Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar configuration question

[pr3sidentspence]

Does anyone know if it is possible to change the behaviour of just one axis without changing anything else. I ask because I got it in my head to use the MAN RNG axis to control the Select Jett knob in the F/A-18c in DCS. I used the composer and got it to work, but when I tried to use the UNCAGE button to trigger the jettison button it didn't work. Then I realised that nothing else worked anymore. I switched back out of Button and Axis Emulation and everything was back to normal.

How could I make the change I wanted to make without having to configure everything else in a joystick file as well? I read something somewhere about being able to map the axis to DirectX buttons, would that make a difference?

Thanks,
Mike

[Rudel_chw]

9 hours ago, pr3sidentspence said:

Does anyone know if it is possible to change the behaviour of just one axis without changing anything else. I ask because I got it in my head to use the MAN RNG axis to control the Select Jett knob in the F/A-18c in DCS.

 

Hi,

The Cougar has two modes of operation:

Button & Axis Emulation OFF - On this mode the Cougar behaves just like an ordinary DirectX device and the button & axis configurations are done within DCS, with its Options - Controls screen.

Button & Axis emulation ON - On this mode the Cougar behaves like a programmable keyboard coupled with a bunch of analog axes. The configuration has to be done with a Thrustmaster Utility, either Foxy or Target.

 

You can't really mix both Modes, so you can't use one Mode with just one axis and the other Mode to all the rest. The only exception is that on the second mode you can make some buttons to behave like DirectX buttons, so that DCS can configure them if you want (I use this function for things like the trigger, as it is more responsive than a keyboard emulation).

 

9 hours ago, pr3sidentspence said:

I used the composer

 

I guess that means you are using TM Target .. I'm not very familiar with it, as I found it excesively complex.

 

9 hours ago, pr3sidentspence said:

and got it to work, but when I tried to use the UNCAGE button to trigger the jettison button it didn't work.

 

That means that you programmed just the axis on Target, and maybe the Button was configured on DCS only .. you must have both programmed on Target and then it should work.

 

9 hours ago, pr3sidentspence said:

Then I realised that nothing else worked anymore. I switched back out of Button and Axis Emulation and everything was back to normal.

 

As explained above, the Cougar has two Modes, and you switch between them with the green/red button of the Cougar Control Panel.

 

9 hours ago, pr3sidentspence said:

How could I make the change I wanted to make without having to configure everything else in a joystick file as well?

 

As far as I know, you can't ... you have to choose between configuring your Hotas on DCS or doing it on TM Utility.

 

9 hours ago, pr3sidentspence said:

I read something somewhere about being able to map the axis to DirectX buttons, would that make a difference?

 

No idea, you have to ask that to the author of the paper you read.

 

Just to test the concept, I used Foxy to program the RNG the way you describe .. only problem is that I wanted the SAFE position to be on the detented central point of the axis, but on the real aircraft SAFE is not at the mid point of the knob travel .. so it turns ot to be a bit weird, like this:

 

 

This is the configuration I did on TM Foxy:

 

 

Best regards,

 

Eduardo

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Rudel_chw

[pr3sidentspence]

Thanks Eduardo,

Up until now I was just using DirectX mode and configuring everything in DCS settings.

The composer I was mentioning is the one in Foxy: the sheet music icon immediately to the right of the word Apps on the 2nd toolbar. I think that's what it was called, I might be mistaken. I did the same as you, so the detent was the safe position.

I probably won't go ahead with this as redoing everything seems like too much work for a slight convenience. Maybe later, as I compile a larger list of reasons to do so.

Thanks again!

Mike

[Rudel_chw]

1 hour ago, pr3sidentspence said:

The composer I was mentioning is the one in Foxy:

 

Ahhh .. ok I had forgotten about it, I used it maybe once, many many years ago, but didn't like it and opted to just code every button myself .. it's not that bad, as many times you will create one profile starting from another, for example my F-16 Foxy profile is based on the one I had done previously for the F-18 

 

[pr3sidentspence]

Well, another consideration is that I am tinkering around building a duct-tape and chewing-gum simpit, and am using an old keyboard's controller board as the interface between the switches and the computer. As such, I'm already going to be using many keys for other things. I'm not sure I'd have enough to go assigning HOTAS buttons to keys as well.

Although... maybe I could assign them to directX buttons instead. Hmmm.

[Lange_666]

If i remember correctly, Foxy is limited to 32 DX buttons, with Target and the 120 DX button script you can assign 120 DX buttons in total.
Target isn't that complex, it just look like it if you're not familiar with code but in the end it does the same as Foxy, just differently written.
I start off with a basic script which already has every button in it + a group of actions/buttons/axis controls that i use the same for each module. The other are empty, nothing assigned so i just have to add the macro's (for more readability) for each button or layer.
There's a little proggy that converts your entire control setup for a particular aircraft from HTML (a save option in DCS) to an entire macro list.
Everything goes fairly quick once you get your initial setup done (but it's a bit of work yes).