Seriously impressed!
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You don’t need to touch anything to get the real f16 Hotas configuration ….
True only in the case where your HOTAS is a Cougar (or WH/Cougar TQS combo). In MANY other common cases, it’s not a 1:1 hat/button match to the F16 HOTAS so you MUST create an alternate configuration to accommodate the F16 HOTAS functions.
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True only in the case where your HOTAS is a Cougar (or WH/Cougar TQS combo). In MANY other common cases, it’s not a 1:1 hat/button match to the F16 HOTAS so you MUST create an alternate configuration to accommodate the F16 HOTAS functions.
I think you are taking what Mav said out of context. He is saying that everything on the F-16 HOTAS is already mapped as a function in the keyfile.
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Thats not what he said. He said you need never touch the keystrokes file, and you should set everything in your joystick programming.
Which is of course a load of bunk. You should set the keystrokes file to use directx presses, amd that is only going to work properly if your interface to the sim is a single, solitary cougar.
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Thats not what he said. He said you need never touch the keystrokes file, and you should set everything in your joystick programming.
Which is true. You absolutely can program everything in your joystick programming software, as long as your joystick is complex enough to have additional software.
Which is of course a load of bunk.
Im not sure why you feel the need to demean someones opinion… Im certain there is a rule about that someplace…
You should set the keystrokes file to use directx presses, amd that is only going to work properly if your interface to the sim is a single, solitary cougar.
This is also a totally acceptable way of doing things. But it is also your opinion on if it is the best way or not.
Or you just follow my advice of a 20 years falcon simmer and developer and you never ever touch your keystroke in BMS
Notice he says that it is his advice… Decide how you want to do it, but lets not bash people for giving an opinion
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Im not bashing people. I have the greatest respect for Mav. After all, he is responsible for the flight model in my favorite sim - which is my favorite in large part due to its flight model.
I am absolutely demeaning that opinion however. A close reading of the forum rules indicates that rule 7 can apply here, to every single post made on this forum, should you so wish. So you are correct - there is a rule about that, someplace.
I will concede it is certainly my opinion (one which is shared, but it is absolutely my opinion nonetheless).
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Everyone throw in his opinion, which must be better than the next
BUT
there is one thing missing from all this: the LEVEL of confidence of the user with the sim and with his HOTAS.If you are green with all this, the advice of Mav is gold value
If you’re experienced and know what you do, you can indeed modify at your own whish
if you are inexperienced and an experienced guy tell you to modify at will, the new guy will be frustrated and will leave the sim forever.MavJP is right, when you start, there is absolutely NO NEED to touch the keystroke.
The idea is to discover the sim with as little setup hassle as possible.
There are ready made joystick config in your install by the way, and not only for the cougar. Maybe these would help.
if they don’t then maybe it’s wise to report the issues so the dev can fix this for the next update.There is always a transition moment when trying a new sim. After that transition, the new guy will certainly address some issues they have with the basic stuff. I would advise ppl not to touch the keystroke before that point. If after they want to change it, fine. But again, it is not easy and can lead to problem. At least the guy now have basic understanding about the issues and how the sim interacts with all this.
By the way Frederf, the excuse of the cat made me laugh, that’s the lamest I ever read about the need to modify the keystroke.
You should set the keystrokes file to use directx presses, amd that is only going to work properly if your interface to the sim is a single, solitary cougar.
See I disagree with this. Having full DX is not the easiest way to go.
DX is necessary I agree, but ONLY for presses that needs to be held while another potential keypress might be depressed at the same time. For all the rest DX is just the same overkill as when someone has a problem in Falcon and a guy says to reformat your drive…
Example of needed DX: UHF & VHF PTT, pickle, AP override, …
Example of useless DX: All state switches or pushbutton that are NOT held = ICP master modes, HUD panel switches etc etc etcDX is a pain because id is mismatching Windows starts at ID 0 and BMS at 1
A newbee will be totally confused setting that up. Because he will start assigning in BMS and will be offset by 1
If nobody explains that small detail he’s bound for some heavy frustration. -
It should be well-known the benefits of not using keystroke emulation. I can give examples:
1. I don’t want if a cat jumps on my keyboard that my landing gear can ever come down.
2. I wanted to make “F” press the F-ACK button.
3. If I am typing in chat and I press uncage button I don’t want it to put “U” in my message.
4. I want to use the SimHotasPinkyShift function.
5. I want to press UHF transmit and TMS up at the same time.Middleman keyboard joystick emulation might give fast results but it has drawbacks: key collisions, taking up the keyboard from other functions, able to accidentally be pressed on keyboard. Keystroke emulation without editing the default key file is acceptable for most people with most desires most of the time. But editing the key file and/or using DirectX direct binding in places simply allows you to do more things than if you forbid yourself from doing it.
Thank you , you just proved my point : in all of this , not one valid reason to modify the keyfile (For a newcomer)
You are right by the way , emulating the keyboard is a bad bad thing.
That is why the second advise is to use DX only
Third advise of course is to use on the joystick ONLY the buttons that exist on the real HOTAS , not one more !!!
Those three advices should be the ones any reasonable falconeer should give to a newcomer.
I summarize
- never touch KEYFILE
- use only and never more joystick buttons than the real HOTAs
- use DX programming for the (2)
Following those would save HOURS of headaches for newcomers
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Not just newcomers, look at how many posts we had from experienced falconeers when 4.33 launched and their custom 4.32 keyfiles no longer worked properly.
Despite all the information on what had changed in Kolbe’s manuals (in the Key Files & Input folder) and the advice in the BMS-Manual to start with a 4.33 keyfile, rather than try to edit your 4.32 keyfile to make it 4.33 compatible we still had plenty of people complaining that this feature or that wasn’t working for them.
I guess some people prefer to learn things the hard way, or just enjoy the challenge.
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- use only and never more joystick buttons than the real HOTAs
- use DX programming for the (2)
Just out of interest, where do you stand on using the shifted DX layer? Perhaps it’s a necessary evil, given PC limitations?
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Just out of interest, where do you stand on using the shifted DX layer? Perhaps it’s a necessary evil, given PC limitations?
Shifted layer is not necessary for f16 Hotas programming
I am talking what a standard setup should be for a newcomer
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Now I’m confused: Don’t change the key file. Do use DirectX bindings.
…but to use DirectX bindings you have to alter the key file!
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Now I’m confused: Don’t change the key file. Do use DirectX bindings.
…but to use DirectX bindings you have to alter the key file!
Based on the earlier comments, I’m assuming he means don’t change any of the keyboard assignments.
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Now I’m confused: Don’t change the key file. Do use DirectX bindings.
…but to use DirectX bindings you have to alter the key file!
Please do explain, as it seams like a oxymoron.
Hasn’t this subject already been posted to death.
Straight forward DX assignment of the bare minimum of joystick function is so simple. Especially since 4.33
Why some over complicate it I’ll never understand. And I have not always used a WH stick.
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Or you just follow my advice of a 20 years falcon simmer and developer and you never ever touch your keystroke in BMS
Assuming you have a joystick with a programming software , the job must be done in your external software so that the correspondence between you buttons and the BMS keyfile matches . This is the purpose of those software : avoid changing the game default keystroke.
Imagine keystroke of BMS beeing Non editable and program your joystick like if it was .
Exactly…I use Foxy With Cougar since 2000 and never had issues.Leave keystroke.key as it is and make or download a file compatible with your Hot as.
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So now with the development of “smaller, smart tactical” weapons its now called 1/24 scale nuclear war ?
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Now I’m confused: Don’t change the key file. Do use DirectX bindings.
…but to use DirectX bindings you have to alter the key file!
Nope sir
DX bindings are already full coded in the default BMS key file for all f16 HOTAS functions
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Only for a Cougar.
And that only works, if the joystick is the only interface you have. Add in extras, and it stops working.
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You guys would stop nitpicking?
The real functions of the F-16 are not specifically made for a Cougar.
The Cougar is meant for a F-16 Hotas.
thence …The real functions on the F-16 Hotas are TMS, DMS, CMS etc etc switches. Those are the ones MavJp talks about.
The fact that they are matching a COugar is just because of what I said above. After that they can also be programmed on any other joystickAdd in extras, and it stops working.
Sure a newbee would have a full pit at his disposal right away, that comment is out of context.
You guys are doing it on purpose, just to piss ppl off while you ALL perfectly understands what he means
This has to stop, right now !! -
Only for a Cougar.
And that only works, if the joystick is the only interface you have. Add in extras, and it stops working.
What RD says !!!
Actually I start to believe that you guys didn’t understand at all what KEYFILE and DX are in BMS , and this is why you make things very complicated