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Hi Guys and Girls,

End of this week I'm off to the south of Spain to escape the incessant rain here in British Columbia. This means I have to check out the laptop and get FSX up and running so I'll have some vlying to do while sitting on the beach.

I've done all the stuff I need to do - move the Air Hauler files and the FSX Log over to the laptop so as to maintain some continuity and setting myself up to go back to the (dreaded) Logitech 710 (ie: X-Box screwball controller) because I just don't have the luggage space to carry a joystick with me.

Alas; I'm running into issues with the F710. I don't recall this being an issue in France last year, but dammit, I'm having the devils own time getting the gadget to work this time around. I'm trying to program the F710 using the stock FSX "Controls" menus. However, there are one or two switches that are not recognised by the FSX software.

Specifically, the "Z" Axis sliders which are two separate pushbuttons on the front of the controller. I've assigned these under the "Control Axes" Tab in Settings - Controls to: Event=Rudder Axis, Axis=Trigger Axis. These two buttons move the Z Axis slider left and right of centre in the "Calibration" routine.

- I've cleared out the "Standard.xml" file to get rid of everything except the keyboard instructions

- Set up the F710 to the "X" switch setting

- Running the F710 in "Mode" which does NOT light up the little green Mode light

My problem boils down to (what appears to be) extraneous commands left over from something or somewhere that commands 3/4 throttle when I press the Yaw Right or Yaw Left (assigned to the Z axis) buttons on the front of the F710. The rudder works - left and right as expected, but the throttle also increases to approx 3/4 when either rudder button is depressed.

The assignments I'm trying for are:

X&Y axis on the left stick for aileron and elevator

Z axis for the rudder - this is the one that's causing the grey hair

D-pad up and down for elevator trim

D-Pad left and right for rudder trim

X&Y axis on the right stick for panning

Left and Right "Shoulder" buttons for differential braking - both together, to brake in a straight line

Y button for throttle up - this one is somehow connected to the rudder (Z) axis

B button for throttle down

X button for decrease RPM (prop)

A button for increase RPM (prop)



If I go into the FSX on-screen menu and select "Calibrate" under the X-Box Controller heading, all works as advertised: the controller shows:

D-Pad as a POV switch

Left Joystick for X and Y - Axis  (moves the cursor around inside the box)

Left and Right front mounted pushbuttons are Z Axis

Right Joystick for X and Y Rotation (sliders)

A key is pushbutton #1

B key is pushbutton #2

X key is pushbutton #3

Y key is pushbutton #4

Left shoulder is pushbutton #5

Right shoulder is pushbutton #6

"Back" key is pushbutton #7

"Start" key is pushbutton #8

Depress Left joystick pushbutton #9

Depress Right joystick pushbutton #10

 

I'm about to head over to my bona-fide copy of FSUIPC, but, I have to warn you, I've been down that path before with limited success.

I can fly using most of the controls from the keyboard, however, I'd really like to have the rudder control for simple aircraft - as a rudder and for ground steering.

Rudder control for complex aircraft - for ground operations.

A simple joystick for roll/pitch and "whatever" for views.

Anyone have experience or suggestions?

 

 

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Rather than edit - I'm going to post my findings here.

 

Above, I noted that I was headed for my copy of FSUIPC4 (and its attendant instructions). Turns out this rascal was hanging on to some stuff that shouldn't have been there ( I swear, Officer, I got rid of all that stuff ages ago ).

 

At a point in the past I bought a HOTAS stick (anyone in NA interested, see the Mutleys For Sale Posting) and was trying to embrace LINDA as the programming method of choice. Suffice to say that LINDA and I never hit it off and I gave up on her and her wily ways. Looks like there was some leftover cross-polination between FSUIPC and LINDA.

 

The solution was to rename the FSUIPC4.INI file (so as not to lose it - just in case) then delete it from (C:)\FSX\Modules. Now I have a fresh copy of FSUIPC4 attendant to FSX with no leftovers contained. Of note: I had a bunch of other FSUIPC4 selections, such as AUTOSAVE and WX mods in the previous .INI file that I removed, so these will have to be introduced back into the current file.

 

That's it folks. I'm now ready to pack my bag and head for the South of Spain.

 

I'll be in Altea for a month.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just a year ago, I bought a fully funcional used joystick with z axis and usb stick, for 8 euros here in Spain..... I used it for making pedals, but it was totally funcional as a joystick and you would have a ton more fun with that one than with the setup you mention. Look in Ebay.es and milanuncios.com

 

Enjoy

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