Configuring FC2.0 for Saitek Hardware

[Sov13t]

Hey guys:

 

Thought I would share my experience, and hopefully help others with configuring their Saitek hardware.

 

The input configuration in FC2.0 is just like the one in Black Shark, as such you are presented with two options: 1). Configuring all the buttons inside the game. 2). Creating a profile using Saitek's software.

 

I went with option 2, because I already had an FC1.12 profile and because it takes better advantage of the capabilities of my X52 Pro joystick (modes and such).

 

So here is what I did:

 

1. Clear all joystick button binds for any inputs in the game. Use the very neat feature of "Clear All in Category" (could be named differently, I have RU version).

2. Set up all my Axis in the game - curves, deadzones etc.

3. Exit the game and open up the Key Bind PDF that come with the game (inside the Doc folder) and start migrating my old FC1.12 profile to FC2.0.

4. Very important: FC2.0 is very sensitive to "Key Presses" vs. "Macros" for example to start left engine Home + Right Alt only works as a "Macro" and not as a "Key Press" (which is what I usually used). However, for any binds that use SHIFT key as the modifier (such as moving your radar cone around) you want to use "Key Presses" not "Macros", also make SHIFT the first KEY in the sequence for example SHIFT + ; instead of ; SHIFT. So, from my experience any binds that use CTRL or ALT as modifiers use "Macros". For binds that use SHIFT as a modifier use "Key Press".

5. Run the profile.

6. Enjoy :)

 

Hope this helps at least someone.

Edited March 27, 2010 by Sov13t

[sniffer]

Thanks for the info Soviet! It's helpful info :)

[Sov13t]

Bump, just so that more people see this, since FC2.0 ENG came out.

[Adder667th]

Bump, just so that more people see this, since FC2.0 ENG came out.

How do i migrate my old fc1.12 profile to fc2? do i manually have to type the key commands from the pdf to my x45 profile in the saitek profile editor?

[Sov13t]

Very few commands actually changed. You will just need to redo the ones that changed. So you can use your FC1.12 profile as base and modify/refresh key binds that do not work or are out of date.

[OGREMAN]

Thanks for your inputs Sov13t, they will be useful

[dvbuljan]

Very useful post!!! Thanks. I'm using Cougar and I have the same problem.

Just one question. Could you post an example of one macro command? Say for left engine start.

Thank you!

[Turco]

thanks very much.

 

very usefull info.

 

:thumbup:

[159th_Falcon]

I also have an X52 Pro and i programmed nearly everything as advanced command. no issues there.

 

Though i got another useful tip.

If you right click an rotary (or the slider) you can set it as "directional axis"

safe profile, clear profile, load it again.

Open options menu in game and you can now assign the rotary's to an axis.

(for example Skhval zoom)

[Renato71]

Thanks Sov13t. I've just discovered the same, but no reason not to bump a good post :)

Method works fine on Cyborg Evo.

[Bucic]

I'm working on DCS BS Profile for X52 Pro. Two main issues which made possibly 2 hours work 20 hours of work.

 

1. Rotary as weapon selector / mode selector

How to assign weappon selection to a rotary in X52 Pro e.g. station 1, station 2, station 3, station 4?

 

I've set up 4 bands already and it works but the problem is the joystick keeps "pressing" the key assigned to the band for the given range. Let's say that X selects Station 1. After I use it in-game it continues to press X key and when I open text editor it goes like XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX... and so on. It stops only after I click some other joy button. The problem is there are no context menu for binds. Only simple keystrokes.

 

 

Second part - can one of the bands (lets say band 4) be programmed so that when the rotary moves back to band 3 the band 4 sends it's keystroke again?

 

 

2. I couldn't get the dual trigger to work via SST in no way I could have thought of. Basic keypress, Macro, Advanced command, different timings - nothing. I had to map it in DCS. Problem solved, but I'm curious, what was going on.

 

 

3. Complicated key sequence does not work either: PageUp - RCtrl | J - RCtrl - RShift - RAlt | J - RCtrl - RShift. Only the first part clicked and worked.

 

 

 

I know it's "DCS issue" but nothing here is DCS specific now that FC2 has the same engine.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Bucic

[Slayer]

I'm working on DCS BS Profile for X52 Pro. Two main issues which made possibly 2 hours work 20 hours of work.

 

1. Rotary as weapon selector / mode selector

 

 

 

2. I couldn't get the dual trigger to work via SST in no way I could have thought of. Basic keypress, Macro, Advanced command, different timings - nothing. I had to map it in DCS. Problem solved, but I'm curious, what was going on.

 

 

3. Complicated key sequence does not work either: PageUp - RCtrl | J - RCtrl - RShift - RAlt | J - RCtrl - RShift. Only the first part clicked and worked.

 

 

 

I know it's "DCS issue" but nothing here is DCS specific now that FC2 has the same engine.

 

1) To use the rotary bands and not having it keep pressing the key all the time you must make each command in the band a "macro" instead of a keypress. To do this you must right click over the band and pick "new macro" then do your key command and name it as you would anything else. A macro command will only execute 1 time even if the button or band is held down continuously, it will not repeat.

 

I learned this the hard way when I was trying to program it to press a button when I used the mode rotary on the joystick and it was flooding the input and making my CPU usage go through the roof and crash the computer....lol but anyways if you use a command on that or on a band it must be a macro or the same wil happen to you.

 

2) Not sure what to say on the trigger issue I can't seem to replicate your problem. It seems to work fine for me but honestly in DCS or LOFC2 I couldnt find a use for the 2nd stage of the trigger. The only place I ever used it was in IL-2 so that first stage was machine gun and second stage was cannons.

 

3) The advanced commands in DCS must be entered in reverse of what is shown in the game menu so if it says F + RALT, you would press RALT+F in the saitek programing software, the modifier keys always must be pressed first.

 

I made a test file so you can see in the rotary, use the rotary around the E button to test it in the profiler "test mode"( click that little gear in the upper right of prfile software) to see what it does.

 

[ATTACH]38334[/ATTACH]

Edited April 24, 2010 by Slayer

[Bucic]

Thank you Slayer!

 

Generally I had to use 3 types of inputs to make all of my commands of choice work - keypress, makro and advanced command. The problem is I did lucky shots. It would be really helpful if we could come up with with general rule of thumb as to what type of command require what type of SST input. I think the best example are my failed attempts to make cutoff and shutoff valves closing on a single button press.

 

OK, let's get to specifics.

 

1) I know this by now but I could swear I couldn't get the context menu for binds before! Maybe I was just clicking 2 instead of 1 :doh:

 

 

I know about high CPU usage in that case. I got BSOD 3 times! Now people will know why saitek software does not load profiles at system startup :)

 

 

2) I've found an effective and safe use for the dual trigger. It's simple - weapons release works always as long as masterm arm is on and station is selected while cannon shoots only when you bring up it's reticle (select cannon). For this reason I set:

first trigger - cannon

second trigger - wep release!

 

in emergency mode:

first trigger - AP emergency off (hold down)

second trigger - AP all channels OFF!

 

 

3) I know about that. Besides it always seemed natural to me :) Valuable find though.

 

 

Testing now. Rotaries as weapon and targeting mode selectors will save a LOT of buttons.

 

Here's a shot of current progress http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/Bucic/DCSforum/controllers/new_profile_scratchpad.jpg

Edited May 25, 2010 by Bucic

[topdog]

You need the 'macro' option (which can be by itself, or you can tick the box for Advanced Command rows to act in macro mode) to have a button that once clicked, carries out all actions assigned even if released before the actions have completed. That's how Saitek differentiate what a macro is.

 

Not too many use cases for us simmers to need an interruptible sequence; unless you wanted to be lazy and have a full startup sequence bound to one button press but with the option to stop the sequence if something bad/wrong/unexpected happens and you want to abort it and continue to fix things from there manually. Otherwise as a macro, it'd continue to drone on through the mess unaware of the issues.

 

By the way; not sure what you mean about not loading profiles at system startup, unless you mean it's a choice that people make or before a user has logged into their Windows account?

 

The top profile that's active with the 'flag' by it is always enabled for me as soon as I login though, it requires no action on my part to make it so:

[Bucic]

Thanks, topdog. I continue my struggles here X52 Pro SST Profile - Advanced as it has become more specific to my profile's problems.

 

I didn't know about the startup flag, to be honest :) Thanks!