[mikkowl]

I've managed to read the responses from DeviceLink with my program now (complicaaaated). I've also managed to control the G940 led lights using info from IL-2. All this I'm going to put out in the next version (possibly labeled 4.0).

What can be read is mostly relevant to G940 users, as it can be used to control the 8 throttle button background lighting. But they can be useful for others too, completely safe to use online as it's not a mod.

If anyone can think of any good use relating to these things available, then post it. Who knows, maybe it's a brilliant idea.

The following systems are allowed to be read (which is relevant to any utility like this one) in multiplayer.

• Trim positions. This is useful for G940 owners. I intend to make the G940 buttons be usable as indicators for if a trim is centered or not, just like many real WW2 era aircraft (Try the PE-3 for example to see)). Should be a welcome addition as it is impossible to see or feel that a trim wheel is centered on the G940. And it is realistic too.
  
  Landing Gear. Not a big deal, because all aircraft pretty much have clearly marked gear indicators on the dashboard that work. But hey, why not. This will also come in handy with the toe brakes - if the gears are up, the plane must be airborne and the toe brake rudder manipulation can be completely disabled. In combination with the tail wheel below, the toe brake system will only be manipulating the rudder when the tail is unlocked and the gears are down.
  
  Tail wheel. This one is great, because I hate seeing that 'tail wheel locked/unlocked' on the HUD, and I removed it ages ago. So much more realistic this way.
  
  Arrestor hook. Useful - can get rid of hook helmet mounted display message, and most aircraft don't have any indicator nor sound effect at all regarding the arrestor hook.
  
  Chocks. Not useful. If the plane does not move, it is obvious the chocks must be on.
  
  Flaps position (unknown at this point if it is the position of your axis or the actual flaps. The two can be significantly different so I hope the latter). Could be used for adding that chiming repeating horn in the Bf 110 if flaps are down but gears are not (yes, that's how it works). I know the Bf 109 is like that in the modified versions of IL-2 I use but I don't know about the stock versions. As it's not a mod to do it this way, it is good. I could make flaps that work just like the real Bf 110: two pull switches. Pull one out, and the flaps start moving in that direction until reaching the max position. To have the flaps in a position other than completely up or down, one has to push in the switch a bit, which will make them stop in their tracks. The flap position indicator of the Bf 110 doesn't exist in IL-2's cockpit, but I can make the G940, which has lights, show different colors depending on the position (To understand how this would work, have a go in the Ju 88 and look at your lower left panel while manipulating the flaps. Three lights, same color as G940 leds).
  
  War Emergency Power (WEP). This one is very cool because practically NO planes at all have indicators for WEP (the ones that do are pretty much all american fighters with auto-wep that lights up if throttle is beyond a certain position). I already added nice support for this for the G940 (and could make it useful for non G940 users as well somehow, sound effect maybe): it currently blinks a button on my throttle red for as long as WEP is activated. I love it! It is impossible not to notice and an urgent reminder to turn it the hell off when you don't absolutely need it anymore. Best of all, being able to ditch that ugly, awful, immersion breaking "NAAAAWZ ENGAGED!!!!!!" constantly glowing in the mid right part of the screen.
  
  Magneto position. This one is truly useless for three big reasons: Have to select the engine in question, to even be able to send a query to IL-2 (it works that way) so IL-2 can send back a reply with the status of that engine's Magnetos. This is a big problem because selecting an engine makes it take on every single setting of the previous engine selected, requiring an update of all it's systems to be re-done. Secondly, messing with the magnetos is dangerous because if it is set to none, and then another engine is selected, it will stop that other engine too (as it's magnetos are set to off as well). Thirdly, magnetos serve no useful purpose even if they worked well.
  
  Level Stabilizer. A minor thing, practically useless. Because anyone likely to use level stabilizer is going to heavly be manipulating the bomb sight, which has no proper graphical interface or interaction other than keypresses and a helmet mounted display projection showing the current settings of the bomb sight. To be able to eliminate a single HUD message in this context is akin to a water drop in the ocean.
  
  Supercharger stage. Maybe not entirely useless. I don't fly any aircraft that have superchargers, but the times I have tried (without HUDLOG) it would have been nice to have some kind of sound effect at the very least to tell me what mode it was just put into, and if it can't move into a higher or lower stage than current.
  
  Propeller feathered or not. Nice to have, as there's no indicators for that in terms of graphical switches or markers in cockpits. Only some aircraft let you see the blade angle being a certain way. Unfortunately it is very difficult to check because the engine being checked must actually be selected in the process, bringing the problems mentioned for magnetos mentioned earlier. Sooo.. have to think of something. Glad to be rid of the Helmet Mounted Display message saying "Engine 1: un-feathered" at least. Can display it in color on the G940.
  
  Air Brake. Not the most useful thing around, few aircraft have air brakes, and it is quite obvious if the air brake is engaged even without any sound effects or instruments. Still, why not, for the man with a bad Junkers addiction. Technically I can manipulate trims or even controls when air brake is deployed, if there's something unrealistic going on in how the game treats air brakes in some aircraft.
  
  Gun pod on/off. This one must be 100% useless. Is there any time, ever, that the gun pod toggle is useful for anything? It doesn't even work most of the time.
  
  Wing fold. Useless.
  
  Canopy (open or not). Mostly useless. Although I could play a loud wind noise effect if it is open and the plane is (probably) airborne. Not that people fly around with it open or would want a loud wind noise effect anyway.
  
  Prop. Pitch. Could possibly be used in some way for multi-prop pitch use before the official 4.10 patch, but I doubt it'll be worth trying. Then it would be checking if the plane prop pitch was in the same position as the controller lever for that engine, and forcing another update if not (the biggest problem for dual prop pitch is making them not move around constantly to match the other engine due to the engine selection problem inherent in IL-2).
  
  Throttle. Useless.
  
  Time of day. Useless.
  
  Plane type. Could be relevant to adjusting some functions to if the plane has them or not, but I don't really see how. I don't think it tells what kind of loadout the plane has either, making it even less useful.
  
  Number of engines. Useless.

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The list is severely lacking. One cannot even check if an engine is even turned on or not or if the aircraft is airborne or standing still! Can't see anything about fuel mixture, radiators, temperatures, fuel drop tank, ammo counters, dropped bombs, low fuel warning. Can't even check if the plane is airborne. Only check if gears are up and assume it must be flying then. For this reason I cannot even make the G940 button lights show if the engine is turned on or off. ♦♦♦♦