Custom Controls for Google Earth Flight Simulator

So, you are confused with the controls for Google Earth Flight Simulator, or they don't make sense, or you don't have the necessary keys on your keyboard -- well all that can be easily fixed.

All you have to do is modify 1 simple text file in the program, and it is really easy. Here's where to find it. First, open up Windows Explorer, then go to Local Disk (C:) (you might have named it something else)>Program Files>Google>Google Earth>client>res>flightsim>keyboard, and then open the file called generic.

Ok, here you just need to concentrate.

Note 1: You might want to make a backup of the file before you start messing with it.

Note 2: The number of spaces around a name doesn't seem to be important.

If you go down to the middle of the file, you will see the following:

Prior set(dDP_0, +0.8) Next set(dDP_0, -0.8) '9' set(dDP_0, +0.8) '3' set(dDP_0, -0.8) Left set(dDA, -0.8) Right set(dDA, +0.8) '4' set(dDA, -0.8) '6' set(dDA, +0.8) Up set(dDE, -0.8) Down set(dDE, +0.8) '8' set(dDE, -0.8) '2' set(dDE, +0.8) Insert set(dDR, -0.8) '0' set(dDR, -0.8) Enter set(dDR, +0.8) Shift Left set(dDR, -0.8) Shift Right set(dDR, +0.8) Home set(dDE_T, -0.8) End set(dDE_T, +0.8) Shift Up set(dDE_T, -0.8) Shift Down set(dDE_T, +0.8) % 'Clear' is the 5 in the center of the keypad. Clear set(DA, 0) Clear set(DR, 0) Clear set(dDA, 0) Clear set(dDR, 0) '5' set(DA, 0) '5' set(DR, 0) '5' set(dDA, 0) '5' set(dDR, 0) % Keys on the normal keyboard. BracketLeft add(DF, -.2, 0, 1) BracketRight add(DF, .2, 0, 1) Shift F add(DF, -.2, 0, 1) F add(DF, .2, 0, 1) Comma set(DB_0, 1) Period set(DB_1, 1) G toggle(DG) C set(DA, 0) C set(DR, 0) % Freeze/Pause Space toggle(TotalFreeze) H toggle(HUDEnabled) H toggle(ControlsIndicationEnabled) % Fast movement % 10 degrees Ctrl Up add(VAngle, +0.174533) Ctrl Down add(VAngle, -0.174533) % 45 degrees Ctrl Left add(HAngle, -0.785398) Ctrl Right add(HAngle, +0.785398) % Slow movement Alt Up set(dVAngle, +0.1) Alt Down set(dVAngle, -0.1) Alt Left set(dHAngle, -0.1) Alt Right set(dHAngle, +0.1) V set(HAngle, 0) V set(VAngle, 0) V set(dHAngle, 0) V set(dVAngle, 0)]

A little explanation. "Prior set(dDP_0, +0.8)" can be called one unit. "Prior" is the name of the key that does the function (in this case); "set" is the part that determines what action to perform; "(dDP_" is what the action should be performed upon; "0, +0.8)" tells to what extent to perform the action.

Now, if there are two units that are exactly the same except the name of the key, then you can delete one of the units unless you want an alternate key for the same function (that's what they are there for).

You can also have more than one unit where the name of the key is the only similarity. That means that the same key does more than one function simultaneously.

OK, I think you got the point now. If you want a different key to do the function, just replace the name of the key before that function.

Refer to this page for the way to write the key names http://web.archive.org/web/20100301175517/http://doc.trolltech.com/3.3/qt.html
Yes, that is 1 url (I know it looks like 2).
Scroll down to the part called Qt::Key. There is the list of how to write the name of any key; just remove the Qt::Key_ part before the name.

Note 3: I haven't tried too many of the special keys, only the numbers and letters, so if you want to try more special keys, I would advice trying them one by one as it will be easier to troubleshoot if it doesn't work.

Note 4: This only modifies the controls for the F16, but that's all that matters anyway, right? If you want to modify the controls for the SR22, you need to modify the file beside generic called sr22, but it works the same way.

That's it -- it is super simple!