by AndersG » Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:19 pm
If it is a "normal" USB joystick (which I think it is) it should work fine with FlightGear. What you may need to do is adjust the binding/joystick configuration FlightGear uses for it.
FlightGear identifies the configuration file based on the name the joystick device reports via the operating system, matching this to one of the <name>-elements in the configuration file. It is not uncommon that different manufacturing batches of the same joystick model reports different names, and sometimes different joystick drivers (e.g. the one that comes with Windows v.s. one supplied with the joystick) causes the reported name to change. Hence, one very important thing to check is that exactly the right name is present in one of the <name>-elements in the joystick configuration file you want FlightGear to use. Failing to do this can easily lead you to edit in a file that FlightGear isn't using at all.
It is also worth noting that even if there is a file with a matching <name>-element shipped with FlightGear it might not yet be perfectly usable on your system. The numbering of the joystick axes (and buttons) can differ between operating systems and also between different manufacturing batches of the same joystick model (e.g. this applies to the Saitek / Mad Catz Av8tor joystick). So this is another thing to check.
js_demo.exe, if you can find it, is a decent way to get the raw information the operating system gives to FG. Use it to verify device name, axis numbering and ranges. It may need a really wide DOS/Command prompt window to display readable information (if you get scrolling line-broken numbers the window needs to be wider). With several devices attached, e.g. for my system with a Saitek Av8tor, throttles and pedals, a very wide window indeed is needed.
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