Project R

[Powerslave.]

Very nice project!!!!!

Great pics too.

Cant wait to see the finished product.

 

[Mr Latte]

Hi Boss your welcome...

Looks like the new idea for the monitor support will work well.
Did a rough build tonight of this but I am going to have to now order a few slightly different chrome arm brackets.

Moved work efforts on getting started to the monitor base platform. Taking my time with this kinda like "James May" style even measured out screw distances in joining the 4" timber to the 18mm MDF top board.

The platform will consist of:
18mm MDF top board
4"x2" Timber frame
9mm MDF bottom board

Created a 10mm inset surround for the timber so when finishing the outside with the 3mm plastic finish it will give a nice 7mm lip rather than just straight edge sides for the base.

It feels good to be getting stuck into this.....

 

[davidg1230]

Watcha BR

Glad to see things are progressing nicely. I reckon you've been developing this project for almost 18 months now? Iguess work is still proving a major obstacle in getting this project actually up and running? Your dedication and investigation is a crddit to you.

I'll keep dropping in to see how things are progressing. Like many here, we really look forward to see the end result

 

[snazzyles]

The monitor stand looks great but how are you going to hide the cables???

 

[Powerslave.]

Sweet looking platform.

Is it going to be mobile when done, or stationary?

 

[Mr Latte]

Watcha BR
Glad to see things are progressing nicely. I reckon you've been developing this project for almost 18 months now? Iguess work is still proving a major obstacle in getting this project actually up and running? Your dedication and investigation is a crddit to you.

I'll keep dropping in to see how things are progressing. Like many here, we really look forward to see the end result

What a bout yee man!
Yeah been a long time all this so is starting to excite me a bit now actually making it.
By all means keep popping in.

The monitor stand looks great but how are you going to hide the cables???

Hi mate, thats easy as the cables will be going up inside one of the upright tubes. Just have to cut a hole in the side at a height behind the monitor. Doing this means no cables will be seen from the front at all.
Those tubes go 3" into the base unit with internal supports. Included in the base is a multigang set of 6 sockets.

Sweet looking platform.
Is it going to be mobile when done, or stationary?

Not really, movable but with a bit of a push.
The room has a wooden floor so it will have those sliding feet and wont be on wheels. Ive been looking at 2 or 3 types of threaded feet.

Tonight I finished the wooden frame and top of the monitor base, dead easy and im not good at d.i.y at all really. Now I need to work on the positioning and clever little system to allow the monitor stands to be positioned but then be locked in place. The Polypropylene plastic finish for this monitor section will be approx £60 delivered, have to order that soon.
I hope to have this monitor base and triple monitor stands finished within the next week.


EDIT:

Well got back home to see a parcel. It was new lights I ordered a while ago for the Subwoofers.
Some of you seemed to of liked the last shots shown so here are some with these new 7 LED miniture lights.
These operate from a PC molex connection. Will attach these proper via some small bracket for final fitting.

Testing :
1x Red @ Top
1x Blue @ Bottom

Ive now got the desired look I wanted
Sorry that the subs are a bit dusty but see if you like these:

When you walk towards the "Red" this is how it looks

When you walk towards the "Blue" then it changes to this

When standing straight on it looks like this

Youll either love it or hate it...

 

[Frizbe]

Love the sub lights. The whole rig looks epic.

 

[Mr Latte]

Glad your liking it so far...

Got lucky today with an auction bargin.

1x Mini LFE Buttkicker
Great price hope its in good condition...

Also ordered annother one direct from UK supplier (The Shaker Centre) costing approx £100 brand new with delivery. Thats hard to swallow compared to USA prices.
As mentioned at the start these additional Buttkickers are going onto the pedal and wheel supports with independent volumes/effects possible from the main more powerfull Buttkicker below the seating.

 

[lubetek]

Mr Latte I'm impressed with the quality of this build. I take it money is no real object for you. Great job so far, really beautiful. I look forward to seeing the end result.

 

[snazzyles]

I wonder if it would be possible to use a buttkicker instead of the small ABS vibration motor on the Fanatec CS pedals. Is this something you plan on doing or are the buttkickers only for the road/rumble strip effect.

 

[Mr Latte]

I wonder if it would be possible to use a buttkicker instead of the small ABS vibration motor on the Fanatec CS pedals. Is this something you plan on doing or are the buttkickers only for the road/rumble strip effect.

Ahh good question but how they operate is different.

Buttkickers are audio driven. The motor on the Fanatec works differently from a setting on the wheel like vibration rumble motors in a DS3.

The whole Buttkicker issue for me is that a single one gives you the sensation of being in a car more but doesnt totally immerse you in that sensation. As a project this aims to improve that giving the sensation through the players body as a single unit does but now also in their hands and feet.

I will be doing more testing at home with this to see if its all been a waste of money or a good improvement in producing added immersion.

 

[Timppaq]

Looking good 👍

Are you going to cut the base platform into a shape of some kind? The early sketches that you posted gave that impression.

The screen area will be also interesting to see how it folds out without looking "too crowded" (with 3 screens), but I'm sure you have it all planned out.

 

[Mr Latte]

Looking good 👍

Are you going to cut the base platform into a shape of some kind? The early sketches that you posted gave that impression.

The screen area will be also interesting to see how it folds out without looking "too crowded" (with 3 screens), but I'm sure you have it all planned out.

The base will just be rectangular for both sections as the early diagrams showed/explained so not sure how you got a different impression.

This monitor or first section of base will connect with latches to the main seat/wheel platform base. The chrome surround tubing is what is used on the base to give it a shape/outline and bit more appeal than just a 5" high rectangular platform.

Heres a few pics of earlier rough positioning for the front wing, the surround frame and the monitor upright positions.
Monitors will be at approx 45 degrees.

 

[Timppaq]

ah I remembered wrong. 👍 Thought the base was to be from one piece. All good then

 

[snazzyles]

I will be doing more testing at home with this to see if its all been a waste of money or a good improvement in producing added immersion.

I doubt it will be a waste of money. When I added my fist sub and the extra feedback was great. I now have 2 small subs one either side of me just beside the chair. I can almost feel the road, with the buttkickers you should get so much more.

 

[Mr Latte]

ah I remembered wrong. 👍 Thought the base was to be from one piece. All good then

No worries, its harder to maybe get an idea with mine as unlike your good self having cool 3D drawings for better illustrations.
The reason for the monitors seperating is to allow a large 3DTV or projector to also be used in front of the man cockpit.
I dont want to have a triple screen setup that very few games and GT5 is likely to be the only PS3 game that supports that.
This is the problem with the Rennsport cockpit and others, they dont easily detach their monitors, mine will

I doubt it will be a waste of money. When I added my fist sub and the extra feedback was great. I now have 2 small subs one either side of me just beside the chair. I can almost feel the road, with the buttkickers you should get so much more.

Well Ive scurried many forums for d.i.y sim frames for over a year and havnt found one that had taken this direction with multiple units particulary incorporating wheel & pedals so havnt any other peoples references to go by.

Youd really benifit from a Buttkicker yourself then already having subwoofers as I found mixed with subs they are at their best.
Im cautious of trying to ensure it becomes an enchancement and not an effect that soon feels annoying whilst playing particulary in the pedals or wheel. Its one reason for going with individual amplification for these other units and individual "equalisation" means I can tweak or dial in settings to control each Buttkicker unit effects. Early testing was promising so looking forward to really cranking the lot together for the first time.

 

[Timppaq]

Real pics are always better than 3d model screen captures, really tells so much more how good/bad it'll look. That you can't really see that from any 3d model, only the functinality is "visible" 👍 But the truth of course is that you need to have the parts before you can take any pics... I had the 3d model, you had the plans/pics in your mind

Nice to finally starting to see more of your project too. I'm sure you're also quite eager to show us.

 

[Mr Latte]

Long way to go yet my friend but most of the parts for me are here, its small things that holds everything up...

 

[snazzyles]

How are you going to stop the vibrations from becoming one big vibration? Are you going to make individual units for the pedals,wheel and chair. I would imagine if the chair, wheel and pedals are all attached to a frame then it would be difficult to dial out the effect where desired unless rubber isolators will be used. I have an Earthquake Quake in my sofa for movies and the effect can be felt all the way through the sofa. I wouldn't say it was much stronger directly above the unit.

 

[Mr Latte]

How are you going to stop the vibrations from becoming one big vibration? Are you going to make individual units for the pedals,wheel and chair. I would imagine if the chair, wheel and pedals are all attached to a frame then it would be difficult to dial out the effect where desired unless rubber isolators will be used. I have an Earthquake Quake in my sofa for movies and the effect can be felt all the way through the sofa. I wouldn't say it was much stronger directly above the unit.

Good questions......

Unlike many cockpits you see here that have a wooden or metal frame my own is a bit different. This actual wooden base platform will act as my cockpits frame and foundation. Within the base the seat section will be seperatly divided/constructed from the wheel upright section.

The seat mount and wheel mount uprights will rise out of the base platform and are not directly connected to each other like how a common wooden cockpit uses two wooden runners along its full length. Some may be surprised by how simple parts of this project will be yet hopefully achieve the required results.

My concerns with vibrations are not so much that they may filter through slightly into the different sections. They however will not be attached to the main wooden frame like how say your sofa is constructed. Of course they all get the same LFE signal but my own concerns with vibrations is more with the chrome surround maybe rattling with all the bass and Buttkickers doing their thing. Although I have some ideas in how the chrome surround is mounted and secured together that will help reduce this happening but its unknown terrority so we wont know until these are tested. Indeed I could run into problems with vibrations in one way or another but thats all part of the fun/challenge it may throw at me.

It will take some experimentation in placement and maybe work with some fittings to get the best results and avoiding any bad rattling. The base sections will have vibration reduction feet similar to those used on industry/factory equipment. Also the wooden base will have a 9mm MDF bottom to enclose the base so its not open at the bottom. Im considering sound absorbive materials if needed to be placed within the base unit to minimise any echo/vibrations that could indeed be problematic and travel through the whole house as well.

 

[Mr Latte]

UPDATE

I appreciate the interest from fellow members this thread has been getting and Im aware many people come to keep an eye on the progess.

However due to recent rows with a particular member on these forums (some will know who it is) He claims I have a superioty complex and look down on others which I assume is because of this thread and project. Perhaps Im overreacting but its something Im taking seriously with caution.

With that in mind I am for halting progress here to reconsider continuing the thread because if that is how in general I come across to other members then thats not what I want. Also money/cost has been linked in this thread as if its no object by a few posters. I dislike reading such comments as the truth is I dont come from a wealthy background or have a high wage at all and it annoys me to read that some must get that impression just because the project is quite excessive.

Ive said before this project has become a hobby and obsession but its gone to the extreme its gone from passion in wanting to make it quite special not because I love throwing money around or that Im loaded.

Im taking a break for a bit to reconsider things....

 

[snazzyles]

It's a shame that you have been made to feel like this. I have followed
with great interest and have looked forward to reading the latest
update. I understand it's not about the costs but the pleasure it
brings, why does it make any difference if you're skint or loaded?

I hope you change your mind and continue with this epic project, even if it's somewhere else.

 

[Delphic Reason]

Don't give up, bro...

TD is well known on this forum as a trouble maker. Don't let it get you down. Some of your comments back to TD have been somewhat questionable, regardless of being baited by him, but as long as you just ignore him, you will be just fine.

Like most, I am very interested in seeing how this project unfolds, so please keep us updated. This type of thread is exactly the kind of thing we want around here. Don't drop it now.

 

[grog]

Dont let anyone keep you from your project.

I assume you're quite passionate about this thing, I find it disheartening that your passion is being dampened by a peers criticism, Stay positive!

 

[tinker]

Go Latte go, don't let up. Love what you're doing.

 

[tinker]

This to me, is dedication 👍
- equally cool as however much chrome abounds (almost)

 

[Typhoons]

I dont post much but I check back often to follow your progress. I see nothing wrong with the project, your presentation or language.
Dont let one prick spoil it for you and everyone else.

 

[lubetek]

UPDATE
Also money/cost has been linked in this thread as if its no object by a few posters. I dislike reading such comments as the truth is I dont come from a wealthy background or have a high wage at all and it annoys me to read that some must get that impression just because the project is quite excessive.

Wow...I feel bad now. In my post I commented that money must be no object for you. I meant no disrespect though and to be honest I really do not care if you are loaded or not. I just saw what you are doing and the quality and assumed. For that I am sorry.

Your cockpit is simply amazing and I would really enjoy seeing more of it.

 

[No46_TheDoctor]

I have to agree that TD is somewhat of a s**t stirrer, I remember one thread on the sound in GT5 where he was making comments that seemed to be backing up what I was saying, then all of a sudden he switches "sides" so to speak and try's to make himself sound big and clever by making smart ass coments, trouble is, no one likes a smart ass

 

[Dan_]

Sometimes it's better to take a break and reconsider things, a wise decision, since you're a little bit stressed lately, and then it's very hard (not to say impossible) to be creative.

Regarding TD, he's a little bit excessive sometimes, but he's still a intelligent poster, he has his points and defends them blindly. Just do not keep arguing with him and he'll will give up, he's fed by your answers so if you don't, he'll stop too.

Although I agree, he is a smart ass sometimes too.

Get back to Project R when you feel comfortable, it deserves to be finished.