Lets hear some interesting ways of programming joysticks.

[Parapilot]

The newer joysticks today have the ability to do so much with a single press of a button or the movement of an axes. I think it would be interesting to hear some of the innovative ways EM pilots have set up their buttons and axes to do advanced stuff. I am not speaking of just your key assignments but macros and advanced commands. I haven't tried this combination, it just came to me but I noticed when in battle my primary weapons deplete rapidly. With the button I have assigned to it I'm going to try this

Press (button down)
"]" (weapon energy) both down and up (or maybe just down)

Repeat
Ctrl down

Release (button up)
Ctrl up, "]" both down and up (or maybe just up)

I can't remember if the "]" key is momentary or latched.
Has anyone tried this and does it make any difference?

What about auxiliary rotaries I have two doing nothing. Anyone come up with a good use for them?

[SeeJay]

I haven't tried any advanced macros, but for my X52 I have the two rotarys on the throttle set to strafe
up/down and left/right.

[49rTbird]

Originally posted by SeeJay
I haven't tried any advanced macros, but for my X52 I have the two rotarys on the throttle set to strafe
up/down and left/right.

I tried this but had a hard time getting them zeroed again.

[SeeJay]

I have a deadzone in the center for both axis. I also have the slide bar set to energy shields/weapons.

[Bossk]

My x52 profile is set so that the slider on the throttle is used to allocate energy to weapons/shields as needed. Also the throttle itself is setup using bands to give me afterburners at specific points in the movement. I have the two rotary knobs as up/down left/right strafe just as SeeJay.

B

[Marvin]

Originally posted by Bossk

Also the throttle itself is setup using bands to give me afterburners at specific points in the movement.

Done any planetside contracts lately?

[Dingo]

my x52 pro arrived today with a broken 6 pin connector. therefore i programmed it as a cup holder and stress relief squeezee things, and really bad modern art.

[Maarschalk]

You can also use it as a paper weight.....LOL.....

Actually I'm sorry to hear.....I hear Saitek is good in replacing broken Joysticks.....although mine had issues to but I fixed those issues my self...

[Maarschalk]

I limit the macros to a minimum of 3 key press commands. The reason is simply that when you activate a sequence of macro commands you can not use any other command till the macro command finishes and this can be critical in combat. Also I have programmed my hat on my X52 throttle as the straffe control so that it centers it self when I turn IDS back on and it also keeps my thumb free for pressing the D button on my throttle which I have programmed for CM's. This is handy I found because in this set up you have your right hand thumb also free to fire weapons while at the same time realising CM's with your left thumb. I use to have the C button programmed for CM's but I soon discovered that that is almost impossible to launch CM's at the same time as firing your weapons and missiles and selecting your targets......There I finally gave away one of my joystick secret programming tactics.....LOL......

[Parapilot]

Originally posted by Maarschalk
I limit the macros to a minimum of 3 key press commands. The reason is simply that when you activate a sequence of macro commands you can not use any other command till the macro command finishes and this can be critical in combat. Also I have programmed my hat on my X52 throttle as the straffe control so that it centers it self when I turn IDS back on and it also keeps my thumb free for pressing the D button on my throttle which I have programmed for CM's. This is handy I found because in this set up you have your right hand thumb also free to fire weapons while at the same time realising CM's with your left thumb. I use to have the C button programmed for CM's but I soon discovered that that is almost impossible to launch CM's at the same time as firing your weapons and missiles and selecting your targets......There I finally gave away one of my joystick secret programming tactics.....LOL......

Guess your are right. It seems as though the programming thing is pretty much a gimmick. I tried what I was attempting to do in the post above and the reaction time was way to slow. Useless in combat. But for programming a save button or an Alt "whatever" it seems to work fine. I guess there is no substitute for skill. Darn!!! Oh and thanks for the programming spoiler!!!;)

[MMaggio]

Originally posted by Dingo79
my x52 pro arrived today with a broken 6 pin connector. therefore i programmed it as a cup holder and stress relief squeezee things, and really bad modern art.

Should have bought a used X45!;)

[deathMinder]

I'm a lefty. I haven't found a lefty stick / throttle combo, but I did happen to come across a reversible stick. Sold... lol

Well I liked it so much that I went out and bought a second one. Left hand programmed for pitch, roll, and yaw. Trigger for weapons, thumb for missiles, HAT for look. Right hand for strafe left / right / up / down, (haven't found a use for rudder twist yet.. any ideas?) trigger for thruster, thumb for reverse, HAT will be programmed for switching weapons when I find a good emulator software. (Looked into Thrustmaster TARGET, but it only supports one of my joysticks, not dual.)

It gives me a super amount of control of the ship, for instance I can fly almost exactly like IDS mode in inertial mode. Maneuvering at very low speeds is trivial since I can move like a bee or hummingbird. Orbiting objects is much easier. Best of all flying this way is just a lot of fun!

I'm steeling the idea of using the throttle slider for the sheilds / weaps...

I've also considered using one trigger for particles and the other for for beams, as I have found benefits for each separately. Then I would move the thruster to the right thumb and would lose my reverse ease-of-use... TARGET supports layers which would be cool, but I don't have any real switches on my controllers, so it would require a toggle button press or something...

So its a work in progress, and I tinker with it often looking for better button options. Good times...

[GORF]

My X52 bakes cookies if I press the fire missle button in "mode 3"

[Parapilot]

Originally posted by GORF
My X52 bakes cookies if I press the fire missle button in "mode 3"

Send me your profile!!!!!:D

[DaveK]

Is anyone else using an X45?

[MMaggio]

You betcha! I like it so much, I bought three of them! I also have the X52, but quickly put it back in the box after comparing the two.
Personally, I feel that the X45 is a much, much better controller and it has more options than the X52. The stick has a much firmer feel than the X52 and I can see no use for all the lights on the base when you will never have time to look at them during combat!
'Nuff said!

[Parapilot]

Originally posted by DaveK
Is anyone else using an X45?

yes I use one. I found the joystick is a little stiff so I took bailing wire and ran it between two of the loops on the main spring and tightened it up. Did this on opposing sides of the spring and it really loosened it up to where I like it. I have a X-65f coming tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how that works. It runs on load cells instead of stick motion. (No movement on the stick, all pressure). If I like it better I will sell the x45, if not the x-65f goes back.

[Galaxian]

I'm running a TM HOTAS Cougar with a RealSimulator FSSB R2 (Force Sensing Stick Base) installed and an original RCS for rudder control. All mounted in my modular cockpit.

Took some getting used to at first but I'd never go back to a standard stick now.

I've worked out a config that combined with Shoot! for voice command allows me full control with no keyboard interaction.

The main 'features' I've got set up:

3 'dogfight' modes using the DF switch on the throttle. Attack/Defensive/Safe

Attack mode enables me to use the first stage of the Cougar's 2 stage trigger to engage and hammer the target's shields with continuously with beam weapons only.

This conserves energy on the main guns until stage two on the trigger is engaged, which disengages the beam weapons and engages the particle cannons only. This gives me a clear view to lead the target and adjust fire as needed.

Releasing stage two but keeping stage one engaged switches back to beam weapons only. Releasing the trigger completely disengages all weapons (obviously).

Defensive mode disables the first stage of the trigger and engages particle weapons only. This allows a view uncluttered by beams of coherent light while defeating incoming missiles.

And Safe is, well Safe. Just because I can... lol

Energy mgmt is done using the range knob on the throttle.

Shield mgmt is via the 'Coolie' hat on the stick. (I use a TIR 5 for looking around).

The other hats are used for HUD management, targeting and countermeasures.

The pinky switch engages auto pilot.

IDS/Inertial toggle is via the button press on the range knob.

The ant elevation knob handles the fwd/rev thrust in inertial and the throttle micro-stick is used for analog vertical/horizontal thruster control.

I'm using the speed brake switch to reverse thrust and match target speed in IDS.

I have the throttle set up with a band for afterburner.

And finally, I use the 4-way radio switch on the throttle for toggling voice commands/PTT chat and TIR pause/center.

I'm using a similar set up for FSO as well.


I'll post up the configs if anyone is interested.

[Edited on 11-12-2010 by Galaxian]

[Parapilot]

Now that is a setup Galaxian! Do you have a picture of your setup somewhere?

[Edited on 11-12-2010 by Parapilot]

[Galaxian]

Hope this isn't a hijack, but here are a couple of pics:

I usually play EM at night with all the lights out for maximum immersion ...

My camera isn't too good in the dark though.







The MFDs are TM Cougar MFDs. Functional as well. I use them for Jane's F/A-18.

I've also got a pair of bass transducers mounted on a panel under the pilot's seat that are driven by a plate amp mounted in the rear below the 'wing'.

I can convert over to race mode in about 5 minutes using a set of driving controls i built based on a programmable USB interface purpose built (not by me) for the task.

[Edited on 11-12-2010 by Galaxian]

[Edited on 11-12-2010 by Galaxian]

[Parapilot]

Holy Cow!!!! That is figgin awesome!!! TrackIR, sourround sound, control panels, the works. Question... where does the martini go?

[Galaxian]

Thanks.

The drink tray is accessed by pressing a button on the front of the computer...

Ever since the glory days of the Star Wars sit down arcade game (could be dating myself here.... lol) I've wanted to build my own Starfighter cockpit.

Finally got the project off the ground. Always a work in progress, but the building of has been a lot of fun.



[Edited on 11-13-2010 by Galaxian]

[Edited on 11-13-2010 by Galaxian]

[Parapilot]

Originally posted by Galaxian

The drink tray is accessed by pressing a button on the front of the computer...

The escape key would be more appropriate if it wasn't taken;)

[Maarschalk]

Originally posted by GORF
My X52 bakes cookies if I press the fire missle button in "mode 3"

ROFL.......Mine soils the laundry of my enemies..........:P:P:P:P

[Galaxian]

Attached are the current versions of my config and macro files for the Cougar.

*See next post for macro file*

[Edited on 11-19-2010 by Galaxian]