Possible Ch control Bug

[diomedes33]

I'm currently using all Ch setup (Fighterstick, pro-throttle, pedals). All of the devices are mapped through a cms device. I'm using lomac 1.1's internal configuration to map buttons to commands. I also have buttons mapped according to modes (Nav, BVR, Boresight, etc ...)

 

I tried switching modes via joystick and the mappings don't change, but works fine if I switch the modes using the keyboard.

 

Has anyone else experienced this or confirm this? I don't know if its a ch issue or lomac, but did cause a very frustrating morning for me. :rolleyes:

[Guest ruggbutt]

You aren't using CH's Control Manager? That's what your problem is. Mode changing is done thru the CH software. You're severely limiting your killer setup by using the default LOMAC keybinds.

[diomedes33]

Actually I'm using both. I guess I should have went into more detail with my first post.

 

A while back I wrote the code to map buttons on the stick to axies in the cms devices. It was very helpful in IL2FB for trim when coming from a Saitek X45.

 

I have the stick hat, set up as 2 pseudo axies for trim, one of the throttle hats mapped to an axis for zoom and the micro-joy set to the radar designator and antennae. I have each ch mode, mapped to a different cms device (i.e. green LED - CMS1, yellow LED - CMS2, etc ...)

 

Since lomac has the ability to map according to the different modes of the aircraft (Nav, BVR, etc ...) I am trying to map each mode to a different sequence.

 

Ch Mode:

Green - Takeoff/Land

Yellow - Cruise

Red - Attack

 

Takeoff/Land mode would only allow you to use the nav mode and allow things like dropping landing gear, lights, shutdown/start engines, etc ...

 

Cruise allows you to switch between nav and bvr mode. The nav mode changes nav points, mid-air refuel pretty much everything you do when you aren't engaging. The bvr is pretty much turning on and setting up the sensors.

 

In attack, each leading edge button on the throttle is linked to a type of attack (Ground, Close (boresight, vertical,...), BVR). Buttons on the sticks are mapped accordingly.

 

This may look kind of confusing in writing, but it flows pretty well while flying and maps about 90% of the commands a HOTAS.

 

In Il2FB/PF, I have it configured as you said ruggbutt, where everything is handled through the Ch software.

 

I also tried only using one cms device with the Fighterstick, mapping one of the hats to different aircraft modes. However I still have the same problem where lomac won't switch the mappings.

[GGTharos]

That, again, is your mistake - you will end up causing conflicts ebtween the ch software and LOMAC itself. It doesn't take more than one common button for dx to lock up your controls.

[diomedes33]

Thanks for replying,

 

To clarify, does lomac only switch mappings when using the keyboard? Out of curiosity I just tried with only directx enabled and switching modes with the joystick still doesn't work. The Mode switches but none of the bindings follow. Using keyboard everythings peachy.

[Guest ruggbutt]

If you have anything mapped thru LOMAC it will interfere w/your CH Control Manager. That may be the problem. Also, are you using a .cmc file?

[diomedes33]

If you have anything mapped thru LOMAC it will interfere w/your CH Control Manager. That may be the problem. Also, are you using a .cmc file?

 

No commands are mapped through control manager. All buttons are directx buttons through each cms device. All the control manager does is switch cms devices when I press the mode button on the stick. Its logically the same as plugging in three different joysticks(directx only) into the computer.

 

Regardless I did a test setup with out any ch software running, pure directx, I still run across the same issue. And to be clear, everything works flawlessly as long as I use the keyboard (1,2,3,4,5,etc...) to switch between modes. The problem arrises when I use a joystick button mapped to the same mode commands. It switches the modes, but does not trigger the new mappings.

 

Its not a big issue, but it did cost me about 4 hours of my life trying to sort it out. I don't even know if this is a global problem or just mine. No one has confirmed or denied it yet. There are definatly bigger things to work on and I'm not expecting the development team to waste their time on this. I just wanted to know if it was a known issue or my issue.

 

Would it help if I posted the ch control files and the lomac config file?

 

By the way, I should have had this in my first post. Great job on the new flight model, I enjoy it immensly. You guys did wonders for lomac.

[169th_Cobra]

i think the reason no-one else has confirmed or denied this is that no-one else has tried to map keys the way you have. It is certainly off the beaten track.

 

i'm sure if you posted your map someone may take the time to look at it and confirm your problem or be able to offer a solution.

 

i'd help but, scripting is beyond me so i just use a .cmc file and make my maps the basic way.

[Guest ruggbutt]

Post your maps please, we can get this fixed for ya. Cobra's probably right though, you're severly limiting your options by mapping the way you describe.

[diomedes33]

ok here they are

 

This is the entire input directory in my installation of lomac, It will probably overwrite yours if you unzip into the lomac folder, so make sure to make a backup. For some reason half of the mappings are missing for attack. But for the Nav/BVR mode it generates the problem I'm talking about.

 

Lockon Input Configs

 

CH Map

I got a wierd image file error when testing it, replace the ~ with an a after download.

CH Script

 

I think the directx test I used is also in that directory. I mapped the left stick 4way hat to up - Nav, dn - BVR and the red button to switch between refueling boom and nav lights. I can't remember which mode is which. I used the Su-33 to test, because the boom is easy to see.

 

I know this is off the beaten path, but I took this route because I would have to write the same script into the ch manager. I didn't want to reinvent the wheel so I tried to incorporate as much as I could that has already been done. I'm starting to come around to you guys and see that it was more trouble than it was worth.

 

Thanks for taking the time to help me figure this out Ruggbutt, Cobra and GGTharos.

[Guest ruggbutt]

Since I have a Throttle Quad in my setup I probably read things a bit different in the input section of LOMAC, but from what I can see you're using each controller separate. My rig also asked to install additional controllers (and drivers) so I assume that's the case. Is that correct? The second problem I see is that you have commands mapped for each controller when you pull that controller down in the window. What is occurring is that the commands in LOMAC that are mapped to each controller interfere w/your CH programming. This will be the case regardless of which joystick you use, whether it be TM, CH or Saitek. As for changing "modes" using the mode switch on either the Fighterstick or the Throttle, that's done only w/the CH programming software. I'm not sure which one you were complaining about but I think I've covered both scenarios. If you are intent on using only DirectX w/your controllers, then there's no reason to use the CH software IMHO.

 

I know that most people don't like change, but you're severly limiting your programming possibilities w/the way you're mapping your equipment. That's just a suggestion though as what you do might not work for me and vice versa. Either way I'm here to help. ;)

[diomedes33]

There are two different mode-switches ...

 

Think of the Ch as a filter that changes between logical modes (ch mode switch on stick). Then the lomac software takes this info and adjusts accordingly to the aircraft mode (three buttons on leading edge of throttle). The nice thing about going through lomac is there is a feedback system in place. When you are in BVR mode you know you are in BVR mode, the joystick mappings will never deviate.

 

Each controller is mapped to a different CMS and you are correct that it will ask to install additional devices. This was easier so I could just call all the buttons the same regardless of the device. One exception to this is the leading edge hat on the throttle. It controls flaps and speed brake and is constant in all modes (ch and aircraft).

 

1 - 3 is the stick

4 - 6 is the throttle

 

CMS1/4 -> Green

CMS2/5 -> Yellow

CMS3/6 -> Red

 

All CMS are independent of each other, so Button1 in Green mode is not the same as Button1 in Yellow. There are no conflicts that I could find.

 

Here's a quick flight to show how this works.

 

On the ramp:

CH: Green

Aircraft: Nav

 

Engine startup, flaps, begin roll and reach cruising altitude

 

Cruise/Search

Ch: Yellow

Aircraft: Nav

mappings change to include autopilot and refueling

trim aircraft and cruise towards waypoint.

 

Using throttle switch to BVR (Throttle B4)

CH: Yellow

Aircraft: BVR

 

Turn on Radar, begin search, change MFD range, adjust antennaes etc ...

 

Target found, lock target. Enemy confirmed

Ch: Red

Aircraft: Still BVR

 

Switch AIM-120, get launch cue, fire

...

...

missile missed, target closing, enemy missile fired. Preform evasive maneuver launch chaff/flares. Enemy missile evaded.

 

Use throttle to switch to boresight.

Aircraft: Boresight

 

Target too close, switch to Aim-9, cue, fire ... target destroyed.

Look around, skies clear

 

Switch back to Cruise

Ch: Yellow

Aircraft: Nav/Return

 

Airbase in sight

Ch: Green

Aircraft: ILS

Drop landing Gear, flaps, etc, and land

 

taxi to ramp, shutdown engines

 

This setup was adapted from my il2 mappings. With Il2 you can get away with only three modes because the planes aren't that complex. So I started over and tried to take the aircraft modes into account. Using the standard ch cmc files and mappings it became harry real quick, then I noticed that lomac will allow you to map different directx buttons according to mode. So I rewrote the setup again to utilize this, it only took me a quarter the time to complete the mappings. The Ch manager does more than just pass buttons straight through. It keeps track of axies for trim and zoom as well as sensor settings. I know its probably better to go all ch (which I'm working on), but there still remains the problem of switching aircraft modes using the joystick. This makes it useless to utilize lomacs internal aircraft mode switching with any joystick. It looks like to me the only way to get this to work is to totally go external (which you've told me from the start) or to use the keyboard to switch modes.