Touchscreen panel kit!!

[Drewsta]

Hiya guys. I've been milling over this idea for awhile and I'm seriously thinking it will be a fantastic cheaper alternative. For radios and FMC for level D 767 I'm thinking of having a 17 inch lcd facing upwards on the pedestal. On the monitor display the FMC/CDU and radios/xpndr etc in the correct size. Apply the touch screen kit over the top of the monitor and then put the pedestal cover (MDF or whatever I use) over the top of that again. So then I would have the FMC and radios showing throught the precut holes in the pedestal and then pressing directly onto the screen the buttons on the FMC or either side of the radio knobs to change frequencies etc! The touchscreen is said to be quite responsive and accurate. (Providing you have your FMC or panel display big enough so that your finger doesn't press 2 buttons at once. Has any one seen this setup in action or heard of others using it, because if it works it will save me having to build my own FMC or buy expensive radios, for now anyway :)

For those who haven't seen them, here is a link to what I'm talking about.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280246853592

[Michael Carter]

Good alternative, but no one ever said this hobby was cheap.

But, you have to do what you have to do.

If had FMC's aboard the 727 I would cringe at the price I'd have to pay for a working unit and a dummy.

[Jackpilot]

It works of course and is even quite immersive after a few days...I used it on my first sim.
You will save yourself hundreds of hours of work.
Considering the savings go for a very good touch screen, better than a layover kit.
The panel with holes has to be very thin (no Mdf) where the holes are.
A picture of the CDU and radios printed on heavy plastic can do with the back of it painted flat black to avoid light through.

[percy]

I have a magic-touch screen and have it over a 17 inch monitor, displays both FMC and engine instruments displays. For the FMC works great on any FMC I am using. I had to go back from Vista 64 to vista 32 due to no vista 64 drivers. I did not check them all out but Magic-touch was the only one I found that had drivers for vista.

[mlscotti]

i love the idea, and i think that's the way im going also. let me know how well it works for you, and where is a good place to purchase one. I too was looking at ebay, however i wanted a dedicated screen not just a layover, for a touch screen. I want to use a touch screen for my cdu. im looking for a smaller touch screen.

[TucanoRC]

i love the idea, and i think that's the way im going also. let me know how well it works for you, and where is a good place to purchase one. I too was looking at ebay, however i wanted a dedicated screen not just a layover, for a touch screen. I want to use a touch screen for my cdu. im looking for a smaller touch screen.

There is another site that I use when ebay doesnt have what i am looking for.
www.pricewatch.com (http://www.pricewatch.com). They ahave different vendors and also different size monitors available. Hope this helps.

I too have thought of using touchscreen for my CRJ project since it is a glass cockpit. It would be neat to have the cockpit look more techy (sp?). Once I have ordered my Panels from Joe, I will look at what modifications i will need to do to make touchscreen work....

Klint Torbert
"TucanoRC"

[Drewsta]

Hey guys using a full touchscreen monitor as apposed to using a layover might be a better solution. However how compatible are they with say LevelD 767 software(CDU)? Can you simply attach the touchscreen via Video card or TH2GO and then click and drag the CDU onto the touchscreen....is it as simple as that? If so that just might be a better solution down the track.

[percy]

Any function that will respond to a mouse click will respond to a touch screen finger input. What happens is where you touch the screen the mouse pointer is moved there, The touch monitors are better but more expensive. My lay over was 160 bucks for a 15 inch one and works great on LVL D 767, PMDG ALL WILCO AIRBUS AND new E jet or any CDU/FMC that operates off a mouse clack. My Magic Touch connects to a usb input and requires drivers and calibration. Since mine is a lay over I needed different drivers for multi monitors as I had to tell the software which monitor the touch screen was over. If you use Vista make sure there are drivers for it. Yes just Drag the CDU/FMC to the monitor with the touch screen.

[PDT 200]

I know this was expensive, but I got my touchscreen from Newegg.com a Planar for $349.00 a couple of months ago. Works like a charm. This is what it looks like close up with the ERJ-145 FMC;
Regards,
Brian

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-3/1159387/WIP17.jpg

[meraki]

I am new here and I am interested to make a touch screen to FMC. I have a question about FMC and FSUIPC:
Does FSUIPC can be programed to active the keys of FMC in 737 NG of PMDG? Like to read a joystick key and active a FMC function? If it works, I have a cheap soluction, building a touch screen kit using infrared LEDs using usb joystick, about 128 I/O. But it does not work as a mouse.

[PDT 200]

If you use a touch screen the programing is already done. Instead of using a mouse to "push" the keys, you use your finger on the screen. No need to use FSUIPC. If you can undock the FMC and move it to the touch screen monitor, you're done. You will have to run the calibration tool for the touch screen but that is seperate from Flight Simulator. Calibrate when you instal the touch screen monitor.
Regards,
Brian

[Rafael Gomes]

Hello PDT200,

Nice picture!
OK, I understand it is pretty much plug and play... Now, a few questions:

1) Can I use this solution if I am running FS on a notebook??
2) I see you put the FMC horizontaly on your screen, and something by its side. Can I "turn" the FMC and use it full screen verticaly?
3) In anotebook, is it only drag also ?

Regards,
Rafael

[Radar]

theres some nice screens and kits here:phttp://www.magictouch.com/SpecialSales.html

[nax228]

Bringing up this post again since I made myself a 17" touchscreen before x-mas (TouchKit).
I have tried a coupple of flights with the FMC (LevelD & FlightDeckSoftware) undocked/positioned to the touchscreen and it works perfect to operate the FMC with fingers.
I would like to try to lay a dummy FMC on top to see if that works. Since I have never seen a dummy FMC in real life, I would like to ask you guys if there is some way to transfer buttonpresses from a dummy down on a touchscreen.
The presses can be done with i.e. a pen or any other object not beeing sharp, so please tell me if a dumme FMC has "real" buttons or if they are kinda' welded to the panel.
I will make a "Making of a touchscreen..." post soon.

[Tomlin]

nax228,

I'd like to know this as well! Let me know if you find out.

[totalflyer]

I can't remember where I saw it but if I recall I had found a MCDU that was just the frame and buttons but you had to provide the screen and the keypad for it... would that work on this setup if you replaced the keypad and lcd with the touchscreen under it. Then when you pushed down on the button it would press the screen instead...

I will try and hunt it down where I saw that but if that's the case it might be a great alternative solution...

Take Care,

Jeff

[Tomlin]

The only foreseeable issue is getting your hardware buttons lined up with the software buttons for the touch part.

[totalflyer]

But in theory if you could get everything to line up it should work I would suspect?

[nax228]

The software FMC is the right scale as far as i know, so it shoult work just great if we can get to use the keypresses from a dummy or just frame & buttons.
Im afraid the dummies has solid buttons, but would be glad if someone proved me wrong.
I've tried to look for the dummies on different sites, but can't seem to find any.

[totalflyer]

That has been the problem I have been running into as well...
I know that I have seen them somewhere in all of my research but cannot
for the life of me remember where it was that I found it...

I'll keep looking for now and if I find it I will let you guys know.

Cheers
Jeff

[twisted8]

I got a touch panel from ebay and added it to my 19" LCD monitor. It works great for the most part except that sometimes I end up dragging the FMC panel with my finger by accident (click and drag) Is there way in FSX to lock the panels so they don't move with the mouse (in this case with the finger)
Thanks