Macros for your sticks..

[NEODARK]

Wow, that title sounds funny :lol:

 

Anyway, I've been recently re-working some the commands on my stick (X52) and I was wondering what sorts of things you guys have pre-programed on your sticks?

 

examples would be:

 

-having just 1 button to turn all your lights in one key press

-having 1 button set your aircraft for landing

-startup sequence macro

-etc..

 

So, post yours so we can all get more ideas of what macros to use with our joysticks.

 

thanks :)

[snomhf]

I have gone to an entirely new way of programming my HOTAS. Here's a post about it:

 

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3123

 

I have abandoned the "mode" concept (one mode for NAV, one for A2A, one for A2G) and do everything now with "shifts" and "holds." I find it way more logical. Of course I'm using the very powerful CH scripting language which may be beyond what you can do with other brands.

[NEODARK]

^^ that sounds a lot like the "shift" button already included in the Saitek stick.. Interesting way to approach the issue though, although I can see this becoming an issue when time is of the essence, specially if you are not uber careful about your mappings.

 

(aka, you dont want to hold a button for 1 second to fire a missile in the heat of a battle, specially when that second can mean life or death)

 

I'll have to thinker with my stick more, I'm looking for things that are useful to have in macros.

 

I like ruggbutt's idea of the airbrake (happens to me all the time) but I don't know if such a thing is possible with saitek, maybe I'll try and code something..

 

Anyway, post what you guys have on macros :D

[snomhf]

... you dont want to hold a button for 1 second to fire a missile in the heat of a battle, specially when that second can mean life or death)

Absolutely. You want to design your commands and how the are deployed with a great deal of forethought. I design the "hold" commands carefully for exactly the reason(s) you cite. There are perfect fits for those commands however, e.g. dropping your landing gear (it just seems natural to hold the key down for that), changing radar modes. Basically, anything that seems natural to "hold the key" is a natural fit. Keep in mind that it really isn't that long; in most of the cases it's 1/2 second. I only use 1 second in just one or two cases. My "eject" button is set to 2 seconds as an extreme example. Dumping stores is set at 1 second as well so I don't accidentally "click it."

 

Carefully designed, this method (IMHO) is MUCH better than switching modes. When I first read about it from Ziggy's profile, I didn't like the idea. After trying it, I was amazed how natural it felt and now I'll never go back to modes again.

[Pilotasso]

I Have X52 and the mode swich only changes the mapping for aircraft specific commands.

 

Mode 1 is for F-15 and mode 2 is for SU-27/33 and mig-29. Some of my macros are highly secretive ;) but ill let you some hints.

 

1)dont waste buttons with things that are useless in a fight. You got keyboard for views why waste time?

 

2) Dump as many radar commands on the stick as you can. The hats are very handy for swiching radar modes and serve as designator slew.

 

3)Mini stick is best for cockpit mouse view if you dont have track IR, I chose not to use as designator slew because unlike in real aircraft the throttle rotates changing the direction reference to the designator . It becomes a bit confusing and too slow to manipulate if you need to target with urgence. This hapens alot when a bandit pops on the corner of your radar display and you need to designate it fast before he disapears.

 

4) Use a hat for ECM and countermeasures macros. I cannot tell you exactly what to do, but usualy I press the button when I get in trouble and my stick gets me out of it. ;) (no its not E E E E E E E E lol, though I have it in an emergency button if anyone plays that trick on me)

 

5) try to make each family of functions on buttons close together. It will work faster for you.

 

One of my coolest macros is an insta-missile-fire-override-and-insta-reset-to-default-LA for those engagements when your battle computer refuses to authorize you for some misterious reason. This is on my mode 2 for the russian birds as I mentioned above.

[Kula66]

Like Pilotasso, I have the Cougar DogFight switch configured so Pos 1 = Su-25, 2 = 15 and 3 = A-10. One of the most useful things I've done is to change the default cockpit look angles/zooms so that for each a/c I can look at the important instrument clusters. On the 25 its the Weapon control panel, on the 10 the TV screen and bomb release switch, F15 TWS, etc. Also a closeup HUD mode for A2G guns! Plus multiple chaff bundles with a single switch. Nothing too fancy ...

 

The one thing I wish I had better was rudders ... I don't have pedals and the throttle rocker switch isn't a good alternative! Anyone any good hints for a Cougar owner?

[britgliderpilot]

. . . . . . There's an obvious comment to be made about this topic, I'm mildly surprised that nobody's made it yet . . . . .

[NEODARK]

thanks guys,

 

Pilotasso, you gave me some good ideas. (specially the counter measures/ECM)

 

I use the ministick as TDC because to me it comes natural, never had an issue with it. (I also use TIR4)

[Pilotasso]

. . . . . . There's an obvious comment to be made about this topic, I'm mildly surprised that nobody's made it yet . . . . .

 

That this is a good way to spy on each others secrets? ;)

[NEODARK]

I remember a really good post a while back, it was titled something like:

 

"I don't believe in secrets" ;)

[Rocket75]

For me that would take some realism away from the sim.

Real pilots have to turn on radar, turn on engines, turn on lights for wings, for taxiing, etc.

They don't get in and just push 1 button and all is rdy :megalol:

For all my missions, I have to start on the ground, start engines, etc. Just helps with the simulation of it in my opinion; but to each his own :pilotfly:

 

Now macro's for airbrake when going full throttle, etc... that is smart to me. I've driven around numerous times going wtf why is my speed so low :joystick:

[capttrob]

For me that would take some realism away from the sim.

Real pilots have to turn on radar, turn on engines, turn on lights for wings, for taxiing, etc.

They don't get in and just push 1 button and all is rdy :megalol:

For all my missions, I have to start on the ground, start engines, etc. Just helps with the simulation of it in my opinion; but to each his own :pilotfly:

 

Now macro's for airbrake when going full throttle, etc... that is smart to me. I've driven around numerous times going wtf why is my speed so low :joystick:

 

 

Couldnt agree with you more.... I call LockOn a game and not a sim because it is closer to a game than any real simulator (omg, what an ego on this guy.. how dare he call my sim a game! lol)... however, i have developed flows for turn checks, before start, after start, before take off checks, after take off, before engagement, after engagement clean up, etc etc.... it really increases the immersion factor of the game imo. Although, you'd be surprised of macros on some modern jets equipped with FADEC. Take the Thrust levers out of cut-off, turn the engine switch to "run", and push one button, viola, the engine starts. It will also auto shut-down for hot or hung start.

 

I wonder how many hardcore simmers have developed their own checklists and then assign a full checklist to one button on their joystick.... :doh:

 

Flows, pushing lots of buttons, flipping switches and moving levers then referring to a checklist is what flying is all about.... although i also like the idea of assigning auto-stow for the airbrake at full power. :thumbup:

[NEODARK]

And one more, which is the coolest. Wheelbrakes! We all know that in LOMAC brakes are either full off or full on. What I have is when you press the pedals slightly down, it sends the W key (wheel brakes) 4 times (on/off/on/off, etc) a second. Depress it more, 8 times a second. Past center 10 times a second. Most of the way down 15 times a second. All the way down sends the signal to hold the W key. What this does is make it feel like analogue braking. You push harder the plane slows down faster.

Awesome,

 

You've just inveted ABS (anti-lock brakes) for aircraft :D

 

I'll deffinitely have to try this one out, thanks :)

 

For me that would take some realism away from the sim.

Real pilots have to turn on radar, turn on engines, turn on lights for wings, for taxiing, etc.

They don't get in and just push 1 button and all is rdy

I do it because I don't have a full blow pit. (if I could assign all my commands to the right places, in the right buttons, I'd have a full blown SU27 @ my house) But my girl would leave me and the NSA would be on my ass so fast that I wouldnt even be able to jump in the jet.

 

I also find it quite handy for when you have to scramble.

 

So far I only have "lights" on a button, but ABS braking to follow, you know it'd really help us in that short runway :D :P

[Raploc]

The only other scripting I have are for multiple uses for each button. Here's an example. I use a hat switch on the throttle for airbrake. If I just move it upwards, the airbrake uses the in game toggle function. Once for airbrake on, once again for airbrake off. Here's where it gets good. I use the same feature, except by holding the same hat switch up. The airbrake stays open as long as I'm holding the switch. Release it and the airbrake goes down. I have multiple switches (different commands) I do this with.

 

Another example: On the Fighterstick there's a hat switch your thumb naturally sits on. Flick it to the right, and you get a snapview of your HUD. Flick it again returns you to normal view. Hold it to the right and you get a snapview closeup of your right MFD/RWR/SPO (depends on which plane you fly). Hold the switch to the left and it does a closeup of your left MFD/RWR/SPO. Flick it to the left and it returns you to normal view.

 

And one more, which is the coolest. Wheelbrakes! We all know that in LOMAC brakes are either full off or full on. What I have is when you press the pedals slightly down, it sends the W key (wheel brakes) 4 times (on/off/on/off, etc) a second. Depress it more, 8 times a second. Past center 10 times a second. Most of the way down 15 times a second. All the way down sends the signal to hold the W key. What this does is make it feel like analogue braking. You push harder the plane slows down faster.

 

I got the help to do all of those from the fantastic gang at the CH Hangar.

 

Oh man I ordered my CH FighterStick and Pro Throttle 2 day's ago. The more I read here and lurk at CH hangar the happier I get.Or to use a badly translated dutch proverb : I'm as happy as a dog with seven dicks :P

[zoot]

no love for the saitek when it comes to scripting I guess...oh well