Official TouchBuddy Forum - View Single Post - (Over?)Ambitious 8-screen TB project underway

Waxer · 10-11-2009, 06:24 AM

I'm happy to say that I'm in "cleanup mode" on this project. Six touchscreens and a large widescreen monitor. Two more touchscreens to be added in version 2, after I cleanup version 1 (I've decided to replace my aging HP laptop and with its replacement get enough built-in USB connectivity to add the two additional touchscreens.

1) Regarding the existing MIMO-touchscreens intermittent setup issues on the HP-WinXP laptop: the "solution" if a MIMO doesn't calibrate is...just unplug it, wait a few seconds, and then re-plug it. A completely inelegant solution, but it works every time. This problem never happened on the Vista system, which starts flawlessly. It now takes me less than 10 minutes to boot up all three systems and get the profiles running for a flight. I've made both ramp and taxi variants.

2) Falcon Gauges proved to be too stuttery for my purposes, so currently I am using F4Glass, and quite happy with it despite it not having all gauges available to animate. Lightning (author of MFD Extractor over at viperpits.org) is writing a replacement for both Falcon Gauges and F4Glass that should prove to be the uber-solution -- can't wait.

I have to say, looking at the front panel on the 18" with the HUD or the 3D view above it on the 35", while surrounded by the MIMO touchpanels, completely rocks. The immersion factor of reaching out with left or right hand to flip a switch that is located at its correct (or close to it) physical position; and of looking at animated gauges, is awesome. Not to mention how much quicker and easier it is than mousing around the cockpit.

I've started uploading some pictures; I have to clean up my desk

a bit this coming week in order to photo the whole layout for uploading; and I have to clean up my fairly messy templates too, but I will upload the works as soon as I can.

Thanks to everyone for this great application.

10-11-2009, 06:24 AM	#10 (permalink)
Waxer Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 17	Progress report: I'm in "cleanup mode" of my glass pit, version 1 I'm happy to say that I'm in "cleanup mode" on this project. Six touchscreens and a large widescreen monitor. Two more touchscreens to be added in version 2, after I cleanup version 1 (I've decided to replace my aging HP laptop and with its replacement get enough built-in USB connectivity to add the two additional touchscreens. 1) Regarding the existing MIMO-touchscreens intermittent setup issues on the HP-WinXP laptop: the "solution" if a MIMO doesn't calibrate is...just unplug it, wait a few seconds, and then re-plug it. A completely inelegant solution, but it works every time. This problem never happened on the Vista system, which starts flawlessly. It now takes me less than 10 minutes to boot up all three systems and get the profiles running for a flight. I've made both ramp and taxi variants. 2) Falcon Gauges proved to be too stuttery for my purposes, so currently I am using F4Glass, and quite happy with it despite it not having all gauges available to animate. Lightning (author of MFD Extractor over at viperpits.org) is writing a replacement for both Falcon Gauges and F4Glass that should prove to be the uber-solution -- can't wait. I have to say, looking at the front panel on the 18" with the HUD or the 3D view above it on the 35", while surrounded by the MIMO touchpanels, completely rocks. The immersion factor of reaching out with left or right hand to flip a switch that is located at its correct (or close to it) physical position; and of looking at animated gauges, is awesome. Not to mention how much quicker and easier it is than mousing around the cockpit. I've started uploading some pictures; I have to clean up my desk a bit this coming week in order to photo the whole layout for uploading; and I have to clean up my fairly messy templates too, but I will upload the works as soon as I can. Thanks to everyone for this great application.