logitech extreme 3d pro

[Helljumper]

if you ave a logitech extreme 3d pro. you can set its different buttons to perform different tasks for the planes?

how much more you need to rely on your keyboard?

lets say for the F18 module or the F16 or A10A can you put some of your basic things on the keyboard like startup, gears, flaps, flares etc

can you use the 12 buttons and half of the hat buttons to put the essential things on the flight stick? like changing radar modes, changing weapons, locking enemies, navigation points, moving the gimbel for the tv etc?

any help will be appreciated

[fikmeinshizer]

yeah you can map pretty much anything to your stick

[dan]

you can't map much with just the stick. you need a throttle too.

[izmebee]

with use of all the modifiers you can actually map quite a lot to those few buttons. Throttles are nice, but you can get by with the stick you have. I used it for months before I upgraded.

[Helljumper]

Originally posted by dan:

you can't map much with just the stick. you need a throttle too.

problem is that the thrustmaster ones are very expensive here. so i am kind of stuck with logitech one when i decide to buy.

besides i am not a hardcore sim player or in online sessions

[Helljumper]

Originally posted by izmebee:

with use of all the modifiers you can actually map quite a lot to those few buttons. Throttles are nice, but you can get by with the stick you have. I used it for months before I upgraded.

i wont be playing all hardcore mode, getting a throttle is expensive here. so i have to use a combination of stick and keyboard keys..

[izmebee]

Originally posted by Helljumper:

Originally posted by izmebee:

with use of all the modifiers you can actually map quite a lot to those few buttons. Throttles are nice, but you can get by with the stick you have. I used it for months before I upgraded.

i wont be playing all hardcore mode, getting a throttle is expensive here. so i have to use a combination of stick and keyboard keys..

I am talking about the modifiers like the Left and Right Control keys on the keyboard. You can use them in combination with the buttons on the 3D Pro.

When you map a Joystick button you will see a field called modifier. Those are all the left and right ALT CRTL SHIFT on the keyboard

[dan]

Originally posted by Helljumper:

Originally posted by dan:

you can't map much with just the stick. you need a throttle too.

problem is that the thrustmaster ones are very expensive here. so i am kind of stuck with logitech one when i decide to buy.

besides i am not a hardcore sim player or in online sessions

ok. try this. make button 11 and 12 into modifiers. put last two fingers of left hand on these. use index finger and thumb on the throttle slider. this way you can map about 18 buttons and 3 8-way hats. that should work as a solid hotas for many modules.

its not comfortable but it will get the basic job done. especially with FC3 aircraft.

[startrekmike]

You can map quite a bit onto even a basic entry level stick but it is VERY important to set your expectations accordingly in regards to the kind of experience you will end up having when doing so.

Using modifiers, you can set many commands to the various buttons on your stick but (as I learned from experience) leaning heavily on modifiers and a limited amount of buttons will make operating various systems slower and will thus make learning and being effective once you learn a lot harder.

To give you a example. When I first started learning DCS A-10C, I had a Microsoft Precision Pro joystick (not unlike the Logitech 3D Pro in a lot of ways). If I wanted to use the targeting pod to track a ground target, I would have to hit a modifier to allow the hat switch to act as the DMS switch. From there, I would select the pod as a SOI. Next, I would have to hit the modifier that that lets one of my buttons act as the china hat so I can change the field of view. Then, I would hit the modifier that turns the hat switch into the TMS switch so I can select the target. From there, I would have to hit the modifier to make it the DMS switch again so I can select the weapon I want. Eventually, I would get to the point where I hit the weapon release button. This whole process wouldn't take hours or anything but adding all those modifiers did add a lot of steps that would make the process feel more and more clunky/slow as I got better at the sim.

I don't tell you this as a way to tell you to spend money you may not want to spend or may not have on a more expensive HOTAS setup. I am just telling you this so you know what you are getting into and are aware that it will make things a bit harder to deal with.

[Helljumper]

thanks for the answers @dan and @startekmike

now if understand this, putting majority on the joystick buttons can be done but i will have to use a lot of modifiers for this purpose and it will make it more lets say complicated to use.

so this brings me to 2 questions if you can answer. (if not getting into modifiers)

1. what are the different buttons on the joystick used for then? as it has 12 buttons

2. What do you think about the thurstmaster Hotas X? its not that expensive and it has a throttle stick with its own buttons.

[izmebee]

When I was looking to upgrade from my 3dPro I looked at that HOTAS X and from what I found, it had good reviews on youtube.

As for buttons, the more you can do with out having to reach for a keyboard the easier things become.

[dan]

Originally posted by Helljumper:

thanks for the answers @dan and @startekmike

now if understand this, putting majority on the joystick buttons can be done but i will have to use a lot of modifiers for this purpose and it will make it more lets say complicated to use.

so this brings me to 2 questions if you can answer. (if not getting into modifiers)

1. what are the different buttons on the joystick used for then? as it has 12 buttons

2. What do you think about the thurstmaster Hotas X? its not that expensive and it has a throttle stick with its own buttons.

Each module is different. There is no good answer other than play for a bit see what you need the most and try to bind it to your stick. I think generally I like to have weapon switch, air brake, radar on/off and countermeasures on stick without modifiers. Basic hat I use for moving radar target selector(TDC). I put stuff like trim, nose wheel steering, flaps and chute and other control systems behind the first Modifier. I put important system controls like radar and sensors, those used in combat etc behind the second Modifier.

Hope this helps but you will have to see what works for you. A tip: pick a base plane. Try to make every other plane's binding as similar to it as possible. This way you'll remember a lot of different modules and your bindings will scale with other modules. My base plane is JF17. It's controls match my hotas well and its complex enough that most of my bindings for it carry over to almost every other module.

A better option than extreme3d pro is T16000 stick and twcs throttle.

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by Helljumper:

thanks for the answers @dan and @startekmike

now if understand this, putting majority on the joystick buttons can be done but i will have to use a lot of modifiers for this purpose and it will make it more lets say complicated to use.

so this brings me to 2 questions if you can answer. (if not getting into modifiers)

1. what are the different buttons on the joystick used for then? as it has 12 buttons

2. What do you think about the thurstmaster Hotas X? its not that expensive and it has a throttle stick with its own buttons.

First and foremost, the TM HOTAS-X has the EXACT same amount of overall controls as the Logitech 3D Pro. The only difference is that it has a larger throttle control. It has no additional buttons or switches so getting it would be a "side-grade" more than a upgrade.

As far as what the different buttons do? That is going to depend entirely on what you bind to them and what you bind to them will depend on the module you are talking about. There is no one binding solution that will work for every aircraft in DCS. They all have to largely be handled individually.

[Helljumper]

Originally posted by startrekmike:

Originally posted by Helljumper:

thanks for the answers @dan and @startekmike

now if understand this, putting majority on the joystick buttons can be done but i will have to use a lot of modifiers for this purpose and it will make it more lets say complicated to use.

so this brings me to 2 questions if you can answer. (if not getting into modifiers)

1. what are the different buttons on the joystick used for then? as it has 12 buttons

2. What do you think about the thurstmaster Hotas X? its not that expensive and it has a throttle stick with its own buttons.

First and foremost, the TM HOTAS-X has the EXACT same amount of overall controls as the Logitech 3D Pro. The only difference is that it has a larger throttle control. It has no additional buttons or switches so getting it would be a "side-grade" more than a upgrade.

As far as what the different buttons do? That is going to depend entirely on what you bind to them and what you bind to them will depend on the module you are talking about. There is no one binding solution that will work for every aircraft in DCS. They all have to largely be handled individually.

oh. i did not knew that it has same amount of controls and buttons :(


i thought it had some extra hat buttons on it to use them for other functions

[Helljumper]

Originally posted by dan:

Originally posted by Helljumper:

thanks for the answers @dan and @startekmike

now if understand this, putting majority on the joystick buttons can be done but i will have to use a lot of modifiers for this purpose and it will make it more lets say complicated to use.

so this brings me to 2 questions if you can answer. (if not getting into modifiers)

1. what are the different buttons on the joystick used for then? as it has 12 buttons

2. What do you think about the thurstmaster Hotas X? its not that expensive and it has a throttle stick with its own buttons.

Each module is different. There is no good answer other than play for a bit see what you need the most and try to bind it to your stick. I think generally I like to have weapon switch, air brake, radar on/off and countermeasures on stick without modifiers. Basic hat I use for moving radar target selector(TDC). I put stuff like trim, nose wheel steering, flaps and chute and other control systems behind the first Modifier. I put important system controls like radar and sensors, those used in combat etc behind the second Modifier.

Hope this helps but you will have to see what works for you. A tip: pick a base plane. Try to make every other plane's binding as similar to it as possible. This way you'll remember a lot of different modules and your bindings will scale with other modules. My base plane is JF17. It's controls match my hotas well and its complex enough that most of my bindings for it carry over to almost every other module.

A better option than extreme3d pro is T16000 stick and twcs throttle.

the T16000 is way to expensive to get here hence my options in budget are the logitech pro or the hotas x.

and with same number of buttons in the hotas x i dont see much reason for it now :(

[Helljumper]

Originally posted by izmebee:

When I was looking to upgrade from my 3dPro I looked at that HOTAS X and from what I found, it had good reviews on youtube.

As for buttons, the more you can do with out having to reach for a keyboard the easier things become.

ya thats why i was looking at different sticks..
thanks