Author Topic: Joystick Settings  (Read 2010 times)

Offline Les Paul

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Joystick Settings
« on: March 13, 2014, 08:09:56 PM »
So, last night it came to the conclusion that my aim really sucked in this game because of rudder and elevator bouncing when making fine adjustments. , I have played some other WWII Sims out there in which the planes were a lot more janky when using a joystick, and so out of necessity to even fly the plane, I had to really start messing around with my joystick settings. Unfortunately, all the games love to use different terminology for the different sensitivity options and what not. I understand headband and damping pretty well, and found that I like 0 dead band on the joystick itself, with a slight amount on the twisting (Rudder) functions for obvious reasons. Damping is pretty much the same story with me, 0 on the joystick, a hair on the rudder.

Scaling however is something I don't understand that well since the other games I have played had different methods and figures to adjust it. I found that I preferred scaling to be turned off but I still think my joystick and rudders are a bit too sensitive and I am still flying too janky. How can I go about correcting this, and does anyone want to share some of their settings for their pitch, roll, and yaw axis's? I think it would be a good idea to have some sort of thread reference that can give new players an idea of some commonly used advanced settings, or at least a perspective on settings some other people fly with.

My main question is this tho, If I do a flat curve on the scaling, but lower it from maximum, am I going to lose any range in my control surface's movement? I find myself to be very heavy handed with the rudder function, and I want to decrease sensitivity without effecting the maneuver potential of my plane
« Last Edit: March 13, 2014, 08:35:09 PM by Les Paul »

Offline ink

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2014, 08:56:48 PM »
I dont believe so.

Offline Max

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2014, 07:15:26 AM »
I use this for everything except throttle. Seems to reduce nose bounce



Click on pic to enlarge.

This is an older pic posted by Ack-Ack using the old interface but the setting still hold true.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2014, 07:17:21 AM by Max »

Offline Randy1

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2014, 08:14:42 AM »
My aileron looks like Max's-akak but to prevent nose bounce my elevator curves starts out at the bottom.

Could be you have it too sensitive and you end chasing the dog's tail by correcting the correcting.


Watch for a tight hand on the joystick.

Offline bustr

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2014, 05:08:35 PM »
Something to test.

In aces high go into the controllers app where you set the scaling. Look at your x, y axis and do the following.

Put you finger on the top of your stick and wiggle it just a tiny bit. If your x, y numbers move around easily, that's the source of your inability to hold steady when shooting. And the reason for the dead zone, dampening, and scaling.

I got rid of it completely by modifying my Fighter stick with tension bands that slip over the potentiometer yokes and solidly lock the x, y to it's centered state along with very strong physical feed back like a real stick pulling against cables.

Most sticks have light springs compared to how strong your hand and wrist is. Even resting your hand on your stick can cause x, y bouncing. Damping and dead band is used to account for those micro bumps in the center. The wider you set these you start running into dead band induced nose bounce while your stick travels from one side to the other of the dead zone. You can see this graphically by going offline and upping the Ju87-G2. Dive on something at full zoom and watch the center of the gunsight bump as you pass your joystick through the dead banded area you set. Or even your rudder peddles.

You can see it go from: control-bump-dead zone-bump-control

It's when the passing back into control happens you suddenly have to control back on your dive path to micro adjust your aim. The same thing will show up with your rudder because the mass of the BK3,7 guns magnify yaw and over control or other issues with your rudder controller. Consider whats going on with your high speed fighter during ACM. 

Get a copy of DIView. It will show you the state of all axis and buttons on your controllers. It will give you an excellent look at the state of your x, y on your joystick.

Free DIView.exe from SimSteering: http://www.simsteering.com/downloads.html

Another thing you can do to cut down on over control since it's only a joystick in a game. Edit the (jsm) file for your joystick, even your rudder pedals z-axis. Locate the x, y calibration lines. Add 5k-10k to the 0 end and delete 5k-10k from the 65k end. Before doing this make a backup copy of the file. If you don't like the results, use the backup copy. Add and delete equally to each end.

Now you don't have to bang your stick from side to side to get full aileron deflection and it becomes a matter of a slight wrist motion to perform maneuvers. Having to full deflect your joystick is what weakens the springs over time. I'm not sure I even use more than half deflection now on my stick for full aileron or elevators. My rudder about the same.
bustr - POTW 1st Wing


This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline JimmyD3

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2014, 06:56:18 PM »
Les, go to the TA and get with Morfiend, he helped me get mine to settle down very quickly.
Kenai77
CO Sic Puppies MWK
USAF 1971-76

Offline R 105

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2014, 10:01:11 AM »
 My problem with the scaling of my stick is for some reason I can't slide the scaling setting on the advanced stick setting page.  My old ST-290 stick is 8 years old and was used when I got it and worked great until lately. All the buttons work but the stick will not stay calibrated anymore. If I touch the hat button while in auto pilot the stick falls out of auto pilot. I have unplug the stick to reset it but still have a problem.  :headscratch:

Offline The Fugitive

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2014, 10:11:20 AM »
My problem with the scaling of my stick is for some reason I can't slide the scaling setting on the advanced stick setting page.  My old ST-290 stick is 8 years old and was used when I got it and worked great until lately. All the buttons work but the stick will not stay calibrated anymore. If I touch the hat button while in auto pilot the stick falls out of auto pilot. I have unplug the stick to reset it but still have a problem.  :headscratch:

Did you click the "allow scaling" button at the top? That should get the sliders moving, add deadband space to get it to stop falling out of autopilot. Increasing deadband increases the space your stick has to move before it actually changes the input to the game. With the advanced window open  look at the two blue boxes. One showes what the stick inputs are, and one shows what the game sees for inputs. As you move the deadband slider up your stick input will still be wiggling, but the game input side should slow until its says put. Move it just a bit at a time, half a buttons worth. Get it so the game side sits still and save.

Offline R 105

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2014, 11:03:40 AM »
 Thanks I will take a look.

Offline bustr

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2014, 07:43:18 PM »
My problem with the scaling of my stick is for some reason I can't slide the scaling setting on the advanced stick setting page.  My old ST-290 stick is 8 years old and was used when I got it and worked great until lately. All the buttons work but the stick will not stay calibrated anymore. If I touch the hat button while in auto pilot the stick falls out of auto pilot. I have unplug the stick to reset it but still have a problem.  :headscratch:

Download DIView I linked to, it's just a zip file. Extract DIView.exe and run it. Then look at the x, y axis of your joystick. If the scales are going back and forth and the input windows are rolling by. You have a problem with your potentiometers.

If the back and forth in the x and y scales is small, dampening and dead zone in the advanced stick scaling in the game will fix it until the potentiometers degrade to the point that a dead zone will have to be so large your inputs will be useless for flying in the game.

DIView allows you to see your raw inputs as they are happening in gory detail by simply running the program. There is no rocket science associated with using the tool.

First you need to see what is really happening with your x and y inputs.
bustr - POTW 1st Wing


This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline ink

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2014, 12:16:15 AM »
Download DIView....

thanx for that link...cool program :aok

Offline lerxst

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2014, 09:42:42 PM »
I must be missing something on the stick settings im not doing right,regardless of how i set up scaling,no scaling AK-AKs scaling,scaling all the way up down,or in between, im using all CH equipment,i dont turn as fast as other guys,i bleed E within 5 seconds, or i black out then auger,let alone flying in the MA,or mw.I get guys on my 6 within 2 passes,Im increasingly getting frustrated,flaps no flaps wep doesnt seem to matter,cant get the response out of the stick that i "think i need"or should have..any tips to this dilemma. thank you

Offline FLS

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2014, 09:51:47 PM »
Do you have the stall limiter on in options/preferences/flight ?
« Last Edit: March 25, 2014, 10:57:50 PM by FLS »

Offline The Fugitive

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2014, 06:59:28 AM »
It sounds like you need help with fighting,  not your stick.

Changing your stick setting isn't going to magically get you on the other guys 6. What looks like a sharp turn may be a turn that was started long before you started your turn. Best bet would be to hook up with a trainer and they will be able to tell which it is, you or your stick.

Offline R 105

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Re: Joystick Settings
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2014, 09:41:43 AM »
 My stick problems were my 10 year old ST-290. I got a new ST-290 off of EBay still in the box for $21.00 shipped and all is well again.  :aok