I'm sure you've seen this suggested before, but I'd just like to add one more log to the fire. Please consider adding functionality allowing the three trim inputs to be mapped to analog axes. I would like to use manual--rather than combat--trim more often, but as it is now, the method of setting trim is too cumbersome and imprecise to use, except when landing or taking off (and even then I find it somewhat difficult).
There are two primary problems with the current system. First, it is a relative, rather than an absolute, method of specifying trim position. Thus, I cannot tell where my trim is set without looking to the trim indicators on my control panel. If I could map trim controls to the rotary axes on my throttle, I could gauge trim settings by knowing how far I had moved the axes from their center detent positions. Second, I have no good control over how quickly trim changes. Basically, there are two options, neither of which are acceptable for combat. I must either continually press the appropriate trim key (or the HOTAS control to which it is mapped) more or less rapidly or rely on the key repeat rate, which is fixed.
With analog controls, I could change trim settings as quickly or as slowly as I want. Also, I would have much more precise control over the settings than I do now. There must be some minimum "quantum" of trim change in the current system, which I find is often too coarse to get it exactly right. Of course, allowing for finer reductions in the current system would make large-scale trim changes too slow. It already takes an inordinate amount of time to make a half- or two-thirds-scale change.
The only potential problem I see with allowing absolute, rather than relative, trim controls is the necessary discontinuity when switching in an out of combat trim mode. However, we see the same sort of discontinuity now when combat mode is initiated, so I think it could be handled in a similar fashion.
I am not familiar with your code, so I don't know if there is some sort of limitation that prevents you from adding this functionality easily. If not, I think it would be a very worthwhile addition.
Thanks for your consideration.
- JNOV
