Programming yoke on I-Mac

[rodreid]

Hi,

I have just gotten X-Plane 9 and having a few problems setting up my Ch. Eclipse yoke.

I have a new I-Mac and understand there are a few issues with programming buttons and axis on macs. I was wondering if anyone else also running the same gear on a mac had better luck setting the thing up.   Specifically I can't get a nice pan view with my left hat switch, it will pan up and down though.  Trying to look left and right it jumps in 45* increments

Also can't get the scroll wheels to take over aileron and elevator trim duties .

Rod

[garrettm30]

I have almost that setup. My CH Pro Yoke is not the Eclipse, but I think they are very similar. The fact that you have an iMac has nothing to do with it, as you can get as much out of your yoke in X-Plane as any other computer.

The 45° increments sounds like you in the 2D cockpit, or else you mapped the button to look left in the 2D fashion. I am not able to give you the precise names of the buttons since I am away from my X-Plane computer. There are a couple different variants such as "pan left" vs. "look left." Something like that anyway. Play with those to find what you are looking for. If you can't, let me know and I'll go hunt down the precise name and how to find it. I use my hat switch in for that very purpose, so I know it is possible. Also make sure you are in an aircraft that does support 3D and go to the 3D view.

As for the trim wheel's, if your yoke is like mine, they are wasted space. Mine just has an elevator trim, but it does not actually send its own signal as another input. It simply adjusts the signal for the pitch. There is no way for X-Plane to know what your trim wheel is set to. You could still use it (although it is way too stiff), but there is no indicator as to how you are trimmed. It basically just functions as an adjustment, but I would rather adjust through X-Plane. I have a couple of rocker switches on my yoke that I have assigned to trim.

I hope this helps.

[rodreid]

Thanks for the help, I need all I can get as I am finding x-plane a lot more difficult to use than ms fltsims were, I haven't even used it for quite some time.  I am very impressed with the x-plane program as far as detail of scenery etc goes.  I tried programming the rocker switches I have on my yoke to be elevator and aileron trim as you mentioned you had but can't seem to make mine work for that, they will work for other options no problem.  I think the trim wheel you refer to is like mine on the left side of the unit and more of a calibration adjust .  The eclipse has 2 wheels in the center of the yoke but won't accept any programming for some reason.  I will play with both my hat switchs some more and see if I can at least one to pan smoothly.  I am using the prop and mix control levers as trim for ailerons and elevators as my aircraft all seem to want bank one way or the other and don't seem to want to fly level.  Thanks again.

rod

[garrettm30]

I'll try to get into X-Plane this evening and get back to you.

[garrettm30]

Hi Rod,

I've got X-Plane open now to see what we can come up with. First, I looked up your yoke and I see what you mean about the extra trim wheels. As you suspected, mine is that adjustment wheel you have on the bottom left. I may be off on this one since my yoke has nothing comparable, but here is what I would do. First go to the Joystick & Equipment screen (below):

In that screen, try moving the trim wheels to see if any of those bars respond. If one of them does, you'll know where to assign the function. Once you find it, you have the options elev trim, ailn trim, and rudd trim (as it seems from your post you have already figured out). Also, if you have successfully located which item each wheel is, you will also have to calibrate it as you do the other things. This involves rolling them all the way to one end, then all the way to the other. X-Plane then registers the maximum travel for those wheels. If it turns indefinitely, then I'm not sure you can get it to work as it is.

If that doesn't work, then you can assign them to your rocker switches. Or if it was me, since you have two hat switches but no vertical rocker switch, I would assign my trim to the left hat switch. On my setup, I have aileron trim on a horizontal rocker and elevator trim on a vertical rocker. Yet I only have one hat switch. To do this, go to the Joystick & Equipment menu and click the third tab, named Buttons: Basic (pictured below):

First click the button on your yoke that you want to assign a function to, then click the function for that button. For example, for aileron trim on a horizontal rocker, click the left side of one of the rockers, then select "Aileron trim left." Then click the right side of the rocker and assign the right. I've also circled the left and right view assignments you are looking for. You may also want to assign a button to View: Toggle 3-D Cockpit that switches from 3D to 2D and back. Your 45° movements to me sound like you were in 2D. As for me, instead of using Pan Left, I use pan_left_fast in the Buttons: Adv tab (as below):

Don't the "advanced" part worry you: it works just the same as the basic. You just get more choices. Just click the button you want to assign something to, then pick a category, such as view, then the far right gives you plenty of options, such as the pan_left_fast option.

Let me know how it works!

[rodreid]

Thanks alot for all your help,

The 2 "trim wheels" in the center of my yoke are as you suspected, useless for trimming as they turn endlessly.  I can't seem to get them to accept any assignments.  I was successfull with your suggestion of using the left hat switch for trim, good idea, its a very slight adjustment but seems to work.  I seem to have trouble with straight and level flight though and need to be constantly adjusting if not on auto pilot, perhaps thats normal on this sim?  You were also correct on your suggestion to use 3d view when panning left and right. It works great!

My next challenge will be to figure out the GPS, its nothing like what I used to use on FS98.

rod

[garrettm30]

You can get straight and level flight for the most part once you get it successfully trimmed. Trimming is harder though than in real life because you can't feel the pressure in the yoke as in the real thing. It depends on the weather though. In the limited experience of real flying I've had, even very little wind can make constant correction necessary, even when trimmed. I used to think that X-Plane was very twitchy, but I was surprised how real it is the first time I flew a Cessna 150. Now whether the heavies are so twitchy I am not so sure. It surely varies by plane. For that matter, your experience varies by the quality of the aircraft model you are using, but I'm sure you picked up on that when using MSFS.

If I were you, I would e-mail the creator of X-Plane to suggest implementing a way to use those trim wheels. He can be reasonably open to suggestions sometimes. And furthermore, it doesn't seem like an unlikely request, as there is a setting specifically for the CH Products quadrant. Does anyone know the right way to send Austin a suggestion? Is it austin at x-plane dot com?