rec.autos.simulators

Ferrari wheel report

GTX_SlotCa

Ferrari wheel report

by GTX_SlotCa » Sat, 26 Feb 2000 04:00:00

Marc, for the Ferrari and Act Labs wheels I use these settings for GPL, but
I experiment with them often as the wheels 'break in'.
Windows: Overall Device Gain 100%, all else 0%
Core.ini
damping=4000
Steering_torque=1800

Before you say these settings are backwards, keep these things in mind. GPL
uses Constant Force (Vector Force in I-Force Studio), not Spring Forces.
This is probably why you get spiking when the forces are turned up too high.
Constant force should be updated every frame, ideally every millisecond,
otherwise unstable forces result (taken from the I-Force web site). All the
GPL web sites state that 'increasing force_feedback_damping helps to damp
out stronger forces at the expense of numbing the road feel.'  This is
obviously not true. Hook up your other wheel, keep your torque at 300 (or
whatever) and increase the damping to 4000. I guarantee you will get more
*** feedback with damping at 4000 than at 10. I've received email from
all the popular wheel owners (including Saitek) and all have told me this,
and I know personally it works with the Ferrari and Act Labs wheels. On the
other hand, increase the steering_torque to 4000 and you'll feel almost
nothing at the wheel. Marc, all the wheels aren't backwards, it's more
likely the commands in GPL that are backwards (maybe it's a Papy thing).
Using all lower values in the core.ini settings simply compresses the whole
feedback spectrum. For those who want a stiffer feel to the wheel this is
fine. There is no right or wrong. I personally like a light feeling in the
wheel. The common settings of damping=5 and torque=225, for example, produce
a nice smooth, stiff feeling to the wheel, but at the expense of feeling the
'blades of grass'. It's fine if that's what your looking for. It might even
be comforting for people leaving a non ff wheel to have a nice stiff feeling
to replace the centering spring.
I started this whole thing because people were complaining about not having
enough feedback force with some of the newer wheels. After examining I-Force
Studio, I realized that they were compressing (in core.ini) the available
forces. I'd be tempted to use even higher settings (9000 and 5000) if I
didn't think that at some point clipping might become an issue.

I know that previously everyone had been recommending different settings,
but sometimes a new approach is refreshing. I obviously have not said the
old settings don't work. I'm taking issue with your statement  " the bizarre
drivers that seem to work in reverse that are the problem." They are the
I-Force drivers. The Ferrari and Act Labs use the exact, same drivers and
I'm sure many others do also.  I know that people we respect, like Alison,
have recommended other settings that work for them, but I doubt that they'll
think you're stupid for using different settings if they work for you. Some
of them may even change their minds about what settings they use, just as
they have about their theory of GPL car setups. Don't you respect an open
mind and don't you think it's a sign of intelligence? To expect people who
are good drivers, good at setups and many other things, to be experts at
everything is putting a lot of pressure on them. Nobody has time to study
all aspects of these games and still have time to host a web site, work,
spend time with family and race online.
The I-Force drivers aren't backwards. Use whatever works well and be happy.
It's no big deal.

Slot


> What settings do you use to get FFB in N3 or GPL.  I have to use the
> opposite settings to what are recommended (and have been recommended since
> day 1) by Alison Hine, etc....people who very obviously know what they are
> talking about.

> Please list your control panel and in-game settings and we'll see if any
of
> the other Logitech and other IForce wheel owners use anything like those
> settings.

> Marc.



> > Gee Marc, that would upset me too. My FF settings aren't reversed and I
> > checked with a couple other guys who said theirs aren't either. I wonder
> if
> > the problem with yours also affects your steering resolution. Seriously,
> > mine goes right where I point it as good as any other wheel I've owned
or
> > tried, and better than most. I don't know who at Guillemot told you
their
> > wheel resolution is low, but the guy I talk to most there, Phillipe,
says
> > they're proud of the wheel except for a couple embarassing quality
control
> > problems that they are (or have by now) working out.

> > Slot



> > > Interesting...I wouldn't expect to get no FFB with the settings at
100%
> > and
> > > full FFB with the settings at 0%, but maybe this is normal in some
> corners
> > > of the globe....??

> > > The wheel resolution is low and Guillemot admits that.  It isn't so
low
> as
> > > to be terrible, but the package would be so much better if the
> resolution
> > on
> > > the wheel were double what it is.  Then it would be a top-rated wheel
> for
> > > sure, as it does everything else reasonably well and has all the
options
> > at
> > > a decent price.

> > > Marc.



> > > > Hi Marc, I still get very good resolution on the wheel, and the
> drivers
> > > are
> > > > the standard iForce drivers, interchangeable with the Act Labs
wheel.
> > > > Nothing reversed about them. I can run either wheel with either
> driver.

> > > > Slot



> > > > > The pedals on the Ferrari are not the problem--they are great with
> > high
> > > > > resolution.  It's the wheel itself (low resolution) and the
bizarre
> > > > drivers
> > > > > that seem to work in reverse that are the problem.  And,
> questionable
> > > > > quality control so far has been a major issue, too.

> > > > > Marc.



> > > > > > Thanks for the post. I was looking for a new setup and was
> > considering
> > > > the
> > > > > > Ferrari. Looks like I am still looking. Can't seem to find a
good
> > set
> > > of
> > > > > > pedels to go with a quality wheel. For a reasonable price.:)


> > > > > > > Find it here.

> > > > > > > http://www.racesimcentral.net/

> > > > > > > Robert

Marc Collin

Ferrari wheel report

by Marc Collin » Sun, 27 Feb 2000 04:00:00

Thanks for the thorough explanation.

What settings do you use for N3?  If I leave the default (no N3.INI changes)
FFB settings on, I get unrealistic oscillations in the wheel.  That is, at
100%/0/0/0 and no changes to N3.INI, the Ferrari will "over-respond" to
steering input by oscillating.  In fact, there are times when you can bring
the car to a complete stop and the wheel will continue to oscillate!!!

Secondly, if you have the wheel set-up for GPL, don't you find that you have
no wheel centring in other games?

Thanks,

Marc.


> Marc, for the Ferrari and Act Labs wheels I use these settings for GPL,
but
> I experiment with them often as the wheels 'break in'.
> Windows: Overall Device Gain 100%, all else 0%
> Core.ini
> damping=4000
> Steering_torque=1800

> Before you say these settings are backwards, keep these things in mind.
GPL
> uses Constant Force (Vector Force in I-Force Studio), not Spring Forces.
> This is probably why you get spiking when the forces are turned up too
high.
> Constant force should be updated every frame, ideally every millisecond,
> otherwise unstable forces result (taken from the I-Force web site). All
the
> GPL web sites state that 'increasing force_feedback_damping helps to damp
> out stronger forces at the expense of numbing the road feel.'  This is
> obviously not true. Hook up your other wheel, keep your torque at 300 (or
> whatever) and increase the damping to 4000. I guarantee you will get more
> *** feedback with damping at 4000 than at 10. I've received email from
> all the popular wheel owners (including Saitek) and all have told me this,
> and I know personally it works with the Ferrari and Act Labs wheels. On
the
> other hand, increase the steering_torque to 4000 and you'll feel almost
> nothing at the wheel. Marc, all the wheels aren't backwards, it's more
> likely the commands in GPL that are backwards (maybe it's a Papy thing).
> Using all lower values in the core.ini settings simply compresses the
whole
> feedback spectrum. For those who want a stiffer feel to the wheel this is
> fine. There is no right or wrong. I personally like a light feeling in the
> wheel. The common settings of damping=5 and torque=225, for example,
produce
> a nice smooth, stiff feeling to the wheel, but at the expense of feeling
the
> 'blades of grass'. It's fine if that's what your looking for. It might
even
> be comforting for people leaving a non ff wheel to have a nice stiff
feeling
> to replace the centering spring.
> I started this whole thing because people were complaining about not
having
> enough feedback force with some of the newer wheels. After examining
I-Force
> Studio, I realized that they were compressing (in core.ini) the available
> forces. I'd be tempted to use even higher settings (9000 and 5000) if I
> didn't think that at some point clipping might become an issue.

> I know that previously everyone had been recommending different settings,
> but sometimes a new approach is refreshing. I obviously have not said the
> old settings don't work. I'm taking issue with your statement  " the
bizarre
> drivers that seem to work in reverse that are the problem." They are the
> I-Force drivers. The Ferrari and Act Labs use the exact, same drivers and
> I'm sure many others do also.  I know that people we respect, like Alison,
> have recommended other settings that work for them, but I doubt that
they'll
> think you're stupid for using different settings if they work for you.
Some
> of them may even change their minds about what settings they use, just as
> they have about their theory of GPL car setups. Don't you respect an open
> mind and don't you think it's a sign of intelligence? To expect people who
> are good drivers, good at setups and many other things, to be experts at
> everything is putting a lot of pressure on them. Nobody has time to study
> all aspects of these games and still have time to host a web site, work,
> spend time with family and race online.
> The I-Force drivers aren't backwards. Use whatever works well and be
happy.
> It's no big deal.

> Slot



> > What settings do you use to get FFB in N3 or GPL.  I have to use the
> > opposite settings to what are recommended (and have been recommended
since
> > day 1) by Alison Hine, etc....people who very obviously know what they
are
> > talking about.

> > Please list your control panel and in-game settings and we'll see if any
> of
> > the other Logitech and other IForce wheel owners use anything like those
> > settings.

> > Marc.



> > > Gee Marc, that would upset me too. My FF settings aren't reversed and
I
> > > checked with a couple other guys who said theirs aren't either. I
wonder
> > if
> > > the problem with yours also affects your steering resolution.
Seriously,
> > > mine goes right where I point it as good as any other wheel I've owned
> or
> > > tried, and better than most. I don't know who at Guillemot told you
> their
> > > wheel resolution is low, but the guy I talk to most there, Phillipe,
> says
> > > they're proud of the wheel except for a couple embarassing quality
> control
> > > problems that they are (or have by now) working out.

> > > Slot



> > > > Interesting...I wouldn't expect to get no FFB with the settings at
> 100%
> > > and
> > > > full FFB with the settings at 0%, but maybe this is normal in some
> > corners
> > > > of the globe....??

> > > > The wheel resolution is low and Guillemot admits that.  It isn't so
> low
> > as
> > > > to be terrible, but the package would be so much better if the
> > resolution
> > > on
> > > > the wheel were double what it is.  Then it would be a top-rated
wheel
> > for
> > > > sure, as it does everything else reasonably well and has all the
> options
> > > at
> > > > a decent price.

> > > > Marc.



> > > > > Hi Marc, I still get very good resolution on the wheel, and the
> > drivers
> > > > are
> > > > > the standard iForce drivers, interchangeable with the Act Labs
> wheel.
> > > > > Nothing reversed about them. I can run either wheel with either
> > driver.

> > > > > Slot



> > > > > > The pedals on the Ferrari are not the problem--they are great
with
> > > high
> > > > > > resolution.  It's the wheel itself (low resolution) and the
> bizarre
> > > > > drivers
> > > > > > that seem to work in reverse that are the problem.  And,
> > questionable
> > > > > > quality control so far has been a major issue, too.

> > > > > > Marc.



> > > > > > > Thanks for the post. I was looking for a new setup and was
> > > considering
> > > > > the
> > > > > > > Ferrari. Looks like I am still looking. Can't seem to find a
> good
> > > set
> > > > of
> > > > > > > pedels to go with a quality wheel. For a reasonable price.:)


> > > > > > > > Find it here.

> > > > > > > > http://www.racesimcentral.net/

> > > > > > > > Robert


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