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some questions

Discussion in 'New users start here - FAQ' started by sharky, Feb 6, 2008.

  1. sharky

    sharky New Member

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    hi all!

    my name is igor, im from italy. i am consideringo to build my own motion simulator but have many many questions.. i hope somebody can help me out since i didnt find clear answers yet. ok here are the quesitons:

    1) is the software vista compatible?
    2) am i forced to have a force feedback controller or can i play also with a normal keyboard?
    3) can it be used only for racing simulators or can i use it for example also for first person shooters? (ex. when i shoot it vibrates forward/backward fast)
    4) for my situation i need to use electric actuators or motors. i searched the web for them but only found companies which sell only in big quantities. whats the best place to buy them and what do i need to look for?
    5) is there somewhere an explanation for the electronics? i have no idea on how to control the motors.
    6) what is the minimum total cost i have to calculate with?
    7) what is an average building time for such a rig?
    8) i plan to use a HMD (head mounted display) for a total 3D immersion. does somebody know which kind of construction is the best when you do not see outside? i mean, there are may different constructions, each with its own characteristics. which one is the best if you are totally excluded from the outside?
    9) is there a list of compatible games or are all compatible?
    10) is the maintenance cost high? i mean does it break likely?

    thank you guys this is it for now..

    i hope somebody can answer the quesitons.

    bye

    igor
  2. sharky

    sharky New Member

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    nobody?
  3. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Hi Igor,

    1. If you ensure that you have full admin rights, it should work
    2. For now you are forced, as it is requested by the Sender. But it should be possible to remove this request.
    3. Yes, its possible, dependent on which effects you are able to get out of the game.
    4. There is no place where you get cheap actuators. But for your purposes wipermotors should work fine, and they are cheap.
    5. tronic-s-pwm-servo-control-interface-with-encoder-pot-input-t559.html
    6. DIY controller + DIY hbridge ~100Dollar, and some cheap wiper motors.
    7. Igor, there is no average building time. I depends on what you want to build, your skills and if you have access to tools or not. But generally your entire life. A personal DIY simulator never gets ready...you'll find something to improve everytime :)
    8. which one is the best if you are totally - one that does not kill you, while having the hmd in front of your eyes. That means no construction in which you can stuck any body parts exidentially.
    The type of simulator depends on the game, not on the type of display.
    9. X-Sim is a tool. With this tool you can make every game compatible. The more members help to make profiles for games, the more will be available.
    10. That depends on how solid you'll construct it^^

    You should ask EvanF, he has some experience with fps already.

    regards
    Christian
  4. sharky

    sharky New Member

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    hi christian! thank you for your kind answer.

    wiper motors? are they powerfull enough?

    rereading point 8, i understood that i was not clear in what i wanted to ask. what i meant is that there are some motion sims which move totally back/forward/sideways including your whole body, and others where only the seat is moving a little bit. without having tested it before, i immagine that the ones which move completely simulate the gravity best, but somehow still remember you that your ina simulator because in teh background you see the room moving. with a HDM you are not influenced by moving objects. so basically the question was: if you are not influenced by visual anomalies outside of the simulator itself, which construction emulates best thereal incar circumstances..

    oh and another question: what can be used as as power source? the usual trafos you find around are not powerfull enough.. just some amps at 12V..

    thank you

    bye

    igor
  5. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    You was clear in point 8, I just dont know what to tell you to this point. For hmds I'd generally would recommend something like...do you know the lawn mover?
    Just kidding, with a hmd you are free in design. Its hard to include a projector screen in a full motion sim, but with a hmd there should be no problem. I think you should start with a pivoted 2DOF seat (like Elektronikjack), but without the wheel and pedals, if you want to use it for fps.

    simulators for a couple of thsd Dollars.

    This type is the affordable one for the common DIY budget.

    I dont know what you have in mind to build. For a seat shaker for fps games the wipermotors have plenty of power.

    Automotive batteries can be used. 12V or 24V in row with 40-80Ah.

    Regards
    Christian
  6. sharky

    sharky New Member

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  7. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Hi Igor,

    Read Thanos post carefully. You'll find a link to his english project page there with tons of info regarding his joyrider simulator.

    Regards
    Christian
  8. sharky

    sharky New Member

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    hi! thank you!

    i have the VERY LAST questions. i promise.. :D

    1) except the price, are there advantages in the DIY controllers?
    2) are there people here which sell theyr own DIY controllers? (I'm not that skilled in electronics)
    3) is there a big difference in price between DIY and commercial controlles with more or less the smae specs?

    this is it.. :)

    thank you again.

    by

    igor
  9. tronicgr

    tronicgr

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    Hi Igor,

    In reply to your questions:

    1. Yes. Our DIY controllers are designed and fine tuned to fulfill the motion simulator requirements, while commercial controllers are for general applications use.

    2. No, As the creator of this electronics, I can assure that. Maybe someday (in the distant future) that my DIY electronics became more perfect and popular, maybe I'll consider selling these as kit (PCB + parts, to solder yourself). Beware I said MAYBE, because I prefer inventing things than marketing them... :nixweiss:

    3. Taking as example the RNVN2 and my DSMhb (Dual simple mosfet h-bridge), I can tell that the cost is almost the same.
    But, latest comparison tests showed that the DIY DSMhb was performing better than the commercial RNVN2!!!! The endpoint is that commercial isn't always better! ;-)

    Regards, Thanos
  10. sharky

    sharky New Member

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    hi! thank you for your answer! i purchased the plans linked on your site this morning. and i have 2 identical whipermotors.

    well by selling i meant something like ebay, user to user, not a professional shop.. :)

    i have read on your site that youre planning a new controller which is in beta testing. what are your time plans on that?

    thnx

    bye

    igor
  11. tronicgr

    tronicgr

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  12. sharky

    sharky New Member

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    thank you all guys..

    now the only problem i have is room and money.. :D hope to solve them soon and build my own sim..

    thanks again

    bye

    igor