Saitek Directoutput for KSP - A call to MS VS C++ coders

[Chris Solomon]

Saitek Joystick's such as the X-52 Pro and the Pro Flight instrument panels contain the ability to display information related to the flight sim. but they are not limited to only displaying flight sim gauges and intruments. while i don't have any of the Pro Flight instrument panels, I think they would work well with KSP. I also think the Pro Flight Switch panel would work well with or with out any other controllers.

the instrument Panels display and the X-52 relyon an intermediary program called Directoutput to display information related to the game. in the case of the X-52 you have three lines of text to display information on the joystick. in the case of the instrument panels, you have the entire instrument to display on the units. this means a background image of some sort. As far as I know, the only reason this has not been attempted yet, is because no one has tried to do it yet. There is a SDK in the directoutput packages that you can use to create a directoutput version that would work for KSP. I would do it myself, but i don't know how to program. using the MFD on the X-52 Pro to display some simple information would be incredible. using the instrument panels to display KSP info would be outrageous. potentially, you could use the instrument panels as a replacement for the navball in KSP. If you the X-52, X-52 Pro, or any of the Pro Flight Instrument panels, and can code M$ VS C++ please consider taking on this project. I know I am not the only in KSP who has or wants to use their X-52 with KSP to the devices fullest potential. I do hope to eventually get the Pro Flight panels and switches, and would love it if i could use them with KSP.

 

 

Saitek Pro Flight instrument Panels : https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/product/flight-sim-instrument-panel

Saitek Pro Flight Switch Panel : https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/product/flight-sim-switch-panel

Saitek X-52 Professional : https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/product/x52-pro-space-flight-simulator-controller

Entire Saitek Pro Flight Line-up : https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/flight-simulation

Edited July 16, 2018 by Chris Solomon

[Gargamel]

There are a few mods that can control data being sent over the USB port, initially aimed at the arduino, but others have expanded (KPRC) have expanded this way beyond that.    It "should be trivial" to set set this up. 

[DunnoAnyThing]

14 minutes ago, Chris Solomon said:

using the MFD

I saw many joystick users(via stock or the AFBW mod), a few custom displays(including remote ones), but never saw an MFD being used. Interesting.

[Chris Solomon]

On 7/9/2018 at 5:51 PM, DunnoAnyThing said:

I saw many joystick users(via stock or the AFBW mod), a few custom displays(including remote ones), but never saw an MFD being used. Interesting.

I think the MFD on the X-52 and X-52 Pro are probably a little unique. But the idea is really neat. In M$ flight sim, you can display and change com radio  channels. but for KSP i am envisioning something a little more simple. maybe something like displaying the Delta/v or something that is not always visible by default or only displayed if you are on the the map screen like AP/PE or AN/DN. for the X-52, you have three lines to display information. from what little i understood of the SDK documanetion included with the directoutput software, it could be any information not just limited to what the default plugin displays. 

 

I would also like to see the Saitek Instrument Panels (which also use the same DirectOutput software) working too. you can replace the default image the displays on the the device use. potentially (and i think i mentioned this before) you could replace the navball bieng displayed on the screen and use a navball that is displayed on the instrument panel instead. 

 

I understood very little in the documentation in the SDK. but i did understand that it need M$ VC studio and knowledge of the C++ language. I am hoping someone that is a lot smarter than i am, and is knowledgeable in C++ will pick up this project.

[Chris Solomon]

On 7/9/2018 at 5:47 PM, Gargamel said:

There are a few mods that can control data being sent over the USB port, initially aimed at the arduino, but others have expanded (KPRC) have expanded this way beyond that.    It "should be trivial" to set set this up. 

I don't know if those would work or not. If were that simple, I think we would have heard from other X-52 users by now saying that they could use the MFD one their flightstick.

[Chris Solomon]

I just found a .net wrapper for the saitek directoutput, but it appears to be in an uncompiled state. I also don't know how to compile stuff.... but i am assuming anyone with C++ language abilities would also know how to compile stuff. i don't know if running directoutput through .net would make it easier to get the MFD's running in KSP easier or not.

 

link : https://github.com/wegylexy/SaitekDirectOutput

 

I will be extracting the SDK from my directoutput install and putting a link to it online soon.

[XLjedi]

Isn't it kind of a moot point?

...since the Unity engine is rather notorious for lagging the control inputs from any of the X52 stick/thottles?

I'd just be happy if I could one day actually use my X52 without a 1+ second delay on the input!

[Chris Solomon]

latest versions of KSP and X-52 profiler software don't play well together (none of the axis work while profiler software is loaded into memory). but the lag problem is mostly solved. I did not notice any joystick lag when I tested out my X-52 Pro with KSP. My only issues with KSP and the X-52 Pro, were that not all the buttons were assignable leaving HAT 02 only partially assignable and the throttle hat and mouse stick and buttons unassignable. Don't know if that is a limitation of the Unity engine, or a limit set by SQUAD/TakeTwo. supposedly the fly by wire mod might fix that issue, but I am still at the point in learning the game where I am not ready for mods yet. Until the devs fix the availability of the H.O.T.A.S. profile that was supposedly added in the recent update, I will be stuck using keyboard/mouse.

Directoutput SDK:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AouWDY3RtbYPga1YuIgq47aj45-a_A

SDK.ZIP (240 KB)

[XLjedi]

@Chris Solomon  How did you test the "mostly solved" lag problem?   I find that it's still there.  Particularly if you happen to fly/approach one craft toward another craft.  Once the second craft comes within radius of the first, the lag occurs and then doesn't go away.