`FS2024 Controls - How to Create Controller Mappings/Bindings
FS2020 & FS2024 Method
MSFSRONS 12/13/2024
FS2024 1.2.7.0
Edit 3: 12/13/2024 Whole document - corrections/additions
Controls is accessed via the Free Flight screen upper
right Gear icon or while flying use the ESC key then
Settings.
Keyboard and Mouse Devices are not included in this but
should work the same way.
Note that when you enter the Controls screen, it displays the
last Device displayed and its last Presets displayed for the
Aircraft you have selected.
On the top of screen, it does not indicate which Aircraft type.
For example, the screen shows C172 Skyhawk.
It should display C172 Skyhawk Basic or C172 Skyhawk G1000.
INDEX
Concepts
The Specific Preset
- CONTROLS SCREEN - General
- CONTROLS SCREEN - DEVICES LIST
- CONTROLS SCREEN - CONTROLS COLUMN
- CONTROLS SCREEN - MAPPINGS COLUMNS
- ACTIONS SETTING SCREEN
- FS2020 Style - 3 Presets for all Aircraft per Device
- Each Device will have a Unique set of 3 Presets for
each Aircraft - Presets for a type of Aircraft (GA, Airline, Helicopter)
- Re-using or copying Presets
Concepts
1. FS2024 Controls is built on the concept of having
3 Categories of Presets per Device.
General, Airplane, and Specific
This also creates the possibility of having a very
large number of Presets that can become
unmanageable.
6 Presets per Device
3 Device and 3 saved-Device
2. When you select an Aircraft, The Controls program
will provide a list of controls that you can map to
the Device selected for that Aircraft.
You can create the 3 Presets of controls.
General - non airplane
Airplane - airplane
Specific - airplane
3. Be sure that each Category has a "none" Preset
which has no controls.
If needed, duplicate an existing Preset, name it
"none", Clear it, and save it.
With all 3 Categories selected to "none", select
a Category Preset to display only the controls
in that Preset.
4. A Preset in itself has no meaning.
It is just a Preset with a name that has controls
assigned to button/axes.
But, you can give it meaning via its name. (item 8.)
5. ## Very Important ##
##Be sure you understand how this Preset system
works.##
You can create a new Airplane Preset and assign a
control, but if that control is a Generic control,
it is saved in the Generic Preset selected on the
left.
6. Be careful. With the same Preset.
If on the C172 you assign a control to button 6 and
then on the Longitude assign a different control to
button 6, you now have two controls assigned to the
same button. This may be a True Conflict.
In this case, if true, the Longitude button will
perform the C172 control.
7. A Preset configured for a Longitude can be selected
for the C172 Basic.
A control may not exist on the C172. (spoiler)
This should not be allowed.
8. Be careful, I assigned the Longitude control,
Toggle Spoilers, thinking that it was an Airplane
Preset.
It is a Generic Preset. (program error)
9. The "Save and Back" on the Controls screen
determines the meaning of the 3 Presets identified
for the Aircraft selected and the
Device selected by saving that set of mappings for
the selected Device to the selected Aircraft.
This specifies and provides the list of controls
available for to be mapped for the selected
Device and the Selected Aircraft.
10. The program remembers the 3 Presets the next time you
return to the Controls program for the selected
Aircraft and Device.
The Specific Preset
An existing Specific Preset cannot be selected (for
duplication) like the General and Airplane can.
A new preset must be built.
1. Select the C172 Skyhawk Basic
It does not have Specific controls
Click the T.16000 flight stick
Create mappings for the T.16000
General = T.16000
Airplane= T.16000
Specific = None
Save and Back
2. Select the C172 Skyhawk G1000
Click the T.16000 flight stick
It does have Specific controls (G1000)
(Filter=None, Instruments and Systems)
Create mappings for the T.16000
Save the Specific Preset as G1000
General = T.16000
Airplane= T.16000
Specific = G1000
Save and Back
1. CONTROLS SCREEN - General
Note that the Controls Screen at the top does not
indicate which Aircraft type is selected.
The top of the screen identifies only the C172
Skyhawk and not C172 Skyhawk Basic or
C172 Skyhawk G1000.
But the available controls are different for each type.
1.1 The Controls screen shows mappings for the Device
and Aircraft selected.
Aircraft = C172 Basic, C172 G1000, Longitude,
Helicopter
Device = mouse, keyboard, flight stick, yoke,
controller
Control = action/function
action = Reset Cockpit View
function = Throttle
Aircrafts have Devices.
Devices have 3 Presets.
Presets have Controls.
Controls have mappings to Device's buttons/axes.
1.2 Controls Screen
Left side shows the "Devices List".
Right side shows the Controls.
1.3 Of the 3 Preset selection boxes, you can select any
Preset you have defined.
You can have the C172 Basic Aircraft selected and
change to a Longitude Preset and display & make
changes to that Preset.
Be careful which Presets you have selected when
doing Mapping changes.
1.4 You can only exit the Controls screen with
(ESC) "Save and Back".
Any mapping changes made to any Preset is saved
on "Save and Back".
+## 2. CONTROLS SCREEN - DEVICES LIST ##
2.1 Click a Device to show it
The selected Device has a check mark on it.
There are 3 Presets for each Device of the
selected Aircraft
General - non Aircraft (e.g. Reset Cockpit View)
Aircrafts - Aircraft (e.g. Throttle)
Specific - Specific (e.g. G1000 )
3. CONTROLS SCREEN - CONTROLS COLUMN
3.1 Displays the mapping for each Control to a
Device's button/axis.
Aircraft controls are listed at the top then the
General controls then Specific controls.
3.2 The listing of controls includes all 3 Presets.
Filters: Assigned = displays all mapped controls
Filters: Essential = displays only the essential
controls (No idea what this means)
Filters: None = displays all available controls
Does not provide a list. Only displays a list
of Categories.
Select a Category to see the controls in it.
If you don't select a Category, use Search.
Search for Cockpit. It will display a
list of all controls with Cockpit in it.
Click "Go Back" to return.
3.3 To find a control:
Set Filtered to "None" and select a Category.
or
Set Filtered to "None" and use the Search Box.
Cockpit, Camera, Gear, Rudder
or
Set Filtered to "None" and enter the control's
name in the Search Box. (part of a name)
(look, throttle-thr, for cockpit-coc, )
3.4 To determine what a button/axis is:
Click "Search by Input" (top right)
Click a button or move an axis.
Screen displays all mappings for it.
3.5 For Keyboard key combination mappings:
CTRL is mapped to the Primary column.
H is mapped to the Primary column.
Primary Column displays CTRL + H.
3.6 Click the Gear on the right to go to the
"Actions Settings" screen for the control.
4. CONTROLS SCREEN - MAPPINGS COLUMNS
4.1 Left column the Primary mapping.
Right column is the Secondary mapping.
4.2 A Control can have a max of 2 mappings:
a Primary and a Secondary.
4.3 The Mapping columns can have multiple
conflicts displayed.
A number in a circle is displayed to
indicate number of conflict mappings.
They are identified on the screen as
"Conflicts" but they are not.
Example
Reset Cockpit View mapped to Button 36 shows a
conflict.
Reset External View is mapped to Button 36.
This is displayed as a conflict but it is not.
This is a program error.
You can have a True Conflict. Two or more
different controls mapped to the same
button/axis.
4.5 Hardware - Axis Sensitivity and Dead Zone
4.6 The only way to exit this screen is via the
"Save and Back" button.
There is no "Exit and Discard" for any changes made.
4.7 "Save and Back" will save all adds, changes, or
deletes you have made to any control in
any Preset you make.
Once a control's mapping is made, it is permanent
until you change it back.
There is no Discard and Exit.
4.8 You can have an Aircraft and Device displayed, make
changes and switch to another Preset and make
changes to it.
"Save and Back" will save changes to both Presets.
5. ACTIONS SETTING SCREEN
Top Left Column
5.1 Control - (The one selected that brought you to this
screen)
If character overflow, hold Cursor on it to show
the full name.
If it is a Primary mapping, the Primary box at the
bottom of the screen will be blue.
If it is a Secondary Mapping, it will be blank.
You need to click the Primary box so that it
switches to Secondary and displays the control.
click the Secondary box to return to the Primary.
5.2 Button/Axis - (that the control is mapped to)
Listing of all buttons/axes of the selected Device
with the mapped one checked.
Only one button/axis on this list can be selected
with a check mark.
If you check any box on this list, it will add
this button/axis to the existing mapped one on
the previous screen as a plus.
(btn/axis + btn/axis)
Don't do it.
5.4 A Control can have only two mappings to a
button/axis: a Primary and a Secondary.
A button/axis can have multiple controls.
Right Column
5.5 Control Options
Check box to invert an axis.
5.6 Conflicts ## (They are not conflicts) ##
Click the conflicts box to show the different
controls mapped to the button/axis identified
on the top left.
5.7 If a control is mapped as a Secondary, you have
to check the Primary box at the bottom of the
screen to display it. It will then switch to
Secondary. Click Secondary to switch back.
5.8 To delete a control, click the delete button.
The Delete button states "Delete Assigned Control"
The assigned control is the control shown on the
top left.
Click the conflicts box to change the display to
show the conflict at the top left.
5.9 Warning, clicking the conflicting control item will
change the control shown on the top left of the
screen.
Be careful.
Delete will delete the control shown on the top left.
Be sure the top left shows the control you
want to delete it.
6. FS2020 Style
3 Presets for all Aircraft per Device
6 if saved
6.1 Select any Aircraft
Select any Device
Assign your controls as desired.
6.2 Duplicate the 3 Presets, Name them, click
"Apply to all aircraft", click OK.
Use the Device name as the Preset name.
(T.16000)
6.3 Now, any Aircraft you select will automatically
use these 3 Presets.
6.4 The "Apply to all Aircraft" will stop working for
an Aircraft if you change the Preset to another
Preset and save it.
It will continue to work for the other Aircraft.
7. Each Device will have a Unique set of 3 Presets for
each Aircraft. ##
Large amount of Presets needed
3 per Aircraft
6 if you save each
or
1 General if you select "Apply to all Airplanes"
2 per Aircraft
4 if you save each
7.1 Select an Aircraft (for this, C172 Skyhawk Basic)
Select a Device (for this, mydevice)
7.2 Duplicate the existing Presets or assign new
controls and create new Presets.
Duplicate or rename them.
7.3 Save all 3 Presets.
General = C172-mydevice
Airplane = C172-mydevice
Specific = C172-mydevice
7.4 Repeat for the Longitude
General = Longitude-mydevice
Airplane = Longitude-mydevice
Specific = Longitude-mydevice
8. Presets for a type of Aircraft.
8.1 You may want to create Airplane Presets for a set
of Aircraft for your Device (mydevice).
GA-mydevice (General Aviation C172 -> Longitude)
Jet-mydevice (Jets)
AL-mydevice (Airliners)
Heli-mydevice (Helicopters)
Sail-mydevice (Sailplanes)
9. Re-using or copying Presets
9.1 The Generic Preset can possibly be set with
"Apply to all Airplanes"
9.2 You can use an Airplane Preset, Longitude,
on a C172.
You will have a lot of controls mapped that are not
on the C172. (like spoilers)
The program does not but should prevent this.
9.3 You could have one Airplane Preset for different
Aircraft.
But, if you modify the controls in the Preset,
it will affect the other Aircraft using it.
With a lot of Aircraft, it may become a nightmare
to keep up with.
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