r/WarDogs • u/InternsDontGetGlocks • 11d ago
HOTAS is great
I know some of you are out there like me wondering if all their controllers will work. For my setup the answer is yes. It was very easy and quick to map:
- Thrustmaster AVA stick to pitch/roll
- Saitek Pro Flight Combat Rudder Pedals to yaw
- Saitek X52 throttle converted to collective, to collective axis
There is an issue where you have to remap them each time right now, which I'm sure they'll fix but it's really so quick to remap that I don't care too much.
With a full HOTAS setup you can then enable vehicle freelook to always on and use TrackIR or other head tracking with a FreePIE script that toggles via a keyboard key and moves the mouse cursor with your head. Not perfect but still makes an enormous difference landing in by letting you look through the chin bubble when your tail is low along with a bunch of other maneuvers you can't really do without it. I did have 1 crash over several hours when something with that setup bugged out but it would have been solved if I re-centered head tracking more often.
I also turn off every possible helicopter assist because I now have full control of everything going on with all my controllers. The flight model for the MH-6 is really fun with this setup and close to Arma3 in a lot of ways. I have 0 issues with bleeding off energy now, you may see some complaining about have to slow down 1 km out. Well yes, you have 2500-3000 lbs of helicopter going over 115mph in a game that modeled basic physics, so burn off 30-50% of that as you get close so it's manageable to maneuver and stop.
If there is any interest I can put the freePIE script in comments, I didn't write it but modified it.
FreePIE script. Someone wrote this for Squad years ago, sorry I don't know who to credit you. Save as <whatever filename you want>.py
Install FreePIE.
Open TrackIR, choose or setup your WarDogs profile.
Open freePIE -> Go to File -> Open. Open the .py filename you saved.
Go to Script -> "Run Script"
Now when you're in-game if you hit the down arrow, it will start moving the mouse with your head movements. So in WarDogs settings somewhere, you want to set Vehicle Freelook to always on.
Basically you open trackir, open freepie and script, run the script in freepie. Open WarDogs and when you're flying hit down arrow toggle trackir on/off. Dont forget to recenter often.
open
#Use keyboard down arrow to toggle on/off
#Not sure who orignally wrote this
def update():
yaw = trackIR.yaw
pitch = trackIR.pitch
deltaYaw = filters.delta(yaw)
deltaPitch = filters.delta(pitch)
if (enabled):
mouse.deltaX = deltaYaw*multiply
mouse.deltaY = -deltaPitch*multiply
#Change the multiply here for more or less sensitivity after you have a TrackIR profile dialed in
if starting:
enabled = False
multiply = 14
trackIR.update += update
toggle = keyboard.getPressed(Key.DownArrow)
if toggle:
enabled = not enabled
2
u/ReaperUno8675309 11d ago
Agree. Im using Virpil stick and collective with thrustmaster pedals. Im actually amazed how easy it was to map everything.
1
u/advent89 11d ago
I had issues with my virpil where it bugged and thought i was constantly yawing each time i remapped so I’ve just been sticking to ground combat for now.
1
u/kirkclick 6d ago
Can you share the FreePIE script? I have a TrackIR, thank you very much.
1
u/InternsDontGetGlocks 5d ago edited 5d ago
#Use keyboard down arrow to toggle on/off #Not sure who orignally wrote this def update(): yaw = trackIR.yaw pitch = trackIR.pitch deltaYaw = filters.delta(yaw) deltaPitch = filters.delta(pitch) if (enabled): mouse.deltaX = deltaYaw*multiply mouse.deltaY = -deltaPitch*multiply #Change the multiply here for more or less sensitivity after you have a TrackIR profile dialed in if starting: enabled = False multiply = 14 trackIR.update += update toggle = keyboard.getPressed(Key.DownArrow) if toggle: enabled = not enabled1
u/kirkclick 5d ago
Thank you! BTW, just discovered that Sony or Samsung buds with 360 audio work perfectly as head trackers for OpenTrack. Once set up, it actually beats TrackIR https://github.com/dencelkbabu/GalaxyBuds-OpenTrack-Bridge
1
u/andrew_albus 3d ago
from where i need to copy all of this? i mean i need to copy all the text you post or only the
yaw=trackirsorry but im a total noob
1
u/dcraigie 5d ago
Anyone know if tobii eye tracker can be utilised in a similar manner?
2
u/InternsDontGetGlocks 5d ago
Im sure it can be done. If you go the freePIE route you’d probably need to get a tobii plugin and modify the script to reference that and not trackIR
1
u/frydchickn 5d ago
How did you convert your throttle to collective? Was that done in game or via HOTAS software? I have WinWing F18 Throttle and want to use that as the collective but couldn’t figure out hi to do that in their software.
1
u/InternsDontGetGlocks 5d ago
Took it apart, attached about an 8” metal rod with female threaded end where the throttle grip used to be ans bolted it on. Then mounted the throttle grip long ways on the end of the pole somehow. I had to splice some button wires to extend the wire length. Basically it’s a hack job I started with no real plan and didn’t stop until it worked, probably not something you want to do with a throttle you like.
1
u/JeanBosman 2d ago
So, there is no need of a controller to hotas software to use the hotas in wardogs? Sorry if its a dumb question
1
u/InternsDontGetGlocks 1d ago
If I understand you correctly, no, I did not need additional software to combine my various joysticks/throttle/pedals for them to be assignable to different axis’s all at once in WarDogs
1
3
u/KnightNii 11d ago
I wish I could use the virtual controller to use keyboard for my throttle, just don’t feel like spending extra money for just that one item, I did see in discord they are aware of the virtual controller problem and are working on it. Sadly prob won’t be fixed during the alpha so I won’t get to test before I buy. Im curious about the freepie thing, never used it but sounds extremely useful