Typing within VR

Could someone please tell me how you type an airport code within VR? I would have thought a keyboard would pop up when entering a field. To be sure you don’t have to take headset off to type. Thanks:)

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Do your flight setup, get on the runway, set your Wx, time of day etc., then switch into VR. Much easier that way.

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That’s what I’ve been doing, but it doesn’t make much sense that you can’t type anything in VR. Any other app or sim I’ve used, if you make a field active, a keyboard would pop up.

What is it you need to type, exactly? I find when I’m in VR, the only time I need to use the keyboard is for shortcuts, like change to external cam, turn on menu, those kinds of things. But I can’t think of anything I have needed/wanted to “type”.

What about using the Windows On-Screen Keyboard.. would that work?

For example…when you go back to the world map after a flight and want to go to a different airport.

The Windows On Screen Keyboard would not show up in VR.

Oh, okay. I don’t do that, I ALWAYS reboot before starting a new flight, and never go into VR mode until all the planning, etc., is done and I’m sitting in the cockpit in a parking spot somewhere.

Maybe doing that is more placebo than real, but it just seems like it improves performance and prevents problems. :man_shrugging:

I’m with the original poster. In fact I found that out yesterday when I tried it.

I had set up a flight from San Diego to Los Angeles and validated it. Went into VR and changed my mind as I instead decided to go to Palm Springs. So I came back out to the map as I couldn’t remember exactly where Palm Springs was.

It was then I realised I had to take off my headset to type it in the destination field. I was also expecting a pop-up keyboard to display.

That’s why it’s a problem and an annoyance.

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Have to completely agree on this. And we need much more functionallities for VR …

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That’s exactly what I do too - never go from one flight to the next without completely exiting MSFS and restarting. For sure a couple of versions ago it helped avoid some of the problems. May not be needed now but a habit I’ve gotten into. So this question has never come up for me.

However, completely agree with the OP. Since you can run MSFS completely in VR, there really should be a virtual keyboard to use. It’s a basic functional need.

I have my keyboard center, so I just reach out, feel for the nubs on the keyboard, that center your index fingers on F and J, and type away.

But I learned to type in 8th grade in typing class being in home position with no letters or numbers on the buttons.

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Can’t argue with that! Well, I can, but I’m not going to…

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Please do create a bug/wishlist topic so that we can vote for this and raise awarness:

Latest Bugs & Issues/Virtual Reality (VR) topics - Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums

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Or… what about the addition of a webcam preview window, where you could aim a webcam at your real keyboard so you can see your hands while in VR?

That’s my feature request: Webcam Preview support in VR

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There’s the “flashlight” in the WMR Portal that can be turned on and off by voice and uses the G2 headset cams in crummy low-res to show you a B&W image of what you’re looking at - too bad that that flashlight can’t be turned on/on by voice in MSFS, too.

what’s wrong with feeling for home keys then typing? I guess I’m just old school :wink:

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Not so easy when one has enough nerve damage not to be able to feel the keys. Please be inclusive if possible.

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@JALxml, it can! Just say “Flashlight On”. Followed by “Flashlight Off” when you’re done with it. But it’s like you said, a horrible resolution black and white image that’s jittery as hell. But it’s better than nothing, and easy to access with the voice commands. It’s probably going to take new hardware to improve on it, as it’s probably native to those “cameras” that are creating the image. No software fixes there, I’m afraid.

Now if only I knew the voice commands for “Take a screenshot”… I’m offering a reward of 5 random smileys to anyone who figures it out before I do!

@YearlingDeer319, I can SOOO relate. The reason (well one of them) I can’t walk is because of extensive nerve damage to my lower extremities, which has caused massive muscular atrophy, and affected my feeling to about the only thing I can feel is pain. Lots and lots of pain.

But just as I can’t begrudge people who don’t have that problem the normal usage of rudder pedals to control their plane the right way, you shouldn’t begrudge people with normal feeling in their hands who use those raised ridges the ability to type better in the “blind”, so to speak.

I’m not saying that they shouldn’t have a popup VR keyboard in the right circumstances, not at all, despite the fact that I’ve typed much of this message with my eyes literally closed thanks to those two braille-like embossed keys on the F and J keys. Though for me, personally, it would be mostly of limited usefulness, because I don’t type often from within VR, I mostly use the keyboard for a handful of commands (like Shift-P for pushback) that I haven’t found a good home for on my T16000m joystick.

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I did not know about this Flashlight feature so… thank you! I can confirm it also works while in VR in FS2020.

That said… not gonna work for what I/we need it for. Staring at my lap with a pad of paper on it - it wasn’t clear enough to read what was written. And trying to read a tablet was even worse.

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I stare at my lap while simming and I always find Kat on there. If I did have paper, I’m sure she’d “dispatch” it sharpish!