How do you setup macros for pip management?
- Thread starter BradHann
- Start date
You might want to look into autohotkey utility https://www.autohotkey.com/ . It's pretty powerful.
Voice attack can definitely be configured for quick & easy pip management and is useful for other PITA-menu commands like "Target Power Plant" or "Request Dock".
For pip management all I have to do is say "One,Two" and my pips go to (primary) SYS and (secondary) ENG ("one" is SYS, "two" is ENG and "three" is WEP) and I have every combination configured. To balance power all I have to do is say "Balance".
That is the only way I know how to do it.
I use Voice Attack macros to have all the 4-2-0 combinations (plus reset and 3 shields - 3 weapons) bound to two hat switches on my Warthog joystick.
I do it because I'm a clumsy klutz who needs the help, but I've heard Cmdr Exigeous, one of our esteemed YouTube content creators, claim that pips macros offer a significant advantage in PvP.
I do it because I'm a clumsy klutz who needs the help, but I've heard Cmdr Exigeous, one of our esteemed YouTube content creators, claim that pips macros offer a significant advantage in PvP.
Same here, but on VKB Space Sim stick.
The Thrustmaster TARGET software can do it, assuming you've got TM hardware. I've got one of the 4-way hats set to put full pips into subsystems with a single command.
I use a Logitech G13, it has its own software that allows any of the 24 buttons and hat stick to be configured to do whatever I want. Takes about a minute to set something up, and it's solid. If you have a programmable keyboard with macro keys, it's done pretty much the same way. VoiceAttack is nothing more than a voice-recognition macro software, so setting it up would be largely the same, though I'm not a voice attack user, as I have no desire to talk to my computer. I swear at it enough already.
One of my most memorable moments in Elite Dangerous came courtesy of Thrustmaster's TARGET software. I was out in an Eagle testing a TARGET configuration when suddenly all my Warthog buttons stopped working. I still had pitch, roll, yaw and throttle, but nothing else.
Then a pirate dropped into the instance and started attacking me. I don't know why, I had neither cargo nor a bounty on my head, and it certainly wasn't because I'd shot at him, because none of my buttons were working!
What to do? I couldn't shoot back, I couldn't boost away, I couldn't high or low wake. Did I mention that none of my buttons were working?
It never occurred to me to pull the plug; anyway, I'd rather have lost the Eagle than do that. All I could do was fly round and try to avoid getting shot - which, in an Eagle, wasn't an impossible challenge.
It was just starting to drag on a bit when into the instance dropped a couple of system security ships, who proceed to kill the pirate.
And my buttons still weren't working. So at that point I had to log out.
Then I went and set up DX bindings for my controls. I haven't used TARGET since.
I did buy an HCS voice pack, and so also had to get Voice Attack to run it. I no longer use the voice pack - it went through a phase where it wanted to change my pips after I requested docking, and I found that tedious so I wrote my own macro - but still use Voice Attack both for spoken commands and button macros.
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You can use Voice Attack for that, you can bind macros to joystick buttons (and combinations of them) there too, without voice at all, and I use that as as that's much more reliable. Note that controller support has to be enabled explicitly in VA, it's off by default. Normal pip management I do via the main stick's POV hat. For presets, I simply press a "shift" button on the thruster control (16k + TWCS here) in combination with the relevant POV switch on the main stick. So shift button + POV east gives we full wep, shift button + POV northeast invokes 4-0-2 and so on. Works like a charm, you get 8 settings in total. Don't forget to set a small delay (0.1s here) in the macro settings, as the game doesn't recognize key presses if that's too low.
I also got that TARGET software flying around somewhere but never used it. VA is all you'll ever need, for VR it's a must.
O7,
I also got that TARGET software flying around somewhere but never used it. VA is all you'll ever need, for VR it's a must.
O7,
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Too lazy to bother.
I've got VA commands, Power Shields/Engines/Weapons plus a Power Reset.
Each one does 4 of the relevant action to put max pips to the relevant system.
Using those 3 commands ends up cycling through all possible 4-2-0 combos and then I use individual 1 pip adjustments with a hat on my flight stick if needed.
Each one does 4 of the relevant action to put max pips to the relevant system.
Using those 3 commands ends up cycling through all possible 4-2-0 combos and then I use individual 1 pip adjustments with a hat on my flight stick if needed.
SCRIPTING is your best bet for any type of ADVANCED CONTROL SCHEME you want to get going, includes automatic pip management.
JOYSTICK GREMLIN is my current go-to for such and the Python interpreter there lets you do a lot of things just not possible with the restrictive-pseudo-c of target and the like. Most notable you can use hardware from MULTIPLE MANUFACTURERS simultaneously without problems which is why I recommend that over target even if getting into it is a bit harder due to lack of documentation on scripting side and you might need to DL the Joystick Gremlin code to help you. Here are some scripts I use with Gremlin. These are not "Release", they are for my use, but do some cool things you can take a look at, as well as automatic PIP management, there is a hotas-throttle/joystick smart switcher, target lock breaker breaker(remembers the current module), flight assist assist(allows inversion of mechanics so fa-off is default with a momentary button to do fa-on)+different curves fa-on and off and a bunch of other things. This is for my use right now and not for general consumption but it wont hurt to take a look if you are interested in Gremlin :
https://www.dropbox.com/s/skyex431a6jncty/test2.py?dl=0 - buttons for auto pip management including "shift" button and emergency button to go to 420 when taking fire(old gremlin before guids used)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ln93hnn25au8by/elite_dangerous1.py?dl=0 - use the analog stick on right for pips with this one, my current setup and uses latest gremlin
TARGET is an ok choice if you want to lock yourself into Thrustmaster products ONLY. I did write and release a pretty sweet Thrustmaster script for Warthog Throttle awhile back which should still be current and can help you : https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/hotas-warthog-throttle-ultimate-elite-dangerous-script.393541/ I did a bunch of pip things here cant remember all.
AUTOHOTKEY is also another good choice. It can do a heck of a lot and has a lot of useful quality-of-life features esp if you use VR as its difficult to go to windows click etc from inside VR and you can use your script to do such, esp if you watch TV on long voyages with OVRDrop. Script I use for this is here : https://www.dropbox.com/s/af62djst4d5qi4j/test1.ahk?dl=0
Autohotkey is very powerful and you will have no trouble making some great scripts if you are keyboard-mouse only, this would be my recommendation.
Signing off,
CMDR Gavin786
JOYSTICK GREMLIN is my current go-to for such and the Python interpreter there lets you do a lot of things just not possible with the restrictive-pseudo-c of target and the like. Most notable you can use hardware from MULTIPLE MANUFACTURERS simultaneously without problems which is why I recommend that over target even if getting into it is a bit harder due to lack of documentation on scripting side and you might need to DL the Joystick Gremlin code to help you. Here are some scripts I use with Gremlin. These are not "Release", they are for my use, but do some cool things you can take a look at, as well as automatic PIP management, there is a hotas-throttle/joystick smart switcher, target lock breaker breaker(remembers the current module), flight assist assist(allows inversion of mechanics so fa-off is default with a momentary button to do fa-on)+different curves fa-on and off and a bunch of other things. This is for my use right now and not for general consumption but it wont hurt to take a look if you are interested in Gremlin :
https://www.dropbox.com/s/skyex431a6jncty/test2.py?dl=0 - buttons for auto pip management including "shift" button and emergency button to go to 420 when taking fire(old gremlin before guids used)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ln93hnn25au8by/elite_dangerous1.py?dl=0 - use the analog stick on right for pips with this one, my current setup and uses latest gremlin
TARGET is an ok choice if you want to lock yourself into Thrustmaster products ONLY. I did write and release a pretty sweet Thrustmaster script for Warthog Throttle awhile back which should still be current and can help you : https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/hotas-warthog-throttle-ultimate-elite-dangerous-script.393541/ I did a bunch of pip things here cant remember all.
AUTOHOTKEY is also another good choice. It can do a heck of a lot and has a lot of useful quality-of-life features esp if you use VR as its difficult to go to windows click etc from inside VR and you can use your script to do such, esp if you watch TV on long voyages with OVRDrop. Script I use for this is here : https://www.dropbox.com/s/af62djst4d5qi4j/test1.ahk?dl=0
Autohotkey is very powerful and you will have no trouble making some great scripts if you are keyboard-mouse only, this would be my recommendation.
Signing off,
CMDR Gavin786
I use the freeware program Voicemacro. It works very well and is easy to set up. I personally don't bother with the voice part, I just use it to create a few keyboard macros for stuff like pip management, camera suite, etc.
https://www.voicemacro.net/
https://www.voicemacro.net/