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2 puters 3 screens, 1 keyboard/mouse

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reider View Drop Down
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    Posted: 20 Aug 2011 at 1:34am
I found a program some may find a little handy, I know I did.  Its called Input Director, basically a software program (KVM type but software only) to use one keyboard/mouse on several computers and screens.  Its free and I wanted to use it in conjunction with Plan G, one of those live moving map programs.  This isn`t the limit to its uses but in describing what I did it may help others with their needs including home cockpits maybe.

I have a Main computer which uses 2 screens, the Vista OS is on the C:/ drive and FSX is on the D:/ At the side of this computer and on my desktop I have my Laptop with a single screen.  I installed Input Director on the Main computer and on the Laptop, Main was set in this software as Master and Slave on the Laptop.  Theirs a panel with pics of the two screens on the Main computer, these for me are side by side.  You need to add the other monitor/s you want and drag them to where they will be, getting the orientation right.  Above the ones in the panel, below or left/right.  So that the mouse cursor travels left to right and/or right to left because you can make it loop to both directions too.  It can also go up/down if you have a monitor above/below.  Thats right the mouse cursor moves through all screens as if they all belong to one computer.

After a quick test I then installed Plan G on the Laptop.  It can connecct via Sim Connect or FSUIPC so I set it to Sim Connect.  To do this I made a special SimConnect.xml file in Notepad and saved it as "all files" instead of the preset TXT.  This I placed in C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX as it needs to be in the drive path that has the OS on, not necessarilly the one that has FSX on unless you use a single drive obviously.   I also set the networked FSX.exe address and the networked scenery.cfg folder in Plan G so it can track the aircraft I`m flying and add any add on scenery I put in.  One thing not explained in the help section was to point it to the networked Flightplans folder in My Documents.  I decided to do this so it updated live rather than using the one on the C:\ of the Laptop.

I can now open files/folders in the Laptop from my Main computer, ID opens when windows starts and I set them both to automatically set Master/Slave relationships so both are rady to go as soon as I hit a control key to start them.  I can also shut down both the Laptop ID and the Laptop itself from the Main Computer.  The end result is though I have FSX on one monitor.  Guages, CDU, ATC etc on the other then a live version of Plan G on th eLaptop running off its own battery.  I do physio/exercises daily using hardware connected to that socket so the Laptop charges during this ready for the next flight, rather than having it mains powered all the time.

Plan G (free and use on a single puter or multiple):

http://www.tasoftware.co.uk/planG.htm

Input director (again free, not time limited, no catches):

http://www.inputdirector.com/

and finally in case its missed, the quick install guide;

http://www.inputdirector.com/quickstart-install.html

Just thought this may be some use to someone, ignore if not.

Steve
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Herky View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Herky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2011 at 11:16am
Hi Steve.
 
This is interesting.
 
Does this "Plan G" Map software run better on a separate machine, ie your laptop? Or will it run ok from your desktop machine?
 
 I used to use two screens, screen one for fsx cockpit and the second screen for Garmin, guages etc. Under W7 and Nvidia drivers, I just opened the window and dragged it to the second monitor. Could you not do the same with this Plan G map?
 
I only ask because I think an add on map is a good idea and was considering something like this.  The FSX maps in the Garmins are poor. You only need to look at the Moving Map in the DCS A10c sim cockpit to see how it should be done...roads, rivers, power lines, masts, in fact its an Ordinance Survey map on a MFDSmile 
 
 
 
Cheers.
Herky.
You Tube at HERKY231 or David Herky

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote reider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2011 at 4:04pm
It works perfect from the same machine, thats how I normally use it.  Only with my lappy being on the table at the side of the 2 monitors I thought I`d spread out a bit and not have to overlay anything on it.  But one puter, two monitors still works.  It would even work on 1 monitor and keep minimising it.  It still gets updated too.  This program is payware quality for free, get it while you can.

Steve
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Herky View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Herky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2011 at 8:47pm
Steve, Plan G looks mouthwateringly good!
 
I am thinking, is it trouble free to install? Its Freeware after all. I am a nervous downloader, (must be my cynical old age and paranoia taking charge!) especially where quirky FSX is concerned.
 
 The Dev is a brit! Wonder if Slopey knows himBig%20smile
 
I will read the Plan G forum some more!
 
Cheers.
Herky.
You Tube at HERKY231 or David Herky

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Herky View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Herky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 9:36pm
Hi Steve, just downloaded Plan G and a quick test revealed it quite an achievement.
 
I have posted a couple of questions on their forum.
 
1. It wont work with the Flight 1 Mustang ( What a surpriseoh how I laughedOuch ) Seems OK with the other a/c. Not tried it yet with my monster MD-11!
 
2. It must be run with FSX in Windowed mode......hence if you have a laptop it will not interfere with FSXWink   Good idea of yoursClap
 
Other than that and it crashing FSX in Simconnect mode ( works fine with FSUIPC) its a real nice program and adds a super Google map MM feature!
 
Thanks for the links. Now if I could afford a laptop......................Smile
 
Cheers
Herky.
You Tube at HERKY231 or David Herky

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