T.Flight Hotas X
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I’m only a beginner too, and I have been getting on and falling off the BMS bike for a few years (but it looks to be getting easier and easier over the years). Realistically, I think you will struggle with the HotasX and BMS. It would take a lot of dedication as you not only have a very complex sim to learn, but also you will be fighting against controls that are not user friendly. There will be less immersion and controller difficulties may frustrate you. It would take less dedication with a better hotas.
Modern fighters involve multiple button presses to prepare for weapons employment. If you look at the real f16 controls, you will see many hat switches. You will also see a ministick/cursor.To get close to employing the f16, you should have many hats and a cursor. The hat switches cover Trim, DMS, TMS, CMS, Radar, Comms etc. The cursor is used to lock onto targets.
No cost option 1
Use the hotasx, get vjoy and joystick gremlin (I think they are free) and set up a control scheme similar to what I suggested. This gives you all the hats to do most of the button presses to control core systems.It has the benefit of teaching you how the TMS, DMS and CMS switches work (on a real f16 and mirrored on better hotas, so you can learn for the future) and you will get the benefit of some muscle memory. My suggested control scheme also covers some other key buttons. It lacks the cursor to lock up targets. I’m not sure how best to do that without perhaps another shifted state to get cursor up/down/right/left on the hat. It lacks radar and comms.
You’ll be using the keyboard for most non-cms/dms/tms switches.
You could then free up some switches once familiar with the core systems, eg perhaps you can make do with next cms program and cms deploy on the hotas instead of the full cms hat.
No cost option 2
Ditch the scheme I suggested and try to get feedback from others on the most important buttons. You may need to decide a scheme for air to air and focus on that in BMS, or Air to ground and focus on that. I think air to air may involve fewer switches, eg radar elevation up/down, dogfight/medium range mode, next cms program and cms deploy, perhaps comms picture and comms declare. I dont know BMS well enough to give real guidance here, I only know a bit of the theory. There are many, many buttons and prioritising those would be difficult.You’ll be using the keyboard for most functions, including looking around and perhaps locking up targets. Immersion will be low. You won’t be learning for a future hotas.
Low cost option
I would simply buy just the Thrustmaster TWCS throttle only. It has multiple hats and a ministick. With the sidestick you have, and perhaps with a shift mode, it will get you nearly all the hotas controls you need. It will increase immersion and you will fight the controls far less so enjoyment will increase. It can be used on other sims. i don’t have one, but it does have axes for things like antenna elevation that the Warthog lacks (in a convenient hotas location).Anyway, those are my thoughts. There is some other useful info from others in this thread.
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The Blueraven one seems to cover a lot of ground - just learn to use that and disregard my scheme! (wish I’d seen that before posting!)
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Hi,
Just got back to BMS recently and updated my T.Flight HotasX key file for BMS 4.34 U4. It’s based on BlueRaven’s key file some years back. I simply changed some commands to suit single player for me. Credits to him.
If anyone is interested and still using the old trusty HotasX, you can download the attached key file “GreaseLitenin TrackIR SP v1.zip” and its corresponding diagram “T.Flight HotasX KeyMap v1.3 BMS 4.34U4.jpg”.
I also have the PowerPoint file of the diagram. It’s too large to attach here but you can download it here (https://gofile.io/d/iR9M0F) probably for a limited time only as it is a free file hosting site. You can customise the diagram and print it for easy reference. It’s work-in-progress though (screenshot below).
Cheers
UPDATES 23 Oct 2020:
1. Key File - Button 12 (see diagram) is now Paddle Switch and FLCS Switch Reset. More useful that way.
2. PowerPoint / JPG Diagram - To match key file plus further labelling refinements. PowerPoint download link reloaded (limited time). -
Just recently I was making HOTAS4 layout for my friend.
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Hi GrEaSeLiTeNiN, I’m starting again in Falcon BMS 4.34 (U4) and want to properly setup my T.Flight Hotas X. That diagram is very helpful! But since I use a head tracker I would like to know what lines should be modified in BlueRaven’s old 4.33 key file with Track IR. Where do I start?
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Hi! Out of interest, why not just use GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s keyfile? It is based off the BlueRaven keyfile, is for 4.34U4 and includes Track IR. I imagine there are differences between 4.33 and 4.34 keyfiles, making modifying the keyfile to 4.34 and then adding in mapping more difficult than simply using GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s file.
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Hi! Out of interest, why not just use GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s keyfile? It is based off the BlueRaven keyfile, is for 4.34U4 and includes Track IR. I imagine there are differences between 4.33 and 4.34 keyfiles, making modifying the keyfile to 4.34 and then adding in mapping more difficult than simply using GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s file.
You are correct! I totally overlooked the fact that GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s keyfile also uses headtracking. Thanks!
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@rainiere:
You are correct! I totally overlooked the fact that GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s keyfile also uses headtracking. Thanks!
Hi guys, I’ve made some updates. Please see earlier post #16. Cheers!
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Hello GrEaSeLiTeNiN and others,
I don’t have a TrackIR (yet).
Attached a non-TrackIR version of GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s keyfile (post # 16). -
Refer to post #16, the picture of functions on the T.flgiht HOTAS X:
I assume the red font is a “shifted” button?
What exactly does that mean, hold shift key on the keyboard? Or is there a button that is the shift function? Not being a wise guy i really don’t know.For buttons with more than one red text, is there multiple shifts? Or is the one button do many things but somethings are obvious negated in certain flight envelopes? (for example, nosewheel steering while at 30,000 feet is no longer NWS and is now MSL step? Again, not being a wise guy, I really am the dumbest BMS wannabe in this forum.
Thanks.
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Refer to post #16, the picture of functions on the T.flgiht HOTAS X:
I assume the red font is a “shifted” button?
What exactly does that mean, hold shift key on the keyboard? Or is there a button that is the shift function? Not being a wise guy i really don’t know.Yes – see the box near the trigger that says “BMS DX Numbers”. In BMS there is just a single shift layer for all joystick buttons… that “shift” button is hardcoded to be the “Pinky Switch”, which when tapped normally controls zoom-mode on the radar, hsd/tgp or wpn etc. (If you press/release quickly, it toggles the zoom on the sensor of interest … if you press and hold, it acts as DirectX shift button.)
This line in falcon bms.cfg determines that press-vs-hold timeout… I forget the default but I think it’s pretty quick, for my old hands.
set g_nHotasShiftQuickPressTimeLimit 100 // Millisecond timeout for disambiguating pinky-switch (tap) vs DX-shift (hold)NWS and is now MSL Step
Again yes – you are getting it! Some buttons are just contextual that way. If your gear is down and there is WOW (weight on wheels) then it engages NWS. If your air refuel port is open and connected to the boom, receiving fuel – it disconnects the refueling boom. In AA mode it selects next missile station… in AG modes it cycles bombing mode (CCIP/CCRP/DTOS).
(And, something I’m embarrassed to admit I just learned, after years flying off and on – if you press and hold MSL Step, it changes to next AA missile type. Until recently I’d been fumbling with MFD buttons or flipping between Dgft to Mrm modes… sigh)
The Falcon is a long slow learning curve… the RL plane plus all the idiosyncrasies of BMS… the quirks of mapping the RL buttons to various joysticks and keyboards… and the neverending struggle with Windows and NVidia graphics drivers…
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The Falcon is a long slow learning curve… the RL plane plus all the idiosyncrasies of BMS… the quirks of mapping the RL buttons to various joysticks and keyboards… and the neverending struggle with Windows and NVidia graphics drivers…
Yeah, what is it in real life, over a year of paid full time officer’s duty before one is ready for a mission in a Falcon? Us at-home computer warriors don’t have that much time without distractions. I think I’ll always be learning this game.
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(And, something I’m embarrassed to admit I just learned, after years flying off and on – if you press and hold MSL Step, it changes to next AA missile type. Until recently I’d been fumbling with MFD buttons or flipping between Dgft to Mrm modes… sigh)
No kidding. Thanks for saying that or I would fly another year before finding that out. Can’t wait to try it out in the evening.
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Hi, my first post here ^^
Does the GrEaSeLiTeNiN key file still work in 4.35? I use the Hotas X, too and finally want to take some time to get in F4 BMS. Usually I fly civil flight sims since 2000 and am doing a real-world ultra light license since a few years, so I know the basics of flying and I can takeoff, find my way around and land in the F-16 pretty “okay”, but once it comes to the actual fighting which requires to use lots of buttons, I am still confused I try to use my existing T.Flight Hotas X before buying some more advanced hardware maybe…
I installed the key file and although I have to select it again each time I start the game (a bit annoying), I think it works (when I press a button in the config screen, it shows the associated function which matches GrEaSeLiTeNiN’s description, but I don’t know enough yet about how the systems should behave to really say “it works”).