Star Binder

About the Star Binder keybind tool

This is an unofficial Star Citizen utility that makes keybinds searchable, filterable, and customisable in a way not possible before.

Unlike the in-game UI, Star Binder lets you combine just about any key combination imaginable, plus you can choose between over fifteen activation modes instead of just "double tap".

Export your binds to an XML file which can then be ported directly into Star Citizen using the in-game menu. You can also import any (I think) Star Citizen-compatible keybind XML — at least certainly those created by the game or by Star Binder.

Star Binder Features

• Search: Use the search to filter matching actions based on keywords, the action name, and the categories it appears in. Clear the text and search again to show all keybinds again.


• Filter: Click the filters above to filter by that category. Each action also has a set of tags in the description box in the footer; these can also be clicked on to filter. Additionally, you can use the filter toggles to show ONLY actions bound to the same key combination as another action, or ONLY actions that have a key/button assigned, or ONLY empty actions.


• Advanced bind info: The footer will have further information about the keybind when available - such as a description of how it works or what it's for. This may not always be reliable as the game changes, but currently there's nothing of the sort in-game. Maybe one day this can be sourced from some kind of SC Wiki?


• Bind: Double-click any action to record a new input. Hold a selected action with left-click to clear it.


• Custom Bind: Construct a bespoke bind string as you see fit e.g. 'lctrl + g + h + j'. This is recommended more for "advanced users". A quick reference guide replaces the keybind description at the bottom when you're entering a custom bind; this may prove useful.


• Activation Modes: Choose from a range of modes, not just double tap - if in doubt, stick with the default. A short description of how they work appears when you hover on the chosen mode's icon.


• Clear: This will clear the keybinds for the selected input only (i.e. if you're viewing joystick keybinds, the controller and keyboard binds will stay).


• Import: Any XML that SC or Star Binder has generated can be imported into this utility and edited for later export. In theory, any keybind XML that SC can read/import, this can too.


• Export: Convert your keybinds into a Star Citizen-compatible XML file. Be sure to move this to the correct folder and see the guide on importing keybinds if needed.
  (default: C:\Program Files\Roberts Space Industries\StarCitizen\LIVE\user\client\0\controls\mappings)

How do I import these keybinds into Star Citizen?
When you're ready, click 'export'. This will download an SC-compatible XML file to your browser's downloads folder. Simply move that file to your SC mappings folder (default: C:\Program Files\Roberts Space Industries\StarCitizen\LIVE\user\client\0\controls\mappings). Then all you need to do is use the in-game options to import the keybinds.

How do I import keybinds using the in-game menu?
CIG have published a guide on this here. There is also a console command: pp_RebindKeys [filename].

Will my existing keybinds be overwritten?
The game's import system is additive, meaning that only what you're modifying is changed.
For example, if you only bind MFD actions using Star Binder, all other keybinds will be unaffected.
It is always recommended to back up your binds using the in-game menu first, so if something does go wrong you can revert (reset all to default then re-import your backup).

Windows has swapped which joystick is registered as primary/secondary, what can I do?
As CIG explains, you can use the console command pp_resortdevices joystick 1 2 to swap sticks 1 & 2 around.
Additionally, in Star Binder, if you want to bind directly to a specific device, edit the prefix in the manual bind string.
e.g. 2:lctrl+button1 will bind to the 2nd device. 99:lctrl+button1 will bind it to the 99th device.

Known Issues and limitations

• Your browser choice matters -- Mouse4 and Mouse5 input cannot be captured/recorded if you are using Firefox. This sucks and I did my best to find a workaround. There is a stagnant bug report with Mozilla from a few years ago about it and that's it. Therefore, Chrome and/or Edge are technically recommended for best compatibility.


• Recording some inputs will inevitably also perform actions in your browser. Such as Mouse4 and Mouse5 (navigate foreward/back). Where possible this has been prevented, but some can still happen. If necessary, use the manual input.


• It is possible that general settings may override the activation mode (e.g. the 'smart toggle' option for decoupled mode is there and not in the keybinds menu).


• Certain activation modes may be incompatible with some actions. Use 'default' if unsure.


• The 'custom bind' input field allows users to make literally any bind string without guard rails other than a generous character limit. You could set "Eject" to "The Cake is a lie 🍰" and it won't stop or correct you - user beware.


• As of now, it is not known if there are any missing bindable actions. If/when a feedback system is setup perhaps this can be verified by users over time.


• Filtering by category may not show all binds for that category. Star Binder uses a mix of auto-parsing CIG's spaghetti keybind data, and manual/bespoke cataloguing. Almost entirely the former as of now.


• You may find you can record bindings, and even see them in the keybind UI in-game - but that isn't a guarantee they will work. e.g. I couldn't get 'F23' or 'contextmenu' to work.


• Using irregular key combos (e.g. Eject = "A+B+C") might only work if the 'Activation Mode' is a 'hold' type - TBC/needs testing.


• Controller Support: PlayStation controllers should work but will show the XBOX buttons (A/B/X/Y); XBOX gamepads (and derivatives like Logitech ones) should work normally.


• Joystick Support: I currently only have access to the Thrustmaster T.16000M for testing. Therefore other models may be unable to record certain binds. This can be overcome by recording the input in SC, exporting it, and reading how it's phrased in the XML file (e.g. trigger is 'button1') -- then you can use that same term in the custom keybind field.