'SimShaker - Wheels' support thread

[=Andre=]

Here you can get help with "SimShaker - Wheels" issues and questions.

SimShaker - Wheels is a mediation software between a supported car simulation game and Gametrix JetSeat or well known Buttckicker hardware to provide immersing event driven vibration FXs (special effects).
Currently supported PC titles: iRacing, Assetto Corsa, Automobilista, rFactor 2, DiRT Rally, Project CARS, Project CARS2, ETS2, ATS, F1 2016/2017 and RRRE.
Currently supported console titles: F1 2016.

 

[knob2001]

Hi!

I've picked up 4 Auras from the second-hand market recently. Looking for a software to control them, I could say I've never heard of this app before. Simvibe and x-sim seem to be the standard anywhere in Google, although, at more than 80€, simvibe sounds more like a pro app for the pro simracer rather than for an occasional player. x-sim, at the other hand, is an overkill to use it just for buttkickers.

I'm at work right now but (after this great discovery) I'm planning to install simshaker this afternoon. Some questions while this working Saturday at 9 AM:
1. I've read the manual and it says that in order to use more than 3 shakers (I've 4 on each corner of the sim), you must install Asio4all. Is that true? Just to know before setting up stuff.
2. Differences with simvibe? It seems to me that Simvibe has some frequency generator instead of playing a pre-recorded WAV file, isn't? In my case, as I'm working as a sound engineer, I shouldn't have many problems about editing or whatever sound related stuff. Again, just to know before getting my hands dirty.
3. A comparison between the jetseat vs 4 buttkickers around would be very much appreciated. I'm a huge fan of VR and as you already probably know, even with the smallest external force feedback you add to the system, the VR experience improves dramatically. So... should I try the Jetseat instead of my 4 Auras? As I've read, Christmas time is coming fast

Anyway, congrats for this app. It seems to be a real competitor to those 89$ of simvibe.

Thanks, and see you this afternoon inside the shaking virtual racing world.

 

[=Andre=]

Hi,
1. That's right. To control more than 2 channels SimShaker - Wheels needs ASIO driver to be installed. If you have ASIO driver from a sound card manufacturer, please, use it. Otherwise use Asio4all.
2. I do not use Simvibe, but there were some comparisons from other members, please read this thread through.
3. I think a combination of the JetSeat and the buttkickers would be the best. If to choose only one, I'd prefer the JetSeat. Please read this post as well http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/simshaker-wheels-support-thread.133102/page-13#post-2604322 to get more comprehension.

 

[Ryan Robbins]

Thank you for using SimShaker - Wheels!
Drive with pleasure
7:50:19 Got settings from C:\Users\Ryan Robbins\AppData\Local\SimShaker-Wheels\LauncherSettings.cfg
7:50:19 Detected Steam path d:\steam
7:50:19 rFactor 2: plugin 'SimshakerRF2plugin_Win32.dll' is up to date
File path d:\steam\steamapps\common\rFactor 2\Bin32\Plugins\SimshakerRF2plugin_Win32.dll
7:50:19 Detected Steam path d:\steam
7:50:19 rFactor 2: plugin 'SimshakerRF2plugin_x64.dll' is up to date
File path d:\steam\steamapps\common\rFactor 2\Bin64\Plugins\SimshakerRF2plugin_x64.dll
7:50:19 Detected Steam path d:\steam
7:50:19 Automobilista: plugin 'SimshakerAMSplugin_Win32.dll' is up to date
File path d:\steam\steamapps\common\Automobilista\Plugins\SimshakerAMSplugin_Win32.dll
7:50:22 No process is associated with this object.

This is my log screen this morning, Sim Shaker wheels will start but when I press Manual Start it does not take me to the next screen so that I can load a file. Also, if I leave it in Auto Start it does not load a file with the game?

 

[=Andre=]

Please create a support ticket to dig into details.

 

[Vranq]

Dear SimShaker - Wheels users, if after Windows 10 Fall Creators Update the application asks for activation again, please, restart the application and update it up to version 2.26. After the update your activation will be restored automatically.

Has the issue with windows 10 defender been solved?

 

[=Andre=]

No, I can not improve Windows Defender.

 

[Vranq]

But i haven't had any problems before Ver. 2.25. So something must be different in the new versions. I have never experienced problems like those with Ver. 2.25 before with any kind of software. It was actually unusable until i got the manual install version.

 

[=Andre=]

I don't think so.

 

[knob2001]

Hi.

After some minutes playing with Pcars2 and SimShaker, I'm a little confused. I was expecting a more continuous vibration effect while inside the car. I mean, with all activated by default, I really would like to have a deep vibration from the 4 wheels simulating the global effect of the motor itself. Right now I can sense the bumps and the crashes, but although the motor is there, is not very noticeable to transmit any sensation. And the whole experience becomes a little weird with just those occasional triggers.

Anyone with a profile for 4 buttkickers and Pcars2? Tomorrow I will test it some more minutes.

Thanks

 

[asteroulis]

Hi.

After some minutes playing with Pcars2 and SimShaker, I'm a little confused. I was expecting a more continuous vibration effect while inside the car. I mean, with all activated by default, I really would like to have a deep vibration from the 4 wheels simulating the global effect of the motor itself. Right now I can sense the bumps and the crashes, but although the motor is there, is not very noticeable to transmit any sensation. And the whole experience becomes a little weird with just those occasional triggers.

Anyone with a profile for 4 buttkickers and Pcars2? Tomorrow I will test it some more minutes.

Thanks

Hi, engine effects are not yet optimised for SSW, and @=Andre= should try and make it asap in order to be a good player in the telemetry based tactile software arena. It's not wind effect, it's one of the most important effects in a car tactile software!

For now, I would auggest that you mix a bit of lpf audio as well in the channels in order to have rpm. Use voicemeeter banana for that to dual output your audio and mix it with ssw.
Also I do suppose you have the 2ch license for ssw.
In any case pm @Mr Latte, if he would be kind to give you some advice and share some of his custom made effects to enhance your ssw experience.

 

[Cote Dazur]

In bump and buffet what does Filtering Threshold do, I understand gain, as it increase or decrease the strength of the effect, but I am not sure about Filtering Threshold.
Also what does buffet mean?
I am very happy about SimShaker, it makes my buttkicker much more efficient.

 

[=Andre=]

Hi.

After some minutes playing with Pcars2 and SimShaker, I'm a little confused. I was expecting a more continuous vibration effect while inside the car. I mean, with all activated by default, I really would like to have a deep vibration from the 4 wheels simulating the global effect of the motor itself. Right now I can sense the bumps and the crashes, but although the motor is there, is not very noticeable to transmit any sensation. And the whole experience becomes a little weird with just those occasional triggers.

Anyone with a profile for 4 buttkickers and Pcars2? Tomorrow I will test it some more minutes.

Thanks

Well, that was not my intention to provide plenty of constant vibrations and I thought that a well designed and made engine should not provide too much vibrations.... But I'm not a racing driver in reality, I prefer small cars rather than big, I assume I may be wrong.
I realize that in VR one may want to get more physical sensation, especially if one'd like to prevent nausea.
I would recommend to enable Acceleration/Deceleration FXs, which are switched off by default, and set Filtering Thresholds for Slip and Bumps FXs around to zero.

 

[=Andre=]

In bump and buffet what does Filtering Threshold do, I understand gain, as it increase or decrease the strength of the effect, but I am not sure about Filtering Threshold.
Also what does buffet mean?
I am very happy about SimShaker, it makes my buttkicker much more efficient.

Filtering Threshold allows a user to filter off small vibrations if he's got annoyed with constant vibration or wants to emphasize some FXs and make others to provide less feedback. If you set it to 0 there is no filtering, if you set it to 100 that's max filtering.

I use "buffet" word as it explained at Dictionary.com.
English is not my first language, if somebody think a better name for that FX, please share.

 

[knob2001]

Well, that was not my intention to provide plenty of constant vibrations and I thought that a well designed and made engine should not provide too much vibrations.... But I'm not a racing driver in reality, I prefer small cars rather than big, I assume I may be wrong.
I realize that in VR one may want to get more physical sensation, especially if one'd like to prevent nausea.
I would recommend to enable Acceleration/Deceleration FXs, which are switched off by default, and set Filtering Thresholds for Slip and Bumps FXs around to zero.

Hi, Andre. Thanks for the info. I'm not a racing driver in reality neither, but even in my street car, I can "feel" that the motor is spinning because of the HUM of the whole car frame. For me, the RPMs would be just the base for whatever effect you would like to add up after (bumping, corners, accelerations...). Maybe it is a good idea to divert some audio from the game to the buttkickers in order to have that constantly rumble as asteroulis said and let Simshaker do the occasional job. Anyway, great piece of software you have here. I'll try to test a lot more in the next weeks. Cheers!

 

[=Andre=]

For me, the RPMs would be just the base for whatever effect you would like to add up after (bumping, corners, accelerations...).

Hi knob2001,
Thank you for the feedback. This is a fresh thought for me.
I've realized that I've been considering engine vibration as something unhealthy and unwanted. Hhmm... I think it comes from my experience with my previous real life cars You may know how difficult it may be to get rid of the undesirable engine vibrations.

I'm going to visit Sochi in early 2018 and I think I will try some powerful car on Sochi F1 raceway. Hopefully that will help me to improve SimShaker - Wheels.

 

[Cote Dazur]

Thank you @=Andre= , I now understand how threshold works, but buffet remains mysterious on how it relates to anything happening to a car. In other words bump is suspension at work, what is buffet?
I am with you on engine vibration, the only vehicule I ever felt clear engine vibration is a Harley Davidson.
In a car, you feel the road in your seat a lot more than any engine vibration, feeling engine vibration does not give feedback about what the car is doing, it is just noise. What we want to feel is what the suspension and tyres are doing, like we do in real life while driving a car.

 

[Mike1304]

Today I started Project Cars 2 with Jetset (+Simshaker Wheels Softwre) and the program told me that there was an update. So I updated from v2.25 to v2.26 and after that, I could not play PC2 anymore with my Rift. The program started, but as soon as the Simshaker Wheels software kicked in, the display of PC2 on my PC-monitor disappeared, although in the task-bar I could still see that there was a tab for "PC2" running. I could only see PC2 in my Rift, but there I could not use the mouse and/or the keypad anymore...
Then I started PC2 without using the Simshaker Wheels software and everything was normal but of course my Jetseat was not working (no rumble effects).
I restarted my PC several times and tried it but always the same problem.
Then I switched back to the old v2.25 of Simshaker Wheels and everything was fine again.
Can you please check/repair this? (I'm on Win10 fall creators update by the way...). Thank you in advance.

 

[=Andre=]

Today I started Project Cars 2 with Jetset (+Simshaker Wheels Softwre) and the program told me that there was an update. So I updated from v2.25 to v2.26 and after that, I could not play PC2 anymore with my Rift. The program started, but as soon as the Simshaker Wheels software kicked in, the display of PC2 on my PC-monitor disappeared, although in the task-bar I could still see that there was a tab for "PC2" running. I could only see PC2 in my Rift, but there I could not use the mouse and/or the keypad anymore...
Then I started PC2 without using the Simshaker Wheels software and everything was normal but of course my Jetseat was not working (no rumble effects).
I restarted my PC several times and tried it but always the same problem.
Then I switched back to the old v2.25 of Simshaker Wheels and everything was fine again.
Can you please check/repair this? (I'm on Win10 fall creators update by the way...). Thank you in advance.

Thank you for the feedback, Mike.
I've just re-checked on Windows 10 Fall Creators Update PC, Project Cars 2, SimShaker - Wheels 2.26.
Works fine. Here is the video

Excuse my bad driving but you can see I was able to control the game and I felt the effects.

If you have SimShaker - Wheels still activated, you can keep version 2.25 until the next update will be released.
Anyone else has this issue?

 

[PicoBp]

Thank you for the feedback, Mike.
I've just re-checked on Windows 10 Fall Creators Update PC, Project Cars 2, SimShaker - Wheels 2.26.
Works fine. Here is the video

Excuse my bad driving but you can see I was able to control the game and I felt the effects.

If you have SimShaker - Wheels still activated, you can keep version 2.25 until the next update will be released.
Anyone else has this issue?

Oculus Rift + Win10 Fall update here, all works good with SSW/JetSeat.

 

[knob2001]

In a car, you feel the road in your seat a lot more than any engine vibration, feeling engine vibration does not give feedback about what the car is doing, it is just noise. What we want to feel is what the suspension and tyres are doing, like we do in real life while driving a car.

Hi, Cote.
You are right, but as I tried to explain earlier, that constant noise adds a lot of immersion on VR and it's something that doesn't happen on the desktop version. Once inside the headset, your body expects a realistic environment, and the rumble of the car surrounding you could do the job. It is just a "be there" rather than sense a particular effect. Maybe adding this feature under the VR settings could be an option for those who don't really like it (or need it).