Is this a mistake?
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Thanks for all the encouraging responses but I want t be clear about my concerns. I’m not worried about learning the controls, procedures, etc… I know that will come and I enjoy he practice.
My concern is the setup/config of it all. It seems like every thread I read is some tweak I need to do or a 3rd party editor I need or bug to work around. I’m worried that I will need to fix something and not even know I need to fix it or how to fix it. For instance, I have my X-55… I came across a 15 pg post about it and the problems with binding and the HUD software being broken, etc… Didn’t even understand what some people were saying the problems were much less how to fix them. The thing is, I need things mapped now just to be able to do beginner stuff and don’t even know if I should try to use profiles and key files or just do it all in game blind. I don’t want to spend 2 days binding keys in the HUD software only to run across a post that says not to use it… Those are the things that are foremost on my mind right now.
Thanks for listenng -
Heads-up. Some of us have ghosting issues with the X-55. Ghosting meaning…as you move your throttle, you get unwanted executed commands (i.e., gears come down during flight all by itself…just one example). If you experience this, get an external powered USB hub.
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It seems like every thread I read is some tweak I need to do or a 3rd party editor I need or bug to work around.
Do not install any mod, and database tweaks are not needed. Your experience will be safer and you will loose anything.
3rd party mod, tweaks … etc … you will have all the time to see this far later.
Just install, configure, set your keys and HOTAS … then enjoy. Be patient, do not expect to master in 3 months …
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All you have to do is look at a printout of a HOTAS that shows/lists what each switch does what. There is probably a diagram in the manual…not sure as I haven’t needed it since 2002. Then program your stick the same, or as close as you can to that HOTAS profile, that’s all.
Make sure you have the following programmed on your hotas: DMS - data management switch, TMS threat management switch, CMS counter-measure management switch (all 4-way switches). You need a pickle button, which I’d use the top middle button on the stick for that. You need a trigger button (2nd stage only should be fine if you don’t have two detents on your sticks trigger.). You need a targeting slew control for the radar, radar elevation control, air brake switch. You also need a “return to search” button, so you can unlock targets.
I think I hit all the basics from memory. Get those programmed via the in-game setup. Go to advance (located in the controller setup), and make sure you have all the axis setup - i.e: throttle, slew and trim, rudder, ect.
Then once you have the HOTAS programmed, do the startup tutorial and learn how to start, then basic maneuvering and land. Don’t mess with the radar or weapons until you know how to do this first.
Once that is done, youtube Krause videos and that will help you learn to deploy weapons, radar ect. You’ll learn what SOI is, which is vital to implementing the radar and weapons.
Good luck!
DrDetroit
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Heads-up. Some of us have ghosting issues with the X-55. Ghosting meaning…as you move your throttle, you get unwanted executed commands (i.e., gears come down during flight all by itself…just one example). If you experience this, get an external powered USB hub.
I have both throttle and stick plugged into powered USB already. Thanks for the heads up.
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All you have to do is look at a printout of a HOTAS that shows/lists what each switch does what. There is probably a diagram in the manual…not sure as I haven’t needed it since 2002. Then program your stick the same, or as close as you can to that HOTAS profile, that’s all.
Make sure you have the following programmed on your hotas: DMS - data management switch, TMS threat management switch, CMS counter-measure management switch (all 4-way switches). You need a pickle button, which I’d use the top middle button on the stick for that. You need a trigger button (2nd stage only should be fine if you don’t have two detents on your sticks trigger.). You need a targeting slew control for the radar, radar elevation control, air brake switch. You also need a “return to search” button, so you can unlock targets.
OK, I got Gibfender’s X55 profile files. I’m not doing anything with the ini, key or profile files for now but I did use his stick/throttle mapping images. He has a few things mapped that I couldn’t find in the key file in game.
1, On the stick, he has paddle stick but I couldn’t find much info anywhere on what this was supposed to do. For now, I have it mapped to my wheel brakes (k key).
2, On the throttle, the top nob is mapped to range increase/decrease but it is also a button that he has mapped to range knob uncage, but I couldn’t find anything like that listed in the key file in game.
3, On the throttle, he has a toggle switch mapped to AG Button Push, and AA Button Push that I couldn’t find listed in the key file in game.I think I got all the rest mapped.
As far as your suggestions, if by slew, you mean cursor, then I got that mapped for the radar. Also used 2 buttons for 1st and 2nd stage detent triggers. I have no idea what that means yet, but I think it is right.
Any help is appreciated.
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You also need a “return to search” button, so you can unlock targets.
return to search? What for?
Its already on the TMS…
Seriously, just set your stick to have the same, or as similar as possible, controls as per the real jet. It will save you time and hassle rather than learning two sets of controls - the physical controls that you are manipulating with your hands, and the virtual ‘real’ controls that your controls are in turn manipulating.
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I have my left throttle button as return to search (Warthog HOTAS)…wasn’t aware of TMS would do this function. Is it TMS down?
Anyhow, Cool thanks
DrDetroit
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I had a Cycle FCC Modes button for years until I realized the NWS/cycle weapons button also did that as well.
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For the original problem:
1. do not use any addons, until you are sure you want them. The base BMS is good enough for most anything.
2. small steps. Set one button or hat in the joystick at a time. Write notes when flying if there is something you don’t seem to be able to do, and solve them step by step. The base document is Falcon4 BMS manual, which has the real joystick functions described. (No, you don’t need them all, I have flown with 1 hat 10 button stick all right before the full HOTAS.)The easy way would be to use the Saitek as DirectX stick, and just assign the joystick buttons as DirectX buttons one by one inside the Falcon4. When using like this, you don’t need any profiles or specific keyfiles. (But you may lack some advanced or shifted functions that the profiles would offer.)
The first step is to enable flying, and then add the functionalities as you can handle them yourself. Pretty soon you’ll have all the basic HOTAS functionalities available, which is the way to learn, fly and enjoy. When you start to have your own demands, you also will have the knowledge of what you want and how it should be done. And you can learn the rest, for eg joystick profile tuning at that time.
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As far as your suggestions, if by slew, you mean cursor, then I got that mapped for the radar. Also used 2 buttons for 1st and 2nd stage detent triggers. I have no idea what that means yet, but I think it is right.
Any help is appreciated.
It means pulling the trigger a little bit, which fires the laser in some modes, and pulling it all the the way, which fires the 20mm cannon.
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It means pulling the trigger a little bit, which fires the laser in some modes, and pulling it all the the way, which fires the 20mm cannon.
So will that work with 2 buttons? Press or hold the laser lock 1st detent button and then fire with the trigger/2nd detent?
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I think the X52 has a two-stage trigger. So as you pull it you’ll feel one click at first, and a second click when it bottoms out. So if you’re configuring it in-game rather than with an X52 manager (or whatever it’s called) profile and associated keyfile, you choose trigger first detent and pull it until you feel that first click, and then choose trigger second detent and then pull it all the way.
I assume you’ve read through the Saitek section on the board here? https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?52-Saitek
Some key concepts that you’ll need to understand:
Profiles vs plain directx mode. You can use the stick straight out of the box as a simple directx device, which means that the axes and buttons work as plain old inputs, and you can map their function inside BMS in the controls section. Or you can use the profile manager software to program buttons to have alternate functions.
A key file is a file that stores your device button and keyboard key mappings. Joystick profiles are often provided with a keyfile that has to be imported into BMS, because the profile maps what the button presses on the joystick produce as output, and then the keyfile determines what BMS actually DOES with that output.
You should probably find an X52 profile that someone else has already created. The actual F-16 stick has four 4-way hat switches on it: Trim, DMS (Display Management System), TMS (Target Management System), and CMS (Countermeasures Management System), while the X-52 only has two 4-way hat switches. So you need to use a shift function to access their features. Shifting is usually accomplished by holding the pinky switch. Learning to program all this stuff can be pretty daunting.
This one looks pretty good to me, but I’ve never used an X52: https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?18522-X52-Pro-DX-Profile
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Go to falcon online teamspeak and if i see you id help / do it all for you/with you, even remote in and also over there there are like minded people too that would do the same.
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I think the X52 has a two-stage trigger. So as you pull it you’ll feel one click at first, and a second click when it bottoms out. So if you’re configuring it in-game rather than with an X52 manager (or whatever it’s called) profile and associated keyfile, you choose trigger first detent and pull it until you feel that first click, and then choose trigger second detent and then pull it all the way.
I assume you’ve read through the Saitek section on the board here? https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?52-Saitek
Some key concepts that you’ll need to understand:
Profiles vs plain directx mode. You can use the stick straight out of the box as a simple directx device, which means that the axes and buttons work as plain old inputs, and you can map their function inside BMS in the controls section. Or you can use the profile manager software to program buttons to have alternate functions.
A key file is a file that stores your device button and keyboard key mappings. Joystick profiles are often provided with a keyfile that has to be imported into BMS, because the profile maps what the button presses on the joystick produce as output, and then the keyfile determines what BMS actually DOES with that output.
You should probably find an X52 profile that someone else has already created. The actual F-16 stick has four 4-way hat switches on it: Trim, DMS (Display Management System), TMS (Target Management System), and CMS (Countermeasures Management System), while the X-52 only has two 4-way hat switches. So you need to use a shift function to access their features. Shifting is usually accomplished by holding the pinky switch. Learning to program all this stuff can be pretty daunting.
This one looks pretty good to me, but I’ve never used an X52: https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?18522-X52-Pro-DX-Profile
Oops, my mistake, you have an x-55. Even better! You have the full compliment of hat switches. Everything else I said remains true though.
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Go to falcon online teamspeak and if i see you id help / do it all for you/with you, even remote in and also over there there are like minded people too that would do the same.
You americans are strange with your unwillingness to write text, and use voice when you can.
(Yes, I know. It might have something to do with user interfacing/interfacibility. But it clearly is a strange difference to us europeans.) -
I had a Cycle FCC Modes button for years until I realized the NWS/cycle weapons button also did that as well.
Didn’t know that either! See - you learn something new every day with this sim. I’ve been flying it since 2004 and never knew that. Thanks Icarus
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Didn’t know that either! See - you learn something new every day with this sim. I’ve been flying it since 2004 and never knew that. Thanks Icarus
See, this is why I recommend people just map the same controls the real jet has on the HOTAS. Chances are pretty good that if the designers thought you needed the control, it will be on the HOTAS.
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That’s what I have done, just didn’t realise that function
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So will that work with 2 buttons? Press or hold the laser lock 1st detent button and then fire with the trigger/2nd detent?
In practice you will never lase manually, so don’t worry about it. The laser fires automatically when your bomb is 8 seconds from impact.
Thanks for all the encouraging responses but I want t be clear about my concerns. I’m not worried about learning the controls, procedures, etc… I know that will come and I enjoy he practice.
My concern is the setup/config of it all. It seems like every thread I read is some tweak I need to do or a 3rd party editor I need or bug to work around.Nah, you can ignore all that stuff. Plain vanilla BMS is way awesome and stable just the way it is.
I’ve been flying this sim a couple hours a week for the last ten years. It’s just that awesome, and BMS is definitely the best flavor yet.