DCS World TARGET profile for TM Cougar and Warthog + MFDs

[ArtMan_NL]

Hi Home Fries,

 

Thanks for your quick reply. You were early this morning :)

 

Yesterday evening I did some testing and here is my small report:

 

As soon as I run your script my listed controllers: Thrustmaster Cougar, MFD1 en MFD2 change in Thrustmaster Combined. So under game devices in Windows 7 64Bit Ultimate (English Version) I see Thrustmaster Combined and in the Options menu of DCS as well.

 

I don't have a virtual joystick at all so I used the "Thrustmaster combined". I have the idea that it is working now. I didn't get red lines in the options menu.

 

I did a small testing and the SU-25 use his brakes when I touch the pinky "flipper" switch (S4 I believe?). Also the airbrakes are working as you described.

 

So, its looking good?

 

For your information: I use PeterP's trackir mod from your profile. Very nice you put that in the profile as well.

 

Anyway, I didn't know the Target software has so much power. I thought for powerful profiles Foxy was the software.

 

/Arthur

 

By the way: sorry for my European style English hope I made myself clear :)

Edited February 14, 2014 by ArtMan_NL

[Home Fries]

Thanks, Arthur. Glad everything is working well.

 

I'll be sure to put "Thrustmaster Combined" in the manual as well for the next release.

 

For S4, it does work as wheelbrake when the gear is down (you'll know this if you have LMFD LED2 illuminated). As soon as you retract the gear, S4 is responsible for autopilot override (Su-25T) or disconnect (everything else except for the Su-25 which has no autopilot).

 

I agree about the power of TARGET. I hit the wall with Foxy a few years ago (40 logic flags just aren't enough, as it takes 3 logic flags just to do a simple if-then routine). If you can program in C++ or JavaScript, TARGET will let you do just about anything you want.

[ArtMan_NL]

Thanks Home Fries

 

I'll try to make a screenshot so you can include it in your manual as well.

 

Tonight I do some more testing but I think everything works well.

 

You did a great thing for the community by sharing this profile.

 

If you need a beta tester for upcoming profiles just give me a call. Later on I will use your profile for the Black Shark as well. I'm wondering how to this chopper fly with the cougar because the times I flown this bird I used my MS FFB (but that was a long time ago.....)

 

Ciao,

 

 

/Arthur

[Home Fries]

I'll try to make a screenshot so you can include it in your manual as well.

Thanks for the offer, but I can easily make an update to the text without adding another figure.

 

You did a great thing for the community by sharing this profile.

You're quite welcome. :thumbup:

If you need a beta tester for upcoming profiles just give me a call.

It appears your PM function is disabled, but please feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss this.

 

I'm wondering how to this chopper fly with the cougar because the times I flown this bird I used my MS FFB (but that was a long time ago.....)

Funny you should mention the MS FFB; while I use the Cougar stick for the Ka-50 (which is easy enough to fly without FFB), for the UH-1 and Mi-8 I use my MS FFB2 as the cyclic and the Cougar throttle/pedals/MFDs for everything else. I have made those profiles (along with the P-51) less dependent on S3-shifted commands to allow use of a FFB stick with the profile. You lose CommState (the routine that lets you select communications menu function keys with hats 2-4), but that's about it.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Home Fries
clarity

[ArtMan_NL]

It appears your PM function is disabled, but please feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss this.

 

Strange, I will investigate this.

 

Still very happy with your profile but there is 1 very small issue. That's about the flaps. When I use shift + H3 (not shure H3 or H2) then I get only full flaps (= same as 2x button F instead of 1x button F)

 

This happens when I fly SU-25T.

 

regards,

 

Arthur

[Home Fries]

I'll look into it, thanks.

 

I have S3+H3U/D set for flaps up and down respectively, but if what you say is true then those commands do full flap deflection and there are 3 states in the Su-25T. Those commands work with the incremental flaps in the A-10A and A-10C (though the C uses S3+H2), so I'm not sure why the 25T is different. Like I said, I'll look into it.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[ArtMan_NL]

You welcome,

 

I double checked this night when I was practising touch and go's with the SU-25T. You mentioned in your message 3 states in the SU-25T for flap deflection. I think you mean 2? The first state is for manoeuvring and deployed if you do an attack. The second state is for landing. The flaps will then be full deployed.

 

If I use S3+H2 I get only Full flap deployment. Maybe it is a good idea to do some time management for flap deflection? Because you are using the first flap statement by your Cougar quite a lot it must be activated when using S3+H2. The second state should be activated when you hold for 0.5 or 1 second the S3+H2 down. But that's only a suggestion.

Edited February 17, 2014 by ArtMan_NL

[Home Fries]

ArtMan,

 

Thanks for uncovering this for me. I figured any multi-stage flaps would be treated like the A-10A (up or down does one increment), but the Su-25 does it differently as you described. The up/down commands do the discrete retracted and landing flaps states, and the only way to access maneuvering flaps is with the flap toggle "f".

 

For the next portion of the post, I should clarify that I really did mean 3 states for the Su-25. The states are landing flaps, maneuvering flaps, and retracted. So we were both in agreement, but I was counting the retracted setting as a state (which is necessary when thinking about mapping these things to arrays).

 

I thought about doing some sort of tempo like you suggested, but without a discrete keypress for maneuvering flaps it makes things difficult with very little upside, especially since S3+H3 tempo is shared with the landing gear and the Su-25 differs from the rest of the FC aircraft (with exception of the A-10A all other FC aircraft have only two states).

 

The solution I offer is fairly simple: I can keep the TARGET routine as is but change the mapping in the Su-25 and 25T in the LUA files so that S3+H3U performs the flap toggle instead of the flaps up command. Since the function is a toggle you don't lose any functionality, but without having a discrete "flaps up" command you will need to pay more attention to your instrument panel for flap state.

 

What are your thoughts?

[ArtMan_NL]

but without having a discrete "flaps up" command you will need to pay more attention to your instrument panel for flap state.

 

I have no problems with that. It is always a very good idea to look at your instrument panel.

 

You are right about the 3 state. It is a different approach for looking at it :)

 

One thing I didn´t check yesterday evening. Did you make a function for the brake-parachutes in your profile? Sometimes I´m messing things up during the landing and it isn´t clear for me if I deployed the parachutes or not. Sometimes I have to double check with the outside view if I deployed them.

 

I have to sort this out. I´m not sure if there is a instrument panel warning light for those parachutes.

 

/Arthur

[Ssnake51]

Home Fries,

 

Don't mean to hijack your thread, but how do you make such great MFD printouts?

 

Have been working on some TARGET profiles for a couple games and the only way I have found to make the MFD printouts is Thrustmaster's online program. Am getting tired of looking at the same green background. Not to mention the lousy text formatting in TM's program.:mad:

[Home Fries]

Ssnake,

 

It's actually pretty easy if you have some photo-editing skills and software that allows layers. Just import a thrustmaster printout (save as pdf or bitmap) into your editing software and use this as your background. Add guides to represent the boundaries of each button (as shown on the printout), then select the white space surrounding the printouts (i.e. magic wand). Copy this and make it your top layer so you will always have your outline (you can even add a 1 point border if you're feeling fancy). Between the guides and the borders in the top layer, you can do anything you like in the middle.

 

As a tip, I recommend using 6-7 point font for the text in each of the button spaces. It's easy enough to see but lets you get 3-4 good lines in before it gets too crowded.

Edited February 22, 2014 by Home Fries

[Ssnake51]

Thanks much for the detailed explanation.

 

Unfortunately my photo-editing skills are even worse than my targeting skills. I didn't even understand some of the terms you were using, but after a little googling found the program paint.net.

Looks like it has the editing tools you were talking about. Will give it a try.

 

Again, thanks.

[Home Fries]

You have to start somewhere, Ssnake. I'm self-taught; I started tweaking skins in Flanker 2.0 and it grew from there.

 

As long as you learn to use the layers, it will come easy. The polish may take time, but that's to be expected.

 

One technique I also like to use if I want to try something new: duplicate the layer and practice on the duplicate. If it works, delete the original layer, or hide it and drop it in the layer order if you're concerned about losing your history.

[Ogami Musashi]

Hello Home Fries,

 

First thank you for the great work with this profiles!

 

I'm a returnee to simualtions and dusted off my cougar! And it seems i've forgotten about everything.

 

I'm using it with DCS world 1.28 RC1 beta for the F-15C and i'm having trouble because some functions seem not to work or i don't get the timing.

 

I can't get many things like airbrakes, trim or dofight swith BVR mode working. I the flaps working (once i got the tempo :) ) but then in flight they didn't work anymore.

 

Is it me? or your profile maybe do not fully work with 1.28?

[Home Fries]

I'm working on a 1.2.8 compatible version of the profile, but the release is only 1.2.7 compatible right now.

 

Since 1.2.8 changes the format of the included LUA files (which are very necessary for the profile), the only real option is to take your joystick and keyboard lua files from 1.2.7 and put them in the proper 1.2.8 folders (deleting the diff.lua files). That should provide the solution for everything except for the autopilot and nosewheel steering on the F-15C.

[Ogami Musashi]

Thank you very much. I'll try to do that and if not working then i'll wait for the release of you profile for 1.28:) (can't play that much for now anyway )

[Malakie]

How do we get these files? Photo bucket links not working for me..

[Home Fries]

The links at the very top of the original post are for the profile. Higher quality JPGs are included in the download, and the diagrams are also in the User Manual.

[Home Fries]

Version 1.20 of the script is released for DCS World 1.2.8

[zeke1970]

Hi Home Fries.

I use V1.20. In the air,I pushed BTN S1,but can`t cycle weapon.

Please show me how to fix this.

[Home Fries]

Hi Zeke,

 

I'm assuming you are using the FC3 profile in my script when you attempt this; if this assumption is incorrect, please let me know which aircraft profile you are having trouble with.

 

Now this is a lengthy, but necessary description. Please bear with me.

 

Because the FC3 profile uses the same profile for a diverse amount of aircraft (and diverse keystrokes with no clickable cockpit functions), I had to shoehorn everything into the profile using the dogfight switch (U/M/D), TEMPO commands, and even then with the new F-15C I had to add functionality to the stick for nosewheel steering. The only way to do it without sacrificing functionality is to make it dependent on the profile's "Gear State", or whether the profile thinks that the gear is extended or retracted. Note: I refer to "Gear State" as the state of the gear in the profile itself (as opposed to just "Gear" for the landing gear position in-game).

 

Your gear state can be seen with the second (right) LED on the Left MFD. If the LED is lit, the Gear State is down (extended), if the LED is off, the Gear Gtate is up (retracted). You change the gear state can be cycled by holding S3+H3U Long or S3+H3D Long (for gear up or gear down respectively). If your profile is out of sync with your actual gear (i.e. you give the command to raise the gear while the plane is on the ground, so the gear in the game is still extended while your profile thinks the gear is up), you can either to the other gear command (i.e. gear down in this case) or hold S3+T6 long to toggle the Gear State without sending the command to DCS. Takeaway: make sure you use the HOTAS commands to cycle your gear (don't use "g" on the keyboard) so that the profile is in sync with the game.

 

The other part to make it work is that the dogfight must be in the middle position to cycle the gear, as well as do most "normal" operations. When the dogfight switch is in the middle position and Gear State up, S1 short will cycle weapons and S1 long will enable midair refueling. With Gear State up and the dogfight switch in up or down positions (one of the weapons modes), S1 will cycle weapons without regard to TEMPO. With Gear State down, holding S1 will enable nosewheel steering on the F-15C regardless of dogfight switch position.

 

Bottom Line: make sure your Gear State is up in order to cycle weapons with S1.

 

 

Hope this helps.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Home Fries
corrected S1 /M assignment explanation

[zeke1970]

Thank you!

Yes. I'm using FC3 profile. F-15C.

Sorry my poor description.

 

And thanks for reply. I understand very well.

[Home Fries]

Version 1.24 is released.

 

Change Log:

 

• Enhanced Analog Airbrake routine (H/T Nicu) for FC3 (F-15C), DX, and A-10C profiles
  
• FC3: Added Fuel Tank Selector and T/O trim to RMFD for F-15C
  
• FC3: Updated S3+T1 Long to jettison fuel tanks regardless of dogfight switch position
  
• FC3: Added relative microstick axes to dummy axes for Su-25T
  
• UH-1: Set Snapviews to shifted H3R/L only (deconflicts with trim)
  
• UH-1: Added context sensitive T1/T6 mapping and H1 searchlight
  
• UH-1: Swapped mapping of searchlight and landing light
  
• UH-1: Replaced RMFD RADALT and CDI OBS functions with electrical panel and radio functions
  
• P-51D: Restored X/Y axes to joystick diff.lua file
  
• A-10C: Reorganized most of MFD additional (shifted) functions. Added parking brake (T10)
  

[Ogami Musashi]

Hello,

 

I tried your 124 vesrion but i'm having a problem.

 

I followed the instructions and the final step was to run the DCSworld.tmc script while loading kb and joystick profiles after having defined the modifications.

However despite having the DCSwold.tmc running i get red color on commands with modifiers 30/31.

 

Any idea?

 

PS.: on a side note while DCSworld.tmc compiles just fine, the other ones return "Runtime Error: Symbol not found: main".

[Home Fries]

You may need to add the modifiers manually for the red lines to go out. Then after that, the red lines should be an indicator that the profile is not loaded.

 

As for the "issue" about running the other files, that's just how TARGET works. It looks for the routine called "main". All other files and routines are subroutines called by main. You can compile them individually, but can only run the master file.