Just like riding a bike….
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Finally… finally got into the virtual skies again! I’ve been working on my sim cockpit for so many months now and I just realized I’ve not flown for about a year and even then, I wasn’t flying as often as I wanted to. I had quite a few flight on 4.32, but only a handful on 4.33.0.
Over the weekend, I finally brought my sim cockpit up to the man-cave, wired everything up, and made sure everything was working. Yesterday and today had me backing up files as I prepared to install Win10 after a disk wipe. Luckily, I’ve done this a few times now that I have a system to my re-installs. Then early this evening, I thought why not give BMS a quick spin so I installed Falcon 4.0… oddly enough, the GoG version does not ask me for an install size option, so I have around 500+MB worth of Falcon 4.0 data. Not that I’m short on HDD space, but I was just expecting to be able to select an install size option. Anyway, unzipped the Base+U1 and applied U2, installed it, then proceeded to do the “dance.”
Finding the right .key file, TARGET profile, and TIR profile from my myriad of backup folders was a challenge!! Luckily, I had posted a blog late last year and I took my .key and TARGET profiles off of that. Then I couldn’t figure out why my speedbrakes weren’t working… and figured out I had to swap the order of my HOTAS and rudder… which then meant I had to reconfigure my axis settings in the game! I quickly realized that 4.33.2 doesn’t like being alt-tabbed out. My display would hang and I’d get major lag so I’d just restart the computer. Has this happened to a lot of people? I seem to remember 4.32 being a bit more alt-tab friendly. Then again, I used to export displays on 4.32 but have not enabled that yet in 4.33. The next problem was editing the look-down values so I can see my switches… I did the 3dckpit.dat files manually before on all the folders but I knew 4.33 had a one-stop-shop override that I could use, but I couldn’t find it! I RTFM but the relevant section in the manual didn’t yield any results… luckily, I thought of searching for the key word and found the proper entry way in the back of the manual.
So that was the “dance” over. BMS installed, controllers and displays configured, FOV and view limits adjusted. I decided to see if I can still AAR.
I used to AAR all the time in 4.32. I found it quite relaxing to do a couple of AARs, just sit there and wiggle my fingers and toes. I remember AAR in 4.33.0 being more difficult, due to the fact that the “tractor beam” effect seemed to be less. I decided to try an AAR anyway, see how I would do. I didn’t expect to connect, but I would try. And it was just like riding a bike. I took the 2nd flight of F-16s, the ones with the wing tanks, coasted up to the tanker and managed to connect and stay on the boom! It is indeed harder to STAY on the boom in 4.33.2 and I definitely feel that the “tractor beam” has been lessened, but meh! I was able to connect and stay on. I tried the other flight of Vipers and expected to have an easier time with a heavier aircraft (bombs and wing tanks) but for some reason, the glare shield on the HUD seems to distract me a lot and I had more difficulty with this flight. I went back to the 2nd flight and connected two more times just to prove to myself that it wasn’t a fluke. I can connect, stay on, but I also get disconnected much easily than before so I blame the loss of the “tractor beam.” I just stay on for a few minutes, not top up the tanks. I’ll leave that for later. I know I’m very rusty and I don’t want to stress myself and disappoint myself; I’ll end today on a high.
AAR… just like riding a bike! Who knew?
Now I need to decide on and set up a voice control profile. That’s one bit of the dance I forgot.
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Welcome back. Have you previously posted a shot of your sim cockpit? If not please do…
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Was just about to say what Dracfalcon said. Pics!
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Ice - once an ACE always an ACE ;0)
Now about the ICP buttons 2,4,6,8 having NSEW on them in Helios - any progress?
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Pics to come. I’ve got some now but they’re not very good due to poor lighting in the room. Will have to take one at daytime.
Ironman, no progress yet dude, sorry. Might not be for a good few weeks yet as I slowly build up the setup. Still, putting NSEW on the ICP buttons isn’t much of a priority, is it?