Tips for CH Products HOTAS/MFD

Well, I dont know how many people are using the CH Products HOTAS here, but perhaps some are using it for A10 and have never used the scripting language and a CMS device so far.

I'm using the Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, Pro Pedals and the MFP with a total sum of 90 keys (shift and layers not included), but even this amount of keys is not enough for A10 in my opinion. The main problem is building group of keys that can be remembered easy. Unfortunately there are some key combos in A10, that use up many keys on the HOTAS. Take enginge startup/shutdown as an example: LALT/LCTL-POS1 for left/right startup, LALT/LCTL-END for left/right shutdown. If you dont like shift layers (and I don't, because you have to press two buttons at the same time) this will use up 4 buttons an the HOTAS or MFP. Another example are three way switches as the Master Arm Switch or the Autopilot Select Switch, which have 3 keys to assign but assigning three buttons on the HOTAS is just a waste of keys and hard to remember in some cases.

So I have played with the scripting language a bit (but I don't think I'm the first one ;), so you might find similiar ideas/solutions and perhaps better ones in other places) and configured my buttons on the MFD (but buttons on the HOTAS can configured in similar way) as follows:

three-way switch:

--------------------

- button pressed and released immediately selects first switch position (you can hear one "click")

- button pressed and released after about 1/2 seconds selects second switch position (you can hear two "clicks")

- button pressed and released after about 1 seconds or later selects third switch position (you can hear three "clicks")

=> one button: three keys!

rotation knob:

----------------

- button pressed for longer than 1/2 second: knob is rotated clockwise

- button pressed for less than 1/2 second and immediately pressed again: knob is rotated anti clockwise

=> one button: two keys, no shift key

two buttons (to avoid a second layer or a shift key):

------------------------------------------------------------

- button pressed for less than 2 seconds, a release will give key x (e.g. right engine right)

- button pressed for more than 2 seconds, a release will give key y (e.g. right engine stop)

=> one button: two keys, no shift key;

=> second key function is secured, because you have to press the button for a long time

For BS2 other functions are possible: e.g. first short press opens close cover of a switch, second press toggles the switch.

If somebody is interested I could give a description how to implement this. Its quite easy to do, but a bit complex to describe. So I will do that only if someone wants to try it out.

André

Hi, Nereid!

Is your solution controllers-specific? I mean, does your technique only apply to CH products because it relies on CH Control Manager programming? Or is it purely LUA scripting based?

Well, I dont know how many people are using the CH Products HOTAS here, but perhaps some are using it for A10 and have never used the scripting language and a CMS device so far.

 

I'm using the Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, Pro Pedals and the MFP with a total sum of 90 keys (shift and layers not included), but even this amount of keys is not enough for A10 in my opinion. The main problem is building group of keys that can be remembered easy. Unfortunately there are some key combos in A10, that use up many keys on the HOTAS. Take enginge startup/shutdown as an example: LALT/LCTL-POS1 for left/right startup, LALT/LCTL-END for left/right shutdown. If you dont like shift layers (and I don't, because you have to press two buttons at the same time) this will use up 4 buttons an the HOTAS or MFD. Another example are three way switches as the Master Arm Switch or the Autopilot Select Switch, which have 3 keys to assign but assigning three buttons on the HOTAS is just a waste of keys and hard to remember in some cases.

 

So I have played with the scripting language a bit (but I don't think I'm the first one ;), so you might find similiar ideas/solutions and perhaps better ones in other places) and configured my buttons on the MFD (but buttons on the HOTAS can configured in similar way) as follows:

 

three-way switch:

--------------------

- button pressed and released immediately selects first switch position (you can hear one "click")

- button pressed and released after about 1/2 seconds selects second switch position (you can hear two "clicks")

- button pressed and released after about 1 seconds or later selects third switch position (you can hear three "clicks")

=> one button: three keys!

 

rotation knob:

----------------

- button pressed for longer than 1/2 second: knob is rotated clockwise

- button pressed for less than 1/2 second and immediately pressed again: knob is rotated anti clockwise

=> one button: two keys, no shift key

 

two buttons (to avoid a second layer or a shift key):

------------------------------------------------------------

- button pressed for less than 2 seconds, a release will give key x (e.g. right engine right)

- button pressed for more than 2 seconds, a release will give key y (e.g. right engine stop)

=> one button: two keys, no shift key;

=> second key function is secured, because you have to press the button for a long time

 

For BS2 other functions are possible: e.g. first short press opens close cover of a switch, second press toggles the switch.

 

 

If somebody is interested I could give a description how to implement this. Its quite easy to do, but a bit complex to describe. So I will do that only if someone wants to try it out.

 

André

The guy, username, Crunch , is the best CH .cms programmer I have seen so far, he resides here mostly to LockOn. I use his profile for the Black Shark which works well with versions 1 and 2. Konkussion for the A-10C is also good, he let me use his .map and .cms files.

Bob Church, Revin and a guy with Ghost as his username to CH Hanger are also tops.

The other sim I fly, there is a script listed to the CH Hangar forums to WEP the throttle when it is firewalled. I borrowed it and incorporated it in the CMS editor.

You are better than me at this. I need to spend about a year digesting the CH how-to manual.

Hi, Nereid!

 

Is your solution controllers-specific? I mean, does your technique only apply to CH products because it relies on CH Control Manager programming? Or is it purely LUA scripting based?

No, it relies on CH Control Manager programming. So its only useful for the CH HOTAS.

I use it mainly on my MFD and I use it a lot at the moment. But it works well when a audible feedback from the game is given.

A primitive example of the script:

----------------------------------------

// Master Arm Switch

%DEFINE MasterArmSwitchArm CMS.B5

%DEFINE MasterArmSwitchSafe CMS.B6

%DEFINE MasterArmSwitchTrain CMS.B7

[...]

// Master Arm button observer

sequence

wait( JS4.B31 );

MasterArmSwitchArm = JS4.B31;

delay(1);

MasterArmSwitchArm = false;

delay(10);

MasterArmSwitchSafe = JS4.B31;

delay(1);

MasterArmSwitchSafe = false;

delay(10);

MasterArmSwitchTrain = JS4.B31;

delay(1);

MasterArmSwitchTrain = false;

endsequence

Buts thats the easy part. Rotation knobs are a bit complicated:

// Formation Lights Knob

%define FormationLightsButton (JS4.B44 OR JS4.B94)

%DEFINE FormationLightsTimer CMS.B19

%DEFINE FormationLightsFlag CMS.B20

%DEFINE FormationLightsInc CMS.B37

%DEFINE FormationLightsDec CMS.B38

// formation lighs knob observer

sequence

wait( FormationLightsButton );

FormationLightsTimer = false;

delay(10);

FormationLightsTimer = FormationLightsButton;

// was button release in first 0.5 seconds?

if( FormationLightsFlag )

then

FormationLightsDec=FormationLightsButton;

else

FormationLightsInc=FormationLightsButton;

endif

endsequence

// formation lighs knob increase, if button was not releasedin first 0.5 seconds

// formation lighs knob increase, if button was released in first 0.5 seconds

sequence

wait( not FormationLightsButton );

if( not FormationLightsTimer ) then

FormationLightsFlag = true;

else

FormationLightsFlag = false;

endif

delay(20);

FormationLightsFlag = false;

endsequence

----

PS: indent is not shown and its an incomplete part of my script. But if anyone has a question, just ask. And: the CMS-buttons had to be assigned with the correct keys of cause...

You are better than me at this. I need to spend about a year digesting the CH how-to manual.

Well... its not that hard. It had cost me one evening for the basics and another for bugfixing the script. But ok, I'M working as a software developer in real life, so I have a bit experience in learning new languages. ;)

But really: Its not that hard. I had ignored the script language of the CH manager so far. But A10 asks for a lot of keys and new solutions.

Used up all 50 keys on the MFD for BS2 and nearly all in A10, but still not fully configured. So scripting was the last solution because another MFD would be to expensive and not practical, because it would use to much space on my desk. ;)

Well... its not that hard. It had cost me one evening for the basics and another for bugfixing the script. But ok, I'M working as a software developer in real life, so I have a bit experience in learning new languages. ;)

 

But really: Its not that hard. I had ignored the script language of the CH manager so far. But A10 asks for a lot of keys and new solutions.

 

Used up all 50 keys on the MFD for BS2 and nearly all in A10, but still not fully configured. So scripting was the last solution because another MFD would be to expensive and not practical, because it would use to much space on my desk. ;)

Somebody to CH Hangar, for DCS or FC2, I think, made a profile using all 3 modes using scripts. It has 3 separate colors of identifying text. Pretty awesome. See below, the last link.

Here is a great utility for printing out the controllers and what each button does:

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/showthread.php?6962-CM-Print-v4.50-Beta-1

and some older ways of doing it:

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll239/ViperDriver/AcesHighII/Blank_Fighterstick.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll239/ViperDriver/AcesHighII/Blank_Throttle.jpg

Some scripts for the other sim I play:

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,290623.0.html

And a profile for Flaming Cliffs 2.0 by Ruggbutt:

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/showthread.php?7156-Flaming-Cliffs-2.0

He uses all 3 modes for the CH gear.

Home for CH Hangar:

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/content.php

Another link that may or not be useful from my collection:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=33591

Yes, I just need to focus and take the time to learn it. It has to be easier than learning the Ka-50 Black Shark.

I know a little BASIC and about the same of the HTML languages. I have built web pages in the past.

I created a (.map) profile without (.cms) scripts for the DCS:P-51D based on my Aces High profile for use with the CH Control Manager. I used every button in one mode.

My 1st (.map) profile I made out of necessity for Aces High using the CH Control Manager. I borrowed 2 different scripts from the links above and incorporated them, but I did not write the scripts.

I think I will make a profile for the jet in DCS World and hopefully it will also work in FC2. If not, I will make two. Then some day I will learn scripting and mod them. With a little luck maybe I will live another 20 years and see age 80. I think I have enough activities to keep my mind active right here to DCS.

Somebody to CH Hangar, for DCS or FC2, I think, made a profile using all 3 modes using scripts. It has 3 separate colors of identifying text. Pretty awesome. See below, the last link.

Well... the 3 modes/layers of the CH-Combo... pretty useless I think, because its to difficult to switch between layers. The MFP has an easy way to switch between two layers, but its also only useful in rare conditions(one layer for ground, another for flight). At least for me its way to complicated and take to much time to switch between 3 layers with a toggle button and keep an eye on the status LEDs also. For some functions I use a shift key, but I have never used the layers of the combo. If there were a three way rocker switch...

André

Well... the 3 modes/layers of the CH-Combo... pretty useless I think, because its to difficult to switch between layers. The MFP has an easy way to switch between two layers, but its also only useful in rare conditions(one layer for ground, another for flight). At least for me its way to complicated and take to much time to switch between 3 layers with a toggle button and keep an eye on the status LEDs also. For some functions I use a shift key, but I have never used the layers of the combo. If there were a three way rocker switch...

 

André

There is another way as to extra commands, not HOTAS joystick:

Logitech's G510 keyboard has 3 banks of 6 each programmable G-keys, which has 3 modes giving myself the option of 54 keys to program key combos or macros. Just bought one to replace my G-15 keyboard to Best Buy for less than $100. I did it this way because 18 G-keys are right there to use without the need to use modes. The included small LCD screen will display the key combination when a G-key is pressed. The modes can be identified by a palette of color selections.

(I stopped by this thread to grab the printout utilities to Message #6.)

Nicely done Nereid! :beer: