Posts by MrRCSound

  • VR Hands new hardware

    Ughh... Why are they re-inventing the wheel, then covering it with a glove? LOL I don't really get the new glove trend thing, unless it has some type of tactile feedback, this is technology that already exists and has for some time. I have had my Leap Motion for almost 2 years now. It does hand and individual finger tracking of bare hands. No gloves needed. It works nearly flawlessly, I would say 95% of the time. What is cool is that it feels like your real hands in VR. Each movement of the fingers are replicated, it gives a sense that your hands are in the environment, well at least till you try to grab something virtual.

    I purchased the Leap Motion because it was fairly inexpensive, and I figured we would see games and sims begin to implement it. Instead they all seemed to go the path of controllers, which are a pain if you have to grab them while in VR, just to push a button or flip a switch. Majorly detracts from realism.

    Not sure why Leap Motion was not better accepted. Maybe they did not market them well or something. FlyInside was about the only add on that got it right. Need to change something in the cockpit, just reach out and do it. No need for a clunky controller, or glove.

    Andrew

  • Scenery pop up, again.

    Quote from Trespassers

    there are many potential causes for scenery popup, the first being for not geoconverting all the said levels.

    If you did geoconvert all recommended levels, the next question is : is the poping up phenomenon systematical ? Or if you come back to a place where you just had popup is doesn't occur anymore ?

    Cheers

    Antoine

    Yes, as I recall from a while ago, I tried without level 10 I think it was, then did all levels. Same result. As for symmetrical, I can't say for sure. I don't think so, but I would have to test and see. Once it is loaded, I think it stays.

    Andrew

  • Scenery pop up, again.

    Quote from Oldar

    I have done all of the US and western Europe, and I have never found a solution. The best I can do is to make each area as large as a I can stand, with a decent overlap of .1 degree. That seems to create larger areas between the "popping" for me, but it does not cure it.

    Also, and this is just "impressionistic" and not an analytical finding, the phenomenon seems to get worse the longer I fly in any session.

    Finally, if you are using the GeoConvert Helper Ipacs won't even comment on the issue. They consider that to be a situation outside of their responsibility.

    Hmm.... Interesting. Well, maybe I can do the area as one whole thing again. The only issue is that it will take several days to do. Oh well, I can start it some evening, and let it run.

    Thanks for the info!

  • Scenery pop up, again.

    Sorry for the new thread, but looking through the others, I could not find a concise answer. It was talked about at length, but I am not sure if anything was resolved, or if I just missed it.

    I have not had a chance recently to do scenery, but I did a total of an area about 100nmx100nm. I did it in segments. When flying some segments stay at the low default resolution until I am just about on top of them, then they pop in with the custom scenery I made. It is kind of annoying, and reduces the realism factor. It is very noticeable as the default scenery is much more brown, and then goes to bright green.

    I have not seen this in any of the IPACS made scenery, so I figure it is something I did wrong. I recall others seeing it as well.

    Was there ever a consensus as to the cause and a fix?

  • ATC Interface

    Quote from Jetjockey10

    I think there are two totally different VA profiles in the archives. This one, by MrRCSound, was written specifically for the C172 at Las Vegas. The link that is referenced above is for the Learjet45 and is not airport specific.

    I contributed some real world memories of a lifetime of flying to your previous profile and would be glad to add more for a new or updated edition. I do remember there are distinct differences in European ATC and US ATC so you can probably expect some give and take on what is proper and what is not proper based on location and experience of the source.

    Regards,

    Ray

    As I recall, there were some differences that caused confusion between US and European ATC. Especially around the requesting take off and such. Maybe we should break it up, do a US version and a European version?

    I have not had time to work on this much at all. With work stuff, family stuff, and the G-seat, I have been booked.

    I need to go back through things, and refresh my memory of what I did and how I did it. After that I can probably do some further work on it.

    Right now, it is kind of generic for the 172. Let me try to remember here: Request Taxi, take off, departing, landing clearance, etc.

    What more kind of things can I add that would be helpful? I will especially need help with proper verbage and requests used by ATC.

    Things look like they may be slow this week, If I can get 10 or so hours into it, it may become really cool.

    Andrew

  • YawVR 3DoF VR MOTION SIMULATOR

    Not sure how this system stacks up against the Yaw VR, but I have been working on one since last December.

    I built a G-seat using a modified version of Spit40's design. He was very helpful with input on how he had things rigged up. Mine is quite a bit different because of the seat differences, but generally works the same. I was considering marketing these once I get all the bugs figured out. The problem is cost vs. price. Right now, with just the G-seat and vibration system on it, it rolls in at $800+ USD, plus hours of cutting welding, configuring, etc. I was thinking $1100-1200 selling price, but that price has turned a few off. As it is right now, it may not be viable as a marketable device.

    I was thinking of adding pitch and roll to the system. It would probably not be a huge amount of movement, but would compliment the G-seat flap pressures. If it works out, the complete system would look like this.:

    G-seat with surge and heave

    Pitch and Roll

    Harness tensioner

    Vibration System (total of 2 amplifiers, 4 transducers, 80W total output).

    Stand alone no need for any other motion platform

    Simtools 2.X

    Trying to make setup as easy as possible by doing pre-sets.

    So with all these features, what do you guys think would be an acceptable price point? I want to provide something functional, low cost, but I still need to cover the assembly costs, and cost of the welding and plasma cutting systems.

    I will post a video later today, just to show what has been done and how it works.

    Andrew

  • ATC Interface

    Not sure if anyone remembers, and it is not a prefect solution by any means, but I put together something using VoiceAttack last year. It is for VFR only, and not complete, but it does add a bit of realism. If anyone wants to help, we can try to make it better. Clean up the verbage, add more things to it, etc. At least to hold us over till the real ATC is complete.


    Anyone interested in putting a few hours in with me on it?

  • Oculus Rift Gen 2 - half dome

    Hmmmm... Not too impressive. I was hoping for more actually. 140* filed view is good, but still not great. I figured they would shoot for 200 as seeing the Pi Max 8K (I know, not true 8K), is going to have 200*. Hand tracking. Nothing big there. Leap motion integration. I have Leap Motion, and it is pretty well refined. Picks up every finger. There is a lack of support for it in games however. Verifocal, cool idea, but now you have a mechanical parts that can bind and cause issues. Eye tracking would have been a better option I think. No word on resolution or Screen Door Effect. Those are a must for any future version.

    I am cautiously optimistic about the Pi Max 8K. I hope they can pull off everything they promised. If so, it will be hard to beat.

  • G-seat simulator

    Hi Guys,

    Been a while since I have been on here. My work has really increased, so I have not had the time I would like to put into this project. I may be hiring a person or two in the future to help me out with my business, and also get this seat project off the ground. Off the ground, haha... I made a funny and did not realize it till I typed it.

    Anyway, just an update on things. After a number of problems, I now have the seat running 100% as far as I can tell. One of the major things that I have working is the vibration system. It adds a whole level to the feel and experience. SimVibe does not support AFS2 yet, but I was able to get a good work around that works well. I am using 2 amplifiers, and a total of 4 transducers, one on each flap. I output raw sound out to these, with some setting changes and equalizer changes to boost the bass sounds. This works very well to create good vibrations for the engine sounds. You can feel the vibration of the motor/prop and Jet engines. You can also feel the roughness of the runway when touching down. Pretty awesome really.

    I was thinking of adding tilt to the seat. By adding 4 more servos, one for each corner, and mount the seat on springs, I should be able to make the seat tilt left to right, and forward and back. This would be in addition to the heave and surge flaps.

    Thoughts?

    Andrew

  • Aerofly FS 2 VR Hands Have Arrived!

    Is there any plans to make this work with LeapMotion? For me, this is a non starter. I don't want to fly with a fake controller yoke, and I don't want to have to fumble to grab a controller so that I can make the dash buttons work. LeapMotion is a great tech, it can locate each finger, and know what you are doing. Much easier to let go of the yoke, and grab for a virtual knob or lever. If it is stuck to using controllers, it is not something I would ever use unfortunately.

  • G-seat simulator

    Quote from slipstream

    I wish you were based in the U.K. you could ‘minus 20 percent’ of total cost on the customs form and that should do it I reckon. When I mentioned Stall I meant all over vibration, and for turbulence it would be random movements in the legs pushing up and down slightly. How about simulating gear up and down, flaps extended etc. My gametrix cushiondoes all that via vibration in the right area and at the right time. This plus gametrix Cush would be awesome.

    I just got off FS2, testing to see. Yes, there is some random movements for turbulence. I can't feel the landing gear or the flaps though. You can feel bumps on the runway, and definatley feel touch down. If you are not level, you can feel each wheel touch down.

    Gamevibe should do pretty much the same as the cushion does, I just have to get it running. I will work on it more tonight.

    Andrew

  • G-seat simulator

    Quote from slipstream

    What I do like about your system Andrew is the fact that it’s all confined to the seat. That’s a huge plus for most, I would suggest, and a great selling point.

    I would ideally like to have a demo first to see exactly what it brings to the party in terms of added realism to G Force. For all I know this may be better than actual motion. Could your system also mimmick turbulence and effects such as stall? That would be awesome if so. I’m also concerned that I will have to add 20 percent on to the price for import to the U.K.

    20%.... Good night, that is nuts. Normally with my other products I ship them as "gift" with a lower value on the customs form. I am not sure if that would fly for something like this.

    Turbulence, some. This will be enhanced if and when I can get GameVibe working. I was planning to add this feature at no extra cost as well, if I can get it working. Right now, a stall feels pretty good. You are simulating a number of forces at the same time. Acceleration, deceleration, pitch, roll, yaw, and gravity. The strength of each is determined by the simulator output. In the case of a stall, it is going to mix pitch and gravity behind you when you pull up. So pressure on the back. As you reach the top, the back pressure relaxes, and as you go over, you get the pressure in the leg flaps. If you stall to the side, you will have one of the back and leg flaps giving more pressure, from gravity and turn.

    Is it 100% real, no, I don't think so. Does it add a lot, yes, especially in VR. If you can take a trip over the pond, I would be more than happy to have you give it a try. :) It is very hard to know how something works without trying it.

    Andrew

  • G-seat simulator

    Quote from slipstream

    Very cool idea but too expensive imo. I’m probably going to shoot for dofreality.com and their 2dof motion platform at a similar price.

    Unfortunately, the cost of the components is most of the cost. I am working on trying to get some deals to drive the price down. I agree, I think they would sell better at a lower cost.

    I will lay it on the line for you, not just you but everyone, so that maybe we can come to a consensus as to what a reasonable selling price would be. Here is a cost breakdown:

    Seat: $155

    Seat Base: $70

    Servos: $240 for 4

    Servo arms disks: $48

    Steel: $40

    Brackets and hinges: $20

    24v DC Power Supply: $30

    Arduino: $7

    Wiring: $20

    Bearing Rod and Ends: $20

    Velcro: $5

    4 Point Harness: $20

    Misc nuts and bolts: $10

    Sim-Tools V.2.2: ~$30 not 100% sure on that yet.

    Hardware total: $715

    $715 in just hardware alone. I have invested another $500-700 so far in plasma cutting and welding tools, and will probably be doing another few hundred. I figure about 16 hours worth of work per seat. That includes all the plasma cutting, welding, programing and testing. This also does not include the time I have put into working on or the cost of the prototype.

    So basically we are looking at what is my hourly rate to build and test a seat. Using these figures, and a selling price of $1200, it figures out to about $30 an hour. That does not back cover anything for the other investments.

    In your opinion, what do you think would be a good selling price? Is there anything that I can add or do, to make it a better value?

    Andrew

  • G-seat simulator

    Quote from Raging Beard

    Wow looks cool, I know absolutely nothing about G-seats... What are the pros and cons of one of these compared to a motion seat like Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3?

    Thanks.

    The idea of the g-seat is to simulate movement, without actual movement of the body. Both the g-seat and a full motion platform have their advantages. The g-seat can be added to a motion platform, for even more depth of feel if you wish. The Next level sim is pretty compact, most of them are not and take up a big footprint. This G-seat takes up the same footprint as a normal chair, in fact I am using it as my main computer chair when not in use.

    A quick description of the way it works. For acceleration, the surge flaps on the back move forward. Giving the impression of accelerating, being set back into the seat. Cornering/turns, the same, one or the other moves to give the impression of g forces through the turn. The heave leg flaps work the same as well. During declaration, the leg flaps move up giving the butt feel of slowing down. At the same time this pulls on the harness restraints, pulling them back against you, similar to how it would feel as you move forward into the belts on deceleration.

    I have read of a lot of head tracking problems using VR with a full motion seat. With the G-seat it is not a problem.

    Lastly, I am trying to make it cheaper. I was shooting for $1000 or under, but it is apparent at this point that will not happen unless I can negotiate some of the components to a lower cost. $1200-1400 is a good bet, trying to hit the lower cost of $1200. The servos are the main cost driver, if I can get those down substantially a lower over all price is a better bet.

    Andrew

  • G-seat simulator

    Quote from Jetjockey10

    Good points. I have a $1,000 Steelcase office desk chair (retirement gift from a supplier) for my triple monitor setup chair and a VolAir Racing Chair that comes with the VolAir flight sim chassis. The flight chassis now has the near Buttkicker addon.

    Regards,

    Ray

    A vibration system is something I am working on for the seat as well. Sim-Tools now has GameVibe, which is similar to Sim-Vibe. I currently use a transducer system for my RC airplane sound systems, which may work with the GameVibe. I think one transducer on each flap, would be great. However, I have yet to get it to work. Not sure if it is a GameVibe problem or something I am doing wrong. Working on it though.

    Andrew

  • G-seat simulator

    Love that cockpit desk!!! That is too cool!

    Yes, it is very much a niche product. Not for everyone, but those that are dedicated to simulation will be interested. Right now as far as I can tell, there is no complete G-seat on the market. The last one was the G4, with the promise of the G5 coming, but it has been like 4 years they have been saying that.

    I own http://www.mrrcsound.com, which is very much a niche product for RC airplanes, cars, and boats. I have been doing it for about 5 years now full time. So niche products are nothing new to me. Right now it is just me doing everything, at one time I had one employee, who left for another job. Can't blame him, I could not provide insurance and such. Anyway, if things ramp up I will probably have to hire an employee or two. For the moment I am looking to do 2-3 seats a month, and expand from there if the market is good.

    The seat uses Sim-Tools V2.2 for the output from the games. It does a most excellent job of syncing the movements with what you see. The servos are capable of 60* per second movement. Sim-Tools supports over 80 games currently, and growing. The largest majority are flight and racing simulators. I am in negotiations with the writer of Sim-Tools to provide V2.2 with the seat. One of the real issues I encountered is the setup of everything on the software side. It is not totally strait forward, and can be confusing. He is working on an install process that brings in all the presets for the seat with the install, so it is nearly Plug N Play.

    Andrew