How does one map inputs? (I'm feeling like an idiot)
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Note that I don’t use the Excel file at all to make my assignments. I edit everything directly on the .key file on Notepad++ and simply use the Excel file to double-check that the assignment shows up on the keyboard graphic and that there are no duplicates. Re-assigning callbacks and moving DX assignments I do all of them on Notepad++.
Check out p.21 of the BMS Key File Manual.pdf to figure out how DX assignment works. It’s slightly different from the keyboard example above, but if you understand how to do it on the keyboard, then the process is similar. The challenge here is finding out what DX number corresponds to what button/hat on your controller. I’m not sure how to do it on a controller….
You mentioned an XBox controller… is that an extra controller you’re using aside from a joystick? Or are you just using an XBox controller by itself (plus keyboard/mouse)?? While I agree that it will work for axis control, I doubt it has the range and/or sensitivity for your needs in a sim like BMS. Sure, you can fly, takeoff, land, and maybe chuck spears, but balancing your back-pressure to maintain constant cornerspeed in a turning dogfight might be a different challenge altogether. Formation flying, air-to-air refuelling, and dropping dumb bombs all need precision and sometimes if you’re off by a hair, that is a miss.
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Mate, thanks so much for the patience and detailed explanation, everything made more sense to me now.
I’ve been using Notepad++, but I couldn’t get what all the numbers after the function name (callback?) meant. People talked about “callback”, “modifier”, etc, and wouldn’t explain, like you did, what each of these things meant.You’re welcome. I guess those that have been around for a while use these terms without thinking about how alien it must sound to a new simmer.
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Note that I don’t use the Excel file at all to make my assignments. I edit everything directly on the .key file on Notepad++ and simply use the Excel file to double-check that the assignment shows up on the keyboard graphic and that there are no duplicates. Re-assigning callbacks and moving DX assignments I do all of them on Notepad++.
Check out p.21 of the BMS Key File Manual.pdf to figure out how DX assignment works. It’s slightly different from the keyboard example above, but if you understand how to do it on the keyboard, then the process is similar. The challenge here is finding out what DX number corresponds to what button/hat on your controller. I’m not sure how to do it on a controller….
Thanks again, I’ll try and read the manual again, with more patience now.
You mentioned an XBox controller…. is that an extra controller you’re using aside from a joystick? Or are you just using an XBox controller by itself (plus keyboard/mouse)?? While I agree that it will work for axis control, I doubt it has the range and/or sensitivity for your needs in a sim like BMS. Sure, you can fly, takeoff, land, and maybe chuck spears, but balancing your back-pressure to maintain constant cornerspeed in a turning dogfight might be a different challenge altogether. Formation flying, air-to-air refuelling, and dropping dumb bombs all need precision and sometimes if you’re off by a hair, that is a miss.
haha, yeah, I have it as my main stick.
The sensitivity was a problem in the beginning, since it’s axis range is way smaller than the one from any other flight stick. But unlike the Xbox 360 controller, the deadzone is way smaller for this one, and the stick seems more precise.
On Falcon AF I managed to refuel with realistic settings without losing the tanker. Formation flying also didn’t pose much of a problem (even though AI planes behaved kinda weird in there). Through saturation/deadzone settings and a bit of pratice (from flying the Spitfire in WarThunder in sim mode xD - bloody thing stalled at every turn in the beginning), I think I can now manage to do all the main things without many problems.
Dogfighted a couple of Mig-29s and F-16s on the furball mode to check if everything was working correctly and the thing seems accurate enough for a dogfight somehow. So although I won’t be as good and effective as if I were using a flight stick, this can get most of the job done for now.
The only problem I found sometimes is keeping a very slow turn and correcting for climbs and descents - like, a 1.2-1.5G turn. I’d sometimes allow the jet to move +/- 20ft from my desired altitude due to the deadzone (I couldn’t keep a VERY light pressure on the elevators and turn VERY slightly the ailerons at the same time - this stops being a problem if I’m trying to keep a 2G turn for example). So although I can fly in formation without getting my nose into my flight leader’s cockpit, I don’t think I’d be able to stunt fly like the Virtual French Patrol in DCS hahaI’m thinking about buying the HOTAS X for my Xbox One though, I see it also works in PC. Seems like a good stick, and even though it’s not a Warthog, it still seems functional.
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AF and early BMS refuelling was easy due to the “tractor beam” effect…. but still, if you can do this with an XBox controller, sweet skills!
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AF and early BMS refuelling was easy due to the “tractor beam” effect…. but still, if you can do this with an XBox controller, sweet skills!
After a day trying I just made it, first with the low weight block 15, then with the heavyweight one. Geez, this is so much better than in Allied Force, I was breathing more heavily than the pilot when the tanker started entering a turn. I could also feel my heartbeats on my fingertips haha, pretty intese. With the xbox controller you almost don’t feel like you’re moving the stick at all to correct, it’s like just a thought of motion.
I hope I won’t go through cardiac arrest if I have to do this in an online session, with people awaiting in the queue and observing me. -
Nice! Not to challenge you or anything, but in the hopes of inspiring others and also to prove that A-A refuelling is not impossible, would you consider doing a video of yourself doing an AAR with a 2nd camera on your hands as you operate the XBox controller? That would be so sweet!!
As a challenge, do you think you can do AAR with a Guitar Hero controller? Hehehehe….
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Nice! Not to challenge you or anything, but in the hopes of inspiring others and also to prove that A-A refuelling is not impossible, would you consider doing a video of yourself doing an AAR with a 2nd camera on your hands as you operate the XBox controller? That would be so sweet!!
I can try doing something, although the 2nd camera will have to be set up somewhere, not in my hands haha.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to have an app recording the game though, as I’m afraid my FPS will drop quite a bit (I’m running on low settings at 40-45 FPS), but I can probably have my mobile phone set up somewhere where both my hands and the screen are visible at the same time.As a challenge, do you think you can do AAR with a Guitar Hero controller? Hehehehe….
I’m afraid that would require a set of skills I do not have
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Haha! No pressure at all mate! I know some people have claimed to be playing BMS with a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro and be able to do formation and do AAR and connect to the tanker while in a turn… this is the first time someone is claiming to do it with an Xbox controller and that would be awesome to see!
Anyway, hope that gets you sorted out a little bit more until you get a HOTAS. You must be doing some serious finger acrobatics when flying, alternating between KB, mouse, and controller!
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Made the video, once it uploads I’ll post the link here.
I had to use the mobile’s camera to film, so although you can see both my hand and what’s happening with the F-16, the graphics won’t look stunning haha. I filmed the whole approach and refuel up to 9000lbs, also showed the controller and simulation settings in the end, it will have 08:50 minutes.
Also, as you will be able to see, controlling the attitude is not a problem. What I actually think is hard is controlling the throttle. For the attitude, you just gotta be gentle and learn not to overcorrect (I assume the same can be said for the throttle, but I still have a bit of difficulty with it). -
Here you go:
I managed to get the boom disconnected at first by mistake (not paying attention to the game to see if the mobile was still filming)
As I said in the description, the stuttering you see was not present in the game, it has to do with the recording.
Also, my right hand is controlling the throttle on a throttle axis/slider. -
Here you go:
I managed to get the boom disconnected at first by mistake (not paying attention to the game to see if the mobile was still filming)
As I said in the description, the stuttering you see was not present in the game, it has to do with the recording.
Also, my right hand is controlling the throttle on a throttle axis.I think for a stunt like this, those type of controllers are pretty good, like one notch at a time.
Marc…
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Yeah, I think that from playing War Thunder I got used to the controller almost null dead zone and it’s sensitivity.
I need, though, a better throttle. Sometimes when I move the throttle slider just a tiny little bit, the movement is not detected (like, it has some type of dead zone between throttle values). This is a problem in refueling, because when I start to drift forward a bit too much for example, I try bringing the Throttle back a bit but the aircraft keeps moving forward. So not to lose the boom I try and bring the throttle back a bit harder and end up slowing down too much.
Gotta get used to this until I buy a HOTAS. -
What are you using for throttle? Great job on the video! Thanks!
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What are you using for throttle? Great job on the video! Thanks!
I had an old stick with a throttle slider. The stick itself is not working, but it’s buttons and the throttle axis is.
This is the boi xD:
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Here you go:
I managed to get the boom disconnected at first by mistake (not paying attention to the game to see if the mobile was still filming)
As I said in the description, the stuttering you see was not present in the game, it has to do with the recording.
Also, my right hand is controlling the throttle on a throttle axis/slider.are you recording your screen you big dummy
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Wow… I remember that stick… my respect for your skills and patience only increases knowing the hardware you are using and the things you can achieve with it. I would argue that you’d be better served by buying a TrackIR next instead of a HOTAS
@Cik:
are you recording your screen you big dummy
He is… and on the YT page: “As you can see, as I’m running Falcon in a potato I call PC, it is running on very low graphics settings, therefore having a program like FRAPS to record it wasn’t reliable. I decided then to have my mobile phone camera recording both the screen and the controller showing both myself moving the stick and the F-16 reaction in game.”
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@Cik:
are you recording your screen you big dummy
Not at all, I’m recording my cat. Did you open the correct video?
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Wow… I remember that stick… my respect for your skills and patience only increases knowing the hardware you are using and the things you can achieve with it. I would argue that you’d be better served by buying a TrackIR next instead of a HOTAS
Yeah, I was decided to wait and buy better hardware to download BMS. But I couldn’t stop watching Krause videos, so I decided to get Falcon 4.0 and install it anyway to see if I could get any fun with what I had haha.