Software Orbiter keymap

[Entity7]

Hi

I am trying to redefine some keys mapped in order to use the 'inverted T arrows' on my keyboard. Looking at the available docs and examples I have figured out the other keys and even how to use my joystick buttons (thanks for the wealth of information). I havent however been able to figure out how to define the inverted keys to use them for RCS control input. Ive tried UP, Down, Left Arrow, Leftarrow, etc without success. Im trying to free up some of the num pad keys for other functions and wish to use the directional arrows for RCS Forward, Back, Left, & Right. I have the right cfg lines that need to be changed but cant figure out what these keys should be called. The lines im trying to define in the 2010 & 2006 keymap.cfg are...

RCSUp = NUMPAD2
RCSDown = NUMPAD8
RCSLeft = NUMPAD1 < (Left Arrow)
RCSRight = NUMPAD3 < (Right Arrow)
RCSForward = NUMPAD6 < (Up Arrow)
RCSBack = NUMPAD9 < (Down Arrow)

Any help is appreciated.

 

[orb]

What are 'inverted T arrows' on a keyboard?

Standard arrow keys are defined as LEFT, RIGHT, UP, DOWN.

 

[Entity7]

Inverted T Keys

The Inverted T keys are those that are found on most current keyboards. They are called Inverted T because of the usual position they form on most Keyboards (Laptops can be somewhat different). On many they are located between the Alphanumeric QWERTY keyboard and the Number keypad and form an inverted T. The letters below are my attempt to diagram them in ascii. Note the periods are just to move the U so it appears properly in the diagram.

L = Left, D = Down, R = Right, U = UP

..U
L D R

Hope that shows properly. Anyway I would like to use them for reaction control but cannot find what label to put for them in the joy2kbd or my cyborg joystick editor. Ife tried LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP without success. Note these are the standalone arrow keys not the ones you use by toggling the numlock key.

Thanks

 

[orb]

The Inverted T keys are those that are found on most current keyboards. They are called Inverted T because of the usual position they form on most Keyboards (Laptops can be somewhat different). On many they are located between the Alphanumeric QWERTY keyboard and the Number keypad and form an inverted T.

Well, in my dictionary they are called standard arrows, and the other are numpad arrows. And I thought you have a keyboard with arrows having a different ("T" instead of "↑") shape.

Anyways, they are named LEFT, RIGHT, UP, DOWN, and I checked that they work as intended.

Did you try to use them in RCS translation mode (RCSLeft, RCSRight, RCSForward, RCSBack mappings are for translation only)?

Did you use them in 2D panel mode (standard mapping of them for navigating through the 2D panel can conflict with your setting)?

EDIT: And one more question. - Did you actually change in the keymap.cfg those keys to:

RCSLeft = LEFT
RCSRight = RIGHT
RCSForward = UP
RCSBack = DOWN

Or did you only try it in the joy2kbd / cyborg joystick keyboard mapper?

 

[Ripley]

The Inverted T keys are those that are found on most current keyboards....

Really, I never ever heard of the "arrow keys" being called that way...

 

[theoriginalchill]

They do look like a little upside down T, but yeah I've always heard them called standard arrows. Hmmm never thought of them as a inverted T until now lol.

 

[Entity7]

Arrow Keys

I tried to define them in the orbiter.cfg file with the definitions as listed below...

RCSUp = NUMPAD2
RCSDown = NUMPAD8
RCSLeft = LEFT
RCSRight = RIGHT
RCSForward = UP
RCSBack = DOWN

Alas with no effect. The arrow keys on the number pad seem to use those definitions as they do work but not the inverted t keys. Might be another location that is interfering as when I define them as above and try to use them nothing happens. I can define them to use any of the other keys provided they are not also used elsewhere with no problem. The arrow keys are non functional either default settings or UP DOWN etc. Ive also tried down, Down, DOWN again no success. The only def changes made were for the cfg lines listed above for RCS and did make sure RCS control is enabled. Until I get them working Im only using the actual keys on the keyboard. Once they are working it shouldnt be much to define joy2kbd or in my case using the EVO button to keyboard configuration. If you ask me I think the 'probe' is secretly redefining them when Im not looking. (Unfortunately I am not authorized to speak publicly about the the probe and officially disavow any knowledge of it existence)

 

[orb]

Are 2D panels of vessels moving when you use the standard (T) arrows?

Are standard (T) arrows rotating camera in (unlocked) ground camera view for you?

If so, then use the same key names as from the keymap.cfg for:

PanelShiftLeft
PanelShiftRight
PanelShiftUp
PanelShiftDown

or:

GroundCamTiltLeft
GroundCamTiltRight
GroundCamTiltUp
GroundCamTiltDown

If not, then something is wrong in your system.

Are you using a standard keyboard?

What is your operating system?

I tried to define them in the orbiter.cfg file with the definitions as listed below...

You don't define them in orbiter.cfg, but in keymap.cfg. A typo, or have you really added them to orbiter.cfg?

 

[Entity7]

keymap.cfg

Oops I meant keymap.cfg.

to answer your questions...

Panel shift def are...
PanelShiftLeft = LEFT
PanelShiftRight = RIGHT
PanelShiftUp = UP
PanelShiftDown = DOWN

Yes 2d panels move...

Cam def are...
GroundCamTiltLeft = LEFT
GroundCamTiltRight = RIGHT
GroundCamTiltUp = UP
GroundCamTiltDown = DOWN

No, Camera does not move (works using mouse (actually MS Explorer Trackball))

Yes the def are actually changed. The defs above are pasted from the keyboard.cfg file. Also the keys do not work regardless of RCS being in triangulation or translation...

Op sys is Win XP sv pack 3 Wish orbiter worked in Linux <sigh>

Orbiter 2010 P1

Keyboard is standard USB

 

[orb]

I can't reproduce your issue, neither with a ps2 keyboard attached to desktop PC, nor with a USB keyboard attached to my laptop. I checked it with DeltaGlider and ShuttlePB, by using RCS linear mode and with LEFT, RIGHT, UP, DOWN keys. The standard "inverted T" arrow keys do work for me and the RCS thrusters are firing (only in linear mode) - the relative position to other object/vessel is changing for a ShuttlePB, and additionally, there are visuals for a DeltaGlider.


BTW, the camera shouldn't move, it should rotate when in ground mode, but it needs to be unlocked first:

​

 

[Entity7]

so now it works!!

Hmm didnt change anything since my last post but now the arrow keys do work. Between then and now I have shut down the pc then restarted it and everything is fine. Cept I now want to redefine the instrument panel so it dosent move at the same time im using the arrow keys for movement. Thats no problem except the keys I want to use are define for other things so im now going through and redefining most of the other keys, then redefine those conflicts and so on. Sigh what happened to the simple single stick controls of the ole WW1 biplanes lol. Guess its time to get a thought processing helmet like Clint had in the movie Firefox.

Thanks for the help, maybe rebooting the computer fixed it or could have been that sledge hammer I wacked it with....

 

[Entity7]

doh!

I think in trying to solve the keymap issue I overlooked simple solutions for something more complex. I discovered in my install there are actually 2 different keymap cfg files. One is in the root orbiter install and another is in the cfg sub folder. I had been editing the one in the sub folder and apparently that one isnt used which makes me wonder why it is there in the first place. Anyway I searched for all cfg files and then noticed the root directly one and edited it and that was what solved the definition problem. Seems that most of the cfg files are mirrored in the cfg sub-directory but dont seem to be used for anything. hmmmm.

 

[orb]

Seems that most of the cfg files are mirrored in the cfg sub-directory but dont seem to be used for anything. hmmmm.

Nope. The main configuration files aren't mirrored normally in the Config subfolder of Orbiter. If there was a copy, it was copied there not by Orbiter, but by some other program.

There could be mirrored files in "\Users\<your user>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files" folder, if your system was Windows Vista/7, and you installed Orbiter in Program Files.