External MFDs for Orbiter

ZXS2000

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Huh? VNCMFD does not replace anything. It's a normal, well-behaved add-on.

NetDialog does patch Orbiter core, but it is only needed in particular setups (i.e. when you intend to use a separate PC for displaying the dialog boxes using ORC).

sorry my bad, which is why Im not trying to write code...yet, remembered I had to modify something, and yes my setup will between 2 pc's. I have some HP110 mini laptops that I plan to use with the VNCMFD and will remove most of the parts so Im just left with a mother board, HDD and USB ports, will box it up inside the instrument panel with the MIMO screen/s and the option to plug in a KYBD for diagnostics.

I've also got on the drawing board parts for an ARDINIO (spelt wrong) styled programmable keyboard (POKEYS-USB) this I hope to use with backlit switches and analog & digital dials.

Currently I need to learn to create a vessel then decide on if I need to organize a specific dll for the vessel so it can do more specific key routines..ie j=jettision but a seperate key combination for each stage, tower jettisions and stuff that is usually doubled up depending on what stage of flight (ie vessel) you are in.

sorry way too much info...just getting excited cause Im starting to think I might actually get my lil spacesim built!

:cheers:

---------- Post added at 11:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 AM ----------

just a quick question on netMFD does it require orbiter installed on both server and client? or will the server just create an MFD from data transmitted from the client running orbiter.
 

whitewatcher

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just a quick question on netMFD does it require orbiter installed on both server and client? or will the server just create an MFD from data transmitted from the client running orbiter.

Good question!

The server application is a standalone application. It requires Windows and the VC runtime package, nothing else.
If it asks for a QLIB DLL, just delete the USBTTL-Input module (a dll in the same folder as the server application).
 

ZXS2000

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Touch screen device can be used. The panel layout is user configurable.

I've just received my two MIMO touch screens,tried one quickly works fine, however the screen is 480 x 800 and my VNCMFD windows are slightly larger, could you point me in the direction to adjust the panel layout, I'd like to strip off the SEL/MNU/EXIT BUTTONS and TOP Window bar leaving just the original MFD buttons/options displayed.

How do I go about changing the cosmetics of the area around the MFD displayed via VNCMFD
 

kamaz

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I've just received my two MIMO touch screens,tried one quickly works fine, however the screen is 480 x 800 and my VNCMFD windows are slightly larger, could you point me in the direction to adjust the panel layout, I'd like to strip off the SEL/MNU/EXIT BUTTONS and TOP Window bar leaving just the original MFD buttons/options displayed.

Sure. Both resolution and button layout are configurable by editing VNCMFD.ini. There is a comprehensive description of parameters at the top of the file.

Not sure what you mean by the top window bar -- if you mean title bar of the VNC client window, then it is drawn by the VNC client and the OS, not me. If you can't turn it off, use Autohotkey to move the window so the title bar is outside the screen.

How do I go about changing the cosmetics of the area around the MFD displayed via VNCMFD

I don't quite understand what you mean by that. Could you be more specific?
 
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ZXS2000

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Thanks for clearing the ini file info, hadn't opened it, my programming skills to date have amounted to the Visual Studio Tutorial and C+ tutorials recently purchased unopened on my book shelf.
By cosmetic I was wondering how difficult for a newbie as myself to add raster/bit maps around the mfd (panel colour, screws etc) rounding off the button edges etc.
 

kamaz

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By cosmetic I was wondering how difficult for a newbie as myself to add raster/bit maps around the mfd (panel colour, screws etc) rounding off the button edges etc.

That's quite easy. All drawing is done using GDIPLUS, so do some tutorials on that first. (GDIPLUS is quite easy to use anyway :))

The panel decoration is drawn in MFDPanel.cpp, line 52-54. The code in there currently paints the whole canvas in dark green. Modify as you see fit (i.e. load and draw a bitmap instead).

The button drawing is done by a method named Paint() in Button.cpp. The interesting part is lines 94-95.

The compiler setup is described here: http://www.orbiterwiki.org/wiki/Free_Compiler_Setup#Visual_C.2B.2B_2010_Express You will also need to install WinDDK for the ATL libs.
 
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worir1

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Can i use this with my android phone?
 

csanders

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Can i use this with my android phone?

If not, you can try webmfd. It gives an mfd in a browser.

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4923"]WebMFD[/ame]
 

kamaz

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Can i use this with my android phone?

VNCMFD with a phone? Yes. Install this app on the phone: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=android.androidVNC&hl=en

Worked with Samsung Galaxy, although the screen is a bit small :)

---------- Post added at 04:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------

If not, you can try webmfd. It gives an mfd in a browser.

WebMFD

I believe the version you patched is better: http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=367316&postcount=72
 

ZXS2000

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If you can't turn it off, use Autohotkey to move the window so the title bar is outside the screen.

any way of using the ini file to place the MFD's at an exact location (ie off screen) I've got the two Mimos working well but i have to drag each VNC screen to the desired screen after connecting. if I can get it to do this automatically would be great. there will be no keyboard or mouse in my simpit.

I tried setting up the ini file to draw the screen at location outside 1024x768 but it failed. (series of error messages which if you cant answer the above i will re-create and see if you can offer help)
 

kamaz

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any way of using the ini file to place the MFD's at an exact location (ie off screen) I've got the two Mimos working well but i have to drag each VNC screen to the desired screen after connecting. if I can get it to do this automatically would be great. there will be no keyboard or mouse in my simpit.

I tried setting up the ini file to draw the screen at location outside 1024x768 but it failed. (series of error messages which if you cant answer the above i will re-create and see if you can offer help)

It appears that you don't understand how VNC works.

VNCMFD creates a virtual screen (framebuffer). The INI file describes the size of the framebuffer and the location of the MFD screen and buttons inside the framebuffer. Of course, neither the MFD screen nor buttons can be placed outside the framebuffer; that would defeat the whole purpose. (In fact, I'm quite amused that Orbiter didn't simply crash when you did that.) Note that the framebuffer has no location on your physical screen; it is a purely virtual construct.

When the VNC client connects to VNCMFD, a copy of the framebuffer is sent to the client. VNC client then open its own window and draws contents of the framebuffer to that window. Now that client window is placed somewhere on your physical screen. However, since it is drawn by the client, then the VNC server (i.e. VNCMFD) does not care (or know) where that window is.

The width and height of the framebuffer set in the INI file should correspond to the intended width and height of the client window (strictly speaking, to the width and height of the framebuffer area of the client window, as the client window also has the title bar and other control the client adds). If they don't, then the client will rescale the image, which looks ugly. But of course nothing bad happens :)

So what you want to do is to automatically place the VNC client window on your MIMO screen. To do that, one of the following programs should help:

http://www.autohotkey.com/
http://winsize2.sourceforge.net/en/index.html
 
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kamaz

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Here is a new release, which allows you to pretty up the display:

- a bmp file can be used as background
- button colors are configurable, both for all buttons, and for each button separately.

Add furry dice and pimp up your ride! See VNCMFD.ini to learn how.
 

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ZXS2000

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Thanks, gimme a few days to download and have a play with it!
 

Ripley

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kamaz

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Why not on OH?

Because a decent release would require proper documentation, which I don't have time to write at the moment, while a lot of useful info is contained in this thread :)

If someone starts googling the subject, they will find the thread anyway.

OTOH, if someone would like to write and contribute a user manual, it would be very much welcome :)
 
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ZXS2000

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Question re:Location of bitmap file in Orbiter?

just about to start on modifying my ini file, quick question Im assuming the bitmap is to be stored in the orbiter root directory?

Here's the first one, quick and basic, should be able to fit 2 per touch screen @ 600x500 each on a 1024 x 600 touch screen (1 of 2 I will be installing in my orbpit)


I plan to have slightly different bitmaps per MFD, can you see any issues I might have doing this?
 

kamaz

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Nice work :)

just about to start on modifying my ini file, quick question Im assuming the bitmap is to be stored in the orbiter root directory?

Yes. Although you should also be able to specify absolute or relative paths in the ini file. (Didn't test, but should work).

I plan to have slightly different bitmaps per MFD, can you see any issues I might have doing this?

No, decorations are handled independently in each MFD.
 
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ZXS2000

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Did test run with bitmap above...
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/picture.php?albumid=848&pictureid=9179

It's the same bump over four MFD's

My touch screens are 1024 x 600 in portrait to try and get maximum sized mfd screen and keeping the aspect ratio correct.
As you can see in this picture I'm getting a fair amount of overlap
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/picture.php?albumid=848&pictureid=9178

With my very limited coding skills how can I reduce the size of the strip at the bottom of each VNCMFD (SEL,MNU & EXIT within GUI frame) together I'm guessing they are taking up about 150-200 pixels of valuable screen real estate. I really only foresee a need the EXIT which I hope to replace with a Hotkey later anyway.

thanks in advance
 

kamaz

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Wow, cool setup.

Is it ORC you're using as a client? The source code is included, load Sources\OrbiterRemoteControl\OrbiterRemoteControl.sln into Visual C# Express, then use form designer on form called VNCForm. Rearrange, rescale or remove buttons as you see fit. You can even use your own bitmap on the form :)

Also, see post #54: you can run ORC with /stacked option which will give you two MFDs in one window in vertical. If you want to redesign this form in Visual, it's named YagniForm, in honor of yagni01 who requested the feature :)

Alternatively, use VNCMFD.INI to remove PWR, SEL and MNU buttons from the MFD screen, since you have them in the client (Button100Disable=1, Button101Disable=1, Button102Disable=1, decrease YSize and cut the bottom part of your bitmap).
 
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