Allow all buttons/knobs to be usable on the x56 HOTAS

[Syze00]

With the introduction to the FSS system, I find it odd that you are only able to use two of the for potentiometers and other buttons in ED. Specifically, the RT3, RT4 knobs are useless, and the SLD (slider) is also useless. Why can't we use these to fine tune radio frequencies? How about zooming the radar display? How about using the slider to turn on Night vision or even the front lights? If its a centering/zeroing issue, then only allow the knobs to come online in the zero position (min, or max position).

Elite Dangerous is one of the premier space sims we have today. The animations of the pilots are using HOTAS in game but not to be able to use everything at your disposal seems a bit strange. It's even stranger that this setup was the one that seemed to be endorsed (officially/unofficially?) by Frontier

 

[Iskariot]

With the introduction to the FSS system, I find it odd that you are only able to use two of the for potentiometers and other buttons in ED. Specifically, the RT3, RT4 knobs are useless, and the SLD (slider) is also useless. Why can't we use these to fine tune radio frequencies? How about zooming the radar display? How about using the slider to turn on Night vision or even the front lights? If its a centering/zeroing issue, then only allow the knobs to come online in the zero position (min, or max position).

Elite Dangerous is one of the premier space sims we have today. The animations of the pilots are using HOTAS in game but not to be able to use everything at your disposal seems a bit strange. It's even stranger that this setup was the one that seemed to be endorsed (officially/unofficially?) by Frontier

I have an X56 too.
I don't think FDev can do anything about this.
It is a hardware thing.
You could try to use the special software that came with your stick.

 

[Vasious]

When I had a x-55 before it failed me for the last time just before Christmas I used the two dials on the throttle for scanner zoom and the FSS tuning.

I dont think I needed the software to program that in

Is that what you mean?

 

[Syze00]

I use the ones on the actual throttle handle, but the base has two knobs that can't be set at all. Also the slider button can't be used in game.

 

[OBYOZ]

My T16000m is my throttles & vkb gladiator mk2 is my p/r/y.
Most buttons and top hats are used for stuff, few spare buttons still.

Driving the FSS is so easy for my set up.

So I suggest it's the brand of joystick you're using.

 

[Misty_Dark]

There are different ways stuff works,

You have analogue inputs (sliders etc) and digital inputs (buttons)


And in game there are different options for using either Analogue or Digital inputs.

For example, the radio frequence have DIGITAL controls (two settings) and an Analog controls (one setting), so this is very doable to use analog control on, assuming you are trying to assign the analog control to the Analog settings!

 

[Sylow]

I use a X-56 and formerly had an X-55. Everything you refer to is the same on both models. And i can say that i have everything you describe in use, although i have to use a small trick with the slider.

Let's first look at the rotaries: i indeed use one of them for the radio dial in the FSS. During the beta the option was added to have the FSS directly connected to the amplitude of an input device. That was done with the intention of using the rotaries on a HOTAS like the X-55/56 and it works quite well.

I do use it regularily and find only one issue: the scaling on the signal dial is less granular than the graphics would make you believe. This is what before was seen as "fiddly" controls. It becomes much more obvious on the rotaries, as they move smoothly and actually give accurate input. So yes, the arrow "jumps" a little bit when you very slowly turn the rotary. But it still does the job.

The slider is a bit more of a problem. ED indeed does not recognize it per default. But there's also a workaround there, by using the HOTAS profiler. I have bound a key (i think it's the scoll lock key, would have to look it up) to the slider. So when i move the slider right, the profiler tells the system that the mentioned button is pressed all of the time. When moving the slider left, it's like you let go of the button again.

I use this for Flight Assist Off. When i need FAOff just for a short time, i hold down the corresponding button on my joystick. When i let go, i am in FAOn again. When i want to have FAOff for a longer time, i move the slider on the throttle.

It would be nicer if ED would directly recognize the slider, but it's a working solution.

 

[Syze00]

are you using the rotaries named RTY 3, RTY 4? I have the FSS tuning bound to the top wheel since ED recognizes it. Are you using the Logitech software for that? I could never get the software to work, even with downloading the ED profile pack

 

[Sea_Kerman]

Universal Control Remapper lets you fix all of this.

 

[Miorin]

+1

E recognizes up to 32 buttons on a controller. This is not a hardware limitation, but a limitation in the input stack they're using.

I have a HOTAS with 7 4-way hats that read as buttons to the game and over a dozen single buttons besides. ( Saitek X-65F )
I can not use all of them in Elite because of the input stack's limitation without some hacks with external programs that may or may not work.

I would very much like to be able to map them directly within the game, just like I can with other games that have an updated input stack.

 

[SpaceToast]

+1

E recognizes up to 32 buttons on a controller. This is not a hardware limitation, but a limitation in the input stack they're using.

I have a HOTAS with 7 4-way hats that read as buttons to the game and over a dozen single buttons besides. ( Saitek X-65F )
I can not use all of them in Elite because of the input stack's limitation without some hacks with external programs that may or may not work.

I would very much like to be able to map them directly within the game, just like I can with other games that have an updated input stack.

I just found find the same problem with my own X-65F. ED's built-in control mapper wont' recognize Hat 7, the K-Switch, or any of the buttons
on the Force Panel (T1 - T4, & "Lock switch"). I can still use those buttons if I program the controller with the Saitek software, so I'm tempted to
try creating a profile for my X-65 that ONLY has entries for those "problem children" buttons, making sure that the Keyboard commands in the profile
match those in my custom.binds file, and then use ED's mapper for the rest of the buttons. I'm not really sure how well that would work, though.

If it came down to it, I could use some other controller for the functions those buttons would perform since I also have Saitek's rudder pedals, a pair
of Thrustmaster MFD's, and my TrackIR 5. I've had them all working simultaneously in DCS, so I know it can be done, its just a lot to keep track of.

It seems strange that the devs haven't increased the limit on the number of buttons the mapper can recognize. I guess that its either more involved
than I imagine it would be, or it is pretty low on the priority list.

 

[VR Jay Le Chardon]

I used to use them all on an x55 then later on an x56 (before I went twin sticks) - all the potentiometers need to be bound as an axis not as a button.

 

[SpaceToast]

Jay Le Chardon,
That's a good point. I usually bind my analog controls as axes to take advantage of analog control whenever I can get it. There are some games that don't provide an analog axis for functions I typically map to axes, so I'm forced to program the analog control axes to use "banding" methods, or continuous key entries.

I'm not familiar with the X-55 or56, so I don't know how many physical buttons they have? I know I looked at the X-55 Rhino(?) years ago along with the Thrustmaster Warthog. Both seemed like good rigs.

The X-65 has 46 physical digital controls. I can program 4 "modes", and I can set aside one button to activate a "shifted" state for each of those. I can map 8 possible commands (or even macros) for each of 45 physical buttons to get a total of 364 possible commands.

So my fairly minor issue isn't with running out of digital controls, it's more of a personal preference or consistency thing. I've been programming HOTAS controllers since 1994, and over the years I have developed a "default" setup for control functions that works pretty well for me. I map the same (or similar) function to the same button in every game I can. For instance, "Button A" on my x-65 maps to "Fire secondary weapon" in every game that has that function. I can learn the controls of a new game a lot easier that way, and it's much easier to switch from playing DCS in the afternoon to ED at night, because the control layout is so similar.

I was hoping I could do that same control layout for ED using their built-in mapper, but since I can't, I'm doing it in the Saitek programming app. Hopefully, one day the DEVs will get around to increasing the number of physical buttons the ED control mapper can enumerate.

 

[rayder44]

Don't forget you can assign two buttons to a single control. You could for example, set [SW 2] + [SW 4] + [SW 6] to dump all cargo, or go into silent running. Might be a nice idea for a control you want to have, but don't want to trigger accidentally.

Another idea is to choose a "mod" button. You could in theory set two functions to every switch, and this button allows you to choose which control you're using. The default control layout for the Xbox controller uses this idea extensively.

 

[Gauntlet]

I use the ones on the actual throttle handle, but the base has two knobs that can't be set at all. Also the slider button can't be used in game.

I used the slider button on mine when i used an x52pro however I had set it up in the profiling software to register a button press at one end of the slider's range and a release when slid back. I used it as a continuous fire button for mining lasers or scanners

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

You can use the knobs on the base of the hotas for sensor zoom. Maybe turn it all the way to the max / min values to trigger the mapping?

Yeah that's the only use i found for them so far.. one of them is just sitting unused. I use the knobs on the throttle for the fss, works fine.

 

[CMDR Darth Vater]

Hi all,

I'd like to use the rotary on the base e.g. for sensor scaling. Currently I can just do max or min scaling. Medium isn't possible. Do I have to change something in the logitech software?

 

[Zerocz]

I'm using RTY 3 for sensor zoom. I didn't have to do anything in the Rhino's software, but I did have to bind it in Elite. Check that you've bound it as an axis, not as a key.

 

[VR Jay Le Chardon]

Hi all,

I'd like to use the rotary on the base e.g. for sensor scaling. Currently I can just do max or min scaling. Medium isn't possible. Do I have to change something in the logitech software?

I used to use an x55 and later an x56 a while ago, and I can confirm that you can set those rotaries as an axis, because I used to have one of the rotary knobs on the throttle set up as sensor zoom, and another hooked inot an ahuthotkey script to control the volume in VLC media player for my music

However, if memory serves me right, despite being able to bind it as an analogue axis, the game only has 3 positions for sensor zoom, I've just dipped into a bindings file, and you can set sensors with an axis, so make sure you have set the axis rather than zoom up zoom down.