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#4311178 - 11/11/16 05:58 PM Basic Helios tutorial w/ RWR includes adding and toggling panel control from someone else's profile. (cockpit design)  
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 174
Slippery_Rat Offline
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Slippery_Rat  Offline
Member

Joined: May 2015
Posts: 174
First off let me say this works well on my Windows 7, Thrustmaster Warthog Throttle and Stick and DCS 1.5.2


I assume you can install Helios, NOTE It must run with Administrators privileges.
This tutorial will start with a new profile not starting with anyone else's.

This profile will use a 2 monitors in a vertically stacked configuration as shown in Preview Window in upper left.



Note: the red circles

1. The large central window is monitor 2, see tab at top, to get here click the number 2 on the Preview Window
2. Make sure Behavior: Always On Top is checked as circled in red.




3. Notice at there are presently only 2 interfaces displayed: Profile and Keyboard
4. So add new interfaces for DCS A-10C optionally also could add HOTAS Throttle and HOTAS Stick from
Profile Menu Item







6. Now the DCS Interface is available to add instruments.
7. In the tool box expand the DCS Interface options by clicking on the > A-10 Gauges and it will change to a ˅ A-10 Gauges and expand the list.



8. At the bottom of the A-10 Gauges is the RWR Bezel
9. Drag the RWR Bezel to central monitor 2 and drop it there
10. The RWR Bezel has blue "handles on the corner for resizing and shaping.



11. Hold SHIFT and drag corner to size proportionally
12. Hold Control and drag corner to stretch or squeeze control.
13. Now add a button to hide or display the RWR Bezel
14. Below the A-10 gauges etc in tool box is another Template called > Buttons expand it.
15. Drag Tactile Round-Light Button to central monitor 2 area and drop it there.



16. Make sure Tactile Round is selected in Layers and
17. The Input Tab is selected in Bindings area and Profile Explorer highlighted.
18. Expand > Tactile Round in the Input Tab of the Bindings and a Pushed event should display.





19. Now make sure RWR Bezel is selected in the Layers Tab




20. Drag Pushed from the Input Tab to toggle hidden



21. Save the Profile as Tutorial
22. Run Helios Control Center and Select Tutorial
23. Screen capture of what my 2nd monitor looks like when Tutorial.hpf run



24. Screen capture the monitor while running "tutorial.hpf" and save as tutorial.PNG
PNG is important since it allows transparency to be saved..... jpg's dont.

25. Open the screen capture in Photo application. I used Photoshop Elements and used the rectangular selection
to select the RWR Bezel box then place in the cursor in the upper left. Now the Info tab tells how pixel dimensions of the box and the x,y coordinates needed. Write this info down.

Much better technique here Click here --> Helios easiest way to...graphic program


Rectangle dimensions 401x390
X coordinate 568
Y coordinate 72




Easier way of getting X and Y location, and rectangle dimensions of a control shown below. If you want control hidden at start check the hidden box.





26. First backup your monitor .lua file then use Notepad++ (free download) and edit your monitor .lua file
I usually run Notepad++ with admin rights to avoid problems saving.

Mine are located here:
"C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\Config\MonitorSetup\tutorial.lua"

27. Now using the information in step 25 modify the file like mine shown.
Note my Top monitor (Y-value) height is only = 1024 so when combining the display starts at 1024 for the 2nd monitor. So the Y-value of the top of the RWR Bezel is 1024 + 72 the Y coordinate from the screen capture.

The following items if used will also require their size and position entered into the monitor .lua file. I have intentionally not include the size and position as your monitor and position of these "objects" will vary as will your monitor sizes.

This .lua file tells the DCS program where to display dynamic data on your 2nd monitor, Helios will display static and some dynamic gauges like the ADI and HSI et al.

UHFREPEATER =
{
x = ;
y = ;
width = ;
height = ;
}

CMSC =
{
x = ;
y = ;
width = ;
height = ;
}

CMSP =
{
x = ;
y = ;
width = ;
height = ;
}

DIGITALCLOCK =
{
x = ;
y = ;
width = ;
height = ;
}

LEFT_MFCD =
{
x = ;
y = ;
width = ;
height = ;
}

RIGHT_MFCD =
{
x = ;
y = ;
width = ;
height = ;
}

28. I you are modifying an existing monitor.lua file dont forget to change the Name circled in red, otherwise you may see two monitor options in DCS Warthog options with the same name even though the file names are different.

29. Save the edited file with the name tutorial.lua




30. Again using Notepad ++ add the following two lines of code to the end of the AN_ALR69V_init.lua file.
Note path to file shown on picture below

dofile(LockOn_Options.common_script_path.."ViewportHandling.lua")
try_find_assigned_viewport("ED_A10C_RWR")



31. Select your newly created tutorial.lua file in DCS.



32 Run it. My screen capture for this effort shown below. The button on the left will make the RWR Bezel disappear.




33. Add a static background image of gauges.
34. Click on the background and go to the properties tab circled in RED
35. Uncheck if it was click and put you file name in here.
36. The background image is a .PNG file and there is transparency where the RWR Bezel is so the display from
the program can show through for real-time changes in the RWR




37. Run the game again using the tutorial monitor profile.



I like gauges etc! Now the RWR updates in real-time in my cockpit.

This is only very basic tutorial and probably of little interest.
To add a whole console, open someone else's Helios profile select their console copy and paste it into your own profile.
you then can add a button like above to make it appear and disappear.

Note: If you open some else's profile the panels you want maybe hidden, on the layers tab, there are "eye" icons if the "eye" is close it wont be visible, click on the eye to make it be visible in the central screen.

Notice there are two controls used to toggle the lighting panel, a Light Panel Tab (the button) which is visible and the Light Panel itself which is hidden. 1st select the Lighting Panel Tab then click on the hidden Lighting Panel to show the bindings as shown here. Select the Hidden Panel and copy it then paste in your own profile can copy the Ligting Tab to or make your own button. Also note the expansion of the "toggle hidden" event for the Lighting Panel (circled down facing caret).




I just really started with A-10 and I thought this was a great tool, maybe outdated but I support Gadroc and his efforts and encourage you to do so too!

References

http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6VbTGDTUvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKTvFtnoIZA

Hope this is of some use.

PS I'm no expert on Helios I wanted to create my own profile a found little information of precisely how to do it! I only learned how to do this myself 2 days age.

More tutorials here:

Below are some Helios tutorials using both DCS Warthog, BlackShark and BMS Falcon as examples:

Basic Helios Tutorial

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4311178/Basic_Helios_tutorial_w/_RWR_i#Post4311178

Showing Helios Control Panel and Helios control of DCS Active Pause
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4313084/Helios_Control_of_DCS_Active_P#Post4313084

Helios Panel Creation Method 1 (cockpit design)
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4312789/Helios_Panel_Creation_Method_1#Post4312789

Helios Panel Creation Method 2, the Best Method (cockpit design)

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4312877/Helios_Panel_Creation_Method_2#Post4312877

Getting Screen Coordinates of Windows without use of graphics program (cockpit design).
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4313980/Helios_easiest_way_to_get_scre#Post4313980

Helios Gotchas for the Noobie (cockpit design)

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4313906/Helios_Gottchas_for_the_Noobie#Post4313906

Helios use of "Send Keys" to Control DCS (cockpit design)

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4312967/Helios_use_of_Send_Keys&#Post4312967

These tutorials use Capt_Zeen's, Ice's Profiles.


LaLa


Last edited by Slippery_Rat; 11/26/16 06:33 PM.
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4312850 - 11/17/16 01:22 PM Re: Basic Helios tutorial w/ RWR includes adding and toggling panel control from someone else's profile. [Re: Slippery_Rat]  
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 174
Slippery_Rat Offline
Member
Slippery_Rat  Offline
Member

Joined: May 2015
Posts: 174
In setting up dual monitors for Helios DCS World requires you change the display options.

Tutorial.lua is the monitor configuration file.





Resolution and Aspect Ratio in the DCS World options page are TOTAL x and y ie width and height of your combined monitors, this info will be saved in your options.lua file.

If an invalid configuration (monitor.lua) makes it difficult to start DCS World you can edit the options.lua file to reset it back to a configuration that works.

I will add to the previous posit.

More tutorials here:

Below are some Helios tutorials using both DCS Warthog, BlackShark and BMS Falcon as examples:

Basic Helios Tutorial

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4311178/Basic_Helios_tutorial_w/_RWR_i#Post4311178

Showing Helios Control Panel and Helios control of DCS Active Pause
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4313084/Helios_Control_of_DCS_Active_P#Post4313084

Helios Panel Creation Method 1 (cockpit design)
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4312789/Helios_Panel_Creation_Method_1#Post4312789

Helios Panel Creation Method 2, the Best Method (cockpit design)

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4312877/Helios_Panel_Creation_Method_2#Post4312877

Getting Screen Coordinates of Windows without use of graphics program (cockpit design).
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4313980/Helios_easiest_way_to_get_scre#Post4313980

Helios Gotchas for the Noobie (cockpit design)

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4313906/Helios_Gottchas_for_the_Noobie#Post4313906

Helios use of "Send Keys" to Control DCS (cockpit design)

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4312967/Helios_use_of_Send_Keys&#Post4312967

These tutorials use Capt_Zeen's, Ice's Profiles.


LaLa

Last edited by Slippery_Rat; 11/26/16 06:32 PM.
#4321510 - 12/19/16 08:05 PM Re: Basic Helios tutorial w/ RWR includes adding and toggling panel control from someone else's profile. [Re: Slippery_Rat]  
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 346
sobe Offline
Member
sobe  Offline
Member

Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 346
Bend, OR USA
Slippey_Rat
Just wanted to tell you how much I have appreciated these tutorials.

Today, I installed Capt Z's Mig-21 profile. One issue that I had were the 4 main gauges that I use for navigation where way down in the center console. So I read your posts and copied and pasted these 4 gauges to the top of my bottom screen and added a hidden toggle button that controlled whether these four gauges appeared or were hidden.

To my utter amazement, everything worked. Now, when I need these 4 gauges (especially in landing), I can just toggle them on and they are right below my top screen which displays only the HUD.

Thanks again.


Trackir4, Win10 Pro 64Bit, Intel(R) Core™ i5-2500 3.30 GHz 6M Intel Smart Cache LGA115 , GigaByte GA-Z68XP-UD4 Intel Z68 Chipset, DDR3 8GB Ram,AMD Radeon HD 6950 2GB GDDR5 16X PCIe Video Card, Main Monitor 1 on left 1920x1080 Monitor 2 on right 1280x1024
#4332925 - 01/30/17 01:13 PM Re: Basic Helios tutorial w/ RWR includes adding and toggling panel control from someone else's profile. [Re: sobe]  
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 174
Slippery_Rat Offline
Member
Slippery_Rat  Offline
Member

Joined: May 2015
Posts: 174
Thank you very much Sobe, without feedback there seems no point to doing these VDO's.

Regards LaLa AKA slippery_rat.

ps I would post these tutorials at DCS but over there they dont accept photos only links to them! Hence they are here!


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