Keeping device order / ids while (dis-)connecting another stick

[Hornet]

Hey guys,

Mabye it was discussed before, but I was unable to find a solution:

I have my Cougar setup all ok. Then I have another stick I use occasionally for arcarde games with the kids. Now (you’re already guessing what comes next ;)), when I plug in this second joystick -seemingly no matter what usb port I use-, it seems to change the (DirectInput?) device order or the device IDs that are used as stored reference in the BMS controller configuration.

When accidently starting BMS in this situation, especially the axis settings get messed up, button assignments are easier to restore (maintain unchanged) and work again when the additional joystick is disconnected again.

This is why I always have to ensure this stick is not connected before starting BMS. All is okay then.
The other way around it would probably be possible to setup the controllers within BMS with this stick connected and then leaving it connected all the time?

Well, I am looking for a solution that is independed of this second joystick. Connected or not, as long as the main controller (Cougar) which is referred to from the stored BMS-settings is connected the sim should work….

As a sidenote to the devs: (if technically possible) the sim should not overwrite any stored configuration (i.e. axis configuration) without user input. This way one could exit the sim and restart with the proper controllers being connected without having to go through the controller setup again.

Anyway- Is there a way to configure the controllers (maybe through windows) in a way, that an additional controller is added to the end of the device list instead to the beginning, so that it wont change order/id of the devices already connected? Just a way to make the bms controller setup stable, no matter if this additional stick is actually connected or not?

Could it also be possible to refer to the input devices by their name instaed of their index (maybe by editing bms config files and / or naming the devices through windows)?

Any ideas?
Thanks, folks!

Edit: Just found the thread about a software called JoyIDs or something, but cant make much sense out of it. Would it be possible to fix and keep/restore a set device order even when dis- and reconneting the input devices? Sorry if I am a little lame on that…

[Hornet]

Okay. After some reading this thead is likely largly redundant to this one:
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?25428-Begging-for-some-help-from-the-BMS-GODS!

Well, mabe I chose the better title

Note: This tool has an effect only with games using the (old, deprecated) Win32_API for joysticks. Newer games (starting at least with IL-2 1946) probably use the DirectInput API which unfortunately ignores these IDs completely.

From this quote JoyID isn’t likely to help either.