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How to use Xbox controller with source games

By (C)FatheredPuma81

You might be thinking you're the only one who cut and spliced the wires on your Xbox controller and hooked it up to your PC huh? Well you're wrong! I did it to... and I then was forced to figure out how to get it to work with Left 4 Dead 2... so i'll share this knowledge with you...

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Created by

(C)FatheredPuma81
Online

Category: Modding or Configuration

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

18 Oct, 2017 @ 6:58pm

18 Oct, 2017 @ 7:00pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Overview/What you need

How to:

My Config File:

Comments

Overview/What you need

So let's get one thing straight. I have no clue what I am doing and don't even know if this is the right place to put this type of "guide". This should also work for any other Source games as well (Portal, Portal 2, Half-Life 2, etc)

What will you need? Preferably an Xbox controller that you modified or bought a converter to plug into your PC although i'm pretty sure you can do this with just about any controller. Also you'll need a keyboard and mouse.

For reference I shall provide a picture of an identical (because I don't want to take a picture of mine) controller... somewhere... if I can figure this out.

How to:

This is how I did it but if you scroll down you can copy my config file.

If you have Notepad++ this will be easier but you can do it in normal Notepad if you really want to.

Step 1. Launch the game, enable your controller, and see what's wrong with it. Example: Right trigger made character look up and pushing up and down on my right analog stick made me look left and right.
Step 2. Open 360controller.cfg, config.cfg, and your config with Notepad++.

Step 3. Copy the contents from 360controller.cfg over to your config and delete everything
below "// controller2 bindings" with the exception of the last line "sk_autoaim_mode 2".

Step 4. This is where it becomes trial and error. My controller had the start and back also backwards so I went down and switched them under the "// Fixed bindings, do not change these across joystick presets".
Beyong that you have to tailor it towards what is wrong with your controller. As said above the axis' on my controller were off so I changed them. Use the explainations after "joy_advaxis* 0-4" to switch around things.
Let's say your movements were backwards. You'd switch "joy_advaxisx" and "joy_advaxisy" around. In my case I switched R, U, V, and Z around which in my case were my 2 trigger buttons and my right analog stick.

Step 5. Incorrect buttons? If you have any buttons that are incorrect go to the options and edit controls and then choose what ever you want and fix it. Then go to your controls config I had you open up earlier and look for what you changed (fire = +attack, melee = +attack2. If you have Notepad++ it will ask you to reload the document and then take you to what changed). Then copy the button name and look for it in your config you're making.
Example: "R AXIS NEG" Was the name of my right trigger so I replaced "bind "R_TRIGGER" "+attack"" with "bind "R AXIS NEG" "+attack"" and then I did the same for my left trigger.

Now you're done. If you have any questions feel free to ask. My config is below.

My Config File:

How to install: Open notepad>copy and paste what's below into it>look at top bar>File>Save As>Save as type: All Files>Name file what ever .cfg (example: XboxControllerConfig.cfg)>Put file into \Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\cfg folder> Launch game> open up console> Type: exec *file name* (example: exec XboxControllerConfig).

unbindall // Prevent mouse/keyboard control when gamepad is in use (to prevent autoaim exploit) joystick 1 joy_advanced "1" // use advanced joystick options (allows for multiple axes) joy_name "Original Xbox Joystick Configuration" joy_advaxisx 3 // x-axis controls GAME_AXIS_SIDE (strafing left and right) joy_advaxisy 1 // y-axis controls GAME_AXIS_FORWARD (move forward and back) joy_advaxisr 0 // Right Trigger joy_advaxisu 2 // controls GAME_AXIS_PITCH (look up and down) joy_advaxisv 4 // controls GAME_AXIS_YAW (look left and right) joy_advaxisz 0 // Left Trigger joy_forwardsensitivity -1.0 // movement sensitivity joy_sidesensitivity 1.0 joy_forwardthreshold 0.1 // movement dead zone settings joy_sidethreshold 0.1 joy_pitchsensitivity 1.0 // look sensitivity joy_yawsensitivity -1.5 joy_pitchthreshold 0.1 // look dead zone settings joy_yawthreshold 0.0 joy_variable_frametime 1 joy_autoaimdampenrange 0.85 joy_autoaimdampen 0.5 joy_lowend 0.65 joy_lowmap 0.15 joy_accelscale 3.0 joy_accelmax 4.0 joy_response_move 5 joy_response_look 1 joy_autoaimdampen 0.3 joy_autoaimdampenrange 0.85 joyadvancedupdate // advanced joystick update allows for analog control of move and look // Alternate control 1 +jlook // enable joystick look bind "A_BUTTON" "+jump;+menuAccept" // (A) button - Jump -menuAccpt allows us to make selections on hud menus bind "B_BUTTON" "+reload" // (B) button - Reload bind "X_BUTTON" "+use" // (X) Use bind "Y_BUTTON" "lastinv" // (Y) button - swap pistol/rifle or z_abort -used to respawn as a ghost. bind "R AXIS NEG" "+attack" // RT - Main weapon - Primary trigger bind "Z AXIS NEG" "+attack2" // LT - Melee bind "R_SHOULDER" "+lookspin" // RB - Fast 180 spin bind "L_SHOULDER" "toggle_duck" // LB - Duck bind "STICK1" "vocalize smartlook" // LS - vocalize bind "STICK2" "+zoom" // RS click - Rifle Zoom // Fixed bindings, do not change these across joystick presets bind "START" "togglescores" // (back) button - scores bind "BACK" "gameui_activate" // (start) button - pause bind "S1_UP" "+menuUp" // Hud menu Up bind "S1_DOWN" "+menuDown" // Hud menu Down bind "UP" "impulse 100" // DPad Up - Toggle flashlight bind "LEFT" "slot3" // DPad Left - grenade bind "RIGHT" "slot4" // DPad Right - health bind "DOWN" "slot5" // DPad Down - Pills sk_autoaim_mode 2