TM HOTAS 3-way AP Switch for F-16 AP 3-Way switch

As per the title it would be great to be able to use the 3-Way Autopilot switch on the TM Warthog (PATH-ALT/HDG-ALT) for the F-16C's 3-Way Autopilot switches (the PITCH and ROLL ones). At the Moment it only registers the up and down of the switch and not the middle (A/P OFF).

Always been that way. I bind the button to the left as ap off, as per A-10C.

Hopefully one of the Lua wizards will sort it out. They did a great job with the ones in the Harrier.

If my wife wasnt holding me hostage id finish my lua edits ive done for my pit. They work for anyone that has switch panels or warthogs......but im tied up

As per the title it would be great to be able to use the 3-Way Autopilot switch on the TM Warthog (PATH-ALT/HDG-ALT) for the F-16C's 3-Way Autopilot switches (the PITCH and ROLL ones). At the Moment it only registers the up and down of the switch and not the middle (A/P OFF).

Strange. The ALT/ATT Hold switch is working for me out of the box.

You got the same mappings?

Strange. The ALT/ATT Hold switch is working for me out of the box.

 

You got the same mappings?

 

I think he means it would be good to have the ALT/ATT switch work in the middle (off) position. At the moment, it is still necessary to bind another button for A/P off as per your graphic.

I think he means it would be good to have the ALT/ATT switch work in the middle (off) position. At the moment, it is still necessary to bind another button for A/P off as per your graphic.

Nope, ignore the additional mapping for AP off (JOY_BTN26). With those bindings (JOY_BTN27 and 28 ) the switch is operating in 3 positions. Up = ALT hold, middle = AP OFF, down = ATT hold.

I've never used the JOY_BTN26 at all.

Hopefully one of the Lua wizards will sort it out. They did a great job with the ones in the Harrier.

Better still, hopefully ED puts the lua wizards out of business at some point by exposing the full bind functionality on the binds page, removing the need for awkward and inconsistent bespoke third-party (or fourth-party) for everything. The ability to bind actions to release is already in the code and should be available directly from the bind screen without any addition or modification.

It's utterly ridiculous that you can't already.

A lot of the default 3 way switches in heatblur's F-14 are 'if not one, then two' and 'if not three, then two' allowing you to correctly map them to the warthog and have them function as expected.

None of the ED's F-16 switches are setup this way, making the real 3 way position switches of the warthog somewhat useless for a 3 way switch in the F-16.

Nope, ignore the additional mapping for AP off (JOY_BTN26). With those bindings (JOY_BTN27 and 28 ) the switch is operating in 3 positions. Up = ALT hold, middle = AP OFF, down = ATT hold.

 

I've never used the JOY_BTN26 at all.

On a Warthog? Not working that way for anyone else then!

On a Warthog? Not working that way for anyone else then!

Yup, I can see from the controls that it shouldn't work ... but it does!

Here's a quick and dirty video clip so you can see the switch and the in game response.

Yup, I can see from the controls that it shouldn't work ... but it does!

Well, I really don't know how that works for you. These switches never work that way in DCS.

Pushing the switch up (BTN27) gives me ALT HOLD, putting it back in centre position keeps ALT HOLD on, pusing switch down (BTN28) gives ATT HOLD, and again re-centring does nothing, ATT HOLD stays on.

Only if BTN26 is pressed does A/P switch off.

You're not using TARGET or something else are you?

it's a lot of wording issues.

some switches work as "then else" switches. others labled the same are only "then" functionality.

in the 'Cat, they are labeled clearly so it's easy to spot them.

it's a lot of wording issues.

 

some switches work as "then else" switches. others labled the same are only "then" functionality.

 

in the 'Cat, they are labeled clearly so it's easy to spot them.

Can you explain what that means in the context of what we are talking about here?

Well, I really don't know how that works for you. These switches never work that way in DCS.

 

Pushing the switch up (BTN27) gives me ALT HOLD, putting it back in centre position keeps ALT HOLD on, pusing switch down (BTN28) gives ATT HOLD, and again re-centring does nothing, ATT HOLD stays on.

 

Only if BTN26 is pressed does A/P switch off.

 

You're not using TARGET or something else are you?

No mate, not using TARGET.

No mate, not using TARGET.

Hmm, really interesting. I wish I could get it to work like that!

I too would like to know how to do this, @epoch have you done anything else’s you can think of other than plug it in?

I too would like to know how to do this, @epoch have you done anything else’s you can think of other than plug it in?

I can't think of anything that I might have done. Definitely no profile software or lua mods ... both mappings are in game only.

I can't think of anything that I might have done. Definitely no profile software or lua mods ... both mappings are in game only.

It's really weird. I mean this has been a thing for so long about how these switches work in DCS. I wish we knew the secret to your success!

I just unmapped and re-mapped. Still working the same. Started in the centre position (ALT/HDG) then mapped up. Then down.

epoch, do the buttons work for you like that in the air in normal level flight, too? Because for me they don't unfortunately - only on the ground or in flight with gear down and/or in high AOA. AFAICT that is because in those situations the autopilot doesn't actually engage - in level flight it then doesn't go back to center as it has engaged. I had to mod the default.lua for the intended behavior:

I do hope that they get added officially - however, if anyone wants to add some bindings already (in \Mods\aircraft\F-16C\Input\F-16C\joystick\default.lua):

 

Toggle for CAT I/III:

{down = control_commands.StoresConfig, up = control_commands.StoresConfig, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down = 0.0, value_up = 1.0, name = _('STORES CONFIG Switch - AMS'), category = {_('Special For Joystick'), _('Left Auxiliary Console'), _('FLCS')}},

 

Toggle for AP pitch Alt:

{down = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAlt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down = 1.0, value_up = -1.0, name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ALT HOLD/AP OFF AMS'), category = {_('Special For Joystick'), _('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

 

Toggle for AP pitch Att:

{down = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT, up = control_commands.ApPitchAtt_EXT, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, value_down = -1.0, value_up = 1.0, name = _('Autopilot PITCH Switch - ATT HOLD/AP OFF AMS'), category = {_('Special For Joystick'), _('Instrument Panel'), _('FLCS')}},

 

I usually use my initials in the name of toggles I mod into the default.lua so I can search in-game for the ones I have modded by simply searching for 'AMS'. Of course feel free to name them however you like.

I've gone onto using a Target profile, but before I did, I had the three-way AP switch working fine (as well as the flaps switch used for roll/hdg), as well as occasionally not registering the centre/off until a restart (without changing binding). No idea why that would happen, but shows that something certainly isn't right with the binding.

Can't recommend this Target profile system enough:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=116454

All bindings work as they should, including 2-way Laser and Cat switches

epoch, do the buttons work for you like that in the air in normal level flight, too? Because for me they don't unfortunately - only on the ground or in flight with gear down and/or in high AOA. AFAICT that is because in those situations the autopilot doesn't actually engage - in level flight it then doesn't go back to center as it has engaged. I had to mod the default.lua for the intended behavior:

Bugger :doh: You're quite right ... it seems inconsistent in the air. I never noticed this previously (sometimes I forget to use the switch and click in-game instead). But yeah, just tested and it's fine on the ground and ... unreliable .. in the air. Sorry for the misleading info. I'll give your lua edits a try (thanks for those).

epoch, do the buttons work for you like that in the air in normal level flight, too? Because for me they don't unfortunately - only on the ground or in flight with gear down and/or in high AOA. AFAICT that is because in those situations the autopilot doesn't actually engage - in level flight it then doesn't go back to center as it has engaged. I had to mod the default.lua for the intended behavior:

Yes, well done!

The switches only work like that with weight on wheels or landing gear down, and not in the air!

Never noticed that before. Is that the same in other modules?

Makes me think, why can't the switch work that way all the time?