How to get around the chronic lack of buttons / hardware when CPG

[markturner1960]

So I have spent most of the last 3 days getting to grips with simply flying the Apache and trying to get controls etc set up. Thought I had it covered until I tried the gun ( Via the training mission) for the first time.......

Having used up all available switches and buttons setting up the cyclic and collective I now find I need another 2 grips & buttons for the TEDAC.

How are you guys getting around this, without buying additional hardware? I have ordered an X box conroller but need to get it set up etc with Xpadder or similar, plus I am flying in VR, so this is not ideal. There must be many of you who dont use extra hardware, how best to manage this? 

[CybrSlydr]

I have a Cougar HOTAS.  I started out following Wag's control setup video and mapped the majority of items needed.  

For instance, as CP/G the weapon selection HAT is my TMS hat, the zoom for the TADS is the DMS hat, I switch between TADS and HDS with the CMS hat.  Weapon release is the red button up top, manual slew of the TADS is the throttle radar cursor, rudder is the 4-way radio switch on the throttle, inertial stabilizer or whatever it's called is the depress on the rng/uncage rotary on the throttle, slave is the MSL button on the stick.

So far, it's working for CP/G and pilot, though there isn't much that the pilot really requires.  Symbology switch is the DMS, tail wheel lock/unlock is the pinky switch on the stick.

[Harlikwin]

2 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

So I have spent most of the last 3 days getting to grips with simply flying the Apache and trying to get controls etc set up. Thought I had it covered until I tried the gun ( Via the training mission) for the first time.......

Having used up all available switches and buttons setting up the cyclic and collective I now find I need another 2 grips & buttons for the TEDAC.

How are you guys getting around this, without buying additional hardware? I have ordered an X box conroller but need to get it set up etc with Xpadder or similar, plus I am flying in VR, so this is not ideal. There must be many of you who dont use extra hardware, how best to manage this? 

 

The suggestion from actual apache pilots has been Xbox controller. 

[Greyman]

2 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

So I have spent most of the last 3 days getting to grips with simply flying the Apache and trying to get controls etc set up. Thought I had it covered until I tried the gun ( Via the training mission) for the first time.......

Having used up all available switches and buttons setting up the cyclic and collective I now find I need another 2 grips & buttons for the TEDAC.

How are you guys getting around this, without buying additional hardware? I have ordered an X box conroller but need to get it set up etc with Xpadder or similar, plus I am flying in VR, so this is not ideal. There must be many of you who dont use extra hardware, how best to manage this? 

In a word, "modifiers". 

If you've not used them before, they're a bit like the Shift and Ctrl keys on a keyboard, in that they effectively multiply the number of control button combinations you have available for mapping.

Edited March 20, 2022 by Greyman

[S. Low]

I’m not sure if it’ll help but I’ll give my set up: I have virpil stick and throttle, and Xbox controller. I have nearly identical controls set for both pilot and CPG so I’m ready to fly as CPG as needed, plus the administrative stuff like zoom and map… views.. etc are where they always are.

For the TEDAC I have the most used functions bound to the controller with a modifier used as well.

Triggers and left stick aren’t bound yet because I was searching for a program. LB is the modifier. RB is laser and fire. Dpad is WAS and sight select. Back button and start button are Tads, HMD, FCR, and LMC. A B X Y are store, slave, Flir, TV, and the four flir fov modes

[markturner1960]

Thanks all, S.Low, thats kind of what I wanted to do as well, as it becomes tricky remembering a huge set of controls bindings - what are you using to map the Xbox controller ? I brought xpadder, but it seems really dont need it as you can most within windows

Edited March 21, 2022 by markturner1960

[CoyoteJohn]

I run two modifier buttons on my HOTAS setup (VKB Gladiator NXT & TWCS Throttle), which basically gives me 3 bindings per button. I also have some other controls laying around that I could map if necessary...such as power levers on my quadrant.

Edited March 21, 2022 by CoyoteJohn
formatting

[pellelil]

2 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

Thanks all, S.Low, thats kind of what I wanted to do as well, as it becomes tricky remembering a huge set of controls bindings - what are you using to map the Xbox controller ? I brought xpadder, but it seems really dont need it as you can most within windows

 

I always make kneeboard pages for my HOTAS (Warhog throttle and stick). They are a great help when building up your muscle memory, and as a reminder when returning to a module you haven't been using for a long time

[redbeard]

I was under the impression that all cp/g binds are separate from the pilot binds so you can just reuse the same hats and buttons for each seat. Is this not how it works? 

[Greyman]

7 minutes ago, redbeard said:

I was under the impression that all cp/g binds are separate from the pilot binds so you can just reuse the same hats and buttons for each seat. Is this not how it works? 

Yes, but unless you have a lot of physical buttons/axes on your physical controller(s), you're still likely to be struggling to map everything you need.

[98abaile]

I don't have any of the FCR or searchlight functions bound and I only use one modifier on the collective (using VPC mongoose 2 and blackshark collective with throttle (axis unmapped, the button lock used for tail wheel unlock)). It actually leaves me with the POV hat on the stick unbound. I use an xbox360 controller for the TEDAC.