Touchscreens and the PMDG FMC

[visualchaosfx]

I was thinking of maybe getting a touchscreen monitor for use with the PMDG FMC. What other hardware am I going to need to use to get this to work if there's any?

[Lezam]

None, get the touchscreen and your good to go

[visualchaosfx]

Oh ok well thats cool. I wonder if the touchscreen can be used with the Overhead panel of the PMDG 747? I'm thinking it may be alittle more difficult for that because how would you rotate the knobs and stuff?

[Lezam]

You could do that, the knobs wouldnt be too hard to use because you could just drag your finger like a mouse :)

[autocadplease]

I use a cheap 15" Elo CRT touchscreen which I found on ebay for $100. I run Project Magenta's CDU and Jeppesen's FliteDeck on it and I love it. Another program to look at is:

Key2Mouse
http://www.wideview.it/key2mouse.htm

and

Key2Lan
http://www.wideview.it/key2lan.htm

[mounty]

Hi,

Can't remember where I saw it but one guy used a touchscreen for the PMDG overhead and mounted it just like an overhead. You also have some choices about whether you buy a touchscreen or a monitor cover that converts your LCD or monitor to a touchscreen. Again, can't remember what the product is called. Your finger becomes the mouse so knobs are easily turned.

I've struggled with going in that direction - it's certainly cheaper and works completely than building an overhead whether for PMDG or Project Magenta. From what I understand you can change windows so you could have the overhead as your main screen and then pop-up the FMC, TQ etc whenever you needed to. It may also be possible to rotate the window and have the LCD on it's side to look more realistic with the O/H.

Rob

[spitfire9]

I have some limited experience with a small 10" touch screen.

The touch screen is actually divided into a grid,, with each small square allowing for a finger press.

You have to be careful with smaller knobs for volume and radios etc ( those +/- mouse events). If they don't seperately fall into their own grid square,, they might not work.

Thats how my touchscreen worked. There may be different screens and different software that I'm unaware of.

[visualchaosfx]

I'd like to do the touchscreen idea because of mobility and the fact that I am going to be moving into an apartment here in a couple of months. So even though if I did have funds to build a sim from the ground up, building it in an apartment wouldn't be the best idea. I'm wanting to use one PC for this setup in conjunction with triplehead2go. But after thinking about it, my TrackIR Pro would be useless if I ended up using 1 of the 3 screens for the FMC or an overhead panel.

Probably the best thing, but most expensive, would be to buy a plug and play FMC from Flyengravity. I guess I could go the route of buying the parts and accessories and assembling the FMC but then how difficult is it to even assemble something like that.

[Kris Stow]

So even though if I did have funds to build a sim from the ground up, building it in an apartment wouldn't be the best idea.

Don't give up due to an apartment if you take a look at my sim I have it in my study in my apartment. So keep it going. I think the touch screen is a great idea for the FMC portion but don't know how it would work for a complete overhead setup. Well anyway thats my 2 cents..LOL Have a great day gents and keep them hauling!!

[kalz]

Just to revive the talk of a touchscreen FMS what are the possibilities of integrating one of these Android touchscreen tablet pc.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.39448~r.91142929

[skino]

Hi,

Can't remember where I saw it but one guy used a touchscreen for the PMDG overhead and mounted it just like an overhead....
Rob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRo_DlUUS44

[No Longer Active]

Brain storm!

What's to stop someone actually placing an fmc dummy panel on a touchscreen, so that when you press the buttons on the dummy panel the buttons are actually pressing the screen?

Good / rubbish idea?

[vyper883]

Brain storm!

What's to stop someone actually placing an fmc dummy panel on a touchscreen, so that when you press the buttons on the dummy panel the buttons are actually pressing the screen?

Good / rubbish idea?


You mean like so? :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC2z4DY9ZfM&feature=related

Watch toward the end when he inserts a tactile overlay. From what I undestand, this particular set up is expensive to buy from plugnfly, but Yes I don't see why it could not be done from scratch using a 10 inch touchscreen. You'd have to either make an overlay with pushbuttons, or buy one, but I don't know if anyone makes just a standalone panel that would fit over an LCD. I believe plugnfly sells theirs complete, which is probably expensive. You'd pay less for a true H/W FMC from FDS, or SKALARKI.

I just bought TWO used touch screens on craigslist BOTH for $220. One is a 10 inch ELO, and the other is a 15inch 3M microtouch. I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll be experimenting on the 10 inch for a touch FMC.