Bob1943

If you program HOTAS using TARGET, do you have to have TARGET running during the game? i.e., can you program a profile in TARGET, send it to DCS, then close TARGET while the game is running? It would then become a saved profile in DCS and could be used anytime you run DCS without ever having to open TARGET again?

It was an “in air” start with flaps in the Auto position. As noted above, the problem was the Force Feed-Back option being checked without using an FFB stick.

I must be missing something. I don't understand what aircraft displays you are referring to. Are you referring to the main DCS Menu page?

I am using the stable release version 2.5.5. As noted above, the FFB stick option seemed to be the culprit.

Where is the FCS page?

That option was checked when I previously looked on the Control menu. I do remember unchecking it and that is when the trim inputs started working in all the subsequent missions that I tried. That is an interesting discovery. Thanks for pointing that out - I'll keep an eye out for that in the future if I have anymore trim problems.

Well, instead of "Instant Action, Free Flight", I tried an actual "Aerial Re-fueling" mission, and all trim inputs (using the keyboard as my controller) now seem to work normally in that specific mission. So, it may be some limitation in the "Instant Action" mode. Although I don't know why trim would not be operational in that mode. I'll try some of the other "Instant Action" missions and see what happens. Update: I just tried the "Instant Action Free Flight" again, and now the trim commands seem to work properly. So, you may be right, i.e., I may have inadvertently selected some kind of setting that was incompatible with manual trim commands. I did play around with the Control menu to make sure I was not in Game mode. Must have done something there to rectify the problem. Although I cannot imagine why manual trim would be rendered inoperable in any mode. Hopefully, the issue is now resolved. I'll try a few more different missions and see what happens.

So, does that make the manual trim commands not work? As I stated above, even using the published keyboard trim commands (not HOTAS), I cannot get any trim function at all (pitch or roll). Update: I just tried the P51 and the keyboard trim commands do not work on that plane either. I know my keyboard is working because I am able to control pitch & roll with the arrow keys. Does this suggest some problem with Control menu commands?

Started in the air as a "Free Flight" Instant Mission. Just ran the same mission again without my HOTAS connected, i.e., just a keyboard connection for controls. When the mission starts, the aircraft is in level flight and immediately begins a slow pitch-up to 10-degrees over a 25 second period. The pitch attitude then slowly drops down to a 4 to 6-degree nose up attitude and slowly oscillates between that 4 to 6 degree range for several minutes, I have not touched the keyboard during this period to invoke any manual flight control commands. After about 10 minutes, the pitch attitude has slowly dropped to about 1-degree nose-up and seems fairly stable at that attitude. Being new to this sim, I have not yet done an in-depth review of the F/A-18 flight control systems. However, I have read on some other threads that the aircraft is programmed to auto-trim to 1-G. During the above described pitch oscillations, I noticed that the aircraft is maintaining 1-G during all oscillations. So, maybe there are some computerized flight control inputs that are controlling the pitch attitude to maintain this programmed 1-G loading. Even with only the keyboard connected, none of the trim commands work. I repeatedly tried to induce some roll by typing RCntrl+, and RCntrl+/. Nothing happened, just stayed wings level. Which seems to indicate to me that must be some type of computerized system over-riding manual trim inputs. But, as noted above, I have not done an in-depth reading of the flight manual. I have flown several USAF fighters and I always had manual control of my trim inputs, so this behaviour puzzles me.

Just setup my new Warthog HOTAS and tried a Freeflight just to see how the aircraft handles with this stick & throttle. First flight in the F/A-18. I was unable to get the manual trim function to work, even though it was correctly mapped to the trim button on the stick. Also tried the keyboard commands for trim and they had no effect either. I had to maintain a constant forward stick pressure to keep the aircraft from climbing. Flaps were in the Auto position. Actuating the nose-down trim button would do nothing to prevent the aircraft from maintaining a constant climb. Roll trim functions were also inop. Have I missed some switch setting that prevents manual trimming?

Is there any way to select a custom skin when flying "Instant Action" scenarios? The only place that seems to offer skin options is the "Mission Editor".

In looking at some Google searches, I keep seeing a reference to storing skins in a "Bazar" subdirectory in the DCS folder. DCS is in my Saved Games folder, but I see no "Bazar" folder in there anywhere. I just added a new folder called "Liveries" with the path name: Saved Games\DCS\Liveries. So is this where I unzip my skin files?

New DCS user here. Just recently bought a TM Warthog HOTAS, but have not set it up yet. Are there any pre-loaded HOTAS profiles that are available through the DCS control panel settings? Any good tutorials on how to set up a controller profile for my TM Warthog system? I would like to do this without having to use the TM TARGET software. Also, how do you load different aircraft skins?

Agree, cockpits are too dark in the daytime, not very comparable to the actual daylight cockpit lighting in the USAF fighters that I flew 50 years ago. But the visual detail is great on my 3440x1440 monitor. Very impressed with the graphic details in DCS.

Have you tried a bass shaker system such as "ButtKicker"?

kmaultsby: I said that I would post a picture of my design if I got something that I liked. Here is the design that I arrived at. This would be built from 3/4" plywood and have a retractable keyboard tray that could be rotated down and out of the way when not in use. The top of the main platform would be used for normal mouse operations. I use a center stick position with my flight sim chair. So this platform would sit next to the right side of my chair. Since the platform is not attached to my flight sim chair, the entire structure could be moved out of the way when not in use. I just purchased a TM Warthog stick & throttle, as well as the TM 2-pack of MFDs. So, I will have lots of buttons to map commands to. Until I get into DCS and start flying the F/A-18C (or A10C), I don't know how much a keyboard will even be required. However, if a keyboard does become essential, I will use this design to have one sitting right next to me, instead of way out in front on a desktop.

So, you are not using the "SimShaker for Aviators" software? If that is the case, are you getting good, distinctly discrete, vibrations for such things as landing gear operation, flaps, guns, etc.? I would like to get a ButtKicker system as well, but am not too keen on having to pay for additional software to make it work satisfactorily. Are you happy with your setup as is?

Just received my stick & throttle set on 2-5-2020. The only number I see is a "Member # 104335" stamped in a small silver metal oval mounted on the throttle base.

Is anyone using SimVibe software to run bass shakers in DCS? I have not been able to find any details as to whether this works for flight sims. Looks to be pretty much designed for racing sims. Are there any other bass shaker flight sim alternatives to SimShaker for Aviators?

So even if you have a mini-keyboard, it sounds like you are still going to need a NumPad nearby, so why not just use a combined full function keyboard. I know size is an issue regarding real estate space. After a few iterations on my design, I am beginning to lean towards a retractable keyboard mount. Similar to a VESA monitor mount that would rotate 90 degrees up (to horizontal position) when in use and rotate 90 degrees down (vertical position) when not in use. I would install this on the vertical side of a wood platform that would sit on the left side of my sim chair. The top of the platform would be the mouse surface, and the keyboard mount would swing out to the right.

"mini or tenkeyless mechanical keyboard" Those keyboards do not have the NumPad, right? A lot of the functions in DCS use the NumPad keys. How are you getting around that limitation when using a keyboard with no NumPad?

Thanks for the reply. I'll get one ordered & installed.

I am in the same situation, having been away from flight sims for 10-years. Just received my TM Warthog HOTAS and am making a few revisions to my old sim chair to best accommodate the new TM HOTAS. Yes, having the stick between you and the desktop keyboard is a location problem, but all the planes that I flew in the USAF had center sticks, so I like staying true to my old flying days. I too do not know how much keyboard/mouse usage is required to fly the modern jets (when using a HOTAS) in DCS. I have been thinking about adding a wood platform to the right side of my sim chair to set a wireless keyboard and mouse on. It would not be attached to my chair, so I could move it out of the way when not needed. Been doing some design sketches this afternoon. It I get something I like, I will post a picture.

I'm new to DCS, so still finding my way around. Is it possible to print out a picture of the HOTAS mapped buttons from any of the tabs in the DCS Options menus? Used to be able to do this with my old CH Control Manager software (no longer works in WIN10), so hoping that DCS had a similar capability.

Been toying with the idea of installing a ButtKicker system on the wood base of my flight sim chair. Both throttle and stick are also connected to the wood base (see attached picture). Obviously, the controls are going to get some of the vibrations, as well as the seat. Should there be any concern that the vibrations will weaken/damage solder connections, as well as any other electrical components, in the HOTAS controls? https://forums.eagle.ru/attachment.php?attachmentid=226033&d=1580266579