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

[Highwing]

This was an absolute godsend - was about to refund AC7, so glad I found this - thanks man!

[deathspeed]

Here is an even easier way, no additional software required:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2210570616

[frelianbalthasar]

Hello everyone. I've set up Logitech Extreme 3D Pro using x360ce, and it works great except that I can't make yaw smooth, it's rather 1 or 0. Can I use UCR somehow? I tried this "Axis to Button" feature but it seems that it doesn't work.

Can anyone help me with it?

[bingbean]

That is how works yaw in this game. It is 1 or 0 no matter if you bind it in to axis or buttons. There is only some delay filter. It is stupid , but for me it is not as big deal in those arcade style game.

[Rage]

bingbean님이 먼저 게시:

That is how works yaw in this game. It is 1 or 0 no matter if you bind it in to axis or buttons. There is only some delay filter. It is stupid , but for me it is not as big deal in those arcade style game.

yep
in console AC games it's usually mapped to the rear buttons right?

[cyäegha]

it was traditionally mapped to the trigger buttons (L2/R2) back in the bad, old days where they didn't offer any analog precision
i think it was the move to xbox that changed the default mapping to triggers = throttle control from memory, and that's the way it stayed
i still prefer having throttle control on L1/R1 since fine throttle control is of little consequence in AC anyway

ACX was an oddity in that rudder control was mapped to the directional buttons, if only because that's the only place you could realistically put it
if you've ever played monster hunter freedom unite, adapting to the "claw" method wasn't too difficult though

[Rage]

cyäegha님이 먼저 게시:

it was traditionally mapped to the trigger buttons (L2/R2) back in the bad, old days where they didn't offer any analog precision
i think it was the move to xbox that changed the default mapping to triggers = throttle control from memory, and that's the way it stayed
i still prefer having throttle control on L1/R1 since fine throttle control is of little consequence in AC anyway

ACX was an oddity in that rudder control was mapped to the directional buttons, if only because that's the only place you could realistically put it
if you've ever played monster hunter freedom unite, adapting to the "claw" method wasn't too difficult though

interesting. I wonder if that had anything to do with almost all the buttons on PS2 controllers being pressure sensitive.

[UMUTCANCANW]

thans for this!! it helped me so much

[usaf ace]

The https://docs.vigem.org/#!vigem-bus-driver-installation.md Link no longer functions or lads anywhere...is there an alternative location for this file? Thank you!

[믿음은 졸리다]

The link VIGEM link doesnt work

[Antares]

Cruel_Ranger님이 먼저 게시:

The link VIGEM link doesnt work

Updated link

[Rage]

some heroes don't wear capes

[Rage]

eEXM-21님이 먼저 게시:

remake demanders, necros, name'n'shamers
what a constructive forum

you're more than welcome to go back to ResetERA if you don't like it here lol.

[Hotshot]

This is AWESOME, thanks a lot!!!
(vigem might have a new address though: https://github.com/nefarius/ViGEmBus/releases

[Zalazar]

This has all been working for me except for some reason it absolutely REFUSES to detect my X-axis on my Saitek X52 for some reason and I don't know why. And it is only that one as well, it is detecting everything else.