Joy Stick Calibration

[UC1]

I have been trying to calibrate my Saitek X52 ..I can do the joystick axes etc OK,but when I try to assign the buttons/Keys etc.I get a fatal error.How do I just use FSUIPC to calibrate the X,Y,Z,axes and leave the rest to FSX.I am kind of old and ugly!!..78..so have a problem understanding some of it.. :? Leonard.

[Pete Dowson]

I have been trying to calibrate my Saitek X52 ..I can do the joystick axes etc OK,but when I try to assign the buttons/Keys etc.I get a fatal error.

What do you mean, please, "fatal error"? What actually happens when you do what? I need information. I also need to know the VERSION number of FSUIPC -- that is crucial. If it is not at least 4.30 please update and try again.

How do I just use FSUIPC to calibrate the X,Y,Z,axes and leave the rest to FSX.

If you want to do such a strange thing, just do it. There's nothing stopping you doing what you want to in FSX, and FSUIPC only ever does what you ask it to do. So where's the conflict? Where's the problem? Why even ask this question? I don't understand why you'd even consider there'd be a difficulty!

Anyway, it is far, far easier to assign buttons in FSUIPC than it is to mess with axis assignments, so why are you doing the assignments in FSUIPC is you understand sol ittle? You do not have to assign axes in FSUIPC in order to calibrate in FSUIPC -- you can calibrate FSX axes in FSUIPC too. You don't even need to use FSUIPC at all as FSX professes to be able to use joysticks "out of the box"!

Whatever you end up doing, please explain what you mean by "fatal error" and how you achieve it, and what version you are using. Otherwise it really is a waste of both our times you coming here.

Regards

Pete

[UC1]

I am sorry that I didn't make myself clear...and I might be old but not entirely stupid,I just asked for a simple answer to what I thought was a small problem.I just thought FSUIPC gives one better control,and I was quite pleased with the results in that respect,and every thing was going fine,all the buttons on the joy stick worked, it was only until I tried the Key Board assignments..I was trying to assign the escape key to End of Flight..but it brought up the CTRL/ALT/DEL page ??..and then it crashed back to the FSX start logo.I have had the registered copy of your product for at least 2 years,and this is the first time I actually achieved something .WINXP..FSX..Gigabyte MOB,,Intel Dual 3.16GHZ..GE Force 880GT,,4 mb Ram.

Edit..I tried again this morning,and figured it out..I just deleted the axis assignments in FSX,and left the Joy Stick switched on,so the keyboard works as before...I guess it needs patience ,and a bit of trial and error..so maybe I will try some of the other things in the program :D L

[Pete Dowson]

... all the buttons on the joy stick worked, it was only until I tried the Key Board assignments..I was trying to assign the escape key to End of Flight.

So this is nothing to do with the joystick, then? This is what is confusing. You talk about assigning axes and buttons and keypresses -- but now the ESCape key, which is on the keybard, not the joystick, right?

The Escape key is, by default assigned in FS to bring up the question about end of flight. What actual FS control do you want to change it to? I'm sorry, but I do not know one called "end of flight". And why would you want to change it to do such a thing when it does it already?

Anyway, the ESCape key is a reserved windows key which, if pressed when within a dialogue, will exit that dialogue. You cannot really program it in FSUIPC for that reason.

... but it brought up the CTRL/ALT/DEL page ?

What's the "ctrl-alt-del page"? Do you mean the Windows Task Manager?

If so, I don't know how you have your Windows set up, but the ESCape key is not handled by FSUIPC at all. Whatever you did will be something handling it in Windows or some other program.

Edit..I tried again this morning,and figured it out..I just deleted the axis assignments in FSX,and left the Joy Stick switched on,so the keyboard works as before.

The keyboard and the joystick are entirely separate things and do not in any way interfere with each other or have any relationship whatsoever. In FSUIPC as in FS they are entirely separate facilities. I really have no idea how you are getting them mixed up. Sorry.

[LATER]

It occurred to me later that you may actually not be meaning "key board assignments" but trying to assign keystrokes to joystick buttons? Your words don't say that, but they seem so confusing I'm struggling to extract your intentions when writing them.

If so, then I'm not sure why you'd want to do such a thing for standard FS functions, because all FS will do with them is look them up in its assignments table and convert them to an FS control. It would be much much more efficient, therefore, to assign the control itself to the button directly -- a facility both FS and FSUIPC offers.

The main purpose of providing facilities to produce keypresses from joystick buttons is for communicating with add-on panels and other programs which do not react to FS controls like FS does.

Your last comment, about deleting axis assignments in FSX, seems to indicate that you actually had both FSX and FSUIPC both processing the same axes, which obviously isn't a good idea. Maybe you also had FSX and FSUIPC processing the same joystick buttons? Whilst you can of course legitimately and possibly usefully mix button assignments in FS and FSUIPC, you shouldn't really do that for the same buttons unless you do clearly want both sets of actions to be executed together.

It does tell you these things in the User Guide, by the way. It should really never have to be a matter for trial and error.

Regards

Pete

[UC1]

Thanks Pete I am now completely baffled...All I wanted to do was use FSUIPC for the Elevators,Ailerons,Rudder and Throttle.I have no idea how the keyboard got screwed up..but it is back to normal now...The question I have is..do I disable the joystick,and leave all the fsx axes etc. as they are,,and then calibrate using FSUIPC,or leave the joystick on.....and delete the fsx axes...I know all this is in the manual,and goodness knows I've read it enough times..even tried Flyboy's CH way, maybe I am a bit past it..I do enjoy the sim even though I keep it fairly simple..difficult to do more than two things at once,and always land using the spot view..I use two computers and three monitors....so am pretty well fixed up in that department,just don't know why I cant get an handle on your FSUIPC..sorry if I've been a bother.L

[Pete Dowson]

All I wanted to do was use FSUIPC for the Elevators,Ailerons,Rudder and Throttle.I have no idea how the keyboard got screwed up..but it is back to normal now...The question I have is..do I disable the joystick,and leave all the fsx axes etc. as they are,,and then calibrate using FSUIPC,or leave the joystick on.....and delete the fsx axes...I know all this is in the manual

All the choices are in the manual, but they are yours to make.

There are several ways of assigning and calibrating joystick axes:

1. The default method in FS is for them to be assigned in FS and only pre-calibrated in the Windows "Game Controllers" applet (part of the Windows Control Panel). In fact no matter what else you do, you should always first check and calibrate axes via the applet there, as the data seen by all other software routes through the Wndows joysticks driver.

Some joystick devices come with more complex or more flexible drivers which enhance the default methods in Windows, but it still remains the first "port of call" for any device you add.

2. With FSUIPC, once the axes are working reasonably well in FS using the normal default methods, you can calibrate for greater precision or more flexibility -- like having a reverse zone added to the throttle lever(s), or applying a response curve to vary the sensitivity for greater precision near the normal central control zones. And so on.

This is the long-standing facility for Calibration in FSUIPC, the facility which has existed in the program for about ten years. It does not involve nor require any change of actual assignment -- you do not need to use the Axis assignment facilities in FSUIPC at all (all those are relatively recent).

3. More with FSUIPC can be done using the axis assignment. These facilities were added mainly for the benefit of cockpit builders or those with several alternative forms of aircraft control. They offer greater flexibility than the default FS assignment methods, and in particular allow the assignments to change automatically with different aircraft as they are loaded. For example you might have a set of helicopter controls assigned for helicopter flying, a joystick set for military jets and Airbus's, and a standard Yoke for Boeing and MD airliners. FSUIPC axis assignment can handle different assignments for these.

Assigning in FSUIPC does not (cannot) override assignments in FS -- if the same axis (or button) is assigned in both, then both assignments operate simultaneously, probably resulting in some surprises. In general it is easier (but not essential) to either do all axis assignments in FS, with buttons programmed wherever you like, or disable the joysticks entirely in FS and do everything in FSUIPC.

When assigning in FSUIPC there are two sub-options which you'd see on the assignments dialogue:

3(a). Assigning to the normal FS controls. This routes the results of the assignment back to FS where they act just like they would if assigned in FS. They may then be used directly, or still optionally calibrated in FSUIPC as you wish.

3(b). Assigned to operate directly to the FSUIPC calibration. This is more efficient, bypassing FS altogether until AFTER FSUIPC calibration. On FSX, in most recent versions of FSUIPC, this method also bypasses SimConnect for even more efficiency. Because the routing is via FSUIPC calibration, such axes MUST be calibrated in FSUIPC or they won't work.

There is one potential disadvantage with this last method (otherwise it would probably always be the most appropriate for ambitious users). That is, because it bypasses FS and doesn't route the FS Axis controls in the normal way, it can defeat the way some add-on aircraft work -- probably in particular those with Fly-by-wire. However, there do not appear to be many so adversely affected.

------------------------

Anyway, in conclusion, as you see, FSUIPC is like the Swiss Army Knife. It provides a wealth of tools for you to use as you wish. It does not impose anything, so there are no rules. But like any such tool, you can cut yourself if you aren't careful.

If you ever get in a mess with it, just reset it to default where is again becomes innocuous and dormant -- you can do this easily by simply deleting the INI file (its configuration settings) from the FS Modules folder.

Regards

Pete

[UC1]

Thanks again Pete for your replies...looks like I will have to keep experimenting...if nothing else it keeps the old brain ticking over.....Leonard.