Missing Documentation of LVars and stuff

glideslope

There is relevant documentation inside the gauges xml code but you might want to checkout this awesome script by @Ape42 that contains nearly everything you could wish for! it's AAO script but I guess it should be easily converted to SPAD.next
https://flightsim.to/file/61922/blacksquare-tbm-850-scripts-for-lorby-s-axis-and-ohs-aao

fabristunt

I use Spad and I was able to assign a lot of stuff. A couple of things are still elusive, but I will get there eventually.

Lemny

yes, but without proper support for external devices these planes are lacking a central part of a quality product.
I am still hoping for a Kingair documentation. (please correct me if I missed it).
And fiddling with a ton of bus to bus connections is not fun. It would not hurt, if they have walked the extra mile to make the products a bit more complete and accessible with proper events and LVars for all the bells and whistles.

Black Square

I just wanted to drop a note hear to say that this is something I've been focusing on improving in my aircraft over time. The King Air will receive many of these improvements in a future update, but the TBM, Dukes, and future aircraft should not require any ugly commands to interact with, only one line commands for A:Vars, L:Vars, H:Events, and K:Events.

Also, I would like to clarify something, as I receive a lot of email claiming that my products do not support external hardware. Absolutely every aspect of my aircraft can be accessed from external hardware, and I have worked with cockpit builders who have built complete cockpits with every switch and control for each one of my aircraft.

Hopefully the improvements in this department will make it even easier to do so going forward. In the meantime, there are lots of posts on this forum and the MSFS official forums about event binding for these aircraft, and I am always happy to help, since it's usually very easy for me to look at my code and provide a solution. Please don't hesitate to ask!

Lemny

That sounds awesome... and don't get me wrong 🙂 ...the reason why the the lack of documentation and/or simple access for all the functions of these planes are hurting is the fact, that all these aircrafts are absolute awesome in every other aspect. 🙂 It would be much worse if nobody would care because they are mediocre went on to other products... but the air is thin this altitude (pun intended 😉) and there are not many to choose from.

For the Baron I have figured out every aspect I think, but for the King Air such simple tasks like Avionics Master it looks like you have to handle multiple Bus to Bus connections und even more to get the switch moving. I stopped somewhere because I lost the fun...

And since I use exclusively SPAD.next I did not want to add other products to get some stuff done. Now with BVar access it should be able to manage this stuff. I stick to the your awesome Baron and the A2A Comanche for now and I am looking forward to these updates you mentioned. Keep it up... your products are making a great simulator awesome. 😀

Edit: And with "lack of support" I did not mean that it's not working technically... I mean it's a bit of chore sometimes to figure it out with forums searches and trial and errors because of the missing docs. 🫤

Lemny

@glideslope I downloaded the script and will take a look.
Yesterday I tried to bind the starter, but unfortunately the switch did not move, the starter worked though.
The AP works flawlessly out of the box with… the VS mode is also working, despite the real TBM only have FLC (IAS) available. 🙂

A first look into the script on my iPad indicates that more events than one are necessary for single buttons.

Black Square

Hi Lemny,

All the switches on the overhead panel, including the starter switch, can be controlled via L:Vars. Here's the last from the AnalogTBM.xml:

var_crashbar
BKSQ_SourceSwitch
BKSQ_GeneratorSwitch
var_MainGeneratorResetButton
var_StandbyGeneratorResetButton
BKSQ_StarterSwitch
BKSQ_IgnitionSwitch

Hope that helps increase your immersion,
Nick C.

Lemny

@Black-Square Hey Nick, thanks a lot... sure it will... 🙂 I try them out in a minute.

I also updated my 4-Pack gauges on my mobile living room cockpit for the TBM.
Love this gem of a plane. 😍

alt text

Lemny

@Black-Square
Nick!!! WTF?! I feel stupid now... you literally put the whole documentation I was looking for all the time in the AnalogTBM.xml.
That was all I need... why did you not put the remarked section in the manual... my whole stupid post here would be obsolete. 😍🤣

EDIT: DONE!!! Bound nearly every switch of this beauty... 😀

kaptenek

Have got many things to work, but the switches for prop deice dont move. Any ideas?

Kind regards

Patric

Lemny

@kaptenek
The whole deice stuff works perfectly with the Stuff mentioned in the AnalogTBM.xml for me.
Including moving switches.

var_airframeDeice
Ice/Wing Light Switch 				Use Native Binding
Propeller Deice Switch 				Use Native Binding
L Windshield Heat Switch			"L:var_windshieldHeatSwitch_L, bool"
R Windshield Heat Switch			"L:var_windshieldHeatSwitch_R, bool"
Pitot Heat 1 Switch 				Use Native Binding
Pitot Heat 2 Switch 				Use Native Binding
Inertial Separator 					"L:var_InertialSeparatorSwitch, bool"

kaptenek

All that works fine also, but i cant get the seitch to move Honeycomb Alpha switch

Lemny

@kaptenek said in Missing Documentation of LVars and stuff:

All that works fine also, but i cant get the seitch to move Honeycomb Alpha switch

What du you mean? Do you want to move the Alpha switches if you use them in the sim?

kaptenek

I meen when i move my switches on my hardware Honeycomb Alpha, the switches dont move in the sim. However the corresponding lights for prop deice turns on. Using the settings in the xml

Best regards

Lemny

That‘s strange… with my settings above they move correctly

Black Square

Lemney's settings should move the switches in the cockpit, to the best of my knowledge. Using the K:Events will only work for some switches, but now that B:Vars are available in 3rd party products like Spad, those should be used whenever possible. Let me know if you're still having difficulties, and I can look into it.

kaptenek

I use spad, for it. Every switch works perfect exept for propeller deice.

Black Square

I just tried the B:Var in the debugger, and it flips the switch. Try:

(>B:DEICE_Propeller_1_Toggle)

and if that doesn't work, try using:

([0/1] >B:DEICE_Propeller_1_Set)

kaptenek

I Will try and post a screen shoot

Lemny

I just double checked and tried it again and can confirm

with 1 or 0/nothing switches the prop deicer on an off and moves the switch.

The SimConnect

only changes the lamp (and I assume the deicer) but not the switch.