WideFS Virtual Buttons

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

good day gentlemen..........
i'd been over to pete dowson's earlier in the year and he was using this technique in his cockpit to control things from a touchscreen monitor. so i decided to look at it a bit further. given the level of human traffic that goes thru my sim (some of them are extremely good), i decided middle of the year to build in a 'failures' system. my thinking was that if you can control something in the sim with a switch or pushbutton, then it was logical to assume that you can control that same thing outside the sim with a switch or pushbutton.
so, after assembling a switchbox/controller card board, i just thought i'd look at the Virtual Buttons again. i am just amazed. using the WideFS/Wideclient [ButtonScreen] function, i have been able to install a complete control system outside the pit. sort of a remote control system if you like. OMG, my 737's become a 'drone'.
from 'at the gate' to landing at the destination can now be accomplished from a remote computer.
it's very low cost (i like that), all you need is a registered version of WideFS/FSUIPC.
anything you can assign in FSUIPC using a controller card, you can do with this technique. send keys, assign FS Controls and even manipulate the Offsets.
now the next time somebody thinks they are ahead of the game flying the pit, they're going to have a bad day :o i'm even controlling the EFIS functions and the MCP.

so, my question....... is anybody else doing anything 'special' using this WideClient facility?

i take my hat off to Peter (the man's a genius)...... there is so much you can do with just these two pieces of software. got to be the best value for money i've spent in my pit :o

would be interested in hearing what you are doing with it (maybe i'm missing something i've not thought about)........

have a good one chaps ..... ian

[Sean Nixon]

Better make sure the missus doesn't find out about it. Or she'll have a remote 'OFF' switch in the house!

[Steve A]

Thanks for the post Ian. On a more simpler note, i have my freefd eicas and standby gauges running off a networked pc through widefs, Is it possible for me to assign my secondary keyboard command "v" ( which scrolls thru the eicas screens ) and implement it into one of my goflight modules so i dont have to keep reaching across to the keyboard from the 2nd pc

Thanks Steve

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

hi steve......
if i understand your question correctly, you are connecting to FS via WideClient so to run your FreeFD program.
the Wideclient virtual buttons direct the input from any client into FS or FSUIPC. so i guess you want to do it the other way round by directing a keysend to the client.
not too sure about this because i've never had to do it.
i had a similar issue with FSXpand (which can also be setup to change EICAS screens with either a key or a button) and the way i got round it was to attach an old BU0836 card to the machine to change the screens for me using a rotary switch on the DU panel.
hope that gave you an idea.......
regards from wales .... ian

[den19]

Ian
I, too, have been using the button screen facility on a touch screen for a while now. My pit is very much a generic one which can be changed from GA to Heavy by changing a quick release front panel with cut-outs in, depending on which software in running under it ( Peix GA panel or VASfmc). In both cases they run on top of my button screen (both have an "always on top " facility). The touch screen is an add-on one which fits inside the cases of one of my 19" monitors. The button screen is a multi-page one to cover all things I don't have on switches or Go Flight gear, and the 2 covers hide the buttons not in use for that airoplane and uncover the ones it does need.

I agree with you without PD's efforts I couldn't have managed it at all.

Den