noobs

hi all!

i am a noob and this is why i am writing this. noobs liek me find the clips over the web, come here, and have no idea about the hardware part.. i posted some questions here: some-questions-t806.html because i did not find the answers on the site.. i think it would be a great improvement to have those questions answered for noobs like me.. maybe a newbie section with all the basic informations about hardware, software, electronics, costs, shopw, solutions, etc...

thank you

bye

igor

Hi Igor,

Welcome!

You are a noob, no problem. Take your time to reed the posts to get familiar with the X-Sim project. When you have done this, you are free to make such tutorials by yourself for the community.

We cannot provide How to make a simulator in 10 steps- tutorials. We are trying to concentrate knowlege on how to build simulators here. But we dont have ready to build solutions.

You can try to grab a pneumatic RnR, or you try to build something like Thanos Joyrider for example. But we cannot provide step-by-step tutorials nor tell you which concept is best. All concepts have their pros and cons.

Keep following the threads and you will be updated.

regards
Christian

hi christian!

thank you for your answer. i think you misunderstood me.. i was not talking about 10-steps tutorials.. not even about a tutorial at all.. my idea of a usefull site (i could also be wrong) is a site where you go, and have the informations you need. now, this site has RELATIVELY less users. new users are at 95% newbies, and if you dont help them out somehow then youre not helping you as well. my personal opinion is that new users should have some BASIC informations, concentrated on one point to start with, and then based on that, they can try to make theyr own sim with theyr own desing..

again.. this is only my opinion, and it was only a hint. youre free to agree or not..

have a nice weekend there

bye

igor

In my humble opinion, igor is right. I've though about this a few times now. I think we do the best we can with what we have, but I think we need more. What I am saying is that this site is out-growing a forums-only approach. Some type of a content management system, which includes forums as a small sub-component of it would allow us to present information in a much more organized fashion. It would also allow us to point noobs in the right direction more easily.

There are many such content management systems out there for free. For example, DotNetNuke, Joomla and Mamba are contenders for the best CMS systems of 2008 and they are free. I myself prefer DotNetNuke, and I run a DotNetNuke server. It is simple to use, and administer, yet capable of anything you can dream up. If you want to learn more about it... ask, and I can setup a test site for you to try out.

Regards,

Bernard (bvillersjr)

Currently we have ~5 acitve members and ~495 leechers, who just wait that somebody else does the whole work

The CMS is not the issue. We need people who have fun supporting the community with writing tutorials, making some artwork (infopanels, car skins, logos etc.), finding offset addresses in games, article translations etc.
There are so much possibilities to contribute, but no one cares...

I appreciate your efforts so far, but we need even more enthusiats!

Keep in mind, that X-Sim is a community project!

Regards
Christian

I agree that the participation rate is extremely low. However, as someone who helps other people accomplish their online objectives for a living, I have a different view of how to go about creating the excitement required to get people to participate.

I dont think that many people will spend the weeks reading through the forums like I did, just to get a basic grasp of what this community is, what it's purpose is, what we know so far, and how to get involved. All of this can be summed up in a much more efficient structure. This would allow people to come up to speed quickly, and then be able to participate. I would offer to put a document or a post together at a minimum, but unfortunately, I still don't think that I completely comprehend what this community is, or what it's ultimate goal is.

I'm familiar with many types of collaborative online efforts, but none that go by the term community project. What exactly is a community project? Who owns a community project? When I contribute intellectual content, who or what am I contributing to? People arent just going to contribute without an understanding of what they are contributing to. Other types of projects, such as open source projects (hardware and software) are governed by things like the GNU, etc... All of these things are made clear, which removes alot of roadblocks to participation. By what rules are we governed? How is the intellectual property of the community protected from corporate thieves?

Also, what is the ultimate goal of this project? The word project implies that there is a pre-determined list of objectives. I don't know what these are Are we trying to build the best motion simulation software, or the best motion simulation hardware, or some combination, or maybe it's none of these, and the objective is just to be a collection point community of information exchange? or maybe it is all of these?

If you would be so kind as to clarify some of these points to me, maybe I can draft a post that might help people come up to speed more quickly and be more willing to particiate.

I hope that you wont take this the wrong way, my intent is to be helpful, not to bash the current approach. I was prompted to write this email when I discovered that after nearly a week, only 4 people in this community are active enough to even vote on whaty game they would play if there was a game server for the community. I was very dissapointed, and set my mind on figuring out what prevents people from contributing. For what it's worth, the above is my analysis / opinion.

Regards,

Bernard (bvillersjr)

The reason is very clear. No motion simulator -> no need for simulator software.
But dont worry. This will change very soon once we have some people with well working SCN5 SimforceGT simulators with X-Sim :

The X-Sim software modules are editors/tools. They are comparable to map- or track-editors for example. Track editors are coded by a software developer, and used by the end-user who makes tracks, and shares them with the fan-/modding- community. The programmer does not make any tracks at all. He just tries to add as much editing features as possible to enable the end-user to make some amazing tracks.

Sirnoname in comparance, tries to put as much features as possible into the X-Sim modules, to give you as much customization options as possible. But the more feature he adds, the more complex it becomes, and the more difficult it becomes for non-native-english-speakers to write a good tutorial, that enlightens all features clearly. Especially X-Sim2.
I know, the X-Sim websites are horrible, and since long time out to date.

The X-Sim community is you, me and all other members, that are registered here.

Sirnoname codes the editors/tools. We should use them, and share our efforts with the X-Sim community.
For example: Making a movement profile for a new game is a lot of fine-tuning. Everyone is able to make a basic movement profile with the Force-Profiler within 2 minutes. No problem.
But it takes much longer, to setup a movement profile that makes the movements feel realistic. There is alot of tweaking needed. But instead that everybody would have to make such a profile by himself for every game, we want to encourage everybody to share their movement profiles here in the community. So we will have a freely available motion-profile database that consists of setups for many different games and simulator types soon. Even some more uncommon ones.
Keep in mind that a simforceGT simulator need a totally differnt movent profile than a force-dynamics or a standard 2DOF Sim.
But if everyone shares his fine-tuned setup, the community and himself take advantage.

Or infopanels for example. Some days ago TeroD asked if it was possiblet to output X-Sim virtual gauges/displays to an external screen. Let's see. Perhaps he shares a virtual 4 infopanel with us soon. He does not need to get familiar with programming, as Sirnoname coded the Gauge-Editor. That would make it way more easy for TeroD to make the panel. In return, he should share his work with us then. He would take advantage of X-Sim by being able to use the Gauge-Editor, and we would take advantage of being able to use his virtual infopanel. So if somebody of us decides someday to buy a 4 monitor someday, he will be able to use TeroD' Panel. One hand washes the other.

That's probably the main concept. One for all, all for one. Valid for every single X-Sim community member.

Noboddy, its a conjunction of private hobbyists. Perhaps project is the wrong word. Its more like working together on a collective goal (developing continously better DIY simulators).

Add content, and be able to use content from others.

I hope Sirnoname adds some words here. I am not precisely aware of the issue.
Afaik all X-Sim content is free, as well all the content that users add into the forum or X-Sim database is free for the public (community)

There is no copy protection. All content at X-Sim is freeware. But you are able to mark your efforts with your name/alias, to ensure you the proper credit for your efforts.

All the points you've mentioned. I think you've got it :thbup:

It wont be neccessary anymore. Just wait some days longer, until the SCN5 issue is finished. Then we wil have enough supporter for sure, I guess.

Again, I am sure that we will be able to establish a SCN5-SimforceGT liga, as soon some of us have finished their setups. :
Btw, I am going to add some SCN5 to my SimforceGT on X-Mas.

Sorry for grammar and typing errors. I am tired and not in the mood to proof-read it.

Regards
Christian

Thanks for the reply. I hope you are right! :

Bernard (bvillersjr)

Hey all, I'm a noob myself. First off, this is a great community with a wealth of information if you know where to look. :clap:

However, I have to agree with Sharky. All us noobs have dreams of creating our own, really slick, 6DOF motion platform. But I'm sure there are many noobs who don't know the difference between AC and DC, and are much less capable of creating their own PCB or programming software. They just have a big desire, like I do, to create a simulator. Before coming here I had never heard of a linear actuator. I've been reading this board for a couple of months now and this is my very first post.

Here's the real issue--you guys really know what you are talking about and have already taken all the steps and made your simulator. Now there is much focus on expanding upon that knowledge, making mods to make the software better, expanding motion controller so more motors can be controlled, etc. However, there is no primer for someone to take that first step. So maybe we can talk about it here and add a newbie section to the forum. From studying this and other boards, searching the web, etc. I think every newbie will have to make some initial decisions and from there, needs to know what they need to get started. Who knows, maybe this will get me started as well

IMO, a rough draft and overall sketch of a primer would look like this.

• 
  *First, A basic introduction of Motion simulators including DOFs, and the different ways to control motion--crank and lever, hydraulics, pneumatics, linear actuators, etc.
  
  *List the pros and cons of these types of simulators, i.e complexity, price, noise, accuracy, etc.
  
  *Now that you have that very basic knowledge, decide how many DOFs you want to create and what will power its motion.
  
  *Once you have selected what you want to build, you'll need to know how to go about it. These are the details. So if you're using DC motors in a crank-and-lever setup you will need all these things: a PC, a design frame, moton controller hardware, gear reduction boxes, H-Bridges, etc. etc. Ideally, each of these details would contain links to tips on using X-Sim, welding a frame, making a PCB, or which controllers work well with this type of simulator, or if possible where we can buy stuff if we don't know how to make it. It would be great if there were diagrams of a typical 2DOF, 3D0F system as well.
  
  *last would be a list of links to places where you can buy electric motors, actuators, aluminum framing like T-Slot, Motion control boards, etc.

IMO, this would be great for people who want to dive in, but don't exactly know where to start. I'm just getting started myself and I know some of the information I listed would be extremely helpful to me as well, as it's taken me months to learn only the things I've listed above and there is SO much more to actually make a real simulator.

If you want, I'd be glad to contribute to a primer in any way that I can--with the links I've hoarded and with whatever knowledge I've gained by reading this site and others like it. It would make a great newbie section for your forum and I think would help you get more involvement with the community.

What do you think? If you like the idea, what would you guys with all the knowledge add to the list? What was your process for creating your first simulator?

Thanks again for all you do on this forum, and please understand that I'm not trying to bash it. I just think you could get a lot more involvement if there was a place here to help people get started.

Jeff