FSUIPC + HIDMacros

[llKNIGHTll]

I am planning to get some keyboards and use them for a very simple home cockpit. I would like to use multiple keyboards connected to the same computer and assign different functions to them. For example i want to be able to assign 1 function to the letter g in keyboard 1 and assign another function to the letter g in keyboard 2. By doing this i hope to assign aircraft buttons to keyboard keys.

i found a software to detect multiple keyboards and identify key presses separately. Its HIDMacros.

http://www.hidmacros.eu/

I also found out how to use mouse macros in FSUIPC and assign keyboard keys to the buttons and switches in aircrafts.

Now i want to know how to link HIDmacros with FSUIP so that i can use HIDmacros ability to detect multiple keyboards separately and assign functions to them using FSUIPC. Can someone please help me?

[llKNIGHTll]

anyone?

[Pete Dowson]

Now i want to know how to link HIDmacros with FSUIP so that i can use HIDmacros ability to detect multiple keyboards separately and assign functions to them using FSUIPC. Can someone please help me?

What else do you need to know? I'm assuming HidMacros can send keypress combinations, which you can assign in FSUIPC, as you already said. What are you missing?

Regards

Pete

[llKNIGHTll]

Pete thanks for replying. I thought that it is possible to detect multiple keyboards from HIDMacros and then send those inputs to FSUIPC. Then use FSUIPC to assign functions to multiple keyboards. Is this possible or not?

If its possible can you please tell me how to do it? Step by step if possible

[Pete Dowson]

Pete thanks for replying. I thought that it is possible to detect multiple keyboards from HIDMacros and then send those inputs to FSUIPC. Then use FSUIPC to assign functions to multiple keyboards. Is this possible or not?

I don't know HidMacros that well, but you already stated, did you not, that it could allow you to program different actions from different keyboards? Isn't that the point?

FSUIPC will accept many different keyboard input combinations so I'm sure you can find enough for many keyboards.

If its possible can you please tell me how to do it? Step by step if possible

I do not use HidMacros so I really cannot tell you how to use it. Sorry. Is there documentation with it?

I did experiment with it once a long time ago, but not enough to remember and I cannot locate its details at present.

Regards

Pete

[llKNIGHTll]

I don't know HidMacros that well, but you already stated, did you not, that it could allow you to program different actions from different keyboards? Isn't that the point?

What i mentioned was that HIDMacros can identify inputs from multiple keyboards and identify them separately.

I do not use HidMacros so I really cannot tell you how to use it. Sorry. Is there documentation with it?

I did experiment with it once a long time ago, but not enough to remember and I cannot locate its details at present.

Here are some links to HIDmacros and FSUIPC stuff

http://www.hidmacros.eu/scripting.php

http://forum.simflig...ort-for-fsuipc/

Edited October 25, 2011 by llKNIGHTll

[Pete Dowson]

What i mentioned was that HIDMacros can identify inputs from multiple keyboards and identify them separately.

Yes, and then ...? I think it allows you to assign different keystroke combinations, doesn't it?

Here are some links to HIDmacros and FSUIPC stuff

http://www.hidmacros.eu/scripting.php

http://forum.simflig...ort-for-fsuipc/

I'm glad you found some references. Have you followed them up to see how to use HidMacros?

Regards

Pete

[llKNIGHTll]

Yes, and then ...? I think it allows you to assign different keystroke combinations, doesn't it?

What im hoping to do then is to use HIDmacros ability to detect multiple keyboards and assign multiple keyboards to FSUIPC. In HIDMacros there is no direct way to send the commands to FSUIPC. There is a menu to send it to simconnect. But not to FSUIPC. So i was hoping that is is possible to do some scripting as mentioned in http://www.hidmacros.eu/scripting.php and link them to FSUIPC.

But the problem is i cannot understand how to do it as im not familiar with those programming terms.

[Pete Dowson]

What im hoping to do then is to use HIDmacros ability to detect multiple keyboards and assign multiple keyboards to FSUIPC. In HIDMacros there is no direct way to send the commands to FSUIPC. There is a menu to send it to simconnect. But not to FSUIPC. So i was hoping that is is possible to do some scripting as mentioned in http://www.hidmacros.eu/scripting.php and link them to FSUIPC.

Well, just glancing there I can see two possible ways. One is by using something like

HIDMacros.SetFSUIPCInt offset, size, value

to write to the FSUIPC offsets directly. You'd need to download the FSUIPC SDK to find the offsets you need, assuming we are talking about default aircraft or only controls supported by FS itself, not add-on extras, or, probably more flexibly, use

HIDMacros command SendKeys: procedure has one string parameter with keys sequence.

which would enable you to use key combinations and program those in FSUIPC, or, maybe, just use those key combinations specific to the add-on aircraft you want to use.

But the problem is i cannot understand how to do it as im not familiar with those programming terms.

Nor I. It isn't programming the way I know. It's more a matter of reading the documentation and following the examples. The keypress method should be easy enough, surely?

Pete

[llKNIGHTll]

Pete,

In the scripting page in HIDMacros it says

HIDMacros.SendKeys "+a"

in the example for the method you mentioned. What should i do with it? Where should i enter it?

Im sorry to bother you like this. But i really want to setup a small home cockpit

[Pete Dowson]

in the example for the method you mentioned. What should i do with it? Where should i enter it?

Im sorry to bother you like this. But i really want to setup a small home cockpit

You really need to follow the instructions in the HidMacros documentation. I cannot do everything for you, especially not this week when I'm still trying to catch up after my holiday. Surely it tells you that the "script" goes into some file or other you must create? I really shouldn't have to read it out for you, please do that for yourself. Surely building a cockpit and flying an aircraft involves some amount of complication and a lot more so than this little bit!?

Pete

[llKNIGHTll]

I tried on my own and found out how to assign keyboard combinations to HIDMacros. I set it for letter "a" in both keyboards (letter a in keyboard 1 for a & letter a in keyboard 2 for Shift+Q) and typed in Notepad

When i press letter a in keyboard 1 - displays "a"

when i press letter a in Keuboard 2 - displays "ShiftQ"

Now i know how to assign combinations in HIDMacros.

Then i created a mouse macro with FSUIPC and assigned letter "a" in keyboard 1 to it. It works. But when i create another mouse macro and try to assign key "a" in keyboard 2 it wont get assigned. Instead it assigns it to letter "s". why?

[Pete Dowson]

I tried on my own and found out how to assign keyboard combinations to HIDMacros. I set it for letter "a" in both keyboards (letter a in keyboard 1 for a & letter a in keyboard 2 for Shift+Q) and typed in Notepad

When i press letter a in keyboard 1 - displays "a"

when i press letter a in Keuboard 2 - displays "ShiftQ"

Okay -- where is what displaying "a" or "ShiftQ"?

Then i created a mouse macro with FSUIPC and assigned letter "a" in keyboard 1 to it. It works. But when i create another mouse macro and try to assign key "a" in keyboard 2 it wont get assigned. Instead it assigns it to letter "s". why?

What does it display? ShiftQ or s? Have you tried programming FSUIPC by actually using ShiftQ on the 'normal' keyboard?

Pete

[llKNIGHTll]

Okay -- where is what displaying "a" or "ShiftQ"?

Seems like i havent explained it properly.

First of all i connected 2 keyboards. Then i left the 1st keyboard as normal and did not do anything to it. Then i created a new macro for the letter a in keyboard 2 in HIDMacros. In that macro i entered

HIDMacros.SendKeys "Shift+Q"

to the scripting area to create a combination for the letter a in keyboard 2.

Then i opened notepad to see if it works.

Firstly i pressed the letter a from keyboard 1. It displayed "a"

Then i pressed the letter a in keyboard 2. It displayed "ShiftQ"

So because of this i came to a conclusion that the combinations work.

[Pete Dowson]

Seems like i havent explained it properly.

Oh, I think you did. You just missed out stuff.

Then i opened notepad to see if it works.

Firstly i pressed the letter a from keyboard 1. It displayed "a"

Then i pressed the letter a in keyboard 2. It displayed "ShiftQ"

So that answers my first question " where is what displaying "a" or "ShiftQ"?

But you missed the other two, concerning FSUIPC:

1 What does it display? ShiftQ or s? and

2 Have you tried programming FSUIPC by actually using ShiftQ on the 'normal' keyboard?

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Further to this:

Then i pressed the letter a in keyboard 2. It displayed "ShiftQ"

So because of this i came to a conclusion that the combinations work.

It just occurred to me. I'm now reading this as saying you programmed 'a' on the 2nd keyboard to send the letters S, h, i, f, t, then Q? If Notepad displayed "ShiftQ" and not just "Q" then that is what ou've done -- so naturally the first key seen in FSUIPC is the 's'!

You need key COMBINATIONS, not SEQUENCES!

Please go back and read the HidMacros documentation more thoroughly. Somewhere it will tell you how to add Shift, Ctrl, Alt and maybe other combinational keys (FSUIPC accepts Tab, Win, Menu and App keys too as 'shift' combinations -- the keys on either side of the space bar marked with Windows symbols). Avoid Alt as this will generally open FS menus.

Pete