T.Flight Hotas X and Elite Dangerous

[zboson]

I just bought a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X for Elite Dangerous.  It's taken some time to get it mostly configured but my first impressions are very positive.  The game is really made to be played with HOTAS.  Watching your hands move the joystick and the throttle in VR at the same time that your physical hands do the same thing and well as many of the finger movements for buttons such as trigger is amazing.  The flight controllers are almost much more interesting.  It's a joy to dock now!  I don't think I used forward and backwards thrust with the xbox controller before. In fact I did not even realize this was an option since the throttle almost moves forward and backwards but now with HOTAS everything feels very natural.

I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations for the controller configuration.  I mostly followed this layout 
    http://imgur.com/rY0aiki
But I have not got everything working. Particuarlly the UI panels.  Right now I have it bound to the keyboard.  This works okay because I have a keyboard without a numpad which fits right in between the throttle and joystick.  However, I think this could probably be done with the HOTAS.  I am not sure what "Panel Mode Toggle" does.

I have also found this config which I have not tried out
http://twisted.org.uk/content/HOTAS-bluekieran4.jpg

Do any of you have different suggestions for configuring this HOTAS?  I also don't know what to do about distributing to power, weapons, and sys.  The Galaxy map is a new subject I think.  I never figured it out with the xbox controller either and had to use the keyboard.

Edit:

The flight assist toggle does not work like I expect.  Whenever I assign it to a button on the HOTOS I have to hold the button down to turn of flight assist.  The movemnt I release it turns flight assist back on.  I want to toggle it.  I am not sure why this is.  I have tried assigning it to other buttons but I get the same effect.

[Greyman]

If you Google images for "elite dangerous t-flight hotas X" you will see a load of diagrams that show how the contributor has configured their HOTAS.  You will possibly not find one that fits your play style perfectly, but one of them should provide a good basis.  

I use button 8 as a modifier button, so that when I hold that down, all of the other buttons are available to be mapped to a different function than their unmodified function.  For example I use button 8 and button 1 together to get me into FSD, and button 8 and button 12 to reset the HMD.

as for hold vs toggle, a lot of the functions have a "+" next to them and when you click that it gives you the choice of hold or toggle.

good luck and you won't go far wrong with that HOTAS

[zboson]

Greyman said:

If you Google images for "elite dangerous t-flight hotas X" you will see a load of diagrams that show how the contributor has configured their HOTAS.  You will possibly not find one that fits your play style perfectly, but one of them should provide a good basis.  

I use button 8 as a modifier button, so that when I hold that down, all of the other buttons are available to be mapped to a different function than their unmodified function.  For example I use button 8 and button 1 together to get me into FSD, and button 8 and button 12 to reset the HMD.

as for hold vs toggle, a lot of the functions have a "+" next to them and when you click that it gives you the choice of hold or toggle.

good luck and you won't go far wrong with that HOTAS

Thanks for the point about toggle.  The problem was that I am configuring in VR. I installed through Oculus Home and have never configured in 2D.  I did not have a mouse cursor to click on the "+" sign and I have not figure out a keyboard option to do this.  I went to Options, Graphics, Mouse Cursor, and selected "RENDER WINDOW BASED CURSOR".  This gave me a mouse cursor and I can now click the plus sign and changed the toggle. Now it works!

Also using google images in search is great idea.  Thanks!  Lots of different configuration to think of.

[Comic_Book_Guy]

I use5 6 and 7 as modifiers...5+ POV is thrusters, 6+ joy1 is deploy hardpoints etc...definitely gotta get used to the use of modifiers. If you don't, a attempt to use keys, even under different circumstances like panels or the galaxy map don't work properly.

[Greyman]

Yeah, I am going to need to map some more buttons, for heat sink and shield cell bank activation, for example, now that I have an Anaconda, so I will probably need to add another modifier.

[Greyman]

zboson said:

Greyman said:

If you Google images for "elite dangerous t-flight hotas X" you will see a load of diagrams that show how the contributor has configured their HOTAS.  You will possibly not find one that fits your play style perfectly, but one of them should provide a good basis.  

I use button 8 as a modifier button, so that when I hold that down, all of the other buttons are available to be mapped to a different function than their unmodified function.  For example I use button 8 and button 1 together to get me into FSD, and button 8 and button 12 to reset the HMD.

as for hold vs toggle, a lot of the functions have a "+" next to them and when you click that it gives you the choice of hold or toggle.

good luck and you won't go far wrong with that HOTAS

Thanks for the point about toggle.  The problem was that I am configuring in VR. I installed through Oculus Home and have never configured in 2D.  I did not have a mouse cursor to click on the "+" sign and I have not figure out a keyboard option to do this.  I went to Options, Graphics, Mouse Cursor, and selected "RENDER WINDOW BASED CURSOR".  This gave me a mouse cursor and I can now click the plus sign and changed the toggle. Now it works!

Also using google images in search is great idea.  Thanks!  Lots of different configuration to think of.

You can still use the mouse when in the settings screen.  If you can find it, of course. 🙂

[zboson]

What throttle preference to prefer: full throttle or forward throttle only?  I think I like forward throttle only much better.  To get 50% I move the throttle to the middle of the controller where there is notch and this puts me right in the blue zone.  I never have to look down at the throttle meter on my ship panel.  I am not sure what button to assign to toggle reverse throttle but I can use reverse thrust to move backwards anyway so I am not sure how necessary it is. .

[Greyman]

I use forward for forward and back for back on my throttle settings, but like I said earlier, it will be far better to use whatever suits you.  

I tended to use the on screen throttle display to adjust into the blue zone, but after a while I got to know where it needed to be and I just use the notch to get me to zero throttle

[Comic_Book_Guy]

Middle is idle /0% by default, neither forward or back at all. Makes the most sense to meI don't want to screw with a modifier for reverse. this way, reverse is throttle down ( past middle)

[zboson]

If I understand the forums forward/backward thrust and throttle are the same.  Is this correct?