Do You Use A Button Box?

[AussieStig]

Hey guys,

I was wondering how many members are using button boxes? Interested to know your thoughts and please check out my poll and the questions here:

Q, Where do you mount your button boxes, mounted horizontally or vertically?
Q. What did you spend on your button box?
Q. Do you use it for menu navigation or in-game adjustments?
Q. Do you prefer a combo of buttons, rockers, rotaries and toggle switches with labels / stickers or something with buttons / mini lcds which are programable for multiple functions? Think of an ELGATO STREAM DECK.
Q. Is a button box a must have peripheral on a sim rig for you?
Q. Do you use it with a console or PC?


Cheers, AussieStig (Mark)

 

[aKy0001]

As I'm driving VR only, I don't really have a use for a button box. Trying to get everything important mapped on my wheel, so I don't need to search around when wearing the headset.

 

[Daniel R.]

I have a small self built button ox with 10 buttons on the right hand of my steering wheel. It's necessary for me. Cycling menus etc.

It was maybe 15€ plus the Bodnar controller. So overall maybe 50.

 

[BillyBobSenna]

I was considering however I ended up getting a 9” android device and using Sim Dashboard. You can create button boxes and displays that are optimized for any game and or car.

 

[BrightCandle]

In VR you can't practically find a button box so it's not much use. We either need a way to see it from within game but practically I think for VR purposes we need shift, long hold and mode switching keys so we can get the most out of the keys we have.

There are a tonne of things I want in races but often can't have like Front and rear ARB adjustments. I often struggle to get KERS/ERS/comms/Brake Balance/headlights/wipers etc etc all onto the buttons on my wheel.

 

[Deleted member 217114]

Yeah, I do. But Automobilista 2 doesn't have lots of assignments. Automobilista 1 is another world.

 

[Michael Krone]

Not at the moment but I want to get a couple..

Ehemmmm.. REALLY WISH I HAD ONE COMING IN THE MAIL.. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!

jkjk

 

[Elaphe]

I don't want buttons on my steering wheel. It looks better and more vintage. Also, I don't race so I never used the buttons on my steering wheel plate (when I had it) while driving. Therefore, I decided that it was more practical for me to have an independent button box, which also means that I never have to worry about a coiled cable and so I can focus in driving and having fun. Also, trying to activate buttons on a rotating steering wheel with gloves and VR is not as easy as using my hand to locate the controls on my button box, if it's simple and organized. That's why I designed my button box with 3 rows and 3 layers of buttons. I placed it on the left of my steering wheel, for use with my left hand, because the part on the right is for more important controls such as the gear lever and the handbrake. I made my button box myself, so it wasn't expensive at all. I purchased one of those plastic boxes used for electronic components, removed the cover and replaced it with a piece of black lexan. It's mounted over the profile with a custom designed 3D printed stand. The electronics is controlled by a small controller by Xinmotek. Apart from the buttons I have a switch for my fans and a 2-way momentary lever for different functions (one of my buttons cycle through them). I didn't installed any rotaries because I don't need them. Also, no labels, because they are useless with VR. I must say my button box is essential in my rig, because many important functions are controlled by it (pausing, restarting, leaving the track, centering the headset, controlling the hud, etc.)

 

[RCHeliguy]

I built my own from scratch.
I run exclusively in VR so I wanted everything large and easy to find.

The left top corner gets the most use, Power, Start, seat, Pit/recover, HMD center.
The right top corner get used in place of a keyboard for non-mouse driven games.
The lower right corner is a placeholder and I'm not using it currently.

 

[stigs2cousin]

I am planning on building my own one day.

The reason is that the layout of the usual ones that are sold is not intuitiv for me.

I´d like to find the buttons and dials " out of the corner of my eye"
without needing to read labels.

So i need different colours and shapes of buttons and dials that are grouped logically.

And i want to integrate the controls into my cockpit so it looks like a racecar.

The project of the hour is to repair my pedalset so that i can use the clutch again.
I have to get over my fear of electronics and wire in a bodnar board.

Well, a simrig is just like a project car:

if you think you are done, look again!!

MFG Carsten

 

[Snajrog]

Used to and then went to a Stream Deck. Now I have a layout for every sim program, and other apps like Philips Hue.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I think Streamdeck is very sexy and I considered getting one.

Simming in VR has a pretty substantial impact on the usefulness of products like that, but for a triple screen setup it's definitely a great tool.

 

[Tronicgr_6DOF]

I prefer just buttons on the wheel, easy to reach always.

 

[DrRob]

Not really a button box, but maybe food for thought...

I just wanted some additional buttons/keys beside those on my steering wheel. Especially since I do not have access to my keyboard while driving I decided to use a small programmable numpad and installed it in front of my mousepad. You can map each key, even macros. It is not interfering with my regular keyboard.
Mine has red switches, one with blue switches is available as well.

I use it for navigation and pit stop strategy adjustments.

My first SimRig build!

Gents, after playing on a wheelstand setup for quite some years, I decided to upgrade to a proper rig. I was always hesitant to litter the living room witha full blown rig, so made do with a GT Omega "Classic". The whole journey started for me with a PS3, GranTurismo 5, a 100" front projection...

www.racedepartment.com

Was quite affordable ~33€ and does the job just fine. There are variants with more buttons.

 

[stigs2cousin]

Streamdecks are quite usefull (and sexy)

Whats keeping me from them is the (anticipated) problem from above,

I am afraid it would take too much attention away from driving because all the buttons look ther same.

On a wheel you can build up "positional memory" for the switches which you would need in VR.
In a real cockpit the most important switches have a unique position, colour, form and feel.
One would hit them "out of the corner of ones eye"


In my home country a tesla driver crashed his car while trying to adjust wiper speed.
In bad weather he had to open a menue in his touchscreen to do so.

After healing up he was convicted to a fine and his licence suspended for:
"distraction by an electronic device"
He tried to appeal the sentence because the device was mounted from the factory,
but distraction by infernally bad design still carries the same sentence.

I don´t know if his insurance stepped in, here they don´t have to if you behave " exceptionally stupid"
(which is not the right legal term)

Thats why i don´t want my simrig to have 20 identical buttons.

I don´t want to be lynched for ruining some elses race

 

[AussieStig]

Hey guys, thanks for all your replies and taking the trouble to answer the questions in the post. Much appreciated. Keep em coming mate, cheers, Mark

 

[VuChainz]

I built my own from scratch.
I run exclusively in VR so I wanted everything large and easy to find.

The left top corner gets the most use, Power, Start, seat, Pit/recover, HMD center.
The right top corner get used in place of a keyboard for non-mouse driven games.
The lower right corner is a placeholder and I'm not using it currently.

View attachment 395366

May I ask how you managed to fit that horn button on the steering wheel? It seems like some custom diy is neccessary, as I can't fit my Sparco horn button on my SC2 QR.

 

[RCHeliguy]

May I ask how you managed to fit that horn button on the steering wheel? It seems like some custom diy is neccessary, as I can't fit my Sparco horn button on my SC2 QR.

Yes, I did need to work with the horn button a bit. I think I had to trim some unwanted material off the back since there is no hole for the horn button to fit down into. I used some some non-hardening caulk to keep it in place.

I do remember it being something I had to be very careful doing so it would look good cosmetically. I might have used tin snips to trim away what I didn't want.

 

[VuChainz]

Yes, I did need to work with the horn button a bit. I think I had to trim some unwanted material off the back since there is no hole for the horn button to fit down into. I used some some non-hardening caulk to keep it in place.

I do remember it being something I had to be very careful doing so it would look good cosmetically. I might have used tin snips to trim away what I didn't want.

I see. Seems like you had to do some precision work to make it look good. I'm considering just buying a sticker that fits right into the hole, it seems to be around 55mm in diameter. Maybe I'll post the result if it doesn't look like crap in the end.

There is really very little information to find about how to cover the hole when mounting a wheel with horn button opening to a SC2. You are pretty much the only one I've found that actually came up with a solution. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I see. Seems like you had to do some precision work to make it look good. I'm considering just buying a sticker that fits right into the hole, it seems to be around 55mm in diameter. Maybe I'll post the result if it doesn't look like crap in the end.

There is really very little information to find about how to cover the hole when mounting a wheel with horn button opening to a SC2. You are pretty much the only one I've found that actually came up with a solution. Thanks for sharing.

Sorry I didn't document it. I just took care of it without thinking much about it.