Throttle idle button bind?

[markturner1960]

HI, I looked, but could not find a bind for throttle idle position....is it possible to do this with the Tomcat? I have a winwing F18 throttle and it has button positions for off ( which the Tomcat has) when you lift over the off detent, it then registers as idle. 

I would like the same functionality for teh Tomcat, is it possible? 

 

Thanks! 

[Wavehopper]

There is a throttle idle bind. I can vouch that it works with the warthog throttle

[Dannyvandelft]

HI, I looked, but could not find a bind for throttle idle position....is it possible to do this with the Tomcat? I have a winwing F18 throttle and it has button positions for off ( which the Tomcat has) when you lift over the off detent, it then registers as idle. 
I would like the same functionality for teh Tomcat, is it possible? 
 
Thanks! 

Yes it is. I use it all the time. As well as in the Viper.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[scommander2]

Is it about from the cold start?

 

[draconus]

56 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

Is it about from the cold start?

Yes, from off to idle to start the engine.

[scommander2]

I have the Warthog Throttle "Engine Oper" left and right switches are bound with the left and right engine cut offs in the control .

The actions of this binding is totally opposite from cold start verse off engine.  I am not sure that Winwing will make different.

 

[markturner1960]

Thanks guys, however, none of you have told me what its called? I have searched in the commands using "idle" & "throttle" and not found anything......

I have the cut offs located and bound, which is great, can turn off the engines. I need a bind for "idle"....

 

Thanks! 

[draconus]

45 minutes ago, markturner1960 said:

I have the cut offs located and bound, which is great, can turn off the engines. I need a bind for "idle"....

The throttle "move to idle" bind might still be missing. You can add it yourself for now. Check this:

[markturner1960]

Cheers, sorry to be a pain, but can you explain exactly how to do this? Which file do I edit and where is it? where do teh lines go ...etc. I am am not very conversant with this type of stuff! 

Am I also correct in assuming that there is a fix within those code lines for teh emergency wing sweep handle not going back past 68 degrees? This would be great as I am having trouble with this as well! 

[Dannyvandelft]

Thanks guys, however, none of you have told me what its called? I have searched in the commands using "idle" & "throttle" and not found anything......
I have the cut offs located and bound, which is great, can turn off the engines. I need a bind for "idle"....
 
Thanks! 

It's the same bind. It works from moving to idle to off, and off to idle.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[draconus]

29 minutes ago, markturner1960 said:

Cheers, sorry to be a pain, but can you explain exactly how to do this? Which file do I edit and where is it? where do teh lines go ...etc. I am am not very conversant with this type of stuff!

First make a backup of the file DCS_game_main_directory\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-Pilot\joystick\default.lua

Then you can edit it and add the lines of code

{down = device_commands.THROTTLE_Left_Throttle_CutOff, cockpit_device_id = devices.ENGINE, value_down = 0, name = _('Left Engine IDLE'), category = _('Throttle')},
{down = device_commands.THROTTLE_Right_Throttle_CutOff, cockpit_device_id = devices.ENGINE, value_down = 0, name = _('Right Engine IDLE'), category = _('Throttle')},

between the other binds. Just keep to proper code syntax like {bind1}, {bind2}, {bind3}, you'll get it.

When done editing, run the game and just bind using the newly added commands 'Left/Right Engine Idle'.

Remember the next update will overwrite the file, so you'll have to do that again if HB don't add the new binds. Yes, you could overwrite with your already edited file, but if the update changes anything in the binds you'll have incorrect version missing any changes.

 

29 minutes ago, markturner1960 said:

Am I also correct in assuming that there is a fix within those code lines for teh emergency wing sweep handle not going back past 68 degrees? This would be great as I am having trouble with this as well! 

Did you lift it and wait a bit?

Edited February 27, 2023 by draconus

[Callsign JoNay]

You don't need to add anything, it's alreay there. I use my winwing throttles to move from cutoff to idle all the time. I can't look up the name of the keybind because I'm traveling away from my PC, but it's in there somewhere. 

[markturner1960]

OK, I added the lines Draconus gave me and it works! Thanks mate! So I dont think it is there...I looked really hard before I posted! 

Regarding the emergency wingsweep - I have clarified, this does work cold and dark, however, once you have started and are carrying out the post start checks, here is where it does not. 

You are supposed to after some other checks, go to bomb mode, and manually set sweep to 73. After that you are instrcuted to lift and use the emergency sweep lever to oversweep position. 

Its when I try to do this, that it gets "stuck" at the approx halfway or 68 degree position. 

Edited February 27, 2023 by markturner1960

[draconus]

24 minutes ago, markturner1960 said:

Its when I try to do this, that it gets "stuck" at the approx halfway or 68 degree position.

Can mouse cursor move it then?

[markturner1960]

No, although I did get it to move once, was just clicking and moving the lever I had bound to it. But 99% of the time, its stuck there at 68. I am assuming its something to do with he sequence of test operations I did. I am following Reflecteds excellent cold start tutorial BTW, if you want to see the sequence of tests, I show below: 

MOVE EMERGENCY WING SWITCH FORWARD AND DOWN – WINGS WILL MOVE FWDS. PRESS MASTER RESET, THIS WILL ENGAGE AUTO MODE.

LOWER ALL FLAPS AND SLATS, CYCLE CONTROL SURFACES. CHECK DLC OPERATION

SET ANTISKID / SPOILER BRAKE SWITCH TO SPOILER BK. WITH THROTTLES IDLE AND FLAPS DOWN, SPOILERS SHOULD DEPLOY. THEY SHOULD RETRACT IF THROTTLES ARE ADVANCED. SET SWITCH TO OFF.

RAISE MAIN FLAPS. USE DLC THUMBWHEEL TO DEPLOY MANOUVRE FLAPS. WING SWEEP TO MANUAL AND SET WINGS TO 50. CHECK MANOUVRE FLAPS ARE STILL DEPLOYED AND WORKING. SET WING SWEEP TO BOMB MODE WHICH WILL SWEEP WINGS BACK AND RETRACT THE MANOUVRE FLAPS. THEN SET WINGS FULLY BACK 68. RAISE EMERG WING SWEEP HANDLE & MOVE BACK TO OVERSWEEP POSITION 75. SET SWEEP TO AUTO AND PRESS MASTER RESET

sorry for the caps and bold, I just copied from the kneeboard document I made

 

Edited February 27, 2023 by markturner1960

[RustBelt]

Yes you need to wait for the bags to deflate and the elevator interlock to engage. In the real plane and in the sim’s guts it has a stop you can’t move past until that happens. On controllers or dragging with the mouse or mouse wheel you get a position conflict the sim solves by ignoring you. It’s why I left the emergency wing sweep lever off my HOTAS And just drive it back by grabbing with the mouse. It has some weird handle up handle down goofiness too. I just fumble with it until I get what I want. The real mechanism, to sim translation of it is imperfect. It uses a lot of tactile feedback in reality. But also in reality you use it two whole times in a flight, both times being stopped on the deck/ground. Unless something breaks if random failures are on.
 

Also I believe the original throttle assignment was something like “Cutoff else Idle” at least for the Warthog since being in cutoff is a constant button hold down in the Warthog.

[draconus]

16 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

MOVE EMERGENCY WING SWITCH FORWARD AND DOWN – WINGS WILL MOVE FWDS. PRESS MASTER RESET, THIS WILL ENGAGE AUTO MODE

It's not a switch - it's a handle or lever. To avoid confusion either fix your kneeboard or let Reflected know, if it's his own work.

16 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

RAISE EMERG WING SWEEP HANDLE & MOVE BACK TO OVERSWEEP POSITION 75.

As explained, you need to wait here, before it works.

http://www.heatblur.se/F-14Manual/general.html#oversweep

There's a bug that prevents using a bind for that atm - only mouse or axis bind works afaik.

[Callsign JoNay]

On 2/27/2023 at 8:16 AM, markturner1960 said:

OK, I added the lines Draconus gave me and it works! Thanks mate! So I dont think it is there...I looked really hard before I posted! 

I just checked out my controls. The only thing you need to do is set right and left engine cutoff to the mechanical cutoff position (behind the detent) on your HOTAS throttle. Pushing the throttles back over the detent into the mil power range automatically pushes the DCS Tomcat's throttle levers into idle position. So you didn't have to adjust any keybinds, it's already built into the engine cutoff command as an "on else off" type command.

[markturner1960]

Thanks guys...@nojay. That is strange in that case, because what you described is what I tried first, as it was the only option without adding the extra lines to the .lua file. For me, this definitely did not work as you describe.......I added the lines and now it does what I wanted.......

[Callsign JoNay]

6 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

Thanks guys...@nojay. That is strange in that case, because what you described is what I tried first, as it was the only option without adding the extra lines to the .lua file. For me, this definitely did not work as you describe.......I added the lines and now it does what I wanted.......

In DCS sometimes you have to wake the axis up with some movement before it responds. If you just put your IRL throttle to cutoff position and jump in the HB Tomcat, the throttle might not be in the correct spot initially. Sometimes I have to push the throttle to idle and back to cutoff before I begin starting things up to wake up the axes. 

I've never once modified my key file lua in DCS, and I can assure you the cutoff/detent works for me with no modifications necessary.

[RustBelt]

I basically always have to do this. I think it gets confused by the buttons being pressed when it starts up. So I always load in at Idle. Then pop them back into Cutoff when it loads in. 
 

All the “on else off” actions seem to be funny like that on load in if you go in “button pressed” even if it matches the state.

[draconus]

Yep, that's DCS thing, I always have to activate something on both devices (can be a button press, tiny axis movement or whatever) to make it synch before clicking Fly.

[Despayre]

9 hours ago, draconus said:

Yep, that's DCS thing, I always have to activate something on both devices (can be a button press, tiny axis movement or whatever) to make it synch before clicking Fly.

I found that if you tick the setting, "Synchronize Cockpit Controls with HOTAS Controls at Mission Start" in the Misc. settings, that your HOTAS should sync up without you having to do anything... however, I did have to turn it off, since hotstarting in a couple of missions put me in a field before I realized my throttle wasn't at idle, so... there's that.

[GH0STRID3R]

On 2/27/2023 at 3:36 PM, draconus said:

First make a backup of the file DCS_game_main_directory\Mods\aircraft\F14\Input\F-14B-Pilot\joystick\default.lua

Then you can edit it and add the lines of code

{down = device_commands.THROTTLE_Left_Throttle_CutOff, cockpit_device_id = devices.ENGINE, value_down = 0, name = _('Left Engine IDLE'), category = _('Throttle')},
{down = device_commands.THROTTLE_Right_Throttle_CutOff, cockpit_device_id = devices.ENGINE, value_down = 0, name = _('Right Engine IDLE'), category = _('Throttle')},

between the other binds. Just keep to proper code syntax like {bind1}, {bind2}, {bind3}, you'll get it.

When done editing, run the game and just bind using the newly added commands 'Left/Right Engine Idle'.

Remember the next update will overwrite the file, so you'll have to do that again if HB don't add the new binds. Yes, you could overwrite with your already edited file, but if the update changes anything in the binds you'll have incorrect version missing any changes.

 

Did you lift it and wait a bit?

 

 Great post and very juseful if you don't have a throttle with a detent.

if you got a throttle with detent and you have bound the cutoff to it that you just have to forwerd the trottle past the detent to engage the idle. sometimes you have to go from idle to cutoff first to get the idle to work.