Newcomer / Intro [HINTS & TIPS] Double the number of usable buttons on your joystick

[PiLhEaD]

Did you know you can allocate one HOTAS button as having an implicit 'shift' function, to make every other joystick button dual function?

Go into controls, select the function you want to map. Press and HOLD your 'shift' button, then press the action button you want associated with the function. You will see the dual button mapping recorded.

Blooming marvelous!!!!

(...and yes I know this isn't actually 'doubling'...)

Hope this helps

H

 

[the100thmonkey]

I did.

It's hard to find a button I want to use a clutch though!

 

[willowfan]

I have the button on the top right of my T-Flight HOTAS as a shift (button L3), works a treat. That plus VoiceAttack means I never once have to use the keyboard to fly and operate all ship functions.

 

[Time Streamer]

Yep and i do that in my other sims, like DCS. Use an X52 Pro with my throttle fire button as shift. The game must support bindings with multiple keys though.

 

[Alec Turner]

Hell yes, this was the single best thing I ever discovered when I got my joystick.

I've actually got 3 'shift' buttons setup on my Thrustmaster T.Flight - the vertical row of three buttons by my thumb on the throttle control. The top one does power kind of things (it makes my right-hand thumbstick controls do pips for example), the middle one is for targetting (makes my thumbstick do target next/previous ship and next/previous sub-system) and the bottom one does headlook stuff (make my thumbstick target the Navigation, Comms, Status and Radar panels). Un-shifted, my thumbstick does vertical & lateral thrust.

 

[Robbie]

I too use 3 shift buttons on my Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS. I have every command I need at my disposal with this current set-up of mine, I even have 6 free keys available for other future commands too.

 

[willowfan]

Hell yes, this was the single best thing I ever discovered when I got my joystick.

I've actually got 3 'shift' buttons setup on my Thrustmaster T.Flight - the vertical row of three buttons by my thumb on the throttle control. The top one does power kind of things (it makes my right-hand thumbstick controls do pips for example), the middle one is for targetting (makes my thumbstick do target next/previous ship and next/previous sub-system) and the bottom one does headlook stuff (make my thumbstick target the Navigation, Comms, Status and Radar panels). Un-shifted, my thumbstick does vertical & lateral thrust.

Now, that's a good idea.

 

[Kuroshio]

I'm compensating for the lack of hats on my T.Flight HOTAS as well (with the middle thumb button and the... beneath-the-fleshy-part-of-my-palm button). Works like a charm and entered muscle memory quite fast.

Getting all that muscle memory removed when my Rhino arrives will probably be a hilarious experience.

 

[realdragnet]

Another useful method is to detect double- and trippleclicks to make the same button do 2 different things (my app can do that, as described in this thread)

For example I have 0% speed (single click) and -50% speed (double click) on the same button
Or 50% speed (single click) and 75% speed (double click) on another button