Amicos 3DOF from 3DPrinter Parts

Its only really that low when at rest..



I need some better stoppers.. Im using felt pads on the traction loss platform for now.. Maybe Springs?!

Its working!!! Wrapping my head around the Motor Directions was off putting for some reason... But I think I got it right..

Test Video 1 but it was the 2nd time on the rig.. It was all backwards or caddywonkus the first try.

Thanks Norbeast! Im not 100% Sure I have the motions right.. The traction loss kicked in during a grass slide and felt awesome... But I haven't felt again after some other Pitch or sway changes...

Effect Action Left Front Motor Right Front Motor
Pitch Acceleration UP UP Is this Positive(R) on the Testing Slider?
Pitch Braking DOWN DOWN Is this Negative(L) on the Testing Slider?
Roll Left Turn UP DOWN Is this Negative(L) on the Testing Slider?
Roll Right Turn DOWN UP Is this Positive(R) on the Testing Slider?
Surge Acceleration UP UP Is this Positive(R) on the Testing Slider?
Sway Left Turn UP DOWN Is this Negative(L) on the Testing Slider?

That sounds like an ambitious and exciting build! You’ve opted for a somewhat unique layout by placing the two primary actuators in the front and the traction loss in the rear.

Since you’re building this from scratch, the geometry of your motor arms (cranks) and how they translate to software logic (like SimTools or FlyPT) is the most critical part of getting that "seat-of-the-pants" feel.

Understanding Your 3 DOF Layout
In a typical 3 DOF (Degrees of Freedom) setup, the movements are usually Pitch, Roll, and Traction Loss. Here is how your specific motor orientation translates to movement:

• Front Motors (Left & Right): These will handle your Pitch (nose up/down) and Roll (leaning into corners). Because they are in the front, when both motors go up, the front of the rig lifts, simulating acceleration or an uphill climb.
  
  
• Rear Motor: This is dedicated to Traction Loss (Yaw). It pivots the entire frame or the rear of the seat left and right to simulate the back end of the car sliding out.

Key Considerations for Your Build
1. Motor Arm Geometry (The "Forward" Orientation) You mentioned the arms point forward and move up and down. This is known as a crank and rod system.

• Linearity: To get the smoothest movement, you want your connecting rods to be at a 90° angle to the motor arm when the rig is at "Level 0" (neutral).
  
  
• Travel Range: Ensure the arm doesn't "over-center" (flip all the way around), which can cause a mechanical jam or break your rods.

2. The Pivot Point For a front-heavy actuator setup like yours, you likely have a universal joint (U-joint) or a pivot point toward the rear (near the traction loss axis).

• If the pivot is too far back, the front motors have to work harder to lift the weight of the driver.
  
  
• If the pivot is central, you get a more balanced "see-saw" effect.

3. Center of Gravity (CoG) Since you have two motors in the front and only one in the back (for yaw), your static weight distribution is vital.

• Try to balance the rig so that when the motors are off, the rig stays relatively level. This reduces the "holding torque" required by your motors and prevents them from overheating.

Software Configuration Tip
When you set up your DOF limits:

• Pitch: Assign both front motors to move in the same direction.
  
  
• Roll: Assign the front motors to move in opposite directions (Left Up/Right Down).
  
  
• Traction Loss: Ensure your rear motor has enough "swing" to communicate the slide before you've already spun out in the game.

Thank you. Im looking for motor directions (Up and Down) for Pitch, Roll, Surge and sway.. It doesnt feel right in the game.

You said
Im not 100% Sure I have the motions right.. The traction loss kicked in during a grass slide and felt awesome... But I haven't felt again after some other Pitch or sway changes...


Effect Action Left Front Motor Right Front Motor

Pitch Acceleration UP UP Is this Positive(R) on the Testing Slider?

Pitch Braking DOWN DOWN Is this Negative(L) on the Testing Slider?

Roll Left Turn UP DOWN Is this Negative(L) on the Testing Slider?

Roll Right Turn DOWN UP Is this Positive(R) on the Testing Slider?

Surge Acceleration UP UP Is this Positive(R) on the Testing Slider?

Sway Left Turn UP DOWN Is this Negative(L) on the Testing Slider?


Effect Slider Direction Resulting Physical Motion Why?
Pitch Positive (Right) Front UP (Both) Simulates the car nose lifting during acceleration.
Pitch Negative (Left) Front DOWN (Both) Simulates the car nose diving during braking.
Roll Positive (Right) Right DOWN / Left UP Tilts the rig to the Right (simulating a left turn weight shift).
Roll Negative (Left) Left DOWN / Right UP Tilts the rig to the Left (simulating a right turn weight shift).
Surge Positive (Right) Front UP (Both) Tilts you Back to simulate being pushed into the seat.
Sway Positive (Right) Left UP / Right DOWN Tilts you Right to simulate being pushed by lateral G-force.


To check for clipping and fix the "disappearing" Traction Loss, you need to look at your Axis Assignments (the percentages assigned to each effect).

Think of your motor's total movement as a 100% bucket. If you pour too much Pitch and Sway into the bucket, there’s no room left for Traction Loss to "splash" in.

1. Check your Total Percentages
Open your Axis Assignments (in SimTools or FlyPT). Look at the percentages for each motor.

• The Rule of Thumb: The sum of all effects for a single motor should ideally stay between 80% and 120%.
  
  
• The Problem: If your Pitch is 50%, Surge is 20%, and Sway is 40%, that motor is at 110% before you even add Traction Loss. When you brake and turn at the same time, the motor hits its physical limit, and the Traction Loss signal is simply ignored.

Try these "Sweet Spot" settings for a 3 DOF:

• Pitch: 25%
  
  
• Surge: 15%
  
  
• Sway: 20%
  
  
• Roll: 15%
  
  
• Traction Loss (Rear Motor): 80-100% (Since this motor only handles one job, it can have a high percentage).

2. Calibrate the Tuning Center (Min/Max)
If you changed your car or track, your "Max" values might be too high. If the software thinks a "slide" is a value of 100, but your motor only reacts when it hits 200, you won't feel anything.

1. Open the Tuning Center.
   
   
2. Click "Capture" or "Reset."
   
   
3. Drive a few laps. Make sure you actually slide the car and hit the curbs.
   
   
4. Click "Save."
   
   
5. Pro Tip: If Traction Loss feels too weak, manually lower the Max value for "Extra 1" or "Yaw" in the Tuning Center. Lowering the number makes the motor more sensitive/aggressive.

3. Check for "Washout" or "Boundary"
If you added a Washout Filter to your Sway or Pitch to make them feel smoother, the filter might be returning the rig to center so aggressively that it’s "eating" the Traction Loss vibrations.

• Check if you have a Deadzone set on your Traction Loss. If the deadzone is too high, small slides (which are the most important ones to feel) won't trigger the motor at all.

Summary Checklist

• [ ] Sum of percentages for Front Motors < 110%.
  
  
• [ ] Traction Loss (Rear Motor) set to a high percentage (80%+).
  
  
• [ ] Tuning Center Max values aren't accidentally set too high (which "muffles" the effect).

Would you like me to explain how to tune the "Smoothing" and "Deadzone" specifically for that Rear Traction Loss motor to make it "pop" more?



Gemini Is my AI of Choice lately... ITs crazy how much its helped me with this build....

I set the Pots center in SMC3 Utility to 0 when the rig is resting so there is no strain on the motors and it doesn't fly up to Level after powering on the 24v.. I now have a much smoother Power up but I need to set the Level In Simtools so it rises slowly when the game is turned on to a Neutral Position instead of my no nose resting (0) in SMC3 Utility. Neutral needs to be the NEW 0 for the game so I still have my full motion of travel.

I set the HW Start speed to 3400ms but how do I set a Neutral?

Do I type something in the text field?

Thanks again.. Yes they can move when un powered.. Kind of the Issue..

I'll check those links! Thanks again!

Are the < > Numbers 360 Rotation? Do I need to have the SMC3 Utility Zero at Park (As is Now) or does it have to be at Neutral in game Neutral Zero? Then I just do a < # > to get to to park?

I was just trying to avoid the Dramatic Shake to Center position from Park when SMC3 Turns on..

I had to give up on the Park/Neutral positioning.. I just couldn't get it right.. I went back to SMC3 0 is Level/Neutral and just deal with the start up jerk.. I couldnt woit to try more. It's my last day off... Here are my last Running settings Im sure Ill have to tweak them more and not sure im feeling the acceleration and breaking enough..



I also have slop in my handmade motor arms.. Or at least 1... Jitter To fix. I have a tiny bit of slop, just enough for the pot to recognize.If I shake it... It then goes into its back and forth jitter trying to correct itself..

This might be an endless Project.... lol But here is my 2nd Test Vid!