Trouble Using Modifier in DCS

[goofeyfoot]

In DCS, A10C the command "RIGHT SHIFT+H" successfully turns the night goggles on and off.

I cannot get VA to do this.  I first programmed right shift and h to turn on the goggles and nothing happened.

Then I tried running the recorder to do the command.  Nothing happened there either.

And both the listed binding and the actual game experience is that RIGHT SHIFT+H works perfectly in-game.

So what do I do now?

Thanks.
Michael

[Pfeil]

How is your command set up? Have you tested your command in notepad, to see if an uppercase H is typed out?

If you trigger the command with the DCS binds list open, does it jump to the bind in the list when the keys would be pressed by the command?

[goofeyfoot]

I don’t know what you mean when you say test it in WordPad. No idea what that means.

If I press the keys in the binding page yes, it jumps to the right command.

[Pfeil]

Literally just executing the command while Notepad has focus (assuming the command/profile are set up to target the active window), to see if an uppercase "H" is typed out (thus indicating that the keys are in fact pressed); As the keypress registers on the binds list, that is redundant.


Have you tried increasing the amount of time the keys are held down for, as mentioned in this topic?

[goofeyfoot]

What I did notice is something about the Global Profile. The instructions that I write myself I put in a Global profile that is supposedly always running in the background. That Global Profile has only maybe five instructions in it. But I noticed in doing some testing that none of them seem to work. So somehow the Global Profile has come detached from the Viacom profile. I don’t know what’s going on here.

[Pfeil]

"none of them seem to work" is ambiguous; What, specifically, doesn't work?


Now that you've clarified that you're using a third-party profile: Does the command work when placed in a profile by itself, and that command is used as the active profile?

If not, and you have already increased the keypress times (to a fairly high number, E.G. 500ms), does it work when you disable plugin support?

[goofeyfoot]

"none of them" = the antecedent, "five instructions"

[Gary]

I use Keyboard Test Utility to test out key presses:  https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/Keyboard-Test-Utility.shtml

Using this utility, this sequence of actions works as expected (presses and holds right shift and then the 'H' key - then releases both):

Press down Right Shift key
Pause 0.1 seconds
Press down H key
Pause 0.1 seconds
Release H key
Release Right Shift key

If this works for you against Keyboard Test Utility, it should work with DCS.  If it does not, you'll want to try running VA as an admin to see if that helps.  If that does not work, it's possible that DCS is not accepting virtual input for right shift - this is just speculation.

Do you have any other software running that might intercept virtual input?

Also - make sure you don't have something else targeted in your command ('send commands to this target').

[goofeyfoot]

I think I may have screwed things up. 

In VAICOM I have to push a mic button to speak.  So I have been doing that all the time.  What seems to be the issue is that the "Global" instructions do not require the mic button. So if I just talk without using a button, it hears the commands OK.  They are still wrong for technical reasons, not enough delay, etc. etc.  But at least the program isn't ignoring me any longer.

Thanks

Michael

[Pfeil]

"none of them seem to work" is ambiguous; What, specifically, doesn't work?

"none of them" = the antecedent, "five instructions"

What doesn't work, not which don't work. I'll have to assume you meant the commands weren't recognized, rather than the commands being recognized, but not having an effect ingame, as in your previous example.


If you're extending a third-party product, you'll need to take into account how that is set up, and whether your own commands/profiles need to be adapted to work with it.

If VAICOM PRO is changing VoiceAttack's listening state when you press a button, you should see a red icon over the headset button on VoiceAttack's main window (assuming it's disabling listening), which would prevent normal commands from being recognized.

[goofeyfoot]

I do see a red-out of the headset on the right.  When I push the mic button, the red disappears.  If don't push the mic button, the red stays in place.

[Pfeil]

So when you're not pressing anything, there is a red icon over the headset button, and yet commands are still recognized?

[goofeyfoot]

Basically now nothing in my own profile works works.  I have the VAICOM plugin running.  In its settings I have another profile embedded which let's call "MINE".  I thought that within VAICOM, you could have my own commands in MINE.  But those commands in MINE don't execute.  They just don't work.  I have tried extending the durations of the commands for .1, .2, .3, .5 seconds and nothing seems to change no matter what I try.  Seemingly, those commands are being heard but they don't execute.

[Pfeil]

But those commands in MINE don't execute.  They just don't work.

Seemingly, those commands are being heard but they don't execute.

Again, clarify what is and isn't working: Are commands recognized (I.E. there is a "Recognized" message in the log on VoiceAttack's main window)?
If so, the command is executed; Whether the input is reaching/accepted by the target application is another matter.


What are your targeting settings? VAICOM PRO may target DCS directly, however profiles included into other profiles use their own targeting setting. Generally this isn't an issue, as by default that would be set to use the active window, but it's worth checking.

[goofeyfoot]

I don't know what is working and what isn't.  When I press the mic button, the list in Voice Attack shows the MINE commands as recognized.  But nothing actually occurs in the game.

I have all "target" boxes aimed at the "Active Window."

[Pfeil]

And DCS is the active window while you're testing? No overlays that may pull focus?

Have you tried setting the target (at the profile level, for your "MINE" profile), to the game, instead?

Does the command work when placed in a profile by itself, and that command is used as the active profile?

I.E. if you use "MINE" as the active profile, without loading the VAICOM PRO profile, do the commands have an ingame effect?

If no apparent effect is observable while flying, do they have an effect in the binds list, as your previously mentioned command did?

[goofeyfoot]

DCS is the active window.

I didn't set MINE target to "DCS".  I will try that.

The commands in MINE don't do anything when you run them alone either.

If I use the keyboard while in the Binds List, the correct element lights up within the Binds List.

[Pfeil]

If I use the keyboard while in the Binds List, the correct element lights up within the Binds List.

As in your physical keyboard, or when you execute the VoiceAttack commands?

[goofeyfoot]

When I use the keyboard the binds list designates the correct command.  When I use the voice, nothing happens in the bind list.

[Pfeil]

Try the attached profile, which contains a single command triggered by the phrase "night vision".

load up the TF-51 on the Caucasus map, and check whether it works. It does on my machine.


If this profile does not work for you, disable plugin support by unchecking the "Enable Plugin Support" option on the "General" tab of the VoiceAttack options window, clicking "OK", "OK", and restarting VoiceAttack; Then try again.

[goofeyfoot]

OK, I will try in the AM and let you know what happens.  I suspect that the command I am working on has something to do with the problem.  All I wanted to do was adjust the "intensity" of the HUD for night missions.  That intensity switch in the cockpit is some sort of rocker switch.  I suspect there is something unique about rockers.

But we will see.

Thanks.

Michael

[goofeyfoot]

OK I tried your file.  It doesn't turn on night vision.

It says this: 9:39:01.242 UNABLE TO ACCESS COMMAND. COMMAND NOT AVAILABLE (Chatter)

Thanks.

Michael

[goofeyfoot]

OK, well I just changed the "target" designation from "active window" to "DCS" and now your command works.  Only works that way for some reason.

One remaining anomaly is that the "headphone" icon always starts out in red when you first open Voice Attack and subsequently thereafter, as explained in the next paragraph.  Then, I click on it and the red goes away.  Your command does not do anything while the headphone remains red.  Your command only works when the headphone is "unreded" by me clicking on it.  Not sure what all the red is about.

That is a real pain because even if I un-red it, the headphone always resets itself to red once I reach a certain point.  For example, I have "gain up" and "gain down" to adjust the night vision gain up and down.  If I repeat one of those commands to the point where I hit the top or bottom of the gain, then the headphone again turns red and then nothing is heard until I manually set the headphone back to black.  Obviously, that is a problem because you have to continually un-red the headphone.

[Pfeil]

It says this: 9:39:01.242 UNABLE TO ACCESS COMMAND. COMMAND NOT AVAILABLE (Chatter)

That is the VAICOM PRO plugin attempting to trigger a command that does not exist within the loaded profile.

Your command does not do anything while the headphone remains red.  Your command only works when the headphone is "unreded" by me clicking on it.

That is normal, given that when VoiceAttack is not listening, normal commands aren't executed

the headphone always resets itself to red once I reach a certain point.  For example, I have "gain up" and "gain down" to adjust the night vision gain up and down.  If I repeat one of those commands to the point where I hit the top or bottom of the gain, then the headphone again turns red and then nothing is heard until I manually set the headphone back to black.

Unless you have the "Recognition Global Hotkey" option enabled and set to "VoiceAttack listens while keys are down" or "Listen then stop listening after recognition completes", VoiceAttack will not disable listening by itself.

This would again most likely be the VAICOM PRO plugin (which can be confirmed by disabling plugin support, as mentioned earlier)

I just changed the "target" designation from "active window" to "DCS" and now your command works.  Only works that way for some reason.

Is this also the case with plugin support disabled?

[goofeyfoot]

That is the VAICOM PRO plugin attempting to trigger a command that does not exist within the loaded profile.

OK, but I have set it up so that both profiles should work.  I thought you could add a profile on.

That is normal, given that when VoiceAttack is not listening, normal commands aren't executed

OK, that's a "handy" feature.  When I use the plugin, the MINE profile apparently can't execute.

Unless you have the "Recognition Global Hotkey" option enabled and set to "VoiceAttack listens while keys are down" or "Listen then stop listening after recognition completes", VoiceAttack will not disable listening by itself.

I don't have it set that way.

Is this also the case with plugin support disabled?

No, with pluggin disabled I can select "active window".

So the net result seems to be that I can either use VAICOM and NOT use my MINE profile with it.  Or I can use the MINE profile and not use VAICOM.  Am I saying that correctly?  If so, then what is the point of having your own profile in play if in fact it can't work with VAICOM?

[Pfeil]

That's something you'd want to ask the author of VAICOM PRO...

Their support page lists a thread on the Eagle Dynamics forums, and an email address.


VoiceAttack itself is following the instructions given by the profiles and plugins that are added to it. If a profile and/or plugin is set up in such a way that it causes conflicts with other components, that is something the author of that profile/plugin would need to address.