KBM and pips. Need help.

[CMDR EDGEL0RD]

o7.
I had ditched Hotas with second joystic in favor of KB/M, due to me being unable to aim with fixed stuff with former configuration.

But then a question about Pips arises. Default setting on arrows is just a no-go, cause I will have to remove hand from the mouse constantly. My current setup of left Ctrl, Shift and Capslock puts too much stress on my pinky finger. Z,X,C,V,B,N are used for FAoff and throttle controls, 1-6 are bound for utility and chat.

Please share your setups/devices/ideas(for AHK scripts as well), which might help me to overcome this problem.
Thanks in advance.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

I use a Logitech G13 gameboard.
22 programmable keys, with 4 modes, plus a 4-way mini-joystick.
i use the joystick for pip management.

I have different modes set up for combat, exploration, mission running and the SRV.

 

[Iron-Snake-]

I play on PS4 now so for me suggesting a console controller seems the obvious choice.

 

[Bryski]

Voice Attack maybe?

 

[Vedmo]

Do you use modifiers? When I used KBM I used 1-4 for pip and shift+1-4 for utilities or whatever else I found important but not as important as pips.

 

[Red Zephyr]

I recently changed my pip keys to shift+WEQD, so my hand doesn't really have to move from my thrusters and rolls. Still getting used to it, and might switch to shift+WASD.

 

[Lucius-Darcia]

o7.
I had ditched Hotas with second joystic in favor of KB/M, due to me being unable to aim with fixed stuff with former configuration.

But then a question about Pips arises. Default setting on arrows is just a no-go, cause I will have to remove hand from the mouse constantly. My current setup of left Ctrl, Shift and Capslock puts too much stress on my pinky finger. Z,X,C,V,B,N are used for FAoff and throttle controls, 1-6 are bound for utility and chat.

Please share your setups/devices/ideas(for AHK scripts as well), which might help me to overcome this problem.
Thanks in advance.

I have switched to Hotas for exactly that reason [haha]
My previous configuration was a keyboard with hardware macro buttons for setting the pips. Awkward that was, i would have needed sometimes 3-4 hands to do it all mid-flight. Alternatively you can also buy a mouse with lots of buttons to set pips there or macros.

 

[dfgqsb]

I put ENG on mouse wheel up and SYS on mouse wheel down, and a 4 pips WEP macro on mouse forward button.

I think my left hand was too busy with throttle control so I moved pips to mouse.

 

[rekurzion]

Ahk + using modifiers on keys your fingers are on a lot helps.

I use joystick for steering but kb for throttle and everything else. My fingers are on the asdw keys a lot so i have a small ahk script set to shift+asdw.

Like a charm

 

[CMDR EDGEL0RD]

Thank you for advices.
Cannot use VA for a set of reasons.

123 with modifier for utilites would work. Also, I will try wasd with mouse-located modifier.
Mid button probably with it retaining its functionality of headlook. Maybe one which would detect whether I had held mmb for a second or not, so it would press mmb again for me on keyrelease.
Forward and backward mouse buttons are bound either for "additional fire button" AHK sequences or to simple firegroup rotation, depending on ship, and I am already used to them.

 

[nrage]

Another tip, check out AutoHotKey. It will allow you to create macros from key presses. So, you could make 1 = 4 pips shields, 2 pips eng by having autohotkey recognise 1 and press (arrow keys) down (reset), left, left, up, left. And, so on.

Here is an example AHK script, which I have hooked up to my CH pro throttle hat control..

; Add slight delay to key presses
SetKeyDelay,25,25

;ToolTip, Use this for debugging

; This is the joystick # from JoystickTest.ahk
JoyCH := 2

; Keyboard mapping
SYS = {Left}
ENG = {Up}
WEP = {Right}
BAL = {Down}

; CH throttle lower hat
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy13,PowerSys2Wep4
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy14,PowerSys3Wep3
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy15,PowerSys4Eng2
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy16,PowerEng4Sys2

; Stay running
#Persistent

; 4 pips to SYS, 2 pips to ENG
PowerSys4Eng2:
Send,%BAL%%SYS%%SYS%%ENG%%SYS%
return

; 4 pips to ENG, 2 pips to SYS
PowerEng4Sys2:
Send,%BAL%%ENG%%ENG%%SYS%%ENG%
return

; 2 pips to SYS, 4 pips to WEP
PowerSys2Wep4:
Send,%BAL%%WEP%%WEP%%SYS%%WEP%
return

; 3 pips to SYS, 3 pips to WEP
PowerSys3Wep3:
Send %BAL%%WEP%%SYS%%WEP%%SYS%
return

To make this react to key presses instead should be as simple as changing these lines..

; CH throttle lower hat
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy13,PowerSys2Wep4
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy14,PowerSys3Wep3
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy15,PowerSys4Eng2
Hotkey,%JoyCH%Joy16,PowerEng4Sys2

Replace %JoyCH%Joy15 with 1 and so on.

 

[rekurzion]

Thank you for advices.
Cannot use VA for a set of reasons.

123 with modifier for utilites would work. Also, I will try wasd with mouse-located modifier.
Mid button probably with it retaining its functionality of headlook. Maybe one which would detect whether I had held mmb for a second or not, so it would press mmb again for me on keyrelease.
Forward and backward mouse buttons are bound either for "additional fire button" AHK sequences or to simple firegroup rotation, depending on ship, and I am already used to them.

another trick is get your basic mapping down first. the stuff you need to fly, land and escape. if you those are hard to get to you'll always be fussin with your ship.

then figure out what your modifiers should be. it make the mapping more orderly for me, less thinking about why i mapped something somewhere.

 

[GammaZ]

I use 4 mouse buttons under the thumb in the same way as default arrows, without macros... not the fastest way, but i like it this way.
Also when playing away from home PC/without proper mouse i just use default arrows. And i use them with left hand. It limits pip changes to certain moments during maneuvering, but there are moments when you do not need hand on the keyboard that much...

 

[Jukelo]

I use the thumb buttons on a logitech G600 for pips, reallocating them is virtually instant.

 

[Rakaposhi]

I use the thumb buttons on a logitech G600 for pips, reallocating them is virtually instant.

This is exactly what I do. I use it for landing gear, cargo scoop and controlling my fighters as well. There's definitely way too much for left hand to do if the mouse is only doing roll, pitch and weapons.

 

[Conch]

buy something like this, make macros for it, and use it with you feet?

 

[PhanttoM]

I currently play with HOTAS and rudder pedals, but I've always been a big advocate of HOTAM (Hands On Throttle And Mouse).

It gives you the precision of the mouse while still allowing for analog throttle and strafing, if your throttle has a ministick or similar.
Some of the better throttles has enough analog axes to include roll or yaw. (Whichever axis is missing/unused on your mouse)
Not to mention the 4-way hats can be easier to use than crossing fingers on the keyboard.

Might be worth trying if possible.

 

[Suvi Anwar]

Voice Attack maybe?

Seriously... this ^.

It is so much easier to manage all the crap one needs to adjust while in flight, and especially in combat, when you can just tell the ship to do it.

 

[Krash]

Seriously... this ^.

It is so much easier to manage all the crap one needs to adjust while in flight, and especially in combat, when you can just tell the ship to do it.

I was in a wing last week with a guy using voice attack. He let his girl fly the mothership and the rest of could hear his orders over comms. I found myself following orders for some reason and the other guys did to. We were a very coordinated wing I must say.

 

[Oss133]

I use Voice Attack for lots of things in ED. But I think some people are put off by the idea of having to talk to their computer. It is worth pointing out, therefore, that you can just use it with key presses to activate the commands. Voice activation is not mandatory.