F18 Hotas shortcuts

Looking at the early access manual, the F16 Hotas can control pretty much everything ok the MFDs radar etc... The F18 seems a bit limited in this aspect. Are more shortcuts coming later in the early access or it's like this in real life?

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HOTAS controls in Navy birds are not as complex, it is modelled very nearly true to real life already, with a few missing things.

Its like the Navy does not like sharing best practices in HOTAS/system management integration, even when it has been clearly outclassed by smart design by their colleagues in the Air Force.

The hotas function in the A10C for example is a piece of art, almost any combat function can be called from there, and the F16C HOTAS is just as good.

I guess that's where hacking around with your joystick's programming comes in to it's own.

I've set things up to use HOTAS as much as possible.

When (if) A-G radar gets implemented that'll be another development in the integration process !!! :lol:

I guess that's where hacking around with your joystick's programming comes in to it's own.

I've set things up to use HOTAS as much as possible.

 

When (if) A-G radar gets implemented that'll be another development in the integration process !!! :lol:

I know what you mean XD. I've managed to get an almost hands on stick profile for the hornet for most combat functions including changing scale in the SA page, however if I need to call the amraam when conducting an A2G mission because a bandit is close, then i loose my precious FLIR and my A2G ordinacne seltection and need to click MFD buttons again... you'd think that setting AG master mode again would get you to where you were before callin A2A mode...nope.

We are missing HOTAS shortcuts in the Hornet. IRL, SCS Aft changes between the HSI and the SA page on the AMPCD, SCS Right will bring up the Radar on the RDDI in A/A mode. I think I'm forgetting something, but in any event, the above two exist, if not more.

We are missing HOTAS shortcuts in the Hornet. IRL, SCS Down changes between the HSI and the SA page on the AMPCD, SCS Right will bring up the Radar on the RDDI in A/A mode. I think I'm forgetting something, but in any event, the above two exist, if not more.

That is interesting Harker, though TBH even those shortcuts or functions won't bring a lot, for example bringing up the SA page or HSI page would be nice if the HOTAS would allow to change range scale or change waypoints, but right now that is not possible (I hope is just WIP), so actually making the HSI SOI is useless as you cant do anything.

Regarding the second function I'm not sure i quite understand it since selecting any air to air weapon already bring up the Radar page in A/A mode, also clicking on the A2A main master mode I think. But maybe it has some utility I can't see right now so better that than nothing at all.

SCS Aft (I wrote SCS Down before, my bad) will simply switch between displaying the HSI and the SA page. That one is important, for me at least. I don't know if it also makes the page SOI in the process.

As for SCR Right bringing up the Radar, I'm also not sure if I understand the reasoning, it's just something I saw mentioned by people who knew better than me. It might be applicable in NAV mode as well, ie. if you don't have a sensor on the RDDI, it brings up the Radar.

Definitely though, the HOTAS functionality is not very good, nothing like the F-16C and A-10C. But it'd be nice to get what little the Hornet has IRL.

It would be really awesome if we could get bindable actions for the controls setup like next and previous waypoint, radar range +/-, SA and HSI scale, and CMDS mode step.

I know those commands may not be realistic, but neither is having to click around the cockpit with a mouse. I've managed to hack all those commands into my HOTAS setup, but they're all dependent on a specific DDI page being in the right place. It would be nice to be able to bind the functions directly.

HOTAS controls in Navy birds are not as complex, it is modelled very nearly true to real life already, with a few missing things.

There’s actually a substantial amount of hotas controls missing, in large part because functions aren't in yet. Also it’s not navy vs Air Force, but rather McDonald Douglas vs General Dynamics (note Grumman’s were different as well).

To answer the question, because the stick is missing a 4-way Co pared to others a lot of the controls are context sensitive, dependent on master mode, page disk play on ddi where TDC priority, whether a l&s exists, etc.

Someone else mentioned scs left swapping hsi/SA page, If not tac will bring up stores. In AA, scs left will bring up az/El. Scs right from non tac page or weapon select will bring up attack radar and enter AA, except gun is gacq.

There are hotas commands to change radar range scale and azimuth sweep already game. Bump cursor over top (dug out) or bottom lines then quickly back into scan region to increase or decrease range. TDC depress in AZ sweep will display scan options which can be selected with TDC depress.

Some of the most important controls aren't in because we don't have the functionality yet. Undesignate button is particularly useful, as it will cycle l&s through MC ranked track files, or if a dt2 exists it will swap l&s and dt2. None of the bump acquisition controls are in. These change based on whether you entered STT via fast aq. or AACQ, in which case scs right will exit STT and exclude current track while searches for another. If from ACM, e.g. Boresight, scs forward will bump RTS and exclude current track but for shorter ti e period (iirc it's like 2 seconds vs 10). TDC depress on radar if not over a track file centers scan azimuth on that point (only to gimbal limit of current sweep however), TDC depress held enters spotlight on that areas.

What else... Weapon select enters AA master mode, if in ACM weapon select again for current weapon will exit ACM (unless in gaqc). There's a bunch of AG radar and hud stuff. Iirc with hud set TDC priority, scs forward in AG will enter agr, scs twice quickly will emcom. Cage will toggle loft if aim-7 selected, if AA mode and no l&s enter flood, if nav mode u cage hud.

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting. While most pilots would probably say they prefer the viper style, once complete the hornet’s much more fluid/fast than currently modeled.

I stand corrected, thanks for the details :)

There’s actually a substantial amount of hotas controls missing, in large part because functions aren't in yet. Also it’s not navy vs Air Force, but rather McDonald Douglas vs General Dynamics (note Grumman’s were different as well).

 

To answer the question, because the stick is missing a 4-way Co pared to others a lot of the controls are context sensitive, dependent on master mode, page disk play on ddi where TDC priority, whether a l&s exists, etc.

 

Someone else mentioned scs left swapping hsi/SA page, If not tac will bring up stores. In AA, scs left will bring up az/El. Scs right from non tac page or weapon select will bring up attack radar and enter AA, except gun is gacq.

 

There are hotas commands to change radar range scale and azimuth sweep already game. Bump cursor over top (dug out) or bottom lines then quickly back into scan region to increase or decrease range. TDC depress in AZ sweep will display scan options which can be selected with TDC depress.

 

Some of the most important controls aren't in because we don't have the functionality yet. Undesignate button is particularly useful, as it will cycle l&s through MC ranked track files, or if a dt2 exists it will swap l&s and dt2. None of the bump acquisition controls are in. These change based on whether you entered STT via fast aq. or AACQ, in which case scs right will exit STT and exclude current track while searches for another. If from ACM, e.g. Boresight, scs forward will bump RTS and exclude current track but for shorter ti e period (iirc it's like 2 seconds vs 10). TDC depress on radar if not over a track file centers scan azimuth on that point (only to gimbal limit of current sweep however), TDC depress held enters spotlight on that areas.

 

What else... Weapon select enters AA master mode, if in ACM weapon select again for current weapon will exit ACM (unless in gaqc). There's a bunch of AG radar and hud stuff. Iirc with hud set TDC priority, scs forward in AG will enter agr, scs twice quickly will emcom. Cage will toggle loft if aim-7 selected, if AA mode and no l&s enter flood, if nav mode u cage hud.

 

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting. While most pilots would probably say they prefer the viper style, once complete the hornet’s much more fluid/fast than currently modeled.

Thank you for this! Clue as to get in to the command_defs.lua and fiddle further. If you have time to steer me to the doc with more of this info (my apologies if it's in the manual) I'd be much obliged.