Assigning functions to switches

[brettt777]

How is a new function assinged to a switch or button on the joystick or keyboard? I'm not talking about assigning a function to a modeled switch on the panel, although I would love to know how to do that too. If you go in the controls setup you can assign certain functions to buttons easy enough but what if the function you are trying to make work isn't in the setup? The SectionF8 Sabre has a simulated machine gun function assigned to the brake button once you're airborne. It only fires as long as you hold the button which is how it should be. I am trying to do something similar in another aircraft. But the best I can do is get it to work with the lights on/off and you have to press it once to start it and again to stop it. Also, how do you assign a sound to a button/function?

[Capt.Propwash]

1) which Sabre are you dealing with that has the chaingun on the "trigger" / breaks??

[brettt777]

Here is the link for the aircraft. It is actualy an FS9 plane but it works in FSX if the alpha is switched for the canopy glass. I don't remember what the files are for the glass; I think they are in the main texture folder but not sure. I'm not trying to change anything with this aircraft. I am trying to do something similar with another aircraft using a gun effect I downloaded from....somewhere, I don't remember. Anyway, here is the link:

http://sectionf8.com/download.html

I know how to assign a function to a button or key, as long as that function is in the list in the controls menu. But I don't know how to do it if it isn't in that list. Is there a configuration file somewhere that determines what function can be assigned where? Let me see if I can explain what I need to do. Idealy I would love to do exactly what this F-86 does; the brakes work normaly on the ground. Once you get airborne, you flip a switch and then the brake switch (joystick trigger) operates the gun effect, including the sound. I can assign my brakes to another joystick button some I'm not worried about that. But how can I get this gun effect on that control/function list so I can put it to a botton? There is a standard.xml file in \Application Data\Microsoft\FSX\Controls. Can this file be edited in such a way to do this? In the aircraft.cgf file, the gun effect is usualy associated with a light. This is how I have been making it work somewhat. Under the lights section, there seems to be a list of numbers associated with various lights; 1 is beacon, 2 is strobe, 3 is nav etc. Is this a standard list and does it include more than light functions. I see some of the "light" effects are things like afterburners, vapor trails and these gun effects. If I assign the gun effect to the strobe, and then asign the strobe function to my trigger, I should get a gun effect when I pull the trigger. But It doesn't work. I have to hit the light master for it to work. The F-86 gun effect is shown as a "beacon" type of light but it doesn't have to work off the light master at all; it is somehow assigned to the brake function. How is that done? Also how is a sound assigned to an effect? The F-86 has a nice machine gun sound assigned to the gun effect.

[Hagar]

Here is the link for the aircraft. It is actualy an FS9 plane but it works in FSX if the alpha is switched for the canopy glass. I don't remember what the files are for the glass; I think they are in the main texture folder but not sure. I'm not trying to change anything with this aircraft. I am trying to do something similar with another aircraft using a gun effect I downloaded from....somewhere, I don't remember. Anyway, here is the link:

http://sectionf8.com/download.html

That file appears to be hosted by Avsim. We're out of luck unless you can find it posted somewhere else.

[Capt.Propwash]

brettt777, i dont know if this might help, but you might want to take a look at THIS F-86 Sabre.

[brettt777]

Well I see how the gun effect is mapped to the smoke system or the lights. But this F-86 has it somehow mapped to the brakes, but only after a certain switch is turned on once airborne. How on earth did they do that? And someone please tell me how a sound is mapped to a switch or button. If I disable the gun effect so I get no flash and tracers, I still get the gun sound. So it's apparently mapped to the brake button also. And it doesn't matter which button is used. If I move the brakes to button 3, I still get the same gun effect and/or sound.  How did they do this stuff???

On the airplane I'm trying to make work, I put the gun effect under smoke system in the aircraft config. Then I put the smoke system to the "I" key and to button 1. With the I key it works correctly; on when I press and hold, off when I release. But for some reason with the joystick button I can't get it to work. It doesn't seem to matter whether the repeat is on or off, all I get with the joystick button is an occasional puff of gun smoke if I press the trigger repeatedly. What am I doing wrong there? Shouldn't it work like the brake or trim buttons do? The gun effect on the F-86 works like that.
VERY frustrating!  >:(

[Capt.Propwash]

i have no clue about sounds on effects.  as far to my knowledge, effects can not have sounds that are turned on and off.

as for "puffs of smoke".... there is a Huey Helo over at Hovercontrol.com ( http://64.34.169.161/cgi-bin/ifolio/ima ... =&bool=and )  that has a chain gun effect on the SMOKESYSTEM.   ultimately, its like the guns on both sides of the Helo are firing at the same time.

Unrealistically.... it looks like you are trying to Crop Dust with a Huey.. lol   BUT!!! these smoke effect stay on until you press the I key again to turn them off; not "only stay on while you hold the button and stop when you release".





Why not contact the makers of your F86 and ask them how they did it, and if it would be okay if you use their idea on a few other planes;  and while you are at it, if you can have their source files so that you can figure out how they mapped everything.

[Robertus]

How is a new function assigned to a switch or button on the joystick or keyboard? I'm not talking about assigning a function to a modeled switch on the panel, although I would love to know how to do that too

This generally can be done with FSUIPC (paid version). FSUIPC allows assigning custom map of joystick buttons and keyboard keys to specific plane (which means every plane can have its own custom buttons assignment and when you switch planes, map of buttons is switched automatically). Besides FSUIPC allows much, much, more. It allows assigning joystick buttons and keyboard keys to some switches on 2 and 3D panels (this will not work to all panels) which otherwise cannot have controls assigned (I imagine this will have to work for modeled panels

[Robertus]

Update:

Just as day progressed today I tested gun sound it does work without a glitch (added guns with sound to bunch of my helicopters and fighters). To make things easier I zipped and uploaded 42 gun sound files (those are sounds from previously given YouTube links) which are already converted and ready to use