Playing with Filters....

Hi Everyone,

I've setup all my games and the motion is nice. I'm happy with most of the settings now.
Of course, we always tinker, and I've started playing with the Axis filters...

I'm interested in the smoothing and washout filters, but I need to understand what they are doing, using my own SimTools settings as an example.

I find it's really adding to the experience, especially on a full frame sim where (and this blew my mind) I get the sensation of "hard" or "soft" suspension from the front mounts. For example, when bombing down Nords in the Formula A in pCars, the sensation of "springy bounce" at my feet is quite amazing.

Here is what the doco by @eaorobbie says:

Smoothing – Will smooth the value, if a value seems jerky or not flowing this can be increased to add a smoothing effect by creating a mean value of the values coming in.

Washout – Is handy when we require a value to wash back to 0. i.e. like for a yaw axis that doesn’t actually turn a full 360 degrees. So to give the feeling to the rider that he/she is still actually turning.

If I have my SWAY set to 60% and smoothing is set to 30%, what is the actual effect of this?

If I have my ROLL set to 60% and Washout is set to 30%, what is the actual effect of this?

When I have 30% smoothing set on Sway axis at 60%, the cars kind of "settles" back to level after a sharp corner, instead of just 'flicking' back to centre / level.

When I have 30% washout on Roll axis at 60%, the front slowly settles back to level after hitting a bump.

Last night I tried these exact settings in pCars and I really like the effect it gives, but I still don't understand the "science" behind it, so I'm just entering random number and hoping for the best.

Any elaboration of these settings very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Archie.

Thanks @noorbeast - I guess my confusion is around the "math"....

So when you have two axis at 60% with 30% smoothing, the actual output would be 42%, (30% of 60)
Or, does it ensure that the final 18% of the movement is "smoother" at the extremes.

Thanks @yobuddy - So when a 30% smoothing filter is being applied to a 100% sway, what is that filter actually doing? That's what I am trying to understand. Sorry if I'm not explaining myself properly

@Archie: Sometimes for better understanding it can help to try it out by experimenting with the values as x times asking for theory.

I used to use boundary to take the big spikes out of the motion, but that was more to stop errors I had with JRKS. Time spent with motor settings and PID overcame this.
The boundary helped soften overall big hits a bit, I think I ran between 5 and 30 depending on game.
I dont use it anymore.

@Archie

The picture says 1000 words

I believe the smoothing filter works like this:



It doesn't affect the Axis range like @yobuddy explained, but will affect / smooth out the spikes and this would also affect the range of the effect itself (sway, surge etc) - making you think that Axis range was changed - but actually it wasn't, it was the range of effect that was changed.

If you take a look at the big spike in the center of the first image (noisy data), you would see that it reaches a point around 70% of the axis, but on the second image with smoothing applied - the same spike is ranged at point somewhat below 60% of axis because of the smoothing, making a difference of about 10% in the range. The second big spike has even bigger range impact because of smoothing. So it's not your fault thinking Axis was changed, you were 'tricked' into it..

And if you take a look, smoothing will also make you lose motion details and make your motion smoother but that could also feel slower in movement / response if you apply too much of it. Just imagine turning your car into a boat on waves

How much smoothing filter was applied in that example?

@Blame73

Actually, the above graphs are not representing actual force from Simtools, I've found those graphs on google from some other test but edited them a bit with some info. Actual motion graphs would be a little different, with positive and negative values etc.

But the point was only to show how can smoothing affect the motion line. From the test pic above, I would say 15-20% smoothing was added..

I see, it was very clear and informative!

hi
I also used the smoothing filter to heave Indeed, it was 3%, and has felt the change with the same filter too, I found the car too soft fly off the blow.

Thanks guys - Sorry been very sick this weekend so only just catching up.

As you pointed out @noorbeast , just trying it does not always work in this case as some understanding is always needed, otherwise you are just fumbling in the dark and not understanding the output.

All I know, is that at 60% sway and 30% smoothing on pCars I get really nice movement on the Sway axis.
What this does for me is this:
Lets say you go around a left then right bend in succession, in a real car you would still be swaying out of the left bend and you go into the right bend, and with the smoothing applied on the Sim it gives you a sense of what the backend is doing. If I skid and the backend loses it, it actually feels (tricks my mind) into feeling like the backend is coming around.
Again, maybe because I am on a foot sim and my legs are giving me feedback as well, it's "feels" pretty awesome.

I kind of wish I had not found them now as I keep tinkering, but it seems a nice ratio is 2:1, so if you have 60%sway, 30% smoothing is good. YMMV.

I have a problem with the Surge Axis alignment in Richard burns rally rbr game. I set this in dirt rally and assetto without any problems, but in rbr I need to find a compromise, I have to set the washout filter. By a well-set axis, I mean such a setting that when I add gas on 1 gear, it gets a kick and the strongest deflection occurs, then 2nd gear is the same, only lighter and so on to 5.6 gears. If it adds gas, it deflects if it inhibits the return. When it comes to rbr, when I hit 1, it is in this state, if it brakes, it also comes back nicely. If I wait to cut off and punch 2, 3, and on, do the same. The problem arises when I do not wait to be cut off, I only stick in earlier. Although the car has turbo and there should be an impact, it does not occur or it occurs randomly with a delay. I caught the values of max min. I tested different values. As it writes in every other where I set it up. Does anyone have any advice on how to set this up? I have the impression that the problem is that after tilting the axis there is no room for tilting again? Maybe someone has experience in rbr. Maybe the profile was made for a different physics and the present ngp has a problem with it? Please help. I love this game

When I capture max min it's about 20 and I feel ok (when I press throttle it's working fast and strong on 1st gear, 2nd slower and less quicker and... 3rd also less. When I save settings and press stop capture ist ridiculous becouse it's like 20 % those forces!! I don't know why. Those settings is without any filters like on screens settings. When I'm lowering the max min settings to 10, 5 it's starting working again but it's not good for me becouse I want on gseat surge force for the car about 300 hp to kick me on back not like that. I try with different car from 200 hp to 400 and it's feel the same on 1st 2nd gear its OK. On throttle from low speed feel fine but the other gears and constantly increasing speed from 3rd gear there is signal from put the gear but when I'm reaching max rpm for me I'm finding quite OK when I'm apply washout about 80 %. Output testing feel much stronger on game engine. I'm putting all 100 % axis assignments and not feel this at all like 100