FslabsA321 bind key.

[martynahubert]

Hello.

I have set specific keys for landing light, beacon, taxi and so on which works with PMDG and Fenix but not with FsLabs

Any idea how solve it?

[John Dowson]

The FSLabs uses custom controls via the Rotor Brake control for the lights - you can see this if you set logging for Events, open the logging console and flip the switches in the VC.
I provided information on how to set-up the lights in this thread: 

You can use the attached macro file which has macros for the Nose, Strobe and Beacon lights: FSLA321.mcro

For any other lights/switches, try logging the event(s) used and either assign directly (if only one event) or add another macro to that file to send multiple events.

John

[martynahubert]

Rotor brake?

any quick and simple tutorial?

because even I don't know what's this?

[John Dowson]

36 minutes ago, martynahubert said:

Rotor brake?

The Rotor Brake control is normally only used in helicopters. As it is not used in aircraft, some aircraft developers use this for their custom controls, with the parameter indicating the function.

37 minutes ago, martynahubert said:

any quick and simple tutorial?

No, sorry. There is a FAQ entry on how this is used in PMDG aircraft here: 

 

However, that is NOT applicable to the FSLabs,, and FSLabs don't provide an SDK as PMDG provide,

Basically I found these using FSUIPC's logging facilities, which you can use in many (not all!) cases to determine how to control a switch. I showed how I found these in that previous post I referenced, so take a look at that,

However, things are a lot more complicated in MSFS2020/2024. Every aircraft seems to use different methods - some custom controls (via Rotor Brake or other means), some Input Events, sometimes  Lvars/Hvars/Bvars. These things are very dependent on the aircraft developers.

With FSUIPC, I try to provide access to these different methods, and can advise on how to look into the different methods of how to assign a particular button using the features I provide. For most aircraft, presets tend to be the easiest way, and the MobiFlight HubHop site (https://hubhop.mobiflight.com/presets/), which is a community-driven effort led by MobiFlight) would be the starting point. However, there seems to be nothing there at the moment for the FSLabs aircraft.

As the FSLabs seem to use custom controls via the Rotor Brake control, you can use FSUIPC's logging facilities to determine what is needed to control any particular switch. Set logging for Events (Log->Events), open the logging console (Log->Open Console), and then see what is logged when you flip the switch in the Virtual Cockpit using the mouse. Then either assign to that (if one event is logged), or create a macro entry if multiple events are logged. Thats the basics, but it can get more complicated.

John 

[martynahubert]

You explained it to me briefly, I now know more or less what it is all about.

I made one button for RWY light but for landing light,  it doesn't work yet.

Anyway thanks for help.

[martynahubert]

and I've noticed something.

If I set one button for example RWY lights it works but if I set another button for landing lights, from list I have to set again ROTOR BRAKE and I'll enter new parameter, RWY lights stop the working or I'm doing something wrong.

update.

Everything works but one button to turn on the lights and one button for tuurn off the ligts.

I don"t know how to set one button to on and off.

For example one button works for RWY lights to on and off.

 

Which key is for pop up Fsuipc?

[John Dowson]

17 hours ago, martynahubert said:

Everything works but one button to turn on the lights and one button for tuurn off the ligts.

I don"t know how to set one button to on and off.

For example one button works for RWY lights to on and off.

To use one button for on & off, you would need to overload the assignments (i.e. have both of the assignments on one button) and add an offset condition to check the current state of the lights so that only one control is sent depending on the current state. This depends on the current state of the light being available in an offset.

Offset 0x0D0C is the one normally used for this, and holds the state of the following lights:

Quote

0D0C

2

Lights, a switch for each one (bits from lo to hi):     0 Navigation     1 Beacon     2 Landing     3 Taxi     4 Strobes     5 Instruments     6 Recognition     7 Wing     8 Logo     9 Cabin

 

The runway lights seem to be the taxi lights, so bit 3 (and 2^3 = 8 or 08 so you would use that) of offset 0x0D0C will hold this information, so the offset condition for the lights on press would be W0D0C&08=0 and W0D0C&08!0 (or just W0D0C&08) for the lights off press. See page 24 of the Advanced user guide on how to add offset conditions.

However, testing this again, it seems that both the switch up and switch down macros actually work as a toggle - did you try them? i.e. try just using the one button and that should switch on and off. As that is the case, you only need one macro entry really, and just use one button. You can rename the macros to make this clear, e.g. just use "Runway Lights" or "Beacon Lights" rather than having both Up and Down versions. This seems to be the case for all the light switches that have two positions, but not the ones that have three positions (Nose, Strobe, Nav & Logo, and landing lights - you cannot really control these with one button for 3 positions, so you will need two buttons for each of these (one to move the switch-up, and one to move it down. However, if you just want to use two positions for these 3-position switches, you can use one button with offset conditions. I can show you how to do this in more detail if needed.

John

 

 

[John Dowson]

13 hours ago, martynahubert said:

Which key is for pop up Fsuipc?

Sorry, missed this. Alt+F is the default hotkey to open the FSUIPC main window, but you can change this if needed (via the InvokeFSUIPCOptionsKey ini parameter). See the documentation for details.

John

[John Dowson]

I have update the macro file now with the above, so try this - you will need to remove your current assignments and re-assign: FSLA321.mcro

I can possibly look into showing you the offset conditions needed for the 3-position switches if needed.

[John Dowson]

Here's how to add the offset conditions. First I assign a button to each Up and Toggle macro, and get this in my ini:

Quote

8=P101,8,CM8:1,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Nose Swtch Up: Nose Swtch Up}-
9=P101,9,CM8:3,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Strobe Swtch Up: Strobe Swtch Up}-
10=P101,10,CM8:5,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Beacn Swtch Togg: Beacn Swtch Togg}-
11=P101,11,CM8:6,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Runway Lights To: Runway Lights To}-
12=P101,12,CM8:7,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Wing Lights Togg: Wing Lights Togg}-
13=P101,13,CM8:8,0     -{Macro FSLA321: NavLogo Swtch Up: NavLogo Swtch Up}-
14=P101,14,CM8:10,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Landing Swtch Up: Landing Swtch Up}-

(your index number, joystick number/letter and button numbers will be different)

I would then duplicate the Up assignments, and change to use the down entries (the number - the comments will be updated automatically) and re-assign the index numbers, giving:

Quote

8=P101,8,CM8:1,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Nose Swtch Up: Nose Swtch Up}-
9=P101,8,CM8:2,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Nose Swtch Dwn: Nose Swtch Dwn}-
10=P101,9,CM8:3,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Strobe Swtch Up: Strobe Swtch Up}-
11=P101,9,CM8:4,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Strobe Swtch Dwn: Strobe Swtch Dwn}-
12=P101,10,CM8:5,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Beacn Swtch Togg: Beacn Swtch Togg}-
13=P101,11,CM8:6,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Runway Lights To: Runway Lights To}-
14=P101,12,CM8:7,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Wing Lights Togg: Wing Lights Togg}-
15=P101,13,CM8:8,0     -{Macro FSLA321: NavLogo Swtch Up: NavLogo Swtch Up}-
16=P101,13,CM8:9,0     -{Macro FSLA321: NavLogo Swtch Dw: NavLogo Swtch Dw}-
17=P101,14,CM8:10,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Landing Swtch Up: Landing Swtch Up}-
18=P101,14,CM8:11,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Landing Swtch Dw: Landing Swtch Dw}-

Then add the offset conditions to the Up/Down entries:

Quote

8=W0D0C&8=x0 P101,8,CM8:1,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Nose Swtch Up: Nose Swtch Up}-
9=W0D0C&8 P101,8,CM8:2,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Nose Swtch Dwn: Nose Swtch Dwn}-
10=W0D0C&10=x0 P101,9,CM8:3,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Strobe Swtch Up: Strobe Swtch Up}-
19=W0D0C&10=x0 P101,9,CM8:3,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Strobe Swtch Up: Strobe Swtch Up}-
11=W0D0C&10 P101,9,CM8:4,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Strobe Swtch Dwn: Strobe Swtch Dwn}-
20=W0D0C&10 P101,9,CM8:4,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Strobe Swtch Dwn: Strobe Swtch Dwn}-
12=P101,10,CM8:5,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Beacn Swtch Togg: Beacn Swtch Togg}-
13=P101,11,CM8:6,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Runway Lights To: Runway Lights To}-
14=P101,12,CM8:7,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Wing Lights Togg: Wing Lights Togg}-
15=W0D0C&1=x0 P101,13,CM8:8,0     -{Macro FSLA321: NavLogo Swtch Up: NavLogo Swtch Up}-
16=W0D0C&1 P101,13,CM8:9,0     -{Macro FSLA321: NavLogo Swtch Dw: NavLogo Swtch Dw}-
17=W0D0C&4=x0 P101,14,CM8:10,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Landing Swtch Up: Landing Swtch Up}-
18=W0D0C&4 P101,14,CM8:11,0     -{Macro FSLA321: Landing Swtch Dw: Landing Swtch Dw}-

Note I have also added to extra lines  (19 and 20) as the strobe switch needs to be moved two times to change the offset that it is referencing.

With those assignments, you can control all the light switches, each on an individual toggle.

Please note that when editing the ini, if FSUIPC7 is running then edit when you have the button assignments panel open, and when finished and saved click the Reload all buttons button in the panel to load the changes. And once you click Ok in the assignments panel, always reload the file in the editor.

Those assignments seem to work pretty well. However, there is an issue as both the runway and nose lights set/use the taxi lights flag. The runway lights is a toggle, so doesn't use this and it is not affected, but the nose wheel assignments do. What this means is if you set the runway lights first, then you cannot set the nose lights as the taxi lights flag is already set. Not much can be done about this - just always set/clear the nose lights first if using both nose and runway lights and you should be ok.

John

 

[martynahubert]

Oh damn, now it looks more complicated but step by step and I'll achive success a guess.

I already have it set normally one button for RWY lights and beacon, just  I was curious how it works for three-position switches but you explained it.

I have not tried yet set lights and so on with macro, I'll try to play around with these settings a bit, anyway thank You for the extensive explanation.