Spy Guy

Got told to go at max speed when turning onto final. :P I disregarded the chap. I think he has a rather creepy voice, though.

I second this. I tried out Falcon BMS the other day, and whoah... Just the fact that the ATC goes "good day" is amazing. It'd be really nice to have this kind of thing in DCS.

Would we be able to use the various systems' radars in order to point missiles at enemy planes? Take the SA-10 for instance, if we could only use optical acquisition, that'd shave a fair bit off of the range, I'd think. Will something be done with regards to this? (I'm not expecting SAM Simulator, but it did give me a bit of a radar fetish, so I'd like something in a similar vein... but I digress)

That guy. ;) This is a one-man thing. (how cool is that?)

I don't know much about graphics and such... but how expensive can lighting be in terms of CPU / GPU cost? I guess it's a thing with the work involved but I'm all for the parking areas being well-lit.

Alright. :) Now, if you think that's cool... let me give you a gentle nudge in the direction towards markpoints. ;) If you slave a sensor to your current steerpoint, it instantly changes the location it's pointing to when the steerpoint changes. This can be done with Mavs as well. In other words, you can mark several things you want to donate a Free-Bad-Day to, then point and launch Mavs in rapid succession at them. There should be plenty of documentation around for that, though. Happy hunting! :thumbup: Okay, you got me. :P One could do that too...

Not to my knowledge, no. You could always do something fancy by setting the SPI from the HUD, then slaving the TGP or Mav to it with China Hat Fwd Long, but that's not really an answer to that question. If I may ask, what's the problem with setting the slew rate from the STAT page?

Yes, this should work for every device like that. I just used the Warthog as an example (and because that's what I used for experimentation).

This happens with mine as well. Though, it's not a major issue as I can just "twist" the China Hat a few degrees and it works nicely again. Shame it happens, but it's no biggie... Keeping the receipt, though, in case it gets worse. They DID say two years warranty... after all :music_whistling:

Foreword Hi all. I noticed that some people have had some trouble setting up their TM Warthog's toggle switches (myself included) in games apart from A-10C. Basically, when toggled to the ON state, they act as a button (that's being held down). On toggling them OFF, said button is released. This is all fairly simple, but the result is that you have to flick the switch twice in order to toggle the function again. This annoyed me, so I have gone poking around in the control Lua files and I can happily say I found a solution to these problems. I posted these in another thread, but I feel it warrants a thread of its own to help others in my situation. I will assume you're all familiar with how to bind keys and switches in the simulator itself, and that you are familiar with a text editor of your choice. These examples focus on the TM Warthog, however, you could also use another input device with toggle switches, in case you're building your own cockpit, etc. The methodology is the same no matter what you're using. (unless the ON and OFF states are two separate buttons in your setup) The methods are slightly different between P-51D, A-10C and Black Shark 2. So, without further ado, let's get started: P-51D The situation: In this case, we want to bind the APU Switch on the TM Warthog Throttle to set the Ignition Switch to BOTH when flicked up and to set it to OFF when flicked down. ----------------- First of all, have the key you want bound to the On state of the thing you want toggleable, in this case " Ignition Switch BOTH" Second of all, you need to find the lua file in question. I'm on Vista and can find it here: C:\Users\ [NAME] \Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\P-51D\joystick In that folder there will be a file named "Throttle - Hotas Warthog" , open that in either Notepad or for best results Notepad++ (I use the latter). Marvel at all the gibberish for a second, then find a line that looks like this (Note, JOY_BTN20 is the APU Switch, it'll look different if you use some other switch): {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0.3, name = "Ignition switch BOTH", category = "Front Switch Box"}, This is the code that basically tells the sim that "When this button is pushed down , set the value of button 3002 (The Ignition Switch) on cockpit_device_id 13 (which is the Front Switch Box) to value_down = 0.3 (0.3, which corresponds to the BOTH setting)" This is where the funsies start. You can edit the line to add "up = 3002," and "value_up = 0," to make it switch to OFF when the button is released. In other words, make the line look like this: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = 3002, up = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0.3, value_up = 0, name = "Ignition switch BOTH", category = "Front Switch Box"}, This will tell it that when JOY_BTN20 is released, set the value of Button 3002 on cockpit_device_id 13 to value_up = 0 , while retaining the original function. The logic behind this can be found on the "Ignition Switch OFF" line: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN24"}, }, down = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0, name = "Ignition switch OFF", category = "Front Switch Box"}, Note that I bound it to a key in order to highlight it during editing. This line will most likely look different to you. This tells it to set the value of the Ignition Switch to 0 , which logically means that 0 is the OFF setting. This obviously applies to every switch in the simulator, where you can find a separate option for each item. Just follow the logic described here and you shall succeed. Black Shark 2 & A-10C The Situation: In this case, we want to toggle the Laser Standby switch with each flick of the APU Start switch on the TM Warthog Throttle. --------------- As before, start out by binding the ON state of the switch you want to use to the function you want it to perform. After that you can find the Lua file you need to edit there, on Vista. C:\Users\ [NAME] \Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\ka-50\joystick In that folder there will be a file named "Throttle - Hotas Warthog" , open that in either Notepad or for best results Notepad++ (I use the latter). {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff, name = "Laser standby On/Off switch", category = "Ins Targeting Mode Controls Panel PVR"}, It looks very different from the code for P-51D. Instead of setting the value of various cockpit switches, button down sends the command iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff which, fairly intuitively, toggles the laser standby switch. HOWEVER! Here is where BS2 is vastly inferior to A-10C and P-51D... there is no individual command for the On / Off state of these buttons (to my knowledge anyway, I deeply wish I am wrong), so the following is the best one can do: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff, up = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff, name = "Laser standby On/Off switch", category = "Ins Targeting Mode Controls Panel PVR"}, By adding this bit: "up = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff," to the command in question, you are basically having it send the command again when you flip the APU switch OFF . Notes on the difference between BS2 and A-10C If you have a TM Warthog, chances are you won't want to edit the default settings, what with them being both accurate and awesome, but I'm throwing this in here anyway for the sake of completeness. The Lua files you need can be found under: C:\Users\ [NAME] \Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\A-10C\joystick (there's a pattern here, but clarity is always good) The main difference is that A-10C tends to have different button commands for different states of the switches. Demonstrated below by an excerpt from the Lua file controlling the venerable APU Switch . {down = iCommandPlane_APU_Off, name = "APU Off", category = "Engine Control Panel"}, {down = iCommandPlane_APU_Start, name = "APU Start", category = "Engine Control Panel"}, {down = iCommandPlane_APU_Start, up = iCommandPlane_APU_Off, name = "APU Start/Off", category = "Engine Control Panel"}, As you can see, it works by sending commands in A-10C as well, but you have more of them to play with. In the Black Shark example, we sent the iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff command twice in order to emulate the actual effect of flicking the switch On and Off. But this has the disadvantage of risking that the switch becomes desynchronized on startup. I.e the Off position on the physical switch can correspond to the On position in-Sim, and vice versa. If this was in the style A-10C, we'd have the ability to tell it that "down = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOn" and "up = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOff" which avoids this problem and increases precision. Now, I'm not 100% positive every switch in A-10C is set up in this manner, in which case a Black-Shark like solution is needed. Closing notes I hope this has been useful to you all, please leave feedback, positive comments and questions. The clarifications regarding the different numerical codes and their meaning in the P-51D is based on logical conclusions I drew when staring at the file. I may very well be wrong, but the stuff mentioned in this file works, and has been tested by yours truly. Finally, the mandatory thanks to ED for these simulators. I may be bashing Black Shark fairly liberally due to some lacking features which has induced hair-pulling and headscratching on some occasions. I remember reading about the Black Shark for the first time in Swedish PC Gamer and I was like "Hmm, study sim... not for me.", but when I read about A-10C I was more like "I must have this!". On finding it on Steam, I bought it and promptly fell in love with it. On finding out they were made by the same people I got Black Shark pretty much right away and found I loved it. A-10C was my first flight simulator ever, and I tried others after it, but no. I have become spoiled by the sheer quality of these things. So, thanks ED and everyone involved with making these awesome simulators. Edit: For convenience I have linked a pdf guide here from @LeCuvier Thanks - Bignewy

+1 for the TM Warthog. It is amazing.

You are very welcome. ^_^ ...and so are you. :thumbup:

Done. Have a look at this for BS2: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff, name = "Laser standby On/Off switch", category = "Ins Targeting Mode Controls Panel PVR"},It looks very different from the code for P-51D. Instead of setting the value of various cockpit switches, button down sends the command iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff which, fairly intuitively, toggles the laser standby switch. HOWEVER! Here is where BS2 is vastly inferior to A-10C and P-51D... there is no individual command for the On / Off state of these buttons (to my knowledge anyway, I deeply wish I am wrong), so the following is the best I can do: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff, up = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff, name = "Laser standby On/Off switch", category = "Ins Targeting Mode Controls Panel PVR"},By adding this bit: "up = iCommandPlaneLaserRangerOnOff," to the command in question, basically having it send the command again when you flip the APU switch. This will give you the functionality you want, however if the APU switch is in the UP position when you start the simulator, it may not be syncronized with the position of the switch in-sim. I have this problem with the HE/AP switch where, if I flick the switch on the TM Warthog's throttle down, it might go up in-sim, or vice versa. Nothing exceedingly confusing, and it will work consistently in-game, but it's a massive annoyance. Compare the Ignition Switch example. If his APU switch starts in the UP position and he flicks it down, the ignition switch will still be in the OFF position, whereas this solution will only change the state of the switch in question. Another issue is that some things can't be bound, such as the burst-length (oh, I'd kill to have that on a three-position switch). Anyway, I'm getting long-winded, aren't I? Just replace your lua file with the one attached and the Laser Standby Switch will work as described. ;) Throttle - HOTAS Warthog {4F5AAB20-1637-11e1-8002-444553540000}.lua

Hi, I know there is a way to program the controls like this, however... it does require editing the controls lua file, so after much research I've managed to work out how to do this (because it's done differently in A-10C, Black Shark and P-51D respectively). First of all, have the key you want bound to the On state of the thing you want toggleable, in your case "Ignition Switch BOTH" Second of all, you need to find the lua file in question. I'm on Vista and can find it here: C:\Users\[NAME]\Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\P-51D\joystick In that folder there will be a file named "Throttle - Hotas Warthog", open that in either Notepad or for best results Notepad++ (I use the latter). Marvel at all the gibberish for a second, then find a line that looks like this (Note, JOY_BTN20 is the APU Switch, it'll look different if you use some other switch): {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0.3, name = "Ignition switch BOTH", category = "Front Switch Box"},This is the code that basically tells the sim that "When this button is pushed down, set the value of button 3002 (The Ignition Switch) on cockpit_device_id 13 (which is the Front Switch Box) to value_down = 0.3 (0.3, which corresponds to the BOTH setting)" This is where the funsies start. You can edit the line to add "up = 3002" and "value_up = 0" to make it switch to OFF when the button is released. In other words, make the line look like this: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = 3002, up = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0.3, value_up = 0, name = "Ignition switch BOTH", category = "Front Switch Box"},This will tell it that when JOY_BTN20 is released, set the value of Button 3002 on cockpit_device_id 13 to value_up = 0, while retaining the original function. The logic behind this can be found on the "Ignition Switch OFF" line: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN24"}, }, down = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0, name = "Ignition switch OFF", category = "Front Switch Box"},Note that I bound it to a key in order to highlight it during editing. This line will most likely look different to you. This tells it to set the value of the Ignition Switch to 0, which logically means that 0 is the OFF setting. I hope that helps, and that you can use this in the future to edit other buttons in a similar manner. Feel free to ask if you've got any questions. TL;DR Open the "Throttle - HOTAS Warthog" lua file under your controls folder. Replace: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0.3, name = "Ignition switch BOTH", category = "Front Switch Box"},With: {combos = {{key = "JOY_BTN20"}, }, down = 3002, up = 3002, cockpit_device_id = 13, value_down = 0.3, value_up = 0, name = "Ignition switch BOTH", category = "Front Switch Box"},Fly, have fun, and don't switch the Magnetos off mid-flight. ;) You can try looking under "Axis Commands" or similar. They should all be there.

Hmm? Eddie did reply just now. The Short and Long variants of presses are tied to certain features on the Warthog itself, it's not a specific way to bind a key. Take the China Hat, for instance. In the control options you can set one button to "HOTAS China Hat Aft" and one to "HOTAS China Hat Forward". Let's say you bound "Button 1" to the forward command. In case you want to make it a short command, press it quickly. However, if you want it to be a long command, then you hold it for a while. What you were trying to do there with different things that's not in the Warthog itself could probably be accomplished with scripting. I'm not familiar with Logitech's support for scripting and similar fun stuff... However, if I were to do it, I'd probably have a script trigger on Button Down, then have it count the time said button is held down. On release it could call a second script (or proceed to phase two in itself), while passing the amount of time the button was held down for. If < x seconds then it can send one command, if more, send another... But as mentioned, this is something that has to be done with the stick itself, and not the sim. I hope that helps somewhat.

Well, it's a bit old, but I did a search and this thread came up as a really close match to what I was looking for, so... I wonder if it'd be possible to set other switches up in the same manner as those mentioned above and in Black Shark as well. In A-10C the Master Arm switch (for instance) is set up to allow for three different keypresses to put it in three different states. However, in the Ka-50, the Weapon Mode switch (burst-length) is one keypress to cycle it only. Would it be possible to change these switches to reflect how it's set up in A-10C, with the option to have one button for HI, one for MED, etc? Right now I've been scratching my head at how to properly bind it to the three-state autopilot switch on the TM Warthog, but it doesn't seem possible without this functionality, which would go a long way to assist in setting up a smooth control scheme. Does anyone know how much effort this would be to implement?

Mine does not twist whatsoever, however there is a minor play in the center point. As others have said though, not noticeable in flight. I also worry it's one of those things that will get worse over time, though...

This happened to me as well with the P-51D. I saved the actual log at the time. Here's hoping it attached properly so I don't make a fool of myself. ;) (and no, sorry, I did not have the sense to grab a track) Strange log.txt

Hi I've been fiddling a bit with getting the toggle switches on the Warthog to play nicely with the Black Shark (and can report great success with the landing gear, cannon ROF switch and ammo selector switch). However, because the "Weapon Mode Switch" is just set to one single key, I can't set it to a tri-state switch on the throttle. In other words, each time I change the switch it cycles through "Low, Med and High", which isn't really helpful to me. I'd like to bind it to the Autopilot switch on the LASTE, so that it's set to "High" when up, "Med" when in the middle and "Low" when at the bottom. Does someone know any way for me to make this happen? Any help is appreciated. :)

It'll be good to remove "turn radio off" from my landing checklist. :P

That was an evening's worth of headache for nothing. :P Thanks for that info.