Clipboard

When you enter an Aces High II arena, the first thing you see is your clipboard. This is the main game interface and serves many different functions in the game.

The clipboard is divided into four areas – the Clipboard Controls, the Main Window, the Start Flight Buttons, and the Clipboard Menu.

Clipboard Controls

The clipboard controls are at the top of the clipboard. There are 4 buttons:

The Double Box minimizes the clipboard, putting it out of the way. Pushing Esc on your keyboard has the same effect. Push the Esc key to retrieve the clipboard when it is out of sight.

The Arrow allows you to move the clipboard by clicking and holding on the arrow and dragging the clipboard to its new location. This can also be done by clicking anywhere on the clip.

The Plus Sign has two functions:

• Left-clicking on it makes the entire clipboard larger
• Right-clicking zooms the map in

The Minus Sign also has two functions:

• Left-clicking makes the entire clipboard smaller
• Right-clicking zooms the map out

Main Window

The main window is the largest part of the clipboard. In all locations except the Hangar, the default view in the main window will show a map of the arena. In the Hangar it will show a list of planes and vehicles. As you select some menu items, a game interface will replace the map. Some functions also open a secondary window to the left of the clipboard with additional functions based on the menu selection.

START FLIGHT Buttons

The START FLIGHT buttons are used to start a sortie from the tower, hangar, or task group. If your current model selection is an aircraft, pressing the "H" button will start you in a hangar, while the direction buttons (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) will start you on a runway facing the direction of the button you pushed. Only available runways will have the direction button shown.

If your current model selection is a vehicle or boat, the START FLIGHT button has a slightly different function. The "H" key still starts you in the hangar at the airfield for a GV or at the carrier or shore for a PT boat, but the direction buttons start you at a "spawn point" near another base in the general direction of the direction key. To see where the spawn points are located, right click on the map to bring up the map menu and click on "Vehicle Spawns". This will place yellow (GV) or purple (PT Boat / LVTs on water) arrows on the map showing the location of spawn points. While in an aircraft or vehicle, the “START FLIGHT” area is blank.

If your current model selection is a field gun or ship gun, pressing "H" will place you at a gun on your base (or task group). If direction buttons are shown at a land base, you can click one to operate a shore battery near the base.

Clipboard Menu

The clipboard menu, located at the bottom-right of the clipboard, has several functions depending on where it is accessed from. The three places you will most often access your clipboard are the tower, the hangar, or in flight.

Clipboard Menu in Tower or Hangar – The clipboard menu in the Tower and Hangar are very similar. The main difference being the “Missions” and “Task Groups” options are not available while in the Hangar. Options available on the basic menu from these locations are:

• Tower - Takes you to the airfield tower. When on-line, you must be on the ground and stopped to use this function.
• Hangar - Takes you to the hangar where you select your plane/vehicle/boat and its load-out.
• O'Club – Go to the Officers' Club to start or manage a squad, change to a different country, or change the capitalization of your PlayerID.
• Options - Allows you to make adjustments to your setup to include joystick calibration and color changes
• Web Page Help - Takes you to the Aces High Help site in a web browser
• Quit - Exits this arena and brings up the arena selection screen
• Radio – Brings up the radio bar
• Roster - Shows a roster of all players in the arena which may be sorted by player name, country, rank, or squad
• Arena Message – Shows the "Message of the Day" for the arena
• Missions - Plan or join missions
• Task Groups - Allows you to control the movement of the carrier task groups
• Practice Missions - Play Offline Missions. Only available when playing offline.

Clipboard Menu during sortie – When on a sortie in an aircraft, vehicle, or boat, the clipboard menu has some different options.

• End Sortie – Ends your sortie and takes you back to the tower. In the Main Arena and in an aircraft, you must be on the ground and stopped for this command to work.
• E6B – Brings up the E6B, showing your true air speed, indicated airspeed, ground speed, and fuel consumption.
• War Status – Opens a window where you can see the status of bases, how many bases each country holds, and other strategic information.