33. Use Your Own Programming

The initial Getting Started: Part I chapter described Approaches 1, 2, and 3 for using the simulator’s built-in flight modes, rates, expos, and mixes with the standard axes order. This chapter introduces “Approach 4”, which lets you bypass the simulator’s built-in transmitter programming and use your own transmitter’s settings to control the airplanes.

This approach works best with with RC transmitters (or controllers) that have 8 channels and generate 8 joystick axes when connected to your PC. You can check to see whether or not you have 8 axes by using the Windows Game Controller gadget (found in the Windows Control Panel or run directly using joy.cpl ).

This method will work directly with the transmitter’s joystick output or with vJoy/Joystick Gremlin as described previously in the example setup guides linked in the Getting Started: Part I chapter.

While 8 axes are needed to control all airplanes in this chapter, you can still use this approach with fewer axes for simpler aircraft. For example, if you have 4 axes available, you can set up 4-channel airplanes like the Alpha 40, which is demonstrated at the end of this chapter.

33.1. Three Main Steps

The following example illustrates three main steps:

• Use your transmitter to order your channel output to match the requirements for the airplane you want to fly. Alternatively, use Joystick Gremlin to order your axes going into the simulator. There is a section with the tables that show the required channel order for each airplane.

• In the simulator, manually select the transmitter named after the airplane’s control surface configuration. This name is included in the tables below together with the applicable airplanes.

• Finally, create a model on your own transmitter and program your flight modes, etc. to use with the simulator.

33.2. Example: Alpha 40 Trainer

The Alpha 40 trainer serves as the example. The airplane is configured to have independent servos (Rx channels) for two ailerons, elevator, rudder, and throttle. The configuration is thus named “2AERT,” corresponding to the channels and the order used in the tables below for each airplane.

The three steps are as follows:

• Program your transmitter’s channel output order to match the illustration below. (Alternatively, use Joystick Gremlin.) For example, your transmitter’s right aileron channel should move the first slider in the simulator, while the left aileron should drive the second slider, and so on, as per the illustration.

• In the transmitter selection window in the simulator, select the category “Tx (no programming)” (top right of the screen). Then, scroll down to find and select the transmitter with the configuration name “2AERT.” Selecting this option ensures that your transmitter’s output channels will pass through directly to the servos on the airplane in the simulator.

• Now on your real transmitter, create a model and program your flight modes, etc. Your custom transmitter programming will now control the airplane in the simulator as long as you select the “2AERT” transmitter name in the simulator (and do not use the default Alpha 40 transmitter selection).

Alpha 40 (2AERT) controls: 2 Ailerons (Right/Left), Elevator, Rudder, and Throttle.

Alpha 40 (2AERT) transmitter selection and annotated channel order that is required. You program your transmitter’s channel output to put the right aileron on the first slider, and so on, as annotated. The reset slider should be programmed to a 3-position switch.

Note that the numbering on the sliders (8 to 1) has no relevance in the setup, apart from being an organizing element for use in the tables below.

This particular “2AERT” configuration is also valid for many other airplanes, e.g., E-flite Brio, Hangar 9 Edge 540, Hangar 9 Extra 260, and so on, as given in the Description box in the image.

Finally, with the special 2AERT transmitter manually selected, you can click to fly. During the Flight Session, you can program your transmitter while monitoring the control surface deflections (via the Power Tools settings, i.e., use the Data Monitor). The selections on the Fly Screen are shown below.

Alpha 40 (2AERT) transmitter selection ready for flight.

33.3. Transmitter Graphics and Configurations

The transmitter pictures are purely fictional. Each configuration uses a different fictional transmitter. Some are shown below.

In all, there are 17 different control configurations, plus two generic ones at the end of the list. Each airplane uses one of these 17 configurations, depending on the controls used on the airplane. These controls include ailerons (A), flaps (F), elevator (E), rudder (R), V-tails (Vtail), spoilers (S), elevons (Elevon), gear (G), and more.

33.4. Joystick Axes and Additional Channels

There are 8 joystick axes used in the simulator. The second to last axis (slider) is used for resets (reset-to-home and reset-in-place), which should be programmed to a 3-position switch. With reset using one axis, that leaves 7 axes to control at most 7 channels that are connected to servos (or some control function). A couple of airplanes have more than 7 channels. Those additional channels are then controlled by the keyboard, e.g., airbrakes on the MiG 15 are controlled by Key 0, and jetwash clamshell doors on the BD-5J are controlled by Key 0.

33.5. Transmitter Selection and Programming

Note that the transmitter selection merely makes the one-to-one connection between the joystick axes and the channels on the airplane, i.e., it hooks your transmitter channel output up to the receiver channel input for the airplane that you have selected. In this case, there is no purpose in editing the simulator transmitter selection. All programming (editing) should be done by your own computer radio programming methods, e.g., OpenTX or EdgeTX programming, etc.

In regards to editing a simulator transmitter selection (as mentioned in the prior paragraph), it will not work as you might suspect. Clicking to make a copy of one of the 17 configurations below will not make a copy of that transmitter configuration, but instead the simulator will make a copy of the standard default transmitter with the built-in programming for flight modes, etc (as discussed in the Getting Started chapters). So again, there is no purpose in attempting to edit one of the 17 named configurations below. These configurations merely connect your joystick axes straight to each of the servos on the airplane.

However, there are two additional “pass-through” transmitter configurations that you can select, copy and edit! See the next tip below and the section is references.

Tip: Using an Existing Transmitter Program in your Real Transmitter

If you want to use an existing program on your real transmitter and you do not want to re-order the output channel assignments (that match one of the 17 tables/configurations below), there is an alternative. You can re-order the joystick axes in the simulator. That is described at further down on this page in the section Reordering Axes in the Simulator.

33.6. Data Monitor

For precise information about surface deflections in the simulator during your programming sessions, you can turn on the “Data Monitor” in the simulator to see the surface deflections in degrees when you click to fly. Use the Power Tools program. Go to the Data Monitor section to select the on-screen control surface data that you want to see during a Flight Session.

Control Deflections selected in the SeligSIM Power Tools programming.
This selection will display all surface data for the airplane being flown.

33.7. USB Interface Calibration

For calibration in the simulator, use the standard method with the standard axes order and any airplane with its default transmitter. Alternatively, you can use a control configuration (transmitter selection) from the list below. Note, however, that following this latter route will result in misalignment between the instructions and the calibration sliders. Regardless, the main thing is to move all red sliders over their full range when they appear in sequence during calibration.

After calibration is complete, you can then use your own programming as described in this chapter.

33.8. Airplanes and Control Configurations

Find your airplane in the group below, and make that selection for the transmitter. These transmitter names are in the “Tx (no programming)” category on the Transmitter Selection window.

33.8.1. Tx 2A2FERT

Airplanes: Ultra Stick Lite

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Flap R
5	Flap L
4	Elev
3	Rud
2	RESET (3 pos)
1	Thr

33.8.2. Tx 2A2FER

Airplanes: Supra, Tracon, Tracon K2

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Flap R
5	Flap L
4	Elev
3	Rud
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

33.8.3. Tx 2A2FER_FES

Airplanes: Tracon E, Tracon E DS, and Tracon K2 E

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Flap R
5	Flap L
4	Elev
3	Rud
2	RESET (3 pos)
1	Thr (FES)

FES = Front Electric System

33.8.4. Tx 2AFERTG

Airplanes: P-51, Fw-190, Spitfire

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Flaps
5	Elev
4	Rud
3	Thr
2	RESET (3 pos)
1	Gear

33.8.5. Tx 2AFERTG_Ch_9

Airplanes: MiG 15, BD-5J

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Flaps
5	Elev
4	Rud
3	Thr
2	RESET (3 pos)
1	Gear
Key 0	Airbrakes, Clamshells

Per table above, the Key 0 (zero) is use for 9th channel.

33.8.6. Tx 2AFERT

Airplanes: Pawnee, PTS P-51 U

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Flaps
5	Elev
4	Rud
3	Thr
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

33.8.7. Tx 2AERGS

Airplanes: Swift S-1

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Flaps
5	Elev
4	Rud
3	Spoilers
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

FES = Front Electric System

33.8.8. Tx 2AERGS_FES

Airplanes: Swift S-1 Electric

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Elev
5	Rud
4	Gear
3	Spoilers
2	RESET (3 pos)
1	Thr (FES)

FES = Front Electric System

33.8.9. Tx 2AERGST

Airplanes: Swift S-1 Jet

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Elev
5	Rud
4	Gear
3	Spoilers
2	RESET (3 pos)
1	Thr

33.8.10. Tx 2AERTG

Airplanes: Bobcat, T-34 Mentor, AT-6 Texan, F4U Corsair

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Elev
5	Rud
4	Thr
3	Gear
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

33.8.11. Tx 2AERTL

Airplanes: Ultima 3

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Elev
5	Rud
4	Thr
3
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

L = Propeller locks horizontal when stopped. This does not use a channel for control.

33.8.12. Tx 2AERT

Airplanes: Alpha 40, Brio, Cap 232, Edge 540, Extra 260, FourStar 60, Funtana 40, Funtana 90, J-3 Cub 40, Sbach 342, Sbach 342 E, Showtime, Showtime SFG, Sundowner, Tribute, Ultimate EFL, Ultimate TOC, Yak 54

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ail R
7	Ail L
6	Elev
5	Rud
4	Thr
3
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

33.8.13. Tx 2ElevonT

Airplanes: F-27B Stryker

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Elevon R
7	Elevon L
6	Thr
5
4
3
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

33.8.14. Tx 2VtailT

Airplanes: Aerobird Extreme

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Vtail L
7	Vtail R
6	Thr
5
4
3
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

Unlike the others, the control surface order is left and then right.

33.8.15. Tx AERT_SCAS

Airplanes: Sbach 342 with SCAS

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Ailerons
7
6	Elev
5	Rud
4	Thr
3	SCAS (toggle)
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

SCAS = Stability and Control Augmentation System

33.8.16. Tx ERT

Airplanes: Ascent, J-3 Cub (Parkzone)

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Elev
7	Rud
6	Thr
5
4
3
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

33.8.17. Tx RES

Airplanes: Bubble Dancer

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Rud
7	Elev
6	Spoilers
5
4
3
2	RESET (3 pos)
1

33.9. Reordering Axes in the Simulator

If you have an existing airplane programmed in your real transmitter and you would rather not re-order your channel output to match the simulator order requirements above (per tables), there is a way to re-order the axes inside the simulator instead.

This re-ordering is done on a per-airplane basis, meaning that the axis order is specific to each individual airplane. However, some airplanes may share the same order, as seen above in the previous 17 transmitter configurations (tables).

As described, begin with a transmitter that has 8 joystick axes as seen when running the Windows Game Controller gadget (found in the Windows Control Panel or run directly joy.cpl ).

33.9.1. Setup Steps

The steps are:

• Select your airplane, and then click on the transmitter to enter the Transmitter Selection window.

• Select the “Tx (no programming)” category from the list (upper right). Select the transmitter named “User Defined Axes”. If you are going to program the MiG 15 or BD-5J, select the transmitter name with the additional text “+ Ch 9”. These two transmitters are at the very bottom of the “Tx (no programming)” list.

• Make a copy of your selected transmitter so that you can edit the joystick axes order. Give the transmitter a new name, e.g., my-Alpha40-Custom-Tx. Remember the name because this is the transmitter that you will need to select anytime you want to fly with this edited joystick axis order along with your programming in your real transmitter.

  Selections

  So the selections are similar to real life: You pick the airplane. You select that model name on your real transmitter so that you have its programming. In the simulator, you also select the transmitter name that you have re-ordered the axes (per this section). Of course, you must also have proper USB interface selected for your transmitter.

• In making your axis edits in the simulator, suppose, for instance, that your first objective is to have, say, your rudder stick move the rudder servo on the Edit Transmitter window. In other words, you want to get your rudder stick connected to the rudder servo in the simulator.

• Collapse all sections except the first (magenta) that shows the axes and the last (gray) that shows the servos.

• Move your controls around to see the Servo arms move on the right side. Watch the Source axes move around on the left side.

• Note that the 8 axes (left) are counted 0 to 7 and not 1 to 8. In the image below, to see axis 7, you would need to scroll down.

• Now, move your rudder stick and observe which axis moves on the left. You may need to scroll down to find the axis slider that moves. For the example here, suppose that “Axis 5” moves with the rudder stick. See the image below.

• Now, look to see which line has the rudder servo. It is the 2nd line and initially has “Axis 1” assigned, which means axis 1 is going to move the rudder servo, not axis 5. Obviously, by way of testing your controls, now you know that you want axis 5 to be on the rudder servo line.

  

  Edit Transmitter window before making new axes selections.

  
  

• Reassign the rudder input to be axis 5, and make the 6th line be axis 1. You can make these changes by clicking on both boxes with the axis labels and making the axis selections.

• After swapping 1 and 5, the result is shown below. In this screen shot, the rudder stick is moved fully to one side (see the tic indicator). You can see the rudder servo arm has moved 45 deg from the center, corresponding to the axis 5 movement. This first control (axis edit) is now complete.

  

  Edit Transmitter window after making new axes selections (swapping axis 1 & 5 on lines 2 & 6).

  
  

• With your computer radio (transmitter), continue moving each output channel and swapping axes in the simulator one-by-one until your channel output from your real transmitter moves the appropriate servos in the simulator.

• When you have completed the last step (swapping axes as appropriate), you are done, with perhaps one except, which is likely. See the next bullet point.

• When swapping around axes, it can happen that axis 1 becomes assigned to a servo. But the simulator internally uses the “Axis 1” signal for the resets (reset-to-home and reset-in-place). If this axis 1 were assigned, to say, the elevator, then anytime you moved the elevator, the airplane in the simulator would reset. To stop that from happening, the internal reset function triggered by axis 1 needs to be disabled. This is discussed in the next section.

• After making the appropriate axis selections, you can now use your real transmitter and its programming to fly your selected airplane in the simulator, just as you would at the flying field. This means you no longer need to have different output channel order between flying in the simulator and flying with your real equipment.

• Create a new setup for each airplane that you want to fly. But note that some airplanes have the same configuration (per list above), i.e., you can reuse a setup. For example, if you re-ordered an Alpha 40 Tx, your same re-ordered/edited simulator transmitter will fly similar airplanes, for instance, these are all 2AERT airplanes: Alpha 40, Brio, Cap 232, Edge 540, Extra 260, FourStar 60, Funtana 40, Funtana 90, J-3 Cub 40, Sbach 342 E, Sbach 342, Showtime, Showtime SFG, Sundowner, Tribute, Ultimate EFL, Ultimate TOC, and Yak 54.

• A key advantage of this method is that you can setup and test out new programming on your real radio in the virtual simulator environment versus powering up and using your real airplane in the shop or at the flying field. With the simulator, your Tx programming can then be directly applied to your real airplane, albeit with tuning.

• For reference, these User Defined transmitters are included in the tables below. The second with the “+ Ch 9” includes a 9th channel on keyboard Key 0 (zero) to control the airbrakes/clamshells on the MiG 15 and BD-5J airplanes, respectively.

• Finally, for reference, the example above (swapping axes 1 and 5 in the screen shots) was done with the Alpha 40 airplane selected.

33.9.2. Disable Reset via Controller

When swapping around axes, it can happen that axis 1 becomes assigned to a servo. But the simulator internally uses the “Axis 1” signal for the resets (reset-to-home and reset-in-place). If this axis 1 were assigned, to say, the elevator, then anytime you moved the elevator, the airplane in the simulator would reset. To stop that from happening, the internal reset function triggered by axis 1 needs to be disabled.

If you, indeed, need to disable the reset (the axis 1 reset functionality), use the separate SeligSIM Power Tools program and find the section named “Controller Options” (near the bottom of the list). In that section, check the box for “Disable Controller Reset”. In so doing, that will break the connection between axis 1 and the reset-via-controller. Use the keyboard to reset ( Spacebar and U key), or in the simulator Options window, use “Auto-Reset after Crash”.

Disable Controller Reset selected in the SeligSIM Power Tools programming.

33.9.3. Tx User Defined Axes

Airplanes: Any / Generic

User Task: Reassign axes to appropriate servos/controls for the airplane you have selected.

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Name 1
7	Name 2
6	Name 3
5	Name 4
4	Name 5
3	Name 6
2	Name 7
1	Name 8

33.9.4. Tx User Defined Axes + Ch9

Airplanes: Any / Generic

User Task: Reassign axes to appropriate servos/controls for the airplane you have selected.

Key 0 (zero) controls the 9th channel.

Slider	Output Channel Configuration
8	Name 1
7	Name 2
6	Name 3
5	Name 4
4	Name 5
3	Name 6
2	Name 7
1	Name 8
Key 0	Airbrakes, Clamshells

33.10. Bonus Section: 4 Ch Trainer

This section uses what is on this page to setup and fly the 4-channel Alpha 40 trainer with a 4-axis Microsoft SideWinder Precision 2 Joystick. The description below may work for other brand joysticks or RC controllers.

Setup Steps

These are the steps to getting a bare bones simple trainer setup working.

• Download and install the simulator. Install without administrative privileges.

• Plug in your joystick.

• Start the simulator - SeligSIM. Test the simulator graphics by clicking on Recordings on the main page. Play a recording. If that works, your computer is capable of running the simulator.

• If you are new to RC, click on Flight Training from the Main Menu to find the Basic lesson sequence.

• Now setup to fly yourself.

• From the Single Pilot Freestyle page, click on the USB Interface and select your USB joystick name. These instructions apply to the vintage Microsoft SideWinder Precision 2 Joystick. (Other joysticks will be similar.)

• Next, click on the airplane and select the Alpha 40. This is an RC trainer with a 62 inch wingspan.

• Click on the transmitter and find the category Tx (no programming) (from drop down in upper right). Go to the bottom of the list and select the second to last, which is named User Defined Axes.

• Initially, the transmitter image will show “NOT CALIBRATED” in red.

• Click on Calibrate. Ignore the instructions atop (which are applicable to a regular full setup, which this is not). Move your joystick controls so that the red sliders move fully up and down. The SideWinder only has 4 axes. In that case, you will skip to Step 10 before seeing red sliders to start calibrating. When you are finished, not what joystick controls are active in the simulator, i.e., move the sliders in the simulator.

• You have now calibrated. If it is the SideWinder Precision 2, it is a 4-axis joystick. The four sliders on the left side will be calibrated. In this example with the Alpha 40, we only need 4 axes.

• After finishing the calibration, click on Copy to make a copy of the transmitter selection, which should still be User Defined Axes. Name your transmitter, e.g., my-Alpha40-Sidewinder.

• Click to edit. Ignore the calibration prompt because you did calibrate. After clicking to edit, you will be put into the Edit Transmitter page.

• Click on the tiny boxed plus signs (+) to collapse all but the left and right sections (Source section, and Alpha 40 airplane Servo section).

• Move your elevator control to find what axis moves. Assign that axis to the Elevator servo. Repeat this process for the ailerons, rudder and throttle. Hook the ailerons up to the same axis.

• When you do change the axes around, it is best to swap pairs of numbers, i.e., swap 3 and 4 (or whatever is needed). That way you will always see all 8 sliders (axes) and know which ones move around or not.

• You can click on Show A/C (show aircraft) to see if you need to reverse any of the controls. (This assumes that you know how the surfaces should move with your joystick inputs.) With the SideWinder joystick it this example, the elevator, rudder, and right aileron inputs needed to be reversed. Click on the Norm buttons to reverse the axes, which change to show Rev when reversed.

• You can click on Tx Icon to change the transmitter picture.

• You can click on Description to change the name.

• Screen shots of the key pages in this setup are shown below. The first shows the Transmitter Selection window. Your transmitter picture may be different. The second shows the final Edit Transmitter page with axes appropriately set and appropriately reversed as Rev, or Normal if not reversed. The third shows the Fly window with the selections for: Alpha 40, ground (rolling) takeoff, SideWinder USB, and edited transmitter with the new name given.

• Now you can click Fly to start a Flying Session. If you find that any controls are reversed, go back to the Edit Transmitter page and toggle Norm/Rev for the channel that you want to change.

• If you pick a new airplane, it will auto-select the transmitter. You can manually click on the transmitter and select the one that you created. The Alpha 40 transmitter should also fly these airplanes: Brio, Cap 232, Edge 540, Extra 260, FourStar 60, Funtana 40, Funtana 90, J-3 Cub 40 Sbach 342 E, Sbach 342, Showtime, Showtime SFG, Sundowner, Tribute, Ultimate EFL, Ultimate TOC, and Yak 54.

• If you found this setup nugget first and this is your starting point with using the simulator, now would be a good time to go back and read the Getting Started pages to get the most out of SeligSIM. There are no further instructions on this shortcut to testing out the simulator.

• If you find that any of your controls inadvertantly also reset the airplane during a Flight Session, see this section above to disable that.

4 Ch Trainer Setup: Transmitter Selection window after selecting the transmitter.

4 Ch Trainer Setup: Edit Transmitter window after re-assigning the axes and making Norm/Rev changes.

4 Ch Trainer Setup: Freestyle window with selections before clicking Fly to begin a Flight Session.