Peter`s MULTI SIM PROJECT

I was going to use SCN6 to get more power but theirs speed could be an issue in the future. Using lever i am about to keep the speed of SCN5 and get the power of SCN6. Thing is - that i have to use 150mm scn5 or even 200mm to get right length of the long arm (at the end of small one i will get something about 100mm). Since SCN6 are more expensive - that all means equal (price to performance). Same money what SCN6 cost, same power but more speed. Less to bother about center of gravity as well.

In my world of simulation big thing was always about the view. I was making everything to get the best picture posible. Now i can say that i am in half way.

This are my experience at the moment.

Absolutely i have to match right sizes of the objects from reality - thats why projector is the only option. In my situation i went for PANASONIC PT-AE3000. Size of the picture around 100-120 inch. To get the most of that type of picture you need to do some improvements to yours room.

- dark walls around screen (no reflections),
- plain screen surface,
- clear, snow white paint,
- projector position.

Dark room. You have to do everything to get yours place around screen very dark. Even opposite wall. Projector is throwing very strong light and if you will, for example have white walls around you will get reflections on the screen and around - in whole room. That will highly affect your experience. It will be worthless to try set it up by adjusting brightness or contrast ratio. For Panasonic contrast is 60.000 to 100.000 - you can imagine how strong it is (it is hard to find LCD with this achievements). Playing Far Cry 2 with his sunshine was just a pain in bright room. Now my room is painted dark green with mahogany and burgundy parts (doors, shelves...). It is all different story now. Like new experience!

White and plain surface. No questions about it - this has to be snow white. It also has to be perfectly plain. I actually was able to get the most of this two worlds by using Smooth&Repair Paint. Splendiddd have also an option in case of paint - you can ask him about it. I went for that and i can say that it was a perfect choice. I managed to get plain surface without any dumps or cracks and also clearly white. I did compare effect with my old plastic screen and another high quality screen and i can say that there is no difference between them. Thing is that this paste is so white that can easy match others quality screens but when i used another whit paint on it surface become somehow creamy - thats why i decided to leave it as it is.

Projector position. You have to go on compromise because you need to have projector in line with center of the screen but also you have to put yours simulator on the way. To not get yourself make shadow you need to lift projector as high as it is necessary. When projector is straight you are getting clear, sharp picture in every corner. By lifting him up you will get small blur to the view on the bottom of screen. Adjusting lens will help but it never will be the best what projector can give you. It is not much to complain about it - it is just something between. The best with adjusting is to be focused on the center - here you can get the most!

There is lots of speculation around forum about quality of the picture presented by projector. Those improvements were actually necessary for me to fully appreciate quality of the view and see what kind of beast it is. I still have Full HD TV 47 inch and Samsung 2233 (nvidia 3D) monitor next to projector. When i did turn it on and asked everyone about picture quality no-one in the room have doubts about this. Panasonic is just kicking all of them!


Also you can read about others experience with screens:
projector-vs-lcd-t2159.html

canopy-screen-rear-projection-t1830.html?hilit=canopy

Hi again Skaut69
I am still impressed by your ideas .. I hope everything you are building now works as planned! I have been not been visiting http://www.x-simulator.de since a long time. First time back was today and WOW what a nice surprise reading about your new planning.

I have been reading the last 3 months about proyectors for my new flat and the PANA PT-AE3000 or AE4000 were also my choice. Regarding the screen issues you mentioned, take a look at the following solution:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/SI_blac ... review.htm
http://hometheaterreview.com/si-screens ... -reviewed/
I know it is expensive ... but you don´t need to play in a totally black painted room. Your proyector will be also usable with daylight. I am really thinking seriously about getting one.

I am finishing my new cockpit structure (still no actuators, but everything ready for them (I tried to follow your original cockpit proyect) ... once I finish some soldering I will post my proyect in the forum... and maybe start again redesigning it to include your new ideas
I will keed an eye on your proyect ... good luck!

Great tips Skout69!
I usually race at night but my white ceiling bother me a lot! I have Panasonic PT-AE4000 and so far I'm very happy with it.
I will try some of Your advices to improve quality.
Thnx
sn4il

ps:
http://www.vimeo.com/9784364
it was my very first try of my newly built sim and new projector, the seat was not balanced good and the driver was 270 lbs

Everybody can see on yours video how great quality of the picture you can get from Panasonic (PT-AE series) projector. I see that your screen is about 70 (~80) inch and you are very close. That is good way to achive proper immersion - adjust distance to size of the screen. Consider also that what i`m trying to forced by some time - to get Proper Size of the Objects (from real world). To get it on the screen you have to go at least for 100 inch. I have been on 150 inch and that was to much - I wasn`t able to see right and object were too big. I am right now at about 120-130 and i feel that everything is ok.

Another thing about yours video. You look like you driving a Go Kart compare to other cars (yours Sim is really low compare to that what is on screen). Probably you have everything under development but if not then consider to get yours screen lower to have yours point of view in straight line with the centre of the screen. Then you will see ground close to your legs and other cars next to you not over you (like you used to have in real condition).

BTW: I am very happy that you bought Panasonic - it is very hard to convince someone and you just bought because you like Quality!

razzta01 - that is always good thing to go for quality screen but can you imagine yourself buying 130 inch high quality screen. In my case - i can easy say - No. Thats why everybody in here is trying to get proper screen DIY one. My advice to you is to put those money on quality projector (which PT-AE4000 definietly is) and made yours own screen. You can use some of my advices or many others on ouer site. If you think about wall paint speak with Splendiddd - he have some alternative to that.

But also wait to see what i`m about to do with my screen - very soon!

I think its a wide angle lense I used on the camera makes this screen looks small, its really 106. I have to move the seat away from the screen in order to bring the picture down, otherwise I see my head in it. I think moving it 2' away will be enough.
sn4il

...or lift up projector - but then you have to use lens adjustment (two knobs on the top of projector). I wrote a few words about it. You know what i mean - slightly affects sharpness of the picture.

Like for yours weight that Sim moves quite easy and fast - probably you set it up well. Good job.

Projector is 22' away from the screen and I only 5 left to the ceiling
I'm already using lense shift adjustment but the distance between projector and screen in my case helps to keep same focus over entire screen.
sn4il

no updates?

3D VIEW- Passive 3D by Dual Projection Polarization


Check here - see easy way to make your own 3D IMAX like experience !!!
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2516&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

hi please could you tell me were you got your parts from
regards

Power supply is MEAN WELL S-100 F-24.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trks ... Categories

Popular adapters (FTDI chip) from eBay and connect them in the same way as everybody doing it.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=RS48 ... m270.l1313

SCN5
I ordered them from Frex Japan to UK.
They both cost me 490£ (~700$).
Postage and packaging 65£ (~90$)
Import Tax Duty - 110£ (~160$).
All costs: 665£ (~950$).

Cables (USB) from eBay. The rest is random - mostly from eBay. Whole frame is made by me and weld by friend of mine. Pivot is taken out of steering column or something like that.
About SCN5 - better buy them from USA. Ask others - it is about connectors (Frex did change them) and customer support.

http://www.simxperience.com/

http://www.miraiintertech.com/home/index.php

This thing is on the way. More and more changes still to come..... especially those mechanical ones !

Some time ago i was telling you about idea of running whole simulator in different way - to use separate parts for each kind of g-force. Like for me the most important g-force is whe car accelerate and whe i breaking - so i went for simple simulation to recreate this feeling. When accelerate it is kind of feeling like being pulled out of your dashboard and pressed onto it when car is slowing down.
With my solution your body experience something like displeacement compare to enviroment and that makes you feel like in the proper situation of breaking and accel. Since there is nothing like a pressure to the back of your seat when accelerat but there is sensational feeling when you slowing down and your body is pressed onto steering wheel.

Separated actuators will work for side movements plus some of the smal, extra front and back movements to recreate landform (like in Dirt 2 profile created by Schnullerbacke and Nima) . Actuators will be in the different place then before and work diferent way so i need to spend some more time.

Everything was just in the form of test and work well so dont you dare to laugh at me because of the way i did put this all together ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC4X5P3LVr0

Some pictures:

What was wrong with your first simulator design. That seemed fine. Also It would be cool if I can get dials to put behind the g25 like you but connect it so it works with the game. This is my next step maybe.

Great, that people are continously trying to improve things.

However, I think I couldnt drive with this one ;D
1. This setup has even more effect on the braking and accelleration pedals as the default SCN5 setup.
2. I would stall the SCN5s immediatly every time I press the break pedal.
3. How do you accellerate, when your foot gets pulled away from the pedal?

Regards

There is nothing wrong with old type of construction - i just want to improve it so i can feel more acurate feeling of g-force when i accel and break. Also there will be no problem with pivot being not in center. Different actuators work for diferent axis.
I`ve use the SCN5 for this test so i can see how it works and because i have just them at the moment. In the future i want to use one of Pololu controler and wiper motor to move seat front and back and SCN5 will still work for side movements. I don`t know if X-Sim software can work with two types of controlers Pololu and SCN5 adapter (can someone explain it).

In case of movements - they are quite small and i am not loosing any contact with pedals. It is exactly like in real car. You feel like just your ass is slightly moving on the seat. Tell me that you don`t like this feeling when you taking turn left and you have high hill before you but you also know that here you have 600 Nm of torque waiting to be release. I am about all this feeling being brutally preesed to the back by g-force when you accelerate and almost vomiting when you breaking.
Besides, do you really press your pedals with full force. I work with them rather gently. I was traind as a race driver but i work fast with pedalls like rally driver. Sometimes jumping on them with pulsation.

Fahim - this dashboard project was great and i was about to connect gauges like you said but i scrap it for a good reason. It mostly because of 3D and TrackIR. Later i will write more about it.

X-Sim can do this. I have tested it. You simply need to obtain a controller/motors and learn the USO.

The main problem is that a game outputs in properly scaled (pitch/roll/ lateral / longitudiinal / vertical g's). The Wiper motors cannot match the performance of the SCN5. Therefore your movements will be mismatched and you will not have an accurate feel. It is extremely difficult to match the lateral /roll of a wiper motor to the lognitudinal / pitch / vertical of an SCN5.

I sounds a bit like you are more interested in creating an extreme feel rather than an accurate one so I'm not sure if that will matter for you or not. If realism is paramount, then mixing actuators is quite a chore and definitely not something I would recommend.

What if i will stay with SCN5 as they are right now but with just a smaller movemwnts to the front and back (smaller values in match settings). Everything will be as it is right now. Only one wiper motor will be as a additional lognitudinal move - only one match setup for this one.

Thing is that i really want this to work out because effect is sensational. I was really missing this feeling of being pooled out when speed up. I was putting foot down and nothing was happening - car was going but i didn`t feel it. G-force is the experience of loosing stability control. This is made by small rocking which we have in standard sim setup with scn5. With this extra actuator i`am just about to get bigger one.

So what do you thing - if i will go only for this kind of movement with extra motor then what the possible issue i can expect from game output. I mean - is it going to be late compare to scn5 (since they will be still doing some of the same movements)?