Thrustmaster Hotas LED lights.

Just a quickie. I've just bought the TM Hotas, and have had a bit of a play with it. Firstly, OMG!!! The build quality is mind blowing. I am seriously impressed :megalol:. Right, the reason for my post...... That row of 5 leds. I've found out how to turn them off and on in the TARGET software, but is there any point to them, or are they just a bit of eye candy? At first I thought they were to indicate some mode or other, but now I'm just baffled.

Early on, Thrustmaster said they would release a TARGET version that would allow control of those LEDs, but that never came about, I guess :-)

I have never used TARGET - just the DCS Options for setting up my Warthogs.

One tip - I use the Throttle Paddle Switch as a Modifyer so I can double up on some of the Warthog buttons.

WC

Just a quickie. I've just bought the TM Hotas, and have had a bit of a play with it. Firstly, OMG!!! The build quality is mind blowing. I am seriously impressed :megalol:. Right, the reason for my post...... That row of 5 leds. I've found out how to turn them off and on in the TARGET software, but is there any point to them, or are they just a bit of eye candy? At first I thought they were to indicate some mode or other, but now I'm just baffled.

You can program complex profiles with the target software, including switching between modes. There you could put those LEDs to a good use - otherwise they are a bit ... useless.

But right away, here is the usual advice as well: don't use the target software. You don't need it really for DCS and it would make things only much more complicated than it would need to be. TM Warthog Hotas = Plug&Play! :D

You can program the LEDs in TARGET, but I don't know how. I've seen it done is all :-)

There are a few checkboxes to tick in TARGET. That's no problem to do. It's just wondering what the point or purpose is?

Like I said, you can program the LED's in TARGET, but how and where I do not know. What I know is that you can program them to do anything (i.e. on mode A light 1 switches on, or if you press a button another light goes on etc..)

Also is you use trackir keep em on full or off. Reason is that they interfere with the zoom and can cause flicker. Tbh I didn't belive it until i changed to full- no flicker

As MTFDarkEagle has said, they can be controlled with Target. The point of having them is that you can program them to indicate mode changes or anything you wish.

I just don't use them for anything, and since I also leave the computer on all of the time I prefer to have them off.

Here is the code to set the LED intensity for zero. This is the first thing that each of my Target profiles does.

ActKey(PULSE+KEYON+LED(&Throttle, LED_INTENSITY, 0));

You can also turn the them off, and on, individually with code like this.

//initialize LED status all "OFF"
ActKey(PULSE+KEYON+LED(&Throttle, LED_ONOFF, LED_CURRENT-LED1)); //set LED 1 OFF
ActKey(PULSE+KEYON+LED(&Throttle, LED_ONOFF, LED_CURRENT-LED2)); //set LED 2 OFF
ActKey(PULSE+KEYON+LED(&Throttle, LED_ONOFF, LED_CURRENT-LED3)); //set LED 3 OFF
ActKey(PULSE+KEYON+LED(&Throttle, LED_ONOFF, LED_CURRENT-LED4)); //set LED 4 OFF
ActKey(PULSE+KEYON+LED(&Throttle, LED_ONOFF, LED_CURRENT-LED5)); //set LED 5 OFF

This is all explained on pages 19 & 20 of the Target Script Editor Basics manual.

Thanks all :) Well my mind is at rest now. I thought that it was out of character to just be eye candy. Looks like I've got plenty of homework to be getting on with :smilewink:

I never even know those things were LED's!

I was wondering what those 5 white dots were for....

But I guess there isn't much point in installing the TARGET software if they don't do anything.

It took to me like 2 years to figure out that there was 5 leds behind those white dots. :D

Have a look at the profile in my sig for an example of use. I can change the stick's response curve in-flight and us the LEDs to indicate which curve is active.

The important thing to note is that you need to use the Script Editor and not the GUI in order to unlock the really powerful TARGET functionality.

Other TARGET profiles can be found at warthogworld and the user files section.

Have a look at the profile in my sig for an example of use. I can change the stick's response curve in-flight and us the LEDs to indicate which curve is active.

 

The important thing to note is that you need to use the Script Editor and not the GUI in order to unlock the really powerful TARGET functionality.

 

Other TARGET profiles can be found at warthogworld and the user files section.

Do you use different response curves for different situations then, i.e, taking off/landing, combat, cruising etc?

Yes, it's primarily useful for AAR (air to air refuelling) and formation flying. But basically in any situation where you need very fine control and no dynamic maneuvering it makes sense to choose a response with larger curvature.

There is an (afaik. undocumented) API for controlling the leds with TmHidControl.dll, so they for example could be used in the lua export script in DCS to react to events... But they're in a place where they are a bit hard to see so I havent found any real use for them.

Whats the point of them at all please ?

Whats the point of them at all please ?

The point is that they are there for to use as you wish. Unfortunately, the API mentioned above is something that was never completed, AFAIK.

the API mentioned above is something that was never completed, AFAIK.

Using the DLL works fine, I "reverse-engineered" it a some time ago. Here is a simple C++ class for using it in case anyone is interested. I havent used it for a while so I dont know if it works with newer drivers etc though... And use at your own risk of course :)

Whats the point of them at all please ?

Add small labels to them on the throttle, then they can indicate on/off states of whichever switches you'd like. For instance, for the hornet I have LED1 assigned to landing gear up/down (so when I flip the switch down, it lowers the landing gear AND turns on LED1, etc), LED2 to the hook, LED3 to flaps, LED4 to speed brake, and LED5 to Master Arm. I did that so that I would know the state of certain functions that will affect flight.

Something to note: Intensity only controls ALL lights on the throttle. It cannot be used to control only the LED1-5, for example. You have to use ONOFF for those. If you want to turn off the backlight of the rest of the throttle, it is assigned to LED0.

I also assigned my bound power switch to turn on/off the MFD's - this time INTENSITY is the only way to do so, as I have not found any certain LED designation for the MFD backlights.

Yeah I have found they are great for indicating things like Hook, Gear, Brakes and external lights. External lights in particular is very embarrassing if you forget on an MP Server, and the same deal with knowing if your brakes are in or out.

Are the LEDs of the MFDs also programmable without the Thrustmaster software?

?

Are the LEDs of the MFDs also programmable without the Thrustmaster software?

?

You need to use the the Target Script or GUI if you want to associate them with key presses, it’s all explained in the manuals, worth the effort as the MFD’s make a real difference to indicate certain button presses e.g air brake on, you can have MFD flashing or A/P on LED comes on to remind you the A/P is engaged and so on

Can those throttle LEDs be programmed to turn on/off for certain actions by using the DCS "Controls" menu?

Can those throttle LEDs be programmed to turn on/off for certain actions by using the DCS "Controls" menu?

No they aren’t.

You need to use target gui or target script for it.

I was able to create an export tua that takes input from DCS and changes assignments and lights according to events in DCS, but I abandoned the project as I was not able to make it work in multiplayer, and also I just bought the winwing throttle.

But I still have the mfds, so maybe if someone would help me with the multiplayer thing I could retake the project and finish it.