How do you control your simulator software

[FSAddon_boss]

In building a full-fledged hardware cockpit, one does not need the keyboard and mouse anymore.... ideally.

But.... in order to start a flight, one DOES! You need to start the sim, AirManager software, GoFlight software, Saitek software, Mobiflight, etc.
And once it is all running, there are things such as positioning your flight, loading flightplans etc.

All of this I would imagine NOT on the main ' display screen'. Right now I have 4 monitors..... 1 (temporary) as the ' outside view', one for AirManager and one from RealsimGear (my Garmin 750)..... and my ' tinkering' screen with keyboard and mouse where I program the switches and everything else.

Once the cockpit is finished, WHERE do YOU put your ' regular' PC monitor and keyboard...... and do you have any special way of setting this up?
Even on a different PC maybe ?

[blueskydriver]

Just use TightVNC or TeamViewer. TightVNC is easier, but TeamViewer has more functionality. Yet, both are free....

With either. you control all the computers from one PC with the mouse and keyboard...in your case, the tinkering PC. Decide which of the two programs you want to use that I listed above, and install it on your computers. It's best if each PC is using a dedicated IP address (for example) 192.168.1.whatever number in a sequence (not 0 or 1).

So, four computers would be 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.3, 192.168.1.4 and 192.168.1.5. That way you just use the IP address to access any of the computers via your tinkering computer...simple 😁

Lastly, I use both programs, but they don't work with each other though. Why both? Because at times they both have an advantage over the other.

TightVNC is great for when you're in the middle of flying and you need to fix one of the computers while in flight. It won't task your main sim PC...in other words low resources are used.

And, I use TeamViewer when I'm not flying, but wanna update all the computers or add software or whatever; it's a lot easier with TeamViewer to use directories and see things across all of them....

Read the manuals for these programs even though they're both pretty easy to understand.

John

[navymustang]

And in case you had not thought of it - with regards to starting up all the software, I use a fancy batch file that runs everything with voice prompts letting you know what it is doing, including an annunciation that the sim is ready after all the software starts.

[FSAddon_boss]

Many thanks for the replies ! Love this forum !!

So John, you are saying that I should use my laptop (for example) to ' run'  my flightsim PC? Currently I only have ONE PC that runs the sims AND where I am testing and installing the hardware on via USB and Arduino.

I have used TeamViewer to help customers remotely in a previous life.

Mustang, making a batch file is a good idea. No, hadn't thought of that yet 

[Trevor Hale]

Even Better, is I use FSUIPC internal abilities.  Once it detects the sim is running and connected to the Wideclient PC's all my software starts itself up.  Literally Run MSFS with the FSUIPC Shortcut, it loads everything up.  I still need to position the aircraft though manually, but My back monitor at my desk is actually where I keep the keyboard and mouse.  Do all my configurations from there as well.  Once going, I move into the cockpit and leave the mouse and keyboard behind.

Trev

[blueskydriver]

Hey Francois,

Okay, if you have your sim PC setup with 4 monitors that's fine. Please clarify though, are you saying that you have two PC's, one is your flight sim PC with those 4 monitors, and the other PC is a laptop?

If yes, I'm just saying you use flight sim PC as your sim PC and the laptop via TightVNC as the keyboard & mouse PC access to work on things.

Not as a way to fly or do keyboard commands while flying...technically speaking, you could, but it'll lang and not all keys would work the same. So, I wouldn't use it this way.


Like TeamViewer, you're just opening a virtual desktop of the flight sim PC desktop on the laptop screen with TightVNC. And yes, you will see all four monitor screens within the virtual desktop you open.

I still have a keyboard & mouse hooked up to the flight sim PC even though I don't use them much....

John

[FSAddon_boss]

Hey Francois,

Okay, if you have your sim PC setup with 4 monitors that's fine. Please clarify though, are you saying that you have two PC's, one is your flight sim PC with those 4 monitors, and the other PC is a laptop?



John

No, currently I only have ONE PC, which runs my flightsim on 4 monitors (one of the monitors is my ' tinkering screen') and which I use to define the Mobiflight commands and everything else.
But I do have a spare PC somewhere, AND a spare laptop. I was thinking I could use one of those to set up the flights and other things so I don't need a keyboard and mouse on the main sim, watching it all happen on the main (projected?) display...... once it is all working.

I think I could mount the notebook somewhere on the side in the cockpit for when needed....

[blueskydriver]

Yep, using the laptop with TightVNC would be perfect. You'll need a network switch box; unless, the laptop has WiFi and your router has both WIFI and hardware NIC ports. Assuming your sim PC is plugged in via a cable, it'd be better if the laptop is via cable as well.

Why? Because the NIC speeds in the PC and laptop will likely be 100/1000 (Mb); whereas, the WiFi will be 54Mb's. If you want too see all 4 monitors of virtual desktop within TightVNC on the laptop without any lag, the WiFi speed is going to limit that somewhat. It'll work, but it just depends on what you're doing as to when it'll get laggy....

John

[FSAddon_boss]

The networking is a bit of a problem, since my sim is set up in a barn, outside of the house, and the router is in the house. So using a Google mesh setup with extenders to get internet access in the barn.
But I won't need to see the 4 screens on the 2nd computer, just one of them. Assuming I have set it all up before actually going to fly.

[KyleH]

I use an Instructor station by FS Flight controls to do everything: https://www.fs-flightcontrol.com/en/

I have a 3 computer setup, 1 running the sim, 1 has active sky and the instructor station on it, and one for vpilot/acars/discord etc.

The instructor station software is setup to start programs on the sim machine in a certain sequence with user specified delays, even sending keyboard commands.

The startup sequence runs something like this:

• On startup of sim machine it launches an interface applet and waits for the instructor station to send commands
  
• When the instructor station machine start, it runs the instructor station software and checks to see if it can see the app on the sim machine
• Once it sees the sim machine it starts P3D
• It waits for a minute for P3D to launch then starts the MCP interface program, waits 1 second and sends an 'enter' command for it to connect to the MCP
• It starts all the other required interface programs etc in a similar manner

So the startup actions for me is to turn on the projectors, power on the sim, walk over to the computers and just turn them on. I usually get a flight plan filed while I'm waiting, then once everything is started, use the instructor station to position the airplane if needed and load cargo and fuel.

[sagrada737]

Hello Kyle,

Thanks for this post on "start up sequence" issues.

I use two computers...  One for the flight Model, which is Sim-Avionics; and the other for P3D, Projectors/Display, Motion Platform, etc..

I have found, that if I don't start/stop applications "in-sequence", with a proper delay, that it somehow corrupts the entire Sim operation.  Frankly, I don't understand why this is necessary, but it seems to be a requirement with my Sim setup.

If I startup and shutdown my Sim in the correct sequence, with the proper delays between each application, then the Sim is happy and everything works correctly and reliably.  If I don't follow this plan, then problems abound every time.

Anyone else have this issue/requirement?

Below is a photo of my Sim computer setup.  Lower left are the Power UPS units; to the right of that is the Surround Sound Amp; To the right of that is the Sim-Avionics Computer; and above left is the Flight Sim Computer.  All these systems are located in the from of the 6dof Motion Platform --lots of cables/wires.

Mike

[FSAddon_boss]

Thanks Kyle !!!

Impressive, Sagra !!

[RayS]

The networking is a bit of a problem, since my sim is set up in a barn, outside of the house, and the router is in the house. So using a Google mesh setup with extenders to get internet access in the barn.

Friend of mine tried to use Wireless, then Wireless-Over-House-Power to get internet out to his hangar with dismal results. Even though he had High-speed to the router in the house, when translating to WOHP, we barely got 1MBS. The adapters almost always advertise higher speeds than they are capable of providing.

Factors usually include noise on the power lines, noisy circuit breakers, dirty power, old aluminum wiring, even charging a cell phone can create noise on the power lines.

He eventually dug a trench, installed installed CAT-7 copper plugged into his router, achieving respectable connectivity.

[Jason L]

If you have good internet in the house, check out ubiquiti equipment.  You can get reasonably priced point-to-point wireless to get nice high speed to a different building.

[FSAddon_boss]

I am still waiting to get fiber into our village (the line now stops across the valley, at the local school). It will be hanging off poles, so when it arrives in a few years from now (Italy.....) I will have it enter the barn directly       

[FSAddon_boss]

Hmmmm..... TeamViewer appears to cost 30 a month now

Ah, wait...... found the free version after all. Sorry !

[sagrada737]

You might also try, which is free, and does not get canceled by TeamViewer...   anydesk.com