Oolite Bulletins

As I understand it, Oolite has support for up to 4 devices. I've got a Saitek X56 stick and throttle, but when I try to set them up, the game only recognizes the stick. I can't seem to get it to bind any of the throttle buttons or axes. The game "sees" the throttle (it shows as Stick 2 at the top of the config screen) but it doesn't respond to any controls when I try to bind them.

Any ideas, or is there something specific I need to do to set up the second device?

Welcome aboard, Commander! Can't help with your HOTAS problem, I'm afraid, but hopefully someone who can may be along soon.

arquebus wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 6:10 am

As I understand it, Oolite has support for up to 4 devices. I've got a Saitek X56 stick and throttle, but when I try to set them up, the game only recognizes the stick. I can't seem to get it to bind any of the throttle buttons or axes. The game "sees" the throttle (it shows as Stick 2 at the top of the config screen) but it doesn't respond to any controls when I try to bind them.

Any ideas, or is there something specific I need to do to set up the second device?

Welcome to the dreaded Oolite BB!

I've a Thrustmaster stick & throttle set. When I try and set them up the AppleMac only recognises the stick - and bits of buttons on the throttle. On Windows, it works fine. Similar fun and games with CH's stick and throttle. Neither throttle works on the AppleMac, just on windows.

What is your operating system?


Great name, by the way. I was reading a sixteenth century autobiography (of a chap living in Venice). He and some chums were invited to a wedding in Bologna (I think...) and they hired some arquebusiers to protect them on the journey. Well, some brigands attacked, and the arquebusiers turned and legged it... and the chap got scragged, and lost some of his chums.

With Oolite as the future, and the glorious past as I discover it... I must say, I'm jolly lucky to be living where and when I currently am!

I'm on a Windows 10 PC. (I also have a Mac but I use an 8BitDo controller there.)

It seems like it should work, and it seems like I shouldn't need to do anything extra to make it work. I haven't found any instructions on "how to set up multiple devices" - making me think it's supposed to be accessibly by default.

arquebus wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:41 pm

I'm on a Windows 10 PC. (I also have a Mac but I use an 8BitDo controller there.)

It seems like it should work, and it seems like I shouldn't need to do anything extra to make it work. I haven't found any instructions on "how to set up multiple devices" - making me think it's supposed to be accessibly by default.

Well, my equipment is much simpler than yours. But I had no issues at all with windows. I just did what the Oolite screens told me to do, and ... Bingo!

But this is incredible! You can get a complex HOTAS to work on your Mac with 8BitDo? Well done! How did you find out about it? I must have spent months searching the web, to no avail.

Cholmondely wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:49 pm

arquebus wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:41 pm

I'm on a Windows 10 PC. (I also have a Mac but I use an 8BitDo controller there.)

It seems like it should work, and it seems like I shouldn't need to do anything extra to make it work. I haven't found any instructions on "how to set up multiple devices" - making me think it's supposed to be accessibly by default.

Well, my equipment is much simpler than yours. But I had no issues at all with windows. I just did what the Oolite screens told me to do, and ... Bingo!

But this is incredible! You can get a complex HOTAS to work on your Mac with 8BitDo? Well done! How did you find out about it? I must have spent months searching the web, to no avail.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I don't use a HOTAS on my Mac, just a regular 8BitDo N30 Pro controller. But when I play on my Windows PC, I (want to) use my Saitek X56.

I do what the Oolite screens tell me to do as well, but when I press a button or use an axis on my throttle in the settings screen, nothing happens. I can only bind buttons on the stick, even though the throttle shows up as Stick 2 at the top of the screen.

arquebus wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 9:07 pm

I do what the Oolite screens tell me to do as well, but when I press a button or use an axis on my throttle in the settings screen, nothing happens. I can only bind buttons on the stick, even though the throttle shows up as Stick 2 at the top of the screen.

I would probably run into the same issue. So far I have not bothered setting up my Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 joystick. And once I got there, I might go on and configure my second joystick, the CH Flight Pedals.

arquebus wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 6:10 am

As I understand it, Oolite has support for up to 4 devices. I've got a Saitek X56 stick and throttle, but when I try to set them up, the game only recognizes the stick. I can't seem to get it to bind any of the throttle buttons or axes. The game "sees" the throttle (it shows as Stick 2 at the top of the config screen) but it doesn't respond to any controls when I try to bind them.

Any ideas, or is there something specific I need to do to set up the second device?

hmm, interesting problem.
I have an X52, works well on both Windows 10 and Kubuntu Linux. Oolite sees all the main axis (stick X, Y, and R, and throttle Z) while seeing a single controller. But I'm using the latest drivers and profiling software...

Since Saitek/Mad catz went t*ts-up, Logitech took over support for many of their devices, including the X series hotas. Find it here.

For those who have issues with Oolite not recognizing throttle inputs from HOTAS devices, can you please try substituting the SDL.dll file found inside your oolite.app folder with the one downloaded from here?

The new DLL is patched to recognize the additional throttle axes. Please let me know how it works for you.

another_commander wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:29 pm

For those who have issues with Oolite not recognizing throttle inputs from HOTAS devices, can you please try substituting the SDL.dll file found inside your oolite.app folder with the one downloaded from here?

The new DLL is patched to recognize the additional throttle axes. Please let me know how it works for you.

It doesn't appear to have an effect. The game recognizes the existence of the throttle (as before) but I still cannot assign any control axes or hotkeys to it.

arquebus wrote: ↑Thu Apr 28, 2022 2:46 am

another_commander wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:29 pm

For those who have issues with Oolite not recognizing throttle inputs from HOTAS devices, can you please try substituting the SDL.dll file found inside your oolite.app folder with the one downloaded from here?

The new DLL is patched to recognize the additional throttle axes. Please let me know how it works for you.

It doesn't appear to have an effect. The game recognizes the existence of the throttle (as before) but I still cannot assign any control axes or hotkeys to it.

Did you hop over to the Logitech support page I linked above, and grabbed the latest software?
Also there's some tips there on how to fix issues that crop up with the X56

Cmdr Wyvern wrote: ↑Thu Apr 28, 2022 3:59 am

Did you hop over to the Logitech support page I linked above, and grabbed the latest software?
Also there's some tips there on how to fix issues that crop up with the X56

I didn't have to; while I did state that I have a "Saitek X56", that's the name it retained even after the original company was bought by Logitech. It's a Logitech device, and it's running the current Logitech drivers, with the current Logitech software installed. The issue in Oolite isn't really covered by Logitech's knowledge base, either. They don't really know what to do when the device is recognized by the program but not assignable.

arquebus wrote: ↑Thu Apr 28, 2022 2:46 am

another_commander wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:29 pm

For those who have issues with Oolite not recognizing throttle inputs from HOTAS devices, can you please try substituting the SDL.dll file found inside your oolite.app folder with the one downloaded from here?

The new DLL is patched to recognize the additional throttle axes. Please let me know how it works for you.

It doesn't appear to have an effect. The game recognizes the existence of the throttle (as before) but I still cannot assign any control axes or hotkeys to it.

A_C: thank you for having a stab at fixing the problem!

Alas, I can't find the SDL.dll file which this is supposed to replace (nothing comes up when I search, and I've gone through the Oolite.oxp twice now and found nothing. I can't find any other .dll files either.

Where should I be looking?

Cholmondely wrote: ↑Thu Apr 28, 2022 11:20 am

A_C: thank you for having a stab at fixing the problem!

Alas, I can't find the SDL.dll file which this is supposed to replace (nothing comes up when I search, and I've gone through the Oolite.oxp twice now and found nothing. I can't find any other .dll files either.

Where should I be looking?

This is a Windows-only file, you are not expected to find it in any of the other two ports.

arquebus wrote: ↑Thu Apr 28, 2022 5:25 am

Cmdr Wyvern wrote: ↑Thu Apr 28, 2022 3:59 am

Did you hop over to the Logitech support page I linked above, and grabbed the latest software?
Also there's some tips there on how to fix issues that crop up with the X56

I didn't have to; while I did state that I have a "Saitek X56", that's the name it retained even after the original company was bought by Logitech. It's a Logitech device, and it's running the current Logitech drivers, with the current Logitech software installed. The issue in Oolite isn't really covered by Logitech's knowledge base, either. They don't really know what to do when the device is recognized by the program but not assignable.

I'll admit I don't know a lot about the X56.

My x52 is recognized as a single device. It's got one USB cable coming out of the throttle, and the stick is slaved to the throttle by another cable. All it's "brains" are in the throttle, ergo as far as the computer cares it's a single device.

In contrast, the X56 is two separate devices; each unit has it's own USB cable and takes up two USB ports. Unless there's some sorcery that can be worked at the software level to make it look like one device to the computer, then the computer sees two devices. Obviously, Oolite aint happy with that arrangement.

I propose a little experiment.
You got the stick unit set up in Oolite. Sooo... Unplug the stick, leave the throttle plugged in, start Oolite and see if you can now bind that naughy throttle axis.