Profile Ideas?

blaster454 · 01-12-2007, 12:58 PM

FSX presents a challenge in that different aircraft have different custom controls (outside a fairly large common control group) -- similar to Lomac but with more aircraft choices.

Is there a consensus on the best way to proceed:

1. one or more tabs for common controls and then a tab per plane or plane type (or tabs for more complex aircraft)?

2. separate profiles for each plane (or plane type like single, twin, biz jet, tail dragger, heavy)?

3. something else?

Seems to me that the success of an FSX profile would depend on it's general utility and easy of use. I'd like to get it right and at the same time make it extensible for adding new aircraft (or whatever...I can see a TB profile for mission creation too

).

Appreciate your thoughts and ideas...

Wild.Bill.Kelso · 01-12-2007, 02:18 PM

Blaster. Personally, I wouldn't put a lot of work into an FSX profile until the problem of the other monitors going black while playing the game gets resolved.

But, take a look at my new IL2/PF profile in the new TB 1.3.0 Full Download. After creating several profiles, I have come ot the opinion that it is best to have a command toolbar that is visible on each tab. I did this using normal buttons (button and toggle types) on the Game Tab. Then I created 'clone' type buttons (New in v1.3.0) of those buttons on all the other tabs. This way I always have the most common commands available at all times. And it greatly reduces switching between tabs.

As I create profiles, and then use them, I find that it is very helpful to have those commands that you use all the time, available all the time. I am going to make a version 3.0 of my A10 profile with a toolbar like this wrapped around the tabs. (when I get the time

)

EDIT:
Also, I think that 1 FSX profile for all aircraft wouldn't work that well. I made my FS9 profile as just one profile because I just wanted to get a profile made that had all the commands. If I were flying FS9 a lot, I would have used the above toolbar design, and maybe made 2 profiles for heavy and light aircraft.

blaster454 · 01-12-2007, 02:25 PM

Good comments!

The "blanking screen" issue may not get resolved as I don't think MS considers it a bug (they probably consider it to be a "feature" since you have a nice clean screen to drag windows into). It can be worked around by running FSX in windowed mode, too.

The profile I'm working is mostly for me (sorry, pure selfishness

)...and I run in client-server mode so the TB display is not a real issue right now. More important (to me, I guess) is how I design the profile...whether for a larger touch screen or smaller (or both). I'll take a look at the IL2 profile later today...thanks for your work!

Wild.Bill.Kelso · 01-12-2007, 02:29 PM

Oh yea. I run in local mode, so I always forget about you client-server guys not having these problems. But if I run FS9 in Windowed mode it really reduces the FPS. Ouch.

No need to be sorry. We all make our profiles for ourselves first. However I'm sure you'll share what you come up with at some point.

blaster454 · 01-12-2007, 02:37 PM

Oh yeah...it's coming (probably a few weeks...gotta get used to the new 1.03 features). I'm planning on doing a phased release because I want the design to be modular (and easily extensible) so I need to think in that direction from the start.

blaster454 · 01-12-2007, 02:48 PM

Sorry...double post

mike240se · 02-26-2007, 02:11 AM

blaster i am excited about your fsx profile. I think a different profile for each plane isnt a problem, probably the best bet. Atleast a different profile for jets and prop planes at the least. It will be quite tricky. What we need is to figure out how to use the simconnect to get all the awesome stuff displayed in touchbuddy.

blaster454 · 03-05-2007, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike240se

blaster i am excited about your fsx profile. I think a different profile for each plane isnt a problem, probably the best bet. Atleast a different profile for jets and prop planes at the least. It will be quite tricky. What we need is to figure out how to use the simconnect to get all the awesome stuff displayed in touchbuddy.

Thanks for the input, Mike. I had to put this on hold for a few days as other biz took priority. I am working first on a profile for SE prop planes and then will add ME (2 and 4), jets, gliders, and choppers last.

As soon as I have something that's "testable" I'll post it here.

01-12-2007, 12:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
blaster454 Dealer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA Posts: 150	Profile Ideas? FSX presents a challenge in that different aircraft have different custom controls (outside a fairly large common control group) -- similar to Lomac but with more aircraft choices. Is there a consensus on the best way to proceed: 1. one or more tabs for common controls and then a tab per plane or plane type (or tabs for more complex aircraft)? 2. separate profiles for each plane (or plane type like single, twin, biz jet, tail dragger, heavy)? 3. something else? Seems to me that the success of an FSX profile would depend on it's general utility and easy of use. I'd like to get it right and at the same time make it extensible for adding new aircraft (or whatever...I can see a TB profile for mission creation too ). Appreciate your thoughts and ideas... __________________ Cheers! Blaster E6700 C2D @ 3.2GHz 4 GB RAM nVidia 8800GTS w/640MB Win XP Home SP2 .Net v1 and v2 installed TB 1.3.0.13 TBTK 1.3.0.0 15" touch screen in CS mode

01-12-2007, 02:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
Wild.Bill.Kelso Toolkit Creator Join Date: May 2006 Location: On your Six! Posts: 1,874	Blaster. Personally, I wouldn't put a lot of work into an FSX profile until the problem of the other monitors going black while playing the game gets resolved. But, take a look at my new IL2/PF profile in the new TB 1.3.0 Full Download. After creating several profiles, I have come ot the opinion that it is best to have a command toolbar that is visible on each tab. I did this using normal buttons (button and toggle types) on the Game Tab. Then I created 'clone' type buttons (New in v1.3.0) of those buttons on all the other tabs. This way I always have the most common commands available at all times. And it greatly reduces switching between tabs. As I create profiles, and then use them, I find that it is very helpful to have those commands that you use all the time, available all the time. I am going to make a version 3.0 of my A10 profile with a toolbar like this wrapped around the tabs. (when I get the time ) EDIT: Also, I think that 1 FSX profile for all aircraft wouldn't work that well. I made my FS9 profile as just one profile because I just wanted to get a profile made that had all the commands. If I were flying FS9 a lot, I would have used the above toolbar design, and maybe made 2 profiles for heavy and light aircraft. __________________ (a.k.a. Snacko) Touchscreen: Innovatek TM-868 8"; Running Local Mode on XP Pro Last edited by Wild.Bill.Kelso : 01-12-2007 at 02:22 PM.

01-12-2007, 02:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
blaster454 Dealer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA Posts: 150	Good comments! The "blanking screen" issue may not get resolved as I don't think MS considers it a bug (they probably consider it to be a "feature" since you have a nice clean screen to drag windows into). It can be worked around by running FSX in windowed mode, too. The profile I'm working is mostly for me (sorry, pure selfishness )...and I run in client-server mode so the TB display is not a real issue right now. More important (to me, I guess) is how I design the profile...whether for a larger touch screen or smaller (or both). I'll take a look at the IL2 profile later today...thanks for your work! __________________ Cheers! Blaster E6700 C2D @ 3.2GHz 4 GB RAM nVidia 8800GTS w/640MB Win XP Home SP2 .Net v1 and v2 installed TB 1.3.0.13 TBTK 1.3.0.0 15" touch screen in CS mode

01-12-2007, 02:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Wild.Bill.Kelso Toolkit Creator Join Date: May 2006 Location: On your Six! Posts: 1,874	Oh yea. I run in local mode, so I always forget about you client-server guys not having these problems. But if I run FS9 in Windowed mode it really reduces the FPS. Ouch. No need to be sorry. We all make our profiles for ourselves first. However I'm sure you'll share what you come up with at some point. __________________ (a.k.a. Snacko) Touchscreen: Innovatek TM-868 8"; Running Local Mode on XP Pro

01-12-2007, 02:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
blaster454 Dealer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA Posts: 150	Oh yeah...it's coming (probably a few weeks...gotta get used to the new 1.03 features). I'm planning on doing a phased release because I want the design to be modular (and easily extensible) so I need to think in that direction from the start. __________________ Cheers! Blaster E6700 C2D @ 3.2GHz 4 GB RAM nVidia 8800GTS w/640MB Win XP Home SP2 .Net v1 and v2 installed TB 1.3.0.13 TBTK 1.3.0.0 15" touch screen in CS mode

01-12-2007, 02:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
blaster454 Dealer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA Posts: 150	Sorry...double post __________________ Cheers! Blaster E6700 C2D @ 3.2GHz 4 GB RAM nVidia 8800GTS w/640MB Win XP Home SP2 .Net v1 and v2 installed TB 1.3.0.13 TBTK 1.3.0.0 15" touch screen in CS mode Last edited by blaster454 : 01-12-2007 at 02:48 PM. Reason: double

02-26-2007, 02:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
mike240se Junky Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 76	blaster i am excited about your fsx profile. I think a different profile for each plane isnt a problem, probably the best bet. Atleast a different profile for jets and prop planes at the least. It will be quite tricky. What we need is to figure out how to use the simconnect to get all the awesome stuff displayed in touchbuddy. __________________

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