Sick and tired of disappearing keybinds

[Rakaposhi]

Can anyone explain the black art behind maintaining a keybinds file? I know where the files are and have tried backing them up and replacing them, but I have had to rebind my keys so often, it's getting to the point now that when I see they're gone again, I simply CBA to rebind them all again, so I just don't play.
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I tend to have to go through "rebind hell" after a patch. Are all keybinds reset after a patch?
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I also seem to find myself in "rebind hell" if the devices plugged into the PC change. Sometimes the Vive is connected, sometimes the HOTAS, sometimes the X-Box Controller and sometimes various combinations of these and other non-controller devices. Are all keybinds reset after a new configuration is detected?
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Are the keybinds files dependent on the combination of devices?
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Do I need a "VIVE + HOTAS" file AND an "X-Box + HOTAS" file AND an "X-Box only" file AND etc etc...
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I can't believe I'm the only one suffering from this, so hopefully someone can help. And I'm amazed we're 18 months into Elite and this is still happening. At least the menus for bindings are collapsed by default now in the UI. That really helps a lot. :-D
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Any help gratefully received.

 

[sbdags]

AFAIK you should have the controller you use connected to the same port before you start the game.

Otherwise there is a chance that the key binds get auto remapped to whatever it thinks is now connected.

 

[Pardot Kynes]

Can anyone explain the black art behind maintaining a keybinds file? I know where the files are and have tried backing them up and replacing them, but I have had to rebind my keys so often, it's getting to the point now that when I see they're gone again, I simply CBA to rebind them all again, so I just don't play.
.
I tend to have to go through "rebind hell" after a patch. Are all keybinds reset after a patch?
.
I also seem to find myself in "rebind hell" if the devices plugged into the PC change. Sometimes the Vive is connected, sometimes the HOTAS, sometimes the X-Box Controller and sometimes various combinations of these and other non-controller devices. Are all keybinds reset after a new configuration is detected?
.
Are the keybinds files dependent on the combination of devices?
.
Do I need a "VIVE + HOTAS" file AND an "X-Box + HOTAS" file AND an "X-Box only" file AND etc etc...
.
I can't believe I'm the only one suffering from this, so hopefully someone can help. And I'm amazed we're 18 months into Elite and this is still happening. At least the menus for bindings are collapsed by default now in the UI. That really helps a lot. :-D
.
Any help gratefully received.

The game looks for 'Custom', but alphabetically. So if you have Custom.september.binds, and Custom.me_April. binds e.g. it would default to Custom.me as it is first in the list alphabetically.

To be certain, backup your binds, and rename your favourite one just Custom.binds, and it should default to that.

There's also a little startup text file in that same folder telling it which one to default to, it prob says just 'Custom' inside - you could check and edit that, but the above is prob simpler. Hope that helps.

(In short, at least on a pc, Custom.binds is what it will look for, if some kind of custom bind was your last use - just ensure your binds are called that and all should be well. Yep - it's not user friendly, but this is ED.)

 

[Rakaposhi]

I tried a lot of my saved binds filed this morning and none of them had my HOTAS configured.
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If I have my HOTAS all configured and then put it in a USB port, will I need to configure it again? That might be it.

 

[Rakaposhi]

Oh man. It's my son's machine that has the HOTAS on it. He'd got it all working, until he realised that his HOTAS was showing the red light (PS3 mode), so he had to switch it back to PC to get the green light.
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All the settings disappeared again, and none of his previous save files work either.
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I offered to help him reset them all (again), but he's given up and said he'll just play something else. I was looking forward to doing something together, it's a shame it won't be in Elite today. :|
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How is it not possible for the game to store a setting for a control like "HOTAS button 5" without tying it to various combinations of patch level, USB port used, connected USB devices and God only know what else? Madness.

 

[evoelise]

Why are you having to re-do all your key bindings, I assume that is what you mean by "rebind hell" - why not just reload a backup of them?

Edit: OK you posted just after I did that your backups don't work. Not sure then - I can restore all my key-bindings fine from a backup. I've also copied the bindings file to my son's PC as a starter for him & that works.

 

[Rakaposhi]

Well, it's largely because reloading a backup of them doesn't work. I've got three backup files, made after various "rebind hell" encounters. I made these backups precisely because I was thinking "well I don't want to have to do that again".
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I'd also really like to know why I'm having to re-do all my (well, my Son's) key bindings. It is exactly what I mean by "rebind hell".

 

[Pardot Kynes]

Look. ED has 'presets', for various controllers, but there is only one custom one, and it is created when you change anything. When you change any setting it stores this as Custom.binds and defaults to that. It will go to that file when you next play.

Simply ensure that this file is backed up. And to keep it simple, make sure it is simply called Custom.binds in the relevant folder. It will work fine.

 

[Rakaposhi]

Yes. I understand. It's why I made backups of my keybinds file. More than once. But even when I copy the old files over the custom one, it seems to not work.

I think the file might not work if there are a different combination of peripherals present. Not sure. Whatever it is, it's very annoying.

 

[Vandaahl]

If your game does not 'see' the controller - the configuration holds bindings for - when it initializes, it defaults the controls. I had the same with my blue tooth to PC connected PS3 controller. Sometimes, when I start the game without powering up the controller first, I got the same behavior. Switching the controller off and back on again usually fixes it for me. Its annoying indeed, I reconfigured mine countless of times before I found - partly due to this board - the cause and solution.