Rudder Pedals (Actually Brakes) interacting with ailerons & Elevator.

[JohnCT-4]

I got CFS3 working with a Logitech Wingman Force 3D stick, and Sitek rudder pedals in XP on my portable. I'm upgrading to a good gaming desktop with Win7, and before I add ETO & BH&H, I want to get the controls sorted out. The probem is the toe brakes. One works ailerons, the other the elevators. And I can't deactivate the joystick twist from the rudder ( so it soemtimes interacts unintentionally with the rudders). I've tried the fixes on CFS3.XCA, and DEVICES.XCA, but the first one didn't change the interaction, and the second one wouldn't function at all. I have used the 64bit Saitek drivers; but there is no Logitech update for Win 7 that I can find. I also tried setting CFS3 up in compatability mode (a CFS3win7 version as suggested in the forum) , but that didn't solve the interaction problem either. And from inside CFS3, there seems no way to change the target of the toe brakes, or turn off the stick twist.
I figure there must be some way to change the cfs3.xca file and make it stick, but I'm not sure how to do this without causing other problems. Does anyone know a fix for this problem? Or is there a joystick with Win7 drivers that will work? I've looked at the Saitek Control software, but it looks too hard for a simple user like me, unless someone has been there first. All suggestions gratefully recieved.

[ndicki]

Known problem, easy to fix. Go into your application data folder and find the CFS3 folder. Look inside for a file called CFS3.xca - or whatever you called your controls file.xca. It'll be the only .xca file there, anyway. Open it with Windows Notepad (make it default) and scroll down until you find these lines or something similar:

</Device>
<Device Type="Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals">
<GameMode Name="Player">
<Axis ID="X" Action="Set_Bank" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
<Axis ID="Y" Action="Set_Pitch" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
<Axis ID="Rudder" Action="Set_Yaw" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
<Button ID="1" Action="Fire_Guns"/>
<Button ID="2" Action="FireCannonsOnly"/>
<Button ID="3" Action="ReleaseFireWeapon"/>
<Button ID="4" Action="SelectNextWeapon"/>
<Button ID="5" Action="FLAPS_INCR"/>
<Button ID="6" Action="FLAPS_DECR"/>
<Button ID="7" Action="NextTarget"/>
<Pov ID="1" Action="HeadPov"/>
<Button ID="8" Action="TogglePadlock"/>
</GameMode>
<GameMode Name="M3DViewer">
<Pov ID="1" Action="HeadPov"/>
<Button ID="3" Action="ZoomIn" RepCnt="1"/>
<Button ID="4" Action="ZoomOut" RepCnt="1"/>
</GameMode>
<GameMode Name="Gunner">
<Axis ID="X" Action="TraverseGun" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
<Axis ID="Y" Action="ElevateGun" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
</GameMode>
</Device>

As you can see, it's a load of rubbish. Simply paste these lines below over the lines above so as to replace them completely. Make sure you get the tags and "grammar" right!

</Device>
<Device Type="Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals">
<GameMode Name="Player">
<Axis ID="X" Action="AXIS_LEFT_BRAKE_SET" Scale="65518" Nullzone="82"/>
<Axis ID="Y" Action="AXIS_RIGHT_BRAKE_SET" Scale="65518" Nullzone="82"/>
<Axis ID="Rudder" Action="Set_Yaw" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
</GameMode>
<GameMode Name="M3DViewer">
<Pov ID="1" Action="HeadPov"/>
<Button ID="3" Action="ZoomIn" RepCnt="1"/>
<Button ID="4" Action="ZoomOut" RepCnt="1"/>
</GameMode>
<GameMode Name="Gunner">
<Axis ID="X" Action="TraverseGun" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
<Axis ID="Y" Action="ElevateGun" Scale="64" Nullzone="36"/>
</GameMode>
</Device>

Never mind the bit about the gunner, it doesn't work anyway.

Save and close, and it should work perfectly.

[flyer01]

ndicki, I do not have Pedals right now . If I do ever get some this will help. Cope opps copy and paste to note pad is your friend.LOL
This should be put in the Projected knowledge base if not already.
flyer01

[JohnCT-4]

Ndicki, you are a gentleman and a scholar. Thankyou, John

[ndicki]

Ndicki, you are a gentleman and a scholar. Thankyou, John

Well, bugger me - 'Ow did you guess?

[gaw]

this should be put on the knowledge database if it ain't already!

[JohnCT-4]

Continuing saga. Couldn't get it to work in Win7. So set up with new partition in XP. Reinstalled CFS-3, and revised cfs3.xca as advised, and saved it as cfs3.xca in the application file. But when I start up CFS3, the toe brakes still work the ailerons ( left brake) and elevators (right brake.) Checked cfs3.xca, and it has reverted to the original text.

Someone said you have to make the changes in devices.xml but I can't re-save that if I try messing about with it. So I'm still stuck.

All suggestions gratefully received,

[pied]

After you've changed the file make it "read only" in properties.


pied

[JohnCT-4]

Making it Read-only solved the problem. Thanks to all for your help, the devil is in the detail.

And its great to be flying nearly properly again.

John

[Human Drone]

Well, here's me bringing up an old thread. I'm having a world of hurt configuring the combination of X52 Pro stick & throttle and their Pro Combat Rudder Pedals. One thing I learned seems to work better. Instead of

<Axis ID="X" Action="AXIS_LEFT_BRAKE_SET" Scale="65472" Nullzone="36"/>
<Axis ID="Y" Action="AXIS_RIGHT_BRAKE_SET" Scale="65472" Nullzone="36"/>

the following worked well for me:

<Axis ID="X" Action="BRAKES_LEFT" Scale="64" Nullzone="16"/>
<Axis ID="Y" Action="BRAKES_RIGHT" Scale="64" Nullzone="16"/>

This appears to apply the brakes instead of set them. But I happened on to that by chance. What I was looking for was a more comprehensive list of commands, parameters, and the button numbers needed for this thing. Like the Button on the throttle labEled "E" raises & lowers my landing gear. But there is no reference to it or the action in my XCA file! And now, for some reason, my engine stops randomly every so often. It restarts with "E", but wow, this is a new one for me.

Any sources on what my buttons, toggles, sliders, triggers, hat switches and all are called in my XCA fiule, what commands I can assign to them, and what the scaling and nullzone parameters ranges are? mY google-fu has failed, nothing like that is in the Saitek material, and I don't know - is it in an SDK manual somewhere?

I'd sure appreciate the help. I can set it up, but I don't know what to type!

Thanks,

Tom

[Human Drone]

I think I can now identify the buttons, etc, by number (not sure about the sliders) but my real concern is what to type in the action fields so CFS3 understands it. For instance, "Action=BAIL_THE_H***_OUT" or "Action="DO_SOME_WING_WALKING" probably won't work, just to be funny (or, ahem, attempt to be funny, as my kids correct).

Thanks,

Tom

[Human Drone]

Me again, been a while. I got it all sorted out by editing the .xca file as noted, said file doing a wonderful job of providing it's own source! But now there is a slightly different issue, more a matter of convenience. With TrackIR, the F12 key is most invaluable, as is the other (I forget, I just read about it and haven't used it yet) that helps you mke a better shot - precision mode, or something. Oh, yeah, I'd like these on one of my many easy-to-reach buttons instead of fumbling for F12 in the dark. Other forums have suggested using the profiles in the Saitek software, and that works well for FSX, but doesn't seem to do as well for CFS3.

Any ideas, or do I just live with the F12 key?

Thanks a bunch!

Tom

(Next on the list - learn to fly better!) :gameoff:

[Capt. Winters]

Hi HD,

I had conflict issues with TrackIR in CFS3 with changing gunner positions (F8 key conflict) I went searching and found that I could
set the functions of any of the F keys to any button I liked from within TrackIR program, I have now assigned mine to my joystick. especially the F12 re-centre function.

from their website

Hotkeys
Hotkeys allow you to map keys or buttons on other input
devices to perform functions in the TrackIR software. You can select the keys to
be used, turn the hotkey on or off, enable toggle mode, and trap the hotkey.
Select the hotkey you wish to edit (Pause, Center, or Precision) from the
dropdown menu.

•Pause F9
The Pause hotkey allows you to control whether head
tracking data is being sent to the TrackIR Enhanced title. You can pause head
tracking to keep the in-game view fixed, even while your head is moving.

•Center F12
The Center hotkey allows you to re-center your in-game
view. Every time the Center hotkey is pressed, it re-defines your current head
position as the new center.

•Precision F7
The Precision hotkey enables precision mode, which
temporarily steadies the view by increasing smoothing. When precision mode is
disabled, smoothing settings return to the normal profile preset. Precision mode
is commonly used in combat flight simulators when tracking an enemy in your
sights to keep the view as stable as possible.

•Key Button
Use to map the hotkey. Clicking these buttons brings
up a dialog box that allows you to change the key assigned to the function
listed next to the button. You can assign keyboard keys, joystick buttons, or
mouse buttons as hotkeys.

•Enable Checkbox
Turns the associated hotkeys on and off.

•Toggle Checkbox
Toggled hotkeys are enabled by a single key press
and disabled by a second key press. Non-toggled hotkeys require the key to be
held down for the hotkey to be enabled and released for the hotkey to be
disabled.

•Trap Checkbox
Trapped hotkeys will not be available to any other
programs. Untrapped hotkeys will still perform the hotkey function within the
TrackIR software, but can also be simultaneously used in other software that is
running alongside TrackIR.

•Note : Hotkey settings are stored on a per-profile basis.



hope this helps,

regards Rob.

[Human Drone]

G'mornin', Cap'n!

I appreciate that. Yes, that is the list of functions that I'd seen. I guess I was looking in the wrong direction! (cue Foghorn Leghorn: "That's a joke, son! Get it? Track IR - Looking in the wrong direction...") What hadn't sunk into my pea brain was using TrackIR's setup to get the functions onto my stick. Since I'm not using Saitek's profiling capability in CFS3, I hadn't thought of using TrackIR's.

Which brings up a thought perhaps worth preserving - because a button it isn't assigned in in your CFS3 .xca file, it is available to be assigned by other programs/profilers that can access the device. In my case, both TrackIR and Saitek profiling software is available, so anything I don't do in CFS3 explicitly, I can do in one of the others.

Now to get some time to try it... and learn to fly better...

Best,

Tom