CubPilot

I would look at it again. When I looked at his videos he was using ON-OFF or ON-OFF-ON switches. That's what I use. I think I have the right thread, the one by Tigershark. Yes there is a USB limit to 32 buttons but somewhere on the forums a guy made a berakout board that had many more switch positions if I remember correctly. :pilotfly:

I haven't used the Teensy Board, but maybe this would help. :pilotfly:

It could be that the firmware in the joystick was an older or different version than the software you were using (based on your fix above). If the TM firmware & TM software versions are different you will have installation problems. More details are here, item #8. This is something most people would probably not think of as being important and should not be a problem with a new Cougar. If it is a used Cougar that you may have purchased, then if it has firmware in the joystick from previous use you won't know what version it may be. A way to delete the firmware during installation is to hold the trigger down for at least 5 seconds when asked to plug in the Cougar during the install. This will erase the firmware. Then you will need to reload the firmware into the joystick, which will then match the software being used. :pilotfly:

Here's one method using an AutoHotKey script. Run the script before starting DCS, it's very light on computer resources and the Warthog plug & play with DCS is still retained. Click here. :pilotfly:

Yes TIR is "toned down a bit", which means that you can adjust your view in TIR using a certain amount of head movement. So, in your 90 degree view example, your view thru TIR can be 90 degrees, but your head movement can be less than 90 degrees to achieve this. Obviously, you need to see the monitor at all times. TIR can be setup so that you can see 180 degrees back while still being able to see your monitor. There is a small learning curve to get used to using TIR, but after that you will probably wonder how you ever got along without it. It helps with situational awareness. For instance, flying the traffic pattern at an airport is much easier with TIR to judge when to turn base leg, final leg, etc. One other item. Using TIR frees up the joystick HAT button for trimming the aircraft (Pitch & Roll axes), you will usually be adjusting the trim quite often as your fuel/weapon load changes, at least with the A-10C. :pilotfly:

It's always enjoyable to help someone spend money. :smilewink: :pilotfly:

Well, if you pull the trigger on the Genovation you are welcome to use my layout, or any part of my layout for the key labels. I posted them in post #114 (link in previous post in this thread) in a zip file. It also includes the keypad key assignments file, might be a good place to start from to customize to your tastes. I tried to make the UFC part as much like the real one while working within the constraints of the Genovation key layout. I have since replaced the Canopy UP-DN key to toggle the Loadout Menu. I have a switch for the Canopy on my instrument panel now. I also put the Night Goggle Toggle on the second layer because the Hud Intensity keys controls the Night Goggle Intensity when on the second layer, it made more sense to have both on the same layer. The Briefing key doesn't work as I expected, it's a DCS thing I guess, so that will probably be changed to something else when I determine what that might be. :pilotfly:

I don't have a problem using my 682-U. These use Cherry MX key switches, gold plated & rated at 50 million operations, they are high quality keyboard keys. There is a click when pushed to the bottom of its stroke, the lighter you tap a key the less loud it is. I'm not sure if the switch has a clicker in it or it makes the click because it bottoms out on the metal plate the keys are attached to. At any rate it works well for me. I got mine at SKS, the 682-U. Same price as your X-Keys (price quote from their website). But, I have more programmable keys. I don't know if one or the other has better programming software, I don't have any X-Keys products. I guess the down side is if you expect to get one off E-bay real cheap. You won't find many of the 682-U PKB'S there. I just checked E-bay and there was a one (681-U), but it was cheaper to buy it new at SKS! Of course this probably depends on where you live (Customs,VAT,etc.).

Are you asking about VAC (Voice Activated Commands) or how the hat position on my throttle activates VAC? :pilotfly:

Your keypad is not a controller, it is a keyboard, and should not interfere with any controllers (Joystick, throttle, rudders, TM MFD's,etc). I have a Genovation programmable key pad & it does not interfere with any controllers or my keyboard. For instance, I have the F1 thru F12 keys programmed on my keypad and it works fine, and I can still use the same F1 thru F12 keys on my keyboard if I want to with no conflicts (both keyboard & keypad are assigned to the same DCS key bindings for F1 thru F12). I think being a bit more specific about your problem would be helpful. Any examples? :pilotfly:

I used a Genovation 35 key programmable KB. It works out well for me and fits in the space between my MFCD's on my instrument panel. It has two layers that gives it 68 programmable keys (one key is used to toggle the layers). So with that configuration I have the UFC keys + enough other keys available so that I really don't need to use my keyboard anymore for the most used keys. The X-keys is good too, I'm not knocking it. But, it's more $'s/key. I took the keypad out of the enclosure and mounted it into my panel. Link #1 Post #110 The first revision I made to the keyboard. Link #2 Post #114 This is the latest configuration w/ UFC + other key assignments that replaces my keyboard for most commands. :pilotfly:

Concerning the Canopy Switch: Because the sim options do not offer a ON & OFF key binding you can't get it to work as the real one does using the options menu (at least that I'm aware of). The key binding in the sim is a toggle, UP/DOWN. The sim has a switch which is a MOMENTARY ON-OFF-ON switch (a single pole switch will work), I assume that's how the real one works. So, going down the switch is held down, let go and it moves to the HOLD position. Going UP the switch is pushed up and stays there if you let go. What I did was to wire both sides of the switch to the same joy button on my USB controller board. Then if it is out of sink, let's say Switch UP actually closes the Canopy, just switch UP again and it works correctly for Up & Down. What will not work is the HOLD position, the Canopy will go all the way up or all the way down, you can't stop it in between the max positions. So, although it isn't 100% accurate, you can open & close the canopy. If DCS adds the up/hold/down key bindings to the Options Menu in the future, then all you need to do is change one wire from the switch to a second joy button on your USB board & then bind them properly in the Options Menu & edit the LUA file for the HOLD (OFF) position. There is another way to get it to work as it should using Helios, for me it isn't that important so I'm not doing it that way. I also have the seat switch on my panel, comes in handy if part of the heads up display isn't visible, moving the seat UP or Down works wonders. By the way, the seat switch is a MOM ON-OFF-MOM ON switch. :pilotfly:

OR..... I have both my TIR Center & Pause controlled from my warthog pinky lever, using the one button with short and long presses very much like some of the other Warthog buttons & switches. Pause comes in handy if you need to use the clickable cockpit for some items as well as at other times. I have my Warthog UP Comms button programmed for VAC also & could do the same for the center Comm button for TS (that's in the plans). Info here. :pilotfly:

Since I first posted it I have made it a little simpler. I had some problems getting the keys I chose to register in TrackIR software. Somtimes the Dx button # would be used instead of my chosen key (I'm using keys above F12 so there will never be any conflicts with DCS default key assignments). So, now I simply edit the .xml file in TrackIR and that works 100% of the time to change the key assignment. It looks complex because I tried to write concise instructions on how to do this. The AutoHotkey script is commented (anything after a ";" is not part of the code & is usually a comment) so you will know what the code does at every step, makes it easier to modify if you want something slightly different. I made a .bat file that starts TrackIR, starts the Short-Long TrackIR AutoHotKey script, starts another AHK script that runs VAC w/proper profile & turns it ON, then starts DCS World. I then added the DCS World icon to the .bat file so it looks just like the DCS World .exe icon. Everything loads with one click of the icon! :D Only other thing to do is to exit the AutoHotKey script(s) in the system tray after exiting DCS World. P.S. I didn't know about TrackIR software not being able to see controller numbers. Because I used AutoHotKey this is not a problem because it does use Controller numbers in the script. Because of that you do need to be sure that your controller# matches the controller# programmed into the AHK script. This is no big problem, a little program called JoyIDs lets you see all connected controllers & their #'s. It also lets you easily change the controller # of any connected controller. You usually only need to set this up once. :pilotfly:

I used AutoHotKey for the TrackIR stuff. That way I can still use the TM Warthog/DCS A-10C plug&play and I don't need to redo all that in TARGET.The AutoHotKey script is small and has no performance hit when using it. d.Burnette - You could, but I wanted to use the same button for TIR Center & Pause. Short press of pinky lever centers, long press pauses, it works as a ON-OFF toggle for Pause, push button for Center. Much like the other WH buttons that do different things with different length button presses. But if all you want is to pause TIR, then all you need to do is assign the pinky lever to that function in the TrackIR software (replace the default F12 with the joy pinky button # by pressing it while the TIR software is open. You can assign a different key or joy button in the TIR software. I did more because I find having TIR Pause available also is very handy for some things already mentioned in previous posts and if you need to use the clickable cockpit etc. I posted the info here for the Short-Long press version if that interests you. It looks more complicated than it is. After it's setup, start the AutoHotKey script, then start the sim, that's it. For a one click start just add a small .bat file and it becomes a one click operation. :pilotfly:

I use the joystick pinky lever for TrackIR also. Short press Centers TrackIR, long press Pauses TrackIR (Pause comes in handy if you still need to use the switchable cockpit for some things). :pilotfly:

I did something similar with my LDG Light handle. A flat handle switch keeps it from turning, but I used a mini switch in my case.[/url] I scratched off the paint on the three stainless steel balls later. Link here. Excellent job with your pit by the way. :thumbup: :pilotfly:

Works for me! :thumbup: :pilotfly:

Not sure why you had the issue with the zip file. I did make it with 7-zip. But looks like you got it working on your own. Enjoy! As far as not making an .exe file of your script and running your script with AutoHotKey instead, the only thing I can see is the .exe file would use less system resources because AutoHotKey would not need to be running. I'm not sure how much resources AutoHotKey uses, so maybe it doesn't matter. Just saying. :pilotfly:

Thanks ED! :beer: maybe Vodka is more appropriate!

With all previous updates those of us with physical switch panels would have to go into the LUA files to edit all switch up statements for two & three position switches after each DCS update. :( I didn't have to do that this time, except for one switch (which I may have missed doing in the previous version's LUA file). If this was as intended in v1.2.3 then thank you very much!! :thumbsup::clap_2::clap::cheer3nc::notworthy: :beer:

Good to hear you got it working snafup. And Thanks to the others that posted with slightly different versions that worked in your situation. It gives others some options to better fit their needs. :pilotfly:

I'm not using an X-keys. It's a Genovation 682 programmable keypad (35 x2 keys) that I use for the UFC & other key assignments on it's second layer. Same principal as the x-key keypad though. Works for me. Trubshaw, nice job labeling those keys, I like it. :pilotfly:

And a Nuke Power plant to power the hubs !!! :megalol:

I have springs. :pilotfly: