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Problem Loading Joystick Profiles


maajr57

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Hi, I'm used to import .DIFF.LUA files, not .LUA files. Here's an example of a proper custom profile: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/fr/files/3317760/

As you can see, it only contains .DIFF.LUA files.

Here's how DCS works with controls bindings:

  • .LUA files are those from ED. They are stored in the main game folder, and they should not be modified (example: .\DCS World\Mods\aircraft\FA-18C\Input\FA-18C\joystick) when the game is installed. You should not mess with those.
  • .DIFF.LUA are created by the game in the "Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\name_of_aircraft" folder (example: C:\Users\user\Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\FA-18C_hornet\joystick) when you start modifying bindings.

At startup, the game loads controls keybinds: it first loads .LUA files from its main folder, then it applies differences found in your .DIFF.LUA files.

Where in the forum are the .LUA files you're talking about ?

Don't accept indie game testing requests from friends in Discord. Ever.

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This is an example of what I am trying to import.

buedis P-51D Profile for the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog and Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals (digitalcombatsimulator.com)

I have both diff.lua and Lua files in my G:\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\aircraft\P-51D\Input\P-51D\joystick.

I have none of those files in C:\Users\maajr\Saved Games

How do I have to set up directories so that when I load a plane, DCS knows what control profiles to load without me having to keep loading profiles each time I change planes?

Thanks for your help.

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9 hours ago, maajr57 said:

This is an example of what I am trying to import.

buedis P-51D Profile for the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog and Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals (digitalcombatsimulator.com)

I have both diff.lua and Lua files in my G:\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\aircraft\P-51D\Input\P-51D\joystick.

I have none of those files in C:\Users\maajr\Saved Games

How do I have to set up directories so that when I load a plane, DCS knows what control profiles to load without me having to keep loading profiles each time I change planes?

Thanks for your help.

File and folders structure used by DCS was different 9 years ago when this Mustang profile was created than it is today. When you open the files conained in it, you'll see they even have different inernal syntax than any modern diff.lua profiles to be found on ED website nowadays.

Today, custom profiles to be imported need to be .diff.lua files, you can load them from anywhere on your drive and if done correctly the game will place them in C:\......\Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\P-51 folder as Flappie explained above. Keep in mind there were some controls changes in all warbirds done last year, so even if that old Mustang profile could somehow be converted and imported, it wouldn't work 100% anyway.

When browsing through DCS user files repository, always check how old the uploaded content is. The older mods, profiles, skins and whatnot are, the less likely they'll work with DCS as it is today.


Edited by Art-J
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i7 9700K @ stock speed, single GTX1070, 32 gigs of RAM, TH Warthog, MFG Crosswind, Win10.

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Thank you for your help Art-J!

Honestly, I wouldn't know one syntax from another since I am not a programmer. Based on what you told me I did find the DIFF.LUA files in C:\Users\Username\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input\P-51D\joystick. So if I understand you guys correctly, for DCS to save and use profiles correctly, I have to import and/or manually configure my controls and then SAVE PROFILE AS to the  C:\Users\Username\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input\P-51D\joystick directory. Correct? Then each time I load a different aircraft, DCS will automatically load the correct control configuration?

Thank you again for taking the time to help.

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In order to clean up and minimize my confusion, would you recommend that I move all the DIFF.LUA files to my C:\Users\Username\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input\P-51D\joystick directory? My understanding at this point is that .LUA belongs in DCS structure and DIFF.LUA belongs in Saved Games structure.

On another note:

If there is a particular kneeboard that I want to use for an aircraft to be loaded automatically each time, would I add a Kneeboard folder as show below:

C:\Users\Username\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input\P-51D\Kneeboard

And then put the kneeboard .PNG file in that directory? 

The result would be that when I load the aircraft, I would see kneeboards pulled from Terrains and Campaigns and also my chosen aircraft kneeboard in Saved Games. Correct?

DCS does not have a default aircraft kneeboard of it's own. They are leaving that up to us. Correct?

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Before I even received an answer to the previous posts, I discovered the UserProfiles directory! Please explain the DCS logic for how this is supposed to work.  I would suggest that DCS add the logic or instructions  to the pop up windows Load Profile and Save Profile As.

C:\Users\maajr\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\InputUserProfiles

C:\Users\maajr\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input\P-51D

G:\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\aircraft\P-51D\Input\P-51D

19 hours ago, Flappie said:

Here's how DCS works with controls bindings:

  • .LUA files are those from ED. They are stored in the main game folder, and they should not be modified (example: .\DCS World\Mods\aircraft\FA-18C\Input\FA-18C\joystick) when the game is installed. You should not mess with those.
  • .DIFF.LUA are created by the game in the "Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\name_of_aircraft" folder (example: C:\Users\user\Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\FA-18C_hornet\joystick) when you start modifying bindings.

At startup, the game loads controls keybinds: it first loads .LUA files from its main folder, then it applies differences found in your .DIFF.LUA files.

If Flappie would add the UserInput folder to this explanation I will be eternally grateful! 🤓

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This InputUserProfiles folder is a bit puzzling discovery, 'cause I've never seen such thing in my 8 years of playing DCS and I don't know where it came from in your Saved Games. Well, it isn't required for clean DCS, that's for sure. Maybe it's created by some other software, do your use T.A.R.G.E.T. for your Thrustmaster gear?

Back to the point, though, you've figured out the rest pretty well. So, to sum it up:

a) lua files stay in main game folder as base templates and you should not touch them (there's no need to do it anyway);

b) diff.lua files, reside in Saved Games\... \Config\Input as you noticed already. They contain any changes (DIFF-erences, hence the extension name) you did to base .lua templates. Each controller device gets its own separate .diff.lua - your keyboard, mouse, TrackIR, joystick, throttle, pedals & whatnot. They're being automatically created whenever you're making changes in each of highlighted controller columns and hit green "OK" button in conrol options screen, so you don't really have to use "Save" button, unless you specifically want to name these files in some personal manner, like "Maajr's P-51 profile for throttle" or something. I, for example, for backup purposes, never bother with using "Save" button and just make a copy of the whole Config/Input with all its subfolders.

c) When you start the game, as Flappie explained, DCS loads most of the control assignments from base .lua template and then overlays your .diff.luas on top. It does so automatically for every aircraft, so once you've got your controls set-up for good, you very rarely visit this tab of game options.

d) if you messed up something while setting up chosen device (for example - you deleted some default keyboard assignments by mistake), you just exit the game, navigate to Saved Games/..../Config/Input/[...] and delete that particular messed up .diff.lua for that particular controller. Next time when DCS starts, it doesn't detect the .diff.lua so -> it reverts assignments back to default and you can start tweaking controls (and thus creating new .diff.lua) once again.

e) note ,when you see the names of your .diff.lua files, they contain strings of multiple gibberish characters. These are USB ID names for USB defices plugged into your PC and they're individual for every PC out there. Thus, you can't just download someone elses diff.luas and copy them directly to your Saved Games, because your own PC won't recognize their names. That's what "Load" button in controls screen is for. Download the files somewhere, when in control options screen highlight each column, hit "Load", navigate to downloaded relevant file, hit OK and you're done. Someone else's files got imported - renamed in a way so that your PC now recognizes them and now they work like any other .diff.luas in your Config/Input folder.

f) one last thing about the Mustang, there's a years-long-standing bug in DCS with controls for D-25 and D-30 version of the airplane. There should be two separate folders for each in Config/Input, but on some computers, there's only one called "P-51D". Your example shows that. Manually create another one called "P-51D-30-NA" and copy all your .diff.luas from the former to the latter. Otherwise your game will sometimes fail to auto-load your assignments depending on whether you play mission in D-25 or D-30 first. Having two separate folders solves this problem. DCS Spitfire is affected in the same way, If you ever decide to buy it as well.

 

i7 9700K @ stock speed, single GTX1070, 32 gigs of RAM, TH Warthog, MFG Crosswind, Win10.

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Wow! Your expertise really shows! Very thoughtful and thorough! Thank you very much!

Yes I have TARGET by Thrustmaster installed but have not been using it.

Thank you for the heads up on the P-51D issue but I need a little more clarification. I only have one P-51D plane but I see the P-51D-25 and the P-51D-30 in the Instant Actions list of missions.

So I should create a separate file in C:\Users\maajr\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input for the 2 variations of the P-51D and copy the configurations. I would name them P-51D-30 and P-51D-25.

What is "P-51D-30-NA"? I'm sure you have a reason for that name.

 

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53 minutes ago, maajr57 said:

Thx SilverDevil. So you only have one Aircraft folder for both the P-51D-30 and the P-51D-25 and DCS loads the controls for both planes properly. Correct?

i only have the one module.  P-51D-30-NA. i have not flown in a while so maybe this is another lot. normally if the plane has a separate option configuration in game, there will be another folder for that plane.

 

edit. i found that in the options it is just P-51D. i guess both use same config.


Edited by silverdevil

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22 hours ago, maajr57 said:

Wow! Your expertise really shows! Very thoughtful and thorough! Thank you very much!

Yes I have TARGET by Thrustmaster installed but have not been using it.

Thank you for the heads up on the P-51D issue but I need a little more clarification. I only have one P-51D plane but I see the P-51D-25 and the P-51D-30 in the Instant Actions list of missions.

So I should create a separate file in C:\Users\maajr\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input for the 2 variations of the P-51D and copy the configurations. I would name them P-51D-30 and P-51D-25.

What is "P-51D-30-NA"? I'm sure you have a reason for that name.

 

I've never tried T.A.R.G.E.T., 'cause I hate programming with passion, but I guess it's indeed responsible for that extra folder you found. When assigning controls directly in game it won't be used, however.

Clearing things up about both Mustang variants included in payware module:

a) block -30 is the original, older one, released for DCS in 2012. Nowadays, for storing diff.luas it uses folder called "P-51D-30-NA";

b) block -25 was added about 2018. For .diff.luas it uses folder called "P-51D".

Keep in mind these folder names do matter, so you can't name them anyway you like - the game won't recognize them if the names are incorrect.

In theory, since both variants are functionally exactly the same, only one folder should suffice (and when editing controls in game options tab you can see there's only unified "P-51D Real" tab and one unified "P-51D Easy" tab). Thus, the game should be able to auto-load your .diff.luas no matter which variant you use in your mission first, but that's the point - if you've got only one folder, there is a bug with game not loading your personal controls when -25 is chosen as the first Mustang to be flown after starting up DCS. Having two folders as described above solves that freaky issue. The only annoyance is - when you tweak controls, changes you make are saved only in one of these folders (I don't remember which one, unfortunately), so you'll have to manually copy-paste its content to the other one, 'cause the game is unable to do it.

Can't answer your questions about customized kneeboards, I don't have experience tinkering with these. I only know there are guys out there creating mods and apps which make kneeboards better organized / manageable, compared to somewhat clunky original implementation. That's one of the apps google came up with: https://dcskneeboardbuilder.com

i7 9700K @ stock speed, single GTX1070, 32 gigs of RAM, TH Warthog, MFG Crosswind, Win10.

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Thanks Art-J! Your expertise shows. Hard to belive you're not a programmer. New P-51D-30-NA in the works. Thanks for the tip. Saves me from more frustration. 👍

I have seen Kneeboardbuilder as well as Openkneeboard but that's a converation for another post.

Thanks again!

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No problem. For the reference, If you decide to purchase other warbirds in the future, as I said, Spitfire has the same problem (with non-clipped and clipped variant requiring two separate controls folders again), but P-47 uses one folder for its three variants without any issues.

i7 9700K @ stock speed, single GTX1070, 32 gigs of RAM, TH Warthog, MFG Crosswind, Win10.

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