x 52 tips and tricks

[Mr Pink]

hi all i know that i have seen some stuff on this before but thought id just add this in which helped me a lot. i read somewhere about programming the Shkval onto the thumbstick of the x 52pro using the SST.

 

I selected bands for the X and Y axis and used the default keys of ,./; to move the shkval Left, Right, Down and Up.

This gives some nice clean movement for the sensor, also i am enabling it only using the Shift (Pinkie Button) so the thumbstick is free to move around the cockpit.

 

Any other tips/tricks for programming the X 52 in the SST please post. Understand that everybody has their own way of doing this but i found a lot out by seeing how others do it and copying some of their ideas and omitting others.

[Frazer]

Another tip for X52 users not related to programming but good to know.

 

On the X52 (not the pro) you will have little "jumps" on the X-axis. If you go to the X52 control panel and then select the Deadzones tab, you will see the jumps when you gradually pull the stick backwards.

 

The way to fix this? Not what you would think of. Press and hold any button and pull the stick back again.......no jumps.

 

So, for X52 users, it would be good to tape one button down (preferably one of the muli function display buttons) to increase the precision of the stick!

[Prophet4no1]

I never new that, very cool! Thanks Frazer!

 

How do you guys get to program the pinky button? My software wont let me. I want to use that as my trim button instead of the C button.

[Bucic]

Nice on, Frazer!

[H-street]

just a couple, disable the clutch button in the control panel to give you an extra button.

 

learn the SST, its not that complicated but you can have fun. Eg. i have my mode switch go from Cockpit view, to external to map view.

 

Mode 2 = cockpit, Mode 1 = external , Mode 3 = Map ..

 

the trick is to assign these "always pressed" buttons as macros instead of buttons/keys so when switching to them it only sends the command once.

[Sarge55]

In order to use the pinky button for trim you have to delete the pinky modes in the software and then you can assign it.

 

I use it for trim and it works well for me.

[Boulund]

In order to use the pinky button for trim you have to delete the pinky modes in the software and then you can assign it.

 

I use it for trim and it works well for me.

 

I use it as trim as well but unfortunately it sometimes de-registers my pressing of the button so trim is released. Can be slightly annoying during tight manouvering =D

 

Also, on a related note. Is it really possible to map the analog "mouse-stick" on the x52 throttle to Shkval in game? I've found no axes for controlling shkval? My axes list looks like this (which confuses me because I saw someone else's and it look different). Note that my x52 wasn't plugged in when I snatched this screengrab. Can this change the number of items in the list?

Edited January 30, 2010 by Boulund

[Frazer]

It is not possible to make axis of the Shkval controls.....they are only dumb buttons and I found this very annoying since the shkval "stops" when you press another button. I have no clue why this is not assigned as an axis but you could change the speed of the shkval.

 

If you open Ka-50/Scripts/Aircrafts/Ka-50/Cockpit/Device_specs/SHKVAL_V.LUA you can adjust these lines:

-----------------

slew_velocity_base = math.rad(0.3) -- rad /sec

slew_acceleration_base = math.rad(2) -- rad /sqr sec

-----------------

First number means slowest slew speed, second the acceleration. I have changed it to: 0.3 and 6.

 

Not that tracks will only play back correctly if the computer has these exact settings.

[Boulund]

It is not possible to make axis of the Shkval controls.....they are only dumb buttons and I found this very annoying since the shkval "stops" when you press another button. I have no clue why this is not assigned as an axis but you could change the speed of the shkval.

 

If you open Ka-50/Scripts/Aircrafts/Ka-50/Cockpit/Device_specs/SHKVAL_V.LUA you can adjust these lines:

-----------------

slew_velocity_base = math.rad(0.3) -- rad /sec

slew_acceleration_base = math.rad(2) -- rad /sqr sec

-----------------

First number means slowest slew speed, second the acceleration. I have changed it to: 0.3 and 6.

 

Note that tracks will only play back correctly if the computer has these exact settings.

 

 

I fixed this by making a macro assignment to the POV hat where continues presses are made REALLY quick to increase speed when a modifier button is held down (you already have one on the HOTAS anyway so why not use it for slewing the shkval quicker as well?). Without modifier the hat works just as normal starting out really slow etc... I find it very useful anyway

[Griffin]

A quick question. Since flipping the fire safe cover changes the color of the button, can the cover be used to trigger some function like master arm switch? Or is it simply a "dumb" function built between the cover and the button?

 

I'm about to get my X52 Pro any day now. Really excited! Hopefully someone will find a way to get the MFD to work with DCS. Makes me want to learn C to do that. :D

Do the X52 folders in the sim have any use by the way?

Edited January 30, 2010 by Griffin

[Mr Pink]

I tried something before maybe you guys can help me with.

 

when switching between modes 1,2 or 3 you can program keys on activation of a mode. so i set stuff like radar on, weapons master switch on and stuff like that. problem was that when i hit pinkie and another key that i had mapped it went to say mode 2+pinkie (just say that i was in mode 2 to start and had it named AirToAir, radar and weapon master switch. ok so when i release the pinkie it recognises mode 2 again and re switches then buttons again. maybe i am just trying to put on too many buttons onto x 52.

 

hope you guys understood my rant!!!

 

any ideas fixes, please post

[topdog]

I've had a look at this and I think unfortunately without DCS/Lockon increasing the potential keys it's not easily fixable.

 

In Lockon for example, flaps key aren't just up/down toggle, you could 'fully retract' or 'fully extend' flaps on individual keys, there were a number of other things you could activate 'on' or 'off' individually without it being a toggle.

 

A lot of the shark's cockpit toggle switches/buttons are only given a single toggle command (and therefore key) though (which is where I'm noticing this as more of a problem).

 

For improved device compatibility I hope this is something that could be changed/enhanced in the future. I do something similar now with mode switching (red light = weapons active, and it flips master arm on automatically, other modes = nav/flight, etc., and master arm goes by itself) and saw this same behaviour you're getting there too. Likewise I was looking at seeing if the 2 trigger positions could be used for different rates of gunfire, things like that, but that's looking awkward to setup effectively too :)

 

Only options you can try playing with as combinations in the x52 profiler itself are whether the difference between a 'do nothing' and a 'fallback' action can impact the actions of the mode2+pinkie shift setting such that it doesn't re-engage mode2 settings when released.

 

Personally I use pinkie for trim though, so I deleted modeN+pinkie lines from my x52 config.

Edited February 27, 2010 by topdog

[topdog]

Depending on how successfully (quickly) I can get to grips with lua export capabilities, some time next week I may have a crack at a solution for this.

 

I believe I can do it with a small app if it can receive changes in cockpit panels status (like knowing when master arm is on or off) and using keyboard hooking with some unused (in lomac/dcs:bs) keyboard commands to decide what to do during mode switches.

 

Hardest part of this for me would honestly be the lua side since I've only glanced at the surface of it and not really sure what is the minimum interference with the game files to get what I need (and/or make it modman compatible) and time is precious/limited.

 

If this works within the timeframe that I have, I'm also looking to integrate some x52 pro led and mfd programming (I'd like for example, when master arm is off, that my Fire LED is also off, and only lit when it is on, and things like flaps, autohover, gear, etc., I'd also light up appropriately). I've read up on the DirectOutput SDK and it looks easy enough, but again depends on my getting the cockpit status info I need through lua export.

 

I haven't yet seen any existing projects tackle this - if I missed one I'd appreciate a pointer to them, if so maybe I can contribute rather than reinvent the wheels.

[OutLaw51]

I use mode 2 and 3 as my weapons pods ie mode 2 inner mode 3 outer works good for me but i still cant reprograme my pinkie switch

[topdog]

You mean it's acting as a mode shift and you use an SST profile?

 

What I do is edit my SST profile, click on Views so I have the tabular format (not the 'graphical' view of the throttle and stick), then deleted the 3 columns of shiftstates that involved mode1+pinkie, mode2+pinkie, mode3+pinkie.

 

Upload your .pr0 file if you like and I'll see if it knackers my pinkie control too.

[OutLaw51]

Iv got it now i have deleted the shiftstates and its working a treat.

[dnnzed]

... Likewise I was looking at seeing if the 2 trigger positions could be used for different rates of gunfire, things like that, but that's looking awkward to setup effectively too :)

 

....

 

Hey!

 

I've just got an X52, and just fall into a very new experience... :lol:

 

And tricking with the 2 trigger thing is definitely interesting for me. I'm trying to make what you said - using different rate - but I cannot able to figure out how to do this. I tried with macros (at first; C-LShift -> Space -> C-LShift for the first trigger, but stucked with the second trigger... :( ) without success.

 

What's the trick? Is it possible to program SST to make this act?

 

Thanks

[Bucic]

2 trigger:

I've mapped one for gun and the second for wep release. This way when I have gunpods 1 fires cannon and 2 fires EVERYTHING ;) Note: mapped in-game. I couldn't do it in SST. Very weird.

[andysim]

How do I disable the clutch button? I saw in the post above on page 1 it says there is an otion to disable it so I can be used as a normal button but I can only find "Latch Clutch Button" but this only makes it a push once clucth button :cry:. I want to use it as a modifier for the A-10c so I can have DMS TMS and CMS on the throttle and everything else on the Stick.

 

Thanks in advance

[topdog]

Hi Andysim,

 

Uncheck the option I've highlighted from within the Control Panel > Game Controllers applet, not via SST, so it looks the same way as the attached image.

[andysim]

thats intresting, I only have the latched option. I dont have the Disable option, will try and find other drivers. :cry:

 

Edit was using old drivers. Fix now thanks

Edited October 30, 2010 by andysim