Thrustmaster hotas X binds | Input wanted | export binds

paulkemp

P
Hi commanders! o7

I just got into playing ED a few days ago, since a 8 months absence and it still rocks. My main problem though, is that the hotas setup is very complicated and hard to remember. But I am close to having this down after some 10 hours of use.

Help needed:
  • I am lacking good setup for navigating the Galaxy Map. Does anyone have any good suggestions for what I could use for the GM?
  • General input and suggestion for my control scheme would be nice.

Binds:
When I save something, (like the "reset hmd" setting ) and reload the game I am lacking the settings I saved last time. I prefer to export the binds, so I have total control over all the control settings. Earlier this was a custom .binds file, but this has changed the last few months. I cant seem to find it. How do I export a good control setup in the current version of ED?

Current setup
.eJwFwdtugjAAANB_4WFvgpchYGKWgqCgaAgqgxfDaEc7pRQoLbDs33fOr9K3L2WjYM5Zt9E0UuUl6lRIuqJuYc6YShHXVBRITxbdWY4gBGcb7oHt-KFBlzR2dhjgtHTjFFwvDWr7b2S2lBmeHwfT_h3GcGjQjMwPt1VhZzE47u-LU7Sqm_HHNQ6SJ4cnEwtMLLm7ts7N-fJgbMoqteGLhFz0Znn_FNQmYm4lgGb6IHI8ssc0uFFXLZM6EtPs2hJxUus6iEJPhiDXKS2PzlDPsMkefqY_PySBHG-t9fwNI1Jivl0blvL3D8cdV6g.I8AeluhUTh16BSIZ0IgTVPaJ0Lg
 

Alec Turner

Alec Turner
If I'm interpreting that correctly you're using the thumbstick for power/headlock in an unshifted state and for thrusters with button 5.

I might suggest you think about swapping those around (i.e. having the thumbstick control thrusters unshifted and do other stuff with various shift buttons held down) since you'll be using your thrusters all the time and don't want to constantly have to hold down button 5.

But anyway, re: the galaxy map bindings - one issue I found is that I'd tried to map an unshifted thumbstick to control X/Y axis movements. This didn't work because it then prevented the thumbstick from navigating the little menu that pops up next to stars (the one with target, route plot, bookmark, etc). So instead I ended up doing this (extract taken from a VR thread but still relevant I think) ...

Alec Turner said:
The first and most significant thing you'll probably run into is using the galaxy and system maps. If, like me, you've been using the mouse for this then you'll almost certainly find this just isn't going to work (if you're already navigating with the HOTAS then you can probably skip this bit). The problem is that the galaxy map is now in 3D. You're not looking AT it, you're IN it. If you imagine that the mouse cursor is now moving in 2 dimensions around a glass surface in front of your eyes then you'll perhaps see the problem. There's almost zero correlation between the cursor and the stars you're trying to click on (which appear both behind and in front of that piece of glass). The same is also true (to a lesser extent) of the system map. Consequently what I've tried to do is to find a reasonably intuitive solution that covers both maps. Since the Galaxy map bindings for X-axis and Y-axis translation are what also affect moving around the System map I've used my primary joystick pitch and roll axis for this. I've then got joystick twist rotating the galaxy. So far so good. Personally I find the next most important control is zoom (which also applies to the System map) so I've mapped that to the main throttle axis. The only other axis we're then left with are the paddles behind the throttle. Now by default I've already got these changing tabs in multi-tabbed panels (e.g. in the left-hand panel of the galaxy map) so I've had to bind them in combination with a "shift" button as digital inputs (otherwise I lose the ability to change tabs). I'm using shifted paddle inputs to pitch the galaxy map up and down. This is slightly non-intuitive but in practice you don't need to use a pitch control very much, but you do still need it because when you first enter the galaxy map you'll want to pitch it up just a little bit so you can see the grid (which you should probably turn on). Now all we need are controls to move the galaxy map vertically. The thumbstick on the main joystick was the obvious choice for this but again, because that thumbstick is the default control for navigating around menus (e.g. the little menu that pops up next to a selected system with route plot, bookmark, etc), again I've had to bind it in conjunction with a "shift" button (the same one as the paddle for consistency).
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:

paulkemp

P
Alec Turner said:
I might suggest you think about swapping those around (i.e. having the thumbstick control thrusters unshifted and do other stuff with various shift buttons held down) since you'll be using your thrusters all the time and don't want to constantly have to hold down button 5.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is good input, not only is it more logical, but the SHIFT button does not always work. So when fiddling with thrusters, I miss click and use power / headlock. So thanks commander.

If I implement these changes, how do I export a new .binds file that contain them?
 

Alec Turner

Alec Turner
paulkemp said:
Yes, this is good input, not only is it more logical, but the SHIFT button does not always work. So when fiddling with thrusters, I miss click and use power / headlock. So thanks commander.

If I implement these changes, how do I export a new .binds file that contain them?
Click to expand...

What I did (which works for me) was as follows. When I first tweaked my "custom" settings for my HOTAS I then found the modified "custom.binds" file and copied it to a new file called "Alec-Hotas.1.8.binds" (the "1.8" seems to be necessary).

I then edited that file in notepad and changed the "PresetName" value near the top to "Alec-Hotas".

From then on, "Alec-Hotas" appears as one of the presets in the control bindings drop-down and any changes I make to it within ED are written back to that modified file rather than to "custom.binds".

You can repeat this process to have more than one set of your own binding presets (for example, I have "Alec-Hotas" and "Alec-Oculus").
 
Last edited:

shadragon

shadragon
Bindings file is (And I'm going from memory, but went here last night) is:

C:\Users\(Yourlogin name)\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings\

I copied and renamed my old bind file before making changes. I just got rid of my Thrustmaster HOTAS X for a Thrustmaster T16000M.
 
Last edited:

Luniticisi

Luniticisi
One thing I do is only navigate the station menus/ galaxy map with the mouse, I find that quite easy to switch between the 2
 

Thetele

T
I do all menu navigation with mouse, much easier that way for me.

Others above have given you the location of bindings file. After you have completed binding your keys go and take copy of that file to other place (for example to your documents) this way if for some reason your keybindings get reset (sometimes after patch some people lose their binds) you can easily just copy paste back up file to the folder instead of binding them all again. This will save you a lot of time and frustration in future.
 

Nick Sticks

Nick Sticks
shadragon said:
Bindings file is (And I'm going from memory, but went here last night) is:

C:\Users\(Yourlogin name)\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings\

I copied and renamed my old bind file before making changes. I just got rid of my Thrustmaster HOTAS X for a Thrustmaster T16000M.
Click to expand...

What do you use for a throttle - the TWCS throttle?
.
I'm still not sure of the slide throttle vs the pivot throttle on the Hotas X.
.
 

shadragon

shadragon
Nick Sticks said:
What do you use for a throttle - the TWCS throttle?
.
I'm still not sure of the slide throttle vs the pivot throttle on the Hotas X..
Click to expand...
I had a Thrustmaster HOTAS X and replaced it last night with a Thrustmaster T16000M HOTAS.

Use the slide throttle rather than the pivot. Much easier to control.
 

paulkemp

P
Alec Turner said:
What I did (which works for me) was as follows. When I first tweaked my "custom" settings for my HOTAS I then found the modified "custom.binds" file and copied it to a new file called "Alec-Hotas.1.8.binds" (the "1.8" seems to be necessary).

I then edited that file in notepad and changed the "PresetName" value near the top to "Alec-Hotas".

From then on, "Alec-Hotas" appears as one of the presets in the control bindings drop-down and any changes I make to it within ED are written back to that modified file rather than to "custom.binds".

You can repeat this process to have more than one set of your own binding presets (for example, I have "Alec-Hotas" and "Alec-Oculus").
Click to expand...

Yeah I got this down, and are using my own ThrustmasterPaulKemp.binds file, but when I make changes to that config (lets say add a new galaxy map setting), when I restart the game, i have lost my settings the new changes. So I need to save changes to the ThrustmasterPaulKemp.binds file.

I am having trouble explaining this, but hopefully you guys understand me.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom