Configuring joystick throttle for Helicopter controls

[starbug1969 1]

Hi,

Just wondering if any of you have played with the joystick options for flying the helicopters..

I have a Thrustmaster T.16000, and I have been having problems setting up the throttle slider.

On FSX the throttle slider starts from the bottom and sliding upwards increases throttle speed.

On the Arma 3 Alpha, it seems strange because the throttle is fixed at the halfway point.. It states -100 to +100, with the 0 in between being the starting point..

I am trying to map the throttle to make the entire slider increase speed, but the first half of the slider does nothing..

Is this perhaps designed for jets, and the 0 to -100 point would be reverse thrusters??

In any case the controls of the helicopters are pretty good.. Auto-Hover is a bit of a cheat, but it is easy to find yourself resorting to it :)

[Zak757 1]

I have a Logitech 3D Extreme Pro, which should be close enough.

Did you bind your joystick slider to (Analog) Collective? The bottom two controls on the helicopter menu are specifically designed for joystick throttles.

[l00ck 10]

oh i have the same problem, i always thought it was normal :D I`ve a logitech force 3d pro joystick

[LeeManatee 4]

analogue

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

analogue

QFT - Use the "Collective Up/Down (Analog)".

My Thrustmaster T.16000M just arrived and it works great, tho still in the process of fine-tuning the X/Y axis sensitivity. :)

[l00ck 10]

QFT - Use the "Collective Up/Down (Analog)".

My Thrustmaster T.16000M just arrived and it works great, tho still in the process of fine-tuning the X/Y axis sensitivity. :)

yes i use the analogue thing in the options, i guess i can configure it in my .cfg that it uses -100 as the "0 throttle" instead of "0" as "0", if not its not a big deal iam used to it how it is atm because it was in arma 2 the same.

Edit: i just googled it and it seems like u need a third party prgramm for arma2 ( i guess u need one for arma 3 too), in the TOH demo it works perfect somehow.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?108410-A-fix-for-Full-Axis-throttle-mapping

Edited March 19, 2013 by l00ck

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

Uh, no need to edit any .cfgs: analog collective works, with the T.16000M at least. I'm able to side-circle around my target in an AH9, while adjusting the altitude down the metre as necessary.

[l00ck 10]

Uh, no need to edit any .cfgs: analog collective works, with the T.16000M at least. I'm able to side-circle around my target in an AH9, while adjusting the altitude down the metre as necessary.

i dont have the T1.6000M as u can see at the post i wrote before that. I just have the same problem like him with my joystick. His problem is that just the upper half of the Throttle works, i have the same problem with mine. So if he wants to have zero throttle he has to stop at the middle of his throttlerange instead of the bottom (which is -100) where it should be, like in TOH. to clafiry it, so i have a throttle range from -100 / +100 or to make it easier from 0-200, but the game thinks that 100=0 throttle isntead of 0 ="0" throttle, so we only can use half of hour throttlething. i cant explain it very good look at the link that i provided they can explain it better

So this was the problem: ArmA does not read the full range of a joystick axis. It will only read either the bottom half or the top half of any axis (as in Joystick slider + or Joystick slider -). This isn't a problem for the usual stick movements, like pitch up/down and roll left/right, because these are axes that always return to center, and each half of the range is assigned to it's respective direction.

This is a problem with throttles though, because ArmA is assuming that the bottom half of the throttle range should be the airbrakes, and that's not realistic. The brakes should be activated by another button or a separate axis if one is available, and the Thrust (analogue) action should be controlled by the entire travel of the joystick's throttle axis.

however could be that its a joystick specific problem with arma 3 as it seems

Edited March 19, 2013 by l00ck

[nodunit 397]

In comparison of throttle vs collective, the lever starting at the 0 point for it makes perfect sense.

Helicopters use Cyclic and Collective to achieve momentum, the collective is a lever that must be at midzone for the helicopters rotor blades to be perfectly level and thus create no lift. When the collective is raised beyond that point, the swash plate raises with it and thus ascends, when it is lowered the swash plate moves down which pulls the aircraft down.

Here is an example :)

at the start the swash plate would be in the negative zone, around 0:22 it is neutral and afterwards, positive.

and for full clarity.

To map the controls you must have the lever at the 0 point or push it past to map the collective.

Edited March 19, 2013 by NodUnit

[l00ck 10]

so its actually not a problem? everybody with every joystick has it the same way, that just the upper half of the throttle does sth and the bottom one deos nothing (if u`re flying helicopter)?

Edit oh wow that was a nice answer NodUnit,

Edited March 19, 2013 by l00ck

[nodunit 397]

so its actually not a problem? everybody with every joystick has it the same way, that just the upper half of the throttle does sth and the bottom one deos nothing (if u`re flying helicopter)?

Are you sure you have it mapped correctly? When I mapped my throttle I started from -100 and pushed it up for collective up, then pushed it all the way back down to -100 to map collective down, you must pass the 0 point otherwise it will NOT map, simply pushing it down a bit while at the full state does not map it because the game knows there is a "neutral zone".

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

NodUnit, what would be the best method in setting the right sensitivity for X/Y & (twist) rudder in order to use the stick's full range of motion, while still retaining good microadjustment precision?

Thanks

Edited March 19, 2013 by Iroquois Pliskin

[l00ck 10]

Are you sure you have it mapped correctly? When I mapped my throttle I started from -100 and pushed it up for collective up, then pushed it all the way back down to -100 to map collective down, you must pass the 0 point otherwise it will NOT map, simply pushing it down a bit while at the full state does not map it because the game knows there is a "neutral zone".

yes iam 99% sure i mapped it correctly it also recognizes throttle + and - at the setting screen, however the the bottom half does still nothing for me. I guess u can see it @ this small indicator if it does sth for u http://i.imgur.com/i7EbV8m.png

if i change my throttle in the upper half its moves but not if i change the throttle @ the bottom half. It works on TOH Demo but doesnt work @arma2 so iam not sure if its really a bug with my joystick or its the same for everyone. Does your engine starts when u cross the neutral middle position (0) with ur joystick or does it start some where between 0 and -100?

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

I have the same issue with my X-52. Throttle input is not detected at all until 51% or greater is used. This includes engine start.

This was an issue that existed in Arma 2 for a while after the introduction of analogue throttle however one of the later patches then corrected it. Arma 2 detects full range of throttle input fro 0-100%.

[l00ck 10]

I have the same issue with my X-52. Throttle input is not detected at all until 51% or greater is used. This includes engine start.

This was an issue that existed in Arma 2 for a while after the introduction of analogue throttle however one of the later patches then corrected it. Arma 2 detects full range of throttle input fro 0-100%.

oh ok i didnt tried the latest OA beta patches, but that makes hope that they`ll fix it sometime between alpha & release

[stevos758 10]

I have found it impossible to fly with arma heli physics and an analog collective.

I have a Saitek X52 and find myself using the q and z keys for the collective.

On take on helicopters I can use the X52 throttle fine considering you have to give a constant input to stay afloat.

I have tried several times in arma 2 and now 3 to use the saitek throttle and always revert back to Q and Z.

[trekari 10]

Quite a load of nonsense that this issue was FIXED for ArmA2, and yet ArmA3 it comes back with a vengeance.

[striderjg 1]

As far as I can tell it works as intended.... albeit in a silly manner for a silly fm:) Basically if you map both axis+ and axis- to raise/lower respectively, then the 'zero' (middle) position will maintain altitude, while above that will increase altitude at a analog rate proportional to how far above the middle the axis is. Works the opposite way for below the middle. Just a product of the goofy fm i believe. Not sure if they fudged it in A2 to make it seem less odd as I haven't flown in a2 for a long long time. Hopefully we'll get TKOH FM so it will be a little more sane;)

Edited March 20, 2013 by striderjg

[nodunit 397]

NodUnit, what would be the best method in setting the right sensitivity for X/Y & (twist) rudder in order to use the stick's full range of motion, while still retaining good microadjustment precision?

Thanks

I just set my X axis to 3/4 and 2.0 (be sure to click the SHOW button) for default aircraft, no fancy profiles or any of that for me.

[astrix_au 0]

Do I need to use the Thrustmaster T.A.R.G.E.T. software for my T.1600M to use set it up properly in Arma 3 I haven't installed T.A.R.G.E.T software yet.

[astrix_au 0]

dp.

[astrix_au 0]

wrong quote

 

[astrix_au 0]

Are you sure you have it mapped correctly? When I mapped my throttle I started from -100 and pushed it up for collective up, then pushed it all the way back down to -100 to map collective down, you must pass the 0 point otherwise it will NOT map, simply pushing it down a bit while at the full state does not map it because the game knows there is a "neutral zone".

 

Where can I find the value to change it to -100? I have searched through the .cfg file in the documents folder and can't find it. Can you please help?

 

[CRCError1970 14]

On 3/19/2013 at 4:38 AM, nodunit said:

In comparison of throttle vs collective, the lever starting at the 0 point for it makes perfect sense.

Helicopters use Cyclic and Collective to achieve momentum, the collective is a lever that must be at midzone for the helicopters rotor blades to be perfectly level and thus create no lift. When the collective is raised beyond that point, the swash plate raises with it and thus ascends, when it is lowered the swash plate moves down which pulls the aircraft down.

To map the controls you must have the lever at the 0 point or push it past to map the collective.

OH! MY! GOD!

THANK YOU!

No, really, the whole idea of the throttle not being one continuous axis was driving me nuts. I've been playing Elite: Dangerous for some time and the "Spaceship Controls" ruined me for real life controls.

Thanks to you I now understand that Throttle ≠ Collective.