HELP - Frequently Asked Questions
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This section of Pinnacle Help answers some of the questions people frequently have about the software.

I want to create a new profile, but I can't find the executable file for the game. How can I find the path to the executable file?

I've setup commands and a configuration for my profile, but when I start the game the controller doesn't seem to respond. What is the problem?

When I push my joystick to the left or right, my character is moving up or down instead. Why is it doing this?

My joystick seems to be "stuck" always moving to the left (or another direction). Why is it doing this?

My controller has 2 analog joysticks and 2 analog trigger buttons, but on the Controller Configurations window I see 3 joysticks listed and no trigger buttons. Can I use my analog trigger buttons?

I am trying to setup a game profile to use my steering wheel and pedals but on the Controller Configurations window I only see joysticks listed instead. Can I use my steering wheel device with Pinnacle Game Profiler?

I want to use my controller to navigate Windows itself, as well as play my games. Can Pinnacle do this?

What is the difference between using a Key Press and using a Key Down/Key Up combination?

I want to send multiple keys at the same time, like CTRL+A for instance, how do I do that?

If there is more than one way to perform an action in the game, does it matter which way I decide to use in my command?

There is an 'Add Pause' button on the Edit Event Steps window. Why would I want to add a pause between event steps?

I've set up a command to rapidly send a keyboard key to the game, so why does my game seem to only receive a single key press?

Can I use multiple controllers at the same time, like for a 2-player game? How would I do that?

I have a game that I always run with my voice-chat software, is there a way I can start more than one executable with my profile?

There are Import/Export buttons on both the Game Profiles window and the Controller Configuration window. Is there any difference?

Why would I want to use the "Switch selected device to ID1 for play" option?. What does that mean?

When I assign commands to the controller, I see green and blue dots appear next to the commands, what are those for?

Where can I get an image of my controller for use in an ImageGuide?

I've read through this help menu and tried to create a profile, but I'm still confused. Where can I find some examples?

I have a particular idea for my profile, but I'm not sure if Pinnacle can do it. How can I know if Pinnacle has the ability that I need?

Q: I want to create a new profile, but I can't find the executable file for the game. How can I find the path to the executable file?
A: When you launch a game in Windows, you are using a shortcut (either on the desktop or on the start menu). The easiest way to find a game's executable file is to use the 'Shortcut Dropzone' tool found in the lower-right corner of the New Profile/Edit Profile window. Simply drag and drop any Windows shortcut to the 'Shortcut Dropzone' and Pinnacle will take the executable file from the "target" of the shortcut. If you aren't familiar with drag-and drop, another very easy way to get the executable file is to start the game as you normally would, and then press SHIFT+F12 on your keyboard to grab the executable file from the active game window. Naturally the New Profile/Edit Profile window must be open for this to work.

Q: I've setup commands and a configuration for my profile, but when I start the game the controller doesn't seem to respond. What is the problem?
A: The way Pinnacle works by default is to only send controller commands to the set executable file for the game profile. It will also try to identify windows spawned by other executable files from the same folder location, which includes most "launcher files" if the game uses one. This works perfectly for most games; however, some games that use out-of-folder "launcher files" or other complex process structures (that cause the game to be played in windows not created by the executable file) will require enabling the 'Launch as Persistent Profile' setting found on the New Profile/Edit Profile window. Using this option will cause Pinnacle to send controller commands to your computer even when the active window was not created by one the executable files of the profile. If you are still unable to get the controller commands to respond in your game after enabling this option, then please contact technical support online at the Pinnacle Forum.

Q: When I push my joystick to the left or right, my character is moving up or down instead. Why is it doing this?
A: Your axis mappings must be incorrectly configured for the device. You can use the Advanced Device Settings window to adjust the axis mapping values for the joystick that is moving incorrectly. Pinnacle is shipped with axis information for many common controller devices and can even download updated defaults from PinnacleUpdate; however, if the 'Restore Defaults' button does not correctly set the axis mappings, then you simply need to run the Device Setup Wizard by clicking the 'show wizard' link at the top of the window. Follow the on-screen instructions of the wizard and make sure the green dots are moving in the correct directions on the tester screens. After completing the wizard the correct axis mappings should be selected from the dropdown boxes.

Q: My joystick seems to be "stuck" always moving to the left (or another direction). Why is it doing this?
A: If your controller's calibration is incorrectly set, the device may be reporting that the joystick is being pushed to the left (or any other direction) even though the joystick is in the neutral position. Pinnacle must know the correct neutral position (center) of a joystick so that it can determine which direction you are pushing the joystick, based on the coordinates returned to the system. If your controller's joystick is not returning accurate coordinates while in the neutral position, then you may need to recalibrate the neutral positions of the joystick. To calibrate the joystick internally (recommended), right-click the "P" tray icon and select 'Game Controllers', then click the 'Properties' button. If your controller supports internal calibration, you will see a 'Calibration' tab on the properties window. If your device does not support internal calibration, or if the problem persists, you can use the Joystick Calibration Settings window to adjust the calibration within the Pinnacle Game Profiler software; however, it's usually best to leave these all set to 32767 (the exact center) unless you are having problems that cannot be solved by internal calibration. Also keep in mind that a joystick can also appear to be getting "stuck" if you do not have a large enough deadzone for the joystick (normally between 15%-25% deadzone is recommended).

Q: My controller has 2 analog joysticks and 2 analog trigger buttons, but on the Controller Configurations window I see 3 joysticks listed and no trigger buttons. Can I use my analog trigger buttons?
A: Yes, a controller device can have up to 6 axes of motion. Joysticks each use 2 axes (1 for vertical movement and 1 for horizontal movement). Other controls such as rutters, steering wheels, pedals, and analog triggers will report movements to the computer using a single axis. Although Pinnacle can detect the total number of axes that a controller uses, it cannot distinguish between joysticks and individual axes. For this reason it may sometimes be necessary to use the Advanced Device Settings window to adjust the number of joysticks versus individual axes found on your controller device.

Q: I am trying to setup a game profile to use my steering wheel and pedals but on the Controller Configurations window I only see joysticks listed instead. Can I use my steering wheel device with Pinnacle Game Profiler?
A: Yes, please see the answer and explanation for the question above.

Q: I want to use my controller to navigate Windows itself, as well as play my games. Can Pinnacle do this?
A: Yes, you can create a profile for any game or program, including Windows itself. First create a new profile using any executable file (it does not matter, so you can use pinnacle.exe, explorer.exe, etc.) then go to Preferences and enable the 'Background Profile' setting and choose the profile from the dropdown box. Now this profile will always be active whenever Pinnacle does not have another profile to be running (so even the 'auto-detect and apply' feature will continue to work as normal).

Q: What is the difference between using a Key Press and using a Key Down/Key Up combination?
A: When you have a Key Down step in the Pressed Event list and a corresponding Key Up step in the Released Event list, you will be able to mimic keyboard actions more precisely. For instance, many FPS games will fire your weapon using the CTRL (control) key on your keyboard. So if you were creating a 'Fire Weapon' command, you could use a 'key CTRL down' step in the pressed event and a 'key CTRL up' step in the released event. When you press a button on your controller device that has been assigned the 'Fire Weapon' command, Pinnacle will tell your computer that the CTRL key is currently being held down... and after you release the button on your controller, Pinnacle will tell your computer that the CTRL key is no longer being held down. So in this scenario, your weapon would continue to fire as long as you continued to hold down the button on your controller, and it would stop firing when you released it. If you had instead used a Key Press step such as 'key CTRL press' in the pressed event, then your weapon would fire once when the button was pressed and then stop firing, requiring you to press the button on your controller again if you want to fire the weapon again. Of course there are some instances where a Key Press step may be more appropriate, like for commands such as 'Pause', 'Jump', 'Use Potion', etc. Before creating a command, consider how the action is performed when playing the game with your mouse and keyboard, then use the step type best suited for that particular action. Of course you could just always use Key Down/Key Up combinations if you are not sure and that should work fine to play the game.

Q: I want to send multiple keys at the same time, like CTRL+A for instance, how do I do that?
A: As explained in the answer above, when you use a 'Key Down' step it will keep the keyboard key held until a 'Key Up' step is fired. So to send CTRL+A to your computer, you would use "Key Down CTRL" followed by "Key Press A" and then finally "Key Up CTRL", this way the CTRL key goes down while Pinnacle sends the message for the other key. There are several ways to setup this sort of command, but this is the easiest and most common way.

Q: If there is more than one way to perform an action in the game, does it matter which way I decide to use in my command?
A: Sometimes, that is if one of the ways to perform an action is with the mouse then it's usually best to assign the mouse button steps to the command instead of keyboard steps. Many FPS games will fire your weapon when you press the CTRL (control) key on your keyboard, but you likely can also fire your weapon when you press the left mouse button. So by assigning the left mouse button instead of the CTRL key (in this example), it will allow you to also use the 'Fire Weapon' button to click menu items inside the game's startup or pause menus (for example). This is particularly useful when you map one of your controller's joysticks to control mouse movements, allowing you to fully control any mouse-driven menus inside the game using only your controller device. Other examples could be if the mouse wheel can be used to cycle through your available weapons, often times when using a scoped weapon this will double for zoom in/zoom out (which likely would not work that way if you used the keyboard equivalent).

Q: There is an 'Add Pause' button on the Edit Event Steps window. Why would I want to add a pause between event steps?
A: Adding a pause between event steps can be useful in some situations. For instance, you may want to have a key held down for a specific amount of time then release it, or you may want to create another complex command that performs one action, pauses, then performs another action. One common usage for a pause event step would be for creating "shot burst" commands. For instance, many FPS games will fire your weapon using the CTRL (control) key on your keyboard. So if your character had a machine gun that fired while the CTRL key was being held down, you could create a "shot burst" command using the following steps: 'key CTRL down', 'pause 0.5', 'key CTRL up'. If you put those 3 event steps into a command's pressed event (leave the released event empty), then the command would cause the machine gun to fire in '3 shot bursts' each time you press the assigned button on your controller. This is because Pinnacle would tell your computer that the CTRL key is being held down for 0.5 seconds. Of course in this example, the amount of shots that could be fired in 0.5 seconds would vary from game to game.

Q: I've set up a command to rapidly send a keyboard key to the game, so why does my game seem to only receive a single key press?
A: Because Pinnacle can send it's messages faster than any human really could, it's possible that the messages are sent too quickly for the game to distinguish as seperate keystrokes. To solve this problem you simply need to use pause steps in your command to slow down the messages that are being sent. It's usually best to start with a slightly longer pause between keystrokes, and then try to decrease the speed until you find the fastest speed that the game will be able to use (most games will require at least a 0.2 second pause between keystrokes of the same key).

Q: Can I use multiple controllers at the same time, like for a 2-player game? How would I do that?
A: In order for Pinnacle to read and respond to more than one device at the same time, you will need to run a seperate instance of the software for each controller. This will ensure that the performance for each controller is the same as if it were the only controller being used. For you to be able to run Pinnacle multiple times, you must go to Preferences and enable the "allow multiple instances of Pinnacle" setting.

Q: I have a game that I always run with my voice-chat software, is there a way I can start more than one executable with my profile?
A: Yes, Pinnacle supports 'executable files' other than the standard .EXE format, so you can use a .BAT file for instance. A "batch file" (.BAT) is a a simple text file that contains a series of commands intended to be executed, similiar to MS-DOS. The simplest commands are the same sort of thing you might enter as a Windows Run command, but there are many tutorials on the Internet that could help you with batch files as well. Although you could just use the .BAT file as the main executable file, advanced users may wish to use the .BAT only for the 'Launch Exe' and then continue to use the game's .EXE for the main executable of the profile.

Q: There are Import/Export buttons on both the Game Profiles window and the Controller Configuration window. Is there any difference?
A: When you export profile data from the Controller Configurations window, the data is exported as it is currently being edited; therefore, if you made changes to a configuration before you pressed the export button on the Controller Configurations window, the changes you've just made would be included in the exported file. Since you have not yet pressed the 'Save and Close' button, the changes have not actually been saved to the profile. So basically using the 'Export' button on the Controller Configuratons window allows you to export modified data without actually having to save it. Using the 'Import' button from this window works in a similiar way, allowing you to import and view the data without necessarily having to save it. The only other difference is that a controller ImageGuide can only be imported or exported from the Import/Export buttons found on the Controller Configurations window.

Q: Why would I want to use the "Switch selected device to ID1 for play" option?. What does that mean?
A: Windows keeps track of each of your controller devices using "Device IDs", which range from ID1 to ID15. Most newer games will work no matter which ID your controller is on; however, some older games will only respond to the device assigned to ID1. This feature may not work properly if you do not have administrative rights on your computer.

Q: When I assign commands to the controller, I see green and blue dots appear next to the commands, what are those for?
A: The colored dots that appear on the assignment popup menus simple indicate that a particular command has already been assigned to the current configuration. This can really be helpful to make sure you've assigned all the commands that you will need to play the game. The green dots represent commands that are directly assigned to configuration, while blue dots represent commands that are being used as sub-commands of an assigned Joystick Command, Cycle Command, Axis Command, or Keyboard Hot Key.

Q: Where can I get an image of my controller for use in an ImageGuide?
A: If you are attempting to create an ImageGuide for your controller but do not have an image of your controller to use, you might want to search the Pinnacle Forum to see if another user has posted an ImageGuide for your device that you can use or modify. If you cannot find an ImageGuide for your controller, you may be able to capture a screenshot of the controller from within the 'Game Controllers' section of the Windows control panel. To access the 'Game Controllers' window, right-click on the "P" tray icon (by the clock), then select the 'Game Controllers' menu item. After the window appears, select your controller from the list, then press the 'Properties' button. Check each of the tabs on the window to see if an image of your controller is displayed on any of the tab pages. If you see your controller, use the "Print Screen" key on your keyboard to capture a screenshot of your computer's screen. Then open your favorite imaging software (MS Paint will do), and "Paste" the image and crop out the portion of the screen shot that contains the image of your controller. Save the cropped image as GIF, BMP, JPG, or JPEG file type. You may need to resize the controller image so that it can fit properly within the ImageGuide space. For more help creating an ImageGuide, visit the Pinnacle Forum at www.pinnaclegameprofiler.com/forum/.

Q: I've read through this help menu and tried to create a profile, but I'm still confused. Where can I find some examples?
A: If Pinnacle was able to auto-detect any of your installed games, then using PinnacleUpdate will download an "official profile" for the detected game. These profiles would be perfect for examples and you would probably better understand how the program works by having a look at these. Otherwise you can also download these and many more example profiles from the Pinnacle Forum. Also the people at the forum will be able to give you more specific examples if you post a question in the support section.

Q: I have a particular idea for my profile, but I'm not sure if Pinnacle can do it. How can I know if Pinnacle has the ability that I need?
A: Pinnacle Game Profiler is very powerful gaming software that can help you do just about anything with your game. Even if you cannot figure out how to implement the idea on your own, you may wish to post your idea on the Pinnacle Forum where someone will try to help you accomplish your goals. Sometimes your idea may even be added as a new feature in future versions of the software!