, i always loose horrific control of my aircraft- so having it right there in front of me will be nicer)


cheers

[JSpahn]

Looks pretty good, free in the respect you can market them on ebay for the cost of the paper and your time then later after you reach your goal you can stop making them.

[machineman9]

you think i should sell the rubbish i make?  :o

i would be suprised if someone bought the sort of tacky stuff i make  ;D

[machineman9]

alright, heres a test for the font. i found an image (i think from a 747) of the type of text used on the buttons that are more like keyboard keys... and so i made this:





a very small cutout, but a general idea for colour and perhaps font



just waiting on a keyboard lol- and then ill be able to template the above key general titles (autopilot, heading controls, lights etc) and no doubt ill cut out a few of the keys and give some extra room in places, but it will work out hopefully


oh yes... that reminds me. the keyboard has 3 LEDs on it... just wondering what things i could utalise this them... i cant exactly extract the game data (though, would be sweet for landing lights) but maybe have them up to the landing lights as the keyboard is already connected to those bits?

[JSpahn]

Cool! Just a thought paint the bezel to the keyboard boeing brown or airbus grey for that cockpit control effect

[machineman9]

Cool! Just a thought paint the bezel to the keyboard boeing brown or airbus grey for that cockpit control effect

ooh, that would be fun! i think i would go with the grey, as im not so much a fan of the brown (and like grey/steel type colours hehe)

[JBaymore]

Thread title changed, per request of originator.

[Sir_Crashalot]

I will be following this thread. I like the idea a lot and I am thinking of buying a cheap second hand keyboard to do the same. Just waiting to see how things work out.

Crash

[machineman9]

thanks john, thanks crash..

the keyboard should be here next week (friend is getting a gaming keyboard, im getting the old one) so ill revive it then... but if anyone else has any questions, suggestions or anything then please say so.

[Sir_Crashalot]

I've been thinking (something I don't do often). How will you separate the two keyboards? I mean, how will FS know what your 'cockpit' keyboard is and what your 'chat' keyboard is? Any ideas on that?

Crash

[machineman9]

I've been thinking (something I don't do often). How will you separate the two keyboards? I mean, how will FS know what your 'cockpit' keyboard is and what your 'chat' keyboard is? Any ideas on that?

Crash

well, actually shouldnt it just work by default? the cockpit keyboard will be programmed differently for the ingame controls... but the keys are actually the same... so a L is just doing a different function... so adding the normal keyboard shouldnt be an issue... it still gets the same keypresses but interpretes them differently

[AnGeL_MaKeR]

I will be following this thread. I like the idea a lot and I am thinking of buying a cheap second hand keyboard to do the same. Just waiting to see how things work out.

Crash

Yeah.. no kidding... I'll be following it as well!  ;)

[Sir_Crashalot]

Ok, to bring this thread back to life, so to speak. Yesterday I bought myself a brandspanking new (not, it's at least 10 years old) Compaq keyboard for the enormous amount of.......... 2 Euro and 50 cents. I still had some printable stickers so I started something. It's just a test, I'm not to pleased with it yet. But it's a start...



I encountered some small problems. Most of the things work just fine except for some of the autopilot commands. IAS resets the autothrottle to the speed you're flying at that moment, ALT resets the altimetersetting to the height you're at and HDG resets your heading to the heading you are flying at that moment. Haven't figured out how to solve this yet.

Crash