AutoHotKey Hat Switch Work-Around

[Sergeant Thorne]

For anyone willing to install the super-handy task automation application AutoHotKey, I have a temporary fix for the MS Sidewinder 3D Pro hat switch. This fix essentially remaps the 8-direction hat switch on your stick to your 4 arrow keys on the keyboard, turning the diagonals into arrow key combinations, and allowing the full range of sliding for folks who use their hat to slide. Worked great for me last night. I was finally able to fly well enough to give Challenge mode a go!

Fix Setup Instructions:
1) Download and install AutoHotKey
2) Download “Sidewinder_Hat_to_Keys.ahk” (right click link to “Save-As”)
3) Double-click on “Sidewinder_Hat_to_Keys.ahk” to start script running in the background (visible in the Notification Area at the right of your task bar while running)
4) Run OVERLOAD
5) In OVERLOAD Control Options, under Remap Joystick/Gamepad, un-map MOVE LEFT, MOVE RIGHT, MOVE UP, and MOVE DOWN, and map these commands in Remap Keyboard/Mouse to the appropriate arrow keys.

To exit the script at any time, press Alt+X

If you would like to map the hat switch to other keyboard keys, just edit the script with a plaint text editor (notepad will do), and change the key identifiers assigned to the variables “MOVEUP”, “MOVEDOWN”, “MOVELEFT”, and “MOVERIGHT” near the top of the file.

Enjoy!

[Sergeant Thorne]

It just occurred to me that I can replace step 1 & 2 with a compiled executable of the script, made by AutoHotKey. No need to install any software to use this one!

[Yoshimitsu]

Hey thanks Thorne! I myself don’t use the hat for sliding but this would work wonders for me in Descent: Underground where hat support is hopelessly broken, and in Sol Contingency where I have to use an Xinput wrapper which doesn’t have enough bindable controls for me.

I use my hat directions for missile select hotkeys in the original Descents and being able to do this in D:U and SolC will help a lot 🙂

Now I need to teach myself (or ask for help) how to do this for the hat on my Saitek Cyborg Graphite so that I can use its hat for cannon select…

[CDN_Merlin]

Are you telling me the hat only words in 4 directions and using this makes it work in 8?

[Author]

Posts