Couple of new throttle owner questions

[Oldfox]

Hi guys,

 

I just received the Warthog throttle and seems really great appart from that tdc slew that is indeed... well... particular!

 

I thought I had to install target stuff and then program things and so on.... But after launching DCS apparently everything is already working fine!

 

Is something more can be done so the throttle works best with DCS? I mean functions that a newbie like me won't know at first like "is it possible for the gear state to control the throttle LEDS ?"

 

And other question is: is there a way so that buttons are evaluated at start, because once in the plane I have to toggle them once before they have correct behaviour.

 

Thanks for your help!

[randomTOTEN]

DCS has probably one of the most powerful control programming functions in any simulator I've ever seen. Other than unique stuff you may want to do, I suspect the DCS Control Assignment tab will serve 99% of your needs. It serves all of mine :)

 

There is an option named "Synchronize HOTAS Controls" which accomplishes what you desire.

[Ant0ine]

Hi guys,

 

I just received the Warthog throttle and seems really great appart from that tdc slew that is indeed... well... particular!

 

I thought I had to install target stuff and then program things and so on.... But after launching DCS apparently everything is already working fine!

 

Is something more can be done so the throttle works best with DCS? I mean functions that a newbie like me won't know at first like "is it possible for the gear state to control the throttle LEDS ?"

 

And other question is: is there a way so that buttons are evaluated at start, because once in the plane I have to toggle them once before they have correct behaviour.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

As randomTOTEN said, you should activate the "Synchronize HOTAS Controls" option.

However, I think the throttle only work well natively with the A10C. Not sure about the "Synchronize HOTAS Controls" option. (If it only work for the A10C).

 

The switches on the Warthog throttle are either On-Off, On-Off-On, or (On)-Off-On. Parentheses mean there is a spring that bring back the switch center position, Off.

 

Issue is that DCS can not react to a switch in the Off position. In other word, DCS only react to a key or button activation. But not on their release.

 

So for exemple if you map a the up (On) position of a two way switch to "gear up/down" (usually bound to the g key), then to lower/raise the gear you'll flip the switch in the up position, and then to lower/raise the gear again you'll have to flip the switch down, which will do nothing, and up again.

 

Using software such as Target or Joystick Gremlin we can program the Off position of any switch.

 

It work natively in the A10C because ED did the job themselve in the game config file. But for other planes, afaik you'll encounter the issue.

 

Edit : I just checked a bit, and in the F18C I see a "Special For Joystick" category which is there to help. For exemple it have "Battery Switch - On/Off", in Up position the Battery are turned On, and in Down position the battery tare turned Off. However, we don't have all the command in here. I can't see the one for Altimeter switch Baro/Rdr for exemple, which I use a lot personally and map to the RDR ALTM switch of the Warthog throttle.

Edit : I think you can add your own "Special For Joystick" command, learn how to in this post, but I personally prefer to use external software. As DCS isn't the only Sim I play.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Ant0ine

[Oldfox]

Thanks,

 

Well that was the option I was looking for but with no luck.... Maybe I'm blind :) It was with the hook switch in the F14....

 

Will try to find it again tonight. But the behaviour you describe is what I was afraid of indeed.

 

Did not start to play with target software for the moment, hope you can adjust couple of stuff and let the rest handled by DCS, too lazy to code everything needed I'm afraid... :D

[randomTOTEN]

Yes.

 

And the Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS is a very popular control for DCS. Thus, almost every aircraft should have custom settings made to work within those limitations.

If not, it's also possible to modify the configuration files to add them. Many users share those modifications too.

[VpR81]

If not, it's also possible to modify the configuration files to add them. Many users share those modifications too.

 

This can be easily done for all functions and all 2 and 3 way switches on the Warthog by simply using Target or Joystick gremlin. No one needs to manipulate DCS files for that, wich is a very complicated solution compared to additional software where you can do this with 2 mouse clicks.

[Oldfox]

I probably only should ask more questions once I first try TARGET, but from what I read it kinda disconnects the real controller and provide a virtual one. So I wonder how it could not make a mess in DCS input configuration?

 

If no simple answer to this I'll have to test and see :)

[VpR81]

It does. The virtual controller is recognised by DCS as a new device and you'll have to remap it, but it's worth the little amount of work. You can map the virtual controller then in Target, or in DCS, or a mixed mapping. Not a big deal. Just make sure to set the signal in target to "pulse" instead of "hold" for the permanent switches. Target is only for mapping buttons and switches, the axis for the virtual controller still have to be defined/mapped in DCS. You can also map sequences in Target, i.e. mapping one button to reset zoom and center view at the same time.

 

The downside is, that the virtual controller can only have 8 axis since windows limits axis and buttons per controller. The Warthog throttle has 5 axis and the stick 2, but you can decide wich device should be included to the virtual controller profile. I have only set the throttle as virtual controller while i map my sticks and pedals in DCS

[Baldrick33]

I use Joy2key to manage the on off states. Target is a much more powerful tool but I found Joy2key did what I wanted and I already used it.

 

I simply assigned a key to each on and off state and map this in DCS,

[Oldfox]

Ok so just had my first try to map keys to throttle buttons on and off through target.

 

And it does exactly what I expected from reading quickly manual:

It works perfectly for the keys... But creates a new virtual device with nothing affected in DCS while my perfectly working throttle has disappeared from controler list in DCS. :(

 

Will probably have to switch to the target hread now :D

[VpR81]

The virtual controller should now show up in your DCS controller list instead of the throttle/stick. The keybinds you mapped in target will not show up in the DCS controller list/virtual controller category, but should work as intended. Map your switches and buttons in Target and only your axis in DCS for the virtual controller and give it a try in flight. It should perfectly work, i never had any issues with that. Target needs a bit training and playing around with it as it is not as intuitive as it should be. But as soon as you are in the know, it's a great tool and provides great features and functions. Not using Target (or similar software) means you're missing a huge amount of the Warthogs potential.

Edited April 28, 2020 by VpR81

[Ant0ine]

It works perfectly for the keys... But creates a new virtual device with nothing affected in DCS while my perfectly working throttle has disappeared from controler list in DCS. :(

 

That's why I usually advise Joystick Gremlin instead of Target. As Joystick Gremlin comes on top of your current configuration, it doesn't remplace it completely.

 

https://whitemagic.github.io/JoystickGremlin/overview/

[Oldfox]

Not saying it doesn't work but it's just sad you have to reassign everything while it was 99% complete without use of Target. Not using gremlin but UCR I think as I need this to map car pedals to rudder axis. Will try also with that option.

 

 

I hear the argument of the potential as well.... I guess for LED control it's just a matter of lighting a led when a control is pushed, not a real feedback from DCS? I wonder if possible.

[VpR81]

Not saying it doesn't work but it's just sad you have to reassign everything while it was 99% complete without use of Target.

 

I remember going through the same situation when i got my Warthog. It was annoying back then but as mentioned, it was worth the work and i never regret. I don't use Joystick Gremlin as i started with Target and didn't know about JG back then, otherwise i would have propably choosed JG.

 

You can set the LED's on the throttle to turn on/out if any button is pressed, but afaik it is not related to a DCS feedback. I don't know if this is possible via .lua file modification in combination with the Target script editor.

[Oldfox]

Had my first try yesterday with Target SW.

 

Takes some time to get into the head of a Thrusmaster developper but once understood it's pretty easy (but not quick) to do what you want.

 

Issue for me is first that it takes lot of time as you always have to map every damn button (up press, up release, don press down release oh dear...) to a key, and doing so you have a lot of chances that the setting you are doing is plane dependent (3 position flaps for A10 for example).

 

When not using target all buttons are mapped to buttons which makes it lot faster to configure as long as the plane can be configured with controls like if/else so you can map those on/off buttons.

 

Is there a way to add buttons that are directly mapped from the throttle to the virtual device instead of having almost all of them revoved and needing a key maping?

 

And for the TDC slew configuration... Wow I knew that it was said to be not too good but hell it's a disaster indeed.... Was way easier to slew with an old destructed 4 way hat :'(

What's best to configure it: change TARGET curve and linear in DCS? Linear Target and changing curve in DCS? A mix of both?

 

 

Thanks!

[Lange_666]

What's best to configure it: change TARGET curve and linear in DCS? Linear Target and changing curve in DCS? A mix of both?

I would not waste time and go this road: https://deltasimelectronics.com/

On the forum it's covered in this thread: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=200198

[Oldfox]

I know just need to survive until the part is available again :D