Building a button box exclusively for VR. Looking for input.

[RCHeliguy]

I'm thinking of creating 4 panels that can be removed and updated independently.
This would fit on the left side of my rig. The main priority is making this so I can easily find any button or switch easily with my VR headset on.

So far I'm using 41 out of 64 inputs the Leo Bodnar board allows. The board will be wired in the order General, Keyboard Navigation, Momenrary Block and finally Rotary block so that if the controls past 32 are not accessible to a game it isn't an issue. iRacing, AC, ACC will support all 64 inputs. There is room on the board for more controls, but I'm using larger controls

Edit: Dirt Rally 2.0 also supports all 64 inputs.

General ----- Keyboard Navigation
|.
Rotary Block
|
Momentary Block


General (4" wide x5" tall)

• Ignition switch, Start button
• HMD Center button, Pit/Exit Recover button
• 4 way joystick for seat Up/Down Fore/Aft

Keyboard Navigation (7"wide x 5" tall )

• 4 way joystick mapped to arrow keys
• button ESC
• button Enter
• 4 Buttons for function keys.

Rotary Block ( 4" wide by 4" tall )

• 4 rotary knobs
• 4 buttons

Momentary block ( 4" wide by 4" tall )

• 4 Up/Down Momentary switches
• 8 Buttons

The cardboard is cut to scale, still waiting for input devices to arrive, so I'm not rushing this at all.

I'd love to hear any suggestions, comments or lessons learned from people who built their own button boxes.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Almost ready to start testing.

 

[RCHeliguy]

The SVMapper does support all 64 inputs. Joy2Key only supports 32.
IMPORTANT!!! It only shows you a few USB input devices at a time. To configure it you need to unplug your other devices. The SimuCube 2 showed up with 128 inputs!

When you activate a button it shows up in Red on the left.

Note: I may not need to use this at all since Dirt Rally 2.0 recognizes all 64 inputs and appears to have mapping for all of it's navigation. If that's the case than the only reason to use any additional software is to set up rotary encoders.

To set keys

• Press button to see what lights up.
• double click in the "Mapped Key On Press" cell
• press key on keyboard you want it to be mapped to.
• Click on Continuous so it is Yes.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Dirt Rally 2 supports all 64 inputs!

The SVMapper buttons For Enter / Cancel and F3/F4 F5/F6 worked perfectly, the SVMapper settings for the 4 way joy stick didn't seem to capture the arrow keys for some reason.
However, inside Dirt Rally 2.0 there are Menu navigation up down left right and I was able to map the joystick to those.

My big take away is that I no longer need a keyboard for Dirt Rally 2.0
I also tested things out in iRacing and everything worked properly.

It's an ugly prototype, but everything works completely!

As a comment on the buttons I've started with. They all have a nice tactile feel except the silver button I'm using for the HMD center. It works, but it barely moves and doesn't really register a click. However you immediately see effect in VR so it's OK for that purpose.

 

[JohnnyV]

BTW since version 6.3 JoyToKey : "Support up to max 128 buttons (previously 32 buttons)"
https://joytokey.net/en/

 

[RCHeliguy]

BTW since version 6.3 JoyToKey : "Support up to max 128 buttons (previously 32 buttons)"
https://joytokey.net/en/

Good to know. Since the key mapper is just another app to load, if I can map everything directly in game, I may try to get away from using one. However for any games that only support 32 inputs this would be a way to get around that limitation for any controls that are mapped to a keyboard.

 

[RCHeliguy]

This is as far as it goes for at least a week. I need more parts before I start an enclosed version with vertical space for additional switchgear.

I'm thinking of recessing the joysticks and still plan to angle the left vertical panel.

FYI, for Dirt Rally 2.0 it appears that to be truly free of the keyboard you need to at least use mapping software for the Enter and ESC. Enter is only needed once at the very beginning to start. ESC is needed periodically like to break out of the middle of a run.

 

[Jason Palmer]

Thanks for the updates mate.
I have a DSD button box that I want to re configure by swapping out the toggle switches and plan to replace some of them with that four way joystick as a staring point to make menu selections easier in VR.
Jason.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Thanks for the updates mate.
I have a DSD button box that I want to re configure by swapping out the toggle switches and plan to replace some of them with that four way joystick as a staring point to make menu selections easier in VR.
Jason.

What is your target software?

I've seen some iRacing specific button boxes lately with a button of knob for every single adjustment they have, but they seem complete for the sake of being complete and for VR that seems like a lot of confusing bits to keep you from finding the controls you actually use.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Anyone have good uses for an 8 way rotary switch?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32862604314.html

How about a black leather finish rather than CF ?
https://www.amazon.com/VViViD-Bycas...077DD27KX/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

[Jason Palmer]

I plan on using the USB controller board fitted in the DSD button box and just changing the switches that plug into the board.

Such as swapping out a couple of toggle switches with one of those 4 way thumb sticks.

Jason.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I plan on using the USB controller board fitted in the DSD button box and just changing the switches that plug into the board.

Such as swapping out a couple of toggle switches with one of those 4 way thumb sticks.

Jason.

FWIW the 2 way momentary switches I got, while the same size as the ones in my DSD button box, are not nearly as smooth. I did get some of the same buttons he's using, a large plastic red stop button as well as a SS cup holder.

Now that I've seen what I can get for cheap from China, I'm looking at the switches and knobs that Leo Bodnar sells.

 

[metalnwood]

My thoughts on a VR button box is something slightly different. It's from my experience only and others may be a little different..

Main thing for me was to find buttons quickly and not have to fumble around for them. When you have a lot of buttons on one box you can always find the one at the top left and move two down and three across to get to the one you want but I never did like doing that.

The muscle memory IMO is key to VR button boxes. Of course it works well with a wheel because your hands are already there and already very close to the buttons.


My strategy was to only put three or four buttons on any button box. Limit the number of buttons to limit the amount for 'searching'. Rotaries are great because you get three buttons for a single position, left right and push. I also put really big knobs on my rotaries.

I find that there are a number of places on my rig I can put my hands reliably every time in VR, they are to the sides of the seat, to the sides of the wheel and behind the wheel. So what I was doing was putting multiple button boxes in these places, they can connect back to a central one with a rj45 connection - back to the main controller.

The reason I did this was because I could reach for one of them and always get to a button without fumbling around for when one I want. Having only 3-4 buttons made it easy to get to any button I wanted.

So mine wasn't a big button box as traditional ones were but it was a configuration I thought worked better in VR.

 

[Rodny]

My thoughts on a VR button box is something slightly different. It's from my experience only and others may be a little different..

Main thing for me was to find buttons quickly and not have to fumble around for them. When you have a lot of buttons on one box you can always find the one at the top left and move two down and three across to get to the one you want but I never did like doing that.

The muscle memory IMO is key to VR button boxes. Of course it works well with a wheel because your hands are already there and already very close to the buttons.


My strategy was to only put three or four buttons on any button box. Limit the number of buttons to limit the amount for 'searching'. Rotaries are great because you get three buttons for a single position, left right and push. I also put really big knobs on my rotaries.

I find that there are a number of places on my rig I can put my hands reliably every time in VR, they are to the sides of the seat, to the sides of the wheel and behind the wheel. So what I was doing was putting multiple button boxes in these places, they can connect back to a central one with a rj45 connection - back to the main controller.

The reason I did this was because I could reach for one of them and always get to a button without fumbling around for when one I want. Having only 3-4 buttons made it easy to get to any button I wanted.

So mine wasn't a big button box as traditional ones were but it was a configuration I thought worked better in VR.

Any pics of yours ?

 

[GaryM05]

I agree with metalnwood's comment. I've found that in VR it's very easy to find a button in any of the 4 corners of a button box, and one more next to each corner button, for a total of 8 buttons. It's also easy to find any of 3 rotaries in a row, so what I use is the 8 buttons/switches on the corners of a button box, and 3 rotaries in a row across the middle.

If the OP's button box were mine, I'd move the 8 buttons to be in sets of 2 at each corner, put the 3 bigger buttons in a vertical row in the middle, and the bigger joysticks to be on either side of that vertical row (maybe even one to the left of the top button, and the other to the right of the bottom button).

 

[RCHeliguy]

I'm finding that I like the initial approximate layout of the Primary panel ( IGN, Start, seat, Pit/Recover etc ) and the keyboard navigation screen seems to work well too. I'm having no problems finding these large controls and the layout makes sense at least to me. I am planning to reduce their foot print a bit. I may add two more function keys across the top of the navigation panel. However I'm debating using a single 2 way switch in a side to side orientation for each button pair.
I like having an enter button and esc button separate, but I could use a single up/down toggle switch there too.

I've found the Derek Speare type buttons don't have enough threads for 1/4" plywood. 1/8" they would work well with.

I'm designing a frame to hold 4 separate panels right now and I'm seriously considering using a black leather look vinyl covering. I have 1/2" Dacron padding already. I just need 3M spray adhesive and the simulated leather.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I think I've got some dimensions that will fit and work. This has two 7x6" panels and one 9x6" panel. The left two panels are angled 30 degrees. There will be a boxed in enclosure, and a cup holder in the top corner.

So far I still only have the top two panels layed out. I'm still not sure how I'll use the lower panel. This is only to give me a starting point. There will be a rounded over wood frame to hold the panels. The leather look vinyl arrives Wednesday.

 

[Emery]

Good use of CAD (cardboard aided design)

 

[RCHeliguy]

Good use of CAD (cardboard aided design)

I love cardboard prototyping

Ironically I TA'd AutoCad in the Architecture and Art and Design Lab while I was earning my Engineering degree. Not only that but I was a Technical drafting specialist in the Army and even worked full time one summer digitizing floor plans using CAD. It this point I just have a copy of Sketchup that I use periodically, but there is nothing like just reaching out and touching something to see how it feels and to see/feel if the ergonomics are going to work. I did see my share of cardboard prototypes by the Art and Design students. Eventually Augmented reality with CAD will allow you do see what looks like a physical manifestation that you can manipulate and interact with at full scale.

When I build this in my shop I'll cut to approximate size, but there is no way I'll get everything cut perfectly with the first cut especially with padded leather. After a while I'll know exactly how much extra room to account for, but I've never tried to upholster with vinyl before.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I've got an initial frame started, but everything will have to be sized based on how it all fits together with leather covering on it, so I've left some things a bit over sized. Once I've covered the two top button boards then I'll do some temporary covering of the sides to gauge the offset I'll need before I join anything together. So this is as far as I'm going today.

The button panels will of course be easily removable as will the top so I can change the button wiring as this evolves. I know better than to think I'll have this all sorted with my first pass.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I'm sharing this image because it makes use of rotaries, rotary switches and knobs from Leo Bodnar's site. The guy who built this had very neat wiring inside too.

There is a lot of functionality below that I don't have a need for yet or from what I can tell at all.

I'm at a bit of a loss in terms of what I actually have a use for to put on my vertical panel.

My Precision Sim Engineering GT3 steering wheel has two rotary dials on it that I'm not even using, so I'm having trouble justifying flushing out a full set of knobs that I have no use for yet. I'm seriously considering installing a blank vertical panel that I can earmark for future use. I could space out some toggle switches and buttons on it for now, with the expectation that I'll find some use for them or replace the panel completely at a later date with rotaries and rotary switches.

I'm very curious how much use and what types of functionality you guys are using rotaries and rotary switches for on your button boxes.