[Syrius]

Hi Artist,

I'm using the X52Pro HOTAS, and the Saitek profile software allows quite complex programming of macros for the joystick/HOTAS buttons; I use those macros for other functions, like continuous zoom in/out and others. I also tried to use a macro for the radiator settings long time ago, but there is a particular problem with the radiator control for different planes. A few plane types, like the the late Spitfires, simply don't have manual control of radiator, the radiator is always automatic in these planes, so they are of no concern here. But most aicraft types fall in one of the following two categories:

- Planes with automatic radiator setting: the radiator key (I use 'R' as well) cycles through
Closed/Auto (default position at start) -> Closed -> 2 -> 4 -> 6 -> 8 -> Open -> Closed/Auto, etc. That makes 7 different positions and then repeat.

- Planes with no automatic radiator setting: the radiator key cycles through
Closed (default position at start) -> 2 -> 4 -> 6 -> 8 -> Open -> Closed, etc. That makes 6 different positions and then repeat.

In other words, Closed/Auto is an additional position that only some planes have. One group of planes have an even number of radiator steps, the other has an odd number of steps. Some aircraft types (for instance Fw190, Yak and possibly others) go from one group to the other as they evolve throughout the years and models. As an example, the macro for 'RadiatorClose' you showed in your post, with 5 key presses of 'R', will work as intended in the FW190-A types (no Auto/Close setting), but won't work well in the FW190-D9 which does have an Auto/Close setting. Same thing happens when going from an early Yak to the Yak3P or when switching from P51 (has auto) to a Zero (no auto) in the next sortie or mission and then to a Bf109 (has auto) in the next. One macro does not rule them all!

Of course, one could use two different macros for decreasing radiator setting in planes with/without auto radiator, but that would still make things complicated. If it is at all possible (programming-wise) for the developers to add the two incremental keys as explained in the first post, that would be a much simpler solution that would work in all cases.

Cheers,
S.

Originally Posted by Artist

I use Autohotkey for all key-mappings and I solved that for myself in the following way:

In IL-2 I mapped the 'r' to the radiator, so pressing 'r' repeatedly will cycle radiator through 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 0...

In Autohotkey I defined the following two functions:

MapCommand_RadiatorOpen:
    Send r
    return
MapCommand_RadiatorClose:
    Send rrrrr
    return

and map two keys or buttons to them respectively:

Hotkey, %iIdSelfMade1%Joy32, MapCommand_RadiatorOpen, On
Hotkey, %iIdSelfMade1%Joy17, MapCommand_RadiatorClose, On

Now one key/botton will open the radiator by one step and the other will close the radiator by one step.

Not perfect, but useful.

Artist