Configuring a HOTAS for helo flight

[coolts 0]

Hi all

I am trying to get my warthog HOTAS setup and have all the basics down, (collective, cyclic, pedals, trackIR), and can fly the unarmed helos fine but am having trouble with the targeting controls.

For instance there are a few different “TARGET NEXT…†commands and two “CHANGE WEAPON..†commands.

Basically, which commands do I need and which can I ignore? Some are in “WEAPONS†submenu and others are scattered about.

[spanishsurfer 58]

What I do is bind each command and test it out in the editor. Create a mission with enemy vehicles and empty ones. Practice targeting each one and see which one of the commands you prefer. I use Target next and it works pretty well for me, I believe this command allows you to cycle through empty and manned enemy vehicles.

[coolts 0]

There's also a "lock" command which confuses matters. Back when arma and arma 2 came out I used the default controls and in the introductory mission usually you were told what key to press to do the important stuff, so I would jump out and map those and only those commands to whatever stick I was using at the time.

That gets the essentials done and cuts out the chaff and replicated commands. They weren't betas though ;) No training missions.... yet. The "showcases" show some stuff though.

Annoyingly I can cold start and fight in the DCS:A-10 and the Black shark but ARMA controls menus befuddle me!

Edited June 25, 2013 by coolts

[spanishsurfer 58]

Yeah theres a lot of controls that have subtle differences and seem like they're duplicate controls. I like having lots of different options but it's a pain at first when you have to bind all your keys to your liking. I have a lot of controls that are blank in my setup.

[coolts 0]

"Lock or zoom"....................It locks on but presses your nose against the cockpit glass. What possible use could that be I don't know, but it was "Next target tin vehicle" which works in the helos. Point the nose at target area, press "Next target in vehicle" and it locks. You can press it again to cycle targets.

I'm probably doing it wrong but its working so far........

[spanishsurfer 58]

The "zoom" function is extremely valuable as a pilot when you're firing unguided munitions at targets on the ground. Def something I recommend you start using! :)

[Siq6Six 10]

Got my hog in on Monday but previously was using x52 Pro. Set up my change weapons to throttle hat. Setup zoom to stick pinky. Didnt know/think about locking target.. That'll prob help since the HUD follows you when you look around lol.

I am having my own issue. When I left off the stick, seems throttle/collective doesn't matter either, helo pitches up hard. Requires constant pressure to maintain level, let alone forward movement. Anyway to trim this out? Also, is the collective supposed to be fairly unresponsive until 50% or more throttle? I did set "up" to throttle up & "down" to throttle down... 50% & below seems to not do much..maybe drop alt faster, but either way the things gonna land hard...

[Henry Rollins 10]

Got my hog in on Monday but previously was using x52 Pro. Set up my change weapons to throttle hat. Setup zoom to stick pinky. Didnt know/think about locking target.. That'll prob help since the HUD follows you when you look around lol.

I am having my own issue. When I left off the stick, seems throttle/collective doesn't matter either, helo pitches up hard. Requires constant pressure to maintain level, let alone forward movement. Anyway to trim this out? Also, is the collective supposed to be fairly unresponsive until 50% or more throttle? I did set "up" to throttle up & "down" to throttle down... 50% & below seems to not do much..maybe drop alt faster, but either way the things gonna land hard...

The 50% collective is somewhat realistic. You must pull enough pitch and TOT to get the aircraft off the ground. It will not be at the bottom of the collective and it changes based on weight like weapons loading, fuel etc.

Your problem with collective is odd. I have the warthog and am not experiencing the same problem. It sounds more severe than transverse flow effect.

[nimrod123 11]

thye problem with colective is that most joysticks have a postive nad negative half of a axis.

for arma the colective power is actually split into increase and decrease, so you need to map decrease to the bottom half of the lever, and increase to the top hlaf.

the deadzone in the middle is maintain speed or hover

for lock, it means the game targets the target closest to the center of the HUD

[coolts 0]

The "zoom" function is extremely valuable as a pilot when you're firing unguided munitions at targets on the ground. Def something I recommend you start using! :)

i have mapped the temporary zoom to the "china hat" on the warthog as its a momentary switch so you press to zoom and release to switch back. the "lock or zoom" was the weird command i unmapped.

the collective seems weirdly mapped, with all the power bunched up at the top end. the axis travel gives 0% -100% in the controls viewer, but i cant see how to apply a curve, so i may do that with the HOTAS software.

<siq6six> there is no trimmer that i can find, unlike even in TOH which had better helo FM. this is still beta though so here's hoping.

Edited June 27, 2013 by coolts
spelling

[hannibal636 11]

guys, i am also a avid flight sim enthusiast... someone make a feedback ticket for

a) Take On Helicopters Flight Model (FM)

or

b) authentic collective controls for Arma3 standard FM, meaning that the collective SHOULD HAVE a 0-100% input (NOT -100% to 0 to +100%) BIS please make collective controls a slider function, not an axis!

if someone hasnt made feed back ticket, i will make one when i get home

or if someone can link us, lets all BUMP IT UP

[Siq6Six 10]

Thanks for he replies. For the collective - what Hannibal said -> 0%-100% makes sense. Tho I kinda figured it was doing -100%-0%-100%. That layout doesn't even make sense for stunt RC helos (they have a separate switch to reverse he collective for inverted flight, so not to dump/reapply throttle mid flight).

Pitching nose up I first experienced with the saitek x52 pro. Got my hog Monday & same thing. So I doubt it's the controller or software. It does it regardless of throttle position as well.. I'm just free flyin in the editor for now...

Oh - as far as I understood, the plan has always been to integrate ToH controls & flight characteristics. Just they were focusing on infantry. Now they are focusing on vehicles maybe it'll be on the short list. I sure hope so. Sure it'll be a lot harder, but a dedicated pilot will be so much more important.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Siq6Six

[nimrod123 11]

the TOH FM may not make it, a interview said its interactions with the physx system was causing issues, and they where experincing a drop of 10FPS on the client when said client entered a heli with the TOH FM

[Siq6Six 10]

Oh that's disappointing :/ well then let's hope they build a more realistic FM that works with PhysX

[nimrod123 11]

Oh that's disappointing :/ well then let's hope they build a more realistic FM that works with PhysX

they can do it with the current thing they have for the engine, its just that if they want to launch on time, they won't be able to make it run well. their is always a tradeoff, and they are commited to making the deadline before chirstmas

[coolts 0]

TOH had a decent FM after all the patches. Blackshark it aint, but way better than ARMA2/3 beta. Lets hope they integrate it as it would really add to the sim.

[Siq6Six 10]

Nimrod - gotcha. That's what I remember reading somewhere. It would be close to launch/after launch before they'd get the flight models put into place. I thought you were saying it wasn't gonna happen at all. Not so disappointed now as there is still a glimmer of hope! Anyway, I just hope they find time to get it done, even if it doesn't happen until Christmas. Still enjoying it, just want more! For helicopters to be the powerhouses they are, they shouldn't be dumbed down arcade mode...

[nimrod123 11]

Nimrod - gotcha. That's what I remember reading somewhere. It would be close to launch/after launch before they'd get the flight models put into place. I thought you were saying it wasn't gonna happen at all. Not so disappointed now as there is still a glimmer of hope! Anyway, I just hope they find time to get it done, even if it doesn't happen until Christmas. Still enjoying it, just want more! For helicopters to be the powerhouses they are, they shouldn't be dumbed down arcade mode...

its now a maybe, it might, it might not. the interview wasn't going into detail, and this came up in passing.

i suspect that this is one of those things that may go into the "too hard to intergrate" basket, if they run out of time

[feiercrack 12]

thye problem with colective is that most joysticks have a postive nad negative half of a axis.

for arma the colective power is actually split into increase and decrease, so you need to map decrease to the bottom half of the lever, and increase to the top hlaf.

the deadzone in the middle is maintain speed or hover

for lock, it means the game targets the target closest to the center of the HUD

 

 

guys, i am also a avid flight sim enthusiast... someone make a feedback ticket for

a) Take On Helicopters Flight Model (FM)

or

B) authentic collective controls for Arma3 standard FM, meaning that the collective SHOULD HAVE a 0-100% input (NOT -100% to 0 to +100%) BIS please make collective controls a slider function, not an axis!

if someone hasnt made feed back ticket, i will make one when i get home

or if someone can link us, lets all BUMP IT UP

 

 

Hi guy, i also get stuck at that problem.

is there meanwhile a workaround for that?

 

i cant calibrate my TM Cougar HOTAS Throttle correctly.

The hovering and landings were to hard.

 

can someone please help me out to calibrate that thing properly?

 

i posted another thread somewhere around this forum, which describes my problem.

I copy and paste it in here:

Hi,
 
i have that feeling, that my TM HOTAS Cougar Throttle is not responding ingame the right way...or just the game is not answering correctly...
 
Maybe i am completely wrong thinking how to steer an helicopter instead of a jet with the Cougar Throttle..(in case of that, please explain)
But i discover this:
 
When i move my throttle from 30% up to 65% in an Arma 3 Helicopter, the collective pitch indicator does not move in the variometer.
It still stays  almost in the middle of the gauge. Everything else works fine, when i push, it goes to full power, when i pull, it goes to idle.
But my Joystick Analyzer instead works fine, i tabbed out to Windows and see that it moves the correct way.
Looks like an deadzone somewhere in the middle?
I run Windows 10 Pro 64bit, Arma 3 with AFM, Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar.
What can be  done? I dont want to miss those 35% of Throttle/Joystick movement. With that, its very hard to control the Heli, even hovering...
i have attached 2 pics.

 

Can someone help please?   thanks in advance. Cheers