Tactile Immersion - General Discussion - Hardware & Software

I would add that there are other people who have gotten the tactile bug and are doing interesting and unique development work on tactile effects.

I know I've heard a few interesting approaches that have real possibilities.

We would love to have them be a part of this too, and will be happy to have their work there for people to enjoy and play with.

We can learn from new ideas. This won't simply be a place to share Rodney's work. Maybe it will help come up with some other solutions and mashups between solutions.
 
I am afraid SimXperience, that to my knowledge pioneered the whole tactile, with their examples of chassis mounted 4 corners transducers sent many folks (myself included) the wrong direction.
This spring loaded rig is attempt to band aid what was conceptually wrong in the first place.
Cannot think of the right idiom to describe thing that's impossible to improve no matter how hard you try. :)
You can't get an ought from an is. -Hume
 
So Mr Latte will freely share his profiles with anyone on the new GV discord, he will have a section where he can talk about what he wants as far as what he is doing with his own tactile, people can participate in that if thats the solution they want to go with.

Other people on the GV discord can take his profiles and use it, modify it for their own tactile installation with whatever transducers they have, if they make his slip/rpm/whatever work well enough for a dayton bst they can share it.

Why is there any talk like this is a bad thing? Yes, there has been a lot of vapour ware... its not been vapour ware as such, its been real but its been for a select few. That gets up peoples goat when when your told 'mine is better, yours is worse and no you cant try mine.'

This remedies most issues I have seen as topics of division. So lets just wait and see it happen. If your not building your own profiles what are you going to do anyway?

Firstly thanks to some for encouragement or acknowledgment.

I think anyone sharing their effects or profiles and the work they put into those, wants people to enjoy them. The best route is to look forward and not back. Anton will come around eventually, he wants what we all want. If not he has the ignore button available.

I have a story to tell... :)

Anyone that begins in experimenting with making their own effects, with continued experience in doing that may likely find ways to improve or fine-tune earlier work they have done.

The early work I did last year, I would be certain if I go back to those effects now I would find ways to improve them or at least offer additional variations that feel different but are still enjoyable. This will happen as I also improved/simplified how we label and map the effect to specific units so that it was easier to grasp.

Much of this year was spent on engine developments. Good progress made but need to reflect as we now have several good options in how to proceed with engines.

Different Scenarios:
A user could have a desire on wanting a very advanced and detailed engine sensation, then limit what other Simhub effects they apply or use. This could then also be supplemented with a motion rig to rely on other haptics it offers.

Someone else maybe wants a profile with a more basic but functional rpm. So perhaps, just with nice idle and peak rpm detection. Placing more focus on sensations that let them feel more the cars handling/chassis/braking/slip. This can work quite well as not just immersive but as a driving aid. I do believe for some, good tactile that connects you more with the sim, helps improve their concentration/connection with the car.

Advanced Engines
What was achieved and now better understood is how to not only find ways to make engines fit really well for certain cars, but an approach that would let a user *(with the correct hardware) be able to build their own engines from already pre-made elements.

How You Want It
Here, the user would select the idle sensation they wanted, then a mid-range they liked and choose the high rpm sensations they wanted. New sensations could be added.

Specific Car Engines
I detest the limitations of the standard approach, in that we have the same rpm/engine effects used pretty much for most cars. Tactile is one area that can address what thrill/depth or vibrational life we try to bring to any car in a sim.

Many cars, have a unique character, that encapsulates the driver.
Yet the truth is engines and the character a car has is very complex and we can't properly capture that thrill or experience with basic tones or engine drone sounds.

For me, this is one of my own set challenges.
I do not believe we can replicate a true to life 1:1 representation of a real car, lets make that clear.

I have found ways to much better incorporate individual character to engines that can have tonal representation generated within Simhub that is based on matching the actual cars own generated audio. This when combined with the audio you hear from the sim strengthens the connection you have.

From this, with my own approach, a user could combine these "tonal elements" then with their own idle/mid/peak rpm if they did not want to use the one included for that specific car.

What you get, is the ability to offer the community the tools to create hundreds of potential variations/combinations in what represents different engine sensations.

It's not vapourware, but all pioneering stuff that has not been possible before. It still needs more work but indeed it works *(using the recommended hardware).


Effects Breakdown
I actually want to go through each individual effect with a full analysis using that hardware I have to explore and show to people exactly what different settings do and consider ways we can have that effect operate.

Something like that has also never really been done before.

Effects Creations & Approaches
I do not recall coming out and saying to people "mine is better, yours is worse". Yes, I showed operational examples of other people's work to some of my own. Yet that was done because some appeared to see the "custom effect" path as a necessary "must do" to improve what Simhub already offers within the options/controls it offers.

Some have described what their custom effect does better or improves over what the standard effect options achieve. Yet when analysed or compared 1:1 often it did not show many operational improvements, in some cases little differences.

I do believe, there are things within the custom effect options that may be possible to give more specific control in the operation of certain effects. Yet for me ultimately the "custom effect" option is best used for those scenarios. To do something regards how the telemetry is applied that will show operational benefits.


Experienced As Intended?
Please take these points below into account, if someone is creating effects for the general community and those with entry-level type hardware. Then you really are limited to what can be done within that typical 50Hz operational window.

That person does not have to worry so much about how their effect is being experienced, or if it is being experienced as they intended it to feel. Because it's quite simple. They may even be building such effects on entry-level hardware themselves.

Vital Differences
Most people, still construct effects based on a single channel or unit. By this I mean all the layers for the effect are generated on that device, going into the user from that device's installation point. Therefore the first limitation we have is the operational performance of that unit.

This is before you even consider other factors that may be detrimental, such if the unit is well installed, in an optimal place or manner, or if the user's rig has or has not any isolation. Relevant things that may have an impact on what they feel from that unit.

Now let me give you a different perspective.

Custom Made
If effects are made by me that have specific layers, for specific hardware units, that also are expected to be installed in certain ways or places.

We have major differences here, first, the effect is not being represented by a single unit or the performance limitations of that single unit. We now have at least 4x the potential operational dynamic range for an effect to use which determines its felt characteristics.

The effect is also, not being delivered into the user's body by the same single installation point of the location of a single unit but instead via multiple locations and body regions.

This brings a vast difference in not just how effects can now feel, but how we apply the output mix in the roles of those different units. We can have different effects using this combination of tactile hardware in different ways.

Many more options are now possible regards the creation of the effects to determine how an effect is represented, not just in what range of frequencies it has but how/which body regions it is felt in.

This approach lets you do two primary things.
1) Helps improve scenarios of multiple effects operational at once.
2) Helps create much more fulfilling immersion with increased detailed sensations for specific effects.

Now, tell me, how is someone with budget hardware or a standard installation or using only some of the desired components going to feel the effects as they are intended?

So If I am trying to do something different with the approach I have found that appears to deliver much better potential with tactile. It was necessary we got some potential owners to experience this properly, to buy into the hardware, and become beta testers to help forward effects creation for this concept.

Happy Meal?
If I give you a recipe for a wonderful meal, with several ingredients, some of these need to be boiled, fried or oven baked. They also need to have recommended preparations in how they are cooked.

If some people try to cook it, with only some of the ingredients, or avoiding one or more of the processes or tries to under/overcook how the meal is prepared. Will that person get the full flavour or richness it was intended to bring?

You then have the potential for a mass of people getting very different results and false representation.

Highway To Help!
Recommendations will be made, support to downscale certain effects has already had some early testing with one of Simhubs moderators. I did this with him to show it was possible and my concept, can be enjoyed with as little as 2x EXC and a cheap soundcard with budget stereo amp. Even that with decent effects may bring some advantages over say a BK Gamer package and still cost less but also be expandable if the user desires.

One of the elements of my own approach is to try and address with the community how we not only offer effects to suit the entry-level users but can have in some cases simplified versions.

You cant take a 7.1-based soundtrack and fit it into a mono-center channel. Then say it's not very good or detailed...

Regardless of whose effects or who approach the community decides to use, as I have stated, people have to be realistic with what they are using as to what the limitations or possibilities are with that.

Let's see what I come up in the next month or so, with a fresh look into effects for 2/4/6 EXC on a seat...
 
Last edited:
Just wanted to add my voice of appreciation for the new venture/direction. I'm one of those who got recommendations and guidance and am grateful for it but due to financial and availability issues, had to go my own way.

I understand the frustration this causes as there are literally limitless combinations of hardware and installation options and no-one person can cover them all. Hopefully with this new direction the work can be crowd sourced more and everyone will find a solution that fits them :)
 
@NetLawMan

IIRC you have a TST used for audio tactile and purchased some EXC units but never installed them

Currently trying to turn small negatives towards big positives, so Im reaching out as I read your interest and queries in that excellent Sigma thread. They also seem to be doing interesting things with haptics different to d-box witn an affordable motion system. Thats good to see as well...

Suggestion, contact me via DM you will now find help that lets you discover for yourself if we can improve your fun with haptic immersion and put that TST to better work. As stated before, its not about one trying to replace the other, just as you see motion companies alreading adding haptics.

However Simhub is very capable and lets us do things to go beyond what any motion haptics can offer. You the user decide what or how you intergrate both or want to suit your own preferences.
 
Last edited:
@NetLawMan

IIRC you have a TST used for audio tactile and purchased some EXC units but never installed them

Currently trying to turn small negatives towards big positives, so Im reaching out as I read your interest and queries in that excellent Sigma thread. They also seem to be doing interesting things with haptics different to d-box witn an affordable motion system. Thats good to see as well...

Suggestion, contact me via DM you will now find help that lets you discover for yourself if we can improve your fun with haptic immersion and put that TST to better work. As stated before, its not about one trying to replace the other, just as you see motion companies alreading adding haptics.

However Simhub is very capable and lets us do things to go beyond what any motion haptics can offer. You the user decide what or how you intergrate both or want to suit your own preferences.
Simhub is a great software, capable and big value. 100%
 
Simhub is a great software, capable and big value. 100%
Indeed it is, even in respect to just the "Shakeit" features and in particular, because it has no restrictions with regards to how its output mixer operates in supporting all 8 channels for a 7.1 soundcard. Then on top of that also enables multiple soundcards to be used, awesome!

For me, it was those features that really excited me and opened up the potential (what can be done) compared to Simvibe. Personally, I still believe a lot of progress is still possible, especially with regard to the potential of engines.

As an example....

I tried to work on solutions that can be used for any or a mix of the following options below (user or mood preference). I think it is coming close to the possible limits for a seat. However, some more ideas to try and some to improve. Then share with the community for feedback. Then it's down to refining the felt sensations being generated, based on what we find is more popular.

The community will find settings and combos that just work well. From very simplistic to all-out multi-dimensional / multichannel extremes.

Yet my own approach/methods does make "good feeling profiles" quite easy for others to simply swap/enjoy.

1) Speed Of Vehicle
2) Speed Of Engine (Interchangeable Low/Mid/High elements)
3) Selectable V4 - V12 (fundamental + additional octaves/harmonics)
4) Inserted Peak Engine Torque (car-specific effects)
5) Engine Tonal Character (car-specific effects up to 400Hz+)


I like it, that the user has some control within this by altering the mix based on the "live feel" it is generating within their own seat.
Yet importantly, simple to engage/disable any elements on the fly and just adjust the different effects layers gain to their own liking. The combined feel of course can vary based on the effects used, and personal preferences as well as other factors.

Also quite fascinating is how we can change so much the overall sensation with even the same frequencies used. For instance, the same effect to a TST in the base of the seat, feels very different from the same effect sent to multiple exciters on the back of a seat.

This is good as it means in building different engine effects (for general use or specific cars) I can help come up with very different combos based on the role or usage of a specific effect layer and how I want that to be represented for the character of the engine worked on.

It also means users with enjoyment in experimenting with tactile, will be able to help build/create their own profiles and share them with others with the same recommended hardware/installations. This alone is one of the biggest issues with tactile.

This may sound crazy to some,,,,, yet we have had good closed beta tests with a seat using 8x channel-based engine sensations.

This incorporates 6 exciters, the largest most powerful BK and a Clark TST unit all on an isolated seat section.

It can certainly work, though it may be close to the limit of achieving something with great potential but still keeping it relatively easy for users to control. So far so good!!!

Additionally, determining how we apply the output and mix is also fascinating as we can if desired, also have rpm or speed-based elements, move up/down the seat (seat base-shoulders) change in frequencies, and are not limited to being just static.

Yet the same applies for other positional sensations representing, speed-based steering, lateral G and longitudinal G. So many possibilities but all possible because Simhub made such possible.... :)
 
Last edited:
@NetLawMan

IIRC you have a TST used for audio tactile and purchased some EXC units but never installed them

Currently trying to turn small negatives towards big positives, so Im reaching out as I read your interest and queries in that excellent Sigma thread. They also seem to be doing interesting things with haptics different to d-box witn an affordable motion system. Thats good to see as well...

Suggestion, contact me via DM you will now find help that lets you discover for yourself if we can improve your fun with haptic immersion and put that TST to better work. As stated before, its not about one trying to replace the other, just as you see motion companies alreading adding haptics.

However Simhub is very capable and lets us do things to go beyond what any motion haptics can offer. You the user decide what or how you intergrate both or want to suit your own preferences.
My main question is which effects do you think would be a good supplement?
 
Slip and RPM are primarily what I use my tst for, although it is quite good through a large range you could use it for some added road noise etc though I find with RPM and slip there is already a lot going on. I dont use it for speed myself as I find RPM gives me that sense anyhow

Motion does the bigthings as far as road bumps etc and feeling like you have really gone over a bad repair, big bump etc but it can still give you road noise and smaller things like feeling I like a stone was kicked under the floorboard etc.
 
My main question is which effects do you think would be a good supplement?

If you wanted to still incorporate the game audio, that's possible with the Simhub effects, but I have found hardware I can recommend for that to boost/control the game audio on the fly. This is a nice benefit as game audio tactile is very hit and miss depending on the car.

Do you want game audio sent to 1 unit or 8? How about with independent control in bass/gain for each channel too. ;)
Consoles as well, okay no problem!

Game audio aside....

Regards your question, I don't know if you mean from just that list or in general with any Simhub effects and when used with the motion.

A good recommendation is to use the ones that you like best.
It's not for me to tell you which effects to use.

One aspect, of being able to do more advanced things in Simhub.
Is that you could have profiles made for a fave car or general usage of various cars.

I found it's not a bad idea to also consider making different options for the usage case, mood or scenario the user finds they need/want.

1. - Hi power engine/gear/bumps etc for thrills and laughs
2. - Focused more on racing & feeling the cars handling
3. - Relaxed, simplistic with lowered settings.
 
Last edited:
Slip and RPM are primarily what I use my tst for, although it is quite good through a large range you could use it for some added road noise etc though I find with RPM and slip there is already a lot going on. I dont use it for speed myself as I find RPM gives me that sense anyhow

Motion does the bigthings as far as road bumps etc and feeling like you have really gone over a bad repair, big bump etc but it can still give you road noise and smaller things like feeling I like a stone was kicked under the floorboard etc.


We can apply speed in different ways, but regards engines, use it for advantages that RPM cant do. In a race scenario the RPM is mostly operating within the @80-100% repeating with each gear.

With engine-based sensations using speed.
We can have

inertia-type feel at low speed
increasing engine strain as the car reaches max velocity
unique feeling engine energy for deceleration

An example, Monza/Imola type tracks with highspeed straights to feel that engine load increasing, yet also adding more thrill when decelerating down from hi-speed for low-speed corner/chicanes.
 
Hello,

I would like to have vibrations on my pedals for ABS, wheel slip lock,....and saw videos of the rumble kit of Sim 3D:

1660331443400.png



and DIY from Amstudio:


That sounds very good but I am also thinking if using transducers for this purpose.

Something like that:

1660329618700.png




What do you think is better? the Xbox/PS vibration motors or the transducers?
 
Last edited:
Next Wednesday I should receive my D-Box Gen 5 system, and I'm hoping to have an idea after some experimentation what the D-Box Haptics can do and what they can't do and where the tactile effects have advantages and where the Haptics have advantages.

These are just tools to accomplish an objective. If the D-Box does something well enough that I'm happy to give it responsibility for an effect that just frees up my transducers to handle other effects better.

The bottom line is that I'll use whatever works best for any given feeling/effect.
 
Last edited:
Next Wednesday I should receive my D-Box Gen 5 system, and I'm hoping to have an idea after some experimentation what the D-Box Haptics can do and what they can't do and where the tactile effects have advantages and where the Haptics have advantages.

These are just tools to accomplish an objective. If the D-Box does something well enough that I'm happy to give it responsibility for an effect that just frees up my transducers to handle other effects better.

The bottom line is that I'll use whatever works best for any given feeling/effect.

Great News!

Mark you could be an excellent candidate for this as you have some tactile experience beyond the normal budget-level components. You will also go into a lot of effort with things, so look forward to your own findings and enjoy experiencing it too...

We really do not have that much operational info from current users or from reviewers of D-Box regards the output of its effects. Even the best, like Barry or Will can do product breakdowns, go into so much detail but they spent very little time covering the haptics. Maybe this is by request but I have for you something to consider...

The test for the rig appears to highlight a bass drop, we can assume this goes from the highest frequencies to its lowest. Depends on how far you want to go into this, although it would be good to use a suitable Omni-directional microphone beside the actuators to then see more in audio terms how/what D Box haptics really does.

This would give not just a "how it feels" perspective but also a more technical analysis than I've seen done before, help to answer some questions in operational terms about D Box haptics.

Here are some questions:

How are the 4 channels used with the effects, lets first determine what we are getting from the telemetry? Are they 4-way mono, are they front-back stereo are they left/right stereo, or is each of those scenarios possible based on how effects have been made to operate?

My assumption is as D Box supports even 1 or 2 actuator installations, that possibly the haptics are no different between 1/4 installations? The hardware also supports more than 4 too.

Assumptions are not good enough......

So are the haptic effects just duplicated with each unit or does it do something else internally with different configurations? Any material on this?

We do know, it is not short in power but with this may come some potential drawbacks with the frequencies it outputs. I do not believe it gives the user control to EQ specific frequencies that the various effects may use. Not like we could apply in Simhub layers for effects for a large BK, then a TST and then EXC units with all of those having control in exactly what frequencies and gain each would output to generate a combined output of them all.

For example, Im not aware, you can tweak or boost the lowest Hz a specific effect has or lower the mid-bass range which may be what becomes the determining volume used.

This may be illustrated in the test/bass drop that within its operation, certain frequencies are going to peak in output and become to strong, causing reverb and annoyance.

What is the signature/character output of the actuators, as it is this that may determine what volume settings a user applies to the effects based on what frequencies the different effects use. This is something nobody has to my knowledge looked to uncover.

Pars Express sell different options for their Dayton Audio OmniMic, the V2 seems their best supporting down to 5Hz.

They offer a 60-day return policy as well....
Lots of videos on YT about this but widely used for various applications.

Parts Express/Dayton used these for capturing readings for their own Exciter models spec sheets. Once you have recordings it's then also possible to show via various professional audio spectrum analysis software what is happening if desired and not just the software it comes with.

Of course its your call but I think to best implement additional tactile to work with motion haptics we need to have a better grasp of its operations. What it is, the user is exactly feeling as well the frequencies its applying and not just comment on how it feels.

Nothing I have seen to date, comes close to offering true in-depth pros/cons in what motion haptics offer in comparison to Simhub or how to best integrate them.

I believe you have potential here with other owners to not only do tests but express your own preferences based on each user's own tactile experiences to date.

Potentially very interesting and deserves its own space..
Such a report could possibly attract plenty of followers.
 
Last edited:
I'm posting my full results in my build thread, but for the next few days I'm running without motion.

For track use, I actually felt more in control without motion, yet felt fully immersed because of tactile. Sure I wasn't getting popped when I hit an angled rumble strip and wasn't swaying in the turns, but I didn't miss that.

I can't tell you how much of that is because of having a seat mover vs. having my seat more solidly mounted to the chassis.

I'm also hopeful that the D-Box's heave will add something new to the equation, so fingers crossed. It's also possible that the other motion will feel more natural with the entire chassis moving vs. just the seat.

I'm going to test Rally next, but I think I already know the answer to that question. I remember it feeling night and day in Rally when I added motion.
 
I can't tell you how much of that is because of having a seat mover vs. having my seat more solidly mounted to the chassis.
This makes perfect sense to me… I have heard that the seat mover can make it hard to generate the correct/ same and repeatable (consistent) amount of force each and every the time on your brake and accelerator pedals…

If you think about it, your position relative to the pedals changes due to the seat mover moving you about, both distance and angle wise to the ‘fixed’ pedals (fixed to the non moving chassis).

Yes in a race car you do move somewhat (based on your bodies enertia)… closer to pedals on heavy braking and possibly away/ side to side on hard acceleration and cornering… but yes on the sim I could see that lack of movement relative to the pedals would be a good thing for consistency of applying measured and repeatable forces to them.

Obviously I suspect that this will be a non issue with motion, I say this as both you and the pedals then move together, so they stay positioned relatively the same to you.
 
Last edited:

Latest News

How often do you meet up (IRL) with your simracing friends?

  • Weekly

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Monthly

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Yearly

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Weekly at lan events

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Monthly at lan events

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yearly at lan events

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Never have

    Votes: 13 81.3%
Back
Top