[X3] Tutorial: Combining several Game Controllers

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Calliste
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[X3] Tutorial: Combining several Game Controllers

Post by Calliste » Wed, 26. Apr 06, 12:01

So... where to start ? First of all, hello ! You'll learn here how to "mix" several controller devices, very useful for games not allowing the use of more than one joystick/joypad... which is X3's case.

(PS : please pardon my grammar, spelling and syntax errors, not being english doesnt help ! So I did my best)

I know some of you would like to use their steering wheel's pedals with their joystick, to control the roll (or the yaw... up to you). Some others, I'm sure of it, are just as much awkward as I am and wish to use 2 joysticks at the same time.
This tutorial will explain you how to mix the pedals of a steering wheel controller with a joystick, as an example.

This is what I have :

[ external image ]

and this is what I want :

[ external image ]


1) necessary softwares

- PPJoy

This software is a useful tool, allowing us to create virtual controllers. That's this particular function we'll need.

- PPJoyJoy

This program is a kind of "plug-in" of PPJoy. It uses the virtual controllers created by PPJoy, assigning them signals of the other physic, real controllers.

2) first step : installing the softwares

Edit: The below mentioned download links are outdated and no longer work. A working version of PPjoy (version 0.8.4.5) can be found here: http://glovepie.org/PPJoySetup-0.8.4.5- ... elease.exe. (download at your own risk, an avira antivir scan found no viruses or malware). I couldn't find a trustworthy website to download PPJoyJoy from, so I am not linking anything here. X2-Illuminatus

I know, I know ! I called it "first step", but put a 2) before... quite paradoxal, but who cares ?
First, we have to install PPJoy. It can be found there :
ftp://cis.uniroma2.it/simtelnet/win95/u ... ySetup.zip

Follow then the install instructions.

We're going now to install PPJoyJoy, which is located there :
http://www.dikant.de/index.php?option=c ... lecatid=15

The following link contains both programs :

http://members.shaw.ca/coxswainballs/joy.rar


3) PPJoy :

Now that both softwares are installed, let's start the serious thing !

We're going first to create a virtual Joystick. To do so, go to Window's Configuration Panel : Start Button -> Parameters -> Config Panel. (my Windows' language is french, and I'm not sure of the exact english names, sorry !).

[ external image ]

As you can see, after the installation of PPJoy, a new icon appeared : Parallel Port Joysticks (hence the name PPJoy). Lauch it.

You see now this window :

[ external image ]

In the options menu, check the box "Don't allocate ports assigned to joysticks". I'm not sure it concerns USB joysticks, but I'd rather prevent problems to occur than to cure them.

Now, click on the "Add" button. We'll create this way a virtual Joystick.
Select the following option in the appearing window :

[ external image ]

and then click "Add". The computer will detect a new controller : it's the virtual joystick. If you're asked to continue the installation, accept.

We're now back to the first window :

[ external image ]

Select the virtual joystcik on the list, and select "Mapping".
Choose this option :

[ external image ]

and click on "next" (it's named "suivant" on my screen)
We now see this window :

[ external image ]

Choose on this screen 4 axis, and as many buttons your controller has (or as many you want to use). As far as the hat button is concerned, I didnt find the way to have them working with PPJoy, I'm sorry about that. If someone finds how to, please let me know !

The 4 chosen axis will correspond to the wanted axis : one to control the pitch, one to control the yaw, one for the roll, and one for the engine. You could choose more, if you combination of controllers has more than 4... but what would be the point if it's for X3 ? This game doesnt handle more that 4 axis.

Names of axis are only names. I chose those according to the first pictures of this tutorial.
Click Next (suivant)

[ external image ]
[ external image ]

Do not change anything on any of these windows.

Click Next, then Finish (Terminer on my screenshot). When back to the first window, click Done to accept all changes and quit PPJoy.

4) PPJoyJoy

Time to lauch PPJoyJoy. The tool looks like this :

[ external image ]

Top-right of the window, you are allowed to choose which virtual joystick created by PPJoy will be used. In our case, there is only one there, Virtual Joystick 1. "Update Interval" is the time in milliseconds between each refresh of PPJoy. It's set to 25ms by default. To choose a smaller number should make the transmitted moves of the axis smoother, I'm just not sure about it. Anyway, 25ms is already smooth enough.

At the bottom of the screen, we have the buttons' assignations. It works quite easily. Left lift let you choose a controller, and the right one let you choose a button of this controller. The combination of both will affect that particular button of this particular controller to the named button of our virtual joystick.
Axis assignations, top-left of the window, work the same.

This is what we have, when all are selected. Do note "Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital" is my Joystick, and "Logitech WingMan Formula Force" is my steering wheel. Both names are quite identical, which doesnt ease the reading, sorry :

[ external image ]

When all axis are assigned to the virtual axis, save the config clicking on "Save .ini". This will save you the time re-doing this all again next time you reboot your computer. You'll just have to load the config file clicking on "Load .ini".

5) Calibration

We now have to calibrate our newly created joystick. To do so, we just need to go back to the Config Panel of Windows, and select the Game Controller icon (I dont know the exact english name... it's the icon looking like a joystick and a joypad). You'll see there all the game controllers available, including the virtual joystick we created. Select it, and click on "Properties". In the "Parameters" tab, select "Calibrate". Follow all instructions, then quit the Config Panel and all the other opened windows, EXCEPT PPJoyJoy. We absolutely need it to stay open, otherwise the virtual joystick won't work.

6) Test !

Time has come ! We'll finally lauch X3 and judge of the efficiency of all those operations.
On the launching menu of X3, before the real launch of the game, select "Input device". Choose the virtual joystick in this menu :

[ external image ]

Click OK, and launch the game !
With the selections I made during this tutorial, the default control options should be the right ones. Pardon this screenshot, but my game is ALSO in french (btw... if someone knows how to turn it in english - text and voice - please tell me !)

[ external image ]

Now, let's test... the horizontal axis of the joystick controls the yaw, the vertical one controls the pitch, the throttle controls the engine... and the pedals control the roll !
Perfect ? Not, not that much, hopelessly. Indeed, when I push the left pedal, the ship turns... right ! And vice-versa, the right pedal makes the ship turns left.

Don't frown ! This can be corrected.

7) Aiming correction

To solve the inverted axis problem, we need to return to PPJoy. Launch it again (Config Panel of Windows). Select the Virtual Joystick, and click on "Mapping". On the appearing screen, select this option :

[ external image ]

and then click next twice, until you see this screen :

[ external image ]

See the "Analog 2" in front of "Z Rotation". Change it to "Reversed 2". This will revert the axis on the virtual joystick.

[ external image ]

Click next twice, then Finish. Click "Done" to quit PPJoy.
At this point, you could re-calibrate the virtual Joystick, but I dont think it's necessary.

You can now re-launch X3, and test the pedals... that work perfectly !

8 ) and they lived happily ever after...

Here it is, you're now the happy owner of a joystick equipped with a rudder control, grats !

Those two softwares, PPJoy and PPJoyJoy, allow you to do more than that, though. Even if X3 seems not to handle more than 4 axis, some other games do. You can then "build" a game controller with up to 8 axis, mixing 2 joysticks for example (which is my case).


So... here it is, I think we said it all ! I I truely hope you managed to understand me (I really have difficulties to explain, aswell as not being english doesnt ease the thing), and that this tutorial was of any use to you.

friendly,
Cal


Edit: Reuploaded and edited in new images (thumbnails, click on them to be forwarded to the bigger image and a new download link for PPJoy. X2-Illuminatus
Last edited by Calliste on Wed, 27. Aug 08, 01:30, edited 2 times in total.

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Calliste
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Post by Calliste » Wed, 26. Apr 06, 12:19

If you need any help or more detailed explainations, I'm fully available and at your service !

edit : for the curious, or simply french people, here is my original version of the tutorial :
http://forum2.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=139412

fredddd
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Post by fredddd » Sat, 29. Apr 06, 13:27

Keep getting a bad download

Found other site
http://members.shaw.ca/coxswainballs/joy.rar

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Calliste
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Post by Calliste » Sat, 29. Apr 06, 18:34

Thanks. It seems the link to PPJoy I put is temporarly dead. The one you provided contains the right softwares, indeed :)

theredman
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Post by theredman » Thu, 22. Jun 06, 09:54

Your a legend, I have been wanting to do a joystick with pedals for ages, I have even tried wiring pedale to my force fedback joystick ending up toasting the circuts....

Thanks man

Gundato
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Post by Gundato » Thu, 28. Dec 06, 20:36

I would just like to add that if you ever need a kidney, I am your man.

For years now I have been trying to find a way to use my MS Sidewinder (the non-vibrating kind with no twisty thing) with my dad's old wheel and pedals. This is that way...

Bearcat
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Post by Bearcat » Thu, 17. May 07, 07:04

I joined this forum specificly for this post... I just created a VJS using PP... I then set it up in PPJJ... but i still cannot get the stick to calibrate at all.. I am trying to use a MSFFB2/X-45/Saitek pedals combo... I am only using 5 axii... and 4 buttons...

Do PPJ & PPJJ work in conjunction with the profiling software? I have tried both ways to no avail... what I wanted to do was just use PPJ to set up the axii.... and then use the profiling SW to just assign the appropriate keys... As I said I tried it both ways.... OS is XP

I realize this original thread is a year old...

By the way.... has anyone ever heard of TIR joyPPJ & TIR joy

fredddd
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Post by fredddd » Tue, 3. Jul 07, 22:25

Why do we have to go all this ergosoft should provide a way of achieving this?
Sinds the options menu clearly states joystick 2 for some of the controls

fredddd
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strafe

Post by fredddd » Wed, 25. Jul 07, 11:42

Sorry PP joy will not let me to use the second joystick as the game indicates (strafe)
Also I lose the ruder function on the primary joystick

fredddd
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Post by fredddd » Tue, 30. Oct 07, 15:21

???

xCav8r
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Post by xCav8r » Fri, 15. Aug 08, 17:45

What happened to the screen shots in the tutorial? They're all broken. The tutorial isn't complete without them.

pjknibbs
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Post by pjknibbs » Fri, 15. Aug 08, 18:39

I'm guessing the OP hosted them on his own web service and has simply got rid of them, or had his account closed down or something--this is an old thread, after all.

xCav8r
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Post by xCav8r » Fri, 15. Aug 08, 18:48

Yeah, I know it's old, but it's been handy, and there are links to it from all over the web. I'm hoping Calliste is still following it.

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Calliste
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Post by Calliste » Wed, 27. Aug 08, 01:31

I had to close my old FTP indeed. I have just uploaded the screenshot to my new FTP, so here is the topic back up :)

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Post by xCav8r » Wed, 27. Aug 08, 01:52

Cool, thanks. I've been linking to this in various forums for a while. Great tutorial. I know a lot of people have used it, so thanks for writing it in the first place, and thanks for keeping the screenshots up. :)

mine777
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Post by mine777 » Mon, 22. Sep 08, 18:58

Unfortunatly the usefulness of this tutorial is diminishing. PPJoy does not work on 64-bit computers, and these systems are increasing in number as 4+ gigs of ram are now reasonably affordable.

I suspect this will no longer be a viable alternative for most of the game playing population as of some time next year (2009). Egosoft better have multiple joystick support in X3:TC, or multiple joysticks will not be viable.
Remember: You're unique, just like everybody else.

CBJ
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Post by CBJ » Mon, 22. Sep 08, 19:24

According to the Steam Hardware Survey 64-bit OSs still only account for about 3% of gamers' systems at the moment. This is certainly likely to increase, but it hardly represents a dominant force in the market just yet. If it did then perhaps the makers of PPJoy would probably have done something about compatibility. ;)

Triffid
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Post by Triffid » Tue, 30. Dec 08, 11:59

I could not get this to work with G25 pedals as the PPjoyJoy did not have slider 0. In has slider 1 and 2, slider 1 is the clutch.

Any one solve this?

Angitherias
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Post by Angitherias » Tue, 24. Feb 09, 07:50

Currently using Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro and CHPedals on a gameport to USB adapter, there is an extra gameport attachment on the pedals for the stick. I'll add on to this post once I start foolin around with this program.

Hamster Juggler
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Post by Hamster Juggler » Wed, 18. Nov 09, 17:45

"Why do we have to go all this ergosoft should provide a way of achieving this?
Sinds the options menu clearly states joystick 2 for some of the controls"

Anyone else notice a lack of response to this question?

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