Autopilot 3 way switch

[ebabil]

With A-10C, i can use warthog's 3 position switch for autopilot although middle position doesn't have any assigment.

 

Up = Path hold

Middle = AP off

Down= Alt hold

 

But with viper it doesn't work like that. Up for alt hold ok but when i push back it to middle position, nothing happens so i can not disable AP

Any solution?

[POLARIS1]

Autopilot 3 way switch

 

Tried everything including a toggle switch mod with a few variations....but a no go.

This switch and the Brake/ Anti-Skid/ Off switch seem to still be in development.

[Emmy]

I put the AP Disco under my left pinky on the WH throttle.

[randomTOTEN]

You need to look for, or else custom create a binding along the lines of "Function X/Off" which only enables the function while that button is being pressed, then sets the alternate condition when that button is released.

It's how many of the toggle switches in the TMWH work, and many aircraft have custom bindings to work with that.

I also understand that there's a way to create such a binding yourself, although I haven't made one that complex before...

[Steph21]

3 way switch option is available for AP roll but not for AP Pitch unfortunately. Way more useful for AP pitch IMO.

Wait and see as it should be included later on.

[POLARIS1]

The 3 way switch is programed in the default.lua of the F-16.

It is not coded properly.

[MadMonty]

An easy way to solve:

 

First program your throttle (I do it via Target) as follows:

 

AP UP = DX 10 (for example)

AP MIDDLE = DX 11

AP DOWN = DX 12

 

Than enter DCS and set the bindings to

 

AP Path = DX 10

AP Off = DX 11

AP Alt. = DX 12

 

Runs without any problems from the very first minute.

 

You can also set keys to AP Path / Off / Alt. in DCS and programm those keys to your throttle. Either way...

 

Important is, that the is AP OFF as an available command, so you can use it for the middle position of your switch.

[ebabil]

A

You can also set keys to AP Path / Off / Alt. in DCS and programm those keys to your throttle. Either way...

 

Important is, that the is AP OFF as an available command, so you can use it for the middle position of your switch.

 

Middle position is not considired as a button in DCS i guess. at least for viper

[MadMonty]

Middle position is not considired as a button in DCS i guess. at least for viper

 

That´s not correct. Search for AP OFF within the Viper key settings and you can assign a button.

[AirWolf D]

View this :)

[imacken]

With A-10C, i can use warthog's 3 position switch for autopilot although middle position doesn't have any assigment.

 

Up = Path hold

Middle = AP off

Down= Alt hold

 

But with viper it doesn't work like that. Up for alt hold ok but when i push back it to middle position, nothing happens so i can not disable AP

Any solution?

 

Sorry, I am confused here. That is not how it works on the A-10C unless you have rebound the throttle controls.

 

Up - path hold

Middle - Altitude and heading hold

Down - altitude and bank hold

 

To engage/disengage AP, you press the AP engage/disengage button next to the 3 way switch.

 

Disabling the Viper AP can be done in the same way if you have it bound that way.

 

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the issue!

[Tippis]

Sorry, I am confused here. That is not how it works on the A-10C unless you have rebound the throttle controls.

 

Up - path hold

Middle - Altitude and heading hold

Down - altitude and bank hold

 

To engage/disengage AP, you press the AP engage/disengage button next to the 3 way switch.

 

Disabling the Viper AP can be done in the same way if you have it bound that way.

 

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the issue!

I think he's just confused about what the positions do, but that's largely besides the point. Rather, it's that the A-10C AP switch (when used with the WH throttle) reacts to all three positions — up, middle, or down — even though technically only the up and down positions send a button input. The bind is set up such that a button release input (moving out of the up or down position) generates toggles on the Alt/Heading mode. Thus, no special bind is needed for the middle position: the up and down binds already take care of that.

 

In the Viper, this works for the special-input version of the Roll AP switch, but there is no corresponding special-input setup for the Pitch AP. If you bind a three-way switch to the ALT and ATT hold, moving that switch to the centre position does nothing, and it would be nice to have a similar proper three-way setup where you active AP OFF by moving the switch to the middle position.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Tippis

[imacken]

I think he's just confused about what the positions do, but that's largely besides the point. Rather, it's that the A-10C AP switch (when used with the WH throttle) reacts to all three positions — up, middle, or down — even though technically only the up and down positions send a button input. The bind is set up such that a button release input (moving out of the up or down position) generates toggles on the Alt/Heading mode.

 

In the Viper, this works for the special-input version of the Roll AP switch, but there is no corresponding special-input setup for the Pitch AP.

 

Maybe, but he is talking about moving the switch to the middle in the A-10C to disable AP, but he can't do that in the Viper. Well, moving the switch to the middle doesn't disable the AP in the A-10C, it's the engafge/disengage button, and he can easily bind that in the same way in the Viper.

[Tippis]

Maybe, but he is talking about moving the switch to the middle in the A-10C to disable AP, but he can't do that in the Viper. Well, moving the switch to the middle doesn't disable the AP in the A-10C, it's the engafge/disengage button, and he can easily bind that in the same way in the Viper.

Yes, but that's just a simple mistake of what position does what, which as mentioned is rather besides the point. Skip that part because it's irrelevant that what he's actually asking for: being able able to bind all three positions of the pitch AP switch to a physical three-way switch on the Warthog (or indeed any) throttle, the same way can with the roll AP switch.

 

As others have noted, there are three ways to get around this lack in the binds:

• Create a custom bind of you own (a fragile solution since each patch can break this).

• Use a separate OFF bind (an inelegant solution that wastes buttons).

• Create a custom hardware profile (a horrible solution since this means juggling profiles in TARGET depending on which plane you want to fly, and TARGET is a horrible piece of junk software to begin with).

 

What the switch positions do in the A-10 is of no real consequence to any of that.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Tippis

[imacken]

Yes, but that's just a simple mistake of what position does what, which as mentioned is rather besides the point. Skip that part because it's irrelevant that what he's actually asking for: being able able to bind all three positions of the pitch AP switch to a physical three-way switch on the Warthog (or indeed any) throttle.

 

I think his main point was that he couldn't disable AP by moving the switch to the middle position like in the A-10C (not!), and he was asking how he can disable AP in the Viper as that method didn't work.

 

I am saying that the switch in the A-10C doesn't work that way, and that it is not irrelevant as his question was relating to disengaging AP in the same manner. To answer his question about disabling, he needs to bind the engage/disengage button.

 

Still, I'll leave you to it now.

[Tippis]

I think his main point was that he couldn't disable AP by moving the switch to the middle position like in the A-10C (not!), and he was asking how he can disable AP in the Viper as that method didn't work.

Well, no. His point was that “Up for alt hold ok but when i push back it to middle position, nothing happens so i can not disable AP”, which is completely accurate. To disable the AP in the Viper, you can't bind a three-way switch to get access to the middle position — you have to waste third input for this. Again, the exact functionality of each position in either aircraft is wholly irrelevant. What matters is that the Roll AP offers a working three-way-switch bind whereas the Pitch AP does not. The A-10 was an example of such a bind; he got the example wrong. That doesn't change what he's asking for in the Viper.

 

Basically, you're reading it as “turn the AP off as in the A-10”; I (and others) are reading it as “move the switch to the middle position as in the A-10”. Yes, turning the AP off can be done in a number of ways, but they're all poorly implemented, )especially when considering that they bothered implementing many other three-way switches) — you should be able to do it by just moving the physical switch to the middle.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Tippis

[ebabil]

Guys, I am very sorry for this mess that i caused. I am not a A10 driver so i just made a quick try with the switch behavior.

My point was, as @Tippis said, when i get the swich in to the middle position, in game switch reacts and gets to middle position too. But with viper, making this has no effect

 

View this :)

 

Sir, thank you for your tip but this is not what i am asking for. I guess button 26 is AP engage disengage button. And this not how it works with viper 3 way ap switch. I want ap to disengage when i get this switch to middle position like A10 engages ALT/HDG mode even this is not a button in dcs.

If i use your method, to disengage AP, i must push this button and get the switch to middle in order to re engage an AP mode later

Edited March 20, 2020 by ebabil

[POLARIS1]

Again, it's a bug.

If you check line 291 in the default.lua in the input folder of the Falcon you will see that the off position has a down value equals 1.0

But, the two lines above it, which are two state, use 0.0 for the off position.

More than that, 1.0 is taken by the Alt hold position.

 

I tried changing Down=1.0 to 0.0 but it didn't solve it and made the off command in the UI into orange.

 

The different options in the default.lue file connect switch movement to precoded commands and the fault lies probably there.

 

I hope the issue is only in connecting the hardware switch with the simulated switch and not the way autopilot works.

[Valk]

Add these lines to the joystick default.lua file.

 

{ down = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down = 1.0, value_up = -1.0, name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ALT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)'), category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

{ down = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down = -1.0, value_up = 1.0, name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ATT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)'), category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

 

In the Controls Options you'll now have two additional actions ('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ALT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)' and 'Autopilot PITCH Switch - ATT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)' which you can bind with Joy_BTN27 and Joy_BTN28 of the warthog throttle. Setting the switch to the middle position will disengage the PITCH Autopilot.

[FoxOne007]

I had the same issue/annoyance, luckily someone in the 476th made a quick mod for it. You can download it here: http://www.476vfightergroup.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=533

 

 

(After each update you have to reinstall it though, but hey better than nothing) It goes into the DCS core folders

[POLARIS1]

Autopilot 3 way switch

 

Add these lines to the joystick default.lua file.

 

{down = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT,up = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT,cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE,value_down = 1.0,value_up = -1.0, name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ALT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)'),category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

{down = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT,up = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT,cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE,value_down = -1.0,value_up = 1.0,name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ATT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)'),category = {_('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

 

In the Controls Options you'll now have two additional actions ('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ALT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)' and 'Autopilot PITCH Switch - ATT HOLD / A/P OFF (Multi-pos switch)' which you can bind with Joy_BTN27 and Joy_BTN28 of the warthog throttle. Setting the switch to the middle position will disengage the PITCH Autopilot.

 

 

I understand the walk around you are doing and it shall work, till they fix it, but..lit's only a walk around till they fix it.

 

More than that...the value up (switch back to the center) value is different in the two commands you wrote and overlaps other values in other states.

I guess they intended value down = 1.0 to be Alt hold,

value down = -1.0 to be Att hold

And 0.0 to be in the middle as the value up for off.

You can not have more than one value for a certain switch state in a certain category.

 

As it is the switch is so messed up that I left it unassigned.

Edited March 20, 2020 by POLARIS1

[Valk]

Yep, that's where I found it as well. Couldn't remember.

Anyway, works fine for me. And indeed, with every update you have to change it again, but I've integrated in a couple of mods I change with JSGM after every update. So it only takes a couple of seconds.

And when ED will change it, I'll just remove it from my mods. But in the mean time it's an easy fix and it solves my problem.

[AirWolf D]

Heya, i dont no why ED not implement this key bindings, what's the problem?

[BaronZ]

It's not like the only thing they have to do is copy-paste the mod and test it a bit if it doesn't create any other bugs (taking a competent dev just about less than 30 min)...

[Jafferson]

Missing the 3 way switch bugs me too