X-Joystick

[Ben Russell]

I got sick of remapping my joystick buttons all the time.

X-Joystick allows you to save and load profiles for different controllers, aircraft-usage, etc.

It also allows you to save different non-linear values for different aircraft.

I have a few other features planned too.

Here's a sample of the GUI so far:

[dan]

Brilliant idea Indi! 

Most, if not all of us, that fly a combination of helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts, know the frustration of having to remap the joystick inbetween flights, and just because an aircraft share some common design principles, e.g. fixed wing aircrafts, that doesn't mean that they share the same joystick setup. It'll definitely make life easier for me... and I'll be getting it!

When will it be available, and how much?

[Ben Russell]

Hi Dan.

Thanks for your interest, I'm glad to see the frustrations with control setup are not just me.

The plugin is in the Quality Assurance phase at the moment and I still have some research to do with regards to how portable the setup profiles will be.

I'm hoping that profiles will be exchangeable between Windows, Mac and Linux clients so that we can setup a library of controller default setups.

This will allow a new user to simply select "Saitek Pro Flight Yoke" from the drop down and get flying quickly and easily.

This will be in addition to the ability for the user to save as many different profiles as they like for their own setup under whatever name they chose.

The profile data is stored in a simple text file that is human editable and, importantly, will not be obliterated by a version upgrade.

Hopefully I will have the plugin available for purchase in about a month. I'm thinking somewhere around the $10 mark.

I have another unannounced plugin in the works that takes priority so this date might slip a little.

Cheers!

Ben.

[dan]

Sounds good to me!

Looks like you've got some pretty cool plugins lined up for sure... and that Sandel gauge looks absolutely awesome. 

[nilsh]

Looks great!

I've got a request for a possible plugin...

A force feedback plugin for X-Plane. I know there's some old one floating around, but it's old and there is no version available for us intel Mac users.

Nils

[JBalsa]

I agree with Nilsh on that one. There are 2 plugins for FF, one in development for windows, and another one made for X-Plane V6 that only works on PPC models. I bought a Cyborg Evo Force a long time ago, and then found out that X-Plane didn't support FF. A waste of $120 Perhaps FF could be included within X-Joystick?  :

[Ben Russell]

Hi Guys...

Thanks for the comments...

I'll take a look at getting Force Feedback in for maybe version 1.5 or 2.0 or something like that.

It requires programming differently for Mac and Windows and I'm not sure if it's available at all on Linux, if it is - that's another whole suite of code right there.

It'd be a great thing to add but it's not something I can just tack on. It'll take quite a bit of work.

Cheers!

Ben.

[wadesworld]

Indi,

I wonder if a feature request would be possible?  (Or possibly it works already).

One problem I have with X-plane is that I use a USB KVM switch on my X-plane machine.  The downside to this is that when I use the switch, it changes the number of USB devices connected.  This can often result in a re-ordering of the USB device chain.  So, almost any time I fly X-plane, I'm forced to setup my controls all over again.

The solution for this is for X-plane to remember the devices by their manufacturer and ID, rather than by an identifier which is tied to their position in the USB chain. 

Now, I'm not sure if your plugin can solve this problem, since I'm not sure if you have any way of solving the inherent problem in the X-plane joystick code.  However, I figured it doesn't hurt to ask.

[Ben Russell]

Hey Wade...

I'm looking at solutions to this general problem.

A similar issue exists when porting profile data from one OS to the other, if I plug my xbox controller into my Mac I'll get buttons 1-20, if I plug the same controller into Windows I get buttons 80-100... or whatever.

So, I'm looking at ways to discover/set the lowest button/axis number and then apply the profile data based on that offset.

So basically, you'd have to do a minor little profile calibration instead of redoing the entire config. If you know, and memorize your lowest index buttons and axis it'd only take ~30 seconds.

I'd like to avoid talking to the lower level HID/USB API's on a per OS level if I can... though I may end up poking around in them for Force Feedback some day.

Another user has filed a feature request for input profiles recently with Austin, if he throws it into b8(unlikely) or 9.40 I'll probably reconsider my priorities with this one... I don't expect him to do it, but he might.

Some other stuff has come up besides the above, that means the probable ship date on this one has been pushed back.

I'll keep you guys posted if I update anything.

[gilbenl]

Sorry to take a slight left turn here...but there is indeed a force feedback plug-in for XP. No clue as to if it works, but here's the link:

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/christophe.saphar/x-force/

[Ben Russell]

Looks great!

I've got a request for a possible plugin...

A force feedback plugin for X-Plane. I know there's some old one floating around, but it's old and there is no version available for us intel Mac users.

Nils

Feel free to read up on the whole thread Nick.

[gilbenl]

"Looks great!

I've got a request for a possible plugin...

A force feedback plugin for X-Plane. I know there's some old one floating around, but it's old and there is no version available for us intel Mac users.

Nils"

It was in response to that statement. This plug-in does indeed (supposedly) have an intel mac build. While it has only been tested with the logitech, the member who has the Cyborg should give it a shot...who knows, it may work.

[JBalsa]

Nope, it doesn't work. It says on the site PPC only. I still tried it, and X-Plane 9 didn't even recognize it, even after getting rid of all my plugins.

[gilbenl]

It does NOT say ppc only...

New : X-Force for MacIntel !

X-Force now works on MacIntel.

I speak french, and even if I didn't there's an english version if you click the link on the top right...

Give this one a shot:

X-Force Mac 0.1 Intel build 08050801 :

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/christophe.saphar/x-force/X-Force01_Intel.zip

...And just to show you that it DOES work, while I don't have a FF stick,  I just installed the plug-in in XP v9.3 B7 and it is recognized and active. 

I'm Finished. Sorry for the thread jack Indi...had to make a point, I'm sure you understand.

[JBalsa]

This must have just come out then. I looked not too long ago, and it said that Intel was unsupported. Thanks SO MUCH! I'm going to give it a try and post back.

EDIT: I tried it with my Saitek, but it was not recognized. I ran the test application, and it said it was not compatible. I emailed the maker to see if he could add a bit more compatibility. I tried it with 2 joysticks, and it didn't work with either.

[nilsh]

Hey guys.. thanks for that link... i never knew they made a new intel version. I tried it with my Logitech Force 3D pro and it worked ( I think) It shook while on the ground, and stops shaking when in the air or stopped. Is it supposed to do more? It's a cool addition to my joystick. Thanks. I'm running 9.22 and 9.30 b7 and it worked on both.

Nils

[Ben Russell]

Thanks for investigating the FF stuff guys... I only have the rumble packs in my XBox pads to test with. *laughs*

..one less thing to think about.

[gilbenl]

Hey guys.. thanks for that link... i never knew they made a new intel version. I tried it with my Logitech Force 3D pro and it worked ( I think) It shook while on the ground, and stops shaking when in the air or stopped. Is it supposed to do more? It's a cool addition to my joystick. Thanks. I'm running 9.22 and 9.30 b7 and it worked on both.

Nils

Well, typically the only time you would have the stick shake is while on the ground, in moderate to severe turbulence (not really likely), and as a result of a stall (Stick shaker)...Give it a try in these scenarios, and see if it has any more functionality. Keep in mind that heavy airliners (at least modern ones) don't have the stick directly tied to the control surface. Therefore, the hydraulics actually actuate the surfaces *if functioning properly*. Now, on old planes, and GA, you tend to have resistance to input depending on speed, amount of movement of the stick etc, but I doubt a joystick would even attempt to simulate the difficulty in nosing down a cessna which is just under Vfe, or out of trim...I may be wrong though.

[nilsh]

Yeah, i'll have to give that stick-shaker a try on the 757... that'll be very cool if it indeed works. For some reason, i expected it to give me control resistance when in manual control... I hate how little effort it takes to push a joystick to a maximum deflection... But i guess that's what a nullzone % is for. Does XP know which sort of control surfaces an aircraft has? (Hydraulic, FBW, etc.) I don't know if there's a setting for that in PM, so it may take that into consideration. I'll give it a more thorough try this weekend.

Nils

[boleyd]

Since you will typically run this before your flight the ability to select your aircraft and airport would be nice. Also, a default flight is good for someone who focuses on one airport and one aircraft. Then another switch that might help is one that switches between your current static weather and real weather. Again, if you believe that your favorite airport is below minimums starting the program with your default weather allows a flight.

I am assuming that setting switch values is not a big problem. The joystick setup is paramount and very welcome.

[inkineer]

Sure am looking forward to the X-Joystick plugin...  Love to fly with my yoke and pedals, but look forward to when I can use my Joystick and pedals without having to re-map the inputs all the time. 

P.S.> I'm new to the group, and appreciate all your hard work in this site.

[gilbenl]

I have an idea that would be nice to see as apart of this plug-in. Although not everyone has one of these (and myself and cam maybe the only two) but it would be awesome to see the SpaceNavigator supported to use to change the view in the VC. You can do it through default XP options, except when you let got of the SN, it recenters the view. Would x-joystick be the appropriate means by which the "autocenter" ability of the space nav (or any input device) could be ignored? While I don't know anything about how to program it, but what I am suggesting is that when you move the view using the device, when it re-centers with the spring, the sim ignores than and considers the current view to be the "new" center, from which all future input from the device would move from. Does this make any sense?

-Nick

[JBalsa]

Gilben,

I have a similar issue: I use a 2nd joystick to view the VC in X-Plane. I was frustrated with the view returning to center, so I emailed Austin. He says that he will make the interior viewing match the exterior viewing; so the camera won't return to center, it will stay were you moved it to.

Happy landings - Jason

[JBalsa]

O.K. Guess Austin didn't like the idea after all. He SAID he would implement it, but decided to switch it on the last moment. He told me to tell someone else to do it... Not really the best thing to say. I guess that would be a nice feature in X-Joystick after all! 

[sigoo]

This is fantastic that somebody as talented as Indi is working on this... I've been bugging Austin for ages to implement exactly this feature in X-Plane, he thought it was a good idea, but it was obvious he didn't think it was a priority.

It is something that is very badly needed. These days although I have saitek x52 and yoke, I just use the joystick all the time because I can't be bothered to go through the hassle of swapping profiles around.... looks like that won't last too much longer 

re: the existing force feed back plugin... it worked fine with my old logitech wingman, but I found it only really give stick shake on the ground, but was not very good at emulating control surface feedback while in the air, so in the end i stopped using it as the ground stick shaking became annoying after a while.