Using a controller

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NEANDERTHAL
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Using a controller

Post by NEANDERTHAL »

Does anyone have any ideas for a good keymapping for playing with an Xbox One controller, either with a "joystick-to-keyboard" or with the game's own facilities?
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Re: Using a controller

Post by phkb »

I use a Logitech F310, which has the same button/stick layout, and this is what I have set:

Left stick up/down: pitch up/down
Left stick left/right: yaw left/right (I know, I know...)
Left stick push: Request docking clearance (Shift-L)

Right stick up/down: speed increase/decrease (W/S)
Right stick left/right: roll left/right
Right stick push: ECM (E)

4 way hat: views (F1/2/3/4)

A Button: Fire laser (A)
B Button: Fire missile (M)
X Button: Space compass next target (\)
Y Button: Missile target seek (T)

View Button (Back button on the F310): Fast activate second equipment (ie Tab key)
Menu Button (Start button on the F310): Begin hyperspace countdown (H)

LB: Engage torus (J)
RB: Injectors (I)
LT: Fast activate first equipment (ie 0 key)
RT: Activate ID recognition (R)

Hope this helps!
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Re: Using a controller

Post by Bugbear »

Related to this - I started playing with an X Box One controller on my Ubuntu box. I've noticed some differences between using that and my Logitech 3D Pro, specifically with regards to the analogue joystick throw limits (not sure if that's the right terminology but I hope that I can communicate clearly enough).

As an example, on the Logitech, you can get full left and up deflection simultaneously, but on the XBoxOne controller, you can get either full left, or full up but not both. Mechanically I can see that this is because the XBox stick sits in a 'circle' on the controller.

A consequence of the XBox controller design is that stick deflection can only be a maximum of 1 unit away from neutral, whereas for the Logitech (which appears to have a square 'template'), the diagonal deflections can be greater than '1'.

Anyone else noticed this?

:::UPDATE:::
So it turns out setting the response curve using splines is a satisfactory workaround to this behaviour - I just need to make sure that I don't change controllers very often
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Re: Using a controller

Post by Yodeebe »

Bugbear wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2017 6:01 am

A consequence of the XBox controller design is that stick deflection can only be a maximum of 1 unit away from neutral, whereas for the Logitech (which appears to have a square 'template'), the diagonal deflections can be greater than '1'.

Anyone else noticed this?
Yup. It's quite hard getting the balance between yaw left & pitch up, when you're trying to hit a diagonal.

Bugbear wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2017 6:01 am

:::UPDATE:::
So it turns out setting the response curve using splines is a satisfactory workaround to this behaviour - I just need to make sure that I don't change controllers very often
'Splines?'
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Re: Using a controller

Post by Cody »

Yodeebe wrote: Fri Dec 22, 2017 10:56 am
Splines? What is this?
See here.
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Re: Using a controller

Post by kcallis »

phkb wrote: Sun Jun 18, 2017 4:47 am
I use a Logitech F310, which has the same button/stick layout, and this is what I have set:

Left stick push: Request docking clearance (Shift-L)
Thanks for the configuration, because although I had configured my gamepad, it never seem to be optimal. I am somewhat bummed out since my LT seems to have failed, but that is life sometimes. I have been looking at the config options, and I am confused on what hot to activate the "Request docking clearance". I have gone back and forth, but have let to see where I can activate that on the controller.
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Re: Using a controller

Post by phkb »

I use some Logitech software that allows for keyboard functions to be allocated to buttons. That allows me to have the Shift-L function to request docking clearance allocated.
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Re: Using a controller

Post by kcallis »

I just installed the Logitech software and then immediately ignored it since I thought it would not provide any functionality to Oolite. So how does one use the Logitech software and make it usable for Oolite? Or do I setup the buttons, triggers and hat under the Logitech software and launch oolite from that app? If that is the correct way to use the Logitech software, does one remove the joystick configuration in the F2 menu?

I will say that it is taking me a minute to get familiar with the new layout...
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Re: Using a controller

Post by phkb »

The Logitech software needs to be running, and it needs to have a profile loaded that points to the install location of Oolite, but you don’t have to launch Oolite from the software directly. I usually just keep the app in the background, and all I have to do sometimes is, after starting Oolite, it alt-tab to the Logitech app, then switch straight back to Oolite. That seems to get everything working ok.

As for the way you configure the app and Oolite, you can pretty much mix-n-match whatever you prefer. I’ve put a lot of config into the Logitech app, but there are still some functions I put directly into Oolite. The only trick is to not double-stack your functions - ie. assigning a button in the app as well in Oolite. That could get confusing.
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Re: Using a controller

Post by DataPacRat »

phkb wrote: Sun Jun 18, 2017 4:47 am
I use a Logitech F310, which has the same button/stick layout, and this is what I have set:

Left stick up/down: pitch up/down
Left stick left/right: yaw left/right (I know, I know...)
Left stick push: Request docking clearance (Shift-L)

Right stick up/down: speed increase/decrease (W/S)
Right stick left/right: roll left/right
Right stick push: ECM (E)

4 way hat: views (F1/2/3/4)

A Button: Fire laser (A)
B Button: Fire missile (M)
X Button: Space compass next target (\)
Y Button: Missile target seek (T)

View Button (Back button on the F310): Fast activate second equipment (ie Tab key)
Menu Button (Start button on the F310): Begin hyperspace countdown (H)

LB: Engage torus (J)
RB: Injectors (I)
LT: Fast activate first equipment (ie 0 key)
RT: Activate ID recognition (R)

Hope this helps!
I've just gotten a "Horipad for Xbox One" working on Linux, and at least generally working in Oolite - I can use the left stick to turn the ship, and I've mapped some of the buttons. So that's all good. :)

However, the LT and RT buttons aren't actually buttons, they're "axis" triggers, which can be pulled partway down, which means Oolite isn't letting me map them to any button-only tasks. Anyone care to suggest whether there's anything useful for them to do in Oolite?

Also, in my version of Oolite, I can't seem to find entries for all of the above options - some are just renamed, but I can't seem to find an option to request docking clearance at all. Am I missing something obvious?

(Next up: figuring out what sort of splines I might want...)
Thank you for your time,
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Re: Using a controller

Post by phkb »

DataPacRat wrote:
Also, in my version of Oolite, I can't seem to find entries for all of the above options
I'm doing some of the control for these tasks through the Logitech software, which allows me to do complex key sequences and assign them to buttons. Oolite doesn't realise I'm pressing a button on my stick - all it sees is the "Shift-L" being "pressed".
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Re: Using a controller

Post by kcallis »

phkb wrote: Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:03 am
DataPacRat wrote:
Also, in my version of Oolite, I can't seem to find entries for all of the above options
I'm doing some of the control for these tasks through the Logitech software, which allows me to do complex key sequences and assign them to buttons. Oolite doesn't realise I'm pressing a button on my stick - all it sees is the "Shift-L" being "pressed".
I have tried every trick, but I can't seem to get shift L to work. Would you export your configuration. Also also noticed that my throttle drops to 50%, if I drop it down to full stop and release the throttle, it automatically goes back to half speed.
Last edited by kcallis on Wed Feb 21, 2018 6:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Using a controller

Post by phkb »

Oolite-Trunk.zip (zipped copy of Logitech settings XML file). I may have tweaked the layout a little since I posted those details earlier, but hopefully this will help a bit.
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