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hifihedgehog edited this page Mar 19, 2026 · 10 revisions

Profiles

Profiles switch your entire controller configuration automatically when games change. Set up a profile once; PadForge handles the rest.

Profiles page with profile list and executable matching

What a Profile Stores

Each profile captures a complete snapshot:

Setting Details
Virtual controller topology Created slots, enabled slots, and each slot's type (Xbox 360, DualShock 4, DirectInput (vJoy), MIDI, or Keyboard+Mouse)
Button and axis mappings Every per-device mapping for every slot (Button and Axis Mappings)
Dead zones Per-axis Stick Dead Zones and per-trigger Trigger Dead Zones
Force feedback Force Feedback configuration per slot
Macros All Macros definitions — triggers, actions, and conditions
DirectInput (vJoy) configurations Per-slot axis count, button count, and POV settings

When PadForge switches profiles, all of these settings change at once. Physical devices stay connected — only the virtual controller configuration changes.

The Default Profile

Default loads on startup and activates when no other profile matches. It cannot be deleted or renamed.

Set up Default as your general-purpose layout (e.g., standard Xbox for platformers). Create game-specific profiles only where needed.

Important: Changes made on any page (Dashboard, Mappings, Macros, etc.) save to whichever profile is currently active.

Auto-Switching

Auto-switching monitors the foreground window (~30 Hz) and switches profiles to match:

  1. Associate each profile with one or more game executables.
  2. When a matching application gains focus, PadForge applies that profile.
  3. When an unmatched application gains focus (desktop, browser, etc.), PadForge reverts to Default.

The outgoing profile's state is saved, then the incoming profile applies — no controller connection interruption.

Enable it: On the Profiles page, check Auto-switch profiles based on foreground application.

Creating a Profile

  1. Go to the Profiles page in the sidebar.
  2. Click New (empty profile) or Save As (clone current configuration).
  3. Enter a name (e.g., "Racing Games", "Elden Ring", "Flight Sim").
  4. Click Browse... to add game executables (multi-select supported).

Recommended: Save As

  1. Configure PadForge for a game — mappings, dead zones, macros, slots.
  2. Go to Profiles and click Save As.
  3. Name the profile after the game.
  4. Click Browse... and select the game's executable.

The entire working configuration is captured and ready for auto-switching.

Executable Matching

Each profile matches one or more game executables. When the foreground window belongs to a matching process, that profile activates.

  • Added via the Browse... file dialog; stored as full paths
  • Multiple executables per profile — useful for sharing one profile across several games
  • Case-insensitive — EldenRing.exe matches eldenring.exe
  • Use the Remove button to delete a selected executable from the list

Pipe-Separated Format

Internally, executables are stored as a pipe-separated (|) string of full paths:

C:\Games\game1.exe|D:\Steam\game2.exe|E:\Epic\game3.exe

Visible when editing PadForge.xml directly. Each path is matched against the foreground process path (case-insensitive, full-path comparison).

Topology Display

Each profile shows badges for virtual controller counts by type:

  • Xbox — Xbox 360 slot count
  • DS4 — DualShock 4 slot count
  • DirectInput — DirectInput (vJoy) slot count
  • MIDI — MIDI slot count
  • KB+M — Keyboard+Mouse slot count

A quick visual summary without loading the profile.

Managing Profiles

Action How
New Empty profile with no controller slots
Save As Clones current configuration (all slots, mappings, macros) into a new profile
Edit Rename or modify the executable list
Load Apply the selected profile (double-click also loads)
Delete Remove the selected profile (Default cannot be deleted)

Practical Examples

Scenario Setup
Racing game with custom dead zones Create a "Forza" profile with wider trigger dead zones and a specific stick curve. Associate with ForzaHorizon5.exe. Auto-switches on launch; reverts on Alt-Tab.
Flight sim with DirectInput (vJoy) Create an "MSFS" profile using a DirectInput (vJoy) slot instead of Xbox 360. Map axes to flight stick axes. Associate with FlightSimulator.exe. Normal games keep the Default Xbox 360 profile.
Emulators sharing one profile Create an "Emulators" profile and add Dolphin.exe, Cemu.exe, and Ryujinx.exe. All three activate the same configuration.
Macros for one game only Create a profile with D-pad-to-keyboard macros for an MMO. Associate with the MMO executable. Default has no macros, so they only activate when that game is in focus.

Tips

  • Set up Default first as the general-purpose configuration. Create game-specific profiles only for differences.
  • Use Save As from a working configuration — faster than building from scratch.
  • Test auto-switching by Alt-Tabbing and watching the active profile indicator.
  • Macros are per-profile — game-specific macros only activate when that game runs.
  • Physical device connections persist. Only virtual controller configuration changes during a switch.
  • Back up PadForge.xml to preserve your profiles.

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