Simulate a mouse click to return focus to outside view

[tumbi]

I am not sure if this topic title correctly explains my problem so please let me tell you what I am trying to achieve.

I am using Saitek Yoke and am using FSUIPC to make good use of the various buttons available on the yoke

I have found it convenient to allocate the Plus/Minus keystrokes to one of the two-position switches. This allows me to zoom in or out more easily than reaching for the Plus/Minus keys on the keyboard. I use that zoom function a lot, both to zoom the view from the cockpit and for external views.

Another use for the Plus/Minus switches is to quickly and easily control the autopilot from the yoke. For example, if I select the autopilot's "Altitude Bug", these switches allow me to easily spin the Autopilot's altitude setting up or down. And if I select the "Airspeed Bug", I can quickly and easily change the Autopilot's IAS setting. And same again for "Heading Bug", and Course (or "VOR OBS").... get the idea? When I select one of these "bugs" the Plus/Minus keys, er switches, will then increase or decrease the particular autopilot setting. It works well and is quite elegant because FSUIPC allows me to allocate one of the Yoke buttons to each of these functions (eg "Altitude Bug Select" is allocated to a Yoke button). I have full autopilot control right here at the Yoke and don't need either the keyboard or the mouse for most common operations

But... and here is my problem.... after I have selected one of the autopilot bugs, I can't zoom the view any more! The Plus/Minus keys continue to operate on the particular bug I had selected, and no longer operate the zoom function. I have to pick up the mouse and go click somewhere on the screen to return focus to the outside view. Then the Plus/Minus switches operate the zoom function once again. But that is not elegant. Surely with all the power and flexibility of FSUIPC, there would be some FSUIPC function to restore the zoom function (or focus) ? Trouble is... I can't find it!.

Please can someone tell me what FSUIPC function or Control Name should I use to return focus away from the AP bug I had selected and back to the zoom function. I don't really need a mouse click as such, just some internal function that will return focus to the outside view.

[Pete Dowson]

But... and here is my problem.... after I have selected one of the autopilot bugs, I can't zoom the view any more! The Plus/Minus keys continue to operate on the particular bug I had selected, and no longer operate the zoom function. I have to pick up the mouse and go click somewhere on the screen to return focus to the outside view. Then the Plus/Minus switches operate the zoom function once again. But that is not elegant. Surely with all the power and flexibility of FSUIPC, there would be some FSUIPC function to restore the zoom function (or focus) ? Trouble is... I can't find it!.

Most of the functions aren't implemented in FSUIPC, they are simply FS functions being exposed by FSUIPC. All of those you are using above are FS functions.

Unfortunately I cannot find a function which swaps leyboard focus back to the last outside view. Generally it doesn't arise because there are specific functions which can be assigned to buttons to do all the individual things you are doing, separate INC/DECs for each value, and Zoom functions for the current view. In fact I don't recall the question arising in the many years of FS and FSUIPC.

A function to specifically transfer focus to an external view could be implemented, but the general way FS can be used does not make this straight-forward. You can have several different outside views (opened for instance with the [ keypress and closed with the ] keypress. Which one should it revert to? Or to each open one in turn each time pressed? It would need to operate by Window names, too (to get the Window handle for the focus), and they vary according to the Panel configuration. That isn't difficult to resolve by program (by ennumerating all open windows), but it isn't easy, if indeed possible, to differentiate between panel windows, only full of gauges like the throttle and radio stack windows, and external windows, because the names can be arbitrarily chosen.

Your best bet is to use the Zoom functions, which always operate on the last selected external window, instead of +/-.

Regards

Pete

[tumbi]

Thanks Pete, for the reply and helpful comments.

I have it working now to my satisfaction, thank you. Your comments on Views gave me the clue I needed.

I have one yoke button assigned to restoring the "view" and for that button I used FSUIPC's Buttons & Switches menu to assign two FS Controls (one when pressed and one when the button is released). When pressed it sends the "Prev View" control and when released it sends the "Next View" control. That effectively changes the view away from the Autopilot functions and back to the screen. This achieves my objective so now the Plus/Minus keys once again perform the zoom function I am looking for. There is no noticeable flicker when switching views in this way. And I usually fly with just one view anyway. So I am happy.

One other thing, if anyone is thinking of implementing such a reset key on their system, I should mention that I have also configured FSX's internal Buttons/Keys so that same button also sends its "Look (reset to forward view)" event. That means when I press that button it not only resets the "view" to the screen's external view, but for my preference it also resets the forward view to directly forward. I often look around as I am flying and now it quickly and easily resets everything to straight ahead and I can zoom to my heart's content once again! I am a happy pilot.

Thanks Pete for FSUIPC. The world would not be the same without you.

[Pete Dowson]

I have one yoke button assigned to restoring the "view" and for that button I used FSUIPC's Buttons & Switches menu to assign two FS Controls (one when pressed and one when the button is released). When pressed it sends the "Prev View" control and when released it sends the "Next View" control. That effectively changes the view away from the Autopilot functions and back to the screen. This achieves my objective so now the Plus/Minus keys once again perform the zoom function I am looking for. There is no noticeable flicker when switching views in this way. And I usually fly with just one view anyway. So I am happy.

I did think of a couple of things like that but didn't suggest them because I did not think changing the view back and forth would be acceptable. So I am glad you don't notice the flicker and find it a good solution!

Regards

Pete

[Quax1]

Hi Tumbi,

are you still in this forum? If yes, may I kindly ask you to support me with the way you simulated the look (reset forward) button?

Thanks

Achim

[Quax1]

On ‎08‎.‎02‎.‎2012 at 11:37 AM, Pete Dowson said:

I did think of a couple of things like that but didn't suggest them because I did not think changing the view back and forth would be acceptable. So I am glad you don't notice the flicker and find it a good solution!

Regards

Pete

Hi Pete,

being a brand new user of the FSUIPC I am presently trying to prepare my FSUICP is such a way that it supports my flying as I was previously used to using the FSX. One of the things I have in common with Tumbi is that I look around while flying and the Look (reset to Forward) was one of my most used keys. Would you mind supporting me in realising this function within FSUIPC?

Thanks a lot from EDDM