'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.

 

[Cote Dazur]

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).

I don’t disagree, some low level of constant vibration might be better than no vibration.
By adjusting wisely some of the settings you can obtain that vibration “white noise” similar to a car in movement without masking the suspension and tyre feedback from the road surface and curbs. It has only been a few days for me with SimShaker and I am getting to appreciate this software more and more.

 

[PicoBp]

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).

Just turn bump filtering down, and you'll have constant road noise.

 

[Mike1304]

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

Hmm, and you have the new V2.26 of SimShaker wheels software installed and play PC2 in VR?

 

[Mr Latte]

New question:

Why are gear changes sometimes felt and sometimes not?

 

[PicoBp]

Hmm, and you have the new V2.26 of SimShaker wheels software installed and play PC2 in VR?

Yep.

 

[St3fan]

Hi @=Andre= I got an issue with my SSW now. I changed the audio port of my shakers, and now when I start SSW, it can't run, giving this log:

Thank you for using SimShaker - Wheels!
Drive with pleasure
22:9:58.583 NaudioPlaybackEngine: could not initialize playback device. Exception from HRESULT: 0x88890004

Could you please help? Thanks.

 

[=Andre=]

0x88890004 occurs if SimShaker - Wheels can't find a sound card that was stored in settings by its system ID.
I would recommend to restart SimShaker - Wheels and re-select the sound card.

 

[St3fan]

0x88890004 occurs if SimShaker - Wheels can't find a sound card that was stored in settings by its system ID.
I would recommend to restart SimShaker - Wheels and re-select the sound card.

I tried restarting SimShaker a few times but the same error showed up. Is there a way to reset the system ID stored in the software?

 

[=Andre=]

Try to temporary select another card in the list and than select back the one you want to be used.

 

[St3fan]

Try to temporary select another card in the list and than select back the one you want to be used.

Problem fixed by messing around with my audio devices again. Somehow the dropdown list to select the audio device was gray.

 

[=Andre=]

Thank you for the update.

 

[Mr Latte]

Andre, can you give more info please on the gear shift effect or how its possible to improve the consistency? Surely others have noticed this too? (I use Assetto Corsa)

I was wondering why it can often be felt but other times not?
Just pushing out thoughts here but can you get it to monitor/detect upshift and downshift based on rpm value at time of shift and then help create more energy/gain in downshifts compared to upshifts?

With latest files and testing I have been doing, I can tell you that the performance of your software on some of the very best tactile hardware is to a really good level of immersion. The wav files used of course are very important but I'm personally enjoying to continue to make progress with the files being used. Feedback from others will help this as well over the coming weeks.

I wish you could feel this with the power and detail some of the high-end hardware gives and with 6 channels operating. Please keep pushing and improving, gradually more are taking notice.

 

[=Andre=]

Mr Latte,
currently I process gear shift pretty simple. Every game reports current gear number. If the number is changed, I play Gear Shift FX. If you don't feel the FX, may be the game haven't reported gear change. You can enable SSW Log to Screen option and monitor the FX.
Games may be vary in reporting gear change, for instance it may be 4 -> 5 or 4 -> 0 -> 5. In the latter the FX will be played twice and will be more sensible.
If you want upshifts and downshifts to be felt different, I think that is simple to detect for the first case, but seems to be tricky for the second.

 

[Cote Dazur]

Andre, can you give more info please on the gear shift effect or how its possible to improve the consistency? Surely others have noticed this too? (I use Assetto Corsa)

I was wondering why it can often be felt but other times not?
Just pushing out thoughts here but can you get it to monitor/detect upshift and downshift based on rpm value at time of shift and then help create more energy/gain in downshifts compared to upshifts?

With latest files and testing I have been doing, I can tell you that the performance of your software on some of the very best tactile hardware is to a really good level of immersion. The wav files used of course are very important but I'm personally enjoying to continue to make progress with the files being used. Feedback from others will help this as well over the coming weeks.

I wish you could feel this with the power and detail some of the high-end hardware gives and with 6 channels operating. Please keep pushing and improving, gradually more are taking notice.

Do you have a Waw file for bump that I could try?

 

[Mr Latte]

Do you have a Waw file for bump that I could try?

Send me a PM, how many channels you using etc.
I will hook you up with some files

 

[St3fan]

Thank you for the update.

Here is the reason I got that error - not sure if it will help though.
I am using my onboard audio chip with SSW. In Realtek audio manager I checked "Mute back audio ports when front audio jacks are plugged in", and set up SSW. Later on I tried to separate audio with SSW, so I changed the setting to "Play different audio source when front audio jacks are plugged in", so I now have "Realtek HD audio device" for audio output from the back, and "2nd HD audio device" for audio output from the front. I intended to use "2nd HD audio device" with SSW, but when I launched SSW the drop-down box was gray and SSW couldn't initialize. I reverted the settings to "Mute back audio ports when front audio jacks are plugged in", and the drop-down box could be used again (with "Realtek HD audio device" selected). I selected my HDMI output as the output for SSW, quit SSW, changed to "Play different audio source when front audio jacks are plugged in", launched SSW again, selected from the drop-down box "2nd HD audio device" for SSW, and I eventually got what I desired.

 

[=Andre=]

Thank you for sharing that.

 

[Cote Dazur]

Send me a PM, how many channels you using etc.
I will hook you up with some files

Thank you for the files, I like them better than the original, the feeling of the bumps and buffets, the only one I use, is more natural. They react faster and smoother with my ButtKicker Gamer2.
I very happy with the result.

 

[Mr Latte]

Problem fixed by messing around with my audio devices again. Somehow the dropdown list to select the audio device was gray.

I had this happen the other night, not sure why but I do use an EQ program and VM Banana that can maybe effect the output or cause some issue?

The select card selector was greyed out like you mention.
I found setting my default audio device as HDMI for some reason then reloading SSW allowed the card selector to be used again.

Not sure if any help to others in future but just posting to inform.

 

[Mr Latte]

So been experimenting a LOT with adding in audio-tactile with SSW.

Generally getting good results with specific EQ being applied to each car.
What we need is the ability to have the tactile responed for the mid-high RPM values and these have a suitable strongish frequency to add to the immersion. Often the audio itself with many (yet not all cars) is lacking usage of mid-low bass frequencies with the high RPM values.

I even went back to have a look at "Engine Beat" effect (3).

On testing part of a configuration for some members on the forums. I did actually get a rather decent feeling from this on testing a seat using the full-size BK-LFE (seat base) and a Clark TST 329 (seat spine). High end models yes but many users are buying higher quality tactile hardware.

These devices are installed on the seat to operate as one for low bass and the other mid-high bass frequencies. This works well with the "audio-tactile" and engines.

Some Tinkering:
I set in Audacity for Cen/Sub channels (these units are on) two generated tones.
48Hz for the TST on channel 3
24Hz for the LFE on channel 4

Now this helped the "repeated thump" sensation "Engine Beat" has with a single repeated tone.
Having 2 cycles on the TST for each one on the LFE both felt in the seat was not that bad and felt more natural...

However having this represent engine idle and fade out as speed progress is the opposite of what we need. The reason being many cars generate quite sufficient and some rather good "engine idle" and "low RPM" from the audio.

What we need is the higher RPM values that are used constantly with gear changes to have felt sensation. To represent "engine load" and chassis vibration sensation.

Andre can you please consider in the Beta version, even for a test, alter when engine beat operates. Rather than it operating from idle have it operate from 30% full RPM value. If it can also alter with an increase in amplitude as the RPM gets higher, that would perhaps be a good step forward...

Seen this and thought you might like it, thanks for your efforts thus far.