Oolite Bulletins

Hi there,

Apologies if this is in the wrong place, but I've just found this game and remember wasting spending many hours playing the original Elite, so had to download it!

What I'm trying to do is to find out how to map the Zoom/ Unzoom keys onto my Joystick (ProFlight USB JS282) as it's very annoying having to take my hand off the controls and try to locate the correct keys on the keyboard every time I want to change zoom

I've tried searching but can't find an answer to this, so I hope someone can help.

Cheers,
Graham.

Hi and welcome

After a quick look at the code, it looks like we have... ehm... forgotten a few pieces of functionality from the joystick button setting methods and the zoom button seems to be one of them (the unzoom button has not even been defined yet for joysticks). I can try and fix that, but we'd need some help to test that the fix works and that implies that you (or anyone with a joystick willing to test) installs the nightly that will be generated tomorrow and gives us feedback on how things look. You can find information about the nightly builds in one of the sticky posts for the platform you use.

In the meantime, it may be possible to use an external key-to-stick mapping tool but I am afraid I cannot provide more detailed information as I don't use a joystick and cannot test any potential candidate apps.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Sure, I can download the nightly build, I'm just surprised nobody's commented on this before!

Graham wrote:

I'm just surprised nobody's commented on this before!

I've got a dozen buttons on my 'stick, and all of them are already in use - zoom via KB was/is fine.

Oh yeah - welcome aboard!

The zoom and unzoom scanner stick button functionality has now gone in (commit 18f1383). While there, I also added the button for jettisoning cargo using the joystick.

There are still a few more, but I think that their functionality is pretty low priority for joystick (like compass switching), but if this works OK and there is any demand for it, I guess it should not be a problem adding those in too.

I'd need to be able to utilise the hat switch to accomodate all those, Admiral - but I'll check 'em out tomorrow.

another_commander wrote:

While there, I also added the button for jettisoning cargo using the joystick

How about engaging the witchdrive? That was the only thing I found that I couldn't map to the stick that I really wanted to.

another_commander wrote:

or anyone with a joystick willing to test

I'll give it a look.

Stormrider wrote:

How about engaging the witchdrive? That was the only thing I found that I couldn't map to the stick that I really wanted to.

Done. Commit 9f8071a.

Cody wrote:

Graham wrote:

I'm just surprised nobody's commented on this before!

I've got a dozen buttons on my 'stick

So do I, but I'd like to be able to zoom without having to take my left hand off the stick, try to find the right key and then returning it, rinse and repeat as necessary.

all of them are already in use - zoom via KB was/is fine.

At the moment I have these buttons set up:

1 - Fire
2 - Missile
3 - Toggle ID Scanner
5 - Track incoming missile
6 - Next target
4 - Previous target
11 - Precision movement
7 - Cycle cargo
8 - Jettison cargo

I'd like to use 9 and 10 as Zoom and Reset. 12 is free at the moment, but will probably get used for something when I can afford to upgrade.

Oh yeah - welcome aboard!

Thanks! (I'll try not to scuff the paintwork on the walls until I get a Docking Computer installed! )

<chortles> Docking computers? Never use 'em - never have used 'em!

Cody wrote:

<chortles> Docking computers? Never use 'em - never have used 'em!

Well if you like doing things the hard way...

Admittedly it's not quite as much fun as the old BBC Micro version where you could line up on the station, slam in at full drive, then, at the last minute, hit the Docking Computer button and bingo, you're docked!

Graham wrote:

Admittedly it's not quite as much fun as the old BBC Micro version where you could line up on the station, slam in at full drive, then, at the last minute, hit the Docking Computer button and bingo, you're docked!

Wimp! Here we line up with the station and hit the injectors.

Smivs wrote:

Here we line up with the station and hit the injectors.

<grins> Here, we line up with rock hermits and hit the torus drive!

another_commander wrote:

There are still a few more, but I think that their functionality is pretty low priority for joystick (like compass switching), but if this works OK and there is any demand for it, I guess it should not be a problem adding those in too.

Speaking personally, I think it ought to be possible to map any key to a joystick button.. you never know how somebody might like things set up.. and some sticks have a lot of buttons.

Cody wrote:

Smivs wrote:

Here we line up with the station and hit the injectors.

<grins> Here, we line up with rock hermits and hit the torus drive!

Some folks just love showing off, eh?..

(though seriously Graham [welcome aboard, btw!] I'm told that once you have the knack, it's actually easier to do that than dock normally.. it just looks scary as hell..)