COUGAR Microstick Troubles

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:43 am

Hello Everyone, I'm alittle new here and have a question for you guys. I have been playing flight simulators for a long time now. But just recently I could not help myself and went out and bought a Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar. Now I love this flight stick. But When I tryed using it on Lock On, I ran into abit of a problem.

I would like to use the Microstick on the throttle to control the In Cockpit look around, or head look around I guess. Now as I understand it, you can only do this by turning on the *Button & Axis emulation is ON* option in HOTAS Cougar COntrol Panel, Version 3.01 . Now I can control my mouse with the microstick on the desktop. But the problem is now the rest of the buttions on the joystick and thottle don't seem to work.

Oh ya, and I had the VTB_002 profile loaded when I did this.

*shrug* anyone got any ideas? would be a great help

Thumper · Post by **Thumper** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:09 am

One of the great things about the Cougar is that it is infinitely programable and that it can be tailored to suit your needs. Personally though, I would recommend using Hat 1 for in cockpit view control. Not that it cant be done but sometimes the microstick can be a bit difficult to control.

As far as your other issue, turning on button and axis emulation would only stop your cougar from working if you programmed it to work in lockon with it being in Windows or DirectX mode and you mapped your buttons to functions in Lockon in the Lockon/Input Options panel. I highly recommend getting into using Foxy to program your own custom profile and reading through the extensive manual provided with your kitty, or the help files within Foxy themselves. Short of that, you can download profiles from Cougar World that are built for LockOn or you can get the one (which I think you already have) from the VTB site. In order to get any of these profiles to work, if you have changed the default mappings in LockOn's Input Options tab, just change them back to the default settings by clicking on the default button in the Input Options tab.

If you need help with programming, there is great info on Cougar World in the forums, or if you can be a little more specific about what is going on with your Cougar, I will help you as best I can.

Thumper

Burner · Post by **Burner** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:58 am

Do you have both Cougar files in your source folder? If you don't have the .tmm file in the same folder as the .tmj file then you'll get the symptoms you're refering to- DX MicroStick as Mouse but no other functions.

Post by **Lawndart** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:47 pm

Here's a similar question about programming the Microstick to use the arrow keys to slew around: http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/show ... p?t=116286

If you have the VTB_002 profile loaded and emulation turned ON, the code in Foxy has the Microstick set up to emulate your mouse. Whenever emulation is enabled (ON), it uses the Foxy profile loaded into the Cougars flash memory and overrides DirectX control inputs. In other words, each button is assigned its programmed keyboard command or combination of commands through Foxy. In DirectX mode with emulation disabled (OFF), the Cougar is seen as a 28-button joystick with the trigger being button #1 etc. In DirectX mode, you can assign buttons in-game to any of the 28 buttons, but in emulation mode the Cougar looks exclusively at the programming in the Foxy file (tmj file) and uses the keyboard commands assigned to the profile. In emulation, you'll have to look in the Foxy programming to find out what each button does and changing anything in-game is not going to help since the Cougar is not in DirectX mode. There are endless combinations of programming possible and each profile is different. You can download additional ones (for combat) at Cougar World. Ours is set up for aerobatic flying (the trigger for instance is your wheelbrakes in LOMAC or rather the "W" key with a hold function, not a trigger per se). Open up the Foxy file or better, look at the graphic illustration included in the VTB_002 download to see what each button does with emulation ON.

The reason your Microstick controls the mouse on the desktop and your buttons don't seem to work is normal with emulation on. CCPs view control inputs only detects DirectX inputs and with emulation ON your buttons emulate keyboard commands through Foxy. They will do exactly as they are programmed. For instance, with the VTB_002 profile loaded and emulated, try hitting the S4 button (the long button sticking up at the front of the stick) and in Windows it should open your "help menu". That's because the key assigned to this button is "F10" and not its DirectX input.

If you want the lines of code for having the Microstick emulate your mouse and instructions how to include this in your own tmj file, open Foxy and go to the Wizards menu. Click on Controlling the Mouse using the Microstick topic and read the instruction pages. The code to use in your tmj file is:

Code: Select all

USE MTYPE A3

Good luck!

P.S. Next time when you want to ask a question DON'T copy and paste the same topic in 4 different forums and make me delete the other three! Thank You!

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:07 pm

Sorry about that Lawndart, I was not sure how often you guys actully read all the different forums.

anyway sorry again about that, and ill write back as soon as I try some of these suggestions.

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:41 pm

So you guys really use the HUD1 for your in cockpit look around? .

Burner · Post by **Burner** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:03 pm

Don't follow the question Vin.

I use the microstick when I'm not padlocked and need the view to hold in a certain position and the snap views when I am padlocked or need quick reference and then snap back to the normal cockpit view.

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:49 am

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean by ( Don't follow the question Vin ) Burner.

Really sorry if we got off on the wrong foot here. I'm just trying to understand everything. Really love what you guys do. First time I saw one of your videos I was inspired.

Thanks Again

Post by **Lawndart** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:33 am

Did you mean hatswitch 1? The big coolie hat?

Basically, to pan around we use the microswitch, coolie hat and/or Track IR. To aquire various views when padlocked on another aircraft we use the "snap views" assigned to the throttle and stick (see graphic included in VTB_002 for button assignments).

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:21 pm

Ok I got It. Thanks. Just looked in your Macro file for foxy and got all the buttons down. Thanks a bunch guys. Keep up the great flying!

COUGAR Microstick Troubles

COUGAR Microstick Troubles

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