E175/190 p3d mapping EMB config tool keyboard buttons to other peripheral device?

[TomD]

I would like to map several of the keyboard commands from the EMB configuration tool, ‘keyboard’ tab for the V3 E175/190 to my honeycomb bravo throttle. There seem to be several commands there for the autopilot that I cannot find in P3Dv5 key bindings menu that work. Is there a way to do this with the emb config tool? For example the FLCH or toggle AT buttons only appear to work through the emb config tool keyboard command, but I would like to map these to the Bravo. Can someone point me in the right direction how I might do this? Thanks in advance.

[Neil Hewitt]

One way - get Spad.NeXT. This will let you take complete control of your devices. You can bind any control you like on the Honeycomb and have it generate a keypress, which can be picked up by the EMB via the config tool. That's the only way I know of to do it without directly manipulating LVARs or FSUIPC mouse macros. Either of which would work too, if you have a registered copy of FSUIPC.

[TomD]

Thanks Neil. I don’t have experience with or own any of that software. Which one would you recommend as far as ease of use? Spadnext sounds simple enough, but the mouse macro through fsuipc interests me for situations that might not have key bind mappings.

[TomD]

Well, I just ended up going with FSUIPC. Using the mouse macros works great and is quick and simple. Thanks for the tip!

[C2615]

I use FSUIPC to send key press, as I only need it for FLCH and AT, others were done with LINDA.

Still, I couldn't find anyway to blind FPA knob.

[TomD]

2 hours ago, C2615 said:

I use FSUIPC to send key press, as I only need it for FLCH and AT, others were done with LINDA.

Still, I couldn't find anyway to blind FPA knob.

I just tested the FPA button and knob on the MCP panel. I was able to get both to work using FSUIPC mouse macros. I used a pushbutton on my button box for the FPA mode selector, then created two other macros on the FPA knob by using the mouse wheel up for increase and down decrease. I bound the FPA knob increase and decrease macros to a rotary encoder. I was able to manipulate FPA just fine this way. I had to make sure the sim wasn't paused when creating the macro on the FPA knob with the mouse wheel to be recognized correctly. Hope that helps. 

[C2615]

17 hours ago, TomD said:

I just tested the FPA button and knob on the MCP panel. I was able to get both to work using FSUIPC mouse macros. I used a pushbutton on my button box for the FPA mode selector, then created two other macros on the FPA knob by using the mouse wheel up for increase and down decrease. I bound the FPA knob increase and decrease macros to a rotary encoder. I was able to manipulate FPA just fine this way. I had to make sure the sim wasn't paused when creating the macro on the FPA knob with the mouse wheel to be recognized correctly. Hope that helps. 

I'm not familiar with mouse macros, but judging from FSUIPC's doc it need a 2D panel or VS at stationary?

I use VC with TrackIR, so it doesn't seems working to me

[raam123]

I also use Linda and FSUIPC to map buttons...

Couldn't find a way to set map range increase and decrease .... any idea how to blind it ? 

[TomD]

5 hours ago, C2615 said:

I'm not familiar with mouse macros, but judging from FSUIPC's doc it need a 2D panel or VS at stationary?

I use VC with TrackIR, so it doesn't seems working to me

I don't currently have my TrackIR setup so I can't 100% confirm this works. However, I also use VC and I am able to use the FSUIPC mouse macro function to bind the FPA functions to my device. I think this should work while using TrackIR as well. The macros are under the Buttons & Switches tab in FSUIPC. If you are interested in trying this method here is a YouTube video I referenced, 

(107) Prepar3d | FSUIPC | Macros and Assignments - YouTube

These are the steps I took:

-Open FSUIPC (paid version) in P3D, go to the 'Buttons & Switches' tab

-Select 'Create Mouse Macro' on the bottom left corner, then click OK.

-Give it a name eg. ERJ, click OK

-Unpause the sim, mouse wheel up over FPA knob. When the command dialog comes up give it a name eg. FPA Increase, press enter. Repeat for FPA decrease and any other function you want. 

-Open FUSIPC, 'Buttons & Switches' tab, click 'End Macro Making'. 

-Select the button you would like to bind to one of the macros you just created. It should show up in the top middle of the settings window. 

-Click 'Select for FS control' on the right side. 

-Select the drop down under 'Control sent when button pressed' and select the macro you desire

-Repeat for other controls you want to bind to your macros. 

1 hour ago, raam123 said:

I also use Linda and FSUIPC to map buttons...

Couldn't find a way to set map range increase and decrease .... any idea how to blind it ? 

I tried creating mouse macros with the map range. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out a way to make this one work. If the rotary on the CCD worked to control map range like the real aircraft it would work. Maybe the developer could look at adding the actual CCD functions on the CCD itself in addition to controlling the MFDs with the mouse.

[Biggles2010]

12 hours ago, raam123 said:

I also use Linda and FSUIPC to map buttons...

Couldn't find a way to set map range increase and decrease .... any idea how to blind it ? 

 

10 hours ago, TomD said:

I tried creating mouse macros with the map range. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out a way to make this one work. If the rotary on the CCD worked to control map range like the real aircraft it would work. Maybe the developer could look at adding the actual CCD functions on the CCD itself in addition to controlling the MFDs with the mouse.

It's possible using mouse macros and very simple, but the way to do it is totally obscure and something I found by accident when building my cockpit some years ago. 

I use a touchscreen for the MCDU with 2 rotary controls just below it to set frequencies. These are mapped to the double rotary on the MCDU popup using FSUIPC mouse macros with one rotary for full numbers and the other for the decimals, each rotary giving increase and decrease.

Now for the obscure bit. 

With the RADIO page on the MCDU they control the frequencies according to the LSK selected.  When the NAV page is selected on the MCDU I discovered the rotary for the whole numbers now controls the map range, up and down. Don't ask me why, but it works.

Edit: I should add that the rotaries I used operate like switches, not like a continuous axis control. 

[TomD]

38 minutes ago, Biggles2010 said:

 

It's possible using mouse macros and very simple, but the way to do it is totally obscure and something I found by accident when building my cockpit some years ago. 

I use a touchscreen for the MCDU with 2 rotary controls just below it to set frequencies. These are mapped to the double rotary on the MCDU popup using FSUIPC mouse macros with one rotary for full numbers and the other for the decimals, each rotary giving increase and decrease.

Now for the obscure bit. 

With the RADIO page on the MCDU they control the frequencies according to the LSK selected.  When the NAV page is selected on the MCDU I discovered the rotary for the whole numbers now controls the map range, up and down. Don't ask me why, but it works.

Edit: I should add that the rotaries I used operate like switches, not like a continuous axis control. 

Wow, that is quite the find. Nice! Worked for me as well. Not ideal, but for a workaround  you could map a macro to bring up the NAV page then use macros on the rotary to change the map range. The radio function of the FMS radio is correct. I’ll have to double check, but I’m pretty sure the map functions (range and waypoint sequencing) are only adjustable on the CCD rotary in the plane. 

[Biggles2010]

1 hour ago, TomD said:

Wow, that is quite the find. Nice! Worked for me as well. Not ideal, but for a workaround  you could map a macro to bring up the NAV page then use macros on the rotary to change the map range. The radio function of the FMS radio is correct. I’ll have to double check, but I’m pretty sure the map functions (range and waypoint sequencing) are only adjustable on the CCD rotary in the plane. 

You were pretty quick getting that checked out. I agree it would not be so convenient for many users, but having the CDU always available, I just select the NAV page and rotate the knob. As I said I found it by accident when I was setting up the cockpit and at first thought I had made a wrong assignment until I worked out what was happening.

 

[TomD]

Just confirmed that NAV page fix for the map range control doesn’t work in RL, but it does in P3D! 😄 That’s a great looking setup you have there. I would love to see more pictures and where you picked up some of that hardware like the yoke and throttles? Or is that from a flight safety Procedures Trainer or something?

[Biggles2010]

On 5/22/2021 at 1:25 AM, TomD said:

I would love to see more pictures and where you picked up some of that hardware like the yoke and throttles? Or is that from a flight safety Procedures Trainer or something?

Sorry for delayed reply, been away for a couple of days. The cockpit is home built using proprietary buttons and switches and Leo Bodnar interface cards. Relatively low cost using mdf board and plywood for most of construction.  Total cost was about £700 plus monitors and fairly high end pc. Flying controls also home built. Main thing there is to use good size axis shafts and bearings and industrial grade potentiometers or hall effect sensors. The whole project was fairly straightforward, although I had about fifty years of building model aeroplanes and other stuff before I started the sim.

The forum has limits for images, but I've attached a few pics of the yoke and throttles. If you are going to start building, let me know and I can provide a lot more details. I was restricted for space so I made a couple of changes to the MIP for easier single handed operation, but everything works as intended.

 

[TomD]

That’s amazing! Nice work. Even the paint color looks identical. I might give the yoke a shot one of these days. 

[raam123]

Excellent finding with the MAP range feature :-)

Just configured it using Macros !

Thank you.

PS: Very nice home cockpit ! looking great !