Hi. I'm really having a difficult time with DCS titles and controls. I have a warthog stick and throttle. Things are great when I fly the a10C - all controls are mapped and work as they should. The trouble is when I go to fly any other plane, my controls are really really messed up - throttle is controlling rudders, and other goofiness. No problem I think - just load a joystick and throttle profile from your a10C for your other planes right? Only it never seems to work. I can create an html file, but the game doesn't seem to want to actually use it for other planes.

Setting up specific controls for each plane is such a pain in the ass. It feels like groundhog day everytime I want to fly. I've spent a small fortune on this series (FC3, A10C, DCS World Su25T, FW190, BF109, P51D), but I'm having a very difficult time with this part of things. I can find NO tutorials on this. I can find LOTS of mismatched files around (some lua, some .txt files, .fcd files, target scripts, etc.) But absolutely no information on just how to map controls in this sim - ORto be more specific - once you have your setup ready for ONE plane, how you can make ANOTHER plane use that same profile so as to save oneself hours of reconfiguring. Gawd I hope that made sense.

I'd really value some assistance in this regard. I know there is an easier way - and you folks probably know it, but this is really driving me crazy.

I'm no stranger to sims - I've been around for years enjoying mostly prop sims. But the transition from other titles to this one has been daunting to say the least.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Controls are separate for every plane for a very good reason. No aircraft is the same. Different systems, different way of doing things etc.

When I get a new module I usually place the aircraft in the editor set it as player or client controlled and hit fly. Once in the aircraft I immediately press escape, go to controls and set the most important things:

Remove unnecessary bindings (like all the view assignments and the wrong axis assignments)
Set up the axis controls for my controllers (rudder pedals, invert toe-brakes, throttle/s etc)
Assign gear up/down, flaps, trim, weapons, countermeasures etc

This is a one time setup and I usually save my profiles separately just in case.

I also use custom default.lua's for some aircraft to make use of two- and three-way switches and the idle cut-off on the throttle (managed with JSGME like my other mods).

Usually the FC3 aircraft can be mapped the same way, such as me with he A-10A and Su-33 depending on functionality I require. With the Sabre and A-10C naturally they're like night and day as far as functionality (and I really just fly the Sabre for sport) so there are differences. However between the four aircraft I keep most stuff as common as possible and the same as possible, like Derby above mentions.

So, if I understand correctly, the answer is "no". One is obliged to map separate controls for each and every plane and each of it's separate systems. Even if you have no earthly idea what these systems are or how they are used for each plane. Just thinking about the targeting systems on some of these planes and how to map them makes my head pound.

This is part of my frustration - For example, in trying to map flaps for the FW190. On my throttle I'd like to use Flaps up as flaps up. Flaps in M/R position for "takeoff" and flaps in DN position for landing. But it doesn't work that way. The centre (or M/R position) does not read as a function in game, and so I can map up for full up and down for landing, but takeoff doesn't read, as the flap switch in M/R position does nothing. If I understand the example above used by Derby, in order to have this type of functionality, I'd need to use JSGME to load up a custom profile (that I'd have to scour the interweebs for, for my specific plane and specific controller in my specific .lua or target script) in order to have basic functionality because by default, you simply cannot map this function to this switch position.....)

Further edit to clarify: The FW has three flap positions. Up, takeoff, and landing. So that takes any analogue lever or rotary out. Okay, so how about up/down? I can map up/down to my flaps lever or my coolie switch up/down lever as I do in other sims right? So, lessee, lets map flaps up to coolie up. No issues, but to map down.... hmmm.... no down option. Only landing or takeoff....
So my hypothetical solution would be click the coolie hat down once for takeoff, and twice for landing (remember up/down?). Nope, I can't do that. It's not an option. So if I want to retain up/down flap functionality, and fly the FW in DCS I can a) choose between say full up and full down (landing), b) map three directions on my coolie hat for all three functions (losing left/right functionality for a different set of mapped controls) or "click" on the pit to get the functionality I want, thus defeating the purpose of having a HOTAS in the first place.

This is just an example, but holy crap this is frustrating.

Again, I thank you for your time and comments. Seems I'm destined to spend countless hours "bumping" my way through this system.

I can't believe no one else has these issues, but I guess I'm missing something.

Thanks for your patience people. S!

Usually http://www.lockonfiles.com/forum/13-digital-combat-simulator/ should have something as far as JGsME goes,, as I don't use it myself. But Flap functionality is what it is and even I don't map it to the stick (just get within flight regimes and use the keyboard) and bear in mind the Warthog stick is specifically designed for the Warthog C, so you get what you get as well.

All on the DCS Forums: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=89226

I use that because I can't be bothered with target. For me It's a one time thing that is part of the Sim. It's become routine for me

I encourage you guys (if you haven't already) to read the edit I added in to explain further my point about simply mapping flap controls. I will follow up on the links and read. I hope you understand that I have been using my google fu to try to obtain solutions to this issue - I'm just not having much luck. This includes of course reading the DCS/Eagle forums for solutions.
I very much appreciate all the help you've given.

Going with that I use a little bit of HOTAS positions for my stick as well, but not all functions like flaps I map to sticks. I know where you're going, but if the simulation won't allow it, then it simply won't. If anything get back into the Controls section for that particular aircraft and deal with the keyboard, as I do most of the time with the flap settings on both the Hog A and C. So if you're trying to do it and its not letting you, then you simply can't. And you don't lose your mapping for a different aircraft. For example, Most of the aircraft I fly I use SHFIT + Hat Switch for trimming, while on the Sabre I use non-modified hat switch positions for trimming exclusively (it's a simple plane so I can get away with it) but use non-modified hat switching for Slewing various target designators around. So for me (Yes Rich I know...) it works, for me. Usually it'll be something like "LSHIFT + F" and so on that actuates the flaps when in given flight parameters. So you're gonna have to sit there, go flying and figure out what works for you.

As what you're looking is something hard and fast to get you flying. But we both offered you solutions so if it hasn't worked for you its time to get flying and go along and see what HOTAS/Keyboard combo works for you. Even years of virtual flying I routinely change settings or keep them common in order to keep it simple and so I can reflexively hit that button or press a certain button or combo to get things moving along. Everybody has their preference and me and Derby are offering suggestions but nothing hard because we both know that it's how you want it, but may not apply to either of us in this thread.

So the point is that you yourself have to figure out what works and if it works for you and makes you happy, then it works. Like LGB Bombing, some people can CCIP it and get a kill, where I prefer CCRP which works as well.

with the custom default.lua for the 190 you can do just that. You will get bindings for alternate up and alternate down. If you then bind up and down to your alternate flaps options DCS will recognize the middle position as take off setting. Same for the other 2- and 3-way switches on the throttle

Thanks Derby and Eric for the suggestions. I'll keep you posted.

The thing about the A-10C's default mappings is that they have "on press" and "on release" states for the throttle's DirectInput button signals, so to speak. This is why the positions that don't send a button press actually do something.

However, you can't really tap into that from the in-game control interface. You have to know how to edit the lua.diff files with the correct commands for each function. It's a necessity for things like the Ka-50 trigger (first stage enables cannon, second stage fires cannon, releasing first stage reverts to missiles and rockets) and two-stage flaps in other planes, among other things.

What I really find baffling is that it's only the A-10C that has a default HOTAS Warthog profile that isn't terrible. The Belsimtek helicopter modules have customized profiles, but nothing too spectacular. The rest are just the generic joystick profile for that given aircraft where pretty much everything needs to be rebound. Yes, even the A-10A of all things, which now has LASTE panel entries you can't possibly set up properly without lua.diff editing.

This wouldn't be such a problem if it was more obvious as to which control bindings are the most important ones. Sometimes that takes a few hours to figure out, flying around and realizing what you wish you had more immediate access to.