• The software that controls the platform.
• Software that reads (and sends) screen position
data from the game to the control software.
• A flight simulator program such as Microsoft
Flight Simulator or Combat Simulator to fly with.
In operation, you will start the platform control
and screen reading software in the background, then
load the video game and off you go. As mentioned
before, the design of this simulator is more than 15
years old and that fact shows up in the software most
of all. Currently, the simulator software that I wrote is
only proven to work with software from that time.
Both Microsoft Flight Simulator (through 2002)
and Combat Flight Simulator from the same years
work great, and are easily obtainable on eBay and
elsewhere. They are still excellent programs even by
today’s standards. In addition, the preferred platform
for running this software is Windows 98.
So, an inexpensive older computer could be
used as a dedicated flight simulator computer, or a
modern computer can be set up to “dual boot” to
Windows 98.
Of course, it might also be possible to use a
compatibility mode in Windows to run older software.
I have not tested this, and my experience with
compatibility modes has been pretty poor.
Time to Take Off
I hope this article has whet your urge to take on a
project like this. It really is a thrill to have your own F-
16, ehem, I mean simulated F- 16 waiting right in the
next room for you at any time.
There is a burgeoning home simulator community to
be found on the Internet with many extraordinary tips,
ideas, and methods for maximizing the experience.
I’ll put together extensive downloads and videos
showing all the inner workings close up, and provide links
to many other sources of home simulator materials at
www.noonco.com/flyerbuilder.
Let’s get building! NV
; FIGURE 9.
Both the platform control software and the
screen position software are available for download
at www.noonco.com/flyerbuilder.
The original software was written by me in Basic
and is therefore extremely easy to read and modify.
I’m also putting up on the web page for your perusal
all my original heavily commented source code and
an explanation of how the code works. This should
make it easy to rewrite or use the older source code
as a jumping off point for connecting to your current
favorite software.
April 2014 45