Oolite Bulletins

Hi all,

This is my first post after I have discovered OOLite in a link from the investor’s board for Elite Dangerous.

I have a question about joystick detection and setting up.

I’m using a thrustmaster Warthog Hotas system and a set of RCS pedals. Now the stick and throttle are on separate usb connectors and the only way to get the rudders to work is to connect through my old cougar stick.

Oolite detects the cougar and rcs as stick 1 and the Warthog stick as stick 2 but won’t detect the throttle so I have a load of programmable buttons and a throttle I can't use.

Are we limited to 2 sticks or is there any way to get it to detect 3 sticks? If not how do I get it to pick up my warthog and throttle without disconnecting my cougar every time?

Thanks BB

Hi BeastieBoy, and welcome to the friendliest board this side of Riedquat!

I'm no joystick expert, but if there was some kind of connector like a usb hub, so that the stick and throttle could use the same usb port, then they might be detected as the same device? Again, I'm no expert, but I don't see why that wouldn't work.

Hi Beastie-
I have a Cougar HOTAS and CH Prod Pro-Pedal setup at home (I'm on the road for business till the weekend). My throttle connects to the stick (via DB9) and the stick connects to the computer over USB. The Pro-Pedals connect to the computer also over USB. This setup works fine for Oolite, and it detected as three joysticks IIRC. Not sure what help I can be other than confirming that I do have a HOTAS + Pedal set up similar to yours working with Oolite. If I can be of further help, I gladly will be. Elsewise, the boffins will be along shortly.

I am not sure if one can somehow trick the operating system to think that two or more joysticks appear as one, but there is a hardcoded value of 2 for the maximum number of sticks supported in the game.

You can at least use an application to convert this third controller's buttons into keyboard presses. You won't get the axis out of it, but at least you'll have the buttons at your fingertips. For Windows, such a free little application is JoyToKey.

I think JoyToKey can do mouse emulation, so you might be able to manage something with an extra axis there too. I never messed with the axis settings on it (only used it so I could have a steering-wheel button set to activate TeamSpeak, which required a keyboard input), but you might be able to get the throttle to activate the Increase Speed and Decrease Speed keyboard commands, with a dead zone in the middle, so while it wouldn't work ideally, you'd at least be able to have Speed Up, Steady, and Slow Down positions.

G'day BeastieBoy, and welcome aboard!

HAL wrote:

I'm no joystick expert, but if there was some kind of connector like a usb hub, so that the stick and throttle could use the same usb port, then they might be detected as the same device? Again, I'm no expert, but I don't see why that wouldn't work.

Sorry.. won't work.. they will still be identified by the OS as separate devices.

Keeper wrote:

For Windows, such a free little application is JoyToKey.

And on Linux, the equivalent programs are QJoyPad and Rejoystick.

Keeper wrote:

You can at least use an application to convert this third controller's buttons into keyboard presses. You won't get the axis out of it, but at least you'll have the buttons at your fingertips. For Windows, such a free little application is JoyToKey.

I think JoyToKey can do mouse emulation, so you might be able to manage something with an extra axis there too. I never messed with the axis settings on it (only used it so I could have a steering-wheel button set to activate TeamSpeak, which required a keyboard input), but you might be able to get the throttle to activate the Increase Speed and Decrease Speed keyboard commands, with a dead zone in the middle, so while it wouldn't work ideally, you'd at least be able to have Speed Up, Steady, and Slow Down positions.

The problem is I'd prefer it to pick up the throttle and not the cougar. I don't need any emulation software as the T.A.R.G.E.T software produced for the Warthog is far superior to anything on the market. I have over 350 programmable possibilities for the joystick and throttle buttons and switched alone all of which are dynamic and can either be single presses or macros and all of which can be specifically timed. I doubt "joytokey" would do better than that.

Is there anywhere where I can force it to only look at 2 sticks I want and ignore the third? A control settings file maybe? I have looked in the configuration folder but all I can see is a key binding file.

Thanks for all the help so far,

BB

Hi all.

Fixed it. you have to run a T.A.R.G.E.T script with both the warthog Throttle and Stick selected but not the cougar. once the gane starts the script detect the Oolite executable and then the warthog is detected as the secomnd stick as the combines stick and throttle. Problem solved. This allows throttle and stick axis on stic 2 and detects the cougar as a sep[arate stick and gives the rudder pedals axis on the first stick. So all 2 axes are now working.

YAY

Hope this helps others in the future. The Warthog isnt exactly cheap but its definately powerful once you learn how to program it properly. Unfortunately the manual didnt cover this or how the separte throttle and stick are handled.

Thnaks for the help all.

BB

Great news!

Wow.. that is one seriously sexy bit of kit.

(and at $450+, I guess it should be! )

Hi All,

Yes it's sexy, and I have been saving up for a while to get one. Had to extend my desk shelf to fit it on and screw it down as it is larger than the cougar.

I got it for flight sims, I use DCS blackshark and A-10C a lot as well as Falcon4 with add on theaters alot and you need a decent HOTAS set up to fly them properly.

Looking forward to the new relaease of Over Flanders Fields as well best WW1 sim out there, with HOTAS, Track IR and 3D it's amazing. That and of course Elite: Dangerous.

Alpha should be out around March for that can't wait. Even better in 3D.

BB