EZDOK

[wain 879]

Sorry I know its not hardware....

I downloaded but not installed yet. Want to put it in my P3D. I see the version they download is 1.15 which is old. Anyone know if I install this then upgrade or something else. Why is nothing ever simple.

Flight 1 web says download 1.15 is new version but its not.

Thanks

Wayne

Oh P3D is v2.5....

[brett 2,303]

I would say to install that version(1.15) and then update it to the new one(1.16) http://www.ezdok-software.com/4.html unless the new version suggests to remove the old one, the one from Flight1 would be the full version and 1.16 just an update.

[wain 879]

ok thanks Brett, will give it a go later....

[Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142]

Hi Wayne!

 

<*cough*>  Er.... Although I hesitate to disagree with m'learnéd friend Brett, AFAIK the current stable version of EZCA (a.k.a. EZDOK) to use with FSX is v1.15 plus the v1.17 update, in fact.  You can download the v1.17 update here: http://www.ezdok-software.com/resources/files/EZCA-Update-1.17.zip

 

Although it's certainly not the friendliest software around, EZCA is probably the most indispensable. So to mitigate that lack of friendliness, many people have produced videos to help the neophyte get to grips with the software. The original (and perhaps, still the best) videos can be found here:  http://www.simforums.com/forums/my-ezdok-setup-videos_topic38637.html

 

Having said that, there have been many other videos, too, including one from our old friend froogle:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XHEuQmbRpQ   Here's another good one:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Vap2bsXEY

 

But I'm sure there are plenty of others by now, as well. (I recall that AoA did one, for instance).

 

 

However....

 

 

You did happen to mention that you were intending to use EZCA with P3D. Unfortunately, I can't help you with that, being an unreconstructed FSX man, but nonetheless I am aware that a new version (v1.18) is currently in beta specifically for use with P3D (and FSX SteamEd.) either of which will also require simconnect v10.0.61259.0 which comes with the EZCA beta package. The (rather long, by now) announcement thread and installation instructions can be found here:  http://www.simforums.com/forums/ezca-1185-beta-available-for-download_topic51089.html

 

As with the v1.17 vids, there are by now several ones around which discuss the new beta version, for example —  http://fspro.uk/ezdok-camera-update-1-18-for-fsx-fsx-steam-and-prepar3d/     (That video has a walkthrough of the installation process, too).

 

I think that the current beta is v1.18.5, which can be downloaded from here:  http://www.ezdok-software.com/resources/files/EZCA_1185.zip

 

Good luck — but do keep in mind that v1.18 is still in beta, so you may have to be prepar3d (pun intended) for occasional surprises (notably with the WorldCam)....       So if you're unfamiliar with the v1.17 incarnation of the software, you may find it helpful to watch one or more of the videos I mentioned earlier before you begin, in order to prepar3 (sorry) yourself for what is to come.    

 

> "Why is nothing ever simple."

 

Oops.... Ah well, let's just say that with EZCA your simming life is definitely liable to encounter a certain additional degree of complexity, I'm afraid!    

 

Cheers,

 

bruce

a.k.a. brian747

 

[wain 879]

Thanks Brian, yes I saw the Beta version and have looked at Simforums and various you tube videos. The creator has said install 1.15 then follow his link to 1.18 which works with P3D v2.5 but be aware its Beta. I am familiar with Beta stuff and fully understand that sometimes it can causes more issues than it corrects.

 

I did initially buy it to go into FSX Steam but after the last 2 weeks I have had with that I am giving up on it, we seem to think there are traces buried deep in my system of FSX Classic and this is the culprit with my install problems, so Steam is now in its Vanilla state after  days of trying to sort it and I am using just P3D which I have used for almost a year now, its the main reason any addon I have bought in the last 12 months must work with both or I dont bother....oh how different things would have been if my disc had broke a little bit sooner...

 

Wayne

[Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142]

Ouch! My light-hearted comment about complexity now seems very inept.

Sorry to hear that you're having such a difficult time, my friend: I do hope that you resolve all these issues soon. Sadly, I don't know anything about either Steam or P3D, so I can't be of any use, but hopefully there are people here who can help.

Best of luck,

B.

[brett 2,303]

Thanks for setting things(and me) straight Brian.  100 heads are always better than one.

[wain 879]

Thanks Brian. No worries..I have it installed but sadly no camera movement when seeting up a view.. I am guessing its probably a key still functioning butcI was looking at it at 2345hrs so I may have just been tired... adapt and overcome thats the mindset and always positive...

Thanks

Wayne

[Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142]

Thanks for your understanding, Wayne. (And for your kind forgiveness, Brett).    

 

Wayne, again your problem sounds to me rather like (but with P3D in the mix it may not be, of course) the usual one with EZCA — a key conflict somewhere between FSX and EZCA's keys (which are mostly on the numeric keypad). When you feel able to look at EZCA again without summarily deleting the thing, might I suggest another trawl through your FSX key assignments? Painful and boring, I know, but....    

 

I had a look through my own EZCA folders to see if there was anything which might possibly be helpful, and I first of all came across this document (source now unknown, I'm afraid) which tells it like it is about EZCA side-effects:

 

Important Notes about EZdok Camera Addon (EZCA)

While EZdok does some very needed and cool things in FSX to increase realism it also creates other issues which I would like to give work-arounds for here. Note that I'm currently using version 1.17 (I cannot speak for any previous version).

  Spot view panning can have issues in that you can pan left and right but not up and down. Note that when using an EZdok Aircraft view you can up and down but it's tilting from your current viewpoint, that means you are always panning away from your aircraft. Instead you want to be moving to viewpoint around the center of the aircraft. The problem seems to only occur when you use the F11 key. But this can work instead even though it's not as nice:

§  Make sure A and S is not assigned in your FSX keyboard commands. Instead go to "Options" -> "Define Keys and Buttons" menu in the EZdok software and under the "Default view system" section assign A to "Next in current category", and S to "Next category". You might want to do the same thing with Shift-A and Shift-S which goes to previous instead of next.

§  For more discussions on this please read the forum here.

  It breaks your F12 key (Top-Down) - even during Global Disable. I have not been able to get it to get it work. Let me know if you know how. But there is a couple of work-arounds:

§  If you have assigned a keyboard shortcut for changing view mode as per instructions above for the spot view panning issue, you can get to a working top-down view by first clicking S until you are in spot view, then click A one or more times to get to the normal top-down view!

§  Alternatively you can also use the shortcut for the command "View (open new top-down window)" in FSX's Options->Settings->Controls->Buttons/keys menu. Or you can get it through the menus Views->New View->Outside->Top-Down. Then the top-down view works fine - you just get it in a smaller window on top of your main window.

  Unfortunately it overrides separate keyboard commands done by HIDMacros so you just have to assign keyboard shortcuts in EZdok that you are not using with HIDMacros on ANY keyboard. If you want to be able to use ALL possible keys in HIDMacros you can use keyboard combinations (keys with a modifier), that means, use Shift- or Ctrl- or Ctrl-Shift- for your key. Then it will never conflict with HIDMacros (unless you also use keyboard combinations there!).

  The interface is a bit clunky but once you learn the ins and outs you'll enjoy what this software adds to your experience!

 

Tips   (not mentioned in the manual)

  If you want to delete an assignment (keyboard or joystick), click on the field so that it becomes red, then hit Escape.

  If you notice a quick jump in the beginning of a pan between two camera views it's because the two cameras don't use the same zoom level. The zoom level can be adjusted with the mouse scroll wheel. In the top-right corner of FSX it shows you the zoom level so that you can easily ensure all your cameras use the same exact zoom level.

  To add a new camera, click three times in the name field.

 

 

 

(The tips at the end may be useful, if nothing else, since they're so familiar to the old hands at this that we often forget to mention them).   

 

And here's a post by the guy that posted the original EZCA videos, dealing with the key assignments he thinks need to be cleared. Although he doesn't explicitly say so, do please note that it’s necessary in each case to delete both Key and Joystick assignments on their respective tabs:

 

 

 

I'll do my best to list what buttons should be cleared of their assignments. It may not be all inclusive so others can chime in here if I've forgotten any. . I've listed the Microsoft default values after each. I've created this list using the user documentation as a guide.

 

Event category = CONTROL SURFACES:

 

Rudder (yaw left) - Num Pad 0

Elevator (trim up) - Num Pad 1

 

Also these four, which correspond to the arrow keys:

 

Pitch Up (elevator) - Num Pad 2

Pitch Down (elevator) - Num Pad 8

Ailerons (bank left) - Num Pad 4

Ailerons (bank right) - Num Pad 6

 

(My addition) — Also these two (Event category is ENGINE COMMANDS):

 

Throttle decrease – Num Pad 3

Throttle increase – Num Pad 0

 

Event category = VIEWS:

 

View (next category) - S

View (previous category) - Shift+S

View (next view in category) - A

View (previous view in category) - Shift+A

Look (pan) - Hat Switch [b.C. note: this is obviously a Joystick assignment]

Look Up (pan)

Look Down (pan)

Look Down/Left (pan)

Look Down/Right (pan)

Look Left (pan)

Look Right (pan)

Look Up/Left (pan)

Look Up/Right (pan)

View (always pan up)

View (always pan down)

 

I repeat: the keys in the list above must be cleared from within MS Flight Sim.

 

For info, the following are the keys that EZCA assigns by default under the "Define Keys and Buttons..." menu option — which is why they must be cleared in order to avoid conflicts:

 

UP (arrow)

DOWN (arrow)

LEFT (arrow)

RIGHT (arrow)

PageUp

PageDown

Num 1

Num 2

Num 3

Num 4

Shift+D

 

Exit fsx and run the configuration program for EZCA (click the spanner icon on the desktop), and then click the Configure FSX button (top left).   [b.C.: See Appendix 2 for a list of all Num Pad commands].

 

 

And finally, here's a list which I compiled for my own use, showing the FSX num pad commands and which section to find them in (in the FSX dialog):

 

 

(Sorry I had to embed that as a picture, but the forum software evidently hates tables!).   

 

Hopefully, something in there might help? It's just that TBH the *majority* of problems that people have with EZCA turn out to be owing to duplicate key definitions. (You might feel for me: until recently I was also using PSX on the same machine, which also has dozens of its own key shortcuts, and I was also using JoyToKey in which I had assigned even more. I mention this in an attempt to make you feel better, in that things could be even worse).    

 

OK, I'll shut up now, I promise. I do hope you get everything sorted out soon.

 

Cheers,

 

B.

 

[wain 879]

Thanks for that I think that will be very helpful...like you say its probably a conflict and I was tired to...

Just off to RCSimulations now to pick up a TrackIR..now is that going to cause more issues..I hope all this is worth it....

Watne

[wain 879]

Thanks for that I think that will be very helpful...like you say its probably a conflict and I was tired to...

Just off to RCSimulations now to pick up a TrackIR..now is that going to cause more issues..I hope all this is worth it....

Wayne

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

I doubt you will have issues with TrackIr, except possibly the usual key assignments if they conflict with anything you /FSX uses. Default buttons for TrackIr *Pause, *Precision, and *Center... IIRC are the f9-f11 keys which are the default FSX cockpit views "VC, 2d, External View". ( I changed mine to assignments on the number pad, which won't work for you if you are using EZDOCK...you will want to figure out you own preferred key shortcuts for your software combo.)

[wain 879]

so I got me TrackIR yesterday, will have time to instal over weekend, bit of a bonus, was explaining about my Steam issues and it works out that RC have some FSX disc versions in stock, so  I bought one. Have now uninstalled all remnants of FSX-SE and will install disc at weekend too, hopefully that will put things right for me......

Wayne