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Any of you guys used the MATRIC app to control the sim? I find it VERY useful indeed! See details below.


minimi66

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Hi Tankers,

 

A few months back i discovered Matric, a PC app that enables you to create "decks" for the accompanying Android phone or tablet version of the app.  This enables you to create virtual control panels ("pages") with buttons, switches and labels etc that use keyboard emulation to control functions in your sim/game.

 

https://matricapp.com/

 

https://discord.gg/HjEZnfe

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tbm.matric.client

 

I started using it for DCS World to create control panels with "pages" for all manner of needed cockpit controls etc.  I've now increasingly started using it in other games such as Graviteam Tactics, Steel Armour and now SB pro PE.

 

Check out my Work in Progress Deck for SB, images below.

 

Love to hear any thoughts or comments and i've posted my deck for download and use by other tankers out there. It uses the default SB Pro PE keyboard commands from the manual.  It installs with a double-click once you have installed the Matric app on your PC.  You can edit and re-create your own version that fits your needs and style of play etc.

 

I think the main advantage is that you no longer need to remember dozens of keyboard commands for all the different crew stations etc?  One slight drawback currently though is that there is only an Android version of the app, apparently an Apple version is in the works?  You will need an Android tablet with a reasonably recent OS as well, all details on the site and the devs are VERY helpful indeed!

 

Enjoy!  Let me know what you think?

Screenshot_20210823-222345_MATRIC.jpg

Screenshot_20210823-222357_MATRIC.jpg

Screenshot_20210823-222405_MATRIC.jpg

Screenshot_20210823-222420_MATRIC.jpg

Screenshot_20210823-222146_MATRIC.jpg

SteelBeastsProPE_WIP.deck

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Hey, thanks for this. 1st I've heard of this particular app. 8 or so years back I used something similar for flight sims. I've forgotten what it was called. Seems it had "buddy" in the name. Anyway I may play around with your suggestion, and again - Thanks.  

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The main challenge for an external application is that hotkeys in SB Pro are context-sensitive and the app wouldn't know whether you're in the commander's, driver's, or gunner's position. It's probably ony a minor issue - but should be mentioned.

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3 hours ago, Ssnake said:

The main challenge for an external application is that hotkeys in SB Pro are context-sensitive and the app wouldn't know whether you're in the commander's, driver's, or gunner's position. It's probably ony a minor issue - but should be mentioned.

Ok, thanks very much for high-lighting that. 

 

I haven't noticed any major problem so far other than yes in certain situations i've noticed that a button or two is un-responsive which i guess is probably due to the feature you have mentioned.  But in my limited (1 week) time of using the app with SB and my curret deck setup it seems to work 90% of the time and i do have my Logitech G-13 Gamepad mapped for other commands that may not work via the app.

 

I will keep playing around and see if i can identify where any consistent issues might be and post them here.

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On 8/24/2021 at 10:02 PM, Apocalypse 31 said:

Thoughts on a software control surface versus a hardware solution like a stream deck? 

 

image.png.decb462e49aa7764f1ab7e8f0fcf549f.png


I have a streamdeckXL. It’s awesome for DCS. And flight sims in general.  


Don’t use it for SB as I’m faster with keyboard.

 

Physical buttons like streamdeck are better for me than phone or tablet touchscreen since you get tactile feedback.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Coming over from flight sim will go for a similar approach but using Helios with a 15" touchscreen as profile building software which could be technically used with a tablet as well if a tablet to monitor app such as Spacedesk or Duettdisplay is used

Edited by oakdesign
Typo
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  • 3 months later...

Thanks. This looked cool so I installed it on PC and downloaded the app on my phone (as the second screen), they connected right away. Then I setup a quick test for Steel Beasts but get a "you need the Premium version" message on the phone app. Do I need to pay for premium to get it to work?

 

edit to add: got it work, Free version can use only 6 buttons.

Edited by TC237
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On 8/24/2021 at 1:41 AM, Ssnake said:

The main challenge for an external application is that hotkeys in SB Pro are context-sensitive and the app wouldn't know whether you're in the commander's, driver's, or gunner's position. It's probably ony a minor issue - but should be mentioned.

If the external device supports multiple overlays and is used to change positions, you can switch key maps to support the new context?

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On 12/28/2021 at 4:51 AM, Red2112 said:

You also have a app called Sim Dashboard, there´s other free apps that I can´t recall right now but you do have alternatives to the Elgato Stream Deck for free, or a minor price.

Thanks Red2112, I checked out Sim Dash but the free version allowed only three custom buttons (from my first look), I'll take a closer look at it latter.
I'm trying out Matric and an app called Game Glass which is similar to Matric but has 8 free buttons instead of Matric's 6, but is not as easy to configure.

Edited by TC237
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