How to use ANY hotas/joystick for Ace Combat 7 (most versatile solution)

[Antares]

Hey guys, I've figured out how to use any hotas for the game
HOWEVER, there are a few limitations:
For me I had to omit camera controls (only complete look back on either side) and Yaw is not an axis but an on/off switch for either direction, I have potential solutions for these though,
I recommend UCR over x360ce as x360ce doesnt even work properly with AC7 and it is also much much more versatile and you can set up much more intuitive controls with it.

Alright lets get on with it.:

What you need:

UCR 0.7.0:
https://github.com/Snoothy/UCR/releases/tag/v0.7.0

ViGEm driver:

https://docs.vigem.org/#!vigem-bus-driver-installation.md

(New VIGEm link:

https://github.com/ViGEm/ViGEmBus/releases)

So

First of all the ViGEm driver:

From the Start menu search Windows Powershell, right click it and launch as admin, then follow the instructions from the link. Copy each of the commands in the boxes and wait until the C:\.... comes back then proceed with the next line of code as the guide says, once you are finished it should come up with an installation window for the driver, click install, you are done here.

As for UCR:

1: Unpack UCR_v0.7.0.zip
2: Launch UCR.exe as Administrator
3: In UCR select the tab "Devices" and click on "Manage Device Groups"
4: In the "Input groups" tab on the top right click "Add group" name it anything
- From the device list on the left click on your device (your stick/controller)
- Click on the group
- Click "Add"
5: Go to the "Output groups" and again on the top right click "Add group" name it anything
- From the left under "Core_ViGEm" select: "ViGEm Xbox 360 Controller 1"
- Click on the group
- Click "Add"
6: Go back to the main UCR window and click on the tab "Profile" and then "New" give it any name you want.
7: Double click the profile in the list to start editing
- On the editing window click on the "Profile" tab on the top left and then "Manage Device Groups" - Here select your input and output groups as created earlier.
- Now start adding the buttons / axis for each of the inputs on your Hotas. Name them appropriately so you know what is what.

-Once you have all your buttons you can start assigning them one by one to an Xbox Controller settings:

To assign a function click on the Mapping on the left and then select one of the following functions then click "Add" below "Plugins", after this you can select the "Click to bind" button under the mapping and then click the button on your hotas/joystick that you want bound. Then on the right side select the corresponding Xbox controller button.

- Axis to Axis: Single Axis to Single axis from Joystick to Controller
- Axes to Axes: X and Y axes to X and Y axis from Joystick to Controller ( I recommend sticking to Axis to Axis for clarity)
- Button to Button: Self explanatory, standard button for standard button on controller
- Button to Axis: Clicking the button sets the axis to an imaginary value, you want 2 buttons that are unused for camera controls and then set the "Axis on release" to 50 so it's centered otherwise the camera will be always looking fully left or right. I'll explain this in a bit.
- Axis Splitter: You want to use this for splitting one axis on your hotas into 2 on the controller. This is useful for the Throttle as you have a single throttle stick whereas on the Xbox controller the Acceleration is RT and Decceleration is LT (both are axes).
-Axis to Button: Creates the Immersion for yaw, otherwise you can use any 2 buttons.


- Here is the Xbox layout and my recommendations for each button on your hotas to the Xbox controller:

LT: Deceleration - Using Axis Splitter map this to your throttle
RT: Acceleration - Same as above
LB: Yaw Left - Using Axis to Button or Button to Button map buttons on the back of your throttle or Lateral rotation on the stick if your stick has 3 axes.
RB: Yaw right - Same as above.
A: Machine gun - Map to your index finger trigger
B: Missile - Map to your thumb trigger
X: Weapon select - Map to extra button on stick
Y: Target select - Map to extra button on stick
D-Pad: Radio controls - If you have a Hat on your hotas map each direction as it should be.
Left Stick click: Nothing
Right Stick click: Camera modes/Change view - Map to spare base button.
Left+Right Stick click: Flares - Using 2 Button to Button on 1 mapping map 1 button to both stick clicks and therefore you can execute a flare with that one button, recommended on throttle hand buttons.
Left stick Y axis: Pitch up/down - Map on to stick pull up/down
Left Stick X axis: Roll lef/right - Map on to stick push left/right
Back: Map switch - Map to any spare button on hotas base
Start: Pause - Map to any spare button on hotas base
Right Stick Y axis: Camera up/down - Using Button to Axis map the release on 0 so it's centered normally and then map Axis on press to 100 and -100 so you look fully up/back, alternatively you can add your keyboard/mouse to the "Input Groups" at the device management and then map the right stick to your mouse/ arrow keys to look around.
Right stick X axis: Camera left/right - Same as above.

8: Once done with the setup close this window, on the main window in the top left go "File" and "Save"
9: You might need to restart your PC here
10: Once back in UCR right click on the profile and "Activate" if you did everything correctly you should hear the familiar device plugged in sound in windows and now your hotas should work as you mapped it.

Thanks for reading, I hope i was helpful, if you have any difficulties let me know i'll see if i can help.

Also to all those complaining about the game not being 4k: put it on 1080p and set scaling to 200%, that's 4k

[The Male/Man]

Nguyên văn bởi Azzameen:

I only modified the mapping, not the VR.

Ah. Well good work! On a joystick or mouse and keyboard?

[Seles]

On my Hotas.

[bratac]

Thank you for this outstanding tutorial.
I have but one little problem:
I programmed everything according to the controls given by Antares but on my Saitek X-56 moving the Yaw does nothing and the throttle is also inactive. Is anyone having the same Problem or could somebody with a similar Stick post me a screenshot of how it is done?

[Jalisurr]

Just wanted to say that this worked PERFECTLY. I'm now able to play Ace Combat 7 with my old Hori Flightstick 2 from the PS2 era (getting the drivers installed for Windows 10 was another battle but that's beside the point). My stick has another analog stick on the top so I was able to use axes to axes binding and have correct view controls as well.

I also experimented with using my CH Pro Pedals as yaw control which worked great technically but my brain got confused by having the precise analog input only give me digital control. No fault of this solution, but I ended up going back to the yaw bumper on the throttle of the flightstick 2.

Anyways, many thanks! This makes this game far more enjoyable. I've missed proper Ace Combat games, haven't played one since zero.

[AliensOnMars]

Just wanted to say thank you for this solution - works excellently, appreciate you taking the time to write it up and share it, big fan of ace combat since I was a kid but this decision was a very odd one for them to make and would have put me off the game otherwise.

[Cotivity]

My Saitek Aviator works with zero issues and no third party software....hmmmmm.

[Timur]

I used x360ce before and that worked well for the most part, but it has its limitations. UCR is a lot more flexible and you can even bind Post-Stall Maneuvers and Autopilot to buttons, very nice. Thx for the tutorial.

[Rage]

Nguyên văn bởi Cotivity:

My Saitek Aviator works with zero issues and no third party software....hmmmmm.

Ordered an Xbox 360 Saitek Av8r for ♥♥♥♥♥ and giggles after configuring my Saitek Cyborg 3D Gold (Circa 1998-2000?) as a 360 controller and having a blast with it.

[-I-]

Thrustmaster T-FLIGHT HOTAS 4 ACE COMBAt PC and PS 4 edition


Works? ............... Or must it be set manually?

[++ Ezekiel ++]

This is awesome!! Thank you very much for doing this for everyone.

I have not played a proper flight sim (excluding Elite: Dangerous) since DOS days with X-Wing & Tie Fighter, so to have this available and not just for this game but can be used for any old school Dosbox simulation games makes me even more excited about... :)

Thanks again!

[Norko]

I just gave your instructions a go to get my TM 16000 fcs joystick working but I just don´t get any input in the game at all from it.
All inputs seem to be working in UCR when I activate the Profile but nothing happens in AC7 :(

edit: Just tested it on the Xbox App and there the mappings seem to work.. but AC still refuses to register any Input from the fake Xbox Buttons on the stick sadly

[Dr.FragensteinM.D.]

Nguyên văn bởi Ikkskart:

Guy, UCR don't work for me ... he ask me to unlock some files and after, no device (hotas Tflight X) appear on the screen.. i can't make a device group because there is no device on the left side of the app

did you ever get it figured out? I have the same issue Available Devices list is empty, not showing my x56

[bingbean]

Nguyên văn bởi Dr.FragensteinM.D.:

Nguyên văn bởi Ikkskart:

Guy, UCR don't work for me ... he ask me to unlock some files and after, no device (hotas Tflight X) appear on the screen.. i can't make a device group because there is no device on the left side of the app

did you ever get it figured out? I have the same issue Available Devices list is empty, not showing my x56

You don't need UCR or any other emulator anymore to play this game with logitech/saitek x56. He should work directly now.
Just open input.ini file in notepad and configure buttons and axis as you need.
c:\Users\username\AppData\Local\BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment\ACE COMBAT 7\Config\Input.ini

[AlienGamer88]

Nguyên văn bởi lubomart:

Nguyên văn bởi Dr.FragensteinM.D.:

did you ever get it figured out? I have the same issue Available Devices list is empty, not showing my x56

You don't need UCR or any other emulator anymore to play this game with logitech/saitek x56. He should work directly now.
Just open input.ini file in notepad and configure buttons and axis as you need.
c:\Users\username\AppData\Local\BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment\ACE COMBAT 7\Config\Input.ini

I opened the file but I am not sure what to do from here. Its just helpcomment= bunch weird text doesnt make sense to me.

[bingbean]

Nguyên văn bởi Gromz:

Nguyên văn bởi lubomart:

You don't need UCR or any other emulator anymore to play this game with logitech/saitek x56. He should work directly now.
Just open input.ini file in notepad and configure buttons and axis as you need.
c:\Users\username\AppData\Local\BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment\ACE COMBAT 7\Config\Input.ini

I opened the file but I am not sure what to do from here. Its just helpcomment= bunch weird text doesnt make sense to me.

If you cant see the line
ProductName="mane your joystick"
in your Input.ini file do this:
Right click at game name in your steam games list, go to Properties, at the bottom of the window there should be something like Steam Input per game setting, change it to Forced Off

After you do that , run the game to update Input.ini file.
If after that you still cant see the product name line, then your joy is not support, and you need to use some emulator like x360ce.