IL-2 ChatBox - improved chat functionality

[JG27*PapaFly]

Hi everyone,

the in-game chat functionality has always frustrated me. As long as the chat window is open, it blocks my TrackIR, as well as my mouse and all non character-producing keys.

I've programmed the ChatBox application in order to improve the chat experience.

 

What is it?

• The ChatBox is a tiny executable file that you don't even have to install.
• It toggles it's own, semi-transparent overlay window near the top of the game window.
• When the ChatBox window is on, it intercepts input from character-producing keys, and displays the entered text in it's window, without stealing focus from the game window.
• It doesn't block your head tracker, mouse, or any input from non-character-producing keys. Combinations of character-producing keys and Alt, Ctrl, or Win modifier keys also work.
• You can take your time and don't loose situational awareness while typing.
• Press the Numpad Substraction key to pause the input. This simply hides the ChatBox, but does not delete the entered text. Thus, you can use the ChatBox as a cheat sheet during your sortie, e.g. by storing critical mission information.
• Press Numpad Multiply again to continue typing, or press Escape to abort. This will empty the window's content.
• To send your message, press either Enter to send to everyone on the server, or press Ctrl + Enter to send to your allies.
• While sending, the ChatBox content is parsed very quickly to the in-game chat, and the message is sent automatically. Note that the ChatBox is not a mod. It makes use of the in-game chat.
• Just like the in-game chat, the ChatBox accepts a maximum of 256 characters.
•  In addition, the ChatBox enables you to send two automated messages:

                      Double-tap the Numpad Multiply key to send a warning message to your allies.
                      Double-tap the Numpad Substract key to call for help - you only have to add the sector you're in and press control plus enter.

• To toggle the help window, press Ctrl + Numpad Substraction
• To restart the ChatBox, press Ctrl + Numpad Multiply

 

Caveats

• Because the ChatBox diverts your input from the active window (IL-2) to it's own window, it will most likely be blacklisted by your antivirus or firewall application when you first run it. If this happens, you can select the app e.g. in your firewall settings and change it's status to that of a trustworthy app.
•  While you type into the ChatBox, a character might escape the ChatBox and will fall through to IL-2. Such events are likely to happen if you spam a character-producing key. Depending on which, if any, in-game commands you have mapped to the escaped character, unpleasant things might happen, e.g. your gear might retract while you sit on the runway. In order to completely avoid that, try to map in-game commands which have the potential to ruin your sortie to keys or key combinations which do not produce characters (e.g. Ctrl, Alt, and Win modifiers work perfectly in combination with character-producing keys).
• The application has been tested on a very limited set of PCs. Therefore, some further optimization might be needed in order to make it run smoothly on a wide range of machines. Kindly forward your questions, constructive feedback, and ideas for further improvement to me.

 

Kudos to my beta testers, JG27_Gosho and @JG27_M-C

 

Download ChatBox_v1.zip

 

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by JG27_PapaFly

[JG27*PapaFly]

If someone would volunteer to translate the readme into Russian, I could include Russian instructions and perhaps Russian subtitles to the vid.

The executable works fine with the cyrillic keyboard.

[JG1_Vonrd]

Great tool! Thank you Sir!

[NiiranenVR]

Vr ??? 

 

 

( if it do I'll start in my free time in a secretary school , learn blind typing / 10 finger system ?) 

[JG1_Vonrd]

Can you give us the option of changing the hotkeys in the .ini? A squadmate doesn't have numkeys on his laptop.

It would also be helpful to have some way of editing (adding) pre-typed messages.

 

Thanks!

[GenMarkof007]

S! @JG27_PapaFly

 

Like ask by JG1_Vonrd, Is there any way to change the key mapping for this app?
I've got a shorten keyboard from Corsair and I don't have the numpad.
Hope it's possible, would really like to use your Chat Box app!

Cheers,
GenMarkof

[JG27*PapaFly]

9 hours ago, JG1_GenMarkof007 said:

S! @JG27_PapaFly

 

Like ask by JG1_Vonrd, Is there any way to change the key mapping for this app?
I've got a shorten keyboard from Corsair and I don't have the numpad.
Hope it's possible, would really like to use your Chat Box app!

Cheers,
GenMarkof

 

Hi there,

Glad you guys like the tool

The programming was a nice journey, but I had no idea whether folks would actually find it useful.

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll have a look at ways to implement them (very little spare time right now).

 

As I flew online with my squad last week, one of the guys dropped off coms, and I soon missed a pre recorded message along the lines of  "Plane fucked - I must RTB" LOL.

 

I'll keep you posted on my progress.