Convert a gamepad to the flight controls of our plane with JoyTokey

## **Background**

**JoyToKey is the acronym of joystick to keyboard, that is, this small but powerful program creates an interface that turns our gamepad, joystick and other similar instruments into an extension of the keyboard and mouse, and we can create custom special commands with letters and function keys without any problem.**

## **Download and basic configuration**

**You can find all the basic information to create your own JoyToKey profile of any device here, and you can**

**download it from its official page here; I am going to put some image captures of how I have configured it both for the Alchemy Viewer page and for the two planes that I use (since in Second Life the airports are almost all small), being the C172 and E50P, one of small type and the other medium.**

**In the photo on the right you can see the general configuration; we can see how it has detected a joystick (it can detect several, such as a complete flight team, with yoke, pedals and accelerator) so we put 1in his box; in the next tab we put the controls that have the joystick (in my case, one POV and two sticks); and in the third box, we indicate how many buttons our joystick has (in my case 12); and with this we start to create the profiles of each viewer or vehicle.**

## **My own configuration**

       **Some time ago I had an Xbox 360 type gamepad, but when it broke I tried to look for a new one but they told me that it was out of date, and I could only buy it on Ebay; then look for a similar one and find the Logitech F310, of similar appearance and performance (twelve buttons, two sticks and a directional control or POV), very easy to use with one hand (left) and with the right use the mouse or the keyboard to write.**

**In the photos that are on the right, you can see the configuration of the buttons and controls, indicating the number of each button to be easier the location.**

## **Profile for SL Oficial Viewer**

**It is a basic configuration which can be seen in the picture on the right, with the movements forward, back, right and left (with POV), crouch (11 / PageDown), jump (5 / PageUp one touch), fly (5 / PageUp touching), sit on the ground (7 / Alt+Shift+S) and open the map (8 / Ctrl+M); in this case we use the buttons and for the movements the POV (Point of View); to simulate the mouse we will use the STICKS, being the number one dedicated to move and see in all directions when we are in mouselook (or first person view), and STICK number two to use it as zoom and to enter first person mode when we approach it to the maximum. I also puting on buttons 6 and 12 the forward and backward keys, since sometimes it is very practical to use the gamepad with both hands when we are in mouselook, moving forward or backward with the arrows (using the right hand) and turning and looking down and up with stick one (with the left hand)**

**Remember that the STICKS are very sensitive and it is very easy to move with a simple touch, so it is recommended to be careful; also say that when using STICK number one without being in first person mode, we can see how the mouse arrow moves (we can move it to dial or activate something, activating another key that is used as the ENTER key, which is the Which activates an action).**

**Finally, just comment that you have to access a special button assignment window when you want to activate the mouse, you can see it in the photo on the left.**

## **Profile for Alchemy Viewer**

    **Alchemy's viewer has more features than the official viewer and, to my liking, it's more powerful in some functions, but that's another story; focusing on the characteristics of the assignment of buttons, let's say they are practically the same at the basic level; i have put some shortcuts more, such as being able to activate the mini map (2 / Ctrl + Shift + M) or teleport to the base (8 / Ctrl + Shift + H), which can also be put on the official.**

## **Profile for Skyhawk C172**

**The configuration for the Skyhawk C172 is very complex, so I will detail as much as I did so that in a single button can activate several buttons at once or pressing it sequentially. The photo on the right has the basic assignment of buttons, indicating below each one:**

* **Stick 1: to view and rotate in any direction in mouselook**

* **Stick 2: For zooming forward and backward; If we move the stick to the left we activate the opening of all the doors of the airplane, and if we do it to the right we close them.**

* **POV: movement in the four directions**

* **Button 1: Turn on the BEACON and NAVIGATION lights (see small photo to right and copy as is); You only need to give a single click, and it only activates the two lights.**

* **Button 2: Turn off BEACON and STROBE lights; in this case, having more letters at the word, you need to double-click the button and wait for see the message in the chat, and then double-click again to see the next message in the chat; again, copy the exact text of the small photo on the right so that everything goes well.**
* **Button 3: Turn off NAVIGATION and LANDING lights; in this case, having more letters in the word, you need to double-click the button and wait for the message in the chat, and then double-click again to see the next message in the chat; again, copy the exact text of the small photo on the right so that everything goes well.**
* **Button 4: Turn on the lights of STROBE and LANDING (see small photo to right and copy as is); You only need to give a single click, and it only activates the two lights.**
* **Button 5: Activate the throttle function in reverse or decelerating mode, with an interval of 5% each time we click**
* **Button 6: Turn off the engine of the plane; We have to click twice to make it work; again, copy the exact text of the small photo on the right so that everything goes well.**
* **Button 7: Enables or disables the airplane brakes (see small photo to right and copy as is); in this case. you only need click one time for activate the brakes.**
* **Button 8: Change the point of view of the camera when we make one click; the camera has five position (i like see the view into the plane); the configuration is similar to the button 7,and only need change the "B" for a "C".**
* **Button 9: Enable the FULL FLAPS with one click; see the photo to right (NOTE: this button has a dual mode, and you can press how a button, or you can rotate how stick 1).**
* **Button 10: Enable the FLAPS UP with one click; the configuration is similar to the button 9, and only need change the "3" for a "0" (NOTE: this button has a dual mode, and you can press how a button, or you can rotate how stick 2).**
* **Button 11:** **Activate the throttle function in forward or accelerate mode, with an interval of 5% each time we click; the configuration is similar to button 5, but changing the "PageDown" for "PageUp".**
* **Button 12:** **Turn on the engine of the plane; we have to click twice to make it work; the configuration is similar to the button 6, and only need change some letters (S,T,A,R, at the first column, and T,Enter at the second).**