RealSimControl - How it works, Configuration and Conversion
The RSC Configuration Tool allows you to quickly customize any cockpit panel using convenient layout maps that represent aircraft systems, controls, instruments or modules with all parameters correctly preassigned.
Just find the needed element on the image map, click on it and assign the appropriate control or output - switch, button, encoder, LED, display, etc. Once the configuration is ready (in any moment) click the SAVE button to download the data.cfg file.
Place this file into the SimVimX plugin folder and start your flight. If you need to add or change some parameter, just upload ypur cpnfog filr to the configurator, make needed changes, and save again. Then click the Reload Configuration button in the plugin status window or press previously assigned "Reload" button.
The RSC/SimVimX parameter "keywords" are universal and used with any plane model for the cockpit you built. Having just one configuration for Baron 58 for example, you can use it with any free or paid B58 model, or any other similar aircraft, without changing configuration.
What a parameter keyword consists of
Each parameter is an "alias" of a specific control, aircraft system or device function, its options and conditions for its operation, represented in the form of a single "keyword" that designates the functionality of a real aircraft cockpit control element (not any of specific virtual plane's commands/datarefs!)
When an aircraft is loaded, the SimVimX plugin reads the configuration and translates each keyword either into custom SimVimX function, that can use multiple X-Plane datarefs with other parameters and conditions, or directly to X-Plane input commands or datarefs for output with correct format, conditions and options depended on the assigned device type.
Parameter structure options:
Param_Name_1-- input - >
X-Plane Commands -- + options --
Conditions, systems state
Param_Name_2-- input - >
X-Plane DataRef +
Value + options +
Internal Conditions
Param_Name_3-- output >
X-Plane DataRef +
Output Format +
Options, mapping
Param_Name_4 <-- I/O -->
SimVimX Function --- >
X-Plane or SimVimX DataRefs/Commands
Param_Name_5 <-- I/O -->
Custom Conversion Table --- >
DataRef, Commands
Examples:
- Left_Toe_Brake - left rudder toe brake input (button switch or potentiometer) - direct X-Plane commands/datarefs usage.
- Flaps_Unsafe - "flaps in transition" or "stuck" annunciator - it's a simple custom SimVimX dataref/function programmed in the plugin for output to LED or LCD.
- DME_Display - it's a complex SimVimX plugin functions for multifunctional output to the DME display and its operation logic depends on the DME type selected in the configurator.
RealSimControl configurator database includes almost every named control element and device that can be found in an aircraft panel. Some functions (switches and other controls) that are not presented in the configurator yet for some reason will be added eventually (ask if you need some).
Default functionality
All aircraft models that are included by default in X-Plane, all their modifications, as well as all free and paid airplane models that correctly use the original X-Plane commands and datarefs to control the virtual panel, work with all assigned RSC/SimVimX parameters (keywords) without any other user action.
This means that you don't need to worry about simulator commands, datarefs, scripts, and internal structure of each parameter, simply assign all the necessary parameters in this Configurator as you need and fly.
Even if you have assigned some hardware switch but see that the same switch on your virtual panel doesn't flip, it doesn't mean that the system in X-Plane is not affected. It can work as needed and you just have no animation on the screen (that you don't need when you have a "real" panel). In some planes it is just animation of the on-screen switch for which the developer included additional custom commands/datarefs.
Custom Aicraft Models, notes
If some parameter keyword assigned in the configurator is not working with your aircraft model, that means the loaded aircraft script overrides the standard X-Plane function replacing it by its custom dataref.
Some plane developers define few or tens custom commands/datarefs for their plane models, and this is a very good practice because only few functions not implemented in X-Plane need additional datarefs.
But some models have a hundreds of custom datarefs and that is the problem for cockpit builder. It's a bad practice when developer creates a custom dataref for every simple switch, this is useless because they are perfectly modelled in X-Plane, and all these custom datarefs are created just for virtual 3D cockpit animations and after all, they change the standard X-Plane datarefs anyway. Actually, only few functions that are not modelled in X-Plane need to be programmed and have their custom datarefs.
Aircraft Conversion
The SimVimX plugin can "remap" the parameter keywords to the related custom commands (datarefs) provided with specific plane model using special data conversion format.
First, you can use my predefined RSC_Planes database file that already includes completed or ongoing conversions for a number of different aircraft models. if your plane is listed there all your assigned inputs/outputs will work for it as-is.
Else, the conversion can be added to the main data.cfg file by qualified user in this Configurator for the plane model you are using, for those SimVimX keywords that had to be remapped to custom datarefs in this plane.
How it works: When a specific aircraft is loading, the plugin looks for replacement data table and remaps all needed standard input/output parameters located in the SimVimX database into this plane model custom data.
