Send the Nurse Please

[DaMn]

Greetings to All-

My experience with Falcon goes back to 1992 using Spectrum Holobyte…and later with Falcon 4.0 and Falcon Allied Force. I am embarrassed to mention the countless hours spent enjoying Falcon 40. I graduated from college in MET what seems like ages ago, and I’m retired now. Wishing to spend more leisure time with the new BMS release has put me quite the bind. At present, it appears that my mind has turned to a sad bowl of jello, for I am simply unable to configure BMS with my joystick.

I’ve never been a huge fan of lurking in forum boards, nor did I ever feel the need to. But I have to say I’m having very little luck in setting up my stick for use. But I am forced to come here and ask some of the most rudimentary questions regarding stick setups. I trip up constantly with the terminology and their associated abbreviations. I really don’t speak the pilot language very well.

I’ve had a Logitech Wingman Extreme for over 15 years and it still serves me well with other flight simulators. But I’m am indeed struggling with the joystick button assignments and I am begging for some help.

I don’t recall having this kind of obstacle in the past with various study sims such as Falcon 40, its variants or any IL-2 series or DCS.

Is there anyone here that could hold my hand and help me setup my joystick for the various A/A modes. At present, I’m not able to release any weapon be it A/A or A/G.
For now, I want to get my quality up to speed using TE, Instant Action and Dogfight scenarios, then work my way forward, but until I am able to use the joystick buttons, I’m simply dead in the water.

I don’t know how to assign the trigger button for guns…the top of my stick has 4 buttons, a tophat switch. Forward top is the trigger button. On the base are two buttons and the throttle control…the only thing I’ve been able to setup is the Roll, Yaw and throttle.

Being a keyboard man at heart, I’m able to take off and land, taxi around…but thats about it. I know the ejection, jettison, speed brake, wheel brake, autopilot- and thats it.

So can anyone here lend me a quick hand.

Thank You Kindly-
RuBARB

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS, MSI GTX-1060, 4x 16GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE LPX DDR4,
Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital 3D, TrackIR5, Windows 11 Home

[airtex2019]

https://forum.falcon-bms.com/topic/26244/layout-template-for-logitech-extreme-3d-pro

[airtex2019]

[airtex2019]

@DaMn said in Send the Nurse Please:

I don’t know how to assign the trigger button for guns

The gun is a little complicated – maybe focus on simpler buttons / features first, to ensure your hardware and setup is working as intended, and gain some confidence operating the jet.

For bullets to come out of the gun, several things have to happen –

• master arm ON
• be in an appropriate master-mode (DGFT override mode or STRF submode in A/G)
• bind a key or button to the 2nd trigger-detent function

[Nurse]

@DaMn Need help???

[DaMn]

@airtex2019

Concure-
Master Switch is on…
Dogfight Mode is on,…
No luck finding the abbreviation for guns/cannon to bind a key or joystick button.

I piddled around using the filter for weapons, cannon, guns, fire and pickle - but still no luck.
Of course now I’m unable to fire/pickle/release any weapon. At first, default binding in DF mode was the space bar…I was able to fire a heater in slave or bore mode. Now that’s gone.

[oakdesign]

@DaMn
Stick: Trigger Second Detent

[DaMn]

@airtex2019
I bookmarked this video and channel owner weeks ago, but alas, he addresses a hotas setup with a joystick I do not own and doubtful I ever will. There’s only so much room on my desk.

[DaMn]

@airtex2019
In this approach via copy/paste, the BMS setup alerts me to an error.

[oakdesign]

@DaMn so you want to fly BMS purely with keyboard?

[DaMn]

@oakdesign
Correct. I’m fine using the mouse to interact with the MFDs…and viewing areas. I’m just limited on understanding the terminology used on the new 4.37 Key mapping. I realize there is very little I can bring from memories of F4 and F4AF…but the keyboard is nonetheless engrained in my psyche. I still use F4AF, and it was a gentle breeze to setup the keys and joystick with no issues whatsoever. It is one of my final prayers that Microprose will heed some of my requests and bring back a simpler time in the setup matter.

Currently, I’m in the BMS key binder app, scrolling and looking and trying to understand. Using the spacebar, I was successful in launching a heater, but still no luck in launching an amraam or able to fire the cannon. Old habits have me using the hat switch for viewing adjustments.

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS, MSI GTX-1060, 4x 16GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE LPX DDR4,
Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital 3D, TrackIR5 (not yet implemented)

[oakdesign]

@DaMn again if you want to bind or rebind use the Launcher regardless if it keyboard or joystick. Even so technically keyboard mouse only is possible I’d stay away from that just because of the shear amount of functionality a stuck can handle on a single button that would require multiple keyboard bindings. Even a cheapo gamepad is lightyears better than keyboard only.

Maybe I misunderstanding but in your last post you are mentioning Joystick again. So now getting confused.

That said

The two default bindings as shown in my screenhot are
Space and Slash.
But you need to be in the correct mode/submodes and have all systems set up correctly in order to employ a weapon.

As stated here a few times.
You fastest way to get the A-A gun fired is make sure Master Arm is On. SSelect DGFT override and you have both missile and gun to be ready to fire

[DaMn]

@oakdesign
Thank You Oak…but its still no joy.
I use the term flight stick as my joy stick .

I have the safety off…
I am in either dogfight mode or MRM mode.
Ahh-Hahh-
The forward slash key fired the cannon while I was in DF mode. Thanks and WHEW-
Now to conquer the AMRAAM release issue

I’m curious if there is a file that can be downloaded to override the issues I’m having. As I mentioned earlier…too much history with Falcon 40 and Allied Force. And I’m guilty of spending alot of time with DCS.
I’m all well and good with Allied Force to date, but as we know, nothing there can be brought to BMS.

[Quasi_Stellar]

@DaMn Welcome DaMn. The 120s require you to hold the weapon release button, pickle, for a second or two before they come off the rail. As an old F4 and 80s-90s simmer, BMS ain’t your Grandfather’s Olds. The Devs have painstakingly transformed this into the F-16 Study Sim we all dreamt of decades ago. I hope you enjoy your new journey.

[Carbide]

@DaMn Once you have a target locked up and are within range, you need to hold the fire button to get a AMRAAM to come off the rail. Unless you want take a MAD DOG shot then you have to push the cursor enable button at the same time as the pickle button to take a MAD DOG shot… I think. I haven’t fired a AMRAAM like that (MAD DOG) in a long time. (you beat me to it Quassi_Stellar)

[DaMn]

@Quasi_Stellar
So will or rather can I use the Amraam is DF mode…or do I press the M key to get into the Amraam option…or…??
I’ve tried to launch a pitbull using the period and spacebar to no avail.
I’m sure I’m getting on nerves here. Is there a straight sequence I need to follow in order to launch an amraam…? Is the amraam for RWS / TWS only? Isn’t there a slave/bore mode for the amraam?

I’m taking it that I can’t simply fire an amraam unless I have a contact locked up???

[DaMn]

@Carbide said in Send the Nurse Please:

@DaMn Once you have a target locked up and are within range, you need to hold the fire button to get a AMRAAM to come off the rail. Unless you want take a MAD DOG shot then you have to push the cursor enable button at the same time as the pickle button to take a MAD DOG shot… I think. I haven’t fired a AMRAAM like that (MAD DOG) in a long time. (you beat me to it Quassi_Stellar)

That is one of my concerns…using an amraam as a pitbull launch. Did / Do I need to be in another mode to do such? That is …isn’t it possible to fire an amraam while I’m in a DF mode engaged with a bandit and my RWR tells me there is a MiG north of my position and closing?

[Quasi_Stellar]

@DaMn I think we are mixing terms here. A 120 fired from DGFT or ACM Mode will be “Pitbull”. Meaning that its internal radar will be active. A “Mad Dog” shot is a 120 off the rail in a last ditch defensive move. I would advise against Mad Dog shots in normal BVR/WVR combat. Yes, the 120 is normally fired BVR in RWS or TWS Mode, but can be selected with a long push of the NWS/MSL-STEP button in ACM Mode. At this point, I would highly suggest that you refer to the Viper’s Dash 34 and Training Manual on procedures for employing A-A ordnance . There is a method to the madness.

[DaMn]

@Quasi_Stellar
NonetheLess-
I just added a Tanker flight into my TE editor…I pressed D key, then enabled the radar for ACM…
I wheeled around to get the tanker into view, ACM mode locked him up. I pressed the spacebar and indeed, the AMRAAM came off the rail for a kill.

But in this instance, I needed to use a radar mode function to get the amraam to go to work. I was hoping there was a simple fire and forget for any missile without using a radar function. If my radar is out of commission, is my only defense the cannon??

It seems like something is missing or I will accept the blame for my lack of understanding.

[SOBO-87]

@DaMn Nothing is missing, it all becomes clear if you read the training material.

What you’re looking for is firing it “Maddog” which from memory is done by holding down the uncage button on the throttle while also pressing and holding weapons pickle.

BMS functions as per the real aircraft. If something doesn’t work its likely habits/expectations from other/previous sims. If you read the training material it will explain how the various systems of the aicraft function and how they are interconnected.