Analog control of throttle/brakes using steering wheel set?

: I've been wondering about these Steering wheel sets you can get for : Racing sims. Steering with a boggo-standard joystick is obviously : analog, but braking/accelerating using the fire buttons is digital ie : either on or off. : Using pedals from a Steering Wheel driving set, do I get analog : control over the throttle & brakes? I'm fed up accelerating/engine : braking/braking to try and keep my distance behind cars at crucial : moments. I'd rather just ease off the gas and maintain a constant : speed at times. I use a joystick with the forward axis as the throttle, that way I can apply a little gas for cruising under yellow, or flat out down the straights. I still use the thumb button for the brake as it takes too long to pull the joystick back! Took me an afternoon to get used to it. And now I can actually *drive* Portland! I believe the T1 has analogue pedals for the throttle and brake. I can't afford one, so I'm trying to build my own..... DR J -- ______________________________________________________________________________ me90drj : "It's an old code sir, but it checks out. I was about to clear him." is94drj : "....5....4....3...Wait! What's that red light?...." ______________________________________________________________________________ ------======= <URL:http://www.binaries.net/:8080/~is94drj/> =======------

I've been wondering about these Steering wheel sets you can get for Racing sims. Steering with a boggo-standard joystick is obviously analog, but braking/accelerating using the fire buttons is digital ie either on or off. Using pedals from a Steering Wheel driving set, do I get analog control over the throttle & brakes? I'm fed up accelerating/engine braking/braking to try and keep my distance behind cars at crucial moments. I'd rather just ease off the gas and maintain a constant speed at times. Or am I just dreaming?! Stuart. Stuart Booth Transport Routeing Software

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> I've been wondering about these Steering wheel sets you can get for > Racing sims. Steering with a boggo-standard joystick is obviously > analog, but braking/accelerating using the fire buttons is digital ie > either on or off. > Using pedals from a Steering Wheel driving set, do I get analog > control over the throttle & brakes? I'm fed up accelerating/engine > braking/braking to try and keep my distance behind cars at crucial > moments. I'd rather just ease off the gas and maintain a constant > speed at times. > Or am I just dreaming?! > Stuart. > Stuart Booth > Transport Routeing Software

I am currently using a joystick to control the game. I found that instead of buttons for gas, set the control options so that when you push up on the joystick you accelerate, and when you pull back the brake is applied. Use the buttons for shifting and a keyboard button for reverse. The reason for this is that the gas works in a linear fashion. The farther you push it, the more gas it gives the car. It may take a little while to get use to this type of config, but it improves game performance by 100%.

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>>I've been wondering about these Steering wheel sets you can get for >>Racing sims. Steering with a boggo-standard joystick is obviously >>analog, but braking/accelerating using the fire buttons is digital ie >>either on or off. >>Using pedals from a Steering Wheel driving set, do I get analog >>control over the throttle & brakes? I'm fed up accelerating/engine >>braking/braking to try and keep my distance behind cars at crucial >>moments. I'd rather just ease off the gas and maintain a constant >>speed at times. >>Or am I just dreaming?! >>Stuart. >>Stuart Booth >>Transport Routeing Software > I am currently using a joystick to control the game. I found >that instead of buttons for gas, set the control options so that when >you push up on the joystick you accelerate, and when you pull back >the brake is applied. Use the buttons for shifting and a keyboard >button for reverse. > The reason for this is that the gas works in a linear fashion. >The farther you push it, the more gas it gives the car. It may take >a little while to get use to this type of config, but it improves game >performance by 100%.

Yeah, but what is the effect of pushing _both_ pedals at once? On a joystick, the one axis is used for accelerator / brake, so the problem doesn't arise. A steering wheel setup uses the same interface as a joystick, except the axis is split over two pedals. It would be really great if you could use left-foot braking techniques ( i.e. have your foot on the gas and brake at the same time ), as used in real 2-pedal setup F1 cars ( e.g. Jordan, McLaren ). I somehow suspect, however, that a) the control interface is not up to it b) any current racing game does not have the ability to simulate input from an accelerator / brake at once. Any ideas?? Fraser.

>I use a joystick with the forward axis as the throttle, that way I can >apply a little gas for cruising under yellow, or flat out down the >straights. I still use the thumb button for the brake as it takes too >long to pull the joystick back! Ahhhh, the penny drops. Never thought of that! Thanks for the tips everyone!!! Stuart... (Still thinking about buying a T1 though... d8-) Stuart Booth Transport Routeing Software

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>>Yeah, but what is the effect of pushing _both_ pedals at once? On >>a joystick, the one axis is used for accelerator / brake, so the >>problem doesn't arise. A steering wheel setup uses the same interface >>as a joystick, except the axis is split over two pedals. It would be >>really great if you could use left-foot braking techniques ( i.e. >>have your foot on the gas and brake at the same time ), as used in >>real 2-pedal setup F1 cars ( e.g. Jordan, McLaren ). I somehow >>suspect, however, that a) the control interface is not up to it >>b) any current racing game does not have the ability to simulate >>input from an accelerator / brake at once. Any ideas?? >>Fraser.

I have the CH pedals and they allow you two use both at once because when you set them the cars mode it puts on pedal on each axis. i.e. the right pedal is on x and the left is on y. -

>Using pedals from a Steering Wheel driving set, do I get analog >control over the throttle & brakes? I'm fed up accelerating/engine >braking/braking to try and keep my distance behind cars at crucial >moments. I'd rather just ease off the gas and maintain a constant >speed at times. Yes, the pedals on the Thrustmaster kit for example, are mapped to a Joystick Axis, and therefore allow Analog input. In other words, you *can* feed in the throttle gently, or dab the brakes. I agree that digital brake/throttle is a weakness. Sequential gearshiting is ok though (using joystick buttons). The real thing (f1 cars) have been using sequential gearshifting for a few years now. I believe that Indycars either have them now or will shortly. Nope! / \ \_.--._/<--]This is where I eat/sleep/work/live/surf etc. v "doh" -Homer Simpson "it won't happen overnight, but it will happen." -Rachel Hunter.

>>Using pedals from a Steering Wheel driving set, do I get analog >>control over the throttle & brakes? >Yes, the pedals on the Thrustmaster kit for example, are mapped to a Joystick >Axis, and therefore allow Analog input. In other words, you *can* feed in the >throttle gently, or dab the brakes. Thanks for the info! This reminds me of another question I've got on the T1 kit. How does it all fit together and plug into your PC?! IE. Do you need 2 joystick interfaces for the wheel/gears and the pedals or can a single joystick input be split between them with some special adapter, or does the T1 have a combined input lead of some sort? I ask this because I use my AWE32 card as my joystick input at the moment and I'm wondering if I'll need to acquire anything else in order to get something like the T1 up and running. Cheers, Stuart. Stuart Booth Transport Routeing Software

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>IE. Do you need 2 joystick interfaces for the wheel/gears and the >pedals or can a single joystick input be split between them with some >special adapter, or does the T1 have a combined input lead of some >sort? >I ask this because I use my AWE32 card as my joystick input at the >moment and I'm wondering if I'll need to acquire anything else in >order to get something like the T1 up and running.

I just recently purchased a T1 with hopes of using it in my AWE32 joystick port. It works fine for me. The wheel plugs into the plug on the pedals (or is it the other way around) so you only need one physical plug, as long as it supports dual joysticks (which the AWE32 does). - Max in CA

While steering devices such as this should run off a standard SoundBlaster joystick port, I would strongly recommend investing in a really good port if you're going to spend the cash on the wheel. This is particularly true if you're running a Pentium - try the Thrustmaster ACM card which is rated for Pentium machines and doesn't suffer from drift. Fraser.

[Query about plugging T1 into soundcard games port munched] Thrustmaster ACM card?! This wheel set plan of mine just gets more complicated! What is this? A custom games card for the T1/Thrustmaster WCS/FCS sticks? How configurable is it interupts-wise? Do you have to disable any other games ports in the PC at the same time? And what makes it rated for Pentium machines?!!! I've got a P90... Any info appreciated. Trying to find a supplier here in the UK's hard enough let alone someone with knowledge about these things. Stuart. Stuart Booth Transport Routeing Software

Excellent, that it just what I needed to know! I really must read my AWE manual sometime. I didn't know it supported dual joysticks you know! I also don't know if I can swap left and right channels yet either... Duh! Stuart. Stuart Booth Transport Routeing Software