Two tablet cockpit extractor for Android
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I’ve made a new Android app for cockpit extraction. It’s designed for 2 tablet configurations. The downloads are here: http://2112design.com/fbmstools/ and the android part is now on playstore
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.design2112.fbms_lpit
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.design2112.fbms_rpit
but you will still need the .exe from that linkYou should usually install the latest version.
The two .apks should be downloaded and installed on your tablets (one for left, one for right) and the .exe you can download to your desktop or wherever.
As a general rule, I run the server first, then start BMS and go in game (takeoff). As BMS is loading, you can start the android apps. But it should work in any order, just takes a little longer to sync up.
In the latest version, you can enter the path to your voice control program or any other program like trackir, and to the BMS .exe in the server dialog boxes, and it will start them up for you. So now, its a 1 click start-up (on the PC side) for the whole things.
When you start the server, choose the same key file you are using in BMS. Go to setup/controller and look at keyfile name. If any keys that are used by the app are unassigned, it will tell you. To assign a key, first find an unused key combination, something like Ctrl+Shift+J for example. If that key combo is undefined, it will tell you under the key list, so you can use that key. Then scroll to the function that the server is complaining about, click on the left side of it, then press the unused key combo you just found. Then save and apply and run the server again until all keys are assigned. If you don’t do this, it will still work, but not all the buttons will work.
In the server window, you will need to enter the IP addresses of the tablets, left and right. To avoid these changing every time you restart a tablet, I suggest you set DHCP reservation in your WIFI router setup.
If you have a problem, please email me. My email is my forum user name at gmail. Don’t PM me, I don’t check often.
If the tablet freezes, its probably network related, try exit and restart, or reboot the router and tablets/pc. And exit the apps when you have finished (use Exit option on the menu), or it will eat your battery.
All of the buttons should work except Gain and Sym on the MFDs. Note that Com changes your PCs master volume, I couldn’t find a way to change BMS only volume.
I’d like to get some feedback from BMS pros about the layout. I’m a noob at BMS still and not sure what functions people would find most useful on their tablet, so if you have an idea, email me. To know what functions are possible, look in your docs folder under ‘Other Documentation’ and look at ‘Flight Data.h’. I can only work with stuff in that file.
I know the graphics aren’t great, I worry mostly about the programming. If you want to help, look at the apk on your PC using 7zip (or another zip program). Inside the apk you will find a res folder and inside that drawable-nodpi. That’s where most of the images are, you can make a pretty version for me (same size) and email it to me.
These threads can get extremely long so if you have specific questions that are not of general interest to the community, I suggest you email me. I’m also considering a 3 tablet version, left/center/right. If anyone want to help with that on the layout side, I can show you how to do layouts in Android and you can contribute that.
Have fun and let me know what you think.
NOTE, if you windows key out of BMS back to the desktop, then go back in game, the MFDs will stop updating. There is nothing I can do about that, it’s how BMS works (or doesn’t work).
Also, I’m not going to bother announcing every upgrade. I’ll just add a new folder on my website so check back often.
A few words about debug mode. On the menu on the top right where you set the server IP, you will also see buttons for Debug mode and Email debug. The second one is self explanatory I think. In debug mode, you will see a lot of numbers on the action bar. These numbers are
fps
wr= write to PC time in msecs
ird= read info block time
MFD= read data time:decode time
RWR= read data time:decode time
arb= average read bytes per frameNote that when BMS is pause or an MFD is inactive, the arb should fall way down. This is because the server only sends MFDs when they change (except also sends about once ever 2 secs anyhow for syncing)
On my tablets it takes about 20-30msec to decode an MFD at double res cockpit resolution. I hope to improve that. The network numbers are harder to fix. Try hard wiring your PC to the wifi router. I would try that but my ethernet port is dead since going win8.1. Let me know if you try that, i’d like to know what happens with wired networks.
Version history
V1.0 original release
V1.1 switched network order around so now the PC initiates a request to the tablet for a connection. Makes the network connection more reliable.
V1.4 added ADI and HSI modesIf you like this app, please rate it on google playstore at the above links
Steve
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You got plans for an app with the center pedestal?
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You got plans for an app with the center pedestal?
yes, like i said above, “. I’m also considering a 3 tablet version, left/center/right. If anyone want to help with that on the layout side, I can show you how to do layouts in Android and you can contribute that.”
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i haven’t got any feedback from this yet. is anyone using it? is it working ok?
i’m considering switching the video feeds from the mfds to mpeg to improve framerate and network use but the code i plan to use only runs on android 4.2 and above (jelly Bean). would that be a problem for people using it now?
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i haven’t got any feedback from this yet. is anyone using it? is it working ok?
i’m considering switching the video feeds from the mfds to mpeg to improve framerate and network use but the code i plan to use only runs on android 4.2 and above (jelly Bean). would that be a problem for people using it now?
Hello Steveh2112
shame about only Jellybean and above - I am sure there are many like me that have an older ICS tablet that would want to make use of now that I have upgraded to new tablet - any chance to make an ICS version?
Best regards
Jetlag -
it runs on 4.0.4 now. what os is you ICS?
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How about a version to run with a single android device? Tabbed UI to switch between pages/MFDs?
Love the idea
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How about a version to run with a single android device? Tabbed UI to switch between pages/MFDs?
Love the idea
the other android software already does that
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?16247-Falcon-MFD-Software-for-android-tablets
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Hello man . First thanks for this job. It should be great when it will work for me .
Just a question. i don’t understand how to put my server ip adress (wich is my pc adress isn’t it) on my tablets ?
thanks for , shaka from Paris
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Hello man . First thanks for this job. It should be great when it will work for me .
Just a question. i don’t understand how to put my server ip adress (wich is my pc adress isn’t it) on my tablets ?
thanks for , shaka from Paris
on the pc you enter the ip of the tablets. the tablet ip is listed on the app title bar on the android or you can open the wifi settings on android and click on ‘more details’ or something like that and get the tablet ip
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thks but i already got it , itsok. what i asking for is , if i have to put my pc ip adress on the tablet?
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no, only on the pc side
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Hello !
I tried your application. The server is not working on my computer. It stays not connected to BMS. I tried to launch BMS first, then your app server. I tried the opposite. Still not connected. The server ping my tablet, but no connection between server and BMS.
I have Windows 8 Pro 64
- Tried to launch with admin rights
- Tried to launch in Win 7 compatibility
Any idea ?
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Hello !
I tried your application. The server is not working on my computer. It stays not connected to BMS. I tried to launch BMS first, then your app server. I tried the opposite. Still not connected. The server ping my tablet, but no connection between server and BMS.
I have Windows 8 Pro 64
- Tried to launch with admin rights
- Tried to launch in Win 7 compatibility
Any idea ?
several people are having this problem. for some reason i haven’t figured out you, sometimes i cannot connect to falcon shared texture memory. if any of the bms devs would like to give me a bit of help on this one i would appreciate it.
anyhow, can you email me your ‘falcon bms.cfg’ file from the bms folder/user/config and i’ll email you mine to try
thx steve
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you have to start server app before falcon BMS and
in flying you must not minimize falcon
if you minimaze falcon sharec memory will be lock.
i hope it can help you -
you have to start server app before falcon BMS and
in flying you must not minimize falcon
if you minimaze falcon sharec memory will be lock.
i hope it can help youthanks. can the people who are having trouble try that and let me know if it helps.
i can start in any order and not have a problem but different systems behave differently.
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hi all, i don’t know how many people are using this, i’m guessing not many.
anyhow, i’m not flying BMS anymore, i’m working on an air race circuit in Yosemite valley for FSX so if anyone wants to take this project over, you can have all the source free. just PM me.
steve
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Guys, there is one step which is not said… but to make it work you have to:
“Open file (…\Falcon BMS 4.32\Use r\Config\falcon bms.cfg) with notepad (or similiar program). Find “set g_bExportRTTTextures 0” and change to “set g_bExportRTTTextures 1”.” -
hi is anybody giving this any development time, got it working on 2 android tablets with no problems, would like to see a centre tablet app available for android
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hi is anybody giving this any development time, got it working on 2 android tablets with no problems, would like to see a centre tablet app available for android
Me too, would like to have central pedestal for android.
