Custom Control Binds should be Named and Saved

[Ozram]

FD,
I love all the options for customising the bindings on my hotas, but sometimes I want (or in the current case, need) to change up my control setup. I have lots of options, but setting up the binds is a laborious thing and it's disappointing to have to lose it and start over every time.
If I'm traveling, I'd love to have a M&Kb layout and en when I have my hotas, another and if I want to try something new, yet another but with the option to revert to previous should the new setup be inferior (or for whatever reason). Would it be so hard to allow us to Name and Save Custom Control bindings?

 

[Aussiedroid]

Can't do it in game, but you can open the config binding files in a text editor and change the name in there. I do this in my profile to keep separate versions .. well separate

 

[Ozram]

Can't do it in game, but you can open the config binding files in a text editor and change the name in there. I do this in my profile to keep separate versions .. well separate

I'm downright obtuse when it comes to this sort of thing. Any chance you could show me how, or link to where I can follow the directions for myself? Would really appreciate that. My current bindings have been honed over years and I'm in the act of switching some of my control inputs but if ever I can get the hotas fixed I'd love to go back to it. Literally I Control every available aspect of the game aside from typing the names of locations on the galaxy map and the words in the texts to other players. Aside from that, slowly I've been adding options. I can remember half of them. It's all muscle memory at this point, and I'm about to try something else.

 

[Aussiedroid]

No probs.

So you need to locate your bindings here: C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings

Open your binding file (sort by modified date if not sure) in Notepad. In the bindings file you will see something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<Root PresetName="Aussiedroid Warthog Enhanced 2.4.1" MajorVersion="2" MinorVersion="0">
<KeyboardLayout>en-AU</KeyboardLayout>
<MouseXMode Value="" />


Change the part above highlighed in bold, save and reload ED. You should now see the new name.

Also, I normally will rename the actual file name too to something useful, so there is no risk of the defaults overriding the file again.

Hope it helps!

 

[Para Handy]

Just open the file in notepad - change the description in line 2 and save the file (save as), giving it a file name you can remember.

E D seems to pay no attention to the file name it looks only for what is in line 2 and that is what is displayed in your drop-down list.

This can cause issues if you keep backup copies in the same directory, E D gets confused then - keep backups elsewhere.

An example of the first two lines in a binds file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<Root PresetName="CHProThrottFighterstick" MajorVersion="2" MinorVersion="0">

The drop-down list shows CHProThrottFighterstick as a choice in this case.

Hope that helps.


EDIT - Now that is what I call a ninja! lol

 

[Ozram]

No probs.

So you need to locate your bindings here: C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings

Open your binding file (sort by modified date if not sure) in Notepad. In the bindings file you will see something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<Root PresetName="Aussiedroid Warthog Enhanced 2.4.1" MajorVersion="2" MinorVersion="0">
<KeyboardLayout>en-AU</KeyboardLayout>
<MouseXMode Value="" />


Change the part above highlighed in bold, save and reload ED. You should now see the new name.

Also, I normally will rename the actual file name too to something useful, so there is no risk of the defaults overriding the file again.

Hope it helps!

Thank you so much. Just did it. Actually had to download notepad.


Brilliant!

Just open the file in notepad - change the description in line 2 and save the file (save as), giving it a file name you can remember.

E D seems to pay no attention to the file name it looks only for what is in line 2 and that is what is displayed in your drop-down list.

This can cause issues if you keep backup copies in the same directory, E D gets confused then - keep backups elsewhere.

An example of the first two lines in a binds file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<Root PresetName="CHProThrottFighterstick" MajorVersion="2" MinorVersion="0">

The drop-down list shows CHProThrottFighterstick as a choice in this case.

Hope that helps.


EDIT - Now that is what I call a ninja! lol

Yep ninja'd, but still, thanks so much and have some rep as well.

 

[Gunnet]

Another option is to bind all the ingame commands to keyboard keys and set up your stick/throttle buttons to send keystrokes instead of DX controller button presses. Chances are your HOTAS drivers support proper profile saving/loading so you can experiment with different setups.

 

[Ozram]

Another option is to bind all the ingame commands to keyboard keys and set up your stick/throttle buttons to send keystrokes instead of DX controller button presses. Chances are your HOTAS drivers support proper profile saving/loading so you can experiment with different setups.

That would cost me the analogue aspects of my controls, no?

 

[Gunnet]

That would cost me the analogue aspects of my controls, no?

Yeah, sorry, I forgot that you mentioned switching between mouse and joystick control.

It works well for managing control schemes in normal flight simulators where you're never going to want to change the analogue axes. But here you'd be better off sticking with editing the binding files.

 

[Ozram]

It's worked. I saved the old profile as CHHotas (so there's no mistaking it) and I've started getting the other together as a test run.
The hotas I'm working on now is the CH Pro Throttle (without using the stuffed throttle slider) for its many hats and analogue ministick, paired with a T16000m. It's a huge downgrade from my CH Fighterstick, but as neither is working very well and I live in Australia so getting it fixed is a long term project I'm doing what I have to.
This should tide me over until the Logitech G13 keypad with analogue ministick arrives. Then I'll use that with the T16000m.

Thanks so much for the advice. Being able to save multiple personalised profiles is a huge boon! Shame it's not coded in as that would make a nice QOL improvement.

 

[Aussiedroid]

It's worked.

...

Thanks so much for the advice. Being able to save multiple personalised profiles is a huge boon! Shame it's not coded in as that would make a nice QOL improvement.

Yeah it would be a good QOL improvment to add a simple 'Rename' button with text field popup

I'm kinda used to doing it manually now, but a lot of users out there won't even know its possible I would imagine.

 

[DNA-Decay]

No probs.

So you need to locate your bindings here: C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings

Open your binding file (sort by modified date if not sure) in Notepad. In the bindings file you will see something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<Root PresetName="Aussiedroid Warthog Enhanced 2.4.1" MajorVersion="2" MinorVersion="0">
<KeyboardLayout>en-AU</KeyboardLayout>
<MouseXMode Value="" />


Change the part above highlighed in bold, save and reload ED. You should now see the new name.

Also, I normally will rename the actual file name too to something useful, so there is no risk of the defaults overriding the file again.

Hope it helps!

Thanks.
Question - does this show up as a selectable option in game?
Or do I have the rename today's rig to "default"

 

[Ozram]

Thanks.
Question - does this show up as a selectable option in game?
Or do I have the rename today's rig to "default"

It shows up with the selected name. It's like it's meant to be there. I'll take a screenshot when aim on next.

Yeah it would be a good QOL improvment to add a simple 'Rename' button with text field popup

I'm kinda used to doing it manually now, but a lot of users out there won't even know its possible I would imagine.

I certainly didn't know and you just saved me possibly the most complex set of binds I've ever taken the time to make.

 

[Aussiedroid]

Thanks.
Question - does this show up as a selectable option in game?
Or do I have the rename today's rig to "default"

What I would do, is make a copy of your bind file, and paste it to the same folder. Rename it then edit it.

This way the default would remain, and your new renamed profile would be independent (and both would be in your list for selection).