Author Topic: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?  (Read 3188 times)

Offline Drano

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Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« on: January 05, 2018, 11:33:29 AM »
So I got this MCG-Pro up and running last night. Firmware flash did the trick. Now all the missing axii are there. I was able to map just about everything I need in AH from within AH in map controllers. Plenty of commands and plenty of buttons to plug em into! Bingbangboom done.

Still, there are a few of the dot commands that I had mapped to my CH rig with their software that was pretty easy to set up. Hit a key and it'd type it out as if I'd typed it on the keyboard. I'm trying to do that with vkbdevconfig but I'm just not getting it. Anybody have that figured out? This software is outgeeking me.

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"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline Pluto

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2018, 12:19:38 PM »
I've been trying to figure it out for months

Offline TerryRF

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2018, 02:08:50 PM »
 I got my MCG Pro for my GF Mk1 today and just downloaded the new Black Box Firmware (1.917).  Will install the grip and flash the Box shortly.

 I will get back with you guys later as to how it goes. Admittedly I am a little nervous about the process.

Offline Drano

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2018, 02:28:48 PM »
Make sure you look thru the folders of the zip and are flashing the MCG-Pro version if that's what you have. If it doesn't want to flash might have to unplug the stick. It's ok, the black box is what's getting flashed really. When I did mine initially it was convinced I had a KG-12 connected. The black box had a flashing red light on it which would indicate the stick wasn't connected. It's really just not able to communicate. Make sure that MCG is selected in global /external devices. There isn't a selection for MCG-Pro. Select it. Hit default. Hit set. Light should turn green. And you're off.

BTW there's another firmware due out by tomorrow they say.

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"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

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Offline TerryRF

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2018, 07:06:59 PM »
 Well after 4 1/2 hours  of frustration, I finally got the BBFirmware flashed and the stick light to stop flashing red. Went offline in AH and new stick was recognized and works great. To be honest, the software is a royal PIA!

  Drano, I read your posts on the vkb forum and all the other posts and they were helpful. I also have the vkb pedals to go along with the gunfighter and now the MCG Pro. Now with the mcg the bus light is always on (steady green). It was not lit up with the pedals & gunfighter stick previously. Is your bus light also lit up?

  Any way, I think the VKB stuff is great and recommend them...Av8.

Offline Drano

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2018, 07:51:21 PM »
Yeah that was a pain for me too just getting it recognized initially. Thought I had a dud there for a minute! You think that was hard just wait til you start playing around with their config software! Oy!

Anyway, yes. The blue bus light is always on and once the Blackbox sees the right stick the flashing red light turns steady green. Flashing red indicates that the stick isn't connected. But it seems that would include both a physical connection problem or the hardware not being able to communicate due to settings or firnware. The firmware they shipped with it wasn't good for the MCG series so I could get the stick recognized but half the stuff didn't work! The 1.917 fixed it. I hear there's another due out maybe tomorrow so stay tuned.

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"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline Drano

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2018, 10:25:45 AM »
Hey FWIW I pretty much have an idea of how this works now. Have flashed to update the firmware a few times, assigned keys to buttons, made macros that work, etc. Might be able to answer some questions if anybody is struggling with this new stick. Not a whole lot of it is what ya might call intuitive. Even after reading the manual I had to screw things up a few times before they clicked!

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"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline TerryRF

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2018, 08:49:16 AM »
 VKB now has an English version manual (User Guide) of their Device Configurator for VKB Njoy controllers in pdf format on their website. It is 106 pages and appears to be quite comprehensive.

  Since most of us don't read Russian, this should be a great help with our Gunfighter and Gladiator sticks.

                                  Av8.

Offline Drano

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2018, 10:06:16 AM »
These guys have figured just about 157 different ways to press a stinkin button!

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"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

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FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline TerryRF

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2018, 12:30:38 PM »
  What you said Drano!  I just want to figure out what to do with large lever on the mcg and map a micro for a single button push to "end flight".

Offline Drano

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Re: Anybody familiar with the VKB software?
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2018, 05:40:54 PM »
I made a macro to end flight and assigned it to the red button. Wasn't hard once I figured out the numbering of the macro is the line it starts in! Gotta make the macro before you can assign it.

Goes like this. On the macro tab there are 118 rows of 4 columns each. Start at the top left box. They all say no function until you assign something. Click on the first box, another dialog box will appear. There's a drop down on that. Select keyboard from the list. Hit the slash key on your keyboard. You'll see the button assignment appear. Hit the right arrow key on that dialog to move to the next character. Next box dot, and so on. Now... This command is 5 characters (/.ef[enter])long so to continue it to the second row hit the tick box at the end of row 1 and put the 5th character, enter, in the first box of row 2. Don't put anything else in row 2 and don't tick the box at the end of the row. That isolates the macro from continuing. Hit the set button on the macro screen just to the right of the boxes you're filling. That sends the macro info to the stick. It won't work until you assign it to a button whether physical or logical.

Now, since that 1st macro ended in row 2, the next macro won't be macro 2, it'll be macro 3--since you will have started that one in the 3rd row. That had me scratching my head. Just so ya know! The macro number is the row it starts in. I was changing the numbers in the boxes to the left of the row. The light bulb went off when I got to the 9th one. Those boxes correspond to the time sets. There are only 8 of them which is why those boxes only go to 8! Who knew? Hehe

OK so what I did to assign a macro to a button was first--identify which one is which! Go to the profile screen, physical tab. Check the poll box. This will light up when you hit a button so you know where it's at. Make note of the button number that lights up. Go to the logical tab and look for the button number. Click on it. Another dialog box. From the drop down select macro. Select the number of the macro you want that button to be. Click on the right arrow key on the dialog box. Now click set on the actions tab up top. This sends the change in profile of button from a straight button press to a macro to the stick. It'll use the macro info you sent earlier.

To test it click on info at the bottom. Click anywhere on the field and press the assigned button. It should type /.ef out.

I have toe brakes on my pedals so I didn't need that brake lever for that. I fly a P-38L. What I did with it was to map the dive flap to it in AH. I used map controllers and assigned the dive flap to max travel for slider 1(the brake lever axis) . It's down near the bottom. I squeeze the brake lever, it toggles the dive flap.

There isn't a selection you can assign for end flight on the map controllers screen. That would have been easy! Have to use the dot command and so had to go the macro route. But you can basically do the same thing in the vkb software. Look in section 3.7 of the manual. Tells you how to use parts of an axis travel as button presses.

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"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group