@Mallard4468 posted:Are you still working on your idea to map a gaming controller to the MTH app? Since MTH is no longer making remotes, IMO this is a longer-term answer to having a tactile way of operating DCS.
That is still in the works. I just haven't had a lot of time to devote to this project lately. Mark's work is very extensive and detailed which lead to me tossing around a new idea of building a whole new app that would replace the DCS app all together with handheld controller interface integrated. This may prove to be easier than building an overlay app that runs on top of the current DCS app.
Then I brainstormed this into my next wild idea, how about a single app that will interface with both the WTIU/WIU and the BASE3. So now you can launch one app and run both Lionel and MTH command systems from a single interface with a handheld controller interface built in. Maybe I'm biting off more than I can chew but I think there would be demand for this. Finally, a single remote (app) that works for everyone's command system.
While many here like the traditional remotes, they were also the source of many frustrations for me. After seeing how much faster and smoother I could issue commands on the DCS App, the remote became history to me. It was slow, the scroll wheel was slower. The LCD screen of the CAB2 & DCS remote had the horrible refresh rate that LCD screens are known for. I could press buttons and issue commands faster than the screens could update. A phone made 10 years ago simply has better technology and a faster CPU to facilitate a user interface that responds as quickly as I'd like. I suspect that any new hardware remote from Lionel or MTH will be built around their respective apps and not with an in house dedicated hardware remote like the CAB2 or the DCS Remote. I'm for a new remote, but they need to use modern tech, better screens, and don't just reproduce your 20 year old design.
