aarondc's nDOF rig

computer plays game - motion software reads data from game - sends data to controller - controller sends data to h-bridge - h-bridge moves motor/actuator - feedback on motor/actuator tells controller what is is doing during game.
Something like that.

yes with xsim this scenario was really needed as a lot of games didn't like alt tabing or with xsim running and game in window ya needed some grunt. So as I have done in the past had a game machine running the game with the sender app , exporting the game details to the profiler via the network and then running my jrks or what ever I needed ie dashboard or Rc Model from that, My game machine was AMDx6 and profile machine was a 1.7G (old) laptop.
Worked nicely, with the new software Dustin has keep the resource useage to a Min, Top job on that, I haven't had any reports that a second pc is needed or warrented, Maybe to setup live profile adjustment might be nice, as this can be done now. Truth once you have Sim Tools up and running not much fiddling if any is needed.

And yes your last statement is correct the game plugin exports the data to the game engine port then via uso or net now the game engine sends the data to the controller.

Exactly ! That's how my setup is working



and the microcontroller process the data and perform the retroaction loop

Like eaorobbie said, it's more comfortable : no Alt+Tab, for tuning the system !

First step for me will be to build a prototype of a motion sim.

So before I win the award for the longest build thread that contains no actual build news, I would like to quietly announce that I bought a bunch of model sized servos, universal joints, push rods and ball joints from Ebay / hobbyking tonight.

Now to get me some other bits and pieces...

How did your model go, be good to see your own code in action, Big Smiles to be had.
Picture coming ?

So I have ordered the servos, etc, for the model, as mentioned above.
And today I ordered the micro to run the model.

Now it's a waiting game - my first foray into EBay Chinese micro sellers. Could be a few weeks before everything arrives, then a couple of weeks to set it up.

Then videos and/or pics.

Bugger hope you didn't order from dxextreme took 6 weeks. Hence now I many source local.

From Ebay.

At DX.com, first I had to wait 2 months for my motomonster...
but for my second order, I received it within 1 week !

Could you please post your URL links for the universal joints, push rods and ball joints you chose ?
it's always interesting to see what others have found ! and sometimes nice to do the same ! ;-)

I need to order more dash leds , cheers RacingMat that's reassuring that the next order might not take as long.

dx.com have sent my orders in multiple packages, spaced out by around a week each, but at least something is on its way. futurlec.com have good prices but no communication and don't send anything until it's all there - I cancelled my only order with them recently.

Sure thing. This is for model-sized, not life sized.

Universal joints: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FKO-Universa ... 0935107061?
Ball joints: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... duct=13099 - there are cheaper plastic ones but I want to take photos and video, so having blue ball joints will look better. Shiny!
Cheap servos: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... oduct=9549
Push rods: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... duct=40730

I've never made a model like this before, so the sizes, etc, were complete guesses. Could be the wrong size. Going to learn.

Imagine how much more I would post if I didn't have to log in each time....

Anyway. The ball joints I ordered are much bigger than the horn that comes with the very small TG9e servos, so I ordered some that are a bit smaller, as well as smaller shafts.

I have no model things either, so I have ordered some model cars and planes so I can stick something on the simulator rather than a blank shape or something. Then I got more ideas. And then looked at other models and got even more ideas.

What we need, I reckon, is a video of someone racing a car, and another video of someone flying an aircraft. With both videos, would be the simtools axis stream, stored in a text file. That way, someone could set up a serial monitor, play the video on their computer, while sending the simtool stream to their prototype, and see the prototype reacting to the simtool commands, and see if it meshes with the video of the car / plane movement.

Spoken by someone who has no games. :-(

It's like a unit test for simtool / prototype development.

So things are still happening, just slowly, as I wait for things to arrive.

What I did was driving up and down a hill – well, not really in a racing car but anyway – measured the movements (acceleartion and rotation in 3D), took some video in parallel. Because the same road is available in very good Quality in rFactor, I have been able to compear the game telemetry data with the real measurements.
See post here.
Since Megaupload is history the data is no longer available in the post. If you insist, I can repost ;D
T.

That's not a motion platform.

This is a motion platform...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJaSAtv0l0

yep, that will do the job