In Cockpit Timer

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Burner
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In Cockpit Timer

Post by Burner » Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:01 pm

Just wanted to throw this out there are as a possible way to get a digital and/or analog timer in our cockpits while we fly. I did some investigation in how FRAPS does its overlay and found a few articles worth reading.

I'm not very programming savey but I will be looking into this further.

http://www.ring3circus.com/gameprogramm ... -viewport/

http://www.zomgstuff.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8877

Anyone have C++/DLL experience on the team, or know someone who does?
Last edited by Burner on Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Lawndart
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Post by Lawndart » Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:00 am

I had some C++ back in the day, but I'm not that savvy...

I think we should research who the manufacturer is that makes the real ones for the Tbirds and get our paws on the real deal. (I'm sure Gunner would love to have one for his pit, as would I)! Not to take away from your idea Burner, but I'd love to have a hands-on stopwatch. Just a solo thing... 8)

TAG Heuer maybe?
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Burner
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Post by Burner » Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:39 pm

Working Solution!

"Standby hack, let's hack NOW!"
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"4,3,2,1, Hack"
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The program is called Virtual Stopwatch Pro and can be downloaded here: http://www.springcreeksoftware.com/bin/vsp300.exe

It is $25 payware but after six hours of searching and more than a dozen freeware and payware programs this is the only one that has both "always on top" functionality and the ability to be linked to Cougar control. I propose you all try it [free two week trial] and if all goes well we paypal purchase a single VTB, LLC license for all team members.

How to set up the program to work within LOMAC
  1. Open LOMAC, go to options, then graphics and uncheck fullscreen mode, set your resolution to your monitor's native res [this ensures that you see no window box]. Running LOMAC in windowed mode has caused me no performance drop, your milage may vary if your PC is older.
  2. While still in LOMAC options go to Input Options and under HOTAS Cougar Options->Combat Buttons clear out any 'Button 1', 'Button 2', etc. assignments. These are DirectX buttons which we will be using to interact with the stopwatch program while LOMAC is still the active window. It would be bad if everytime you keyed the stopwatch you also fired your cannon which is the default LOMAC setup for Button DX1.
  3. Close LOMAC and reset your aspect ratio if you run wide screen.
  4. Install VSP and open the program.
  5. Right click on the title bar and select 'Configure'.
  6. Select the Format tab and choose the minutes and seconds format you would like. I have mine set to 'M:SS' in the screenshots as I didn't see a need for milliseconds. Then under the 'digits' box turn down the number of digits displayed to make the window as small as possible. I set mine to 5 digits so that I can get a double digit minutes readout should I want to time the entire show start to finish.
  7. Select the Display tab and verify that Show Display, Always On Top, and Hide Buttons are all checked. Then under Display Mode select Digital. I know what you're saying- Why not analog like the real deal? The analog graphic display looks perfect too, but causes a severe performance drop ingame while digital display doesn't seem to cause any performance drop at all. [You guys may want to experiment with it to see if any of the options get rid of the big performance drop in the analog display but I couldn't find anything right off the bat]
  8. Select the Digital Display Tab and customize the look as you see fit- I like the defaults but will probably change the display color from red to green to match the rest of my MFDs.
  9. Select the Joystick Tab and under the 'Button 1' pull down select 'Start/Stop'. Ensure that Start/Stop Mode is set to 'press to start, press again to stop'. Then check the 'Automatically reset on start' box, and verify that joystick polling is NOT checked.
  10. Select the Title Bar & Background Tab and uncheck the 'Show Title Bar' box. Click OK to close out the options, your stopwatch should now look like mine in the screenshots.
  11. Now to program our Cougar to start/stop the stopwatch. I like to use the T6 button which is the Range Knob depress- it is on the throttle, it is in a good spot and it even FEELS like a stopwatch button, so I highly recommend you use the same. To make the T6 button report as the DX1 button enter the following code near the top of your .tmj file. "USE T6 AS DX1" Ensure that T6 is not called out anywhere else in your tmj file, if you're unsure the CCP error check will tell you.
  12. Load the profile to your Cougar [checking the tmj file to make sure it is error free of course]. And you're done!


Now when you click the T6 button the timer will start, click again to stop, click a third time to start the stopwatch again at 0:00.

The stopwatch is now in your line of sight where ever you'd like to drag it onto the screen, so no taking your eyes off the screen to cross check a physical watch in your pit. Also you don't have to take your hands off the controls to operate it

Enjoy! :D
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Redeye
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Post by Redeye » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:40 pm

Nice work Burner. That looks like a perfect fit.
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Lawndart
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Post by Lawndart » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:54 pm

Haven't had time to read through your post thoroughly Burner (in between multiple long days here at work), but it sounds terrific! Agree on the range knob button too! Good call.

I'd still like to find the official timer used by the Tbirds, but having an in-game timer programmed to the stick is super! :D
Last edited by Lawndart on Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Rock
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Post by Rock » Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:07 am

Way to go Burner! It looks perfect thus far and I am looking forward to trying it out. Kudos to you!
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Post by Lawndart » Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:49 am

Just thought of something. The "4, 3, 2, 1, Hack" is not a timed call per se, but a cadance countdown. So, if Lead calls it drawn out, taking twice as long as the seconds imply, each wingman would do the same and repeat it exactly the way Lead said it to himself three times. Just thought that would be worth pointing out here, but the timer will none the less be huge (for Boss and the Solos)! 8)
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Burner
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Post by Burner » Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:03 pm

Is there a hack time in the HiBB like the solo timing? i.e. from the hack point we agree to meet at show center 45 seconds later. Or from the inner marker with "One's on the line 12,000" we agree to hit show center ~30 seconds later?
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Lawndart
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Post by Lawndart » Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:49 pm

The Boss will begin his cadence, "4, 3, 2, 1, Hack" after about 15 seconds from "On Top". Adding the ~15 seconds (depending on upper level winds), plus the countdown taking 5 seconds (depending on his cadence) would make it 20 seconds before he starts rolling inverted. Then it depends on his cadence, but assuming his cadence matches one second per word, it would take him 5 seconds to roll over on his back, 5 more seconds to be 45 degrees nose low and 5 more seconds to be 90 degrees vertical. The goal from that point is to accelerate to 450 knots, with the line established by 12K and then use visual/aural cues.

The Solos do a similar thing on their opposing work (setup), with timing used to synchronize each pass, but anything inside 12K is purely landmark related for the hit. Same goes for the High-BB, Low-BB as well. Inside 12K you're "off the clock".

Reasons for not using timing inside of 12K is that it's not precise enough! One second off (at 450 knots) and you've got a 600+ ft miss (or 15 airplane lengths), hence visual/aural is much better.

Reasons the stopwatches aren't hacked on top in the High-BB is due to differences in timing because of cadence, terrain and winds; "One's on time, Two's -1, Three's +2, Four's on time" etc. Plus, the turnaround in this case is made in the vertical with continuously changing/increasing airspeed (not a steady profile). With varying conditions like these, it's easier to adapt the mental math for wind corrections and hard objects and then replicate "how the boss flies" by listening to his cadence (and knowing the "cadance contract") in order to arrive at 12K the same time as closely as possible and then stay heads up, aquire a tally and make the 25 knots per second adjustments!

The short answer is that there is no real timing in the High Bomb Burst, other than for Boss to establish enough groundtrack outbound following the break to allow each wingman to arrive at 12K once the Split S is complete (and not inside of 12K). Sorry to disappoint, but for the Diamond wingmen, the stopwatch could technically be MEL'ed and their jets would still be "show worthy"...

For Lead and the Solos having this overlay timer will be huge though!!! Real time feedback on each pass will allow us not only to be very precise in opposing work as Solos (timing patterns), but provide instant feedback how tight/stretched each maneuver is (i.e. Boss and the Solos will be able to call "Five's tight three", and actually mean 3 seconds exactly as long as we keep hacking our watches continuously at the correct time).

Again, to answer the question Burner. The stopwatch is used to setup the passes to arrive on the line @ 12K at the same time (for the Solos), anytime anyone is inside of 12K the timer does not matter (other than for #7, who times the passes from their show center hits - but, that's a whole other animal).
Last edited by Lawndart on Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Thumper » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:36 pm

The issue is that DX1 is a "virtual button" that can be assiged to any button on the stick. LockOn see's DX1 as guns by default and it doesnt matter which button on the stick is assigned as DX1.

The stopwatch program will work with DX buttons 1-4, all of which have default assignments in LockOn. Clearing the DX button assignments in LockOn makes no difference to us since we use "User Mode" or emulation via CCP and not DirectX mode through Windows.
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Burner
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Post by Burner » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:27 am

If you do not clear the LOMAC DX Button assignments they will send the signal they represent into the game [Cannon, Pickle, etc.]. If you assign Button 1 to start/stop in VSW you will fire your cannon each time you click. Even though we're running in Emulation Mode DX1 is still DX1. If you really don't want to change your LOMAC assignments, assign DX2 in Foxy and VSW and so long as you're not carrying ordinance nothing will happen when you start/stop the VSW.
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Post by Lawndart » Wed Nov 18, 2009 2:30 am

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Thunderbirds Stopwatch:
Marathon - Instantaneous Return & Time-Out Stop Watch (ST194003)

Pricetag: $300 USD

  • STOPWATCH MILITARY 2 BUTTON CENTRAL SECOND MECHANICAL STOPWATCH. This stop watch features 2 buttons, instantaneous return and interruption function. Manufactured in accordance with specifications CID A-A-5581 and MIL-S-14823A. This stopwatch meets requirements of  NSN 6645-00-126-0286. 7 jewels. This stopwatch has a 60 min. register with 1/5 second divisions. Time out 2 button function. Instantaneous Return: by depressing side button in running position, hands return to zero (by releasing the button results in both hands starting to record the next interval of time) Large central minute register increases legibility. Fibershell case is dust and water resistant (resists corrosion and erosion caused by acids). Stopwatch is antimagnetic and shock resistant. Made to Government specifications. Made in Switzerland.
    Intended use: Military
  • 0 to 60 minutes (60 min. register) 1/5 sec. divisions
  • Time-out 2 button function
  • Instantaneous Return: by depressing side button in running position, hands return to zero (and by releasing the button results in both hands starting to record the next interval of time)
  • Large central minute register increases legibility
  • Fibershell case (resists corrosion and erosion caused by acids)
  • Dust and water resistant
  • Antimagnetic and shock resistant
  • Manufactured in accordance with CID A-A-5581 and MIL-S-14823A (note; previous part number for this stopwatch is P/N 418)
  • 7 jewels
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Gunner
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Post by Gunner » Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:07 am

Yep!

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Post by Luse » Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:26 am

Nice Block 52 Gunner! :lol:

Looking good, as always. 8)
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Burner
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Post by Burner » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:36 pm

Gunner I mean this with love- YOU'RE INSANE!!!

That's just plain awesome!
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