Joy2key alternatives?

[Fodder]

As a MSFFB2 user with limited buttons and no desire to buy a throttle quadrant, I've been using Joy2key to map as many functions as possible to my stick.

 

I really like the ability to have a second virtual joystick BUT I really need MORE - I like to use my hatswitch for multiple functions like prop pitch, mixture, elevator trim etc

 

I've read on these forums about XPadder and SVMapper. How do these compare?

 

XPadder looks a bit overly complicated to me but is easily available. I've read good things about SVMapper but can't find a download source anywhere.  

 

Thoughts anybody?

[Fodder]

Downloaded XPadder 5.3. Doesn't support Windows10. Nuts

[Sokol1]

No advantage in use Xpadder or SVMapper (this dont map axis) over Joy2key, unless for specific functions.

 

What you want, different use for HAT, you can do with Joy2Key "layers/profiles" - up to 16 (8 in Xpadder) and "shift/clutch" function.

 

Set a joy button to be the "mode", pressed you load other J2K layer that do different things, press the same button again and go back for default layer (or load a 3rd).

 

A "hidden" feature in J2K is a "virtual" button, eg. joy button 1 when pressed - if button 2 was pressed - send button 3 and not 1.

 

*Xpadder (only in payware version) and SVmapper differential is "mapped key on press" and "mapped key on release" - but feature this was useful for flip switches (like the ones in Warthog throttle or custom "button box"), not for momentary buttons like in MSFF2 and not for a "less keys is better" game with only "toggle" - press a button to turn on lights, press the same button again to turn off lights - controls options.

 

BTW - Xpadder 5.3 (Freeware) work in Win10/64. Always run these keymapers "As administrator" or maybe the keypress is not seem be games.

 

SVMapper download: http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10901

Edited February 2, 2016 by Sokol1

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

I looked for an alternative to the CH software when IL2 BOS came out.  Checked out several programs and ended up with Total Game Control v3.7.  It costs $20 to unlock it but can try it free.

 

http://total-game-control.soft112.com/

Edited February 2, 2016 by 12.OIAE_Stick-95

[Sokol1]

Other is Pinnacle Game Profiler but his only "advantage" over the others is the function for set 3(?) bands on axis  (J2K divide axis in 2 bands), no other difference that (IMO) justify his 6$, and his GUI is "PITA" to use - relative to easiness of other keymapers.

 

The case is, all these soft is done for map PS3/XBox like "gamepad" not for "flight joystick" needs...

Edited February 2, 2016 by Sokol1

[Eclipse4349]

On 2/2/2016 at 11:25 AM, Sokol1 said:

Set a joy button to be the "mode", pressed you load other J2K layer that do different things, press the same button again and go back for default layer (or load a 3rd).

 

Can someone please explain how to set this up?  I see how to switch to a different joystick mapping (using the SHIFT function in the "special" tab in the key assignment screen), but I only see this A-B switch with the button held, but no ability to cycle between different virtual joysticks with each subsequent press.

[Sokol1]

JoyToKey "SHIFT" load a second "joystick" momentarily, what you want is load the second profile permanently, so use  "Load and switch to another configuration file".

 

A key difference:

"SHIFT" load (momentarily) another "virtual" joystick (you can create 49 virtual joystick, set in "Options").

 "Load and switch to another configuration file" load (permanently) another "File" (profile).

 

1 - Create a JoyToKey profile, and name, for example, as "1"

 

2 - Create a second profile (with different keypress), name as "2".

 

3 - In profile "1" set a joy button for be the "mode" selector.

Click over the button and in the tab "special" in "Load and switch to another configuration file" select profile "2".

 

4 - In profile "2" select the same button and now in  "Load and switch to another configuration file" select profile "1".

 

An inconveniente is that you don't have a visual feedback* of what profile is loaded at given time, but in "Options" you can associated a sound (wav, mp3) for each profile loading.

 

An workaround for create a visual feedback is using the "Scroll Look" LED - if the game don't use this key.

Set a joy button, e.g. joy b10 for press "Scroll Lock" in profile "1" and "2".

 

In "Options" > "Button mapping" > "Button Alias (mapping)" set that button 33 (a button that don't t physically exist in your joystick) will be pressed when joy b10 is pressed.

 

Set this (virtual) button 33 for  "Load and switch to another configuration file".

 

When joy b10 is pressed, Scroll Lock LED turn ON or OFF, and (virtual) joy b33 load another profile.

 

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Sokol1

[Eclipse4349]

1 hour ago, Sokol1 said:

JoyToKey "SHIFT" load a second "joystick" momentarily, what you want is load the second profile permanently, so use  "Load and switch to another configuration file".

 

A key difference:

"SHIFT" load (momentarily) another "virtual" joystick (you can create 49 virtual joystick, set in "Options").

 "Load and switch to another configuration file" load (permanently) another "File" (profile).

 

1 - Create a JoyToKey profile, and name, for example, as "1"

 

2 - Create a second profile (with different keypress), name as "2".

 

3 - In profile "1" set a joy button for be the "mode" selector.

Click over the button and in the tab "special" in "Load and switch to another configuration file" select profile "2".

 

4 - In profile "2" select the same button and now in  "Load and switch to another configuration file" select profile "1".

 

An inconveniente is that you don't have a visual feedback* of what profile is loaded at given time, but in "Options" you can associated a sound (wav, mp3) for each profile loading.

 

An workaround for create a visual feedback is using the "Scroll Look" LED - if the game don't use this key.

Set a joy button, e.g. joy b10 for press "Scroll Lock" in profile "1" and "2".

 

In "Options" > "Button mapping" > "Button Alias (mapping)" set that button 33 (a button that don't t physically exist in your joystick) will be pressed when joy b10 is pressed.

 

Set this (virtual) button 33 for  "Load and switch to another configuration file".

 

When joy b10 is pressed, Scroll Lock LED turn ON or OFF, and (virtual) joy b33 load another profile.

 

 

Extremely helpful, thank you!  I could then, use this method to replicate the mode switching of my no-longer-supported CH Control Manager software, and recreate the 3 modes and the shift key function, with some effort.  I'll be able to have my "mode" button in the profile load a second profile containing all the button mappings for the same device in mode 2, and this time the mode button switches to a third profile for that device, etc. for as many modes as I need or want.

 

It will take some effort, but I think this will be a viable alternative if my current workaround for Control Manager proves to be unreliable.  Thanks again!

[Lupus]

19 hours ago, Eclipse4349 said:

Extremely helpful, thank you!  I could then, use this method to replicate the mode switching of my no-longer-supported CH Control Manager software, and recreate the 3 modes and the shift key function, with some effort.  I'll be able to have my "mode" button in the profile load a second profile containing all the button mappings for the same device in mode 2, and this time the mode button switches to a third profile for that device, etc. for as many modes as I need or want.

 

It will take some effort, but I think this will be a viable alternative if my current workaround for Control Manager proves to be unreliable.  Thanks again!

 

I'm having no issue with My CH software, just the pots having worn out after 11 years.  What difficulties is it presenting?

[Eclipse4349]

9 hours ago, Lupus said:

 

I'm having no issue with My CH software, just the pots having worn out after 11 years.  What difficulties is it presenting?

I have inconsistent profile downloading issues. It'll be fine one day, I'll make a change and re-download the profile, and it say it downloaded successfully. I go in game and I have some buttons that work and some that don't. I can adjust trim to the left, but not the right. My guns won't fire. Landing gear won't work, flaps won't go down. But all the buttons calibrate fine and are still "working". The software is just glitchy. After several attempts at redownloading, restarting, redownloading, turning the controllers off and downloading, turning them to direct input and downloading, etc, each time hopping in game to see if things work, and each time finding some or all of the same issues still happening, eventually I'll hit the golden number of attempts and everything will work. Until it doesn't. Rinse and repeat. 

 

I've now replaced all functionality of Control Manager with JoyToKey, and then some. It's fantastic!

 

Thanks again @Sokol1

 

To anyone else having trouble with this, do yourself a favor and get JoyToKey. Feel free to PM me for help duplicating the modes and shift function of Control Manager (which you can do, and then some!) 

[Lupus]

2 hours ago, Eclipse4349 said:

I have inconsistent profile downloading issues. It'll be fine one day, I'll make a change and re-download the profile, and it say it downloaded successfully. I go in game and I have some buttons that work and some that don't. I can adjust trim to the left, but not the right. My guns won't fire. Landing gear won't work, flaps won't go down. But all the buttons calibrate fine and are still "working". The software is just glitchy. After several attempts at redownloading, restarting, redownloading, turning the controllers off and downloading, turning them to direct input and downloading, etc, each time hopping in game to see if things work, and each time finding some or all of the same issues still happening, eventually I'll hit the golden number of attempts and everything will work. Until it doesn't. Rinse and repeat. 

 

I've now replaced all functionality of Control Manager with JoyToKey, and then some. It's fantastic!

 

Thanks again @Sokol1

 

To anyone else having trouble with this, do yourself a favor and get JoyToKey. Feel free to PM me for help duplicating the modes and shift function of Control Manager (which you can do, and then some!) 

 

Sorry to hear about your issues. I'd love to learn about JoytoKey though. After 11 years my CH setup is starting to show its age and the pots are wearing out.  Therefore I have started the process of upgrading.  I've decided to go with Virpil for most of my products, although I may end up with MFG Crosswind's for pedals.  That does mean I won't be using CH Control Manager anymore, but I'll surely miss it's functionality.  I've been looking for a replacement and found Joystick Gremlin, that I thought I'd give a try, but I'd love to hear about JoytoKey.

[jollyjack]

i use JopyID occasionally. Warthog, 2 units, no pedals, but a Deltasim modded switch on the throttle..

Edited April 16, 2020 by jollyjack

[Eclipse4349]

15 hours ago, Lupus said:

 

Sorry to hear about your issues. I'd love to learn about JoytoKey though. After 11 years my CH setup is starting to show its age and the pots are wearing out.  Therefore I have started the process of upgrading.  I've decided to go with Virpil for most of my products, although I may end up with MFG Crosswind's for pedals.  That does mean I won't be using CH Control Manager anymore, but I'll surely miss it's functionality.  I've been looking for a replacement and found Joystick Gremlin, that I thought I'd give a try, but I'd love to hear about JoytoKey.

I would love to be able to try the Virpil gear and Crosswinds to see what kind of difference to expect.  If you think of it, I would appreciate your input since you have the same gear as me, currently. 

 

The only issue I have run into with JoyToKey so far is that the game processes L-shift+ key but also processes the plain keypress. I found last night while carrying bombs in the P-47 that turning boost on or off would also drop a bomb.  I just found out now that the tailwheel lock control, L-shift and g, also activates the plain g command to toggle landing gear up or down.

 

My solution so far is to delete the single key keybinds in the game and, in the case of dropping bombs, map my joystick button directly.  Other than that, it's been perfect, and that is a game issue, not a JTK issue.  I verified in Notepad that JTK does send only a B every time the superchager L-shift + b button is pressed, and the lowercase b every time the drop bombs button is pressed.  At this point, I'm not missing Control Manager one bit.  Quite the opposite!

 

One thing I LOVING with JTKis that you can have it play a .wav file every time the active profile is switched, or you can associate a specific wave file to be played when a specific profile is activated.  So, I now have nice, mechanical-sounding clicks that play to indicate what mode (layer of keybinds, for those without the CH Control Manager software) I've just switched to.  If I switch to mode two, 2 clicks.  If I switch to 3, I hear 3 clicks.  Back to mode 1, 1 click.  I found the .wav file for the click online and edited it to make the 2 and 3 click version.  If you end up using JTK and want the files, let me know.

[Lupus]

18 minutes ago, Eclipse4349 said:

I would love to be able to try the Virpil gear and Crosswinds to see what kind of difference to expect.  If you think of it, I would appreciate your input since you have the same gear as me, currently. 

 

The only issue I have run into with JoyToKey so far is that the game processes L-shift+ key but also processes the plain keypress. I found last night while carrying bombs in the P-47 that turning boost on or off would also drop a bomb.  I just found out now that the tailwheel lock control, L-shift and g, also activates the plain g command to toggle landing gear up or down.

 

My solution so far is to delete the single key keybinds in the game and, in the case of dropping bombs, map my joystick button directly.  Other than that, it's been perfect, and that is a game issue, not a JTK issue.  I verified in Notepad that JTK does send only a B every time the superchager L-shift + b button is pressed, and the lowercase b every time the drop bombs button is pressed.  At this point, I'm not missing Control Manager one bit.  Quite the opposite!

 

One thing I LOVING with JTKis that you can have it play a .wav file every time the active profile is switched, or you can associate a specific wave file to be played when a specific profile is activated.  So, I now have nice, mechanical-sounding clicks that play to indicate what mode (layer of keybinds, for those without the CH Control Manager software) I've just switched to.  If I switch to mode two, 2 clicks.  If I switch to 3, I hear 3 clicks.  Back to mode 1, 1 click.  I found the .wav file for the click online and edited it to make the 2 and 3 click version.  If you end up using JTK and want the files, let me know.

 

I had a similar issue with the CH Control panel, where it wouldn't always recognize modifier keys or would and also activate the unmodified key command.  I resolved this by using the following for command lines:

<Name of command>  Hold <modifier key> Chardley <key>

Turns out my current machine and windows 10 is just processing the modifier way to fast.

[Eclipse4349]

Just now, Lupus said:

 

I had a similar issue with the CH Control panel, where it wouldn't always recognize modifier keys or would and also activate the unmodified key command.  I resolved this by using the following for command lines:

<Name of command>  Hold <modifier key> Chardley <key>

Turns out my current machine and windows 10 is just processing the modifier way to fast.

Thanks, I had also found that solution in CM.  I tried various setting in JTK to emulate the character delay in CM, but I couldn't get it to work.  I'm sure there is a way, though!