New user & install - Acceleration question

Hi fellow sim freaks & fanatics I got my hardware squared away and have been taking a slow, staged approach to setting up and fine tuning Simtools before I go BIC (butt in chair). I read an excellent tutorial on how to turn off all other actuators and concentrate on one axis at a time.

So far I've tried Dirt, Dirt2, Project Cars and another I can't remember. In working on just the pitch axis (all others turned off) I noticed two things. It seemed my pitch was running backwards. (RESOLVED). Read here that checking/unchecking DIR reversed the axis direction. One question answered

The final question I have is regarding acceleration cues. When driving in all the games I noticed that the pitch worked with shifting very well, short, quick and shallow movements and not taking alot of range. It also works well in demonstrating going up a hill, as in Mazda Leguna Seca, the sim will use more of the axis leaning back so you feel as if you are going up a hill. It also moves very shallow and rapid to simulate the road surface.

While using the other software, acceleration and deceleration was done very well by moving the pitch axis back or forth. This motion used the majority of range on the actuators. The harder you would accelerate, the more the pitch axis would 'lean back' pressing you into the seat. The inverse was true for deceleration, pitch axis leaning forward.

In using the above games & plugins I noticed there was no acceleration cues in any of them? i,e. accelerating or decelerating didn't move the pitch axis. It's not a matter of range as Simtools can move the pitch axis all the way from top to bottom without issue in testing as well as during start-up.

In addition to the three axis Pitch, Roll, YAW some plugins also offer Surge, Heave and Sway. I've been assigning the Pitch, Roll and Yaw to my three actuators. Is it possible to assign more than one DOF to an axis?

i.e. Could I assign Surge and or heave to my pitch axis as well to give me the additional acceleration movement I want? As mentioned, everything works well, shifting and road surface but absolutely no acceleration or deceleration motion in any of the games or modules I've tried.

I'm using three SCN6's for Pitch, Roll and Yaw btw. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers,

DaV

Excellent.. more great reading I just had a real quick read through but I still have the question.. can I not get both surge and pitch on my actual pitch axis giving me BOTH hills and acceleration? I do enjoy the effect of going up and down hills, ala Dirt 2 and 3

I was assuming that to use anything more than pitch, roll and yaw, I would need more than 3 physical actuators.. i.e. to use all six DOF I would need a 6DOF simulator..? To use 4, say Pitch, roll, yaw and surge I would need 4 physical actuators, etc..? Does that make any sense?

Thanks,

DaV

That explains it perfectly! I was impressed with the software before but Wow! Now I get it.. duh Looks like I have a good deal of work ahead of me but it will be worth it in the end

Thanks noorbeast!

Cheers,

DaV

Just my two cents @DaVinster , coming from a foot mount and now using a shoulder mount. I lost a lot of the feeling of pitch, however with a well tuned profile Surge more than makes up for it. I have my profiles set now so that Surge (and some heave) is the force I work with most to get the feel of acceleration and braking and then I have minimal pitch. I find with the right settings (and it does seem like witchcraft at times) that when you get it spot on the feeling is awesome.

For example, in Assetto corsa on Nords, the very first left hander after the Pits has a very sharp drop, it minimal, but comes up quick as your make the bend.... As I brake (surge) and the car drops (pitch) I get thrown forward and with my seat belt being so tight, it actually hurts. (it's awesome!)

If you don't already, get a harness / seatbelt so you are firm in the seat. Makes a world of difference.

Thanks Archie for the tips.. I haven't tried a seat mover personally. I'm not sure if the motion cues you're referring to would apply to my rig or not but I'll give it a try! I sit in the middle of 3 tier'd gimble, if that makes sence? I opted for the extra travel actuators and I have to reduce the roll axis in particular as it leans so far over it's almost uncomfortable. No complaints with pitch though.. I like the feeling of almost standing the car 'on it's nose' and and the hard pull of acceleration Having a little extra travel also means I can have hard accel/decel and a little left over for terrain, if going up a hill for instance. I can see how your term of 'witchcraft' would apply as it will be voodoo to find those sweet spots

I did go buy a 4 point harness but it was way too heavy duty for my sim. I then rigged something with a couple guitar hero guitar straps and some zip ties and it works ok. The straps were in bargain bins for a dollar after the whole Guitar Hero/Rockband craze faded

I saw a mod on here where I could attach the ends of the straps to springs behind you so when you pitched forward it would tighten the straps on you. I think that would really add to the sense of hard braking.

Well off to tweak some DOFs!

Cheers,

DaV

Yeah, I did the spring thing, it really does help.
I also used exhaust mounting rubber as spring mounts to deaden the "clang" of the springs going tight under braking.

Now that's a great tip!

Cheers,

DaV