Newbie X52 Questions

s4nup

S
Hi
I've just picked up a 2nd hand x52 and installed the drivers and got everything working (read: the leds are all on and all the buttons seem to do something in the test program)

Tried using it while docked and noticed the buttons do something but obviously because I don't know the controls I'm a bit all over the place. I'm using the standard X52 profile in Elite.

first question: is it possible to use the menu's without touching the keyboard? I was trying to do ui focusing and then move between the menus, exit select etc...it was difficult but I don't think I was able to focus on the menus. I can do headlook with one of the POV hats but it doest let me select the panel.

second question: is there a good Saitek Profile that people are using where I can then tweak the buttons a bit?

Much appreciated for any answers!
Thanks
 

Dr Zachary Smith

Dr Zachary Smith
First thing install the driver, but for the love of god don't install the software, it makes the joystick randomly go crazy, lights flashing and everything very common problem, having said that you can uninstall it, i believe it is supposed to be installed before the joystick is plugged in though I read somewhere.
There is also a clutch button you may run into issues with. In game controller settings under MFD tab there is a "enable clutch" check box, make sure that's ticked so the blue led button works on the throttle :)
to switch between UI's I use button 31 just toggles through them. and one of the blue buttons on the joystick selects whilst the hat switch goes horizontally through the ui lists
 
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FX2K

FX2K
I had a bit of trouble at first, since the 'pinky switch' wasn't working in ED.. the following thread helped a lot.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26644

I also found it best to map my own controls to what I felt comfortable with, it can be a bit overwhelming though, sooo many options :D but I just couldn't get to grips with some of the defaults / other people's mappings.
 

Wiff

W
Yes, you can use the ingame menu without touching keyboard. Go in to "Control" and look for buttons that assigned to "Panels" and change to the hat button on your x52.
 

Dr Zachary Smith

Dr Zachary Smith
FX2K said:
I had a bit of trouble at first, since the 'pinky switch' wasn't working in ED.. the following thread helped a lot.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26644

I also found it best to map my own controls to what I felt comfortable with, it can be a bit overwhelming though, sooo many options :D but I just couldn't get to grips with some of the defaults / other people's mappings.
Click to expand...

Every time I try to use that software it sends the joystick crazy at random times, lights will just start flashing and it will often stop responding.Does it on my friends one too... With it not installed it works perfectly, windows 7 64bit :(
 

FX2K

FX2K
Dr Zachary Smith said:
Every time I try to use that software it sends the joystick crazy at random times, lights will just start flashing and it will often stop responding.Does it on my friends one too... With it not installed it works perfectly, windows 7 64bit :(
Click to expand...

It did for me too flashing blue buttons the lot.... that is until I followed that thread to disable the shift states etc...
Now its working perfectly, every single button / slider etc is in use and working exactly as I wanted.

Out of interest, without the software does your 'pinky switch' work? I could never get it to without the profiler, I use that to engage UI focus mode. *Edit* I must admit, I'm not a fan of the profiler software though, but wanted full functionality.
 
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Dr Zachary Smith

Dr Zachary Smith
FX2K said:
It did for me too flashing blue buttons the lot.... that is until I followed that thread to disable the shift states etc...
Now its working perfectly, every single button / slider etc is in use and working exactly as I wanted.

Out of interest, without the software does your 'pinky switch' work? I could never get it to without the profiler, I use that to engage UI focus mode.
Click to expand...

I have seen that link before and had it sorted, pinky switch worked, but the crazy lights flashing bug kept happening so I just had to uninstall it, no pinky doesn't work without the software, but I had to choose pinky or stability because it would go crazy at the most inopportune moments like when trying to dock :) I did like the way your name scrolls across the led though :)
 
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s4nup

S
FX2K said:
It did for me too flashing blue buttons the lot.... that is until I followed that thread to disable the shift states etc...
Now its working perfectly, every single button / slider etc is in use and working exactly as I wanted.

Out of interest, without the software does your 'pinky switch' work? I could never get it to without the profiler, I use that to engage UI focus mode.
Click to expand...

would you mind emailing me your profile? i'd like to take a look at it and see if i can get it to work for me.

anup.chavda(at)gmail.com
 

FX2K

FX2K
Yeah no worries, I can't until a little later on though, not in front of my gaming machine atm.

Mind you, it will depend on if you do or don't use the profiler... as above without it some buttons don't work, but with it.. it can be problematic.
 

Denco

D
Denco said:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1mru9rn8eq66cjb/ED.pr0?dl=0

There you can try my profile. With it I don't have to move my hands from my joystick, including the menus, but you will have to remap a key or two in the options menu of the game. Can't remember which exactly. You will have to check them out your self by checking the game menu and profile editor for each button.
Click to expand...

Fixed my own typo :)

s4nup said:
Awesome!!!

I am testing this now!
Thanks so much
Click to expand...

No worries. This is why we are here for ;)
 

Ortikon

O
Disable mouse headlook; if you use a button to toggle headlook for your POV hat on and off you will be able to alternate headlook and power management on the same stick (I use the flat black button next the pov hat, it will also double as head reset) . It will also control your menus when in a menu. If you have a button for UI panel focus set to "hold", you will be able to hold down a button while tapping POV left, right, up, down, to pick between Nav panel, Stat panel, Comms, and map. Letting go of this hold button resets your view. (I use the large button on top of the throttle, but only because my pinky switch broke off when some dude sat on the thing)
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If you set the D-pad shaped hat to control your lateral and vertical thrusters, it makes for a nice grippy control during combat your thumb wont slip off of it and you don't even need to put your thump directly in the middle. In tense situations it is grippy enough for me to sort of ride on just the corner of it. It also doubles as UI control when using left and right to switch through tabs such as nav, transactions, target info.
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I use the hat that sits behind the throttle for targeting; Left-Right is previous-next target. Up-Down is previous-next subsystem. I am considering making Up just next sub system, and down as highest threat.
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Target what is in front of you with the green button on the right of the POV hat. It is probably the default. This doubles as your mouse click when using menus by default.
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Oh and one last cool function that I really enjoy with the X52: The double trigger. It can be tricky to configure in some games. Obviously it is rad to have your secondary fire on the red button under the safety switch, but its can be a pain to hold primary and secondary fire at the same time while flying and using lateral thrust. On the secondary fire section of config. Add a secondary button to trigger secondary fire so that you have two ways of shooting it, before clicking on the empty box hold down the trigger half way so you hear a click. With your mouse, select the input box and pull the trigger further to map the secondary trigger.
By doing this, you have light trigger pulls will fire your first group, and holding it down all the way will "alpha strike" all your weapons at once. This is great in my cobra, I use pulse lasers for primary and beam lasers for secondary. Feathering the enemy with the occasional beam blast of opportunity between long durations of pulse lasers. It is fantastic.
 

Cat_Astrophe

Cat_Astrophe

Glasswalker

G
X52 default profile is actually quite good. I use it now without modification and love it.

Pinky is ui focus, with that button held, you can use the main hat to look left right up down and focus the various panels, it's very quick to do

Once focused, top hat does tabs left/right, and main hat navigates menus, with the thumb button (to the right of the hat) being the "select" button.
Selling/buying in market is intuitive with "left/right" being used to +/- quantity and so on.

So yeah you can totally use it without the keyboard.

That said, to get the pinky to work, there is a trick (you don't need the saitek software, just the driver)...

Open the test app from the driver. so you can see all the bars/axis/buttons and they all press (including the pinky switch)... Now LEAVE THAT WINDOW OPEN... With that window open the pinky switch registers correctly in game and is default bound to UI focus (no edits/rebinding needed). Without the window open it stops working...

Yes it's bizarre and wierd, but it works.

The 100% stock X52 config will work perfectly without any need for keyboard/mouse. You can activate/control all ship functions, combat, targeting, navigation, menus, trading, station services, and so on all from the Throttle/Stick. (hell technically the mouse on the throttle will work just fine in-game as well, letting you use mouse if you really needed it too).
 

Dr Zachary Smith

Dr Zachary Smith
Glasswalker said:
to get the pinky to work, there is a trick (you don't need the saitek software, just the driver)...

Open the test app from the driver. so you can see all the bars/axis/buttons and they all press (including the pinky switch)... Now LEAVE THAT WINDOW OPEN... With that window open the pinky switch registers correctly in game and is default bound to UI focus (no edits/rebinding needed). Without the window open it stops working...

Yes it's bizarre and wierd, but it works.
Click to expand...

Seems legit cheers, will try that when I next play :)


have checked and this does indeed work lol craziest fix !!
 
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Cat_Astrophe

Cat_Astrophe
Dr Zachary Smith said:
Cheers, I can't recall if I had even installed TS when it happened....I will recheck :) in the meantime have some rep for trying to be helpful :)
Click to expand...
Thanks. I actually had the unpredictable flashing lights, losing calibration, & going crazy thing happening but the fix took care of it. Drove me nuts trying to figure out where the problem was in the HARDWARE... but it wasn't hardware at all.
 
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