SimTools reminders

Takes a while to get my head around Simtools philiosphy and it’s …. UI

2 Programs:

• Game manager
  • On PC running games
  • Manages patching of games (why patching is necessary when Simexperience doesn’t do it?)
  • Extracts game data and sends to the game engine:
• Game engine
  • Drives your motion platform
  • Receives raw data from Game manager
  • Mixes raw force data and sends it to your motion platform
  • Multiple settings & tools
    • Motion platform communication ports, speed, rate
    • Define motion platform axis
  • Map named forces to each axis
    • up to 6 named forces can be mixed for each actuator (Axis)
    • each force by %
    • has optional filters as well
    • can be by game (and ‘default’)
    • Load (Preset) & Save options
    • Set min max for scaling (where min is the ‘largest’ -ve input, e.g.min = -50, max = 50)
• Also the launcher (Hold down Shift key when starting to configure options)

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Simtools extracts game data as DOF 1-9

Simtools extracts data as named forces:

http://www.xsimulator.net/co-ordinate-system/

Motion platform is Axis 1-6 (has a & b sets)

Our (pre?) configured Game Engine

• Initial Output Testing, Output Type: ( a ) Axis Output
• Axis 1a = Left Actuator +Up, -Down
• Axis 2a = Right Actuator -Up, +Down
• Axis 3a = Rear Actuator +Up, -Down
• Axis 4a = Yaw +Clockwise

2 Com ports

• Interface 1
  • Com3
  • Interface output [A<Axis1a>][B<Axis2a>]
• Interface 2
  • Com4
  • Interface output [A<Axis3a>][B<Axis4a>]

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Axis Assignments

From what I can glean, the axis assignments below is where we assign forces to act on each of our motion platforms available axis, DOF1, 2 etc are just arbitrary columns to allow up to 6 forces to be set to act on each physical axis

Initial setup (Default) as supplied

Axis 4 filter settings for return to zero:

my changes to default:

Axis assignment changes:

• Turned off Axis 4 (Yaw) as:
  • My cabling is in the way as is very temporary for now
  • For Sim racing I feel it is too slow to be effective for rear breakaway simulation so is not useful for now
• Output testing for Sway had both front actuators going up and down together so toggled Axis 2a dir off
• Turned down Pitch and Roll from orig 80% to 40% as is less important than Accel/braking & cornering forces

Then ran Assetto Corsa:

• Game manager -> Selected Game = Assetto Corsa
• But still no Sway.. Check Game Engine and it has loaded Assetto Corsa specific Axis assignments
  • Game Engine -> Axis Assignments -> Presets: Create Preset ‘Assetto Corsa Lindsay’
  • Remove all inputs to Axis 4a (Yaw)

So Assetto Corsa has too much vibration when just starting rolling

• Time to use the same approach as Simexperience’s SimCommander, and set each force in turn/isolation before combining
• Game Engine Axis Assignments:
  • Sway
    • Will try 110% force with 10% smoothing
    • Axis 1 & 2 reversed Dir
  • Surge
    • Will try 80% force with 10% smoothing
  • Heave
    • Will try 80% force with 10% smoothing
    • Axis 1 reversed Dir
    • Axis 3 reversed Dir
  • Pitch
    • Will try 20% force with 10% smoothing
  • Roll
    • Will try 20% force with 10% smoothing
    • Axis limiting Axis 1-3 = 80%

Project Cars

• Game Manager profile for PCars has non zero settings in Profile Editor
  • Copied default and created my own zeroed copy
  • Game Engine Axis Assignments:
    • Heave
      • Will try 80% force with 10% smoothing
      • Axis 1 reversed Dir
      • Axis 3 reversed Dir
    • Surge
      • Will try 80% force with 10% smoothing
    • Sway
      • Will try 110% force with 10% smoothing
      • Axis 1 & 2 reversed Dir
    • Pitch
      • Will try 20% force with 10% smoothing
    • Roll
      • Will try 20% force with 10% smoothing
      • Axis limiting Axis 1-3 = 80%