DCS World TARGET profile for TM Cougar and Warthog + MFDs

Home Fries,

Thanks for the status report and I'll be watching for when the update becomes available. :thumbup:

Home Fries,

 

Thanks for the status report and I'll be watching for when the update becomes available. :thumbup:

+1 :thumbup:

Another update.

First of all, thank you everybody for your patience (especially those of you who donated and want results for your contributions). I have about a week before things get busy again, so I'm working the final details this week. Now that I have large contiguous chunks of time, I can properly test, troubleshoot, and finalize the manuals. I'll need this time to apply the latest M2000C changes as well as ensure the F-86 is properly applied given the new iCommands in the module.

For those of you who fly helicopters with this profile and use the Target Center Position Trimmer Mode (and if you don't have a FFB stick, you really should use TCPTM :smilewink: ), I've been thinking about removing the H4D mapping to release the opposing trim and instead having S3 exclusively release opposing trim. This will prevent accidental flare launch and may reduce confusion, but it leaves fewer options with resetting trim. I would like to know your thoughts so that I can either keep it as is or remove H4D for the next release.

I hope to have a workable release out this weekend, and then any time spent will be bug fixes. My next project will be 2.0 of this script, which will further integrate Cougar/Warthog and MFD functionality, allow for more aircraft (currently limited to 15), separate the FC3 aircraft into separate profiles, and rework the architecture to set up for future expansion.

Home Fries,

Thanks for the update and I look forward to the upcoming release. :thumbup:

Homefries

I have been reviewing your draft manuals and cannot believe the amount of work/effort that you have put into this project. Your grasp of all the controls for the planes and your detailed explanation of commands (some of which I am beginning to understand) is unbelievable. Well worth my little contribution to this project.

I have decided to begin learning the Huey and am waiting for your next release while reading your prior documentation. Therefore, since this is my first helicopter, I have no comment on your request concerning the CPTM. How does your new method leave less options for resetting trim?

Sobe,

It helps to understand the TCPTM system. Basically, it was designed to incorporate both of the non-force-feedback DCS force trimming methods, allowing you to select which one you want to use depending on TEMPO.

The DCS force trimming methods are the classic (push button, force trim, then recenter the stick quickly so you don't double up on your motion), or the Center Position Trimmer Mode (push button, system deadens the joystick until you recenter, then re-enables the joystick).

With TCPTM, if you push CMS Z (H4P) on the Warthog (H4U on Cougar) you trim the helicopter. A quick push performs the classic trim, which can be useful if you want to do a number of quick adjustments and you don't want to recenter every time. A long push trims like the DCS CPTM, but instead uses TARGET to offset the controller in the opposite direction (effectively zeroing out the controller).

Here's where things get even better: the stick isn't dead. It's only in the opposite direction so that DCS thinks its centered. Any movement will add the adjustment, so you can still make another small adjustment without having to recenter. You can also recenter, and the stick will move in the direction opposite trim. Finally, you can hold down either H4D or S3 while recentering, and it will continuously recenter the stick in DCS, effectively keeping trim while deadening the stick. Best part is that the stick is "dead" only while the button is depressed, so if you need to move now and you don't have time to recenter the stick, you can just release the button and the stick offset in TARGET is eliminated (i.e. the stick works like normal).

This takes a bit of practice (though not much), and you'll soon be flying almost as well as with a force feeback stick.

What I am considering is removing H4D (which has other functions while not in TCPTM mode), so you need to hold S3 to deaden the stick while recentering.

Status update.

As of last night, version 1.50 for both the Cougar and Warthog is ready to go. I just set some things aside in the manual for clean-up this morning.

And wouldn't you know it...with the release of the SA342 we get a new build for DCS World to drop today. Since it's a 2.0 update, I'll press on with the release, but please advise me if there are any incompatibilities with my script (or its support files) and the latest 2.0.2 release.

EDIT: 1.50 is available. Link in the OP.

I opted to release this to the public straight out of a stable alpha. Normally I would like to do more comprehensive testing, but limited time and testers combined with the aggressive DCS releases means that at best I would always be a release behind, and my time constraints can't have me playing catch-up. As such, please advise me of any bugs you encounter, especially if they involve Cougar use (which I haven't been able to test extensively).

Given the time I spent on recent changes, I have not been able to do extensive testing. As such, please report any bugs ASAP. After all, if I don't know about them, I can't fix them!

Thank you, and great work!

Status update.

 

As of last night, version 1.50 for both the Cougar and Warthog is ready to go. I just set some things aside in the manual for clean-up this morning.

 

And wouldn't you know it...with the release of the SA342 we get a new build for DCS World to drop today. Since it's a 2.0 update, I'll press on with the release, but please advise me if there are any incompatibilities with my script (or its support files) and the latest 2.0.2 release.

 

EDIT: 1.50 is available. Link in the OP.

 

I opted to release this to the public straight out of a stable alpha. Normally I would like to do more comprehensive testing, but limited time and testers combined with the aggressive DCS releases means that at best I would always be a release behind, and my time constraints can't have me playing catch-up. As such, please advise me of any bugs you encounter, especially if they involve Cougar use (which I haven't been able to test extensively).

 

Given the time I spent on recent changes, I have not been able to do extensive testing. As such, please report any bugs ASAP. After all, if I don't know about them, I can't fix them!

Hi Home Fries,

I was delighted to see that v1.50 was now available for download, but unfortunately I can't download it from Box. The Box download page says "We're sorry, but we can't preview .7z files" and neither of the download buttons seem to work. :(

I looked in the BOX Knowledge Base Index and it seems that anyone assigned access to a file in Box as a previewer can't download the file and my guess is that I might have been assigned access as a previewer, but then my knowledge of and experience with Box is close to zero. :(

Any ideas on how I might be able to get v1.50?

I seem to have a problem downloading from Box. When I click the download button, nothing happens.

I seem to have a problem downloading from Box. When I click the download button, nothing happens.

...Any ideas on how I might be able to get v1.50?

Dang! I checked the permissions and they're all good. I was hoping this issue was squared away over the last few months.

Anyway, I have also mirrored the profile to my public Dropbox folder, but please only use this if the Box.com download doesn't work for you.

Dang! I checked the permissions and they're all good. I was hoping this issue was squared away over the last few months.

 

Anyway, I have also mirrored the profile to my public Dropbox folder, but please only use this if the Box.com download doesn't work for you.

Thanks Home Fries.

The Dropbox mirror worked perfectly. :thumbup:

BTW...This was only the second time that I have tried to download a file from Box and couldn't do it and it seems that I am not the only one that has this problem as a Google search displayed numerous folks that have the same problem with no solution readily available. :(

Box didn't work for me either, sorry.

Thanks for all the hard work :)

I cannot seem to make any of the Tracker commands with the Control and shift keys. It only seems to recognize the F keys so "control+shift+F12" will not work. Do I have to go into the tracker file and do it by hand and if so, what does the line read?

I cannot seem to make any of the Tracker commands with the Control and shift keys. It only seems to recognize the F keys so "control+shift+F12" will not work. Do I have to go into the tracker file and do it by hand and if so, what does the line read?

If you don't want to change your TrackIR commands, you can always go into the dcs world.ttm file (the macro file) and change the commands near the top to whatever you use now.

I chose CTL+SHF+F9/F12 because they're not used by DCS. In the TrackIR software, you can create a DCS profile and assign the center and pause commands by selecting the action (e.g. pause, center) from a combo box, then clicking the "key" button and entering CTL+SHF+F9 for pause and CTL+SHF+F12 for center. Then set that profile to run during DCS World, Black Shark, and DCS A-10C just to make sure that the profile gets activated when you launch DCS World.

I guess this assumes that you're using TrackIR, as I have no experience with Freetrack/FaceNoir, etc.

awesome work. thanks so much for starting v2.0 support!

From Homefries:

I chose CTL+SHF+F9/F12 because they're not used by DCS. In the TrackIR software, you can create a DCS profile and assign the center and pause commands by selecting the action (e.g. pause, center) from a combo box, then clicking the "key" button and entering CTL+SHF+F9 for pause and CTL+SHF+F12 for center. Then set that profile to run during DCS World, Black Shark, and DCS A-10C just to make sure that the profile gets activated when you launch DCS World.

I tried that method but for some reason, control and shift will not appear in the key box. I guess that I could enter the USB commands for control and shift directly in the profile, if I can locate them.

I tried that method but for some reason, control and shift will not appear in the key box. I guess that I could enter the USB commands for control and shift directly in the profile, if I can locate them.

Call me Captain Obvious, but I just saw the TrackIR4 in your signature, so the FaceNoir was a non-starter.:doh: Just want to make sure you're using version 5 of the TrackIR software though; I use 5.4.1 with my TIR4 and have no problem with the function keys.

Home Fries

Yes, I am using the latest version 5 of the tracker software with the tracker 4 hardware. If I change to just an F key for commands such as the F15, do I put USB_F15 or just F15 in replacement? The problem is not with the F keys, but with the modifiers control and shift that will not appear in the key box.

You can define the expanded F keys in TARGET (like USB_F15). Hopefully it will match up properly.

The USB_xxx commands are part of a header library called util_usb.tmh by Ivanwfr. This header comes up whenever you compile dcs world.tmc in the script editor. You can look in that library to see what the simplified commands are for each USB address and figure out what you can and can't use.

Additionally, since the TrackIR profiles are stored in XML format, you can always open them up in Notepad++ and replace the Pause/Center hotkeys with the following entry:

  <Hotkey>
   <Name>Center</Name>
   <ActionID>1</ActionID>
   <Key>393339</Key>
   <Enable>1</Enable>
   <Toggle>1</Toggle>
   <Trap>1</Trap>
   <IsDevice>0</IsDevice>
   <DeviceGuid>{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</DeviceGuid>
   <ButtonID>0</ButtonID>
 </Hotkey>
 <Hotkey>
   <Name>Pause</Name>
   <ActionID>2</ActionID>
   <Key>393336</Key>
   <Enable>1</Enable>
   <Toggle>1</Toggle>
   <Trap>1</Trap>
   <IsDevice>0</IsDevice>
   <DeviceGuid>{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</DeviceGuid>
   <ButtonID>0</ButtonID>
 </Hotkey>

Home fries

I have been using F15-17 for my Tracker hot keys. The usb codes that I have assigned to them in the profile for several years are

F15 126 Center

F16 127 Pause

F17 128 Prec.

When I looked at the util_usb.tmh file, the green column has different numbers. I don't know if usb code numbers are assignable or I am just confused. In the Huey profile, using USB_F15 worked for center (S3 and S4) in the Huey profile, but using USB_F16 or just plain F16 did not seem to work for pause (S3 and H1D long). Will try some more ideas.

PS Nor could I understand the following in your tracker profile for the Center Key

<Key>393339</Key>

Another Idea

Home Fries

So after playing with my tracker software, I still cannot get it to accept control and shift modifiers and F16 does not work.

I have attached my standard DCS profile and would appreciate if you have the time, to load it on your computer and rekey the commands to be consistent with your modifiers and F keys and send it back to me. I will understand if you don't have the time to do it.

sobe

GOT IT. PERHAPS IT IS MY KEYBOARD????

Sobe tracker.zip

Glad you got it working. What was the issue, and what did you to do fix it? I ask so that we can better troubleshoot if anybody else has a similar issue.

Home Fries

I could never get it to work with my tracker software. So I sent my old tracker profile to a friend and told him how I want the keys assigned and he did it and sent the profile back to me. When I opened up the profile, the keys were assigned as per your script. Below is the part of the profile dealing with center, pause and precision beginning at around line 205:

<Hotkey>

<Name>Center</Name>

<ActionID>1</ActionID>

<Key>393339</Key>

<Enable>1</Enable>

<Toggle>1</Toggle>

<Trap>1</Trap>

<IsDevice>0</IsDevice>

<DeviceGuid>{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</DeviceGuid>

<ButtonID>0</ButtonID>

</Hotkey>

<Hotkey>

<Name>Pause</Name>

<ActionID>2</ActionID>

<Key>393336</Key>

<Enable>0</Enable>

<Toggle>1</Toggle>

<Trap>1</Trap>

<IsDevice>0</IsDevice>

<DeviceGuid>{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</DeviceGuid>

<ButtonID>0</ButtonID>

</Hotkey>

<Hotkey>

<Name>Precision</Name>

<ActionID>3</ActionID>

<Key>393338</Key>

<Enable>0</Enable>

<Toggle>1</Toggle>

<Trap>1</Trap>

<IsDevice>0</IsDevice>

<DeviceGuid>{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</DeviceGuid>

<ButtonID>0</ButtonID>

I would suggest that if anyone else has my problem, then all they would have to do is insert the numbers that appear in the line <Key>xxxxxxx</Key>

I cannot explain why I have the problem, but now I am setting up your profile for the Huey.

Home Fries

I have a question on the 3 Huey diff files

Target UH1 hc v1.40.diff, kb v1.40.diff and wh v 140.diff

First, do I load these diff files before or after I run the TMC script? I assume after?

Next, what is the "hc" stand for?

Once I load the tmc file, I assume that the joystick and throttle columns will be gone and a new TM combined column will appear. So the kb diff would go in the keyboard column and the wh would go in the TM combined column ? and where does the hc diff file go?

What about the Huey file in "_Custom Lua" ? When do I put that file in? Before or after I load up the TMC file? What about the wh v140.diff file?

As you can see, I am confused on using target as I have mostly just programed the controls directly in the game either by using my own profile or one of Polaris' profiles, so I am unsure of the order of things when using target.