Setting up TDC axis

[snomhf]

Has anybody successfully done this?

I downloaded 1.12a last night and I noticed it touched some stuff in the "options->input" section so I got to poking around in there to see what was new. I don't know if this is new or I just never noticed, but there is the ability to map the TDC to a device axis. I spent over an hour trying to map the TDC to the mini-joystick on my CH Pro Throttle. The problem is, it is a "joystick" and will always spring back to center rather than move like a cursor (the way a mouse or trackball would behave). I tried all sorts of stuff without success. I would love to get this to work as you can really smooth out the movement of the TDC if it were an axis rather than those movement keys.

 

An idea I had driving into work this morning was to setup my mini-js as a mouse in CH Control Manager then see if lomac would accept the "mouse" as the axis for TDC. That way, I could use either the mouse or the mini-js to control it. I don't know if I really like that but if it works, it could be better than the keys.

 

Any thoughts or success stories on this?

Thanks

[Brun]

Yeah, they rather stuffed up that implementation. Can't imagine how they thought anyone would actually use it.

 

Good news is that what you're suggesting works perfectly well. There were still a couple of issues pre 1.12 but thankfully these have been cleared up.

 

I use three bands of sensitivity to make the cursor speed proportional to the microstick travel, works great. Am of the Cougar persuasion meself but I'm sure you'll be able to accomplish something similar with your CH gear.

 

B

[VapoR]

Dunno if this will apply to you since I have an X-52, but I map the TDC controls to mouse axis in lockon. Then I use my ministick as a mouse through the Saitek profiler.

[snomhf]

Vapor, what you're saying is exactly what I was trying to say in my second paragraph. You and Brun are assuring me that this is the way to do this.

 

Thanks guys

[Sinner6]

And here I am using my microstick as a mouse to control...my view.

However, if I had Track IR, would do as you suggest.

[snomhf]

Update.

 

I tried setting up the TDC they way you guys are describing and played around with it some last night. I am back to mapping the ministick to keys. Let me explain my reasoning. Please correct me where I'm wrong.

 

By default, the external view movement is set to the mouse. When I set TDC to use the mouse, it unassigns the mouse for the external views. That seems weird as why do those need to be mutually exclusive? Anyway, I didn't like that. Also, the TDC and Radar Cursor appear to be mutually exclusive as well. Again, don't understand why that needs to be that way. Finally, even with adjusting exponential curves, deadband, etc., it didn't seem to me that the cursor movement was all that much better than the key assignment. Maybe I didn't hit on the right setup.

 

At any rate, I decided to go back to mapping my ministick to the keys as that seemed to be the least disruptive to all the other things that use the mouse.

 

Maybe I'll mess around with this some more at a later time.

 

Comments welcome.

[Brun]

Pity about the external view thing. I rarely use mine so I'm happy with it on the numpad.

 

As for the TDC/radar cursor conflict. If I read you right, you can get around this by assigning the mouse to different axes for different flight modes. This was one of the things that was stuffed prior to 1.11 (I think) because the A-10's AG cursor was controlled via the 'radar slew' controls, and the Su-25's via 'TDC slew' (or vice versa). Never actually noticed it in the list of fixes either, so I was surprised and very happy to see it sorted.

 

My personal opinion is that it really is worth spending the time to get this ironed out, it took me a while to tune it to my liking but I got there in the end. I'd recommend leaving the in-game axis controls alone and try configuring your mouse speed etc through the CH software. I've no experience with it myself, but would have thought you'll get more flexibility and control that way.

 

I'll assume you know that CH Hangar is the place to visit if you need any help on that front. :)

 

B

[snomhf]

B,

I feel like I'm trying to drink from a firehose as there are so many things I want to do with this game all at once! That was the primary motivation to just putting it back to the keyboard (for now). You're very convincing that I should revisit this, and I will. Thanks for that.

 

The CH Control Manager is quite good. It's funny, I used to fly remote control aircraft and we RC'ers would spend a lot of money on hitech transmitters that allowed us to tweek the control surfaces with exponential curves, dead zones, etc. All that technology finally found its way to flight simulators and supporting hardware. I suppose we can thank the USB for that as the old Gameport just didn't have all that much capability. I remember I used to say to my sim buddies "I sure wish there was a way to soften the controls in these games the way we can with our RC transmitters." Now we can. How cool is that?

 

Another temptation that I must fight off is the desire to make things feel like "IL2." It's a whole different deal and I need to just accept that. I remember going through all this with Falcon 4. You wouldn't believe how I labor over setting up a HOTAS map. When I finally finish one, it's almost like a "holy grail" or something. :)

 

Thanks again for the advice. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

[ARM505]

I just made the mouse do the view changing in all modes other than BVR and A2G. As mentioned above, it works great. It's only those two modes that'll really need the cursor, IMHO.

[Killjoy12]

This was one of the things that was stuffed prior to 1.11 (I think) because the A-10's AG cursor was controlled via the 'radar slew' controls, and the Su-25's via 'TDC slew' (or vice versa). Never actually noticed it in the list of fixes either, so I was surprised and very happy to see it sorted.

 

B

 

I don't have my computer available, but is this true that the axis controls for the A10 maverick targeting have now been synchronized with all the other flyables? If true, this is fantastic, as it really was a problem before.

[snomhf]

Forgive me ARM505, I'm not catching on to what you're saying. Can you elaborate?

 

I'm not at my computer so doing this from memory...

As best I remember, there are three "view" settings in the Input section of the Options menu:

1. Radar cursor (which is what you're calling BVR I guess)

2. TDC, or Maverick cursor (A2G?)

3. External view movement

 

As I recall, if I set external view to be mouse control, then go and change TDC (A2G) to be mouse control, it will "steal" the view setting from the External Views. The same goes for the Radar Cursor.

 

Can you please clear this up for me?

Thanks

-mark

[Brun]

I think I can, even though I should really be working :)

 

Near the top left of the input options screen, there's a menu which lets you edit controls globally or for individual flight modes.

 

You need to assign your mouse to radar cursor in BVR mode, and TDC in ground mode (if I've got my terminology right). Every other mode, the mouse can be used for external view movement.

 

This of course means you still can't use your mouse for external view control which in BVR or AG modes, but it should work the rest of the time.

 

I'm assuming axes can't be 'shifted'. That's never actually crossed my mind before, but I'm pretty sure it's not possible.

[ARM505]

Yup, like Brun said. Start by assigning the mouse to the view controls in 'all modes', that way it will default to that, so when you change to the individual modes, you'll just need to change BVR and Ground mode to make the mouse slew the TDC. It then works for Mavericks, the 25T's optics, and all A2A modes in US and Russian aircraft. Just be careful not to try and change the view angle while guiding a Vikhr in! Your cursor will slew off and make the missile head off into the wild blue yonder. The Avenger you were trying to kill will then kill you......I speak from experience....

 

Hope that was clear enough, it would be easy to show in the options menu, take a look and see how you fare.

[snomhf]

Thank you Brun & Arm,

I have it working perfectly now! I'm glad I stuck with this as the TDC is smooth as glass now! I put a ton of exponential in it to make it move very slowly if I don't move the stick much but it moves pretty fast if I put a lot of deflection in the stick; just the way I want it.

 

Actually, having mouse-controlled external view in only NAV mode is no big deal. It's not like I go to that view much anyway and when I do, it's just a quick button to get the mouse or I can just slew the view with the view hat. Works fine!

 

Man, it took me about 30 tries to do the A10 Sidewinder training mission. The instructor hands you the stick and you have to take out a Hind with a Sidewinder while at the same time trying to dodge a Strela-1 SAM launcher while being painted by a ZSU-23. Having the TDC working smoothly really made that doable (it was not before) and now I'm consistently killing them all! Way cool!

 

Thanks again

-mark