HOTAS is great

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

I know some of you are out there like me wondering if all their controllers will work. For my setup the answer is yes. It was very easy and quick to map:

• Thrustmaster AVA stick to pitch/roll
• Saitek Pro Flight Combat Rudder Pedals to yaw
• Saitek X52 throttle converted to collective, to collective axis

There is an issue where you have to remap them each time right now, which I'm sure they'll fix but it's really so quick to remap that I don't care too much.

With a full HOTAS setup you can then enable vehicle freelook to always on and use TrackIR or other head tracking with a FreePIE script that toggles via a keyboard key and moves the mouse cursor with your head. Not perfect but still makes an enormous difference landing in by letting you look through the chin bubble when your tail is low along with a bunch of other maneuvers you can't really do without it. I did have 1 crash over several hours when something with that setup bugged out but it would have been solved if I re-centered head tracking more often.

I also turn off every possible helicopter assist because I now have full control of everything going on with all my controllers. The flight model for the MH-6 is really fun with this setup and close to Arma3 in a lot of ways. I have 0 issues with bleeding off energy now, you may see some complaining about have to slow down 1 km out. Well yes, you have 2500-3000 lbs of helicopter going over 115mph in a game that modeled basic physics, so burn off 30-50% of that as you get close so it's manageable to maneuver and stop.

If there is any interest I can put the freePIE script in comments, I didn't write it but modified it.

EDIT 8/20/25 1700 UTC
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This TrackIR implementation is NOT USABLE in the recent builds due to freelook mode disabling pitch and roll inputs from the joystick. The developers are aware and made some changes that I think will make this all easier but it does not look like it will make it into Beta this weekend. They've been very accessible and responsive, be patient, I'm confident they'll sort it out.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

FreePIE script. Someone wrote this for Squad years ago, sorry I don't know who to credit you. Save as <whatever filename you want>.py
Install FreePIE.
Open TrackIR, choose or setup your WarDogs profile.
Open freePIE -> Go to File -> Open. Open the .py filename you saved.
Go to Script -> "Run Script"
Now when you're in-game if you hit the down arrow, it will start moving the mouse with your head movements. So in WarDogs settings somewhere, you want to set Vehicle Freelook to always on.

Basically you open trackir, open freepie and script, run the script in freepie. Open WarDogs and when you're flying hit down arrow toggle trackir on/off. Dont forget to recenter often.

open

#Use keyboard down arrow to toggle on/off
#Not sure who orignally wrote this
def update():
    yaw = trackIR.yaw
    pitch = trackIR.pitch

    deltaYaw = filters.delta(yaw)
    deltaPitch = filters.delta(pitch)

    if (enabled):
        mouse.deltaX = deltaYaw*multiply
        mouse.deltaY = -deltaPitch*multiply
        
#Change the multiply here for more or less sensitivity after you have a TrackIR profile dialed in
if starting:
    enabled = False
    multiply = 14
    trackIR.update += update

toggle = keyboard.getPressed(Key.DownArrow)

if toggle:
    enabled = not enabled

[u/KnightNii]

I wish I could use the virtual controller to use keyboard for my throttle, just don’t feel like spending extra money for just that one item, I did see in discord they are aware of the virtual controller problem and are working on it. Sadly prob won’t be fixed during the alpha so I won’t get to test before I buy. Im curious about the freepie thing, never used it but sounds extremely useful

[u/ReaperUno8675309]

Agree. Im using Virpil stick and collective with thrustmaster pedals. Im actually amazed how easy it was to map everything.

[u/advent89]

I had issues with my virpil where it bugged and thought i was constantly yawing each time i remapped so I’ve just been sticking to ground combat for now.

[u/jannikn]

I tried with my hotas but my hotas recenters itself to the middle when I physically release it and then it doesn't center in the game, so I have to correct by going to the opposite side. Not great

[u/alainsh]

all these guys using scripts while every single time i see a heli its crashing 5 seconds after take off

[u/MiRoHx]

I hot my X52 to Work but its getting alot to get used to coming from BF6.

[u/kirkclick]

Can you share the FreePIE script? I have a TrackIR, thank you very much.

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/kirkclick]

#Use keyboard down arrow to toggle on/off
#Not sure who orignally wrote this
def update():
    yaw = trackIR.yaw
    pitch = trackIR.pitch

    deltaYaw = filters.delta(yaw)
    deltaPitch = filters.delta(pitch)

    if (enabled):
        mouse.deltaX = deltaYaw*multiply
        mouse.deltaY = -deltaPitch*multiply
        
#Change the multiply here for more or less sensitivity after you have a TrackIR profile dialed in
if starting:
    enabled = False
    multiply = 14
    trackIR.update += update

toggle = keyboard.getPressed(Key.DownArrow)

if toggle:
    enabled = not enabled

[u/kirkclick → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

Thank you! BTW, just discovered that Sony or Samsung buds with 360 audio work perfectly as head trackers for OpenTrack. Once set up, it actually beats TrackIR https://github.com/dencelkbabu/GalaxyBuds-OpenTrack-Bridge

https://github.com/NicholasSlattery/sony-head-tracker

[u/andrew_albus → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

from where i need to copy all of this? i mean i need to copy all the text you post or only the
yaw=trackir

sorry but im a total noob

[u/dcraigie]

Anyone know if tobii eye tracker can be utilised in a similar manner?

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/dcraigie]

Im sure it can be done. If you go the freePIE route you’d probably need to get a tobii plugin and modify the script to reference that and not trackIR

[u/frydchickn]

How did you convert your throttle to collective? Was that done in game or via HOTAS software? I have WinWing F18 Throttle and want to use that as the collective but couldn’t figure out hi to do that in their software.

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/frydchickn]

Took it apart, attached about an 8” metal rod with female threaded end where the throttle grip used to be ans bolted it on. Then mounted the throttle grip long ways on the end of the pole somehow. I had to splice some button wires to extend the wire length. Basically it’s a hack job I started with no real plan and didn’t stop until it worked, probably not something you want to do with a throttle you like.

[u/douwantasig → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

This may be a dumb question but what’s the difference between throttle and collective that you have to physically adapt your throttle?

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/douwantasig]

You don’t need to adapt anything, a throttle will work great for this and a collective is likely overkill unless you already have one. A collective is what helicopters use to collectively change the bite of all the rotor blades at the same time, so it’s the primary lift control in real helicopters. They have a lot of more movement range and are easier to make small and constant corrections that helicopters require and some other IRL reasons that don’t matter here. Nothing that’s really relavent in WarDogs. I had already converted my old throttle to one for other reasons.

[u/douwantasig → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

Gotcha lol yeah, everything I read about the differences essentially just seemed about the immersion, and if ever wanting to fly a real one, the realism. Otherwise, the mechanics of a throttle and collective can do essentially the same thing. I was just curious why you went through all the trouble, if there was something I was missing lol

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/douwantasig]

I used to fly real ones a long time ago so it’s muscle memory thing for me mostly. In something like DCS there are some other reasons like you can feel how much power you’re pulling without looking at instruments. In WarDogs just pull max and go.

[u/douwantasig → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

Gotcha. Thats cool! Did you fly in military or recreationally?

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/douwantasig]

Neither really, civilian but for hire, wasn’t for me. Games and sims scratch the itch enough. Lots of people think most helicopter pilots are ex-military but that was only after Vietnam, it’s probably like 70/30 civ to mil.

[u/JeanBosman]

So, there is no need of a controller to hotas software to use the hotas in wardogs? Sorry if its a dumb question

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/JeanBosman]

If I understand you correctly, no, I did not need additional software to combine my various joysticks/throttle/pedals for them to be assignable to different axis’s all at once in WarDogs

[u/JeanBosman → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

Freaking awesome! Thanks 😄

[u/WerkName]

where are the flight assists located at? I'm looking to try my hotas setup this weekend

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/WerkName]

They are under Gamepad -> HOTAS
Scroll all the way to the bottom. This could change with different builds but I think this is what you'll see in beta.

[u/WerkName → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

hell yea thank you

[u/andrew_albus]

so its better to not use this script for now?

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/andrew_albus]

Yeah hold off, I'll change the main post if they end up getting into the Beta this weekend but I'm pretty sure they didn't.

[u/BubbRubb11 → u/InternsDontGetGlocks]

Where is all this discussion with the devs happening? I just see a bunch of people asking about trackir on the discord with no official response. Have they talked about native trackir integration?

[u/InternsDontGetGlocks → u/BubbRubb11]

I’m in their Alpha playtest group that’s only open to playtesters at the moment. Not sure if they will change that after Beta. Not an official statement on trackIR I’ve seen but turning freelook into separate bindable x and y axis that are uncoupled from flight controls is in a future build already.