Setting up Joystick buttons

[Silver wings 0]

How do you set up the buttons for the commands on the joystick when some of the commands don't even exist on the control sheet.. I have the command sheet by Homeboy, thank you for a nice job, but I don't even see a map listed there. When I go into the hanger and click on controls a screen opens showing the controls for CFS3 that are very limited. There isn't any shut down engine CTRl+ENTER+F6 and many others like M for map for instance..

2nd silly question how do I access FAQ. Am I losing it LOL. I am 79 but in good health and still working as a model maker and flying my favorite Sims.

3rd I love this Sim above all the rest of them and I've got and tried them all. A great deal of work and it shows. At least you can fly the planes and I'm not going to mention the other one that is unbelievable to control, and I'm a private pilot. That one has gone Bye, Bye too

[Check Six 2]

How do you set up the buttons for the commands on the joystick when some of the commands don't even exist on the control sheet.. I have the command sheet by Homeboy, thank you for a nice job, but I don't even see a map listed there. When I go into the hanger and click on controls a screen opens showing the controls for CFS3 that are very limited. There isn't any shut down engine CTRl+ENTER+F6 and many others like M for map for instance..

2nd silly question how do I access FAQ. Am I losing it LOL. I am 79 but in good health and still working as a model maker and flying my favorite Sims.

3rd I love this Sim above all the rest of them and I've got and tried them all. A great deal of work and it shows. At least you can fly the planes and I'm not going to mention the other one that is unbelievable to control, and I'm a private pilot. That one has gone Bye, Bye too

 

Silver wings,

 

Welcome to OFF. I'll try to address some of your questions, and hope that if I can't answer you adequately, either my reply will give you a better idea of what you need to do, or that someone else will provide you with an answer.

 

First...Joystick button mapping. This largely depends on what type of joystick you're using. I personally use a Saitek X-52 Flight Control System, and I can describe the process there. The Saitek Joystick and Throttle has programmable software. Perhaps you can see an icon on your desktop, or perhaps perform a search of your computer for the brand of joystick you're using.

 

The saitek system places an icon on your task bar. If you click on it, it provides you with a menu. The one you want will be similar to "profile editor". In that program, it asks you what keystrokes you would like to call up when you press that particular button on your joystick.

 

 

 

 

You look at Homeboy's key command guide and figure out what keys are essential to you during combat (some of the most useful are Virtual Cockpit, Chase View, Toggle View, Next Target etc). Other keys are essential to flying OFF, but are not used in combat (for instance, like you mentioned "Mixture Cut-Off" [Ctrl+Shift+F6] - a very useful command, but you only use it after you have landed...just as you roll to a stop). Now that command doesn't need to be put on one of the very few buttons on your joystick, you can press them after you've let go of your joystick, and wiped your brow.

 

OK, the next step is to command your joystick to "emulate" these essential key presses. Let's take "Toggle View" as an example. Look on Homeboy's list, and that tells you the key command used to toggle view is "F4" Choose a button that you think would be useful for "Toggle View". Now this is sometimes used in combat, other times, when you're about to enter combat. If you use it very often, and in the heat of combat, you want it on one of the upper buttons on your joystick. If you use it less often, you can put it on one of the buttons on the base of your joystick.

 

Select that button with your mouse on the profile editor. It will ask you what keystrokes you wish to emulate with "Button A" or "Toggle 6". You then press those keys (even compound key strokes such as Ctrl+Shift+F6). It will have a stop button (see the picture I've included...it has a red "X" to stop and reset, a round red "Record" type button, a green "Tick" to enter that key stroke set. There you have it. (The Saitek has the ability to then show what command you have set for that button...see mine below). So mine for instance shows Fire Button A = Heads up display and then shows it is emulating "F5".

 

 

 

 

One of the most useful commands in flight combat is "Virtual Cockpit". If you look at Homeboy's key guide, it shows a blank line to tell you what key is assigned to Virtual Cockpit. By default, there is no key press assigned to this view. I have used the "V" key to call up my virtual cockpit. To define this, you need to get yourself on the airfield, looking at your aircraft, ready for take off. Press "Escape" and a menu will drop down from the right hand side of your screen. Select "Controls". A menu will open up on top of your screen. Scroll down alphabetically until you reach "virtual cockpit". You will see it is blank. Select "Add Assignment" (I think that's what it's called). It then asks you which key you'd like to assign for this command. Press "V". Then you need to SAVE your new command key list. You need to save it as "Mine"...you can see that when you open it up, your key commands are saved to "Mine" by default. Once you save it, click to remove the menu, then try it out. Unpause your sim, then press "V". You should now be sitting in the cockpit. Voila! If you wish to assign "V" now as one of your buttons on your joystick, use the process I've described above.

 

OK. Now sit down and have a think about what keys are most useful to you in combat, and those that are complex key strokes that you'd like to assign to one button, but not on the handle of your joystick, but on the base. (You are of course, more than welcome to use what I have provided earlier in my profile [remember that there are lots of buttons on the Saitek joystick and throttle, and that some such as hat switch views are not depicted...they're lower down]).

 

Follow that procedure and map the key strokes you think are essential to combat to the most accessible keys to your fingers and thumbs. Profile other less useful keys strokes to the base buttons.

 

Well, I hope that was easy enough to follow, and that if you're using a different brand of joystick, you can work out how to do it on that joystick. (If you can't, get back to us and tell us what joystick you're using, and someone with that type will help you out I'm sure).

 

Second question. This one is easier. Click on this link below, and it'll take you right there. (You should bookmark this and read through it often, you'll find heaps of useful tips and tricks there).

 

 

http://www.overflandersfields.com/FAQ.htm

 

Third question. Well mate, your choice is your choice, but please don't act hastily and throw that "other sim" in the bin. Both are good in their own ways, I'm sure. I think you might have trouble flying some of these aircraft on OFF as well. They are reasonably accurate flight models, and these aircraft are difficult to keep in the air, and when they begin a spin, it's difficult to recover (compared to the aircraft you're used to flying). If you have a Force Feedback Joystick, it will begin to shake just before you begin to stall, so get the speed up again quickly. If you don't have a FF joystick, you'll see a warning appear on the extreme top right of your screen warning you that you are about to stall. Be patient, fly a few hours doing lots of turns using rudder to keep your nose up and turn flat as possible (losing altitude in a WW1 fighter or bomber can be fatal...if the AI aircraft you're fighting loses altitude in a turning fight, and you don't, you're half way there towards defeating him). The place to do this is in "Quick Combat". You can select (up the top) "Free Flight". No enemies. Just get used to being able to climb (slowly and deliberately...sometimes helps to climb in a spiral in some aircraft) and turn. Once you are satisfied that you can fly adequately, you can then select "Turkey Shoot" and fight against AI and assign their capabilities ("rookie" or "veteran"). Remember to select "pilot never dies" so that you're not constantly having to re-enlist pilots. This is very discouraging, and a collossal pain in the proverbial. Then you're going to enjoy this sim more and more. Then you can tweak the game to make it harder and harder and more challenging.

 

For more than a few reasons (which I won't go into here), I don't own that "other sim", but might purchase it in the future, but please don't shelve it. Fly both. Compare them. Enjoy both!

 

I hope that helps you out mate. If you need any further help, please come back and ask. We're very helpful and friendly here.

[Silver wings 0]

Thank you Uncleal and Check Six. Especially for the work you did Check Six on the button assignment. The problem I see was because I thought I could set up all my buttons directly from the pop up . I have the CH products, Pro Throttle, Fighter stick and Pro pedals so I guess i should be setting everything up through there. I have put some of the ideas into use already and will monitor to see how it does.

! more question : How can FPS be set up on the screen ?

 

Thank you for the help, I appreciate it,,

[Check Six 2]

Thank you Uncleal and Check Six. Especially for the work you did Check Six on the button assignment. The problem I see was because I thought I could set up all my buttons directly from the pop up . I have the CH products, Pro Throttle, Fighter stick and Pro pedals so I guess i should be setting everything up through there. I have put some of the ideas into use already and will monitor to see how it does.

! more question : How can FPS be set up on the screen ?

 

Thank you for the help, I appreciate it,,

 

Silver wings,

Glad to hear that it was helpful to you.

 

To view the frame rate on your screen, you press "Z" (toggle info). Frame rate, current time, latitude and longitude, altitude, and a great deal of other information is presented by pressing this key. It is a "toggle" so hitting "Z" again makes it disappear.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Check Six