Control configuration in FPS is currently a little complicated, but it’s powerful.

Assigning Controls

Hardware Config and Selection
Control Set Selection
Mappings
Control Mode Shifting (advanced function)

Hardware Config and Selection

Here you detect any attached gaming hardware (joysticks, controller, throttle, etc.), calibrate them, and configure their axes.

  • Controller — “Calibrate” allows you to define what the hardware actually sends to the game. The dark arrow represents your controller position (input) and the white arrow represents what is actually sent to the game (output). “Dead Zone,” “Zero,” and “Sensitivity” control the relationship of the input to the output. For example, if you have a throttle axis that slides from front to back, you can configure the zero point, dead zone, sensitivity, and inverse/normal behavior to make the throttle act as either a “back = 0, forward = full;” “center = 0, forward = full forward, back = full reverse”; or “back = full, forward = 0.” The key here is that the “calibration” in this section is not just calibration, it’s defining how the game “sees” the hardware.
  • Assigned Controllers — Note that whatever is clicked under this section affects the section below it. When you start mapping controls, be sure that you have first come here and clicked the control you want to map.

Control Set Selection

This section is mostly for filtering what controls you’ll map in the final section at the bottom of the screen. The button you click here affects what appears in the “Mappings” section below. For the most part you’ll only need to use these 3 buttons:

  • Flight (basic mode) — Primary flight control axes for translation (forward/back, left/right, thrust) and rotation (pitch, roll, yaw).
  • Actions (basic mode) — Additional flight controls to toggle flaps, Augmented Reality, cargo doors, move the camera, etc.
  • Interfaces — Global menu interaction controls (menu, escape, up, down, left, right, etc) if you want to go completely mouse-free.

Shift Modes and Flight/Actions (add’l Modes) are advanced functions and are covered further down this page.

Mappings

Depending on what button you selected above, different FPS functions (“Actions”) are shown here, along with their corresponding Keyboard and Controller mapping.

To map a function, click in the box to its right. If you click on a function that is already mapped, you get a choice to re-map it or erase the mapping. You can invert the operation of a joystick axis here by clicking its little “recycle” icon.

Note that for controllers, axes can be assigned to either a true control axis, or to TWO buttons. For example, if you wan to use the “hat” switch for roll left/right instead of the joystick, you’d map those two buttons in the spaces just below the axis.

Advanced: Control Mode Shifting

TODO: Use of Shift Modes and alternate controls.

Short version: When you press and hold a key/button that you define under “Shift Modes”, the game will use whatever mappings you’ve defined in “Add’l Mode 1, 2” instead of using your primary Flight/Action control mappings.

Control Reference

Some of the names for FPS functions are currently a bit… creative (my favorite is “interact with object” which actually means “select target in center of the HUD” except when it means “Enter Hangar”). This section is to help you figure out where to find which control based on standard aviation sim meanings.

  • Control = Standard aviation name
  • Found under = “Control Schemes” button under which you’ll find this control.
  • FPS Name = What FPS calls the control

Fundamental Flight Controls

ControlFound UnderFPS Name
Pitch axisFlightVTOL and airplane pitch
Roll axisFlightRoll for VTOL and airplane
Yaw axisFlightYaw in all modes
Throttle axisFlightEngine thrust control in all modes

Systems/Interface Controls

ControlFound UnderFPS NameNotes
Camera tilt axisActionsVertical camera rotation
Camera pan axisActionsHorizontal camera rotation
Reset camera tilt/panActionsReset camera location
Augmented Reality on/offActionsToggle AR mode
Airbase HUD display on/offActionsOn/off augmented reality tags
HUD Weather InfoActionsToggle weather display
HUD on/offActionsToggle interface display
MapActionsOpen/close map
Landing Gear up/downActionsOn/off Landing gears
Discharge BatteryActionsCharge DumpLike dumping fuel on a conventional aircraft, this reduces weight.
EjectActionsShip self-destruct

Special Flight Controls

ControlFound UnderFPS NameNotes
Translate forward/backward axisFlightForward/backward without pitch for VTOLVertical flight only
Translate left/right axisFlightTranslate Left/Right in VTOL modeVertical flight only
Transition horizontal/vertical flightActionsToggle Airplane ModeScarab requires wing upgrade
Airbrake on/offActionsOn/off air brakesHorizontal flight only
Flap position axisActionsFlap positionHorizontal flight only
Flaps full/offActionsRelease/retract flapsHorizontal flight only
Trim auto/manualActionsOn/off auto-trimmingHorizontal flight only
Trim axisActionsTrims tabs angleHorizontal flight onlyManual trim only
Trim up/downActionsIncrease/Decrease trim tabs angleHorizontal flight onlyManual trim only
Zero trimActionsReset trim tabs angleHorizontal flight onlyManual trim only

Controls Unique to FPS

ControlFound UnderFPS NameNotes
Select Target Ahead (not parked), orActivate Facility (when parked at a facility)ActionsInteract with objectSelect Target Ahead is useful for quickly setting a base on your HUD as your Destination.Activate Facility is for entering the hangar, recharging at a cargo area etc.
Reverse thrustActionsInvert engine thrust
Cargo door open/closeActionsOpen/close cargo compartment door
Load cargoActionsPick up an object from the ground to the cargo compartment
Unload cargoActionsUnload an object to the ground from the cargo compartment
Engine offActionsTurn off the engineReducing the throttle to zero has the same effect.
Roll-into-Yaw axisFlightTo the left/to the right for all modesRoll, yaw, and translate left/right are coupled together. Sort of an arcade mode “for turn left/turn right.”

Interfaces

You can also map up/down/left/right, and select, 2nd select, 3rd select, and exit to different controls. This way you can play FPS without removing your hands from a HOTAS.

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