I think I need a cockpit... (7th November 2012)

[the_greeze]

@ Mayaman: Yeah, nice. I've already commented in your thread... no real need to hijack mine is there?

 

[left888]

It's been a long time coming but I'm finally updating my thread with some pictures of the latest setup (I say latest, it's actually been this way for about 4 months; work and 'real-life' have stood in the way of a good update!).

I shot a load of video this morning but it didn't come out very well so I'll try again next week. I know a fair few of you were waiting for an update; I got there in the end!

Comments / questions welcome... 👍

Well I have followed you progress for some time and have to say this is one of the best rigs I have seen on this forum. Kudos to you, your hard work has paid off.

 

[Mayaman]

@ Mayaman: Yeah, nice. I've already commented in your thread... no real need to hijack mine is there?

Really? LOL

It's all yours buddy.

 

[bigbembem]

I don´t have any words to discribe this beauty........👍

 

[Ondine]

I assume the multi monitor setup pushes both GT5 and Forza 4 to their full potential in terms of overall realism and immersion. That being said, which game do you think provides a better experience? Considering you get to use the same exact display for both, I was just curious which felt more authentic.

 

[Mr Latte]

For me it is really nice seeing you reach this point with the cockpit. I think we have shared moments in the past and been through similar experiences.

Excellent finish, nicely matching products. What is evident is the extra time and expense which has gone into this to make it look superb and it really shows.

Every section I see evidence of a great deal of thought and personal pride in what you have done. Love the racks, the tidyness the colour matching, the quality of components and the combination of everything together. You got it all, the tactile, surround sound and mutliscreens but built into superb comfort and layered with style. Components come and go with new and exciting products but who would not love to experience what you have achieved here.

You sir have I would say the most complete cockpit on the forums. I know full well how good it would be and this is what it is all about. This is "your cockpit" and with that comes extra credit but self satisfaction you deserve. Take some time to savour your work and enjoy the games you built this for.

I take a bow and applaud you generously.
Standing ovation from me.

Om nom nom awesomeness.

 

[Hwangm]

I love the sequential and that screen mount,

Look very very nice i am thinkng of building something like the triple screen..one day man, one day

Kudos Greeze :tup

 

[Timppaq]

Looks amazing, well done 👍

 

[the_greeze]

👍 Thank you for all the kind words of appreciation guys! 👍

@ondine: I prefer Forza (3 that is; I don't have 4 yet) over GT5 if I'm honest. No particular technical reason; I just like the 'feel' of the whole game. Does that make sense?! There's nothing really between them multi-screen /performance wise...

@Mr Latte: Thanks mate! It's a long haul (as we all know) but the journey is fun (albeit expensive!) I'm glad you appreciate the build-quality; I really have tried hard to get that 'clean' look. I'm kicking back now and enjoying iRacing, GT5 and Forza 3 (must get my ass into gear and get Forza 4!). It really is a great experience what with the tactile, audio and triple-screens. I've got you to thank (don't know if mrs_greeze would thank you though lol) for getting me to improve on the tactile and for planting the seed for triple-screens (even though I was initially against the idea ) so cheers for that

And I get the 'Cookie of Awesomeness'? Doesn't get better than that! lol

 

[Mr Latte]

Yes my apologies to the joint bank account and mrs_greeze.

Do get FM4 the engine sounds will blow you away with your setup and that new alps track they have is glorious on triples. If anything FM4 has possibly a higher sensation of speed and certainly improved cockpits over FM3. Though to be fair I havnt had GT5 setup for a while to be sure. Comparing each I think is a tough job as each have their own little advantages.

Delighted you have reached the summit...

 

[the_greeze]

I don't think I'm at summit yet; more of a camp slightly nearer the top. Will any of us reach the summit? This particular mountain keeps growing! I've got triple projectors and motion platforms floating around in my head now (not to mention the button-boxes)!

It never ends... love it though 👍

 

[Caz]

You nailed it with the ever growing mountain comment. In this ever-changing landscape i dont feel the summit is ever achievable.
Got to remember aswell, once you reach the summitt, its all down hill from there

 

[Hwangm]

love it. This is definitely one of the best custom rig I have ever saw..... ever
good job. I know you said no to sharing dimension of the rig before, what about the screen mount?

 

[fatkrakr]

Nice setup looks amazing. 👍 I know you have the perfect pedal and i see now your using csp. Would love to hear your thoughts on the differences. I havent really seen any direct comparisons. Was the switch a preference or just convienence? Which has the better feel? Are you faster with one than the other? Maybe anything else you can think of. Thanks for any info.

 

[the_greeze]

@Hwangm: The rig is designed around me (my physical dimensions) and my hardware. The seating position affects the monitor height which in turn affects the monitor mount dimensions. If you're building your own cockpit / mounts, you'll need to work with your own hardware and dimensions. If it helps, sit in your car and get out a measuring tape; it's what I did to get a good feel for what was required

@fatkrakr: I prefer the CSP's. The Perfect Pedal is very good but required a lot of force to depress. Also, in it's inverted position in my setup, the pedal would not always return to the top resulting in slightly sticking brakes. I used to have to hook my toes under it and pull it up. I put this down to air being trapped in the cylinder but never got around to opening it up and 'topping up the oil'! The CSP's are 'smoother' than the Logitech pedals and the load-cell brake is (in my opinion) better too. Better because of the 'feel' of the pedal and requiring a lot less effort to depress with a smoother operation. Easier to control the braking. 👍

Hope that helps Gents...

 

[fatkrakr]

Thanks for the opinions Greeze. I purchased the tunning kit to soften the pedal some and was very pleased with the results from the mod. Made the pedal just a bit softer. As for the sticking problem mine are also inverted no issues with it. Dont think its an air problem either. When I spoke with them about the tunning kit they said air shouldnt be a problem but if it was to pull up on the pedal while I tighten the fill hole. Might be your pedal is defective and thats why its so hard to push, just my opinion though. Hope it helps and thanks again.

 

[Hwangm]

@Hwangm: If it helps, sit in your car and get out a measuring tape; it's what I did to get a good feel for what was required

Hope that helps Gents...

ah awesome, thanks greeze.

 

[the_greeze]

It's been a while so I'll just leave this video here! There's a lot more info and pictures on my new(ish) website/ glorified blog:

[shameless_plug]
www.simracegear.com
[/shameless_plug]

 

[Jav]

That looks awesome Greeze! I hope to get some kind of motion platform later on!

edit: Using this type of actuator platform, would it be possible to move the entire cockpit frame instead of just the seat? By frame I mean the basic structure containing the wheel/pedals/seat...
I'd guess it would just be a matter of placing the center of the cockpit frame over the pivoting part correct?

 

[the_greeze]

That looks awesome Greeze! I hope to get some kind of motion platform later on!

edit: Using this type of actuator platform, would it be possible to move the entire cockpit frame instead of just the seat? By frame I mean the basic structure containing the wheel/pedals/seat...
I'd guess it would just be a matter of placing the center of the cockpit frame over the pivoting part correct?

Cheers Jav 👍

It would be possible to move the whole platform with the pivot-point close to the centre of gravity. However, it'll depend on your personal preference as to whether you go for the "move the seat" method or the "move the whole thing" method.

This is an animated discussion in a few threads here (Mayamans, for one. I've commented in that thread so won't repeat myself here), but I always favoured the "move the seat" method because it offers a much more realistic experience. It's down to the individual really...

 

[Jav]

Gotcha! Just curious, how much would a 2DOF setup cost?

 

[the_greeze]

All the gear came from SimXperience in the States

I bought the 150mm SCN5 kit and two mounting kits. The costs are on the webpages, I had to budget for Customs and VAT this end (UK) too.

Is the cost worth it? Damn right!!! 👍 It's awesome!

 

[the_greeze]

Some photos of my custom-built button boxes. Uses an iPac keyboard encoder to handle the input to the PC. Illuminated pushbuttons fitted into two black, ABS enclosures. All mapped for basic iRacing commands but I've made the boxes fully upgradable (they can be 'stacked' basically) should I need to add anything else. Plugging into the back of the boxes (not pictured) are the shifter and handbrake inputs.



-------

 

[fatkrakr]

Now them are some of the best looking button boxes Ive seen. 👍👍 probably the best thinking about it.

 

[left888]

Your awesome rig just went over the top, a big kudos to you greeze. This really is a killer rig. How is it in iRacing?, I take it you being from the UK you do more road racing then ovals? Does the SimXperience pick up all the bumps and such that the laser scanned tracks have? and finally how much have you invested in total in your rig?

 

[the_greeze]

Now them are some of the best looking button boxes Ive seen. 👍👍 probably the best thinking about it.

Wow! Thanks man... 👍

Your awesome rig just went over the top, a big kudos to you greeze. This really is a killer rig. How is it in iRacing?, I take it you being from the UK you do more road racing then ovals? Does the SimXperience pick up all the bumps and such that the laser scanned tracks have? and finally how much have you invested in total in your rig?

Cheers Left 👍
It's fantastic in iRacing (the only sim I have at the moment) and you're right, I do mainly road races but also enjoy the odd oval race from time-to-time.

The SimXperience setup certainly does pick up all the data from the tracks. All the dips and bumps are communicated really, really well through the actuators. Hit a rumble strip and you'll feel it, hit a high kerb and you feel the car rise up and fall back to the track. The immersion-effect is almost undescribable. I think Mayaman said the same thing; it's very hard to put into words just how good motion in sim-racing is!

As for cost? Easily in the thousands (GBP). I haven't kept count but everything has been worth it, no question 👍

 

[fatkrakr]

If your still counting you havent spent enough.

 

[Mayaman]

Greeze, great welding job, really nice work. And yeah, until you experience motion it's almost impossible to convey how awesome it is. I've almost completely abandoned console racing if not for my friends who all still race on Xbox.

I'll be upgrading to 6DOF so if anyone is interested in my SRP platform let me know. FYI, it's the last one you'll see for sale for a while if ever.

Congrats man and enjoy it.

 

[left888]

Wow! Thanks man... 👍



Cheers Left 👍
It's fantastic in iRacing (the only sim I have at the moment) and you're right, I do mainly road races but also enjoy the odd oval race from time-to-time.

The SimXperience setup certainly does pick up all the data from the tracks. All the dips and bumps are communicated really, really well through the actuators. Hit a rumble strip and you'll feel it, hit a high kerb and you feel the car rise up and fall back to the track. The immersion-effect is almost undescribable. I think Mayaman said the same thing; it's very hard to put into words just how good motion in sim-racing is!

As for cost? Easily in the thousands (GBP). I haven't kept count but everything has been worth it, no question 👍

I did quickly check out the links you provided and you never know, maybe one day I can get set up with a SimXperience setup. You probably seen Mike Perry's rig at iRacing, well yours tops that.

 

[the_greeze]

I did quickly check out the links you provided and you never know, maybe one day I can get set up with a SimXperience setup. You probably seen Mike Perry's rig at iRacing, well yours tops that.

Well, I'd whole-heartly recommend a motion setup to anyone if it's within their budget. It adds soooo much 👍

I haven't seen Mike Perry's rig. Could you post a link please? Be very interested to see it...