8-way hats

For system help, all hardware / software topics NOTE: use Coders Corner for all coders topics.

Moderators: Krom, Grendel

Post Reply
bobo
DBB Ace
DBB Ace
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 1:14 pm
Location: Dublin, GA, USA

8-way hats

Post by bobo »

I've held off for a long time now buying a new stick because of the 8-way hats. 4-way hats seem to be a much better fit to me in descent because you can map each of those four buttons to a function. However, with an 8-way hat, the diagonal directions become deadspots, and that was something that I could never get used to. I'm sure that lots of you folks are using the 8-way hats, but how are you mapping the diagonal buttons? The one stick I did have with an 8-way, I tried mapping my left diagonal positions to just slide left, and my right to slide right, but even then it just felt wierd. Any thoughts?
User avatar
fliptw
DBB DemiGod
DBB DemiGod
Posts: 6459
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 1998 2:01 am
Location: Calgary Alberta Canada

Post by fliptw »

map the 8-way hat the same way you map a 4-way hat.
User avatar
Top Gun
DBB Master
DBB Master
Posts: 8099
Joined: Wed Nov 13, 2002 3:01 am

Post by Top Gun »

I can't really see how you could complain about an 8-way hat if you use it to slide, considering that with only a 4-way, you'd be unable to do something as fundamental as trichording. (If you weren't aware, mapping your side controls to the four primary directions of an 8-way hat automatically enables the diagonal positions for sliding in two directions at once.) If you are using the hat for something other than sliding, then all I can really suggest is to get used to using the hat of whatever stick you buy.
User avatar
Grendel
3d Pro Master
3d Pro Master
Posts: 4390
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2002 3:01 am
Location: Corvallis OR, USA

Post by Grendel »

Physically there's no difference betw. a 4 way and an 8 way hat. Both have 4 switches. The difference is if the hardware is capable of passing the information that two switches are actuated at the same time. It's a limitation rooted in the IBM joystick interface. Check this for practical background.

As for downgrading an 8 way hat, just use the software provided w/ the stick to map the diagonal directions to nothing.
bobo
DBB Ace
DBB Ace
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 1:14 pm
Location: Dublin, GA, USA

Post by bobo »

Top Gun: I wasn't aware of that. It's just that with the 3 8-way hat sticks I've owned (Gravis Firebird 2, Gravis Blackhawk Digital, Logitech Wingman 3D), it hasn't worked that way, or at least I couldn't get it to work that way. All I would ever use the hat for in descent is sliding. Any suggestions for sticks that actually work this way?

Grendel: I was always under the impression that an 8-way hat had 8 switches instead of four, probably because the first one I tinkered with with a Firebird 2, which was in the early days of 8-way and seemed a bit odd. But if I do get another 8-way stick I'm sure it will be USB, and I assume the limitations of the gameport interface will not be a factor. As for mapping the diagonal positions to nothing, that presents a problem in descent because I have a tendency to hit those positions on accident when sliding left or right. And when that happens, I tend to die.
User avatar
Grendel
3d Pro Master
3d Pro Master
Posts: 4390
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2002 3:01 am
Location: Corvallis OR, USA

Re:

Post by Grendel »

bobo wrote:As for mapping the diagonal positions to nothing, that presents a problem in descent because I have a tendency to hit those positions on accident when sliding left or right. And when that happens, I tend to die.
Won't happen w/ a fully enabled 8 way hat :)
bobo
DBB Ace
DBB Ace
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 1:14 pm
Location: Dublin, GA, USA

Post by bobo »

Any recommendations on a joystick with an 8-way hat that works well with descent? Preferrably a USB stick.
User avatar
Dakatsu
DBB Admiral
DBB Admiral
Posts: 1575
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:22 am
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida

Post by Dakatsu »

I personally like my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. Has the 8-way hat, six buttons on the stick, and six on the base. It also has six buttons on the base of the joystick. Mine is old, so I have to recalibrate it like crazy, but a new one should be good.
User avatar
Top Gun
DBB Master
DBB Master
Posts: 8099
Joined: Wed Nov 13, 2002 3:01 am

Post by Top Gun »

I'm a big fan of the Saitek Cyborg Evo myself. Good button placement and a nice feel.
Post Reply