Hardware & Technical The Joystick discussion thread

JonnyRedHed · Jun 1, 2014

Yes it appears so. These guys over at the Adapt-FFB-Joy project do mention wanting to expand the scope, but no news on that so most likely long term.

There is a project to get gameport working on creative SB sound cards, and compatable SB cards (PCI).

The original vista project called 'Gameport support pack for Vista 32-bit (x86)'. The windows 7 driver and control panel version mod is from this guy's blog here 'Gameport_Win 7 & Vista'. It does appear to just be 32bit though.

I gave the win7 one a go just to check x64, and it did see my old SB live card so I could install the gameport. But the next step in the instructions calls for your controller driver, some of which are included in this pack. The CH Force Fx one wasn't.

And the big stopping point was the fact it does not support x64. No gameport driver has been written for Win7 x64.

So it was interesting little experiment to at least install a gameport in Windows 7 x64 in device manager, but without some CH force FX x64 driver its just not going to work.

And its back to the likes of something custom made. But I have no skills for this sort of thing. I've not found anyone able or willing to help as of yet.

But if you have 32bit Win7, and and old SB live/digital sound card with gameport, then the link to the driver pack above might well work if you need to connect an old joystick or some other device. But who wants 32bit windows any more.

So here's a thought, as a project would someone be willing and able to remove the CH Force FX serial circuit and install a USB one. Maybe from another cheap USB stick. Keeping all the CH sticks functionality and of course the force feedback. I've seen this done on a couple of those Russian and Ukrainian flight sim forums. Might be an interesting project.

Sanderson · Jun 2, 2014

I got mine Friday night and love it. I used the default in game profile and customized it. I do not have to remove my hands (unless I want to) from the X52 pro system for any reason and every function, including mouse (mini-stick on throttle) is mapped to a button/slider/ or something somewhere. It really makes the game completely different from mouse/keyboard IMO. Draws you into the immersion even deeper.

I'll admit, it took me a couple days to hit the right thing when I need/wanted to do it but, now I don't even look at the X52p while I'm playing. Ok some times I look at it to admire my clever LED setup but, not because I have too.

Super system, for the money, and IMO, it's made for ED.

Aiboman · Jun 3, 2014

Thrustmaster Hotas Setup Help ? Please ?

Getting really frustrated here

Have just gone out and got myself a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas x

I go into the control options and choose the Hotas but when I get into game the thrust forward & reverse is all wrong and cannot work out why

As soon as I enter the game my ship starts flying backwards flat out , if I move the stick all the way back (towards me) it decreases thottle and then flys forwards slowly

When I try to change the settings in options it will not let me assign both forwards and reverse to my throttle

Really sorry if this is a proper noob question but I am getting nowhere fast or maybe I should say I am going backwards very fast

Can anybody here point me towards a setup guide or a profile I can use ?

Knightshark · Jun 3, 2014

Aiboman said:
Getting really frustrated here

Have just gone out and got myself a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas x

I go into the control options and choose the Hotas but when I get into game the thrust forward & reverse is all wrong and cannot work out why

As soon as I enter the game my ship starts flying backwards flat out , if I move the stick all the way back (towards me) it decreases thottle and then flys forwards slowly

When I try to change the settings in options it will not let me assign both forwards and reverse to my throttle

Really sorry if this is a proper noob question but I am getting nowhere fast or maybe I should say I am going backwards very fast

Can anybody here point me towards a setup guide or a profile I can use ?

Is the throttle axis inverted maybe?

Aleksej · Jun 3, 2014

Throttle axis should be inverted with in-game settings on most of the HOTAS.

You need to assign throttle to throttle axis not to Increse/Decrease thrust.
You also have two option for throttle range - forward only and full range.

Aiboman · Jun 3, 2014

Thanks for the help

throttle axis is inverted and throttle axis is set to Joy Z-axis

And throttle range is set to FullRange

When I start the game and my throttle stick on the hotas is in the middle I immediately start going backwards really fast if I push the stick all the way forward I do go forwards at speed "21"

If I out the stick in the middle I go backwards at speed "58"

If I pull the stick all the way backwards (towards me) I go back at "160"

Do get into a no throttle situation I have to push the stick forwards more the 75%

And here's me thinking if I purchased a stick it would make things easier

Ottomic · Jun 3, 2014

If your throttle is at full range and you dont stop with the throttle in the middle, make sure that: the axis is set to continuous, sensitivity all the way up, that you are not mapping the docking override axis instead of the regular throttle one, that the glowing button in the joystick is set to the 'green' position and of course, that the joystick itself is in 'PC' position (on the switch in the back of the stick platform).

I can guarantee the thrustmaster hotas-x I have works perfectly with the game, at least axis-wise.

Major Plonker · Jun 3, 2014

Have you checked the controller in windows control panel to make sure it's working OK?

Aiboman · Jun 3, 2014

Well I think I'm the Major Plonker

I went into the controller settings in windows and clicked on calibrate and bingo it now works great

Thank you sooooooo much everyone for taking the time to help me

And ottomic when you mentioned making sure the switch was set to PC mode I first though Doh!! But it was set to PC so I'm not that much of a plonker

But seriously guys thank you very , very much

technome · Jun 3, 2014

Another thing to check is that no preset is loaded on the stick. Make sure the LED on the right hand side of the stick unit is not lit.

*EDIT* Glad you got it sorted.

This thread has links to pre-made, blank and editable reference sheets for the T-Flight HOTAS. Enjoy.

Aiboman · Jun 3, 2014

Ok so should the Green Led light on the right hand side of the stick be on or off ?

As now have had one person say make sure it's on and one saying make sure it's off

technome · Jun 3, 2014

There are two LEDs, one on the flight-stick base and one on the throttle base.

The green LED on the flight-stick should be off. If it's lit then deselect it with the "Preset" button. It's only used for setting up button swaps for use in games where the controls aren't customisable, usually on the PS3.

The LED on the throttle should show green, signifying that the stick twist and throttle paddle are treated as separate axes. If it is red, then the stick twist and throttle paddle are coupled as one axis.

Jackel · Jun 3, 2014

I'd have the green light on... it toggles between green (5 axis), and red, 4 axis. I have green and the throttle bar set to lateral thrusters....

not sure how the toggle bar on the throttle does when you have the red light showing.
Definitely depends on if you mean the green light on the throttle,
... ?

My setup....

Joystick Buttons

1 Primary Fire
2 Secondary fire
3 Highest threat
4 Deploy hard points

Pitch Joy y
Yaw Joy Z
Roll Joy x

Throttle buttons.
Green Light showing
SE button set to silent running
ST Button set to deploy heat sink

Lateral thrust Joy U

5 next hostile
6 Target next subsystem
7 Disable Flight assist
8 engine boost
9 target ahead
10 Next fire group

is how I have mine set currently, it's personal preference etc.. but may help as a starting point, haven't needed to change for a while.

hope that helps.

technome · Jun 3, 2014

Jackel, he's not asking about the LED on the throttle. He's asking about the one on the flight-stick base.

KalRyper · Jun 3, 2014

Hat Switch

Hi, I also bought this purely for ED.
I can't seem to configure the Hat Switch though. It works within Windows configuration though.

Thanks in advance.
Kal

Jackel · Jun 3, 2014

technome said:
Jackel, he's not asking about the LED on the throttle. He's asking about the one on the flight-stick base.

AH, woops, my mistake,

Aiboman · Jun 3, 2014

Jackel said:
I'd have the green light on... it toggles between green (5 axis), and red, 4 axis. I have green and the throttle bar set to lateral thrusters....
not sure how the toggle bar on the throttle does when you have the red light showing.
Definitely depends on if you mean the green light on the throttle,
... ?

My setup....

Joystick Buttons

1 Primary Fire
2 Secondary fire
3 Highest threat
4 Deploy hard points

Pitch Joy y
Yaw Joy Z
Roll Joy x

Throttle buttons.
Green Light showing
SE button set to silent running
ST Button set to deploy heat sink

Lateral thrust Joy U

5 next hostile
6 Target next subsystem
7 Disable Flight assist
8 engine boost
9 target ahead
10 Next fire group

is how I have mine set currently, it's personal preference etc.. but may help as a starting point, haven't needed to change for a while. hope that helps.

Wow thank you very much for that , it's a great help

Setup my Hotas with the same settings as yours and went into multiplayer for the very time and managed to dock on my first atempt

Did not have a clue as to what to do when I did dock and blasted to pieces for some reason when I tried to leave but hey ho was great fun

I'm looking at concentrating on doing trade missions rather then the combat side of things so what's the best way to start with trading ?

Major Plonker · Jun 4, 2014

Glad it's working now

Bob 'snake' Plissken · Jun 6, 2014

2x identical thrustmaster t16000m

hi, i have two of them, could it be wrong choise, perhaps ED changes left right settings i made, sporadic.... thanks for hints. Under windows i see two sticks one as left hand one as right hand, but they have same id under windows....

drakmaniso · Jun 6, 2014

I'm not sure what is your question... It's possible to use two T16000m with Elite, as the game recognize multiple joysticks (mmh... unless there's a conflict with identical joysticks? I've not tested it in the beta).

Another option is to use the simple script I wrote in order to make better use of the left stick as a throttle (and since the two joysticks are combined into one virtual controller, there won't be any conflict).