Additional keybinds as a QOL update - F1CE, F1EE, F1BE, and F1M

[isotaan]

One thing that the modules are missing are a series of additional keybinds that takes advantage of individual players' HOTAS setups. Not everyone has a button in the right place, and some of us don't have any three position switches at all. I think that this is a missed opportunity to make the F1 an easier plane to configure for HOTAS inputs.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

I was practicing aerial refueling today in the F1EE. In the real world, I'd keep my right hand on the flight stick and keep my eyes on the tanker while I feel for the refueling guard switch, and push the underlying switch forward. When I'm done, I again use my left hand to feel for the switch and guard and drop both.

Since we aren't actually in F1 cockpits, you have only two options: you look down and fumble with the mouse to click the guard and the switch individually. Depending on your zoom, you might have to try multiple times. Keep in mind that you're in formation with a tanker and one or more of your wingmen, so a moment of you being heads-down could mean the difference between being alive one moment and collision the next.

The alternative is to use keyboard or HOTAS bindings. HOTAS is preferred, since there are no native keyboard mappings for the refueling system and the keyboard is cluttered with bindings already.

If you're going to have to use bindings, to perform the above workflow you'd have to give up FOUR bindings. One to open the guard, one to push the refueling switch forward, one to push the refueling switch back, and one to close the guard.

Given differences between people's setups, that's not realistic to expect people to dedicate that many bindings, since there are many switches that can be time critical (in the sense that you need to do something very quickly but you can't take your eyes off of the HUD).

Speaking for myself, I'd have to dedicate four switches to the refueling system- and my setup only has four! These switches are Up = Pressed continuously and Down = unpressed.

If changes are made, we can cut down the number of binds to just two: the ability for one bind to do two actions each.

There are two ways of doing this:

1. Implement a ON else OFF-style bindings. Imagine a simple switch like I have. I'd like to be able to flip my switch up and have the refueling guard go forward and up. When I flip that switch back, the guard returns to its back and closed position. Since the switch holds the input continuously, I don't need to hold down anything to keep the guard forward.

2. Implement toggle buttons. While not ideal for my setup, other players will appreciate it, too. Some players may want to map the refueling guard cover to a pushbutton. Holding down a pushbutton isn't feasible, so this should instead be a simple toggle. Press it once, the guard flips open. Press it again, it closes. Simple.

I think that all switches/toggles/guards should get this treatment. However, in the interest of focusing on the ones I feel are important, I've made a list to help. By no means is this list supposed to be exhaustive. It's focused on mappings that otherwise require excessive bindings and may be used in critical stages of a flight, such as in combat or while in formation.
 

A summary:

X else Y - When pressed, is in state X. If not pressed, will give state Y

A/B - When pressed, toggles from state A to state B. When pressed again, goes from state B back to state A.

 

***All Airframes (F1CE, F1BE, F1EE, Presumably F1M as well)***

Master Arm switchology:

Armament Master Switch Guard: Open Else Closed
Armament Master Switch Guard: Closed Else Open
Armament Master Switch Guard: OPEN/CLOSE
Armament Master Switch: On Else Off
Armament Master Switch: Off Else On
Armament Master Switch: ON/OFF

Armament Panel:

Auto/Manual Firing Selector switch - AUTO else MAN
Auto/Manual Firing Selector switch - MAN else AUTO
Auto/Manual Firing Selector switch - MAN/AUTO
Bomb/Rocket selector - 1+2/INBD/OUTBD
Bomb/Rocket selector - INBD/OUTBD
Fuselage Bombs Pushbutton - ON else OFF
Fuselage Bombs Pushbutton - OFF else ON
Wing bombs pushbutton - ON else OFF
Wing bombs pushbutton - OFF else ON
Fore/Aft selector switch: AFT else FWD
Fore/Aft selector switch: FWD else AFT
Fore/Aft selector switch: FWD/AFT
MATRA 550 or Sidewinder Missile Switch: ON else OFF
MATRA 550 or Sidewinder Missile Switch: OFF else ON

Stores Jettison:

Selective Jettison button guard - OPEN else ClOSE
Selective Jettison button guard - CLOSE else OPEN
Selective Jettison button guard - OPEN/CLOSE
Emergency Jettison button guard - OPEN else ClOSE
Emergency Jettison button guard - CLOSE else OPEN
Emergency Jettison button guard - OPEN/CLOSE

***F1EE-specific***

Refueling:

Transfer/Filling switch guard - Open Else Closed
Transfer/Filling switch guard - Closed Else Open
Transfer/Filling switch guard - OPEN/CLOSED
Transfer/Filling switch - REMP. VOL (AERIAL REFUELING) Else TRANFERT (TRANSFER)
Transfer/Filling switch - TRANFERT (TRANSFER) Else REMP. VOL (AERIAL REFUELING)
Transfer/Filling switch - TRANFERT (TRANSFER)/REMP. VOL (AERIAL REFUELING)

ECM:

BARAX state Selector - ON else OFF
BARAX state Selector - OFF else On
BARAX state Selector - ON/OFF/TEST
BARAX state Selector - ON/OFF
BARAX emission ready korry - pressed else released
BARAX emission ready korry - released else pressed
BARAX emission ready korry - pressed/released

 

[MAXsenna]

While I do agree with you in general, I just cheat. I turn on autopilot and altitude hold with buttons on one of my TM Cougars, (which obviously has the effect of trimming the aircraft perfectly ), look down and toggle the switches. I haven't bothered to make a snapview yet, which also can be toggled in VoiceAttack while on flatscreen.
Also, I don't remember if they keybinds are there, but if they are. We have had the option to make "on else off" logic ourselves for a long time in the controls setting. Select the keybind you want as as an off, press/toggle your physical switch to on, and choose "switch_number_off" in the drop down. Not at my computer, so no screenshot, sorry.
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Tiromir]

On 10/26/2023 at 2:53 PM, isotaan said:

If you're going to have to use bindings, to perform the above workflow you'd have to give up FOUR bindings. One to open the guard, one to push the refueling switch forward, one to push the refueling switch back, and one to close the guard.

Speaking for myself, I'd have to dedicate four switches to the refueling system- and my setup only has four! These switches are Up = Pressed continuously and Down = unpressed.

1. Implement a ON else OFF-style bindings. Imagine a simple switch like I have. I'd like to be able to flip my switch up and have the refueling guard go forward and up. When I flip that

 

I agree with your point, but on this specifically I think there already is a feature in DCS that allows you to do that. If the module has keybinds for the ON position as well as for the OFF position, then you can bind the off positionto a button only found in the buttons list called "XXX_OFF".

That input registers the stopping of your switch. I've been using it on nearly all airframes, and allows you to set up a physical switch as a 2-way bind.

For example, you'd set the ON position to the "JOYSTICK_BUTTON_15" input (by hitting that button in the DCS bind menu) then the OFF position to the "JOYSTICK_BUTTON_15_OFF" bind, which you can find in the list right under "JOYSTICK_BUTTON_15".

This allows you to use your HOTAS switches as intended, on all modules that have ON and OFF inputs. If I recall correctly, in my experience only FC3 aircraft have come short in that category, and I've been able to make everything I wanted work on the F1.

A friend taught me this a few months ago and I couldn't believe it, it's a great feature and so few people know about it!

[schurem]

This should be all over the bindings threads! And in @Chuck's guides!