How to make a great command profile for X3 (TABLE OF CONTENTS!)

[xavierd]

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck

[terrigat]

There is quite a bit of info that is good for programming any controller for X3 and some that applies to all Saitek profiled controllers.

I was tempted to divide up my 'Some Considerations' into those subsections but I won't be able to test my own until I have a working stick again. Also, I'd need some feedback to get an idea of what works for others before I could safely say what works for all game controllers. I wouldn't be able to test for other Saitek products myself much less other flight sticks.

For example, if someone could give me the ignorejoy #'s for the x52 &/or x45 I could add that above.

[travisdh1]

There is quite a bit of info that is good for programming any controller for X3 and some that applies to all Saitek profiled controllers.

I was tempted to divide up my 'Some Considerations' into those subsections but I won't be able to test my own until I have a working stick again. Also, I'd need some feedback to get an idea of what works for others before I could safely say what works for all game controllers. I wouldn't be able to test for other Saitek products myself much less other flight sticks.

For example, if someone could give me the ignorejoy #'s for the x52 &/or x45 I could add that above.

I'm not sure at the moment exactly which ignorejoy numbers you need for the X45 (I'm at work, it's at home.) I do remember that they are the two toggle switches on the throttle. I'll get those exact numbers for you when I make it home.

Edit: Finally got those numbers for you. The Saitek X45 needs this added to the shortcut to properly use the joystick.

-ignorejoy 7 -ignorejoy 8 -ignorejoy 9 -ignorejoy 10 -ignorejoy 11 -ignorejoy 12

Also note that those ignorejoy numbers are for the mode switches so you are limite to "only" 1 set of commands on the X45 (I still don't have all the buttons/switches assigned to things as I still use keyboard/mouse for controlling the empire and only use the joystick for actual fighting/flying.)

[terrigat]

I had some trouble getting the exact numbers myself until I attached my joystick to new PC (I work on so many PCs that I always have access to a decommissioned server or freshly built machine) without ANYTHING installed. That way I could see which buttons lit up constantly. I couldn't do that with the Saitek Drivers in place (no button numbers are shown for povhats or the mode selector). When I did this, only button 28 was lit up constantly. I then moved the mode selector up & button 29 was lit up, etc.

[Pyure]

Point of interest: I've been in a state of paralysis attemping to select a joystick to purchase specifically for X3.

Based purely on the level of detail you've put into this post I'm probably going to use this joystick.

Thanks for putting this together terrigat its very informative.

[terrigat]

Point of interest: I've been in a state of paralysis attemping to select a joystick to purchase specifically for X3.

Based purely on the level of detail you've put into this post I'm probably going to use this joystick.

Thanks for putting this together terrigat its very informative.

Might want to read about the x52 or the new flight stick from Saitek, the x65F ($310 ouch!) first. The x52 doesn't have a MFD but then again, no one has written a X3:TC script that uses it yet. Also, the x52 is cheaper ($50 to $100 less).

If anyone owns the x65F then I'd love to add your experiences to this topic.

[terrigat]

Xavierd:
Did you get a chance to rebuild your Profile yet?
When you do, just post it here & I'll format & attach it as an alternative config on my second post.

Mortis494:
POVhat 1(Black joystick?): stafe drive
POV hat 2(Silver joystick?): POV look
SETA on Throttle
If you complete yours I could do the same.

travisdh1:

Also note that those ignorejoy numbers are for the mode switches so you are limite to "only" 1 set of commands on the X45 (I still don't have all the buttons/switches assigned to things as I still use keyboard/mouse for controlling the empire and only use the joystick for actual fighting/flying.)

Doesn't the Saitek Editor take care of that for you (FIfth from the top actually)? I believe you just need to assign keyboard inputs in there for different modes & attach those keyboard keys to something in the X3 profiler.

If you manage to build a good profile for your x45, I'll add that as well

[travisdh1]

Xavierd:
Did you get a chance to rebuild your Profile yet?
When you do, just post it here & I'll format & attach it as an alternative config on my second post.

Mortis494:
POVhat 1(Black joystick?): stafe drive
POV hat 2(Silver joystick?): POV look
SETA on Throttle
If you complete yours I could do the same.

travisdh1:

Also note that those ignorejoy numbers are for the mode switches so you are limite to "only" 1 set of commands on the X45 (I still don't have all the buttons/switches assigned to things as I still use keyboard/mouse for controlling the empire and only use the joystick for actual fighting/flying.)

Doesn't the Saitek Editor take care of that for you (FIfth from the top actually)? I believe you just need to assign keyboard inputs in there for different modes & attach those keyboard keys to something in the X3 profiler.

If you manage to build a good profile for your x45, I'll add that as well

I've not used the Saitek Editor. I might use it one of these days if I run out of things I want to do with a joystick, but am very happy with my current setup. That said I might look at setting up an x45 profile, mine seems to age quite well at least so some other people probably still have em.

[terrigat]

Did a major overhaul of the first post. Hopefully more useful all around. I revamped the layout to make additions easier & tried to show which info pertained to what control method. All corrections (and additions) welcome.

I Really wish this forum had collapsable Spoiler tags. I hate how long my posts are getting but I can't think of how I could organize this much info into a smaller space and keep it usable.

How can I create links to specific posts in a thread? I am still new to forum posting.

[terrigat]

I spent some more time ingame & had to make some major revisions to my profile.

New Saitek Profile setup details (a real facepalm moment for me).
Leave the normal buttons unprogrammed & only attach keyboard input to +pinkie or 2nd/3rd Modes in the Saitek Profile. This really frees up potential keyboard assignments.
Some exceptions:
i or Clutch (unprogrammable ingame)
mouse wheel (had to -ignorejoy those)

Question about joystick sensitivity. Does 20% mean that it moves at a 5th of the max turn speed of the ship, still can turn at max but not as smooth a transition, turn speed can never be faster than a 5th of the potential sensitivity of the stick, or does it equate to a max turn rate for any ship?

On a side note:

Shouldn't I have to scan a ship first before I see Installed equipment? Right now, all I need to do is get within 4km & then its visible.

Letting the autopilot dock requires SETA if I want to actually touch the docking clamps. Otherwise the ship just sits in position indefinitely.

[travisdh1]

Letting the autopilot dock requires SETA if I want to actually touch the docking clamps. Otherwise the ship just sits in position indefinitely.

Just answering the only thing I'm sure of here. This is a bug with the game and it happens to me weather I'm using a joystick or not.

[Infekted]

Aside from funky posh joysticks I find the use of programs like Autohotkey extremely useful on this game.
Although I have 10 programmable macro keys on my keyboard which I use instead.

[Laden Swallow]

Did a major overhaul of the first post. Hopefully more useful all around. I revamped the layout to make additions easier & tried to show which info pertained to what control method. All corrections (and additions) welcome.

I Really wish this forum had collapsable Spoiler tags. I hate how long my posts are getting but I can't think of how I could organize this much info into a smaller space and keep it usable.

How can I create links to specific posts in a thread? I am still new to forum posting.

The little button that looks like to intersecting squares, next to the 'Posted:' line will jump to that post. Not particularly useful on its own, but you can copy and paste the links into posts.

Such as the post I'm quoting is: http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 97#3368397

[terrigat]

Aside from funky posh joysticks I find the use of programs like Autohotkey extremely useful on this game.
Although I have 10 programmable macro keys on my keyboard which I use instead.

Interesting program. Very complex, although simple to program considering how much it can accomplish.

[terrigat]

Thanks Laden Swallow, I just added it to my first post.

Also couldn't find the multiple joysticks sticky at first until I checked the reunion tech support subforum. Since that info is still relevant to Terran Conflict, I added a link to it in the first post.

[terrigat]

Third post in a row.

Major annoyance discovered. "Match speed to target" will not work if the 'hold' function is used on the button it is bound to. That means match speed cannot be bound to 'hold key3' & another command cannot be bound to 'hold key3.' Can't see why other than to stop me from binding all the useful speed modifiers to one button.

Thinking of pinkie shifting it on the mouse wheel click, but that key can be quite finicky.

I know that my profile leaves many joystick buttons unused. I just want to make sure that as many as possible were left open for user hotkey scripts or advanced command macros. At the moment the Silver POVhat, mouse button, A, B & Mode 2 & 3 are still open in a vanilla game setup.

I tested Pinkie + Silver POVhat assigned to num1-4,6-9 (8-way POV)
Pinkie + Trigger assigned ALT (video gogs)
Mousewheel Click still num5 (center view)
Its not bad. This makes it work as Egosoft probably intended but me & my above point made me keep this off my profile.

[xavierd]

Can't see why

Holding the match speed key will continue to reset your desired speed to match that of the target as it's speed changes. Probably why you can't add a hold modifier to the same key (i'd expect same from fire weapon key)

[terrigat]

Can't see why

Holding the match speed key will continue to reset your desired speed to match that of the target as it's speed changes. Probably why you can't add a hold modifier to the same key (i'd expect same from fire weapon key)

I checked that when I reset the button to the mouse wheel. You are correct. Probably should have played with it more before posting, but it annoyed me so much that I couldn't bind it there.

[terrigat]

stormtrooper68 recommended a program called Joytokey so I took the program for a spin to compare it to ppjoy & the Saitek Profile Editor (No idea about Logitech. Unlike Saitek's it won't run without a Logitech Gaming Controller plugged in & I don't own one).

Joytokey really is what it says, unfortunately. It turns joystick buttons into keyboard or mouse input. If you want to switch what kind of keyboard/mouse input a button does on the fly, you have to toggle it by pressing an assigned switch button. You have to press that button again to switch back. It currently doesn't have a way to use the switch button like the hold modifier in a Saitek Profile.

If you try to use it a replacement for a saitek profile on a x52, then don't try programming the rotaries, the mouse wheel or the slider. The "sliders" act like a switch. Push the slider one way and you get one press. Rotate it back & no press. Also the mouse wheel required many rotations to get a single registered hit.

Here is a guide for the x52pro if you want to try it for yourself:
x/y: joystick
axis3: throttle
axis4: rotary i/clutch
axis5: rotary E
axis6: yoke
slider1: slider
POV1: Silver POVhat
1: trigger #1
2: launch
3: A
4: B
5: C
6: pinkie
7: D
8: E
9: T1
10: T2
11: T3
12: T4
13: T5
14: T6
15: trigger #2
16: mouse button *
17: mouse wheel down *
18: mouse wheel up *
19: mouse wheel click *
20: Black POVhat up
21: Black POVhat right
22: Black POVhat down
23: Black POVhat left
24: Throttle POVhat up
25: Throttle POVhat right
26: Throttle POVhat down
27: Throttle POVhat left
28: 1
29: Mode Selector 2
30: 3
31: i/Clutch
32: Left black roller under the MFD (pg ^ / pg v)

* can't program with the Saitek Driver installed

[terrigat]

Thrustmaster Cougar MFD that stormtrooper68 posted here

He combines this with a keyboard, mouse & a Saitek x52 joystick using a program called joytokey which is similar to ppjoy.


ASCII art just to make sure visual is always available)


[switch1]---[1]--[2]--[3]--[4]--[5]---[switch2]


[6]----------------------------------------------[11]


[7]----------------------------------------------[12]


[8]----------------------------------------------[13]


[9]----------------------------------------------[14]


[10]---------------------------------------------[15]


[switch3]-[16]-[17]-[18]-[19]-[20]-[switch4]



Left (X3-THINK)
switch1 [ + ] zoom map ___ [ - ]
switch2 [ up ] scroll ___ [ down ]
switch3 [ fill ] ___ selection [ empty ]
switch4 [ select view mode ] [ external view ]
1 [ video enhancement googles ]
2 [ best selling price locator ]
3 [ jumpdrive ]
4 [ best buys locator ]
5 [ toggle HUD display ]
6 [ sector map ]
7 [ comms ]
8 [ freight bay ]
9 [ view info about selected object ]
10 [ trade with station ]
11 [ galaxy map ]
12 [ toggle autopilot ]
13 [ SETA ]
14 [ dock with target ]
15 [ select view mode ]
16 [ close menu ]
17 [ command console for current ship ]
18 [ eject from ship ]
19 [ personal information ]
20 [ owned property ]

Right (X3-FIGHT)
switch1 []
switch2 []
switch3 [ previous ] target ___ enemy [ next ]
switch4 [ previous ] target ___ object [ next ]
1 [ select weapons group 1 ]
2 [ select weapons group 2 ]
3 [ select weapons group 3 ]
4 [ select weapons group 4 ]
5 [ laser targeting mode ]
6 [ wingmen attack target ]
7 [ wingmen protect me ]
8 [ drones attack target ]
9 [ drones protect me ]
10 [ target nearest enemy ]
11 [ select missile ]
12 []
13 []
14 []
15 [ track target ]
16 []
17 []
18 [ match speed to target ]
19 []
20 [ weapons menu ]