Global Export / Import / Clear for Control Binding Options Please

[Dangerzone]

DCS currently has the ability to clear bindings on a per-aircraft per-controller option which is quite helpful and appreciated.

However there are two persistent issues with control bindings that could be optimized.

The first is when DCS defaults bindings (especially in the axis area). It would be nice when a new controller is added that these aren't automatically bound by default - or to have a option to clear bindings for an individual peripheral across the board (not just on a per-aircraft basis). 

Secondly, it would be great to do an import and export of all control bindings into a single file. 

For instance, at present I may have 15 different aircraft, with 5 peripherals. This means I currently need to save 75 different individual files, and then go to the right section to load those 75 files back in when re-importing. 

Being able to do a global save and import would be extremely helpful. The function would need to cater for the fact that different GUID's may exist between the computer that the file is saved and imported, so if the name/description and GUID could  be included in the save file, and then when the file is loaded a dialog that says "Please select the device you want for "VKB Modern Combat Grip {000-111-222....}" when it's not found on the import, that would be extremely helpfull.

Thanks for considering.

[MAXsenna]

DCS currently has the ability to clear bindings on a per-aircraft per-controller option which is quite helpful and appreciated.
However there are two persistent issues with control bindings that could be optimized.
The first is when DCS defaults bindings (especially in the axis area). It would be nice when a new controller is added that these aren't automatically bound by default - or to have a option to clear bindings for an individual peripheral across the board (not just on a per-aircraft basis). 
Secondly, it would be great to do an import and export of all control bindings into a single file. 
For instance, at present I may have 15 different aircraft, with 5 peripherals. This means I currently need to save 75 different individual files, and then go to the right section to load those 75 files back in when re-importing. 
Being able to do a global save and import would be extremely helpful. The function would need to cater for the fact that different GUID's may exist between the computer that the file is saved and imported, so if the name/description and GUID could  be included in the save file, and then when the file is loaded a dialog that says "Please select the device you want for "VKB Modern Combat Grip {000-111-222....}" when it's not found on the import, that would be extremely helpfull.
Thanks for considering.

Just copy the whole config/input folder under Saved Games. Then you have the latest version of your settings as a backup. No need to do to export, and the files already contains to GUID.
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Dangerzone]

On 4/22/2024 at 3:16 PM, MAXsenna said:

Just copy the whole config/input folder under Saved Games. Then you have the latest version of your settings as a backup. No need to do to export, and the files already contains to GUID.
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

Thanks MAXsenna for the suggestion. Unfortunately though that doesn't actually solve the problems I've listed: 

1. New peripherals added where DCS 'automatically assigns' buttons and axis as DCS 'guesses', leaving us with additional axis assigned we don't want. Copying back a 'backup' won't get rid of the default bindings on the new peripherals where those files don't exist in the backup, and 
    
2. If doing a device replacement, or a computer upgrade - doing a copy/paste doesn't work either. Then the GUID's need to be also changed - and even then, it's not just a matter of changing the GUID on the filename either; Where modifiers have been used, these references need to be changed in the content of the individual .lua files - making in my example above, a search and replace for every different GUID/Device where they're used in 75 files).

Duplicating the import and export options that we already have in DCS, but having it for 'all' instead of 'per peripheral' (say that 3 times fast  ) I think would really be of some help to a number of people, as would an option that stops new peripherals auto-assigning. 

[MAXsenna]

Thanks MAXsenna for the suggestion. Unfortunately though that doesn't actually solve the problems I've listed: 

1. New peripherals added where DCS 'automatically assigns' buttons and axis as DCS 'guesses', leaving us with additional axis assigned we don't want. Copying back a 'backup' won't get rid of the default bindings on the new peripherals where those files don't exist in the backup, and 
    
2. If doing a device replacement, or a computer upgrade - doing a copy/paste doesn't work either. Then the GUID's need to be also changed - and even then, it's not just a matter of changing the GUID on the filename either; Where modifiers have been used, these references need to be changed in the content of the individual .lua files - making in my example above, a search and replace for every different GUID/Device where they're used in 75 files).

Duplicating the import and export options that we already have in DCS, but having it for 'all' instead of 'per peripheral' (say that 3 times fast  ) I think would really be of some help to a number of people, as would an option that stops new peripherals auto-assigning. 

I quite agree that there are no perfect solution. At least there could be a "clear all" button in the controls settings, and then one should be able to import the copied luas.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Tippis]

For the “new device/new GUID/new computer” part, at least, you can ameliorate the hassle somewhat with a decent file manager that lets you search-and-replace across an entire file system. But that's a tricky part to automate no matter what. Even this kind of work-around rests on the supposition that the new device is exactly the same as the old one, and there's really no guaranteeing that. The (luxury) problem we have these days is that there are so many things we could attach, and a significant portion of them can be fully customised in their button and axis setups, so matching anything against anything is an inherent nightmare. And of course, this ties into the whole notion that DCS probably shouldn't try to auto-assign binds because they will invariably, unfailingly, be completely wrong except for in a very very tiny number of cases.

Still, omg yes, as someone who just had to re-do almost all my binds for almost everything… the ability to mass-import old profiles would be a huge time-saver. Getting around that GUID issue by being able to point to a directory or an archive and basically say, “import these (old) GUID files for new device wherever applicable”.

That would also get around the problem that occurs every now and then already where devices squabble over which ID they should be using today. A common example is the TM MFDs, where each MFD keeps track of whether it's a “right” or a “left” model… but if you have two (or more) lefts or rights, they can occasionally swap their assignments for obscure and opaque USB reasons. If you could just go “ugh… import all X, import all Y” rather than having to do the whole rename-and-replace song and dance, that would remove almost all the hassle.

Edited April 24, 2024 by Tippis