← Back to Go/No-Go Systems

User Manual

Complete guide to every feature in Go/No-Go Systems v1.3.9

Contents

  1. Getting Started
  2. Launch Profiles
  3. Apps & Launch Sequence
  4. Go Flight
  5. DCS VR / Monitor Toggle
  6. COM Ports
  7. File Restore
  8. Monitor Layout
  9. Kneeboard Position
  10. Shader Cache
  11. General Settings
  12. Licensing & Activation
  13. Import & Export
  14. Hotkeys
  15. Troubleshooting

1. Getting Started

Installation

Go/No-Go Systems requires no installation. Extract the zip file to any folder on your PC and run go-nogo.exe. Your settings persist across version upgrades automatically — just replace the exe when updating.

System Requirements

First Launch

On first launch you'll see a trial notification. All features are fully unlocked for 3 days. After the trial, enter your serial key to continue using Go/No-Go permanently.

Main Window Overview

The main window shows:

2. Launch Profiles

Profiles let you create different configurations for different simulators or setups. Each profile has its own:

Switching Profiles

Use the Profile dropdown in the action bar to switch between profiles. The app list and COM ports update immediately. Your last-used profile is remembered across restarts.

Creating a Profile

Click the + button next to the profile dropdown. Enter a name (e.g. "DCS VR", "BMS Falcon", "MSFS") and the new profile is created and activated. Add your apps and COM ports for that setup.

Renaming a Profile

Click the pencil icon next to the profile dropdown to rename the currently active profile.

Deleting a Profile

Open Settings, scroll to the Profiles section in the General tab. Each profile has a delete button. You must always have at least one profile.

What's Shared Across All Profiles

Monitor layout, kneeboard position, DCS paths, general preferences (language, splash, tray behaviour), and your serial key are global — they apply regardless of which profile is active.

3. Apps & Launch Sequence

Adding an App

  1. Open Settings (gear icon in the header)
  2. Go to the Apps tab
  3. Click Add App
  4. Set the name, file path, and any arguments
  5. Configure launch options (see below)
  6. Click Save

Launch Options

Reordering Apps

Use the up/down arrows in Settings to change launch order. Apps launch top-to-bottom during Go Flight.

Process Detection

Set one or more process names so Go/No-Go can detect if the app is already running. This drives the status badge (Running/Not Running) on the main screen.

4. Go Flight

The Go Flight button runs the full startup sequence in this order:

  1. Monitor layout restore — if configured, restores your saved display arrangement
  2. DCS VR mode — patches options.lua if the VR toggle is set for this profile
  3. Shader cache clear — deletes fxo/metashaders2 if enabled
  4. File restore — checks for modified files and asks to restore them
  5. COM ports — opens all configured COM ports for this profile
  6. App launch — launches each app in order with configured delays

Close All

Closes COM ports first (to prevent driver issues), then stops all running apps.

Shut Down

Closes COM ports, stops all apps, and exits Go/No-Go completely.

5. DCS VR / Monitor Toggle

The VR toggle button on the main screen lets you set whether DCS launches in VR or Monitor mode. It works by editing options.lua in your DCS Saved Games folder before DCS starts.

How to Use

Click the VR button on the main screen to toggle between:

The setting is per-profile. Your "DCS VR" profile can always launch in VR while your "DCS Monitors" profile uses screens — no manual switching at the DCS splash screen.

Requirements

Your DCS Saved Games path must be set (auto-detected from Settings, or set manually in the Kneeboard tab). DCS must have been run at least once so that options.lua exists.

6. COM Ports

Go/No-Go manages DCS-BIOS serial communication by launching the connect-serial-port.cmd hub process for each configured port.

Adding COM Ports

  1. Open Settings, go to the COM Ports tab
  2. Enter the port number and an optional label (e.g. "UFC Panel", "MFD Left")
  3. Click Add

Auto-Scan

Click Scan to auto-detect all connected COM ports on your system. Any new ports can be added in bulk.

Port Status Badges

The Comm Ports panel on the main screen shows each port as a coloured badge:

Click any badge to toggle that port on or off individually.

Show/Hide the Panel

Click Hide Comm Ports / Show Comm Ports in the header to toggle the panel. Users who don't use serial hardware can hide it completely.

7. File Restore

DCS updates sometimes overwrite custom Lua files and configurations. File Restore lets you keep your customised versions safe.

How It Works

  1. In Settings, go to File Restore
  2. Add an entry with a name, backup path (your custom file), and target path (where DCS expects it)
  3. During Go Flight, the files are compared. If DCS has overwritten your version, you're asked if you want to restore it

Undo Restore

If you need to revert to the DCS version, click Undo Custom Script Changes on the main screen. This copies the DCS original back.

Manual Check

Click Check Custom Scripts on the main screen to manually check for modified files outside of the Go Flight sequence.

8. Monitor Layout

Windows can reorder your monitors after a reboot or driver update. Go/No-Go saves your exact display arrangement and restores it automatically.

Saving Your Layout

  1. Arrange your monitors exactly how you want them in Windows Display Settings
  2. Open Settings, go to the Monitor Layout tab
  3. Click Save Current Layout

Restoring Your Layout

After updating Go/No-Go, re-save your monitor layout once. The saved layout file is stored as JSON next to the exe or in a custom path you specify.

9. Kneeboard Position

On multi-monitor setups, the DCS kneeboard often appears on the wrong screen. Go/No-Go lets you drag it to the correct monitor using a visual map.

Setting the Position

  1. Open Settings, go to the Kneeboard tab
  2. You'll see a visual map of all your monitors
  3. Drag the kneeboard rectangle to the screen you want
  4. Click Apply to DCS

A backup of the original DCS file is created automatically. A File Restore entry is also added so DCS updates won't undo your position.

Restoring Default Position

Click Restore Original to revert to the DCS default kneeboard position.

DCS must be restarted for kneeboard position changes to take effect.

10. Shader Cache

DCS compiles shaders and stores them in the fxo and metashaders2 folders inside your DCS Saved Games folder. Over time these caches grow large and can significantly increase DCS load times.

Enabling Shader Cache Clear

  1. Open Settings, go to the General tab
  2. Tick Clear DCS shader cache on Go Flight

When enabled, Go/No-Go deletes the contents of both folders before each launch. DCS will rebuild them fresh on the next start.

The first launch after clearing may take slightly longer while shaders recompile. Subsequent loads will be faster.

11. General Settings

Found in Settings, General tab:

System Tray

When minimised to tray, right-click the tray icon for quick access to:

12. Licensing & Activation

Free Trial

All features are fully unlocked for 3 days after first launch. No restrictions during the trial period.

Purchasing a Key

Visit GoNoGo.Systems and click Buy Serial Key. Payment is a one-time $9.99 USD via PayPal. Your key is delivered by email.

Activating

  1. Click the Activate button in the header (or the activation prompt when the trial expires)
  2. Enter your serial key in the format GONO-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
  3. Click Activate — your key is validated and stored permanently

Multiple PCs

You may install Go/No-Go on multiple personal computers using the same key.

13. Import & Export

Exporting Settings

In Settings, click Export to save your entire configuration (apps, COM ports, file restore, preferences) to a JSON file. Useful for backups or transferring to another PC.

Importing Settings

Click Import and select a previously exported JSON file. This replaces all current settings for the active profile. Your serial key is not affected by import/export.

14. Hotkeys

This is registered as a global hotkey on startup. Useful when you're in the cockpit and need to access the launcher without Alt-Tabbing.

15. Troubleshooting

Config Location

Log files are in the Logs folder (click the Logs button in the header to open it). Settings and license data are stored securely by the application.

Monitor Layout Restore Fails

If the restore fails after updating or changing hardware, re-save your monitor layout. The saved configuration includes hardware-specific identifiers that may change after driver updates or port changes.

COM Ports Show "NOT FOUND"

The physical device is not detected on the system. Check that the USB device is plugged in and the correct drivers are installed. Open Device Manager to verify the port number.

DCS VR Toggle Not Working

Ensure your DCS Saved Games path is set correctly (auto-detected in Settings, Kneeboard tab). DCS must have been run at least once so that Config\options.lua exists in the Saved Games folder.

App Not Detected as Running

Check the Process Names field in the app's settings. This should match the process name shown in Task Manager (without the .exe extension). Some apps use different process names than their executable filename.

Serial Key Lost After Crash

If the app crashed and your key was lost, simply re-enter it. From v1.3.9 onwards, settings are saved reliably and persist across all scenarios.

Getting Help

Check the log file for detailed error messages (click Logs in the header). For further support, use the contact form on the website or post in the Facebook community group.



← Back to Go/No-Go Systems