HOTAS Confusion and sheer frustration!!!!

[PMac]

I am relatively new To DCS, I love the game and I am truly addicted. As off  a few days ago all my control inputs were working well, but mysteriously

some inputs worked while others did not. This threw me into instant panic....

But now, after I tried to fix things.....(Fatal Error) I seem to have completely stuffed it!  I'm running Steam Open Beta, I have 3 modules  FA18, A 10 II and Flaming Cliffs.

I am using a Thrustmaster 1600 TM flight series joystick and throttle. After deleting Input files, as per what I read, things really turned to <profanity>. Flaming Cliff inputs still work, but even after reassigning all my inputs for the FA 18 and A10, the game won't recognize any inputs.... I can't fly either aircraft

I am tearing my hair out and going into bad withdrawals. Could some knowledgeable human being please help me...!!.

[Hiob]

You'll probably need to reassign all your controls when you follow this advice. You've been warned.

Delete (or rename it!) your user\savegames\DCS.openbeta Folder. Restart the game. It will build a new savegames\dcs.openbeta folder and all the settings you may have corrupted are back to stock. If it doesn't work. Delete the new folder and rename your old one back to what it was.

You may want to run a slow repair on dcs, but I'm unfamiliar with the steam-version. Don't know if this option exists there.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Hiob

[Rudel_chw]

3 hours ago, PMac said:

After deleting Input files, as per what I read, things really turned to <profanity>. Flaming Cliff inputs still work, but even after reassigning all my inputs for the FA 18 and A10, the game won't recognize any inputs.... I can't fly either aircraft

When you read advice, take into account that it probably refers to the stand alone version of DCS, unless it explicitly mentions Steam. The controls system of DCS is based on two set of files for each aircraft, each file of the set corresponds to each column of the DCS controls window.
 

One set has the default controls for the aircraft, and it is a .LUA file within the DCS program folder, which in your case is inside the Steam folder where Steam stored the game. you can restore these files by performing a Steam file integrity check.

 

The other set is a .DIFF file, that stores only the controls that you have assigned on the DCS controls window. These .DIFF files are stored at /Saved games/DCS or dcs.openbeta/config/input/name of the aircraft/joystick keyboard or mouse/ …  if you delete these .DIFF files, DCS will re-create them when you assign a new control of each type (joystick, keyboard, mouse or trackir).

Edited April 20, 2022 by Rudel_chw

[Hiob]

@Rudel_chw Thanks for the clarification!

@PMac there you go, following Rudels advise should set things straight again. With the possible downside of the need to reassign your controls...

[Sacarino111]

Hi.

Keep in mind that you shouldn't share the profiles between modules (A/10 with F/A-18 etc.), as not all the fuctions are similar and can't be switched from a module to another. When you finally have a good set of bindings (even in the middle of the process), save a copy for every and each module separatedly for any joy you have. E.G: if the throttle is apart fron the joy, save a copy for the throttle bindings  and another copy for the joy assignements.

So, again, save a copy of your actual setup, erase the assignements (do this inside the DCS setup options, not from the Windows explorer) and restarta all over again, saving a copy for each peripheral you have after  a good result.

I hope I made myself clear enough.

Saludos.

Saca111

[PMac]

Thank you everyone for all your replies and suggestions.

I think part of my problem was trying to implement stand alone DCS solutions for the Steam version.

Rudel_chw might have the answers I think. Could you be a little more specific about where to access these files in Steam. 

I'm now a bit gun shy to go deleting files again after my last effort.  Reassigning controls is a small price to pay to get me flying again.

Thankyou once again for any further help.

 

Cheers, PMac

[Rudel_chw]

40 minutes ago, PMac said:

Could you be a little more specific about where to access these files in Steam. 

 

Sure, start the Steam Client, select Library on its menu. On your game list, locate DCS World and right click on it, select "Properties" on the pop-up menu. Now choose "Local Files", the "Browse" button will show you where the game is stored. The "Verify Integrity of game files" will repair the game (but will not touch your configuration at /Saved Games/ )

[Dscross]

Some good advice here. Rudel_chw is good and helping answer questions. However, sometimes it's something else. So I'm sure they got it right this, about steam, I'll like add a couple things.

First, the best advice I can give you is to convert your dcs to open beta and ditch steam. I don't know anyone who has converted who dosent have a better experince in open beta or stand alone. I'm sure they're out there, but I don't know them.

Second, dcs is always easier if you have someone to help you, someone to fly with or whatever. With that in mind, I tell you want I tell all new players. Here is the link to my squadron discord. https://discord.gg/JuBydbsfDn

We have some pretty good instructors. We don't know everything, but the squadron can probably help isolate most issues, and controls binding is certainly one We can help with. 

Drop by anytime. Everything about dcs is better when you have a group you can fly with, get instruction from, or just hang out with. 

Welcome, and good luck. We'll see you in the skies.

[PMac]

Thanks for that DsCross, can I keep modules purchased in the steam version if I change to stand alone? And what is the procedure for doing this?

 

Hey Rudel_chw, my noobism is showing again. I ran the Steam integrity verification and a number of files were repaired.

But as for the next step,  I  cannot find the .DIFF files where you said they should be. though the . LUA files are there.

Again don't want to delete things that I'm not sure about or don't understand  hope I'm not trying your patience.

 

Cheers PMac

[Sacarino111]

40 minutes ago, PMac said:

But as for the next step,  I  cannot find the .DIFF files where

HI.

If you haven't saved any personal bindings you won't find the .diff files. Go to any  module, modify whatever input you may want, and with left mouse on the little downarrow in the device name window search for save config and you will be prompted with a window to save the current profile, with the .diff,lua extension. First do  a single module, and do tests after one or two changes,saving after a good result, overwritting the previouse one (or you will end up with an infinite number of profiles...). Per default, as IIRC, the path should be "C:\Users\XXX\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Controls".

Saludos

Saca111

[Eugel]

14 hours ago, Dscross said:

First, the best advice I can give you is to convert your dcs to open beta and ditch steam. I don't know anyone who has converted who dosent have a better experince in open beta or stand alone. I'm sure they're out there, but I don't know them.

Steam has both stable and open beta version as well, no difference to the standalone version there.
I´ve been using the steam version for years. I tried the standalone version, but couldn´t find any real advantage. Only thing you´re missing out are the free trials.

[Eugel]

1 hour ago, PMac said:

Thanks for that DsCross, can I keep modules purchased in the steam version if I change to stand alone? And what is the procedure for doing this?

Yes, you can. You have to log into your DCS account (NOT your forum account), go to your profile and link it to your steam account. You will then have a button "get licenses" there. It will move over all your steam purchases to the DCS account. At this point you can use all your modules in both versions. However, when you buy something from the DCS store, you can´t use it in the steam version. 

[Rudel_chw]

3 hours ago, PMac said:

I  cannot find the .DIFF files where you said they should be. though the . LUA files are there.

 

Hi. The .DIFF files is where DCS stores your customized control bindings, as @Sacarino111 says, you need to customize at least one control before DCS creates the file. On my DCS the DIFF files for the A-10C are here:

 

Note that there is one folder within /Input/  for each aircraft that you have binded controls for. Also they are classified by type: /joystick/  /keyboard/ etc ... note that the controls are separate for Game Mode and Sim Mode.

 

Edit: You can delete a DIFF file and that will clear every control binding that you did for that aircraft and that control. To be on the safe side, instead of deleting you can rename the file, say for example keyboard.diff.bak ... this works just like deleting the file but you can recover it later on if needed, just by renaming it back.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Rudel_chw

[Dscross]

7 hours ago, Eugel said:

Steam has both stable and open beta version as well, no difference to the standalone version there.
I´ve been using the steam version for years. I tried the standalone version, but couldn´t find any real advantage. Only thing you´re missing out are the free trials.

Lol, see, someone who likes steam better. 

So now I've got to change it. "Most people prefer standalone over steam." But there are people who prefer steam...

 

[Rudel_chw]

5 minutes ago, Dscross said:

Lol, see, someone who likes steam better. 

I use DCS stand alone, mostly to avoid the 30% cut that Steam takes away from the developers, but it does have advantages that some players appreciate:

- Usually a faster download speed.

- Easier repair.

- Easier conversion between Stable and Openbeta branches.

- Sometimes the price is cheaper due to favorable exchange rates.

- Steam keeps track of your playing time.

 

[PMac]

Hey Rudel,

Thanks for all your help. Frustration still reigns !! I now have pitch control only in the FA 18 C and some keyboard inputs only for the A10 and that's it. I'm ready to break something!

I've been sim racing for 10 years, over many game titles and using a lot of different wheels, pedals and gearshifts as I got more competitive. But I have never struck something so convoluted and

 and frustrating as this...... just to bind control inputs for two devices.

I am obviously missing something here, I am not a PC genius (that's probably obvious) but I'm vey confused here. I can't grasp what to save, Stick ,throttle ,mouse and keys as separate files and not as different aircraft as someone else suggested but that didn't work either. DCS is not rewriting files for them as said.

Can I just uninstall DCS Steam and reinstall it to at least get me back to a clean start?

I'm trying not to cry......

 

Cheers (lying) 

PMac

[Rudel_chw]

14 minutes ago, PMac said:

Can I just uninstall DCS Steam and reinstall it to at least get me back to a clean start?

Its not worth it, the Steam’s integrity check does exactly the same but without having to re-download everything. What you can do is reset to default only your configuration, this is done by simply renaming your /saved games/dcs/ (or /dcs.openbeta/ ) .. say, rename it by adding .bak at its end (for backup).
 

Now, when you restart dcs it will re-create a default /saved games/dcs/ folder. You will need to configure the sim as if it was newly installed, including your user credentials, graphics options and control bindings.

 

You can recover from the backup some items, say, screenshots, missions that you may have created, the logbook.lua file (which contains your pilot logbook and your Campaign status), etc. Recover simply by copying the files back from the backup folder you renamed earlier, and placing them on the new folder that DCS just created.

[MAXsenna]

 @PMac Hi!

Like others have said. No need to re-install either Steam nor Standalone, as the process with repair/integrity check resets all of the game files to default.

For starters I wouldn't rename or delete the DCS.xxx folder. I'd just rename the input folder, just to see if you can fix the controls settings. The input folder have a folder for every module.

As for "Saving". Whenever you do a change in the controls, and you click "OK", they are saved. If you want a backup, Just make a copy of your "Saved Games" folder, or store it in fantasy land, like (I) some do.

But but but!!!!
You write that FC3 wasn't affected. Only the A-10C and F/A-18C. This leads me to believe that somehow you changed to or from Game Mode in the Sim. If you actually did this it's no wonder you have "issues", because they do not use the same controls scheme. 

 

In game mode it uses the "Game" settings for the FF modules, while the FC3 modules don't have them.

The A-10s are a good example. The A-10A is an FC3 craft. Only one mode, while the Cs have both. I would check this first before you do any other change.

 

As for Steam vs. Standalone. I have never used Steam, but I did purchase some modules there in the beginning of my DCS adventure.
Many valid points for both, but I have never heard of a Standalone user migrating to Steam, or a Steam user regretting the switch.
Another good point for using Standalone is Skatezilla's excellent GUI Updater/Launcher.

 

Link here.

 

As for the process of switching from Steam to Standalone. Login to the ED site and click on your profile, and just do the steps below.

 

 

Hope this helps in some way, and I cross my fingers for you!
Cheers!

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by MAXsenna
Missing text

[PMac]

Hey MAX Senna,

You have helped make all my problems go away with one mouse click...!! It's all working again and my sanity has returned.

I've been rebinding controls in my sleep.... thinking I was going crazy.

 

In regard to moving from Steam to stand alone, I am running a G2 in Steam VR, will it still work in Stand alone?

 

Thank you to everyone that has helped me (especially Rudel_chw) through this frustrating period. I think ED should look at their tooltips to clarify descriptions,

some are very confusing to new players.

 

I think I'm off to have a large vodka

Cheers, PMac

 

[MAXsenna]

@PMac

That's awesome! Enjoy your drink!  

Currently not a VR user, but I'm pretty sure you don't need to run the Steam version to run VR in Standalone. Seems most are switching to "XMVR" (?) or something to get better performance. Head over to the VR forum and I'm sure you'll get all the help, tips and hints you need there! 

Happy to help!

[Eugel]

On 4/24/2022 at 5:19 AM, PMac said:

In regard to moving from Steam to stand alone, I am running a G2 in Steam VR, will it still work in Stand alone?

Yes, you have to start the standalone version normally, then go to options -> VR and enable VR, then DCS will start in VR mode.

The second option is to not use steam VR at all. Check out this thread here: 

 

[Patoruzu]

I bought an new WinWing Stick and although it is detected by DCS Steam, only the first 10 buttons are "available". Any idea on how to make it recognize the entire setup?

NOTE: the 10 buttons come probably from a regular gamepad.

Thanks in advance,

Patoruzu