GPL: MSFF Wheel - no force feedback

I've got an old gameport version of the MS Sidewinder FF wheel, and the wheel seems to work fine in GPL all bar one thing: I get no force feedback effects. Is this an issue with this old wheel & Windows XP? I've done some searching but can't seem to come up with a definitive answer. Has anyone got FF working with this wheel and GPL under XP? Cheers, Dave.

"Dave Weaver" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> I've got an old gameport version of the MS Sidewinder FF wheel, and the > wheel seems to work fine in GPL all bar one thing: I get no force > feedback effects. > > Is this an issue with this old wheel & Windows XP? I've done some > searching but can't seem to come up with a definitive answer. Has anyone > got FF working with this wheel and GPL under XP? > > Cheers, > Dave. >

make sure this is in your core.ini [ Joy ] allow_force_feedback= 1 force_feedback_damping= 5000 force_feedback_latency= 0.0045 max_steering_torque= 2800 then experiment with those 3 lines

Melodium <fgf@ss> wrote:

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> make sure this is in your core.ini > > [ Joy ] > allow_force_feedback= 1 > > force_feedback_damping= 5000 > force_feedback_latency= 0.0045 > max_steering_torque= 2800 > > then experiment with those 3 lines >

Those lines were already in my core.ini (from the all-in-one patch), but with somewhat different values for damping, latency and torque. I've tried exactly those numbers above, with no effect whatsoever.. I get no force feedback effects at all. Not even a twitch. Dave.

"Dave Weaver" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > I get no force feedback effects at all. Not even a twitch. Have you tried the control panel app too? If the problem is only in gpl then the core.ini stuff should work provided you rename the file from core.ini.sample to just core.ini. If the problem is in Windows then you need to try another driver or something. Chances are with the gameport/XP combination you may find you need a replacement wheel, or replacement OS ;-) Malc.

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 14:22:51 +0100, Malc <[email hidden]> wrote: > > Have you tried the control panel app too? If the problem is only in gpl > then the core.ini stuff should work provided you rename the file from > core.ini.sample to just core.ini. I have no other FF games installed or to hand, so I can't be sure it's GPL that's at fault or the O/S. Of course, being XP & the gameport version of the wheel, the MS Sidewinder software doesn't work, so I'm stuck with the generic XP "mini-driver" which doesn't mention FF at all... > If the problem is in Windows then you need to try another driver or > something. Chances are with the gameport/XP combination you may find you > need a replacement wheel, or replacement OS ;-) Well I have on old copy of Win ME lying around. I suppose I could make my machine dual boot. It's a pain in the rear, but cheaper than buying a new wheel I suppose. Strange thing is, I'm reasonably sure I had FF working fine with XP a couple of years back. Can't see what's different this time. A bit of a puzzler, really. Dave.

On 18 Apr 2004 16:16:08 GMT, Dave Weaver <[email hidden]> wrote: >Strange thing is, I'm reasonably sure I had FF working fine with XP >a couple of years back. Can't see what's different this time. A bit of >a puzzler, really. My MS GAMEPORT FF Wheel behaves oddly in XP. This is using the Asus NForce2 A7N8X-D gameport. The oddity is that sometimes I get FF, some times I don't. In N2003 I always have to disable, then reenable FF. In LFS I can just hit SHIFT+R to reinitialise the controller (very thoughtful of the developers), whereas in GPL I have to restart the races until it gets right. GPL is different from the others in that instead of no effects I get weird "opposite" effects that seem to want me to think the car is behaving weirdly just going straight. Primarily for this reason I'm thinking of ditching the MS for a black USB Momo. However it's served me wheel and I'm hesitant to let it go. Has anyone gone from said MS to the Momo, that being the new black cheaper one and not the old red Momo "deluxe" which isn't available anymore? Was the upgrade worth it? Thanks, Jørgen -- Jørgen Sundvor Smith mail: jorgen%smith.net

On 17 Apr 2004 22:50:25 GMT, Dave Weaver <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>I've got an old gameport version of the MS Sidewinder FF wheel, and the >wheel seems to work fine in GPL all bar one thing: I get no force >feedback effects. > >Is this an issue with this old wheel & Windows XP? I've done some >searching but can't seem to come up with a definitive answer. Has anyone >got FF working with this wheel and GPL under XP?

You do have a CORE.INI found in the GPL Folder? If not, copy CORE.INI.SAMPLE to CORE.INI, and try again. Cheers! Remco

Dave Weaver wrote in news:[email hidden]:

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> On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 14:22:51 +0100, Malc <[email hidden]> > wrote: >> >> Have you tried the control panel app too? If the problem is only >> in gpl then the core.ini stuff should work provided you rename >> the file from core.ini.sample to just core.ini. > > I have no other FF games installed or to hand, so I can't be sure > it's GPL that's at fault or the O/S. > Of course, being XP & the gameport version of the wheel, the MS > Sidewinder software doesn't work, so I'm stuck with the generic XP > "mini-driver" which doesn't mention FF at all... >

<snip> If you open the Game controllers applet in Control Panel (with the wheel turned on) and test any of the buttons, you will get a FF reaction (if it works). You do not need a FF gane to test. With the Game Controller applet open, click on Properties (assuming in the first place that your wheel shows up on the list of devices). You should see a picture of your wheel and three boes for steering, accelerator and brake. On the physical wheel, test any button and you should get a FF reaction. If you don't get a reaction, click on the Settings button and make sure that the checkbox for Enable Force Feedback is checked and that the sliders for FF values are not all the way to the left (zero force). IF FF is turned on, the device shows in your list, and you get no reaction from pressing any of the buttons, them you may have a duff wheel. HTH, -- Darryl

On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 06:32:56 GMT, Remco Moedt <[email hidden]> wrote: > > You do have a CORE.INI found in the GPL Folder? If not, copy > CORE.INI.SAMPLE to CORE.INI, and try again. > Yes, I have a suitable core.ini - the default one from the all-in-one patch, which has FF on by default. I've decided to take the time-consuming (but hopefully best) approach to this and am currently half-way through setting up a Win ME dual-boot, so that I can use my Sidewinder FF wheel in an O/S that supports it. Hopefully it'll sort out the crackly sound problem I get under XP too. All-in-all a bit drastic just to get a game working right, so I hope it works! -- Cheers, Dave

My understanding is that FF support is spotty with XP and gameport peripherals. I was looking for wheels and declined on some Thrustmaster stuff on E-bay for exactly this reason. Ended up with Microsoft wheel ($50 at Comp-USA.com plus $20 to ship) and have been really pleased with it. I would spend $70 before setting up dual-boot OS on my machine in a heartbeat. FYI only. Gil

XP doesnt do gamports... only most generic/basic support according to MS. You dont have Force feedback because you dont have use of the software that sets it to be used in XP. Because you have the gameport version, (Please note I avoided the delemma, by purchacing the USB version right off the bat... SO I have not experienced it 1st hand,) But according to Microsoft, the Gameport version of the FF wheels are not going to work in XP. However I am sure there were a few fellows who had the wheel & XP & working, long before MS told everyone that it doesnt work, Hehehee. I just have NOT met them or or read thier posts. AFIK, you would need the most current version of the "sidewinder profiler" software and A WHOLE BUNCH OF GOOD CARMA. it is on the CD, but the Gameport CD's usually only have version 2? or 3.02 on them, where I am using version 4. I seen on that website (driver library of some sort) you could download that CD's contents. do a google on drivers for Sidewinder, in this group, because someone posted the link and a logon & pw to use... you could try it. another possible solution, could be to buy the converter that Thomas-Super-WHeels sell on thier website (can be found on other sellers too but I dont recall the name, so I refer you to Thomas) as I heard these are the best ones... USB cards can be had for 10 bucks if you dont have USB on an older machine, and usb works too cool not to have one. Dave Weaver wrote:

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> I've got an old gameport version of the MS Sidewinder FF wheel, and > the wheel seems to work fine in GPL all bar one thing: I get no force > feedback effects. > > Is this an issue with this old wheel & Windows XP? I've done some > searching but can't seem to come up with a definitive answer. Has > anyone got FF working with this wheel and GPL under XP? > > Cheers, > Dave.

Darryl Johnson <[email hidden]> wrote: > If you open the Game controllers applet in Control Panel (with the > wheel turned on) and test any of the buttons, you will get a FF > reaction (if it works). You do not need a FF gane to test. No I don't - I used to with the Sidewinder software installed on Win ME, but the Sidewinder s/w for the gameport wheel is incompatible with XP. > With the Game Controller applet open, click on Properties > ... > If you don't get a reaction, click on the Settings button and make > sure that the checkbox for Enable Force Feedback is checked and that > the sliders for FF values are not all the way to the left (zero > force). But there is no "Enable Force Feedback" checkbox, or anything remotely to do with FF anywhere within my Game Controllers applet. It's just the standard XP Game Controllers control panel applet. The Settings tab just contains 2 buttons: "Reset to default" and "Calibrate". The Test tab just has "lights" for each of the buttons and graphs for the axes and brake pedals. There are no other tabs. Are you sure you're not thinking of the extra stuff that's insalled with the Sidewinder s/w? Right, I'm about to install Win ME for dual boot. Wish me luck! If I'm not back here in 12 hours, send out a search party! :-) -- Cheers, Dave.

Gil Violette <[email hidden]> wrote: > Ended up with Microsoft wheel ($50 at Comp-USA.com plus $20 to ship) > and have been really pleased with it. And I'm pleased with my MS wheel too. I'm just a little upset with MS for dropping support for the gameport version of their own hardware so quickly. Ah well, at least I won't be buying an MS wheel next time around. > I would spend $70 before setting up dual-boot OS on my machine in a heartbeat. I'd happily dual-boot before spending even $30! I already have the hardware & software; all it costs is a little of my time (and I've got that in abundance at the moment). Thanks for the feedback anyway! -- Cheers, Dave

I wrote: > Right, I'm about to install Win ME for dual boot. Wish me luck! > If I'm not back here in 12 hours, send out a search party! :-) > Hold that search party - I made it back in one piece (just about)! For the benefit of posterity, people experiencing the same problem, and those who are interested, here's what happened: I set my machine up for dual-boot with Win ME (and that was a saga in itself - more lessons learned there!) and once I'd got the sidewinder s/w installed it came up with a relatively useful error message that gave me enough new info for a bit more Internet research. It appears that the FF signals are sent to the wheel using the MIDI lines that are present on most gameports. It also appears that the (on-motherboard) gameport on my machine doesn't have the MIDI connections, hence no FF. I have an SB Audigy in another computer, so tonight I shall be swapping that into my main PC and seeing if that makes a difference. Thanks to all who provided feedback and opinions, -- Cheers, Dave

I know of a friend (he works with me) who has an old gameport non-FF wheel that he got for $5 at Comp-USA years ago. Now that he has upgraded his PC, I talked him into buying N2003 so we could race online. The wheel works fine. XP does do gameports, but I don't believe that FF works that way.

I wrote: > I have an SB Audigy in another computer, so tonight I shall be > swapping that into my main PC and seeing if that makes a difference. Stupid me! Half-way through adding the Audigy I realised that my motherboard DOES have MIDI support, but by default it's disabled in the BIOS. Enabled MIDI in the BIOS and, hey-presto! One working FF Sidewinder gameport wheel, both in Windows ME and XP. However, the Win ME control panel applet still won't let me set force strength etc (I still get an error message about being unable to initialize FF), but GPL works fine. And Win ME doesn't suffer from the same nasty sound crackles and pops that Win XP does, so that's a gain anyway. I hope this story will help someone else out, eventually! Thanks again to everyone for ideas/help. Now on to the more serious business of careening around ractracks in the hopeless attempt to do one lap without crashing... -- Cheers, Dave.