Starting the project

I decided to use an overhead panel from Opencockpits and FSUIPC macros to manage the clicks on the overhead from the PMDG. I was inspired to go to this direction from the fascinating website from Ian, he described all the functions and the use of the FSUIPC macros on his website.

To turn LEDs on and off i will user the Output card from Opencockpits. The card is programmed using the software SIOC. I tested the last weeks some scripts to manage the status of the FSUIPC offsets. When i got this working i knew, there must be an overhead in my room 😉

The final decision was made by a posting of Pete Dowson, programmer of FSUIPC.

You can edit the FSUIPC INI file and put almost any number of actions on the same button. It can’t be done only from the options tab, so what you do is:

1. program the first function (your mouse macro)
2. ok out of the FSUIPC options
3. find the button entry in the INI file (e.g. some line number=P joystick number, button number, …), and put a “;” in front of the line to keep it but temporarily make it non-effective,
4. back in the options, program the second action, the one to set a bit in an offset
5. ok out of the options again
6. find the new line for that button, and renumber the line so it doesn’t clash with the other (or any others),
7. remove the ; from the front of the previous line, so making both active together
8. back in the options, press the “reload all buttons” button .. and you are done!

So i started the Overhead project.