Custom Built Racing Game Cockpit

[BrownDog]

hey all

the title says it all but the story is:

ive recently bought a car that has a high powered motor put in it, but the body is rather cactus, and i have the same car i drive everyday. it has a great body but i destroyed the motor with my spirited driving [no comments please]

long story short, the high powered motor goes in my daily driver and then ill have this car body in my yard.

the plan is to cut the front half of the cockpit out [cut just behind the front seats and the firewall], seal it up and make a cockpit for gaming, perfect idea as the pedals, wheel, handbrake and dash is all there ready to work

this is where you guys come in!!

i need some help in getting it to work, i.e what potentiometers i should use, what controllers i should use and how to make it work with windows, then maybe xbox later on

to be happy with the projects completion the system must:

have a working steering wheel with about 540 Deg rotation either way for realism [if too difficult will settle for like 180-270 either way]

all three pedals working and analog

working 6-speed shifter [might buy a thrustmaster one]

working handbrake

this last one is sort of just a extra, not too bothered if it dont work
working dash dials

all help and ideas are welcome

before u say it i have looked at just buying something like logitech G27 and mount it in there but id like to try this route first

 

[Gryd3]

Xbox Inputs include the following:
6 Analogue inputs:
-Left JoyX
-Left JoyY
-Right JoyX
-Right JoyY
-Left Trigger
-Right Trigger

14 Digital inputs:
-Left Joy Center
-Right Joy Center
-DPad Up
-DPad Down
-DPad Left
-DPad Right
-Select
-Start
-Left Shoulder
-Right Shoulder
-A
-B
-X
-Y

If you can't map all of your controls to these inputs, you can make it work with an xbox. At least to the full range you want. The clutch may need to be connected to a digital input. I have yet to see a game with an analogue clutch... but it's been a while.
Same thing with the shifter. You may need to settle for something like paddle shifters, or a two-way (push-up , pull-down) shifter.
If you want to use an analogue clutch or a special shift lever controller, you will be building your rig to be game-specific
As far as construction is concerned, it may be easiest to buy a controller and take it apart. Relocate the buttons and joysticks and mount them in the body you are working with.

 

[BrownDog]

The triggers are the same axis

Was thinking of going that route, for pc a custom 6-Spd shifter will work on plenty of games, xbox a paddle shift will be fine (I only play forza so I'll have them mapped as x and b)

As for the clutch forza 2-5 on xbox have the option of an anlouge clutch (can be set to the right stick) and racing sims on pc are very versatile in the way u can setup the controllers

Actually I think that might just be the way to go for the most part
Just gotta work out how to get the pedals to replace the axis of the controller

 

[Gryd3]

The triggers are the same axis

Was thinking of going that route, for pc a custom 6-Spd shifter will work on plenty of games, xbox a paddle shift will be fine (I only play forza so I'll have them mapped as x and b)

As for the clutch forza 2-5 on xbox have the option of an anlouge clutch (can be set to the right stick) and racing sims on pc are very versatile in the way u can setup the controllers

Actually I think that might just be the way to go for the most part
Just gotta work out how to get the pedals to replace the axis of the controller

Sounds good. You are right on the trigger being on the same axis, although most windows drivers can still detect both triggers bring pulled at the same time. It's an odd behaviour... considering windows reports the axis going both positive and negative at the same time in this instance.. :s
As far as actually interfacing to the parts are concerned. You obviously seem pretty mechanically inclined, so it should be an easy task for you. I'm thinking of how the accelerator actually interfaces with the throttle-body. Typically just a cable wrapped around a spring loaded metal wheel. When the cable get's pulled the wheel rotates. Simply replace the butterfly valve with a potentiometer. The size of the wheel will obviously dictate a sort of gearing ratio for how far the pedal has to move to rotate the pot. The majority of pots you find will not rotate 360 degrees anyway, so some kind of rig will be required. (Additionally, you can look into 'linear potentiometers')

The one thing I would like to confirm and can't quite yet... is if the xbox xontrollers use the joy stick potentiometers are voltage dividers... It's common practice, and if this is the case, you don't have to fret about buying a specific values for the potentiometers.

 

[BrownDog]

It's a bit weird, windows registers it that way, however in games it sees it as one axis so when both are pressed in the cancels each other out

Could leave the throttle body connected to the throttle cable, it has a flat piece out the other side for a Throttle Position sensor, perfect for mounting the potentiometer

Steering I'm gonna leave the steering rack there so that I can't continuously rotate the wheel, a set of Pullys to achieve the full 900deg rotation lock to lock

Brake and clutch will be the hardest of them all,
Seen how they are both hydraulic, maybe a pressure sensor, or most likely I'll put potentiomenter on the pivot points