Elgato Stream Deck XL - where to start?

So I’ve ordered the Stream Deck XL as a Christmas gift for myself. Only bad news is it has to go under the tree so I can’t play with it until Saturday.

I’m trying to prepare so I can use it straight away. I’ve been looking through various forums and there are so many discussions, mostly many months old, various plugins, hacks, workarounds etc. I’m starting to dread it.

What is the current, up-to-date recommendation to get started with this hardware? Some do’s and don’ts maybe. I don’t want to spend days working on profiles only to realise there was a better way to do it.

Thanks
Matt

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Hello,

I strongly advise you sir

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Be it stupid or not: the first thing I would probably do is to make little icons for the keys to resemble the on/off switches of my plane 1:1, something like this:

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I like to K.I.S.S.

Just create buttons that are using the keyboard bindings to control something. Even though the ALT +/- is buggy (1000 vs 100 MSFS bug) I use the buttons for +/- ALT and VS, all the time. I would be lost without my StreamDeck! I think you will like it.

Getting used to assigning the graphics for the buttons is a little weird using the StreamDeck webpage but you will get the hang of it. Go to that webpage (Elgato Buttons) and get used to it until Christmas morning when you find your Zeppelin under the tree. Watch some YT videos to learn how to use that webpage.

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Have you looked at SPAD.Next? I used the StreamDeck add on for a while, then realized you can do a hell of a lot more if you go the SPAD route. Streamdeck integration is only available on their complete edition, so there’s another price tag to add to your hobby, but I think it was worth it. Give their trial a shot and see if you’ll like it.

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Have a look here:

Github: Releases · nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck · GitHub

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I have purchased SpadNext, and it is good, BUT it is very complex to use successfully, as it seems to me that you need to understand ALL the Simconnect variable names, and how to change them to utilise this to any great effect.

I would love to find a really good how-To guide, the included help is pretty basic, and does not cover what all the options are in any way.

Anyone got feedback on this, I also have a streamdeck, and have fought with this to get things working with FS2020 and Xplane11

I went to the link above for the repo, but Chrome informed me that it identified a VIRUS, and stopped the download ???

I just want to download the item I add to StreamDeck in the profiles folder ,v where can I download that ?

Start by using the event monitor. It’s in one of the tabs, I think the one with the (+). When you turn it on, you can then go to the sim, press on something, then go back to SPAD and see which event was triggered. From there, you can kind of learn how things interact. That’s the way I did it. The learning curve was a tad steep, but once you get it, the flexibility is worth the time spent learning.

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Simple. Flight Tracker. It is brilliant and its canned, ready for the oven buttons will get you a lot of the things you need to go flying that same day. After that, you can relax and start thinking…

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I agree with you, Magic. I just downloaded Flight Tracker and the ALT (buttons: +/-) in the TBM has been resolved for me.

You can find “Flight Tracker” under the StreamDeck add-ons in the software that comes with StreamDeck, GemeenAapje.

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Event ID’s: Event IDs

Variables:
http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/utilities/variables/simulation_variables.html

Might save you some time :wink:

It does contain an exe file which connects the stream deck to the sim, maybe that’s the reason? Please read up on the thread linked in the same reply. It will make things more clear :slight_smile:

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Great replies, thanks everyone.
Little update: Wife forbids me putting it under the tree because she’s already got me a load of things and, to quote, “I don’t want the kids thinking Fr Christmas got daddy more than he got the kids”.
Well I have been a very good boy.
Anyhow - it’s now opened and installed. Really to play.

I’ll let you know how I go.

Thanks so much. Any more tips are also still welcome of course

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Got the same thing. The mobi download thing is infected with a virus.

This one?

What do you mean with Mobi download?

https://github.com/nguyenquyhy/Flight-Tracker-StreamDeck/releases/download/v0.22/tech.flighttracker.streamdeck.streamDeckPlugin

Alternatively, you can also install this plugin from the Streamdeck store itself :slight_smile:

Thanks for that tit bit of advice, it sounds like just what I was looking for. As you say, it is a steep learning curve, so seeing what is being received/sent in the sim will be enourmously helpful.

I will get it up in my next session and watch with wonder ;-))

HoW do you get the buttons to have a light showing that they are on?
Help please

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I got my stream deck on xmas and I have been using flight tracker plugin to map my buttons.
Just got the GA AP and i am working on gauges at the moment works nice. Obviously theres some bugs to work out but it’s good. Just need to be able to change nav freq from the deck now.

I don’t have a Stream Deck. I imagine it works that you have two different icons (one for ON and one for OFF)?

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Thanks for the reply, appreciatred

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