ThrustMapper

Do I need the ThrustMapper to play a game?

Fast track: How to set up a new game and create a new script file.

Other information

How to change how a joystick button is "seen" in a game.

What is the ThrustMapper?

Opening screen menu bar

Edit screen menu bar

File housekeeping

---------------------TM_WHEN.HTM--------------------------

Do I need the ThrustMapper to play a game?

You may not need to use the ThrustMapper at all. Games run under Windows 95 should support at least 4-button, 4-axis joystick as a default control. Connect the Millennium to your system, install the software and run the Activator software to tell Windows 95 that you will be using a Millennium. Then run the game. If the Millennium works in the game, you do not need to do anything else with that game.

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Please note: Acting as a "plain" 4-button, 4-axis joystick, the POV hat, and buttons S4 and S5 on the Millennium are not seen in games (the trigger and buttons S1-S3 are the default joystick buttons). Using the Millennium with DOS games requires that the games be run in a DOS window under Windows 95.

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To get the Millennium to act differently than a default joystick requires the ThrustMapper. The instructions for how the Millennium is to work with a particular game are kept in script files. You need to tell the ThrustMapper the game's name, and which script file to use with the game. <link>Tell me how to do this.

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Fast Track -- How to set up a new game and create a new script file.

This assigns keyboard-based game commands to buttons.

TBD--much of this would work best as a graphic card with numbered callouts.

Install the game software if you haven't done this already.

Find the game's reference card for the keyboard commands, or make up a list yourself from the game manual.

Run the ThrustMapper. In the opening screen, select New Game in the File menu. Enter the game name and directory path to the game when the dialog box appears. If you are not sure about the path, use the Browse button to find the game.

After adding the game's name to the ThrustMapper's game list, select New File from the File menu. The edit screen appears with default descriptions entered for all the controls on your Millennium.

Press on a button on the Millennium (the POV hat positions are also available). This selects a control for assignment and places the cursor in the Keystroke box at the bottom of the screen. Type a game command as you would in the game. Only a single game command is allowed, but you can enter any legal key combination. The software beeps a warning if it sees a keystroke it can't use. Keyboard keys that have no printed form are put in the Keystrokes box as labels (examples: SHF or AUXHOME).

Click on the Non-Repeat check-box if you want the command to be sent only once per button press (example: if the button is to Launch Missile in the game, you probably will want to launch only one missile at a time).

If you make a mistake, just click on the Clear button and re-enter the command.

Edit the text in the Description box for recording the game action assigned to the button. Example: Circle Left.

If you would rather have a button perform its default action in the game (like the Millennium's trigger as the trigger in the game), just click on the DirectInput radio button instead of the Keystrokes button. Click on the Default button if you accidentally change the number in the DirectInput box. You don't need to type anything in the keystrokes box. Press another button on the Millennium or click on the Add button to save the button assignment.

After you have entered commands for as many buttons as you wish to use in the game, Save and name the file. Print the game action assignments if you wish by selecting Print from the File menu.

Exit the ThrustMapper and check out how your controls are working in the game.

Now, go do some serious gaming! You don't need to deal with the ThrustMapper again unless you wish to change something. Software automatically partners the right script with the right game when you run the game.

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Changing how a joystick button is "seen" in a game.

Microsoft's DirectInput software under Windows 95 maps the joystick buttons to a game. In a default joystick setup, only DirectInput buttons B1 - B4 are used. When the Millennium is used as a default joystick:

Millennium trigger goes to DirectInput button B1

Millennium button S1 goes to DirectInput button B2

Millennium button S2 goes to DirectInput button B3

Millennium button S3 goes to DirectInput button B4

for DirectInput buttons B5 - B32, check the game documentation for support

Let's suppose that Button S2 is used to drop bombs and button S3 is used to fire a missile in the game, but you wish to swap them. DirectInput (and thus the game) "sees" Millennium button S2 normally as DirectInput button B3, and S3 normally as B4. To swap them, open the game file under the ThrustMapper. Press button S2 on the Millennium, click on the DirectInput radio button, then go the DirectInput box and change the number to 4. Now press button S3 on the Millennium, go to the DirectInput box and change the number to 3. Save the file. The button functions now should be reversed in the game. Be careful to assign only one button to each DirectInput location.

Note: You can remap buttons S4 and S5, and any of the POV hat positions to DirectInput buttons B1-B4.

You cannot have duplicate assignments going to a single DirectInput button.

As a default joystick, you can have a maximum of 4 Millennium buttons going to B1-B4. If the game supports a larger range of DirectInput buttons, up to 11 Millennium buttons (5 on the POV hat) are available for assignment to DirectInput button locations with the ThrustMapper.

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Adding and removing games and script files

If you wish to use your ThrustMaster control as more than a DirectInput game control, you will need to add the game's name to the ThrustMapper's list of games. This allows software to automatically recognize when the game is run, and set up the control for that particular game.

Note: You do not need to add the game if it directly supports joysticks through DirectInput under Windows. Windows deals with the game directly in this case. If you just need your control to act like a default joystick in the game, run the Activator software that was installed on your system, click on the Activate button and run the game. You only need to run the Activator only once, unless you install a different control and reset the joystick settings.

File housekeeping-----------------------------------

Viewing the script files available for each game

Game names are at the top-most level in the list and are always visible. Clicking on the "closed folder" symbol next to a name causes all the script files for that game to be displayed. Clicking on the "open folder" symbol next to a game name hides the script file names.

Selecting a single script file as the "active" file when many are available

The ThrustMapper assumes that the last open file is the one you wish to use with the game. A check-mark is placed next to the active script. Double-click on the desired file to open it, and then exit when the edit screen appears. If you

Changing the name of a script file

File names can be changed by selecting the file name in the game list and editing the text.

Changing a game's name

Game names can only be added or deleted (they cannot be changed).

Adding a script file from an outside source------------------------

TBD--Adding a pre-configured script file

TBD- how to get a list of pre-built games that have been installed.

TBD - how to install a buddy's STS file into the list

----------- Opening screen menu bar -------------------

Opening screen menu bar

- Print Setup and Exit perform as in any other Windows applications.

- New Game permits a new game name to be added.

- New File creates a new (blank) script file for recording game actions.

- Open an existing script file for viewing or editing.

- Delete removes a script or game from the list.

Help

Help Topics calls up the on-line manual. About calls up some general information on the ThrustMapper.

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File menu

- Open, Close, Save, Print Setup and Exit perform as in any other Windows applications.

- Delete removes a script or game from the list. You cannot delete an open script file, and you cannot delete the game associated with the open file.

- Print sends the current assignment graphic and any game setup information (stored in the associated script file) to the default Windows printer.

- A list of most recently opened files. TBD--click on a name to open the file?

Edit menu

Cut, Copy, Paste and Undo. These perform the same way as found in any other Windows application.

View menu

Show Keystrokes and Show Action Labels toggle. Switches between display of the keystroke assignments and display of the game action labels.

Show Actions List and Hide Actions List toggle. Calls up or hides the Actions List window.

Help

Help Topics calls up the on-line manual. About calls up some general information on the ThrustMapper.

----------------Editing game actions in a script file----------------------------------------

Game action list window

TBD -- if this'll be in or out, and final features if made available.

3) "Game actions" list window (shows a list of game actions (each with a checkbox to indicate if used by the control or not) and the keystroke sequence(s) associated with each of the game actions.