| Introduction
PilotsDeck is a Plugin for Elegato's StreamDeck with the Ability to trigger Cockpit-Controls in different Ways and especially reading & displaying a Control's State on the StreamDeck as Text, Image, Bar/Arc or a Combination thereof. It is lean & mean, flexible, completely Open-Source and Free-to-Use.
StreamDeck-wise it behaves like any other StreamDeck Plugin: it runs alongside other Plugins and you can Drag, Drop, Copy, Paste the Actions like any other Action in the StreamDeck Software between your Folders, Pages or even different StreamDecks. The Action Configuration is done through the standard "Property Inspector" of the StreamDeck UI (for the "classic" Actions) or it's own "Action Designer" UI (for the new Composite Action). But regardless of the UI: the Configuration is stored in the StreamDeck Profile - You can create, export and share Profiles with the Plugin's Actions. On Top of the StreamDeck builtin Copy & Paste, it has also it's own Mechanic allowing to share single Actions via Text with someone else.
Installation is done through its own Installer which will check all Requirements and installs them for you if necessary. With the included Profile Manager App you can easily install Profile Packages (containing the Profiles, Images and Scripts) and can map your existing StreamDeck Profiles for specific Airplanes or Simulators so that the Plugin automatically switches the Profile(s) on the StreamDeck(s). You can write Scripts to directly read Values from a Function, or trigger a Function as Command - all in its own internal Lua Engine (Credits to: Neolithos for NeoLua!).
The Plugin supports different StreamDeck Models: Mini, Standard/15-Key, XL, Mobile and Plus. Other Models might work, but an indented Support for Non-Display Models is not planned. The Plugin runs only on Windows. There are no Plans for Linux or macOS Support (the first is not supported by StreamDeck at all, both do not run or support all Sims and some essential .NET Libraries are only available on Windows).
Simulator-wise it supports all major Platforms on Windows - MS Flight Simulator, X-Plane and Prepar3D. Depending on the Sim, it either uses SimConnect, FSUIPC or UDP Connection (remote capable). Either way it will connect automatically as soon as a Simulator is running. All Variables and Commands these Connections allow are usable with the Plugin. You can can directly switch from one Sim to another without reconfiguring anything.
For Prepar3D (and theoretically FSX) FSUIPC is a Requirement, for MSFS it is Optional and for X-Plane not used at all. Either Way: you do not need a registered (bought) Copy of FSUIPC to make the Plugin in Work! (Though some old Profiles may require a registered Copy).
It is designed for advanced Sim-Users which "know how to do Stuff": it does not give you any Lists to select Stuff from. If you know how to read Control-States for your Plane (e.g. which Variables to use) and how to trigger these Controls (e.g. which Command to use), you can quickly define Actions for that on the StreamDeck. Since it does not limit your Selection by a predefined List, you can do everything the Connection/Simulator currently allows 😉
If you don't: be eager to read & learn! 😅 I'll try to give some Background in the Readme, but you have to take it from there!
Note: PilotsDeck is 100% free and Open-Source. The Software and the Developer do not have any Affiliation to Flight Panels. You basically spend Money instead of Time to let a Power-User create the Profile(s) for you. That is totally fine - IF you knew you had the Option. Choose the Approach that suits you best! 😃
Supported Simulator Versions
- X-Plane 12 / 11 / <=10
- Requirement: None - does not use XUIPC
- Flight Simulator 2020 / X / 2004
- Requirement: MobiFlight WASM & FSUIPC7 (optional if needed) / FSUIPC 4 / FSUIPC 3
- Prepar3D v5 / v4 / v1-3
- Requirement: FSUIPC 6 / 5 / 4
Supported is understood as "technical and basically supported by the Connection Method". Support in Terms of ensured Compatibility, Fixing Issues and giving Support exists only for the latest Version of the three Major Simulators: X-Plane 12, MSFS2020, P3D v5. I'm happy if it works for older Versions, but I won't make any Effort for them. It is time to go back to the Future! 😅
And yes: the latest Version for Prepar3D is still considered v5, since v6 was just DOA with nearly every Addon-Dev announcing to not support it.
Supported Sim-Commands & -Variables
Here a quick Overview of what you can send to the Simulator ("Command") or from what you can read Values from the Simulator ("Variable"). One of the Things which make the Plugin flexible: Variables can also be used as Commands. For Example to move a Cockpit-Control by writing a different Value to a Variable.
How Commands and Variables are configured and the different Options how they can be executed is described under 2.1 - Defining Commands & Variables.
- MACRO | Command | MSFS, P3D, FSX
- Execute any Macro known to FSUIPC
- SCRIPT | Command | MSFS, P3D, FSX
- Run any Lua-Code known to FSUIPC
- CONTROL | Command | MSFS, P3D, FSX, FS9
- Send any SimEvent defined by its numerical ID (also known as FS-Controls, Control-Codes. Numerical Variant of a K-Variable/K-Event)
- LVAR | Command & Variable | MSFS, P3D, FSX
- Read from / Write to any L-Var ("Local Variable")
- OFFSET | Command & Variable | MSFS, P3D, FSX, FS9
- Read from / Write to any FSUIPC Offset
- VJOY | Command | MSFS, P3D, FSX
- Toggle/Clear/Set a Button of a virtual Joystick from *FSUIPC*
- VJOYDRV | Command | ALL
- Toggle/Clear/Set a Button of a virtual Joystick from the known *vJoy Device Driver* (if installed, not required)
- AVAR | Command & Variable | MSFS
- Read from / Write to any Simulation Variable (also known as A-Var)
- KVAR | Command | MSFS
- Send / Write to any Event-ID (also known as K-Var / SimConnect Event)
- HVAR | Command | MSFS
- Trigger any HTML Event in the Simulator (also know as H-Var)
- BVAR | Command (& Variable)* | MSFS
- Trigger InputEvents (also known as B-Var) - but only those that MSFS enumerates via SimConnect
- CALCULATOR | Command & Variable** | MSFS
- Run any Calculator/Gauge Code in the Simulator - either direct RPN Code or as Template for Increasing/Decreasing L-Vars
- XPCMD | Command | XP
- Send any Command known to X-Plane (as command_once)
- XPWREF | Command & Variable | XP
- Read from / Write to any X-Plane DataRef
- LUAFUNC | Command & Variable | All
- Run a Lua Function in the Plugin's own Lua Engine
- INTERNAL | Command & Variable | All
- Read from / Write to an internal Variable (available everwhere within the Plugin)
* = Per Default, B-Vars treated as Command-only Type - only some B-Var have an actual Value to read.
** = While you can read the Result from a RPN Expression, you can not write to it (like with other Variable Types).
!! Please mind that the Command Types Script, Macro, Lvar (non MSFS) and vJoy can only work with a registered Version of FSUIPC!
!! Both vJoy Command Types are independent of each other and are two different Things! "VJOY" can only be assigned within FSUIPC (and not in the Simulator). The "VJOYDRV" can be assigned by anything which understands a Joystick Button (Simulator, FSUIPC, Addons, ...)
Available StreamDeck Actions
All Actions work on the Keypads (the normal/square StreamDeck Buttons). The Dial/Touchpad (aka Encoder) on the SD+ is supported by most Actions.
How these Actions can be configured and customized is described under 2.3 - Action specific Options.
- Display Value (Keypad / Encoder)
- Display a Sim Variable as Number or Text (display "ON" instead of "1"). You can scale/round/format the Value as needed and customize the Font-Settings.
- Simple Button (Keypad)
- Can only send Commands and always shows the same (configurable) Image. Supported in StreamDeck Multi-Actions!
- Dynamic Button (Keypad / Encoder)
- This Action dynamically changes the displayed Image based on a Variable (in Addition to sending Commands). Different Values trigger different Images.
- Korry Button (Keypad / Encoder)
- Intended for Korry-Switches in the Cockpit: the Action displays two "Sub-Images" independently of each other. They are shown/hidden based on their own Variable, but will not change the Image based on the Value.
- COM Radio (Keypad / Encoder)
- Intended for Com Frequencies: the Action shows two different Variables which can be independently scaled/rounded/formatted but share the same Font-Settings.
- Display Gauge (Keypad / Encoder)
- This Actions renders the Value dynamically on a Bar or Arc. Size, Color, Position and Font-Settings can be tweaked. It can optionally send Commands.
- Display Gauge (Dual) (Keypad)
- As before, but it renders two Values dynamically on the same Bar or Arc.
- Composite Action (Keypad / Encoder)
- Not a fixed Template as the other Actions, more a Canvas to draw on: you can add and freely configure different "Elements" (like Text, a Value, an Image) which can be dynamically altered via "Manipulators" on certain "Conditions". Configured in it's own dedicated "Action Designer" UI.
- Profile Switcher (Keypad)
- This not a "real" Action like the others, it only serves to enable/disable Profile Switching.
- This not a "real" Action like the others, it only serves to enable/disable Profile Switching.
Install, Update, Remove
Just Download & Run the Installer Binary! It will check and install all Requirements and installs/updates the Plugin (or remove it).
It is highly likely that you need to Unblock/Exclude the Installer & Plugin from BitDefender and other AV-/Security-Software. It's the number one Reason for "the Plugin is not working"-Issues because either the Binary is blocked from running or is blocked when connecting to the StreamDeck Software.
DO NOT run the Installer, Plugin or StreamDeck Software "as Admin". It is not recommended to MSFS or FSUIPC7 "as Admin" - it might work, it might fail.
If it still does not work right or at all, please check 4.2 - Troubleshooting.
The Requirements for the Plugin to run:
- Windows 10 or 11 (updated)
- StreamDeck Software v6.5 and above - The StreamDeck Software will be installed/updated by the Installer, if necessary.
- .NET 8 - The x64 Desktop Runtime will be installed/updated by the Installer, if necessary. Reboot recommended when the Runtime was installed for the first Time.
- IF used for MSFS/P3D/FSX: The latest Release of the FSUIPC Major Version specific to your Simulator (e.g. FSUIPC 6 for Prepar3D v4/5) - will be installed/updated by the Installer, if necessary.
- IF used for MSFS: The latest Release of the WASM-Module from MobiFlight - will be installed/updated by the Installer, if necessary.
- Optional: If you want to use VJOYDRV Commands you need the BrunnerInnovations Fork of the vJoy Driver - the installer will check the State, and offers to optionally install/update it for you.
NOTE: If you install the vJoy Driver for the first Time, don't forget that you need to enable at least one Joystick in the vJoyConf Application to use it!
The Plugin will be installed to:
%appdata%\Elgato\StreamDeck\Plugins\com.extension.pilotsdeck.sdPlugin
It is automatically started with the StreamDeck Software. It will spawn its own Icon in the System-Tray / Notification Area. Use this Icon to see if an Plugin Update is available, to access the Developer UI or open the Profile Manager to configure Profile Switching.
Note: Since FSUIPC is only a "secondary" Connector for MSFS, you do not need to have it installed anymore (for MSFS). If you not plan to install/run FSUIPC7, please set the Parameter UseFsuipcForMSFS to false in the Plugin Configuration File (PluginConfig.json) after Installation!
But be aware that some older Profiles might still use Commands and Variables from FSUIPC and might not fully work then.
Installing Profile Packages (.ppp Files)
Starting with Version 0.8.0, the Plugin greatly improves Distribution and Installatin of Profiles:
1) Use the Profile Manager App found in the Plugin Directory to install Profile Packages: Open it via Plugin Icon in the System-Tray / Notification Area and drop the Package File to be installed on the big Arrow (or navigate to Package File's Location).
2) The Package File will be read and the Description (from the Author) will be displayed - check the Notes for additional Steps.
3) If you already have Profiles with the same Name (as shown in the StreamDeck UI), the App will remove the old Profiles (and update existing Profile Mappings to the new ones). If want to keep the old Profiles, uncheck 'Remove old Profiles'.
If you want to keep the extracted Package Contents, check Keep extracted Files .... The Contents will be kept in Profiles Sub-Folder of the Plugin (named after the Package Name).
4) Click Install. Note that the StreamDeck Software will be automatically started and stopped as needed.
5) The App will extract and copy the Images and Scripts to the Plugin Directory for you.
The Profiles need to be installed through the StreamDeck UI: Click on the Link displayed in the Profile Manager App, wait for the StreamDeck UI to come up and the select the correct StreamDeck to install the clicked Profile to. Repeat for each Profile.
You need to click every Link for the Installation to finish successfully. If you do not want or need one of the Profiles, just Cancel the Installation in the StreamDeck UI!
6)If selected, the App will now remove the old Profiles (if your updating existing Profiles), remove the "Copy" from the Profile Name (of the new ones) and update the Profile Mappings (if there are existing Mappings).
NOTE: The Update-Mechanic will only work, if you keep the Profile Name.
7) The Package Author can include additional Files you might to install/use the Profiles. If so, you will find a Folder on your Desktop (named after the Package's Name) with these additional Files.
See 3.6 - Profile Packages on how to create a Profile Packages to share your own Profiles!
Readme
The full Readme is available on GitHub!
riveter
I just recently got into XP12 and immediately started setting up the Streamdeck using PilotsDeck. It works great. I have AAO but it is not needed for basic switching functions like lights. I have got the light switches setup in the C172 and will continue to learn more advanced methods with scripting. I am coming from MSFS2020 which has many ready made Streamdeck profiles for GA and airliners. I have not found any ready made GA proflies for PilotsDeck however.
Fragtality 11 day(s) ago
Thanks for your Feedback!
Although (Lua) Scripting is of course encouraged (that's why I added it ^^) - it isn't strictly needed always. The "classic" Actions have some "light Logic" available for certain Use-Cases and the new Composite Action allows for Stuff that would only be possible with Scripts in the Past. (E.g. the whole Logic for the Toliss FCU is done without any Script)
But the most important: Find the Way that suits you most 😉
Yeah, the Idea that People would also do and publish Profiles (free Profiles ...) didn't work out as planned unfortunately :/
Javoleno
Greetings, first of all thanks for the plugin and the work you do. I'm trying to install the plugin
"%appdata%\Elgato\StreamDeck\Plugins\com.extension.pilotsdeck.sdPlugin", but it doesn't appear. I've uninstalled antivirus and so on, when installing it a green flag appears but I don't see that line. Could you help me?
Thank you very much.
Translated by Google Translator
Fragtality 1 month(s) ago
Try the new Installer/Version: https://github.com/Fragtality/PilotsDeck/releases/latest
If you still have Problems, please open an Issue on GitHub!
swazeedog
Hello how to install please
Fragtality 2 year(s) ago
It is described in the Readme which is linked in the Description!
Or you could wait some Days for the next Version - which has an Installer 😉
FlakBaitLU
Excellent Plugin. Thank you very much.