CH Products Joystick Map for Elite: Dangerous

Joystick maps and game configuration files for the CH Products Fighterstick and Pro Throttle HOTAS in Elite: Dangerous.

About

The main map is my own personal configuration that I've put together while playing Elite: Dangerous. The redux map is a simplified version of this that maintains core functionality, but with a single modifier button. The maps have evolved over time and are presented here as it's a much easier way of distributing changes. As the game evolves you may see additional changes. Feel free to download, use and tweak for your own setup.

Version

This version of the map is designed for use with Elite: Dangerous 1.2.03 and above. It's split into two parts: full and redux. Both maps share the same in game config, redux just doesn't make use of all of the available mappings.

Previous versions

Previous versions of the joystick maps, including the relevant README.md and layout guides, can be found here. Major version number changes indicate complete overhauls of the map.

Requirements

• CH Products Fighterstick
• CH Products Pro Throttle
• CH Products Control Manager software
• Elite: Dangerous 1.2.03 or above
• Optional: PDF viewer

Installation

Download and extract the zip file containing the game files.

Joystick Maps

Navigate to My Documents and create a folder called CH Control Manager if it doesn't already exist, and under it a folder called Maps.

Within the extracted zip file under the maps folder you'll find four files. These need to be copied to the CH Control Manager/Maps folder.

Plugin your Fighterstick and Pro Throttle, then launch the CH Control Manager. Load the either full.map or redux.map depending on your preference. The load dialog should default to the folder you copied your maps to. If it doesn't just navigate to that folder.

Once loaded click the Download button to enable the map.

Game Configuration

Within the extracted zip file under the config folder you'll find two files called Custom.binds and StartPreset.start. Copy Custom.binds to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings\Custom.binds. %LOCALAPPDATA% points to the hidden AppData\Local folder for your Windows account. The Custom.binds file works for both the full and redux maps.

You can optionally copy StartPreset.start to the same folder. All this does is tell the game to use the custom bindings by default. If you don't copy the file you'll need select the custom layout from within the game under the input settings.

Cheat Sheets and Details

Within the extracted zip file, under the layouts directory, you'll find the PDF cheat sheet for each map. full.pdf is for the full map, redux.pdf is for the redux map.

A complete description of the full, and redux map can be found in full.md and redux.md respectively.

Conventions

These maps uses a few basic conventions. Buttons and Axis are denoted using fixed width type. In game actions are given in italics . Button and hat numbers can be found on the Cheat Sheet.

The Fighterstick is referred to as Stick and the Pro Throttle is referred to as Throttle.

Axis are referred to using Device axis where axis is either x, y or z. Stick x and Stick y are left/right and forward/back respectively. Stick z is the throttle wheel. Throttle x and Throttle y are mini-stick left/right and mini-stick up/down respectively. Throttle z is the throttle axis.

Individual buttons are referred to using the format Btn n where n is the button number from the cheat sheet. This can be prefixed with Throttle or Stick.

Hats are referred to using the format Hat n where n is the hat number from the cheat sheet. This can be prefixed with Throttle or Stick.

Individual hat buttons are referred to using the direction you need to move the hat to activate the button. For most hats this is Up, Down, Left and Right. The exception here is Stick Hat 3 which uses Forwards and Backwards instead of Up and Down.

POV Hat buttons are referred to in a similar way to hats, except they use POV instead of Hat n. For example: Stick POV Up.

Modifier buttons are referred to as shift (Stick Btn 4) and alt (Throttle Btn 3 - full map only). Where a modifier is used it is written as modifier + button where modifier is either shift or alt, and button is the button or hat switch to press at the same time. Modifiers can stack, so shift + alt + button is valid and means you need to press 3 buttons to achieve the effect.

Adding Rudder Pedals

I no longer own the CH Products Pro Pedals, however, I have had experience using them. You can add them to these maps by clicking the Add Device button and selecting the pedals from the list. Order is important in Joystick maps so ensure they are the 3rd device (4th tab), otherwise the CMS script will need to be updated with the new position for the Throttle.

Note: If you want to use CMS scripts for your pedals and you're using the full map please see these notes.

Possible Future Enhancement

With the addition of the new modifier button there are now many duplicate bindings that can be used to map new controls too. The underlying CMS scripts and buttons assignments have been written to be easily expandable. This allows for 33 usable buttons and one POV hat giving a total of 144 button bindings and 8 POV directions. Radical future changes are therefore unlikely to the full map.

The redux map has very few spaces left so may lose the presets and/or wings controls to allow for new bindings.

• If we end up with an Iron Man mode and an eject button this may get mapped to shift + alt + Throttle Hat 1 Down on the full map and shift + Throttle Btn 1 on the redux map.
• Increase/Decrease Throttle may get mapped to shift + Stick Hat 3 Forwards/Backwards on the full map to allow for single hand flying while typing.
• The Yaw/Roll Button may get replaced with a button on the full map that actually swaps Stick x for a Yaw axis, and then remaps Yaw Left/Right to Roll Left/Right.
• For technical reasons I want to look at changing Stick Hat 3 to using axis rather than buttons. This change would be reflected on both maps, although isn't a technical requirement for the redux map.

About The Author

This was all put together by Cmdr Davis. There's also a blog and YouTube videos relating to Elite: Dangerous. If you see me in game, say "Hi".

Misc

I found the template I use for printing my joystick cheat sheets years ago on the internet but I've completely forgotten where from. If you can steer my in the correct direction so I can credit the original author I'd greatly appreciate it.

Caveat Emptor

With the exception of the PDF all the files contained in this project are text files so, in theory, nothing bad can happen to your system. That said, you're messing about with game config files so if you break anything, you get to keep both halves. If in doubt always back up.

Changelog

Version 2.1.1

• Added binding to show CQC scores

### Version 2.1.0

This change simply adds the redux version of the map. No changes have been made to the full map other than the location of the files and some fixes to the description.

Version 2.0.0

• New alt modifier button added
• All in game controls either have a button, keyboard or axis mapping
• Moved all fire actions to the trigger (Stick Btn 1)
• Moved all countermeasure actions to Stick Btn 3
• Added new power presets
• Moved Silent Running to shift + alt + Stick Btn 2
• Moved Reset Head-Look and Toggle Dev Camera to the Stick POV Hat
• Stick z now mapped to Scanner Range
• Throttle Btn 4 now handles UI Input, UI Back and ESC
• Throttle POV Hat now handles all UI movement
• Throttle Hat 2 now handled all UI panels and maps
• Added more functions to Throttle Hat 1
• Wingman functions moved to Throttle Hat 3
• No longer use Throttle Btn 1
• Entire map is now virtual
• Complete rewrite of the README

Version 1.2.1

• Remove mouse axis from head-look so mouse head-look off is now honoured

Version 1.2.0

Improvements for the 1.2 release:

• Headlook is now always on
• Mouse headlook is disabled
• Headlook reset has been relocated to shift+btn 2 on the Stick (was previously btn 3)
• btn 3 on the Stick is now Fire Primary and Secondary Weapons
• shift+btn 3 on the Stick is now Fire Chaff (was previously shift+btn 2)
• Galaxy Map has been moved to btn 3 on the Throttle (was previously shift+btn 3)
• shift+btn 3 on the Throttle is now bound to ESC
• The POV Hat on the Throttle has had Wingman functions mapped to its shift function
• shift+Throttle Hat 2 Up is now Comms Pannel (was previously btn 3)
• shift+Throttle 2 Hat has had functions mapped to it
• Tidied up README

Version 0.0.5 (Previously version 5)

Improvements for the Gamma release:

• Split Frameshift controls so Hyperdrive and Sepercruise are now seperate buttons
• Replaced binding to the ESC key to the provided UI Back control
• Bound Galaxy Map to a button
• Bound Use Shield Cell and Fire Chaff to buttons. Fire Chaff replaces Fire Heat Sync on the Stick and now lives with Use Shield Cell on the Throttle
• Minor tweaks to axis direction in the Galaxy Map
• Minor tweaks to the way headlook works with the mouse and bindings
• Added changelog :)