Basic Flight Controls - Button Setup

(Because Clicking With a Mouse Is So Last Flight)

🧭 Step 1: Select Your Device

Head over to the left panel in SPAD.neXt and pick the device you want to configure:

• Yoke

• Button box

• Throttle quadrant

• Or your custom-built “looks like it belongs in a spaceship” panel

If it has buttons, it’s invited to the party.

Step 2: Activate the Lego Brick

Before you start pressing buttons like a caffeinated first officer, make sure the Lego brick icon is turned on.

This enables input detection, so SPAD.neXt can see what you’re pressing.

🧠 If this isn’t on, you’ll be pressing buttons into the void wondering why nothing is happening. The sim equivalent of yelling “Hello?” into a dead radio.

🎯 Step 3: Press the Button

Now press the button you want to configure.

SPAD.neXt will highlight and select it instantly like: 🛫 “Ah, Button 5… a bold choice.”

➕ Step 4: Create the Event

• Click “Add Event”

• Choose when it should trigger:

Options include:

• Pressed → when you push the button

• Pressed (short) → Press for less than the default time (1000 ms)

• Pressed (long) → Press for longer than the default time (1000 ms)

• Button Held → When you press and hold the button Options include: Threshold (time when spad considers the button being held) Frequency (how often it repeats the Action being executed.

• Released → when you let go

• On / Off → for toggle switches

✈️ Rule of thumb:

• Momentary button? → use Pressed

• Toggle switch? → use On/Off

🛎️ Step 5: Add an Action

Now click the ➕ (plus) icon to add what the button actually does.

You’ve got two main flight paths here:

🛫 Option A: Use a Command (Recommended for Most Cases)

• Select “Send Simulation Event”

• Search for your command (no more file gymnastics—SPAD.neXt’s got this covered now)

Examples:

sim/lights/beacon_lights_toggle
sim/lights/beacon_lights_off
sim/lights/beacon_lights_on

Choose how it runs:

• Execute Command Once → quick tap (most common)

• Begin Command / End Command → for press-and-hold actions

🎯 Commands are perfect for things like toggles, autopilot buttons, gear, lights—basically anything you’d “press” in the cockpit. Most things in X-plane are tied to commands, only use Option B when you have run out of Option A. Note: Some Aircraft developers Do not tie cockpit buttons or switches to the default commands, nor do they tie them to Custom Commands. In this case Option B

📟 Option B: Use a Dataref (For Precision Work)

• Select “Set Dataref Value”

• Enter your dataref

• Define the value

Example:

sim/cockpit2/switches/landing_lights_on = 1

🧠 Use this when you want full control instead of “toggle and hope for the best.”

🧪 Step 6: Test It

Fire up X-Plane and press your button:

• Light turns on? ✅

• Gear drops? ✅

• Aircraft doesn’t explode? ✅

You’re good to go.

If not… well… welcome to troubleshooting. We’ve all been there.

🧠 Pro Tips from the Left Seat

• 💡 Use datarefs as conditions to sync LEDs or states

• 🧩 Stack multiple actions if you want one button to do several things (because why not?)

✈️ Final Words from the Captain

You’ve now officially moved beyond “clicking things on-screen” and into the world of proper cockpit interaction.

Your buttons now:

• Do what you want

• When you want

• Without mouse gymnastics