Almost an X-52 ?

G

gimpyguy

Guest
Anybody have any experience with the "Gaming" Keyboards. Because I'm seriously looking at the Logitech G-11, as those 18 buttons are looking pretty good for my left hand, while the EVO is in my right ?:sheep:
 
Sorry, Gimpy, this isn't about your question, but seeing you're just online: could you tell me, if the "Center view" function would still work with TrackIR ?
Or is the view with TrackIR so easy, that I wouldn't need to center my view via keyboard?
 
You'll set up your hatswitch totally different with Trackir

SOUTH = Virtual cockpit or basiically center,

NORTH = Exteriior View of your aircraft, I like FLOAT view

EAST = Fly-by. . . . Nice to lookat

WEST = F12 the center gunsite command :ernae:
 
Ah! Thank you, Gimpy. Sounds like an enormous improvement also for my notorious videos! (They'll call me the Ed Wood of OFF - Lol!)
 
I have no experience with gaming keyboards, as I have yet to find one that is ergonomic but I did, long ago, get a Saitek Pro Gamer Command Unit. I bought it thinking I would use it in FPS games, but it quickly became indispensable for FS9/X. It essentially expands my X52's bunch o' buttons to a certifiable buttload, and they are all programmable in game like my stick. If you have room your desk, it might make a cheaper alternative than a whole new keyboard. I got mine on eBay for about thirty dollars. I'm sure you could find an older one on Amazon too relatively cheaply.
 
Mk2 said:
Do you already have an X-52? it's hard to beat....
Click to expand...

No . .And I'll agree that an X-52 is great controller, for a JET, or perhaps a P-51. But these boxkites with motors, where the pilot needs to know the instant his wheels hit the ground, they come up severely short

I'm a Force Feedback crazy person, who feels it's not a natural movement to bring your left hand across your body, to move the the keys at the base of the joystick, and it can be downright deadly to move your eyes from the monitor, at a crucial moment, in order that you strike the proper key or macro.
That is where the X-52 shines, everything is in your hands, you never need to look elsewhere

Now If they came out with an X-52, with Force Feedback
That would be one desirable unit :ernae:
 
Hey there GG

I just landed a Logitech G 15. It has programmable buttons to add what you like. The best though is ...................a lighted display. Great for seeing your keyboard now, with just the monitor on. $ 126 CDN at Future Shop.

Cheers,

british_eh
 
gimpyguy said:
Anybody have any experience with the "Gaming" Keyboards. Because I'm seriously looking at the Logitech G-11, as those 18 buttons are looking pretty good for my left hand
Click to expand...

Hmm, that might work. Never used one myself. Obviously it's going to be wider than a regular keyboard, which might cause problems.

Some years ago (back in Win95 days), Saitek made a button pad about 1/2 the size of a regular keyboard. IIRC, it had like 48 BIG buttons arranged 8 across and 6 high. You could program all these buttons just like stick buttons. I found it VERY useful, but unfortuantely it only worked with Win95 and Saitek quit making it rather than update the software :(. I guess they didn't sell enough back then.

I've had a full stick/throttle HOTAS since DOS days, but I found even this didn't have enough buttons for all the commands in Aces High for the things I didn't use all the time. And most of those commands were real finger-stretchers or needed 2 hands if you left them on the keyboard. So I programmed them onto my button board as single presses.

A really cool feature of this old thing was that it came with a program that allowed you to print of a keyboard overlay to match your button assignments. This allowed you to use all kinds of colors and symbols as well as text, so recognizing buttons in a hurry was no problem. You could stick this between the clear, flexible top of the board and the buttons themselves.

I believe somebody is making something similar today. You might find this more convenient that an extra-wide keyboard with more buttons stuck on it.

OTOH, this all worked well for me because I have a special way of securing my stick and throttle while flying. I built this thing out of 3 boards. I sit on the end of 1 board and the other end sticks out in front of me. There's vertical board on this end that comes up between my legs, on top of which is the 3rd board going sideways across my lap (this is about 3.5' long). The top of this is covered with velcro, to which I attach my stick and trottle. There's enough room between them for a regular keyboard, so the button board thing fit easily. And there's even a drink holder built into 1 end out past my stick :).
 
Gimpy, a good gamer keyboard is the new Microsoft Sidewinder X6.
You can put the numpad to the left, have hot keys, and even illuminated keys - helps not to hit the "bail out" button (Lol!)
 
Gimpy...

I had a Belkin Nostromo N52 gaming keypad which I used exclusively in CFS2 (highly modified) although the keypad recently broke down. I love using a gamepad as I hate doing anything with a keyboard, and most gamepads can store all kinds of functions from single keystroke to extensive macros.
In CFS2 I would fly with right hand on the throttle and my left hand on the gamepad, and after a while the keys were memorized so I never had to look at them. I read once of a WW2 pilot who always made sure he could manage all his controls without looking for them day or night and that's the way I think of using the gamepad as flight, engine, and any other controls related to sim flying. I arrange the key functions in groups that seem logical to me and are easier to commit to memory. With shift keys some gaming keypads are capable of over a hundred functions if you want them.

I have very little experience yet in flying OFF and I'm kind of stalled while rebuilding my pc (again) to coax more frame rates out of it, but I just purchased the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit keypad to replace the Nostromo. I have big hands and I think that this unit will feel a bit more comfortable. The Saitek, just as an example since there are other makes out there, offers:

  • Backlit ergonomic keypad with laser-etched keys for total visibility in any lighting environment
  • 4-way analog hat switch
  • 21 buttons including space, shift function and 3 mode states for up to 144 programmable commands
  • Adjustable thumb control area with 2 way tilt mechanism, slides forwards and backwards

I guess I've turned into a Saitek junkie since like you, I use the evo FFB joystick as well which is my favourite after trying several others over time.

However, a gaming keyboard is a different beast and one that I haven't used. It appears that it incorporates the 'gamepad' utility as part of a keyboard. The gaming keypad, on the other hand, is a small, compact device that sits handily beside the joystick, and since I can just move my wireless keyboard out of the way, this suits me better. Either way, I'm sure you will enjoy the gamepad functionality.
 
gimpyguy said:
You'll set up your hatswitch totally different with Trackir

SOUTH = Virtual cockpit or basiically center,

NORTH = Exteriior View of your aircraft, I like FLOAT view

EAST = Fly-by. . . . Nice to lookat

WEST = F12 the center gunsite command :ernae:
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention...

Thanks for more great set-up tricks, Gimpy. This is a good one that I will use as I have yet to figure out my controls mapping! Great stuff!
 
Bullethead said:
Hmm, that might work. Never used one myself. Obviously it's going to be wider than a regular keyboard, which might cause problems.

Some years ago (back in Win95 days), Saitek made a button pad about 1/2 the size of a regular keyboard. IIRC, it had like 48 BIG buttons arranged 8 across and 6 high. You could program all these buttons just like stick buttons. I found it VERY useful, but unfortuantely it only worked with Win95 and Saitek quit making it rather than update the software :(. I guess they didn't sell enough back then.

I've had a full stick/throttle HOTAS since DOS days, but I found even this didn't have enough buttons for all the commands in Aces High for the things I didn't use all the time. And most of those commands were real finger-stretchers or needed 2 hands if you left them on the keyboard. So I programmed them onto my button board as single presses.

A really cool feature of this old thing was that it came with a program that allowed you to print of a keyboard overlay to match your button assignments. This allowed you to use all kinds of colors and symbols as well as text, so recognizing buttons in a hurry was no problem. You could stick this between the clear, flexible top of the board and the buttons themselves.

I believe somebody is making something similar today. You might find this more convenient that an extra-wide keyboard with more buttons stuck on it.

OTOH, this all worked well for me because I have a special way of securing my stick and throttle while flying. I built this thing out of 3 boards. I sit on the end of 1 board and the other end sticks out in front of me. There's vertical board on this end that comes up between my legs, on top of which is the 3rd board going sideways across my lap (this is about 3.5' long). The top of this is covered with velcro, to which I attach my stick and trottle. There's enough room between them for a regular keyboard, so the button board thing fit easily. And there's even a drink holder built into 1 end out past my stick :).
Click to expand...

I can just see you in this rig.. you should put the whole thing and your chair on a balance to really add more "reality" to it :173go1:

:d
 
Jimko said:
I forgot to mention...

Thanks for more great set-up tricks, Gimpy. This is a good one that I will use as I have yet to figure out my controls mapping! Great stuff!
Click to expand...

Then obviously you've been able to discover the secret of the Saitek SST programing. As of this moment, it has eluded my capture. Caused me to give up on it long-ago.

Using Controls in OFF as my key mapping-aide. Unforunately that means, I can only assign a single function to my hat switch. Because no matter which direction you move the hat, OFF recognizes POV1

My hat switch, is therefore set to VC.
FLOAT View on Position 11, which only leaves me 2 Postions on the base, which are EASILY reachable. That plus the fact that I was never Fond of the throttle placement on the EVO

That is what prompted me to look into the Keyboard/pad arraingment, because I refuse to give up the FFB for OFF
The only other possible option is the LOGITECH
But that STILL means reaching across my body, to acess the buttons at the base.
Damned if you do, and Damned if you don't :sheep::sheep::sheep:
 
Has any one had any problems getting a Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 to install under XP Pro?
 
gimpyguy said:
Anybody have any experience with the "Gaming" Keyboards. Because I'm seriously looking at the Logitech G-11, as those 18 buttons are looking pretty good for my left hand, while the EVO is in my right ?:sheep:
Click to expand...

Just thought I'd throw this option into the mix if you aren't already aware, not only the highly programmable Figherstick but the multi-frunction panel. CH Products line of joysticks, yokes, pedals are ruggedly built and in the unlikely event a part should fail virtually everything is replaceable - either do it yourself or send it to them. And they sell worldwide.

I've owned (3) CH joysticks over the years, with the first two replaced only because of upgrading to higher function capability and not component failure or defect. Oh, and I have no financial or other interest in CH Products.....I just like their stuff!
 
Depends on your definition of Install. Without the program - No Sweat -.

Just change all your macro's to single keystroke within the Game.

You could Never control the power of the FFB anyway

I've got 2 of them, gathering dust now (glutton for punishment) as the twisty stick offers very poor rudder range of movement, and with my physical handicapp, I can't use pedals

One of them features the unique 7 position, hat switch, bought NEW in the Box :kilroy:
 
Over50 said:
Just thought I'd throw this option into the mix if you aren't already aware, not only the highly programmable Figherstick but the multi-frunction panel. CH Products line of joysticks, yokes, pedals are ruggedly built and in the unlikely event a part should fail virtually everything is replaceable - either do it yourself or send it to them. And they sell worldwide.
.....I just like their stuff!
Click to expand...

MMmmmmmmm do they feature Force Feedback in their product line ? :kilroy:
 
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