Binding the controller analog triggers to something more useful

[DjVortex]

I am using an Xbox One controller to play the game. At some point I realized that the analog triggers being bound to primary and secondary fire is kind of a waste of potential. More particularly, the "analogueness" of the triggers is completely wasted. Firing does not need nor use that. The "analogueness" of the triggers is much better used in the SRV, where the fire buttons are the shoulder buttons, and the triggers control the throttle.

So I have been thinking if there could be something else more useful to bind the analog triggers to, which would benefit from them being analog. Of course this would mean that I need to then rebind the primary and secondary fire buttons to something else. I suppose the shoulder buttons are completely fine for this. But that means I need to rebind the ship's throttle to something else.

Well, I suppose binding the throttle to the analog triggers could be something. Instead of having a digital "increase throttle" and "decrease throttle", the speed of increase and decrease could be more gradual: The more you press the right trigger, the faster the throttle increases. The more you press the left trigger, the faster the throttle decreases. I suppose it's not a perfect use for analog triggers, but at least it would be something. (The other use I have been thinking would be to use the analog triggers for lateral thrusters. Problem is that then I really don't know what to bind the throttle to. Quickly running out of buttons on the controller...)

The problem is: The game doesn't seem to support this idea. In other words, that the analog triggers would increase and decrease the throttle (in an analog manner), not work as the throttle itself (as it does with the SRV). You can, of course, bind the triggers to "increase throttle" and "decrease throttle", but these are purely digital buttons and do not seem to support analog input (as in "the more you press, the faster it increases/decreases"). The "analogueness" of the triggers would once again be completely wasted.

Is there any way to get it to work as I want? Or do you, perhaps, have some other suggestion on how to use the analog triggers for something more useful than just the primary and secondary (digital) fire buttons?

 

[Virkful]

The problem is: The game doesn't seem to support this idea. In other words, that the analog triggers would increase and decrease the throttle (in an analog manner), not work as the throttle itself (as it does with the SRV). You can, of course, bind the triggers to "increase throttle" and "decrease throttle", but these are purely digital buttons and do not seem to support analog input (as in "the more you press, the faster it increases/decreases"). The "analogueness" of the triggers would once again be completely wasted.

Is there any way to get it to work as I want? Or do you, perhaps, have some other suggestion on how to use the analog triggers for something more useful than just the primary and secondary (digital) fire buttons?

I might be wrong, as I don't really get what you're aiming for, but then:

1. Increase / Decrease throttle can be set as "Continuous" at Flight Throttle - Throttle Increaments, when you hold down the button, it will slowly increase or decrease set speed.
2. Increase / Decrease throttle can be set as "Number %" at Flight Throttle - Throttle Increaments, when you press the button once, it will increase or decrease by the set %, holding it will not trigger mutliple increament or decreament.
(The sad part is you can not have "Continuous" and "Number %" at the same time, which might be of help to some pilots)

3. You can mix keybind, for example, you can have button 10 to forward throttle, and button 10+11 to forward thrust, giving you more options to drive your ship when on limited buttons.

 

[DjVortex]

The increase/decrease throttle buttons are purely binary: On or off. When you press it, the throttle increases or decreases at a predetermined speed.

I would want the increase/decrease to be done in an analog manner, not a digital one: The more I press the trigger, the faster the throttle should increase/decrease.

 

[Virkful]

The increase/decrease throttle buttons are purely binary: On or off. When you press it, the throttle increases or decreases at a predetermined speed.

I would want the increase/decrease to be done in an analog manner, not a digital one: The more I press the trigger, the faster the throttle should increase/decrease.

[Flight Thrust] Ship thrust, is binary, full push or 0.
[Flight Throttle] Ship throttle is a bar that does speed control, automatically doing full thruster push until you meet the designated velocity.

The meaning of flight throttle is to keep speed at a certain value, while you don't need to constantly keep your hand on the control.
So if you're using the mushroom head analog stick for throttle axis control, you will be keeping your thumb constantly on the mushroom head, because if you don't put force on it, it will reset to 0 (Ship full stop), unless you have ship thrust bound on another button while still pressing it, but it doesn't feel ideal just from imagining.

I personally would suggest binding the analog sticks to other uses, such as headlook, or flight rotation (pitch/yaw/roll)

 

[Dillon Fallon]

IIRC, the only thing that benefits from analogue control are the thrusters, so potentially you could use the triggers for lateral thrust and have all the other directions covered by the sticks.

 

[SamSlade]

The increase/decrease throttle buttons are purely binary: On or off. When you press it, the throttle increases or decreases at a predetermined speed.

I would want the increase/decrease to be done in an analog manner, not a digital one: The more I press the trigger, the faster the throttle should increase/decrease.

You’d likely need to tell the game that the buttons are a HOTAS throttle input. That could do it

 

[Dillon Fallon]

Another thing is to remember that combinations of buttons work. For example I use L3 and R3 on a PS5 controller to set throttle to 75%. With this in mind you can move a few functions to combination button presses if they're not something you need immediate access to in combat (for example) if there's something you'd rather was there as a single button press.

I personally would recommend anyone using a controller to spend time completely remapping it once they've got to grips with the game as the default is fine for a beginner, but you're missing a whole load of functions.

You could even go as far as messing about with the alternative flight mode to, say, create one setup for combat and one for exploring.

 

[DjVortex]

[Flight Thrust] Ship thrust, is binary, full push or 0.
[Flight Throttle] Ship throttle is a bar that does speed control, automatically doing full thruster push until you meet the designated velocity.

The meaning of flight throttle is to keep speed at a certain value, while you don't need to constantly keep your hand on the control.

I honestly cannot comprehend why it seems so hard to understand what is it that I want to do.

I know how the throttle works. I would want the throttle increment and decrement to work in an analog, not digital manner. I don't know how I could explain that more clearly.

So if you're using the mushroom head analog stick for throttle axis control

I'm not. I'm using the analog triggers.

 

[DjVortex]

You could even go as far as messing about with the alternative flight mode to, say, create one setup for combat and one for exploring.

I have the alternate control mode set up so that it works essentially with "first-pershon shooter" controls with a gamepad: Left stick moves the ship around, right stick rotates the camera (ie. pitch and yaw).

 

[Dillon Fallon]

would want the throttle increment and decrement to work in an analog, not digital manner. I don't know how I could explain that more clearly.

The problem there is you're asking for FDev to recode a basic function and they're not going to do that.

Besides, it won't change the ships acceleration. I have hotkeys set for 50% and 75% throttle - switching between them using the hotkeys to get to the required throttle value instantly or pressing the throttle up button to get there over a short period of time has no impact on how fast the ship changes speed.

What you seem to be looking for is FA off flight using the triggers for forward and reverse thrust to be able to use the analogue function to vary the rate at which you change speed.

 

[DjVortex]

The problem there is you're asking for FDev to recode a basic function and they're not going to do that.

I'm not asking anybody to do anything. Nowhere did I say "please implement this feature". I asked if there's a way to configure it like that or, if there isn't, any ideas for what to do with the analog triggers that takes advantage of them being analog.

 

[metatheurgist]

The increments don't work in analog fashion. You just want to bind the throttle axis to the analog button. That will do what you want.

 

[Ashnak]

I'm not asking anybody to do anything. Nowhere did I say "please implement this feature". I asked if there's a way to configure it like that or, if there isn't, any ideas for what to do with the analog triggers that takes advantage of them being analog.

Not really. I.e., the only analog inputs ED will use are those for the throttles/thrusters. Yes, you can bind the analog triggers there - but then you'll also need to hold your index fingers really still if you want to e.g. travel at a constant speed. Might be useful as alternate command set for e.g. combat situations, but not so much for supercruising to Hutton Orbital.

 

[DjVortex]

The increments don't work in analog fashion. You just want to bind the throttle axis to the analog button. That will do what you want.

It doesn't do what I want, as it will work the same way as on the SRV: Pressing the analog trigger will make the throttle go up, releasing the trigger will make it go back to zero. This is a practical mode of control on the SRV, it isn't so practical on the ship.

I would want the trigger to increase, not set, the throttle. Just like the "increase throttle" button. Just in an analog manner (ie. the more you press it, the faster it increases). But apparently this is just not supported.

 

[Virkful]

I honestly cannot comprehend why it seems so hard to understand what is it that I want to do.

Because not everyone has xbox, nor are they very familiar with those controllers, but anyway, easiest way to achieve what you want is, write an AHK code that supports what you want to achieve externally.

Supposing what you want is:
1. Using a button that supports single axis inputs, or analog buttons.
2. By inputting higher axis input, you want a faster output on throttle change, without the default setting of return to 0 when axis is returned to 0.

Solution:
1. Write ahk that senses your analog button.
2. Separate the axis range from low to high.
3. Return output with faster "Number %" at Flight Throttle when at higher axis inputs.

I assume this is what you want, at a very crude way, because "Continuous" returns a constant small value which you don't like, you want acceleration of output reacting to the input, but there's no such option in-game, and even if you're making one externally, ED only have choices of something like 2.5% 5% 10% for "Number %", you can't make an extra option of something like 0.1% or 1% and build from that. (Personally I also wanted a 1% in / decreament on throttle, so I can reach something between 75~80% speed, which is where the limit lies in supercruise drop-in for the 6~7 seconds counter.)

Or another way is, fly pure "flight assist off", your momentum will be kept to a certain degree, forget throttle, just use thrust to keep your momentum to the stage you want, when thrust is released, you won't return to 0 speed, it will be kept at what it was.

Or another solution:
1. Write AHK that senses your analog button.
2. Assign a key or combined key for locking axis-value. (Since axis buttons has no instant release)
*3. Optional button or combined key for making axis send reverse value.
Now, for example button_A is your throttle axis, button_B is axis lock, button_C is reverse.
You press button_A with whatever force, reaching whatever throttle range you wish.
You press button_B to lock the value.
You release button_A, now throttle is not returned to 0 but the throttle range you desired.
Optional to press button_C for the next time button_A becomes reversed, or write it as a hold button_C to make it reversed value, whatever choice you wish, seems solved?