A proper kneeboard

[hitech]

Ahh, I do not believe there are knees in any of our airplanes?

HiTech

[Tinkles]

Ahh, I do not believe there are knees in any of our airplanes?

HiTech

   

This is true.

Possibly give us some knees, so we can use a kneeboard?  


 

[Stellaris]

The planes are knee-free.  I'm happy to have them stay knee-free.  The kneeboard doesn't even have to be in the knee-ish area.  I just want to be able to have it show up somewhere plane-relative rather than view-relative and stay there.  The knee-ish area would work for this, but (again, not knowing the code) I think the easiest answer would be to give the player a plane-relative option, and let them set the co-ords themselves.

[Stalwart]

Ya know, some in-flight magazines might be nice for those long strat missions.   

[hitech]

Also nothing is displayed on the map when it is put away.

This is done intentionally for frame rate.

HiTech

[FLS]

When you spawn on the runway you can put the clipboard in the corner of your monitor and resize it to your preference. When you use it again in flight it will go to the same position and size.

[Rino]

     If we're going for full realism, shouldn't we have Skymall magazine and a fat guy in the aisle seat with a screaming infant right
behind kicking your seat? 

[Stellaris]

@rino - I'm not looking for the realism so much as the immersion.  I just want the kneeboard to stay in one plane-relative place so I can look at it and look away. I find it very un-immersive to have it float around whichever way I look. It feels like it's stuck to my nose.

@Hitech - thanks for the code explanation.  If the map doesn't display while its put away, would it be possible to have its taken-out position plane-relative, and user settable?  I could also afford a frame rate hit, if that makes it easier.

Cheers!

Paul

[homersipes]

umm I dont think they had kneeboards in WW2 maybe I am wrong

[Stellaris]

You are most definitely wrong.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-RCAF-RAF-AIR-NAVIGATION-COMPUTER-KNEEBOARD-/110954074426?nma=true&si=1NseVD96C5Z0FAV5ZvK%2BQNYOWds%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[homersipes]

  cool find never knew such a thing existed

[Drano]

Stel I'm not getting why it's such an obstacle? I mean there's a key bound to it--why not just map that to your stick? It's not an obstacle if it's not up. I have mine in the lower right corner and sized as small as to block as much view as I can stand. It's totally configurable like that. Or as had been suggested if you want, only look at it while looking down. I toggle it all the time and don't see what the problem is with it. Knee board or not--no pilot in combat would be flying around staring at his knees. Not for long anyway. Not getting it.

Would I be close if I were to guess you're flying with a cheapie stick that doesn't have a lot of buttons/hats on it?

[Hazard69]

Stellaris, I understand your issue. However a lot of us still don't use TrackIR. Only very recently was I able to upgrade my PC so I can have the 'enhanced terrain' displayed with bump mapping and all. 

However I can sympathize with the wish, and I don't think implementing it should hinder anyone's ability to play. Already Hi-Tech has had issues with people using the clip-board to block out the sun, which was corrected by making it a no-longer solid object (in that the sun can shine through it now).

I don't have a 'look down' key mapped on my joystick, simply since I seem to only need to look down while setting up for bombing.

I suppose instead of mapping the Esc key to summon/hide the clipboard, it could be set to a new the pilots view (clipboard view?) which would be a sort of zoomed in look at the clipboard. It would keep looking at it until he pressed Esc again (or after a few seconds if you are using the auto-hide function).

Of course this would mean that when you are looking at the clipboard, you're not really looking anywhere else, which I personally think is quite acceptable.

Just don't make it round to account for the E6B!   

[Stellaris]

@Drano - I'm flying with a G940 with more buttons and hats than I can think of functions to do with them.    I even have a neat little "kneeboard" label on the relevant button.

The issue is the scan. I scan instruments, put my head out of the cockpit, scan left to 6 and up, scan right to 6 and up, bring up the map to check radar, put away the map and repeat.  So I'm pushing that damn button constantly.  And the map is constantly popping up and popping back.  Which is annoying, and even though it only takes a second it is disruptive.  So then I just leave the map open.  And then when next I scan left to 6 and up and then right to 6 and up the map is following my scan around like it's a carrot on a stick tied to my hat.  So then I put it away and don't check radar, which may be fair enough since the radar is a bit of a fudge to compensate for the ground control we don't have.  However none of these are graceful ways to use the tool.  It costs a huge amount of immersivity.

Having the kneeboard sit in one, plane-relative place would let me put it in part of my instrument scan, and there'd be no issue.  I'd also really like the text buffer and radio controls to be set up somewhere plane-relative and unobtrusive, but they're not currently 3D objects so my (non-code knowing) assessment is that'd be harder to implement.  Baby steps!

@hazard - I'm spoiled as my system and screen are pretty high-end for work reasons - so a smallish splurge on my stick and my TrackIR and I'm well set up.  However one of the things I like best about HTC is their commitment to backwards-compatability.  It is an inclusive and community-friendly policy, and as a small company devoted to a single, unique product that's a very positive thing.  For years I flew with a mouse on a much less snazzy system, and was glad I could do so and still be competitive.  I recognize I'm in the minority in having both TrackIR and a 2560x1600 screen here - and again, when I didn't have that gear, I didn't have this wish.  At the same time, the future is coming, these things will one day be cheap and common, so so I think the plane-relative kneeboard is a feature that will become more popular as time goes on, and as people realize that yes - they CAN scan and have that info there WITHOUT even the touch of a button.

Paul

[Drano]

I guess I'm not being clear enough. I don't understand how it's a disruption if you're making it happen. You toggle the map, right? It isn't doing it by itself. You follow? Maybe checking the map less often is your answer. I know old habits are hard to break. Heck I check the map a lot myself to the point I'm surprised I don't have a problem with that particular position of the hat switch it's mapped to <shrug>. Just don't be gawking at the map at times when you shouldn't be and I think your "problem" will go away. If you're checking the map to find things that should be in visual range that's the wrong tool for the job. That's what ya have TIR for.

Been toggling a map like this mapped to the same button on several generations of CH Pro Throttle in multiple sims for years and years. It's become natural to me so I don't see the disruption. To me a disruption would be lack of a map key. My wider SA would go poof. BTW I don't have TIR at the moment. Still trying to wear out another hat switch on the Fighterstick.