12 replies to this topic

[Wintersdark]

So, I snagged three of these on Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca...2290_TE_3p_dp_1

On my bathroom counter (because night, movies, random sleeping children and need of good light):


There's lots of versions, all of which are basically the same hardware. The come in plastic, metal, and 1 and 3 pedal versions. In all cases, you can use multiple devices connected simultaneously. They cost roughly $8 each (and $24 for 3 pedal version) - I went with three individual pedals so I could place them how I like. The three cost me roughly $30 shipped.

I'm using them for a variety of tasks, including overriding shutdown, hold-to-armlock, jump jets, freelook, extra weapon groups, chainfire toggle, and lots of other stuff - all those functions that are kind of annoying to use while your fingers are all wrapped up in piloting.

They're tons of fun to play with, and dirt cheap. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for extra controls that don't tax your already very busy hands/fingers.

[evilC]

I use a joypad on the floor.
The two analog sticks on a joypad click in, and you can feel them with your foot (With no shoes on).

For MWO, best to use non-xbox pads tho, as xbox pads have hard-wired functionality in MWO.

I use mine for Push To Talk.

These do look pretty good though, and the price is very attractive. May just pick one up so I don't have to take my shoes off to play MWO

[Brut4ce]

Damn!!!! I 'm doing automation and production machinery and have been using such foot switches for various applications, but never occured to me that they might be available in a PC/USB compatible form (*Bangs head on desk*)!. They are pretty ergonomic to use, and an excellent addition to customising control schemes! (* Takes out wallet and rushes to buy some*)! Thanks for that thread Winterdark! U just made me a happy panda!

<S>

[TercieI]

LOL. I have the exact same one and haven't gotten used to it yet, but if I do, will probably pick up a Stinkyboard 'round Christmastime.

[Nik Reaper]

So the general idea is to use a joystick instead of mouse movement, pedals for left/right and one accel/deaccel lever , like the pilot model in the cockpit?

How does that actually work out? Several players I spectated that said they used a joystick were not quite as good as mouse/keybord users... but might be fun to try even if not as high performance ... now just need a multy monitor sim pit for sale .

[Dino Might]

Great idea - I might pick some up. I think it would be more difficult to use than a mouse, but you could get some awesome immersion if you ran the following setup:

Joystick left hand to control leg movement (fwd, back, turn left, turn right). Joystick right hand with buttons for every weapon grouping - this joystick controls the arms. Two foot pedals (like rudder pedals), to control left/right torso twist. Would be pretty difficult, and not as precise as mouse, but a heck of a lot of fun. Would definitely feel more like a stompy robot instead of a twitchy floating thing.

Edited by Dino Might, 09 September 2014 - 09:48 AM.

[Tarogato]

This is only slightly related, but I play on a laptop with a trackpoint/clitmouse, and I find it offers a lot of advantages. Since both hands can be on my keyboard at all times, I'm a lot more efficient. My thumbs left click and right click, my right pinky finger controls group 3 and 4 and chainfire, and buttons like lance chat, override, shut down, vision modes, are all right under my fingers. I put target overlay to 'I' and cool shot to 'Q'. I can also use chat very efficiently, even while moving in a 153kph Jenner. It's pretty great. Oh, and my aim can be very steady because of how the trackpoint physically works on pressure. =]

It's a fun alternative.

[Brut4ce]

Nik Reaper, on 09 September 2014 - 09:03 AM, said:

So the general idea is to use a joystick instead of mouse movement, pedals for left/right and one accel/deaccel lever , like the pilot model in the cockpit?

How does that actually work out? Several players I spectated that said they used a joystick were not quite as good as mouse/keybord users... but might be fun to try even if not as high performance ... now just need a multy monitor sim pit for sale .

Not really Nik. Joystick/ thruster control in mwo is definetely at a disadvantage compared to a good mouse/keyb. setup. Wintersdark has been using them to facilitate key commands in order to free up some load from the hands' mouse/keyb. inputs and thus achieve faster responce on certain tasks. I just ordered 3 my self to try them out

<S>

[Wintersdark]

Brut4ce, on 09 September 2014 - 08:41 AM, said:

Damn!!!! I 'm doing automation and production machinery and have been using such foot switches for various applications, but never occured to me that they might be available in a PC/USB compatible form (*Bangs head on desk*)!. They are pretty ergonomic to use, and an excellent addition to customising control schemes! (* Takes out wallet and rushes to buy some*)! Thanks for that thread Winterdark! U just made me a happy panda!

<S>

This is actually what made me thing about it. I work on production machinery myself, and (in addition to all manner of other controls) foot controls are very common. I'd originally set out to make some myself with an Arduino and some old hardware from work, but then I stopped and googled USB foot switch, just to make sure I wasn't doing a lot more work than I needed to.

When I saw they were ~$8 each... well. Couldn't say no.

Dino Might, on 09 September 2014 - 09:47 AM, said:

Great idea - I might pick some up. I think it would be more difficult to use than a mouse, but you could get some awesome immersion if you ran the following setup:

Joystick left hand to control leg movement (fwd, back, turn left, turn right). Joystick right hand with buttons for every weapon grouping - this joystick controls the arms. Two foot pedals (like rudder pedals), to control left/right torso twist. Would be pretty difficult, and not as precise as mouse, but a heck of a lot of fun. Would definitely feel more like a stompy robot instead of a twitchy floating thing.

You can get the best of both worlds.

Use a throttle control in your left hand, one with rudder controls (typically two large buttons), use those to turn, normal throttle for throttle, and extra buttons for extra controls; mouse in the RH. You can't beat a mouse given how MWO works for efficiency and accuracy, though I absolutely get why some people use joysticks.

The foot pedals still work well to get good handsfeet on extra controls, though.

You could turn with the foot pedals too, every bit as accurately as the keyboard, but... I dunno. I think that'd be weird for me.

[Wintersdark]

Brut4ce, on 09 September 2014 - 10:42 AM, said:

Not really Nik. Joystick/ thruster control in mwo is definetely at a disadvantage compared to a good mouse/keyb. setup. Wintersdark has been using them to facilitate key commands in order to free up some load from the hands' mouse/keyb. inputs and thus achieve faster responce on certain tasks. I just ordered 3 my self to try them out

<S>

I've actually modded mine. They are VERY easy to take apart (and don't fly apart like some spring loaded things do), you remove a single screw in the base that holds the hinge pin in place, then push the hinge pin out with a screwdriver. These switches work by pushing a flat piece of plastic through a gap between an IR LED and sensor - break the light beam, activate the switch. I extended that piece of plastic by about ~4mm with a fold of duct tape (there's TONS of room in there, the sensors are about 15mm apart) so the switches would actuate with less movement.

I found the design required the foot pedals to be *fully* pressed to work, and that was annoying when I wanted to tap them quickly. A little bit of tape and they work with just a little movement. Wonderful


A pro tip when you get them:

The software that comes with them is sort of in chinglish, but it works fine. You have to only have one pedal plugged in at a time to configure them, though - the software doesn't have an option to pick which pedal you're configuring. Once configured, though, they work on any USB equipped device (don't require device drivers or anything else - they're standard HID devices.)

[Wintersdark]

Ok. So, I modded my last pedal to work on a short throw, and snapped some pics while I was at it. They're here, in the MWO G+ community: https://plus.google....sts/8JRY3RFDfMu

[evilC]

Hmm, interesting.

How big is the throw normally? If converted to analog, would the throw be long enough to get any meaningful range?

Looks to me like analog conversion would be easy with something like a Bodnar board and a hall sensor.

[Risen]

Bought a 3 pedal type some time ago.

I use it for TAG or cool shots sometimes.
LRMs or streaks fit there aswell.

nice little gimmick