HOTAS Target Management

[MenendezDiego 1]

Diego, are you in Atlanta? (404 area code)....

Yes sir...how about you?

[holografique 0]

Yes sir...how about you?

yepper. good to see another simmer in the area

[MenendezDiego 1]

yepper. good to see another simmer in the area

For sure...thought I was all alone out here. You might see me sometime, I drive a 2003 Black VW Golf, with a Marine and Trijicon sticker on my back window, rear left.

If ya see me don't be afraid to honk!

[Horten229 0]

In an effort to further add to the realism of the Aerosoft F-16 controls, I have developed a Display Management gauge to work with the Target Management modifications. In doing so, I realized that the current set of Target Management functions have evolved to incorporate a number of functions that are more properly Display Management and, in fact, are integrated with Display Management. Since the Target Management functions require modification of the Aerosoft LMFD code, I am separating the Target Management and Display Management functions to both minimize updates to the Aerosoft code and make the Display Management more maintainable.

The restructuring involves leaving the core Target Management Functions (Step Bug, Designate/Air-to-Air, Undesignate) along with the Aerial Refuel Disconnect (thus also has future multimodal weapons functions) in the code inserted into the LMFD guage.

The other functions, Radar Zoom, Map Zoom, and the new Cycle MFD Format, Swap MFD and Expand/FOV functions are in a separate DispMgmt gauge. The Expand/FOV function now works similar to the real F-16 control and subsumes the Radar and Map Zoom functions, but those are currently retained for backward compatibility.

The instructions for the original Target Management post have been updated with the moved code removed (Extend/Reduce Radar Range and Increase/Decrease Map Range).

Installation instructions for the new functions are as follows:

The following assumes Microsoft FSX and Aerosoft F-16 is installed in the default location.

1. Copy the CAB file (from http://www.fred.net/wwmfarm/DispMgmt.CAB) into

- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Aerosoft F-16A 9\Panel

- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Aerosoft F-16AM Display\Panel

2. Add the following guage to the Panel.cfg files in the above folders

// Event Driven Target Management

gauge14=DispMgmt!DispMgmt, 0,0,1,1

3. In FSX - Settings - Controls Buttons/Keys set

- Concorde nose & visor (extend) - the button for swapping the Display of Interest (DOI) to the opposite MFD (Display Management Aft)

- Concorde nose/visor (increase) - the button for cycling screen format on the current MFD to the next right format (Display Management Right)

- Concorde nose/visor (decrease) - the button for cycling screen format on the current MFD to the next left format (Display Management Left)

- Backup electric vacuum pump (on/off) - the button for extending radar and map range (Expand/Field of View Switch (pinky switch))

- Attitude bars (move up) - the button for extending radar range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

- Attitude bars (move down) - the button for reducing radar range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

- Decision height (increase) - the button for extending map range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

- Decision height (decrease) - the button for reducing map range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

Notes:

1. The Expand/FOV switch cycles through the ranges (with wrap back to the begining) for either the Radar or Map MFD page. The page the expansion is applied to is the "current" page designated by the DOI swap and the Radar or Map must be visible.

2. This has been tested with Aerosoft F-16 Versions 1.01, 1.10 and 1.11. It may not work with future changes.

3. No warrantees are expressed or implied.

[JamesChams 108]

In an effort to further add to the realism of the Aerosoft F-16 controls, I have developed a Display Management gauge to work with the Target Management modifications. In doing so, I realized that the current set of Target Management functions have evolved to incorporate a number of functions that are more properly Display Management and, in fact, are integrated with Display Management. Since the Target Management functions require modification of the Aerosoft LMFD code, I am separating the Target Management and Display Management functions to both minimize updates to the Aerosoft code and make the Display Management more maintainable.

The restructuring involves leaving the core Target Management Functions (Step Bug, Designate/Air-to-Air, Undesignate) along with the Aerial Refuel Disconnect (thus also has future multimodal weapons functions) in the code inserted into the LMFD guage.

The other functions, Radar Zoom, Map Zoom, and the new Cycle MFD Format, Swap MFD and Expand/FOV functions are in a separate DispMgmt gauge. The Expand/FOV function now works similar to the real F-16 control and subsumes the Radar and Map Zoom functions, but those are currently retained for backward compatibility.

The instructions for the original Target Management post have been updated with the moved code removed (Extend/Reduce Radar Range and Increase/Decrease Map Range).

Installation instructions for the new functions are as follows:

The following assumes Microsoft FSX and Aerosoft F-16 is installed in the default location.

1. Copy the CAB file (from http://www.fred.net/wwmfarm/DispMgmt.CAB) into

- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Aerosoft F-16A 9\Panel

- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Aerosoft F-16AM Display\Panel

2. Add the following guage to the Panel.cfg files in the above folders

// Event Driven Target Management

gauge14=DispMgmt!DispMgmt, 0,0,1,1

3. In FSX - Settings - Controls Buttons/Keys set

- Concorde nose & visor (extend) - the button for swapping the Display of Interest (DOI) to the opposite MFD (Display Management Aft)

- Concorde nose/visor (increase) - the button for cycling screen format on the current MFD to the next right format (Display Management Right)

- Concorde nose/visor (decrease) - the button for cycling screen format on the current MFD to the next left format (Display Management Left)

- Backup electric vacuum pump (on/off) - the button for extending radar and map range (Expand/Field of View Switch (pinky switch))

- Attitude bars (move up) - the button for extending radar range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

- Attitude bars (move down) - the button for reducing radar range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

- Decision height (increase) - the button for extending map range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

- Decision height (decrease) - the button for reducing map range (not supported on F-16 SSC)

Notes:

1. The Expand/FOV switch cycles through the ranges (with wrap back to the begining) for either the Radar or Map MFD page. The page the expansion is applied to is the "current" page designated by the DOI swap and the Radar or Map must be visible.

2. This has been tested with Aerosoft F-16 Versions 1.01, 1.10 and 1.11. It may not work with future changes.

3. No warrantees are expressed or implied.

Mr. Horton229,

Thank you very much! I'll install this in my next day off and let you know how she flies. But, just to be clear, this new .CAB should TOTALLY REPLACE the previous setup; Correct?

Finally, Great work and Thank you!

[Horten229 0]

Mr. Horton229,

Thank you very much! I'll install this in my next day off and let you know how she flies. But, just to be clear, this new .CAB should TOTALLY REPLACE the previous setup; Correct?

Finally, Great work and Thank you!

Not completely.

As mentioned in the post, the base Target Management functions (Step Bug, Designate/Air-to-Air, Undesignate and Aerial Refuel Disconnect ) remain in the modified LMFD guage and you still need to reference the modifed LMFD (TargetMgmt!LMFD) in the panel.cfg file. You just have to delete the code for other functions in LMFD (Radar/Map Zoom In/Out i.e. Attitude Bars and Decision Height events) to avoid duplication. The .CAB file provides those as well as some new functions.

[JamesChams 108]

Not completely.

As mentioned in the post, the base Target Management functions (Step Bug, Designate/Air-to-Air, Undesignate and Aerial Refuel Disconnect ) remain in the modified LMFD guage and you still need to reference the modifed LMFD (TargetMgmt!LMFD) in the panel.cfg file. You just have to delete the code for other functions in LMFD (Radar/Map Zoom In/Out i.e. Attitude Bars and Decision Height events) to avoid duplication. The .CAB file provides those as well as some new functions.

I see; Thank you! I'll try it out this evening and let you know. PS: Thanks a lot for this ... Now if I can get these guys to fix the few MFD bugs and add some other navigational features, the bird will not only "Rock" but "smoke" too!

I will also post my keyboard assignment keys for the Controller's usage and with your permission (and Aerosoft's), I'll Update their PDF with our additions and send it Mr. Kok's way. Perhaps, they will then consider adding it to the next revision - What do you think?

[JamesChams 108]

Mr. Fred "Horten229' Highland,

Got it working 99% correctly. Great job!

Just One issues I noticed:

1. I'm having trouble getting the Targeting designator to lock on to the next target and stay there. I've got the HUD in A/A Mode and the RDR MFD Page is up; Still testing that just to be sure i'm not doing something wrong; I'll get back to you with more on it and you can see it for yourself in the New .CAB file I've put together.

The rest of it works impeccably; Great Job!

Next, I've begun the Key Assignment list and FSUIPC function button events which I hope to update with the changes. If I can fix the above and post those, I can put them all together in a complete package for these version(s) of the Falcon. Undoubtly, Mr. Finn/Mr. Scott/Others will be modifying the gauges that are exhibiting problems right now but, since these changes are now external to their .CAB's it should no longer pose a major problem for us.

Finally, I modified your file and made changes to include all the content of the TargetMgmt into my test gauge and changed the Fuel Door Open/Close functionality from the WATER RUDDER event to the ALTERNATE STATIC SOURCE so that the default function of the Visor can be used. I posted the file - DOWNLOAD HERE for you to take a look at; I just want to keep testing it and be sure I didn't miss anything.

Thank for everything! - This really makes this bird function like a real military HOTAS aircraft.