TARGET Software - Is this possibly the WORST piece of software EVER developed?

[dok_rp]

I'm appalled by the absurdity this piece of software is. I come from 3 years of use with the Saitek Software in the X-52 PRO and Saitek Pedals which is superbly intuitive and easy to comprehend. This whole time I've heard the worst possible things from Saitek software which I've never experienced. There have been crashes, but its usability was always top tier.

 

On the other hand, I've heard the most marvelous things from Thrustmaster and how they care about their customers and whatnot, only to find myself staring flabbergasted at my monitor screen chuckling at how ridiculous this piece of software is.

 

Never have I regretted so much having sold an old joystick. My only wish is to get rid of this joystick and go back to the old one.

 

Whoever designed this ogrish piece of software sure deserves a medal for it's quite possible the worst thing I've ever seen; to the point of being funny.

[cichlidfan]

Are you selling the Warthog? Target works fine for me.

 

Btw, I have used SST as well. Rotate your X-52 15 degrees CCW and try and tell the SST software that you have moved the X and Y axis a wee bit. ;)

Edited December 27, 2013 by cichlidfan

[dburne]

I find Target to be very good for me, one can use just the simple gui for easily making some basic profiles, to the advanced gui for creating a little more complex profiles to include using layers and switches, to the script editor which is a very powerful tool allowing for a lot of flexibility on what you can do with a profile.

 

I have been using the advanced gui up until recently, now I am taking the time to learn and work with the script editor to create my profiles using it. Somewhat overwhelming for me at first but I am catching on now.

[Snoopy]

I don't even have Target installed on my PC, no need for it IMO.

[cichlidfan]

I don't even have Target installed on my PC, no need for it IMO.

 

It all depends on what you want to do, and what you fly.

[docfu]

I had a lot of problems with T.A.R.G.E.T.'s installation but after that the software, while slightly confusing, works pretty good. I think it works better under Windows 7 than XP...

[Cyb0rg]

I don't even have Target installed on my PC, no need for it IMO.

This.

 

Edit: just wish would be possible to turn the lights off without turning usb ports off.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Cyb0rg

[dburne]

This.

 

Edit: just wish would be possible to turn the lights off without turning usb ports off.

 

You can turn them off if TARGET is installed.

Just set them to off in TARGET, then they will remain off whether TARGET is running or not.

[HiJack]

This is useful information! :thumbup: I have used X52 Pro for 4 years and sure Saitek have a lot of quirks to get sorted but when you first are there its rock solid. My X52 Pro died a month ago and I have now used a X52 (non-pro) version and I must say that stick is just terrible. If you are the proud owner of a Saitek X52 non-pro stick you should upgrade to X52 Pro or maybe buy the X55 when released. That is of course if you also fly something else than the DCS A-10C. If you only fly the DCS A-10C you will as stated by others not need to install the TARGET software.

[KennethBF]

This is useful information! :thumbup: I have used X52 Pro for 4 years and sure Saitek have a lot of quirks to get sorted but when you first are there its rock solid. My X52 Pro died a month ago and I have now used a X52 (non-pro) version and I must say that stick is just terrible. If you are the proud owner of a Saitek X52 non-pro stick you should upgrade to X52 Pro or maybe buy the X55 when released. That is of course if you also fly something else than the DCS A-10C. If you only fly the DCS A-10C you will as stated by others not need to install the TARGET software.

 

Why do i need TARGET when i can do the settings in DCS? What can i do in Target, that I can not do in DCS?

Edited December 31, 2013 by KennethBF

[dburne]

You do not necessarily need Target at all, as you can certainly set many of your controller settings within the sim you are running. For many, if not most, that will be sufficient.

 

Using Target, gives one the advantage of having a profile stored outside the sim - I certainly have lost controller settings in sims before due to one reason or the other, plus the flexibility to do much more with a controller profile than what can be done within the sim. Again for many if not most, this is not needed, but for those that love the depth and being able to do much more, like using U/M/D layers, and I/O submodes, to increase the number of commands per button press. Or introducing a delay between keypresses, or creating a chain or sequence, etc etc.

 

For me, I love this kind of stuff and learning how to work with my own profiles via the scripting function and creating a profile along with tweaking it to do what I really would like it to do.

 

Target is not necessary, but is certainly nice to have for those that get into that sort of stuff...

[hreich]

For me Target is best software or creating profiles..But you need to know a little about programming to use powerful SCRIPT editor..

[dburne]

For me Target is best software or creating profiles..But you need to know a little about programming to use powerful SCRIPT editor..

 

Definitely, I am going through the learning curve on the script editor now and knew nothing about programming, so it has been quite the steep learning curve for me but I am getting there.

 

Also though, the GUI in advanced mode allows one to do quite a bit as well, and is very intuitive to use.

[PoleCat]

Target, just as Foxy before it, gives the user a plethora of programming possibilities both simple and advanced which are far more elaborate and varied then using your Warthog/Cougar without the software.

 

~Out

[dok_rp]

For a U$500 joystick which is aimed at consumer masses and not at a niche of script programming buffs, this joystick leaves a lot to be desired.

 

There are no, zero, nil tutorials on in the internet which could help a newcomer transfer from one platform to this one.

 

There are 3 videos from SimHQ on YT which cover close to nothing, and one website with a poorly written startup tutorial; and that's it.

 

TARGET looks like those terribly optimized pieces of software which make no sense, except for the programmer who's designed it. There are no tool tips at all, the layout is appalling, and the GUI on par with a sub-par product; not with THIS joystick.

 

And there's also the fact that the company offers no support forum at all. People bash Saitek dead to their bones, but I've never had a post in their forums left unanswered.

 

There's also the fact the software does not recognize key combinations created using an international (non-English,French or German) keyboard. That's shocking.

 

I'm pretty sure I'd be ashamed of releasing this kind of software with this type of product. It's like selling a Ferrari with faux-leather seats and an all-plastic interior. It just doesn't cut at all.

 

With the Saitek software I could program macros for Arma 2, and create very useful key arrangements for other sims I also fly. What used to be an incredibly simple task with the older, but functional joystick/software became a herculean task with this one.

 

Therefore, I cannot rely solely upon the in-game configuration, because, even though, that might suffice for DCS, it won't for the other sims I play/fly.

 

That's very sad.

[RogueSqdn]

You could always do autohotkey, if TARGET isn't desirable to you.

 

The only things I'm currently using TARGET for are BMS and the X-wing series. Though I plan to get the FSSB R3 to go with my (soon to arrive) TUSBA for the Cougar throttle. At that point if I need to do anything other than in-sim assignments I'll probably go with Autohotkey. I'll still keep TARGET installed so I can disable the LEDs.

[dburne]

Well undoubtedly TARGET is not going to be for everyone. When I first got my Warthog in the spring of last year and opened Target, I was like WTH?

 

I was determined and kept the Target manual pdf open on one screen, whilst playing around with setting up keypresses to buttons on the other, using the advanced GUI. I learned about using layers, and the I/O submode ( I use I/O regularly, I don't really use the U/M/D layers)

 

I soon found myself becoming comfortable using the advanced GUI mode before too long, and found it to be very good for creating some profiles for my sims.

 

Now I am delving into the scripting part of it, and that was a real big WTH, but am learning and have now created my first profile with the script editor.

 

But again, I can see where it may not be for everyone...

[cichlidfan]

Why do i need TATGET when i can do the settings in DCS? What can i do in Target, that I can not do in DCS?

 

Still applies.

 

Rotate your stick 15 degrees CCW (like it is in the RL A-10) and try and tell DCS that you have moved the X and Y axis a wee bit. ;)

[Davee]

This.

 

Edit: just wish would be possible to turn the lights off without turning usb ports off.

 

I programmed mine in Target Scripts to turn on and off as I want including programming the 5 indicator lights to indicate which aircraft I have the stick set for.

[KennethBF]

Ok, yes I/You can do a lot of things with TARGET, but is that realistic? I do not think so.

 

I wan't my stick to do what it does in real life in DCS, not 50 more commands and chains of commands.

[cichlidfan]

I wan't my stick to do what it does in real life in DCS, not 50 more commands and chains of commands.

 

With a few small changes, it does that with DCS A-10 right out of the box. However, for the other aircraft, you still don't have to use Target, but it won't do what it does in RL either. ;) Although, if you choose to do so, it performs rather well, IMHO.

 

I don't believe anyone has said that you HAD to use Target.

 

Why do i need TARGET when i can do the settings in DCS? What can i do in Target, that I can not do in DCS?

[outlawal2]

I don't know, but SST for Saitek sucks balls too.. If SST is NOT the worst software ever developed by man than it is a very close 2nd ...

 

NEVER got SST to do anything remotely useful and looking at my X-52 Pro system right now it is currently displaying the amazingly useful "Mo 3... No Orifile" Which I presume is SUPPOSED to say Mode 3 No Profile."

 

It friggin amazes me how these hardware companies produce hardware and are too friggin cheap to enlist a REAL PROGRAMMER to actually write a usable piece of software.. (And in the case of Saitek everyone knows it and it has been this way FOREVER...) Not like it is a brand new piece of hardware and maybe the next patch will fix it. NOPE..

 

Ridiculous..

 

So I feel your pain Friend..