Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat mouselook JoyToKey Tutorial

[Talus]

Since questions pop up regularly concerning getting mouselook functionality with your joystick's POV hat, I figured I'd create a sticky here.

JoyToKey:
A hard to find 3rd party application which can give all sorts of insane new functionality (most notably - mouse movement/button) to your joystick...ANY joystick. The original author's website no longer exists, at least not in English anyway. So here is the only most recent English support mirror I can find:

http://www.electracode.com/4/joy2key/JoyToKey%20English%20Version.htm

PS - it is not cheating, so don't fall for the old 'oh noes! it's a 3rd party app and EA will ban me!!1!!1'

With JoyToKey, you only have to move the hatswitch for mouse looking..you don't have to hold down any other key or joystick button. You basically achieve the effect that should have originally been included.

That is what makes my method so sweet

If anybody wants the latest version of the program (3.7.9), there is a mirror here:
Download jtk379en.zip

If you do not want to set the application up yourself, then download my collection of configuration files, shortcuts, and a batch file to get it all running:
Download JoyToKey.zip

1. Copy contents of JoyToKey.zip to C:\Program Files\JoyToKey
2. Run JoyToKey.bat

When you launch the included .bat file, it will launch 2 instances of JoyToKey to your tray with the full setup. I have included the 2 config files I use with my MS Sidewinder Precision 2 to achieve the one-motion mouselook. You can check them out to see how I did it, or you can ask here and I can help. All I had to do was load 2 instances of JoyToKey and set each instance to use one of the 2 configs so that both configs are running simultaneously. It may sound a little confusing, but this is already done for you if you installed my config files.

You'll also notice that I have it set up so that you can use the Commo rose and voice communication while flying Nice added bonus

Hold down button 5 to:
-use the hatswitch to change camera views and change jet weapon loadouts
-use button 6 to eject
-use button 7 to voip chat with squad.

Hold down button 8 to:
-use the hatswitch for the commo rose
-use button 1 (trigger) to select the command.

Here are config files specific to the Logitech 3D Pro joystick (thanks to RingMasTeR):
3DPro_Config.zip

If you have multiple joystick devices and need to change your joystick ID numbers around so that your main joystick is detected as 'Joystick 1', then download this app:
JoyIDsInstall.exe

And for anybody wondering...for my personal setup, I use a modified version of what I have posted above. I have been tweaking over the past year and I have found my best setup. It's quite complicated:

[TheMshine]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Talus, if this works, I will be very grateful.. Maybe even eternally grateful?

I have 3 questions:

1. I take it these programs in the tray are low overhead, and will not
have much effect on performance? I just ordered another GIG of RAM
so this should not be a problem, but I thought I would ask, as before
every game I am going through the tray and shutting everything down!:p

2. Will your config work for any joystick, or is it specifically setup for
the sidewinder? When I was screwing with the Controls screens in BF2
I noticed when I tried to assign my POV Hat to Mouse Look, it was
assigning button numbers like 7, 8 etc... depending on which direction
I pressed the POV Hat. I always thought the POV hat was considered
one button. I didn't realize that each direction (8 in all) were EACH
considered one button.

3. And last for now, what the heck is "commo rose"? Is this something
I'm supposed to get for the old lady for Mother's day this weekend?
:shakehead ok bad joke..

This is going to be awesome if I can get it to work!! Do you know how
hard it is to hover, then reach to the board and press the mouselook
button, then take the hand off the stick, then use the mouse to
look around!! This to me was an obvious oversight by the developers.
I think maybe they figured everyone was going to fly these crafts half
assed with their keyboards?

Thanks for assisting my stupid a$$, I appreciate the help tons!!

[Talus]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

1. Very low mem usage. I certainly wouldn't use it if it was a hog or affected performance in any way. About 800k per instance.

2. My config will work for ANY joystick. I have mentioned which buttons do what but the trigger and POV hat should be the same for EVERY joystick. If you want to remap the extras like eject and view switching, then switch the settings for button 5 to something else. If you wanna move the commo rose key, switch the settings for button 8 to something else.

And yeah, the POV hat is actually considered as 8 buttons. But with this app, you don't have to change anything in the BF2 control setup screen. Just leave it as-is.

Let me know if you need any help.

But in short, this setup should work 'out of the box' for any joystick that is configured and working properly under Windows.

[imported_RingMasTeR]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Nice work Talus. Almost exactly the way I have mine set up... batch file and all, except I have em setup on a different path with a slightly different button layout for a logitech 3d pro. Do you mind if I post this guide in my clan's tips section, credited to you of course? :)

[Talus]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Yeah, no problem.

I only wish I was a programmer so that I could make an installer that would allow the user to install wherever they liked.

I tried to get ahold of the author of JoyToKey numerous times to ask him about stuff like that and he NEVER got back to me

[TheMshine]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Programmer to install the exe file, instead of cutting and pasting??

If so, I can handle that for you if you want? It is simple. You do not
need to be a programmer, you just need an application like
"Install Creator".

If you's like, I can throw something together for you, which will work
fine, in about 5min! All I would need from you is a few graphics for the
install app.

Now there is one question I still need answered:

What the heck is "Commo Rose?"

[maforduk]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Commo Rose is the Command Console that brings up all the options like:
Spotted, Ammo Needed, Need a Medic etc.
In other words BUTTON 'Q'.

[Talus]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Oh sorry..i thought you were joking about the commo rose question due to the mother's day joke at the end .. oops!

Yeah, it's the communication 'rose' because when you hold down 'Q' the radio command options appear as petals on a flower (that's my guess anyway )

Programmer to install the exe file, instead of cutting and pasting??

If so, I can handle that for you if you want? It is simple. You do not
need to be a programmer, you just need an application like
"Install Creator".

If you's like, I can throw something together for you, which will work
fine, in about 5min! All I would need from you is a few graphics for the
install app.[/COLOR][/B]

Please do!

If you don't and it really is that simple, I may give it a go myself!

[TheMshine]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Oh.. I think I see what you mean now.:hmm:

The problem isn't with the installation of the files, but the editing
of the shortcuts to the batch files so they will reflect where the
users actually put the exe's.

Well the first problem is that the application doesn't put any
actual detectable instances in the registry, which is where most
install apps and programmer use to look for install locations.

Let me think about this one for a bit, and see what I can do. I
might be able to come up with a solution for you.

[Talus]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Cool...no worries..just post back here if you have any luck!

[TheMshine]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Talus.. I have a question, now that I've got this
working.

I like the way the Copter's Pan rate is set up, is it
possible to get the Jet's to pan quicker?

The way the CFG is set up now, by the time the view
pans to the left or right, I've already passed the target.:|:

I tried moving around the different POV numbers, to see if
I could nail down which one was the faster setting, no joy.

[Talus]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

I really don't know of a way to set up the view panning to be different for helos vs jets. All you could do would be to change the mouse sensitivity to be higher for jets in the in-game control options menu under the Aircraft section.

Otherwise, you could increase the speed using the JoyToKey config but that would make it faster for both helos and jets.

[(-0-)Mr.Hyde]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

I have a question about how to get two instances of Joykey to work. I can't seem to download your .zip file and am trying to set it up manualy.

Thanks.

EDIT: Nevermind. It was in the .ini file

[Talus]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

right..forum attachments were all deleted recently..lemme re-add it.

EDIT: ALL FIXED

[Chow7]

Re: Joystick Hat Switch / POV Hat JoyToKey Tutorial

Figured it out. Thanks!