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TSH V4 Tips

TSH v4 Tips

Tips for Cougar Users

The Cougar is a single controller that can have up to 10 analogue axes (if rudder pedals with toebrakes are used).

  • Stick X
  • Stick Y
  • Throttle
  • Rudder
  • Antenna rotary
  • Range rotary
  • Left toebrake
  • Right toebrake
  • Microstick X
  • Microstick Y

However, TSH v4 only recognizes 6 analogue axes. While this is more than the 4 axes supported by an unmodified version of Jane’s F-18, the Cougar still has more than 6 analogue axes. Because of this, the best way to use the Cougar is to place the analogue radar antenna elevation & FLIR controls on the Antenna rotary while leaving the microstick in digital mode (no analogue axis control) and using it to control the TDC. This leaves the Range rotary free for some other digital axis control (such as radar range, HUD color cycle, etc.), or for rudder control if you do not have pedals.

If you have a second joystick, you may wish to use it for analogue control of the TDC. Note that if you wish to continue using your existing Cougar files without modification, that is entirely possible with TSH v4. However, you should at least consider putting analogue radar antenna control on a rotary; it works far better than any other method of antenna control that has been implemented for the Cougar.

For users with only a Cougar, the recommended TSH v3(4) Manager settings are shown below:

  • Activate Buttons on 2nd controller: UNCHECKED
  • use NONE instead of Z1 (Throttle)
  • use NONE instead of R1 (Rudder)
  • Use TDC_KEY: UNCHECKED
  • TDC Axes Left/Right: NONE
  • TDC Axes Up/Down: NONE
  • DEADZONE AXES: UNCHECKED
  • Antenna Axis: V1, Antenna Reverse CHECKED, FLIR Reverse CHECKED
  1. Move to the Test Controllers tab of the TSH Manager, use the USBID dropdown to select different joystick IDs, and identify the ID of the Cougar by moving axes on the Cougar. If the ID is not 1, return to the Controller(s) Settings tab, check the Force USB ID in game box, and select the identified ID of the Cougar in the USB ID1 dropdown.
  2. Adjust options on the Other Settings tab as desired. Press the Save Settings button.
  3. In your Cougar joystick file, the lines to control the TDC with the microstick are:
    • MIX 2 3 TDC_down ^ TDC_up
    • MIY 2 3 TDC_right ^ TDC_left
  4. In F18addon.ini, insert the line ANTEN_LIMIT=100. Then use a curve of -6 on the Antenna rotary; this allows full radar antenna motion while creating a flatter spot near the center of the axis for finer control of the antenna in this critical range. The line in Foxy to create the curve is USE CURVE (ANT, -6) or the curve can be stored in a joystick profile using the Cougar Control Panel.
  5. Use the antenna rotary to control FLIR contrast when S3 (shift button) is out and FLIR brightness when S3 is in. The line in Foxy is
    • BTN S3 /P CONT_BRT /R CONT_BRT

The macros TDC_left, TDC_right, TDC_up, TDC_down, and CONT_BRT must be defined in the Foxy macro file and appropriate keystrokes must be assigned in the sim. If the steps above are carried out, the Cougar’s antenna rotary will control the radar elevation + FLIR contrast/brightness, and the Cougar’s microstick will control the TDC. If you have pedals, they will control the rudder, and if not the Cougar’s range knob will control the rudder, as usual.

A complete Cougar file set prepared for TSH v4, including profile, joystick file, macro file, F18keys.ini file, and graphical layout, and are available for download. Procedures for downloading and using these files are as follows, which encompasses everything described above:

  1. Download the TSH v4 Cougar fileset here.
  2. Place the JF18-TSHv3.tmc file (the profile) in the /HOTAS/Profiles folder (default location C:/My Documents/HOTAS/Profiles). This profile contains the following axis settings to facilitate ease of use with TSHv3 and to mimic F-18E flight characteristics:
    • X and Y axes: Upper & Lower DZs 25%, Center DZ 4%, Trim 0, Curve 5
    • Microstick X and Y axes: Upper & Lower DZs 10%, Center DZ 30%, Trim 0, Curve 0
    • Throttle: Upper & Lower DZs 5%, Center DZ 0%, Trim 0, Curve 0
    • Antenna axis: Upper & Lower DZs 5%, Center DZ 7%, Trim 0, Curve -6
    • Range axis: Upper & Lower DZs 5%, Center DZ 7%, Trim 0, Curve 0
    • Rudder: Upper & Lower DZs 5%, Center DZ 7%, Trim 0, Curve 0

    Note that the X and Y axis settings are designed to be paired with the following stick settings in-game:

    • Pitch (deadband 1:  12 23 36 48 60 72 84 96 100
    • Roll (deadband 2):  12 23 36 48 60 72 84 96 100
    • Yaw (deadband 30):  3 9 15 21 33 45 57 69 90
  3. Place the JF18-TSHv3.tmj and JF18-TSHv3.tmm files (the joystick and macro files) in a location of your choice (standard location C:/Program Files/Foxy/Files).
  4. Open the F18keys-TSHv3.ini file. Highlight the entire contents and press CTRL+C. Open the F18keys.ini file in your Jane’s F/A-18 main folder (default location C:/Program Files/Jane’s Combat Simulations/FA-18) and paste the copied contents at the end of the file by pressing CTRL+V.
  5. Open Foxy and open the JF18-TSHv3.tmj file. Compile and download this file (press F12).
  6. Run the TSHv3 Manager and select the recommended settings, reprinted below:
    • Activate Buttons on 2nd controller: UNCHECKED
    • Use NONE instead of Z1 (Throttle)
    • Use NONE instead of R1 (Rudder)
    • Use TDC_KEY: UNCHECKED
    • TDC Axes Left/Right: NONE
    • TDC Axes Up/Down: NONE
    • DEADZONE AXES: UNCHECKED
    • Antenna Axis: V1, Antenna Reverse CHECKED, FLIR Reverse CHECKED
  7. Start the sim and click on OPTIONS > CONTROLS. Select the Cougar TSHv3 keyboard map and press BACK twice.
  8. Start a mission and ensure that the microstick controls the TDC and the Antenna rotary controls the radar antenna or FLIR.
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