Voice Chat in Home Cockpit??

[FlyingTeacher]

Hello all,

  Curious to know how you are integrating with Discord, Teamspeak or other voice chatting applications in your 737 or A320 full scale simulators? Are you assigning an in cockpit push to talk (on ACP) or control stick/yoke?? Are you building an external push to talk button?? Or just using a key press on a standard keyboard to trigger the push to talk??

Little help on this would be wonderful. Thanks

[blueskydriver]

Usually, it's a PTT assigned to a button on the yoke. The question is what does the program use for that same keyboard key function.

Example, FSX uses the Caps Lock key pushed and held to talk, and release to listen. So, whatever the key(s) are for the program like TS, Discord, vPilot and etc, then that is what you use.

However, the trick is assigning the joystick button to execute that keyboard function. Most times it's done through FSUIPC. You use that to assign the button function, so to speak...pun intended...lol!

Anyway, I am not sure about P3D or Xplane in regards if that is included native now, meaning you don't need FSUIPC or XPUIPC.

Lastly, since you didn't mention what you're using collectively, I cannot tell you specifically.

John

[blueskydriver]

Just watched a YT video and noticed the pilots on the B737-800NG using a button on the Glareshield to PTT. Also, I think Mike does this, if you watch his videos, along with some other sim builders on YT.

My Yoke has the rocker switcher like the real thing where you use the top for Intercom (IC) and bottom for Transmit (to ATC). In any case you would assign these buttons to do the keyboard function I mentioned earlier. You easily could setup both a yoke button and a Glareshield button to use the same assignments.

Mike might chime in here about the Glareshield button and Clock button. From what I've read some real airlines have 2 buttons that look exactly the same causing confusion with pilots accidentally resetting the flight clock; instead, of pressing a PTT to transmit. Whereas, other airlines didn't choose this option and stuck with the rocker PTT on the yoke.

Of course I am talking about placement and you need to know how to make it work, but it's also good to know where it should be before you assign it. That way you've worked out the button type and wiring beforehand. Albeit, you might be using a sim type yoke like a Saitek or CH Yoke, it's still good to know where you want it in conjunction to where it is in the real aircraft; the closer to real thing the better...

John

[FlyingTeacher]

Thanks Blue...I think I need to learn FSUIOC a little better see how to do this. I'd like to have my A320 sim to use the stick buttons on either sides for vpilot and then the transmit button on either ACP to transmit in discord. If at all possible I'd like to make them independent of one another's mic. Like in the real airplane. But I'd settle for just making one side hot at time of push to talk.

Thanks again

[blueskydriver]

Could you post some pics of your layout and/on a simple sketch of you connections. For example, where is your stick connected to; how is it interfaced. Also, how are the ACP's connected, what type of hardware is used.

Is everything going to one computer or multiple computers? If all to the flight sim computer only, it's just a matter of setting up some software and keyboard assignments to the buttons. If you have multiple computers (host and client), you would need FSUIPC and WideFS setup, and you will also need to setup vPilot as a host/client, with the host being the flight sim computer and the client being where the vPilot client side of the program is installed.

As for the buttons on the stick that would be simple to trigger the PTT to vPilot, but the ACP's would need a little more follow through.

First question? I understand what you mean in a hot mic; however, when you say you'd like to use the ACP's too be able to press a button individually to transmit to Discord, but also to have both speak at the same time on Discord, is that what you mean?

If yes, then all of this can be done, but it's going to be a slight learning curve:

1. Watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZHhV4NaI2A

2. Get that Voice Meter app and FSUIPC.

3. Set things up for vPilot and Discord beforehand.

4. Follow the instructions of the video to setup voice meter to work with vPilot.

Note: the virtual output he used for the vPilot. You would use a second virtual output for Discord the exact same way as the setup for the first one, but you would have to use different keyboard assignments.

5. Once you have the vPilot, voice meter, and Discord all setup, you would do the FSUIPC setup for all the buttons. With your requested way of doing this, the flight stick buttons would be for the vPilot (ATC) transmitting like shown in the video. Then, your ACP buttons would be setup to trigger the virtual output 2 going to Discord. Although, I would not send a mute command to the either headset for virtual output 2, that way both Capt/FO can be talking at the same time (like a 3 way conversation to Discord). Of course only one person would need to press the ACP button for Discord, yet both could talk.

Lastly, not knowing what type of headsets you have (if not USB types), this might be a little harder. Some computers do have front and rear headset jacks that will give you 2 inputs and 2 outputs. If not, you would need to install a second cheap sound card in the flight sim PC. Thus, if you're using standard headsets with mini jacks, you would just select those inputs and outputs in the settings of voice meter, vPilot and Discord.

Watch the video again, then give it a try. Oh, one other thing, FSUIPC might seem daunting, but it's not. Just read the manual for sure...

John

[FlyingTeacher]

Ok lots to digest there. Let me reread this and watch the video. I'll supply what I can too after I watch. Watch this space.

[FlyingTeacher]

Ok Update....followed the video and instructions as posted above...worked like a charm!!! Note I have only setup Vpilot to start. I will now setup discord and report back. FYI the hardest part for me was setting up FSUIPC. As I noted before I'm no expert on it, so it was a little sketchy at first. However, I'm learning as I go.

I'll report back shortly. Thanks again for the help on this blueskydriver

[fsaviator]

Nice.  Still need to do this