Help needed with Joystick Mapping

[eh]

The new Controller Setup procedure in version 8.1 does not work at all, and I am left with an unusable Microsoft Force Feedback 2 stick. I have tried the new help file on the subject, and Hammer's post on this forum, and they don't work for me either.

My stick has 8 programmable buttons, but the Controller Setup gives me only 7. Four of those buttons are on the base of the stick, and under the old system they were programmable as Set 1, Set 2, etc, and when I pressed any of those I could map 4 buttons on the handle (plus all the hat swich positions) to it.  Now I am unable to map a single function to any of the buttons. For example, I tried to map View Look Up to one of the buttons on my stick (Mode 1) and it fails to work. I then thought I would try to map keypad 5 to the button, but there seems to be no way to map keypad numbers to the stick. So I am left with no up views at all.

The Mode 1, Mode 2 etc. are a mystery. I can map Modes 1 and 2 to two buttons on the base of my stick, but beyond getting a notification on screen that I have selected one of them, they aren't useful because I cannot map any of my former functions to these buttons.

After over five years of playing Flight Sims and programming joysticks, I am totally defeated by this version's Controller Setup. I don't think I can be helped by sending text messages. Is it possible for me to meet with a trainer or other expert online so that I can fly again?

Many thanks to anyone who volunteers.

eh

[Max]

Let's begin with the basics...what type of stick? USB?

[eh]

Thanks for responding Max. Yes, it's USB.

I'm finally good to go now, after a few hours this afternoon, and the help from hammer's post in this forum.

The best advice that I can give, after years of never having to worry about setting up a stick in AH from scratch, is to START by assigning the Mode Buttons for all modes in Mode 1, then repeat using the same buttons for all of the other modes. To get an up view I had to assign Look Up to the Mode 4 button, and then assign the hat switches for the various up view modes. When I hold Mode 4 button down, I look straight up through the cockpit, and if I manipulate the hatswitch while holding Mode 4 button down I get all 8 of the up views.

In order to prevent this from happening again, what is the file name that holds all of these settings so that I can back them up and import them if needed?

[EDIT] ooops, I mistook myself. The FIRST thing you need to do is to get roll, pitch, rudder and throttle set up in Mode 1, then copy these settings to Modes 2, 3, and 4. If you don't do this, you won't be able to maneuver your plane in Modes 2, 3 and 4. THEN assign the Mode buttons, then the remaining buttons in all modes.

[Max]

Originally posted by eh
Thanks for responding Max. Yes, it's USB.

In order to prevent this from happening again, what is the file name that holds all of these settings so that I can back them up and import them if needed?
 

Do a search in Windows for .jsm  You should produce 2 results of files sitting in SETTINGS. I'm told that one of them is the joystick profile, which used to be stick.cfg

Hey eh, whatever happened to ASM. I flew with your AW squad as NCKLHD

[RTR]

Hiya eh?

I'm just now tearing what little hair I have left out, over joystick set-up.  I've been away working for the last two months.

Am able to map everything back to what I had before except I can't get the views to work on my hat switch. Getting pretty irritating.  I can only get front, front-up, front-left and front-right to work. The others just don't stick for some reason.

Using a Saitek X45 set up.

Any ideas?

Max, if you mean ASW, he's at home in Winnipeg at the moment, living the life of Riley (at least until Riley gets home anyway)
Work type stuff is keeping him pretty busy. (He's my brother btw, but only by birth LOL).

I used to fly with 1CAC and 441 as well. I remember you! (I was rtrhd, then eventually just got shortened to RTR)

cheers,
RTR

[DamnedRen]

Wanna meet now in the ta and see if we can sort it out?

[RTR]

LOL Ren, I'll be in the TA and MA on and off throughout the day, setting up the stick.  Got the views working again anyway. If ya see me give a hollar.

I'll be the one wearing the extra backside padding.

(I gotta learn not to post beebled, I feel a spanking coming on )

cheers,
RTR

[RTR]

Also, for those who are having mapping issues, once you have your stick mapped the way you want, before you tear out your remaining hair (like I did) if it doesn't seem to be working 100% log completely out of AH (right back to your desktop) and log back in.

Not sure why, but all the mapping doesn't take until you log back in.

cheers,
RTR

[eh]

Hiya MAX

Thanks for the info. I will back up those files right away.

I haven't seen or heard from asw for a long time. I miss that salt, and hearing his lilting voice over the radio. Don't miss RTR though (too much beeble babble LOL).   I am glad to hear both asw and RTR are well.

There are still some old AW 1CAC hanging around though: me, you, kavik, RTR, shotr (now Bingo flying for the 475th), and Rain000. SSmokin plays regularly. We seem to be spread out across all countries in AH.

RTR, I can't help with the settings not "sticking". You aren't alone in that one; it must be one frustrating problem. Good luck with it.

eh?

[Max]

Originally posted by RTR


I used to fly with 1CAC and 441 as well. I remember you! (I was rtrhd, then eventually just got shortened to RTR)

cheers,
RTR

Weren't you one of the 2 P38 whiz-bangs?

[RTR]

Well I did after all, get my joystick issues sorted out. Managed to keep some of my hair too.

Basically started over, remapped everything, logged out and logged back in, and "voila, tabernac!  My stick, she working!"

heh, eh? I kinda miss you too (but only a little bit ).

Yeah Max, I was a peejay dweeb. It was the closest thing we had to a ufo, and about the only thing I could rarely get a kill in. (although the Hog in the FR arena was starting to grow on me a bit at the end).

cheers,
RTR