Tutorial XPlane 11- Setup Guide SimTools

absyfadhel1 · Apr 30, 2021

John458 said: ↑

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Hi all,

Just starting this thread as a guide for users on how to setup X-Plane 11 through Simtools and depending on your motion system, how best to set it up for maximum realism. I will try and update it as new things come along.

Thanks to @Archie @noorbeast and @SixDegreesOfFlight for their contributions thus far.

https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/x-plane-11-6dof-motion-platform.10542/page-13

Getting SimTools to talk to X-Plane 11

Download SimTools and apply for or purchase the license. When it asks if you want to start SimTools with Windows click Yes to both the Manager and the Engine.
Download the game plugin for X-Plane. Even though it is quite old now, it still works with the latest version of XP11

Using the SimTools Manager apply the patch to XP11.

To install the plugin use the "SimTools_PluginUpdater" located in the root Simtools installation directory

Step 1: Getting SimTools to talk to X-Plane

To get SimTools talking with X-Plane, start XP and Click on Settings > Data Output
Now that you have the screen with all the checkboxes, check the following items in the last column "Network via UDP"
3 Speeds
4 Mach, VVI, g-load
16 Angular velocities
17 Pitch, roll, & headings
37 Engine RPM
38 Propeller RPM

Check the box, 'Send network data output' and enter IP Address 127.0.0.1 and Port 4123.
Set the UDP rate to maximum (99.9 packets/sec)

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NOTE: After you patch the game you may need to relaunch and check the dataoutput settings in X-Plane 11 ,as it added many more data points no.s 0,1,2,13,14,15 etc when I patched it. Untick these as it seems to make the game engine crash if they are all ticked. Stick with the data outputs above only.

For the time being, that's all you need so you can close X-Plane.

Step 2: Setting up the Arduino with SMC3.

Download the SMC3 sketch with soft start.
Edit the code at the top of the sketch to select the MODE you will be using
Upload to the Arduino Uno. Note: some variations of clone Unos have been reported to not work with SMC3.

Download and run the SMC3 Utility

http://www.xsimulator.net/community...3dof-motor-driver-and-windows-utilities.4957/

Initially set PWMmax=0, PWMrev=0, Kp=400, Ki=0, Kd=0, Ks=1. Click on -->M2 to copy the settings for the second motor.

Click on the radio button for Manual mode. Drag the blue slider up a bit and see if the actuator begins moving up to meet it. If it doesn't, reverse the 0V and 5V wires on the feedback pot and try again.

Gradually increase PWMmax and watch how the actuator tries to follow your manual input. The higher the PWMmax value the harder the motor will work to try and reach the new position you set by the blue dot. If it is jerky while trying to get to the new position, try and reduce Kp, this will smooth things out but make the actuator less responsive. The goal is to get the actuator moving to the new position as fast and as smooth as possible. Once you are happy with the settings, click on -->M2 to copy them to the other motor. If you have more than two axis you will need to change the SMCUtils ini file for it to talk to another port. Then set that Arduino up with the settings you established are best for you.

Note: the autobaud command that the Arduino sends to the Sabertooth may be lost if the Arduino is started before the Sabertooth. So ensure that you power on the Sabertooth first, then the Arduino Uno

Step 3: Game Manager

X-Plane profile - set Extra 1,2,3 in the middle of the slide bar and Main Level to 0%.

This can be turned up to 100% later but a low setting will help prevent something breaking when you are initially getting it all to work. @noorbeast wrote: The Main % globally lessens the movement of the sim, it is handy if you want to run say the F138 around Nords, which is really bumpy, so you can turn things down a bit so it does not rattle your teeth out (I turn mine down to around 92%), then turn it back up for something like the Xbow, which has more suspension movement.

(Screen shots coming)

Step 4: Game Engine

Initially, set the Axis limiting to 10% on all axis. You will see the actuators move but they won't drive past the limits switches and cause damage if something goes wrong. Eventually, you will want to increase this limit slowly and watch where the ball screw is. The goal is to get a percentage value that moves the ball screw between the limit switches but without actually hitting them. It may be as low as 30% or as high as 100%

Additional information -Flight Sims in general

for other flight sims like Prepar3d may help in your settings see post below from @Archie

https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/getting-the-most-out-of-p3d-and-your-sim.6889/

Setting up for Simtools:

If you use traditional roll and pitch (as you would for Racing games) when you do a 180 roll in an aircraft the sim will reset the Roll axis and "snap" the simulator back to the opposite angle, so you get "rocked" around when it should be a lean to the right or left, not "bounced" left and right.

To fix this, you use EXTRA2 for ROLL and EXTRA1 for Pitch.

The behaviour has changed so that as you lean into a right roll for example, the sim will lean to the right, but as you make the roll faster, the sim will take advantage of the axis and lean even further. As you exit the roll, the sim will slowly level out (using smoothing.. will get to that soon) and the roll feels much more natural.

My settings for Prepar3D are:

Extra 2 - 90% - Smoothing 25% (ROLL)
Extra 1 - 90% - Smoothing 25% (PITCH)
Heave - 20% - No smoothing
Surge - 20% - No smoothing

Now, those numbers don't add up to 100%, however in a flight sim the axis movements are much more subtle, so in a roll or climb I want to get the full range from my sim, so I have it set to 90% and then tune the "tuning centre" to get the feel that I want. This is a personal choice and you will need to experiment.

In short, if you are using 90% pitch and 90% roll at the same time in a plane, you're likely in trouble!!

(I don't use Sway, but might experiment with it soon to give the sideways movement you feel in turbulence.)

The smoothing enables the sim to return to "level" in a controlled manner. This makes a huge difference to pitch because if you get this value right along with heave it will give the sensation of the plane "settling" as you level off. Planes don’t reach height and just stop, they reach an altitude and then level off, in a curve. These two settings help with that
Click to expand...

i checked landing tick and engine and otheres but i couldnt get landing shake on my 2dof and i open the simtools virtual axis but no move for heave help?

noorbeast · May 1, 2021

absyfadhel1 said: ↑

why there is no heave effect?
Click to expand...

The plugin supports heave, most likely your motion profile needs refining, see the tuning tips here: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/steps-to-create-a-motion-profile.228/

absyfadhel1 · May 1, 2021

noorbeast said: ↑

The plugin supports heave, most likely your motion profile needs refining, see the tuning tips here: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/steps-to-create-a-motion-profile.228/
Click to expand...

i will try to change setting

absyfadhel1 · May 1, 2021

absyfadhel1 said: ↑

i will try to change setting
Click to expand...

its have pitch and roll in perfect motion but no heave in landing , i saw many video on youtube for gameplay but they also dont have heave landing

imajavaid · Jan 30, 2022

Good work. I appreciate that.
I was building 2 dof flight simulator with xplane. Can you kindly guide me what axis assignments along with their percentages I should use. In short can you kindly fill up the table for me of axis assignment of simtools for 2DoF flight simulator

Damien BRUCKERT · Feb 18, 2022

Hello I have a problem. after installation I do not have all the information coming out of the game.
I have ROll PITCH YAW which works but I don't have SWAY and SURGE there is no data coming out.
I have checked the checkboxes in the game everything is good
I reinstalled the plugin and still nothing.
Do you have an idea to solve my problem?
Thank you

noorbeast · Feb 18, 2022

Damien BRUCKERT said: ↑

Hello I have a problem. after installation I do not have all the information coming out of the game.
I have ROll PITCH YAW which works but I don't have SWAY and SURGE there is no data coming out.
I have checked the checkboxes in the game everything is good
I reinstalled the plugin and still nothing.
Do you have an idea to solve my problem?
Thank you
Click to expand...

Can you please post pictures of all of your settings, including the Tuning Center while the game is running.

Damien BRUCKERT · Feb 21, 2022

Do you need somthing more ?

noorbeast · Feb 21, 2022

Damien BRUCKERT said: ↑

Do you need somthing more ?
Click to expand...

A couple of things to check, does Output Testing work as expected on all axis and have you tried setting your PC to English Local: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/simtools-language-setting-bug-change-to-english-local.233/

This looks to be taken stationary on the ground, you need one in the air in circumstances where all axis data would be expect, say a spin:

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Tutorial XPlane 11- Setup Guide SimTools

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Attached Files:

parametre centre.png

simtools.png

tunig center.png

noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director