Total Game Control v3.7 question

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

I picked this up today in an attempt to dump CH Control Manager for mapping of my Pro Throttle.

 

I am trying to set all controls to the in game defaults.  I have managed to map many control functions however others do not seem to work.

 

Example:

 

Works - Flaps down:  In game default = F,  TGC = f

Doesn't work - Flaps up:  In game default = LSht+F,  TGC tried 3 settings: F (TGC inserts a shift),  <LSHIFT>f,  <LSHIFT>F

 

Other special keys in combination with regular keys seem to work.

 

Thanks for any help!

 

Stick 

Edited February 15, 2014 by VR-Stick

[dburne]

It is lshft + f.

Probably it is generating the left shift and f at the same time, or too quickly.

Had that problem with my Warthog, had to program in a very small delay between the left shift and f key being depressed ( in the stick's Target software), in order for the sim to recognize the sequence...

 

I am not familiar with Total Game Control, if it does not give you that ability, you can try assigning a different key for flaps up and using it...

Edited February 16, 2014 by dburnette

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Thanks dburnette, I did end up adding another lower case letter to make it functional but really wanted to use the defaults.  The problem appears to be sending an uppercase letter using TGC.  I found this in the TGC help section.

 

 

Capital Letters and Symbols

Generally, you won't want to enter capital (upper-case) letters for controls. This is because in order to replay the key properly, the shift key must precede the letter. The same is true of those symbols that require the shift key in order to produce them, such as !, @, and * on the number keys. Let's say, for instance, that you enter 'A' (in upper case) into the "Key(s)" field for the control. This is the same as typing "<Shift>a", where 'a' is the letter you want replayed. In a game situation, the shift key is often used by itself as a control, and so you wouldn't want the shift control to happen whenever the 'a' is pressed. By default, Total Game Control will warn you if you enter capital letters. You can turn off this warning.

 

They don't say assigning an uppercase letter can't be done, only that you may not want to.  BOS however will not allow special control keys (shift, control, alt) by themselves as a command, so the LSHIFT cannot be assigned to, say, fire the guns.  So sending shifted characters should not be a problem with BOS.  I really hate to lose all the added functionality of the uppercase letters.

 

So the question for those familiar with TGC is, is there a way to send an uppercase case letter using TGC to BOS?

 

Thanks for any assistance.

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Thanks for the response Extreme_One.

 

Since TGC is just sending upper and lower case letters I opened Notepad to see what comes from my Throttle button for flaps where "f" was set for down and "F" (or <LSHIFT>f) was set for up.  Both "f" and "F" show up just like from the keyboard.

 

I then did some testing in BOS and think I found the crux of the problem.  When I press up flaps button ("F" or <LSHIFT>f) on my Throttle the left flaps handle on the instrument panel jiggles once then nothing happens.  I can emulate this from the keyboard by pressing the LSHIFT and "f" keys simultaneously, even if the keys are held down for a length of time.  However, from the keyboard, if I press and hold the LSHIFT key first and then press the "f" key, the flaps retract.

 

So, apparently TGC is sending simultaneous key strokes.  Somehow I have to get TGC to send and hold the LSHIFT key until the "f" is complete.  So far, I have tested enabling repeat, hold times and pauses but without success.

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Yes, tried that too,  I think it just sends the simultaneous keystrokes over and over as the flap handle continuously jiggles.  Still no flap movement.

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Thanks Extreme_One, I think it is achievable also.  Appreciate your time and input.

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Very close.  I have it working, although intermittently.

 

The solution was in the Enable Repeat.  Just checking Enable Repeat was not enough.  Once I set the Speed to zero it worked.  It works the same whether the code is set to "<LSHIFT>f" or "F".

 

The problem however is that if I press down flaps, the flaps go down.  If I wait a few seconds and press the up flaps the flaps do come up.  BUT, if I press the down flaps, stop, and press the up flaps, the flaps will continue to go down.  If I double click on the up flaps, it will reverse and go up.  It is almost like there is a buffer that has to be overridden.

 

I have tried many combinations of Delay and Speed.  I currently have Delay=20, Speed=0.  A Delay above 500 seems to kill it and Speed of anything other than zero kills it.

 

I have also tested combinations with Key Hold Time and Key Release Pause without any success.

 

So close...

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Yep, that's where I now am.  I think the key is here but no luck yet.  BTW, I'm doing my testing in a LaGG as it has a flap indicator and separate knobs for up and down. 

 

A Key Hold Time of anything but zero stops it from working at all.  In fact a Key Hold Time=1, Key Release Pause=0 setting has the flap knobs doing a dance.  What I still see, even when it works is the left flap knob (down flaps) jiggles even when the right knob goes in and the flaps retract.  This, of course, does not happen when using just keyboard commands.

 

Currently I have the Key Hold Time=0 and Key Release Pause=20, along with Enabled Repeat and Delay=20, Speed=0.  Although I get a twitchy up flap knob, I now have about an 80% success rate whereas it was only 50-50 before.

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

I have contacted TGC about the issue and their suggestion was something that I have already tried and that failed.  I am awaiting further info from them.

[koko]

Doesn't work - Flaps up:  In game default = LSht+F,  TGC tried 3 settings: F (TGC inserts a shift),  <LSHIFT>f,  <LSHIFT>F

 

 

The game see all those settings like: F, F, f, BUT require is LShf+f ( two different key)

 

You will try this: <LShift><P:50>f ( 50ms delay between keys) and the game should see two different keys pressed down at the same time.

 

BTW, why you don't use Control Manager in Mapped Mode? You need only put "SHF f" and flaps works fine in game 

 

<S>koko 

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Thanks koko but it is still a no go.  The Pause doesn't make a difference in either the command line or in the "Key Release Pause".

 

BOS needs to have the SHIFT key depressed first and then the "f" key.  If they are sent "together" or too close it doesn't work.  I believe that is what is intended by the Pause option in TGC but it has no effect.

 

I have profiles both in DirectX Mode and Mapped Mode of CM.  All set there, been using it for years.  CM has its issues however and since this latest BOS release blew away settings I thought it time to try something new.  Even without the uppercase letters, TGC gives my Pro Throttle more functionality for button assignments versus CM due to CM's restriction of only one assigned shift key and therefore only doubling the number of buttons.  TGC allows any combination or number of buttons to be used to assign a command therefore increasing the number of button assignments exponentially.  In addition TGC is more stable than CM.

[koko]

hmmm weird 

 

I tested it in game yesterday and flaps worked perfectly

 

Here is my setting for flaps up

 

<S>koko

 

 

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Since BOS is not available today I put the two commands (same order) into IL2 COD in a 109.  Exact same problem with and without the Pause option (of varying length).  Just in case my throttle button was faulty I reversed the order of commands in TGC.  Again, the problem persists.

 

There are visual indicators in both games.  In BOS when I am pressing the up flaps buttons (<LShift>f) I can see the down flap handle on the instrument panel move, just once or twice before the up flap handle depresses.  In Il2 COD when I press the up flaps button (<LShift>f) I see text on the right side that indicates flaps close and every so often I see a "open" mixed in.  This indicates to me that, for whatever reason, the "shift" portion of the command drops out intermittently, sending instead just the "f" command or down flaps. 

 

As a result, I think this testing eliminates the problem as a BOS issue.  TGC is acting consistent between the two games.  The only other constant is my Pro Throttle which could be the issue.  When you did your test koko, what equipment was it on?

[koko]

When you did your test koko, what equipment was it on?

 

Monday evening, just couple hours before server closed.

 

Tested by Warthog Throttle.

 

Also in CoD, flaps works properly, when delay increesed from 50ms to 100ms. ( <LShift><P:100>f )

 

It works only when "Hold down all keys of a multi-key event until released" is ticked.

 

<S>koko

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

koko, I think you have broke the code. I had tried the "Pause" option and the "Hold down all keys of a multi-key event until released" but not together as I overlooked this in your earlier screenshot.   I was reviewing your earlier post last night and noticed this, so I tried it with P:50 and was still seeing about 80% success in COD.  After reading your new post I just changed it to P:100 and what an improvement, only saw one instance of the "open" flaps text when pressing "down" flaps but it worked 100% of the time.  I tweaked it to P:150 and have not seen any wrong text messages since.

 

Thank you for sorting this out.  Also a thanks to Extreme_One for his time and attention to this as well.  This opens up many possibilities for TGC.

 

Can't wait to try this in BOS!

[koko]

No problem mate, i'm glad i could help 

[dburne]

I put I think like a 50ms delay in my Target script for the Warthog to get the shft+f to work properly for me.

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

And all in good.

[koko]

And all in good.

 

-koko-

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Here's a new twist.  I was starting TGC with the TGC Shortcut Enhancer which starts TGC automatically when I launch IL2.  I installed SweetFX 1.5 which I activate with JSGME (all works fine) but found that IL2 will crash to desktop if TGC is activated through the Enhancer with SweetFX active. 

 

I simply made a shortcut direct from the IL2.exe.  Run TGC manually first, then start IL2 with SweetFX active and all is good.

 

Thought I would post this just in case anyone was running into this issue.