Many control fixes/solutions and immersion additions

Many control fixes/solutions and immersion additions - Printable Version

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Many control fixes/solutions and immersion additions - mikkowl - 01.12.2009

Summary: solved multiple limiting issues regarding control limitations in IL2 as well as added more realism to cockpit interface and I'm wondering if anyone else could have use of them.

Background:

1. Bought a Saitek throttle quadrant along with a huge yearning for realism and immersion.
2. Took the pedal set from my G25 to use as rudder.
3. That included needing to turning off all the HUD messages/texts.
4. Using 'shoot' voice recognition software to let me talk to AI units through actual voice.
5. Using the throttle quadrant to fly multi-engined planes.

Problems:

1. IL2 did not support multi-throttle axis and the 'throttle' third party software for IL-2 did not support the Saitek quadrant.
2. IL2 did not support fuel-mixture on an axis (lever for quadrant).
3. Only combined axis was supported in IL2, and that G25 pedals only supported combined axis on the gas pedal and brake (brake pedal is very stiff) instead of the clutch and gas pedal.
4. Turning off the HUD messages meant it was often very hard or impossible to know if a button pressed even had any effect (no sound FX, no nothing).
5. Many functions usable only as single toggle button (i.e. one button both raises the gear and lowers it causing problems as since it was not always clear what state they were already in, clicking the button could toggle it unintentionally in the opposite state you wanted it to, and you might not even know it due to lack of sounds and HUD messages.
6. One very important function, the engine radiator flap, with six (normally) different states was on a SINGLE button. I could not use it while flying without any indication of what state it was in beyond seeing the engine cook.
7. Even when using "Shoot" and the official IL2 profile, the radio command interface appeared every time in red text and being auto clicked through by the macros stored in the shoot profile. Quite an immersion breaker.

Solutions:

1. Made dual-throttle work on the quadrant using "PPJoy" and "glovepie". It works very well with one exception - moving the two throttle levers at the same time messes up accuracy a bit - moving them one at a time is necessary for absolute accuracy. Can have as many engines as you have axis, but the 'move one at a time' limitation remains.
2. Made fuel-mixture work on analogue axis (in a sense) using the software that came with the Saitek Quadrant. Moves the fuel mixture in 10% increments. Works flawlessly.
3. Made the G25 clutch & gas pedals work as rudders using the clutch and gas pedals using "PPJoy" and "glovepie". Works perfectly (set up the brake pedal as wheel brakes btw).
4. Made any two-state toggle key (such as gear up and down, arrestor hook up down, rear wheel lock, parking brake etc) work as two way switches (such as for the front row 'up-down' rocker switches of the Saitek Quadrant), using "AutoHotKey". Works flawlessly but can be unsynchronized if you do something silly like have the gear set as 'down' in the program when you launch, yet you choose to launch already flying instead of from the landing strip (that way AutoHotKey will assume the gear is down when it's actually up and the buttons will be reversed).
5. Made the single key radiator function bind-able to two buttons that cycle up and down through it's six open and closed states, again with "AutoHotKey". Works flawlessly, with the same possibility of being unsynchronized just like with the two way toggles mentioned above (not an issue). It should be technically possible to bind it to an axis as well but I don't know how to do this yet, and I'm not 100% sure it'd remain perfectly synced.
6. Made any key or button of my choosing play an instant sound effect of my choosing when pressed using "AutoHotKey". I especially love this, as for example it only makes a 'switch' sound when a two way switch is 'activated' - clicking landing gear down twice on your controller will only produce a sound the first time, then nothing, indicating that the switch is already in the down state (if anyone understood). It helps immensely with immersion and with generally interface when flying without any HUD text. I'm still looking for sound effects more suited for this than the stock ones in the IL2 folder.
7. Made the radio communication dialogue text on the HUD go away completely by rewriting the official SHOOT profile for IL2 to send all keys nearly instantly (so fast that the dialogue text has no time to open). I talk and then the wingmen or tower responds (I had to put in some delay so they don't respond within a millisecond, which sounded unnatural). I wish I understood Russian, and remembered more of my German language studies... Seriously, shoot works so incredibly reliably well. If you use the English voices and you're an English speaker, turning off all the HUD texts/subtitles and you just talk, and they talk back, naturally.

And that's it. Many different issues dealt with requiring different solutions. If anyone is interested I'll try to point you in the right direction and I can share some files I have made, but I will not take it upon myself to guide you through everything and make it work for you. Most solutions require custom 'fitting' for your computer, since people's devices and keys all have different Id's and all that, but you should be able to work it out. Then again, I don't know if anyone else even have these problems, or already solved them all ages ago.. I do hope it can be useful.

Apologies if this was posted in the wrong forum. Saw other similar topics here before. Smile

- Alemart_el_Redentor - 01.12.2009

WOW this is some very good information!, thank you very much for testing out all this variables ^_^

- mikkowl - 02.12.2009

This AutoHotKey application is awesome! I'm having so much fun adding/correcting stuff.

I added another feature: The ability to put your machineguns and cannons as armed or safe (individually) with a flip switch each, and having a single fire button fire those that are armed only. As a gun freak, I find it appealing.

I plan to add another next: Forcing the game to stay in cockpit view when initiating the bailing out (CTRL-E). It should be possible to see the caonopy come off while in the cockpit. It is also possible to have a sound file played at that exact moment to enhance realism. A loud clonk of some kind from pulling the emergency release for canopy and then having it sucked away. And then some nervous desperate breathing and 'sound of leathery flight jacket flexing', quick release for seatbelts making some kind of sound, or what?

UPDATE: Tried the 'stay in cockpit' thing and it did work. The view flashes for a fraction of a second and is reset straight forward, and while you can turn your head and see a canopy soon flying off, the 'original' canopy doesn't seem to disappear. A pity, but I prefer it (esp with some kind of sound FX) over the default exterior only.

UPDATE 2: It worked to use the 'open canopy' ability simultaneously, so that when bailing out of aircraft that has canopies that open, the canopy immediately swings backwards (with the nice change of sound FX from engine and wind that brings).

- Alemart_el_Redentor - 02.12.2009

Is it freeware?

- mikkowl - 02.12.2009

It sure is. I only found it and started playing with it yesterday, but I have heard it mentioned together with other sim-classic programs like "PPJoy" and "glovepie" before.

http://www.autohotkey.com/

- slipper - 04.12.2009

mikkowl,

if its not to much trouble, could you post a set of your auto hotkey scripts so that i can study them to see how to set up sound effects etc, i am really interested in your bale out mod, it sounds great. This sounds like a really good way to add to the immersion levels.

Thanks in advance

regards

slipper

Bailout mod using AutoHotKey - mikkowl - 04.12.2009

Sure thing Mr Slipper. I uploaded a little zip file with everything already prepared, so it will be easiest to just get that. It includes the sound file.

http://hem.bredband.net/mikko.artist/il2/il2bailoutmod.zip

I inserted a detailed explanation to make it as understandable as possible. No point in you spending a whole night like I did trying to puzzle things together from the AHK help files Wink

While I haven't made a proper sound file, I took a very stressful urgent "oh shit!" sound byte from Robotech (the 1985 anime series) edited to be a few seconds long to be played, and it sure enhances the "oh shit have to bail out right now OMG" feeling. It is in the zip file also.

The things you need to make this work is:
1. AutoHotKey installed
2. Make sure the binds in the script match those in IL2 (easily done by adjusting either).
3. It does not matter where you run the script file from, but you have to have the sound file in the place you specify in the script, or else the sound won't play. I put it to C:\il2bailoutmod.

Quote:;----------------------------------------------------------
; STAYING IN COCKPIT + PLAYING SOUND WHEN BAILING OUT
;----------------------------------------------------------

2joy16::
SoundPlay, C:\il2bailoutmod\bailout.wav
send o
send ^E
send {F1}
return

; EXPLANATION BELOW
;
;"2joy" = second joystick device | "16" = joystick button 16 | "::" = if the button(s) before this mark is pressed, then execute whatever lines we put after. This line is the trigger for the whole event. Any key can be used, even a simple keyboard key (go ahead and try any simple key you want). I have it on a joystick button since I don't use the keyboard when flying.
;"SoundPlay, " = the command to play a sound file | "C:\il2bailoutmod\bailout.wav" is the path to the sound file to play.
;"send o" = press and release "o" on keyboard. I bound this to toggle canopy in IL2, just to see how it works.
;"send ^E" = press and release CTRL E on keyboard. The "^" mark means CTRL. If CTRL E is bound to bail out in IL2, this will initiate the bail out.
;"send {F1} = press and release F1 on keyboard. All keys that have their own name must be written inside the { } marks, otherwise it will type "F1" text instead. This is bound to 'cockpit view' by default in IL2, and this makes the view instantly return to cockpit view after the CTRL E bailout command puts us in third person view.
;"return" = This must be put in to make the command usable more than once, at least I think so.

- slipper - 06.12.2009

mikkowl,

Many thanks for uploading your file, and for the explanation of how it works. Busy with work at the moment, but will have a look soon and let you know how i get on.

p.s do you know anywhere you can get good sound samples for various effects?

Thanks again for your help.

regards

slipper Big Grin

Re: Bailout mod using AutoHotKey - FlyingShark - 22.05.2010

[quote="mikkowl"]Sure thing Mr Slipper. I uploaded a little zip file with everything already prepared, so it will be easiest to just get that. It includes the sound file.

http://hem.bredband.net/mikko.artist/il2/il2bailoutmod.zip
[quote]
Link is dead.

~S~