Hi, it would be nice to have a backup function (export/import) for the controls settings (joystick, keyboard, mouse, controller).
I made so many changes, especially for the camera assignments, that i am afraid if something goes wrong (update, upgrade, crash, etc) everything is gone.
I am wondering if the control settings are backed up to the cloud when you hit “apply and save” and stored in your Microsoft account? Would be nice to know if that is the case.
1 - I cannot export/import custom control presets from my profile. My typical use case for this is switching between my Microsoft account and my son’s account. I have to re-map all of the controls I configure on his account. This is further exacerbated by…
2 - I just experienced the first deletion of all of my custom controller presets. So, I have to re-map all of those controls. I think (1) above would be a temporary fix (e.g. I could quickly re-import my last good preset), but clearly this needs to be fixed to achieve stability moving forward.
Thank you! Unfortunately I couldn’t find any files named like this. Either they are named differently in the MS-store version or they are only backed up in the cloud.
Hi!
It would be great to add to this topic the ability to print the controls settings as well. In fact, besides the need to be able to save them for retrieval later, for wh<s starting all over with FS (since FS X), with a multiple screen setup, it would be great if I can have the Controls layout file open on one of the screens for easy lookup and access while flying on another!
Thoughts? Imaybe it’s already feasible so excuse my ignorance if the case. Just installed the FS)
Why has this so few votes. It’s cumbersome saving the settings in the msfs sub directory. This vital function was in FSX. This sim shouldn’t go backward in features in comparison.
Yeah, i lose my controller settings almost every time there is an update for the game. So then i have to waste an hour remembering and setting everything up again. It is pretty annoying to be honest.
I’d recommend MSFS Controller Settings be in clear text and accessible outside the game GUI. It is important for backing up copying, sharing and restoring purposes, but also for any other user editing which is not possible with the GUI because of its Xbox oriented design.
An good example of this is how you can never precisely adjust curve sensitivity with the mouse because the slider range in pixels is less than the number of percentage values you can select from.
There is really no useful reason to hide these inside the convoluted file/folder naming convention in my opinion (see details below) and this further reflects the opposite of a simulator for simmers as well. I strongly believe a differentiator between a game and a simulator is the level of low level access to configuring one’s simmer experience and manual access and editing to these files is paramount to the simmer experience. It has been this way for decades with every single other simulator.
Furthermore, in un-hiding the settings system, it would make it easier to solve this topic question (backup/restore) but also other problem reported in this discussion:
In effect, if not in providing a GUI for this, which I understand is really something for which allocating dev resources at this stage is most likely minor, at least, MSFS could support the per-aircraft settings in letting users just placing a copy of the XML files I’m referencing above directly in the aircraft folder for example:
NB: user settings are not just saved in the cloud (if ever they are). They are also already stored in clear text (XML files) but they are also referenced through binary “catalogs” making any manual change or addition impossible as-is.
In this folder you’ll find another one with a long series of numbers (most likely a UID converted to text) into which there is a containers.index file (the catalog) and a subfolder per setting entry.
Each subfolder name resemble a GUID which is referenced in the containers.index file and inside each subfolder there are 2 files
the first file is binary and labeled container.##, the second one is also labeled like a GUID and is either a plain XML file or a binary file. The XML files are controller settings and the binary files most likely are the other settings not saved in UserCfg.opt json file.
For example, here are a few of my files:
XML File #1 (showing how I couldn't adjust the same sensitivity values with GUI and mouse)
There is in theory nothing precluding adding the missing default FFB2 profile for example in this folder, and you can spot there is a standard support for the Leo Bodnar BU0836X as well:
I don’t see why the user controller settings hidden in plain sight that I’m describing above couldn’t also be referenced in a similar way, instead of using a binary catalog file.
Today I assigned the Bravo throttle to the 747. Typical setup- spoiler, thrust levers 1-4, flaps.
I quit the sim and then came back after a couple hours. My 747 profile had changed to my Airbus profile, 2 throttle axis. This has been happening many times. I can’t figure out why.
My Alpha, mouse keyboard and pedal profiles always stay the same.
Hi, did not find this anywhere else, but there is great hardware around to make the experience even better. Setting it up is a huge task, everyone is doing it. Can’t we just import and export different settings to share them? Would be great.