SFX-100 or G-Belt

I am really impressed with the SFX-100 motion platform and had been planning to build myself a system for a while now. Upgraded to a P1-X thinking of motion in the future. Picked up 3D printing and have been trying to read some build logs. Even got a quote from Ami for those bits and motors and another quote on some profile. Prices have gone up some, which I understand considering everything, but my eyes keep wandering to the G-Belt and I can't help but wonder if I could save myself some money and trouble with a different approach.

I know there are at least a couple who have both an SFX-100 build and a G-belt and a few more that have different motion platforms with the G-belt and I was hoping to get a little advice. I have never been in a motion platform but am really just looking for more feedback and immersion. I at least somewhat understand the limitations of these systems and I am not looking for a perfect recreation of what I would feel in an actual race car, but more feedback to feel what the car is doing for enjoyment and immersion is all I am after.

I have started to think the feedback I am looking for is feel under braking and coming off the brakes which is what has me thinking of an active belt system. I would also love to have the sideways force while in a turn. I'm not really sure if what I think I want is what I will end up actually wanting in practice though. Yaw to feel the back end would be nice as well but I do have some limitations. Seems like some SFX-100 builders have turned things down, or at least some effects. Seems like some early g-belt system users with motion have turned down there motion and like the feedback they are getting from the active belts. It has me wondering if I should skip the SFX-100 for now and start with a g-belt system.

What effects/feelings do you feel are most beneficial for motion feedback?

Would you recommend I start off with the G-Belt or just go for it and build myself a sfx-100?

Thanks
 
Luckily there are nearly infinite permutations to a sim rig !

This is a good thing because I think there appear to be an infinite number of opinions!

Not only that but those opinions have been known to change!!!!

I will say that it was much easier before all the complexity and with every new feature there are new configuration settings and sometimes new software, but once you get used to something you typically miss it when it's gone.

It now takes longer before I can get started. There are different profiles for different titles and even for specific cars for FFB, motion and tactile.

The immersion is better, but it does not come without a cost.
 
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I love my SFX, using it for racing and flying. Like Hoihman, I now have SFX, seatbelt and wind and love them all, combined in vr it is great.

Using just the SFX you can have a passive seatbelt as well. On a 4 actuator system like SFX surge is usually used for decelleration and that will pitch the rig forward. This happily coincides with working to tension a passive seatbelt that is secured to something behind the rig.

In my case I had the rig on a piece of MDF which was a little floor for it. I had screwed in some anchor points for the seatbelt to attach to on that floor. The effect was good - the con was that you were having to compromise the amount of pitch of the rig you wanted with the amount of seatbelt tension you were after. This is not so bad other than I was in VR and sometimes big surge movements would be seen in VR. All sorts of motion compensation so thats prob not even an issue these days.

The active seatbelt can go tighter and has more fidelity. The passive one will also be felt on heave effects as any up motion will tighten it.

From my experience, if you are willing to do the SFX I would say do that because for less then the price of a single actuator you can add an active seatbelt later and for no cost you can add a passive one to SFX.
 
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Thanks, that is using simfeedback though, not simtools + thanos, I don't think the latter setup supports it, but im not sure which is why I asked. I've seen that one before and does look cool!
SRS does and they have a seatbelt available real soon. SRS is way easier to get set up and you can control everything from it.
 
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