F1 2012 G27 button/shifter assignment

[Craig Richards]

Hi folks,

Just been playing the demo and found that changing brake bias can help laptime and shorten braking distance.

Now trying to work out how to set the buttons up so i can change brake bias quickly throughout the lap.

So far on the g27 wheel i've got
top left - Kers
top right - DRS
left middle - right d pad option
right middle - up d pad
bottom left - rear view
bottom right - down d pad

Anyone stumbled across a better solution?

 

[Ljubisa_frizer]

top left - Kers
top right - DRS
left middle - menu up
right middle - menu right
left bottom - menu left
right bottom - car status ( you can use for rear view, or you can use clutch pedal for rear view)
I think that is less confusing with my button configuration ( try it) for menu change whille driving
on the shifter:
left red - rear view
second from left to right red - replay
third from left to right red - pause (start)
forth from left to right red - change view

D pad left - menu left ( You need that only for raining or intermediate tires, and you do that when you are in pits, and can remove right hand from wheel)

And how does brake bias shortens brake distance. If its not too hard to explain how does front, neutral and rear brake bians influence brake distance, brake lock and car handling? Thanx in advance

 

[John Robertson]

And how does brake bias shortens brake distance. If its not too hard to explain how does front, neutral and rear brake bians influence brake distance, brake lock and car handling? Thanx in advance

Brake bias forward: Shortest stopping distance, but car wants to stay straight while braking
Brake bias neutral: somewhere in the middle
Brake bias rear: Longest stopping distance, but car can turn under braking.

More in depth: Braking causes the car to pitch forward, which reduces grip at the rear of the car, and increases grip at the front.

If you are traveling in a straight line you want to set the bias far enough forward so that all 4 tires lock up at the exact same time for optimum stopping power. If the fronts lock up before the rears, your rear brakes aren't strong enough, and vice versa.

If you are cornering and braking you want to set the bias more toward the center so that your front wheels don't lock up, they are already heavily strained by the cornering forces and if they lock up you'll just understeer off the track. keep in mind that your front tires steer, and your rear tires drive.

Locking up the rear tires is just bad news and usually causes your car to spin out. This is because once the rears are locked they want to keep going in the same direction, while your front end is still gripping and slowing.

This is a relatively simple explanation

back on topic: I'd love someone to figure out a way to assign macros to the g27 shifter positions. Would love to have 1st gear = front bias, Neutral = neutral bias, and 2nd gear = rear bias. That would feel more like manipulating a brake lever than pressing d-pad buttons.

The macros themselves are easy enough to do, in 2011 I had 1 button that rotated between fuel mixes on the wheel and 2 red shifter buttons for dry tires and wet tires.

I just don't know how to make the profiler recognize the shifter positions as buttons.

 

[Craig Richards]

Never thought of assigning a pedal for rear view, good idea!

I too had thought the ultimate would be to use gears as brake bias but thought this would be impossible especially as I'm on ps3.

 

[Graham Laing]

@John

Referring to the G27 gear stick. I was thinking about this same thing the other day.

It would appear that the game just does not cater for that input, not that it can't, just that they didn't deem it necessary, so didn't include it as a mappable input. Even when I used to use a DFGT there were some buttons that were just not recognised as being pressed in the game.

So we come to rely on the Logitech Profiler, and the problem with that is that it hasn't been updated for 2 years now. It just doesn't recognise the stick, and that is quite ridiculous.

If you go to your control panel > devices & printers > select your controller and test it. It clearly shows the gear stick operating though all 6 gears. So Windows has no problem with it.

I haven't a clue how we could harness that stick. perhaps it can be done via some XPadder type software. I must do some research .....

 

[Graham Laing]

Whoops, I was wrong about the game not using the gear stick as a mappable input.

After I actually found a bit of software that will allow you to map a controller's output to keyboard (and other functions). Search google for ControlMK.

I just happened to start the demo and try the gearbox, and it worked without the software.

So for example I have just re-mapped the 'LOOK BACK' function, and all I have to do is pull back on the stick (4th gear).

This a ok for single key presses, but no good for macros or cycling commands, because the gearbox isn't mapped in the Logitech profiler.

This makes me think, that if I find my F1 2012 logitech profile save, can I edit it by hand, now I know the button number of each of the 6 gear positions?

Thinking that if I map a series of commands to simulate the DPAD, like I did for F1 2011's fuel setting, assign them to an EXISTING button in the profiler, and then edit the config file and change the button number manually ...... MMmmmm .....

Time to find that file .....

 

[Ljubisa_frizer]

Never thought of assigning a pedal for rear view, good idea!

I too had thought the ultimate would be to use gears as brake bias but thought this would be impossible especially as I'm on ps3.

Me too are on ps3. Did you try my maping for menu up and down on the left side buttons and menu right on midlle right?

 

[Craig Richards]

Haven't had chance to play tonight but will certainly give it a go along with the pedal idea.

Although I have to admit to left foot braking with the clutch recently so it will be the brake pedal for rear view.

As for gnu uk you making me feel the urge to go back to pc gaming! This could prove expensive for me!

 

[John Robertson]

Whoops, I was wrong about the game not using the gear stick as a mappable input.

After I actually found a bit of software that will allow you to map a controller's output to keyboard (and other functions). Search google for ControlMK.

I just happened to start the demo and try the gearbox, and it worked without the software.

So for example I have just re-mapped the 'LOOK BACK' function, and all I have to do is pull back on the stick (4th gear).

This a ok for single key presses, but no good for macros or cycling commands, because the gearbox isn't mapped in the Logitech profiler.

This makes me think, that if I find my F1 2012 logitech profile save, can I edit it by hand, now I know the button number of each of the 6 gear positions?

Thinking that if I map a series of commands to simulate the DPAD, like I did for F1 2011's fuel setting, assign them to an EXISTING button in the profiler, and then edit the config file and change the button number manually ...... MMmmmm .....

Time to find that file .....

You mean edit the f1 2012 g27 config file so that 'button: gear stick 1st gear'* actually reads as 'dpad down' sort of thing??

*just using that as an example, don't know the button names and hierarchy of the file.

If that's what you mean then I still don't see how macros could be assigned through the profiler, since that is what is in charge of macros. Or were you talking about using xpadder or controlmk for macros? If you use one of those I don't see the point in renaming the buttons in the config...

 

[Graham Laing]

T

Haven't had chance to play tonight but will certainly give it a go along with the pedal idea.

Although I have to admit to left foot braking with the clutch recently so it will be the brake pedal for rear view.

As for gnu uk you making me feel the urge to go back to pc gaming! This could prove expensive for me!

lol ..... I am so close too.

Found the file, edited it, but when I start the profiler it get overwritten with original button assignments ..... grrrrr

So where are those original setting stored? I can't find them in the registry.

The search continues ......

 

[John Robertson]

T

lol ..... I am so close too.

Found the file, edited it, but when I start the profiler it get overwritten with original button assignments ..... grrrrr

So where are those original setting stored? I can't find them in the registry.

The search continues ......

Oh are you adding in the shifter buttons as buttons in the profiler somehow?

That shouldn't be all that hard to do I wouldn't think, just a matter of adding calls to the buttons and changing the UI in the profiler. It's above my head but I've heard of things like that happening before.

Seems like a lot of work though.

 

[Graham Laing]

You mean edit the f1 2012 g27 config file so that 'button: gear stick 1st gear'* actually reads as 'dpad down' sort of thing??

*just using that as an example, don't know the button names and hierarchy of the file.

If that's what you mean then I still don't see how macros could be assigned through the profiler, since that is what is in charge of macros. Or were you talking about using xpadder or controlmk for macros? If you use one of those I don't see the point in renaming the buttons in the config...

It's getting above my head too John

I am nearly at my limit .....

The 6 buttons that are the 6 gears on the stick are usable in game to remap one key for each button if you want. So I know that the game recognises the stick if you use it.

But .... and it's a big but, those 6 buttons are NOT available in the Logitech Profiler software, so you cannot assign a macro, command, or keystroke to those buttons.

So, just as an example. Let's say I assign a series of keystokes which represent Rear Bias on the brakes. This is DPAD down DPAD down DPAD down. The DPAD is difficult to get to work via the profiler, at least is was in F1 2011, you could program it in the profiler, but it was dodgy in game. So in the game I remap DPAD down to the keyboard down key (arrow), and the same of the rest of the DPAD, up arrow, left arrow, right arrow.

I am using this method now in for the brakes in F1 2012 using keystroke commands. So my keystroke command now sends down key, down key, down key when I press a button on my controller. In F1 2011 I used this method to change the fuel settings, so that the fuel was on my wheel, and not on the DPAD on the gearbox

Now let's say button 10 is the gear shift 1st gear position, 2nd gear is button 11 etc. Unfortunately Logitech did not put buttons 10, 11 or the other 4 in the interface.

What I was hoping to try, is assign that keystroke command to any button, button 22 for example, and it will work just fine. However, now that whole keystroke sequence is programmed to button 22, what would happen if I edit the logitech config file, and find the sequence associated with button 22, and change it to button 10 (the button I have no access to in the software). Will that keystroke command now operate when I use button 10, i,e 1st gear?

I have found the file and edited it, but when I start the profiler the config re-writes itself with the original values. I just need to work out why, and where it's getting it's original values from .....

So essentially, I am trying find out if the shifter buttons can be mapped manually in the profiler config file, even though the profiler does not give you access to those buttons in it's interface

Really Logitech need to update the frigging profiler after 2 years of nothing .... so that all buttons are available for programming, no matter what they are normally used for. After all, Windows sees those buttons ok, and so does the game, but not the profiler.

 

[John Robertson]

Really Logitech need to update the frigging profiler after 2 years of nothing .... so that all buttons are available for programming, no matter what they are normally used for. After all, Windows sees those buttons ok, and so does the game, but not the profiler.

Yes absolutely.

And I set up my profiler for 2011 in much the same way as you it seems xD, rather than using the arrow keys I used wasd tho.

I'm going to mess with xpadder and see where that gets me.

 

[Graham Laing]

I looked at that, but it doesn't really seem to do what I want, it's more of a Keyboard to Game pad sort of program. Good for putting keyboard games onto your game pad, the WSAD in driving games I have used it for in the past. Need for Speed World comes to mind, a long time ago ....

Good luck

 

[John Robertson]

I just programmed a simple macro in xpadder:

1st gear performs "d,s,w,a" which I will assign to quick menu right, down, up, left.

In theory this will select front brake bias and exit the menu quickly. I'm hoping not to run into any issues with compatibility...since the shifter buttons are unassigned by default in the game. Should mean that my G27 works as it should in game just the shifters perform that macro.

Just did a quick test and this method works.

selecting 1st gear acts as "button 9" in xpadder and performs the macro "d,s,w,a" which then selects front brake bias in the game. (since quick menu functions are remapped via the options menu)

selecting 3rd gear acts as "button 11" in xpadder and performs "d,s,d,a" that selects neutral bias
selecting 5th gear acts as "button 13" in xpadder and performs "d,s,s,a" that selects rear bias

The "a" for quick menu left is not useful though and doesn't exit the menu any quicker. Sort of a pain to be honest, since the macro gets messed up if you hit 1st gear then quickly change to 3rd.

I'm assuming it would also work with arrow keys instead of wasd, but xpadder's "test" program is just an instance of notepad. so It was easier to test wasd instead of arrow keys

 

[Graham Laing]

I just programmed a simple macro in xpadder:

1st gear performs "d,s,w,a" which I will assign to quick menu right, down, up, left.

In theory this will select front brake bias and exit the menu quickly. I'm hoping not to run into any issues with compatibility...since the shifter buttons are unassigned by default in the game. Should mean that my G27 works as it should in game just the shifters perform that macro.

Just did a quick test and this method works.

selecting 1st gear acts as "button 9" in xpadder and performs the macro "d,s,w,a" which then selects front brake bias in the game. (since quick menu functions are remapped via the options menu)

selecting 3rd gear acts as "button 11" in xpadder and performs "d,s,d,a" that selects neutral bias
selecting 5th gear acts as "button 13" in xpadder and performs "d,s,s,a" that selects rear bias

The "a" for quick menu left is not useful though and doesn't exit the menu any quicker. Sort of a pain to be honest, since the macro gets messed up if you hit 1st gear then quickly change to 3rd.

I'm assuming it would also work with arrow keys instead of wasd, but xpadder's "test" program is just an instance of notepad. so It was easier to test wasd instead of arrow keys

Wow, nice job, I am going to have to re-look at it. Maybe I am using an old version, I will have to check, or at least spend more time with it, because even though I mention it in my 1st post, I quickly rejected it, and I can't remember the specific reason why now ....

In F1 2011 I used 2 of my buttons that are actually on the wheel, for fuel. One selected Rich directly, and the other cycled between Std & Lean, thus saving losing another button. So the gearbox working as brake bias would be a real bonus

As much as I like the G27 as a wheel, having that DPAD on the gearbox module is just a pain in the ass, as changing gear has to take priority, so you can't take your hands off the wheel between many corners. This is the only time I miss the DFGT wheel, as the DPAD is on the wheel, so is at the end of your thumb.

 

[Graham Laing]

Yeah, my problem was that I couldn't seem to get XPadder to recognise the G27. I have now got it working, I probably did something wrong the first time.

Anyway ...... I am now currently following you down your route, thanks for paving the way

MMMmmm I like it, the brake balance is perfect on the gear shifter. This means that I also have available buttons on the wheel for fuel mix. I might even put tyres on the gear shift too, just the primes and options initially

EDIT2: Yup. I've done that. :-

3rd Gear = Brake Bias Front
4th Gear = Brake Bias Rear (As the stick naturally goes into 3rd/4th with a push forward/back)

2nd Gear = Brake Bias Neutral

5th Gear = Options
6th Gear = Primes

Tyres are less important as usually you have pre-selected them in your strategy, anything outside that can be selected on the keyboard in the pit lane.

 

[moogleslam]

I can't get any macros assigned to buttons to work in game. I had fuel mix and tire macros created in F1 2011, and assigned to my shifter buttons, and I tried the same in F1 2012, and they're not working in game. The commands are recorded correctly and assigned to buttons - what's going on?

 

[Graham Laing]

We are doing it on XPadder at the moment .....

 

[moogleslam]

We are doing it on XPadder at the moment .....

Is the logitech profiler not working for any macro assignments with this game? I'm not talking about the actual stick positions, just the red and black buttons on the shifter unit.