Newcomer / Intro Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog (default) + Voice Attack

[MonsoonMally]

Hello!

I'm starting to play EDH again, and have now some better hardware and software 'to fly'.

I have the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog, and this works great - with its default bindings - I haven't had to edit anything at all, except to add two key commands for left and right Yaw which many will be familiar, no doubt, it is not with this HOTAS hardware. I use 'A' and 'D' on the keyboard for this, as it's easy enough to use.

However, I've just bought and registered the Voice Attack add-on as I'd like to issue spoken commands to the game, in addition to rather than instead of, using HOTAS and keyboard keys. Mainly to deploy landing-gear etc etc, without always having to hunt the HOTAS key.

Setting it up, I thought by creating a new profile within VA and then entering HOTAS key movements for each command, it would accept this - however - it doesn't seem to, as in, when I for example try to tie 'Landing Gear' voice command to that of the assigned toggle switch on the HOTAS, no input is added......

Anyone have a similar setup, and able to help?

 

[Chris Simon]

I haven't been able to sort this out, either. Fortunately Elite has two bindings for each function. So aside from my hotas bindings, all things I want to use via VA have a keyboard key, attached as well.

 

[MonsoonMally]

Thanks Chris.

I'm sure I could find an answer via research, as it can't be that difficult; it's just not as intuitive as it might be.....I guessed in VA I could simple add a joystick or joystick key function to perform the action within setting up a new profile. Seems not.

As I guessed, I can't be the only one who has come into this issue, and wanted to take a short-cut if I could and use someone else's experience in setting it up.

If I don't get a straight forward answer on here, I'll figure it out myself, and then post it.

But I'm hoping someone has already this configuration and can shed some more light on the procedure.

The HOTAS itself was great - just plugged it in and off it went. Not the ideal bindings I would choose, but everything is funtional that I need. Will tweak them another time.

 

[Chris Simon]

Thanks Chris.

I'm sure I could find an answer via research, as it can't be that difficult; it's just not as intuitive as it might be.....I guessed in VA I could simple add a joystick or joystick key function to perform the action within setting up a new profile. Seems not.

As I guessed, I can't be the only one who has come into this issue, and wanted to take a short-cut if I could and use someone else's experience in setting it up.

If I don't get a straight forward answer on here, I'll figure it out myself, and then post it.

But I'm hoping someone has already this configuration and can shed some more light on the procedure.

The HOTAS itself was great - just plugged it in and off it went. Not the ideal bindings I would choose, but everything is funtional that I need. Will tweak them another time.

I think that's the job of default bindings. They will ensure the functionality off the box and don't let you dead in the water (I remember old flight sims that you had to spend HOURS with before you could even take off) and later on you are able to find out for yourself what function you want where and re-bind it to your liking.
It would be hell to bind over a hundred functions without even knowing what some of them mean and do.

You can search through and eventually post here, if you want:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php/41-Hardware-Technical-Forum

More technically gifted people roam around there. Maybe someone will have the answers.

 

[Seneleron]

it's just not as intuitive as it might be

Not sure I get this: you mean you have a hotas toggle set up to a keypress [say. . L for landing gear] and you program the corresponding key [L] into voice attack, saved the profile and closed the profile editor, and it does not function?

or do you mean you're trying to directly access a hotas toggle without mapping to corresponding keyboard shortcut? If that is the case, wouldn't voice attack have to have a specific profile to the hotas you're attempting to use to do that? Otherwise, there's no correlation between the voice attack software and the Elite: Dangerous software/HOTAS profile, is there?

I ask because I have an X52 pro, and I did it completely backwards: mapping shortcuts to keypresses and then editing profiles in voice attack and/or the X52 profile config as necessary. Trying to do it the other way around doesn't SEEM to make much sense, as both programs need a common universal point of reference [keypress] to interract.

The reason I'm taking the time to post is because at first just binding to a keypress seemed the simplest most intuitive way to connect them. . but now I'm wondering if there's an easier way via doing what, if I understand you right, you're trying to do.

 

[MonsoonMally]

Hello Senetron!

In short I'm trying to fly, navigate, and control my ship, whereby I can use either or Voice, or HOTAS.

For example, I may want to press the relative HOTAS key on my throttle controller, to deploy the landing gear; Or, may simply wish to say 'deploy landing gear', for which I want the same outcome - I want my action, actioned.

Sort of imagine the difference between being a Captain, and the Executive Officer.....one gives the command, the other actuates the command......I want to be able to do both - give the voice command if I so choose, also, if I so choose, activate the key to do so myself.

I know it's possible, it just has to do with bindings and profile setting - for which I know nothing about.

Now, I already know a certain switch on my HOTAS throttle, toggles my landing gear. This is good, I have XO's control, so to speak. Now I want the Captains - I wish to issue the order 'Gear down' or 'Gear up'. Herein is the problem:

As it's already set to a toggle switch on the HOTAS, I would have thought by creating/editing a profile and using the appropriate voice command in the VA setup box, it would allow me to press the switch in order to register the action to correlate with the voice command...thus....giving me both voice and HOTAS control. But it doesn't seem to register it this way.

From what I gather, without going to deep, this action has a key action anyway, for which I need to point both the HOTAS and the voice command, to.

Do you get what I mean?

Quite hard to get across without you being sat here next to me, to show you.

 

[MonsoonMally]

I guess I'm coming to the conclusion of I need to go to the 'common denominator'; in that HOTAS actions merely point to a specific key-press on the keyboard, and as such, I have to do the same for VA - when what I thought would happen (as HOTAS automatically has a default binding within ED, was that actuating the HOTAS keys 'would count' as if I was pressing the key itself, when setting up the profile. I guess not, and I have to point VA at the actual keystrokes, not what HOTAS already has, and simply use that.

 

[Chris Simon]

I think the main problem is that you need to SEND the command from VA to Elite. (aka VA functions like a keyboard of sorts, only instead of pressing the key you activate it by voice) Elite then reads it the way you bind it.

To get the HOTAS buttons and switches into the equation, you'd somehow have to convince the system that it is another keyboard (or something), which means setting it up in the Thrustmaster software so, and somehow tell VA about it.
Because for it to work, VA would have to virtually press the HOTAS button and Elite would have to register it as a button press.

At this point my head started to hurt, so I did it the easy way. The functions I want to handle directly, I bound to the HOTAS, and functions I want to activate by voice I bound to the keyboard presses, which I then set up in VA.
If there is a function that I want on both HOTAS and VA, I simply bind primary to the HOTAS and secondary binding to the keyboard.

*shruggs*

 

[D.G.Cerberus]

At this point my head started to hurt, so I did it the easy way. The functions I want to handle directly, I bound to the HOTAS, and functions I want to activate by voice I bound to the keyboard presses, which I then set up in VA.
If there is a function that I want on both HOTAS and VA, I simply bind primary to the HOTAS and secondary binding to the keyboard.

*shruggs*

^^ This. Exactly this.
Use the second column (not everyone knows it exists) in the bindings page and put everything you want to VA on a keyboard bind (even if you also use it via HOTAS) - in fact you will want to anyway, because you will want for example manual control over pip management using the hat switches, but might also want some VA presets on pip management too. So in this case, primary is the HOTAS hat switch and secondary becomes the (default) up down left right keys.

 

[Pyrotiger]

Am I one of the few who doesn't like VA? I found it more of a pain than a help.

 

[D.G.Cerberus]

Am I one of the few who doesn't like VA? I found it more of a pain than a help.

I think it is all in the set up. Keep it simple and it can be invaluable. Don't try and bind everything to it, just use it for one or two macros to start with and try that.

 

[BigBANGtheory [VR]]

The other thing you can do is use the Thrustmaster TARGET software to map the HOTAS functions to keyboard commands, that way ED is configured to use a keyboard Key and you then use TARGET to map to that key. The other advantage with TARGET is you can change the behavior of the HOTAS buttons so that say On is permanently ON until you switch it OFF or its a momentary ON whilst depressed.

 

[MonsoonMally]

Thanks all - I think I get the idea, and will try it when I have time - this evening with any luck.

I guess I was thinking the HOTAS on being identified by Windows 10 sort of became a 'keyboard extension', thus, it was now part of the computer setup (when in its default configuration), and as such, actions I made on the switches etc would be input into the VA profile, as I made them to correspond with a voice action. But it seems not.

The HOTAS isn't seen by Windows as another input device, so I'll have to follow what is posted above, and assign the secondary slot for VA and bind it to a key press. Naturally, I will have to ensure the HOTAS and VA are aligned to the same key, or it will get very confusing!

A long way around doing things for setup, but I guess that's just the way it is.

Thanks all!

 

[Igor2010]

I thinking about hotas with two Thrustmasters T16000M

 

[Chris Simon]

I thinking about hotas with two Thrustmasters T16000M

Many people play with mouse and keyboard. And very successfully. But I think everyone here will tell you that ANY kind of joystick (and even better, a whole HOTAS) can immensely add to the feel of flying.
If you can afford it, do it.

 

[BigBANGtheory [VR]]

It's whatever you are conformable with, Mechwarrior pilots sometimes use two joysticks though for space sims I personally recommend HOTAS for flight and kybrd/mouse for management and non-piloting tasks.