Okay so I have a stick that has approximately 16 buttons and a Throttle that has maybe 10 plus some axes. It's quite a lot of buttons but any layout I try to do is terrible.

Mapping in game is limited to one button, no combos
Don't be afraid of T.A.R.G.E.T. it's easy and fantastic.

T.A.R.G.E.T. is the software that comes with a few popular Thrustmaster controllers such as the Warthog and T16000m. So only use it for those devices, it's not universal.

I'll talk about 2 methods to add way more to your controller setups. Most people bad-mouth Target and I cannot understand why. It's similar to a button remapper but VERY simplified.

The other method I'll get to at the end is Steam's Big Picture. If you use any kind of gamepad, this will give you the same functionality.

Okay so the basics of T.A.R.G.E.T.
Step 1 - choose your controllers, click next
Step 2 - is a axis define menu. At this moment, select OFF for any extraneous ones you aren't going to use right away. Will make it easier to learn as some might be duplicates and make flying bad.
-for example I don't use my rudder pedals, so I turn them all to off. I don't use my throttle joystick, off as well. Click Next.

Step 3 - You will now have a 3D image of your controller. Double click a button to experiment with. Let's do Landing Gear. Choose the button. Under key command type g. press Add Event.
Your G key is now bound.

Step 4 - Press Run Configuration. Pay attention to my words here: What this does is removes your controllers from DCS and automagically combines them into Thrustmaster Virtual Controller. You'll be able to bind things in-game, though most of your bindings you'll want to do in target.

Step 5 - Press Stop Profile To Return and continue to modify your controls. Yes it hot-plugs! You can stop and start it in-game repeatedly.


Okay that's just the primer, I will describe more in the next chapter such as layers, combos and shifting (easy)

Steam Big Picture for Gamepad fixing up
Steam Big Picture has a screen that will let you remap your controllers in the most advanced ways. In case you haven't seen it, it is vibrantally complex. There is whole communities dedicated to remapping controllers.
You can come out of game, map keys to buttons, map super complex combos. You can even invoke layers for example: A takeoff layer, a Ground Attack layer, Navigation and Landing Layers.

To access Big Picture press this button at the top right of steam:
Go to library, choose DCS, choose Manage Game, then choose Controller Configuration.

You will get a screen like this:
From here you can remap controls. To practice, try remapping your 4-buttons.
I'll expand on super complex stuff soon.

Like I said, there is no reason to fear TARGET. Just like people bad mouth different controllers, or VR, it comes from just not giving it a chance.


Let's talk about advanced controls:



This is for the MiG-21 that has multiple steps for most controls. I've mapped multiple events to a single button.

B5 (button 5) is set to remove lock, gear up (wait 7 seconds), Gear Neutral, Replace Lock.

B12 (button 12) Has all the things needed to engage IR Missiles. Pretty fancy?

You can add as many combos to one button as you want.



B5- Gear Up has some Timing attached to it so that they all don't press at one time.

This is what trips people up first in Target.

By default a combo keybind presses all buttons at one time. You need to add Delays, but how does that work? Well this is where it's tricky. If you put 600ms for event 1, and 600ms for event 2, Event 2 does not happen at 1200 ms. At the 600ms mark, they will fire at the same time.

So for event 1 you need to put 600ms, and event 3, 1200ms. Lay them out by time needed.
again for example:
Event 1 - 600ms
Event 2 - 700ms
Event 3 - 1200ms
Event 4 - 1300ms
Easy. It just tells how long to wait to press.

Next... the type of presses (you'll find this useful in the steam overlay method too)
Pulse = a normal press and release.
Hold = a typical hold it down press - such as slewing a TDC
Press = Will hold it down(!) until an event cancels it. Not a great one to use. Can crash DCS, TARGET or make it hard to exit game.
Release = Detects if the key has been released.

You will mainly use Hold and Pulse.

Last Lesson, the most advanced part of TARGET: Layers.
This will be hard to understand until you try it for yourself, but trust what I'm saying.

Like most buttonmapper software, TARGET has layers and shifts.
A layer will add a whole other overlay of buttons on your controller. So imagine Default is Layer A, you can have Layer B turned on by a button, and Layer B could be your Ground Attack config.

SHIFTS are like a layer but they are temporary "moments" used mainly to give buttons dual functionality. Kind of like holding alt or shift (alt button 12)

TARGET has two shift moments "I" and "O" in and out. Out represents if no button is pressed. In represents if you are holding the chosen shift button.
TARGET's layers are similar and set to UMD, Up, Middle, Down. They are like toggles.


At the top I have Chosen In and Middle
In meaning I hold another button while I press Button 12.
And this lets me switch to AA Pylon #2.

Middle layer is essentially your default layer. So by default a button is Out and Middle.
An "alt-button" would easily be In and Middle.



In this picture you can see (IM) which is an alt-button
and (OM) which just says it's a normal button.

For beginner's sake, it might be best to not do layers. I haven't found a need to yet.
To set your layers and shifts:



And add your Shift button here:



Repeat: This will essentially set a button that is similar to holding alt.

Give it a run through a time or two, it's incredibly simple.

Note: Some of my controls say (OM) while some do not.
Like I said before (OM) and default are the same thing. I'm adding OM to all of my standards just for completeness and visual feedback.

I will fill this section in later. But I'll give an outline and gist right now.

This works for XBox, PS4, Steam Controller, Switch Controllers Generics, and all derivatives.
Note: Once you save a controller set up, you don't have to continue to use Big Picture. Just setup, save, then load game like normal.

In Big Picture/Library/choose your game/Manage Game/Controller Configuration.

You will see this:



You can then remap any button to any key in game.

Under each keybind, you will see "Show Activators" at the bottom. This is where you can add combos like above. It's quite complicated but you'll get it. Start by looking at press type, Hold, Release, etc. They will all fire at once.



At the top of the main screen it has add action layer or add action set.

Unintentionally, they are almost exactly the same thing... in fact they are really. It was intended that an Action Set was going to merely be a Shift. But now they are just 2 duplicate things. Layers in the past were more reliable.


Method: You bind a button to Press (or similar) and have it Choose action set. So now, while you press the button down, you will have access to alternative keybinds.

If Left Shoulder button is your Shift button:
Button X Lowers Gear (Shift G)
Left Trigger (shift) + Button X Raises Gear (Ctrl G)
Two controls for the price of one button.

For my AV-8B Harrier II, I had EVERY little control mapped to my steam controller. I must've had 5 layers and over 120 commands bound in the most intuitive package ever.

If you use my example, Left Shoulder Button as a training shift, you will probably be able to map a majority of your functions in one sitting.

This may not work for every kind of car pedal out there, but worth a shot.

I bought new controllers and wasn't sure I'd fly much and wanted to try something new without giant rudder pedals under my desk.

So, go to Start/ type Game Controllers in the search bar. And choose Set Up USB Game Controllers. Under advanced, Look around for your pedals and you might see an option for Separate or Combined. Choose Combined and it will make them act as one single Axis.



They actually make a pretty good set of rudder pedals. Not a perfect match, but very close.

In case you were wondering, I don't think you can mod rudder pedals to work for your car games ;)