Automobilista 2 Custom Force Feedback - Overview & Recommendations

I really like the P3 Rocco but the vibrations from the track surface are really bad. I've just got a Simucube Pro, upgrading from a Fanantec DD1, and whilst it is a bit smoother I can't run the ffb as strong as I'd like to with these vibrations. They can be somewhat reduced by using the notch filter in the driver software but the settings I think are pretty extreme. I like default+ but think I'm going to have to explore the custom options again...

 

Hi

just coming back to ams2 after a 2 year break to check in with it

the ffb still feels lacking

is there a go to custom file that most like ?

 

May not have to be a lot. If he has tried everything else, it's got to be worth a shot.

 

Yeah I dont usually use damping but it is surprising even maxing out damping in game or FFB Filter in simpro manager does not eliminate it

 

Yes I have that at zero. I hope my wheel is not faulty as I got it from AliExpress for only 2/3 of the price the local NZ resellers are asking for. Dont think it would be viable to ship it back to Aliexpress. Anyway since it works in LMU that probably rules out a fault
I must confess it is easy to get lost chopping and changing settings and having different Simpro profiles and trying different customffb files. At one point I could not understand why nothing seemed to change then realised I had mispelt the ffb_custom_settings.txt filename doh

 

After rolling with 3.6 for "hours" of online/offline races; I started to create a Excel Spreadsheet and enter every single car/class data there (the ones I like to drive from the oldies to the monsters). You can't just go with one FFB setup for all. The LFB and FFB will definitely have an impact on how each car and class will perform and you will need to adjust the car setting based on the feel of the Force Feedback for each car. I noticed GT4 class hates too much LFB while GT3 performs better on slightly higher setting of that.
With creating the data center; you don't have to pull over and adjust the wheel feel during the qualification or time attacks. Choose the car, set the FFB and go. You can also have a side laptop so you don't have to exit the game to find the settings like I do.

I have been having a blast with 3.6 on my belt and DD setup. I would call it the best FFB experience in all the sim titles, not that I drive anything else besides AMS2 anyways

 

Thanks a lot for the kind words, when I find the time, I do enjoy testing and the relationship "driver, engineer" kind of vibe. I'm not good at this and I just try to improve or learn something. With lower "Force Effect Intensity" in Fanalab, the signal feels cleaner, and I can then remove the Interpolation Filter (idk if it's the same as reconstruction) because that filter, when higher, makes everything smoother and when the car starts spinning and requires counter steering sometimes I feel it a few milliseconds later, late enough that when I correct it the car is already in a full uncontrollable spin.
(specially during trail braking at T1 of RAtlanta)

Now LFM is using GT4 at Spielberg (seems to be a busy race) and I'm testing there without the same success, it's really hard to nail it.

Regarding settings and car track combo repository, I end up using my own AMS2 playlist as the "memory" for that. I've slowly done this over time for my games.
Sometimes I change game and I forget how I used to setup FFB or cars or general settings, but I'll always have a video with a backup reference. Otherwise if every time I enter a new game and it feels weird, if I change everything and I had no idea of how things were before or no video with references, (car track laptime) how can I know if I'm really improving, without metrics?

I was curious today, if I wanted to make 3.6 feel like 3.1... would I just max the compression (LFB slider) at 100 ? which is odd because I've tried 100 and I enjoyed 35 or 40 LFB a lot more.
I've also used 0 FX since you said it is mainly suspension and canned effects that aren't communicating the car's grip physics all that much.

I'm amazed at how much work you guys put into these files and wonder the testing behind the scenes. I'm not good with telemetry otherwise I would also export telemetry and use it to do better comparisons. I have no idea how to setup motec i2 to do or display the things I want... and it's hard to find time for it.
(with the same settings as before, for this week's Spielberg GT4 I tried some cars but somehow felt more connected to the Audi which is usually a feisty car in the GT4 category, was surprised how slow I was with the Ginetta) I might do another A,B,C test this week if time allows.

 

Hey Karsten...
With the "(rear_grip_loss_feel 0.5)' parameter..... is that used in the Self_Centering portion of the maths? (I assume so).

I wonder if the maths is done on a 'modular' basis where sections are done per specific physics action/responses of that particular aspect (such as the self centering portion) and all just chained into a total, like the effects etc are.
The effects etc are even done as separate blocks then appended, but the main rack maths is just a continuous run of maths. I assume that although not labeled or 'divided' it is just a sequence of 'do this maths bit.. then the next maths aspect/bit"... just non-stop and uncommented. ???

 

Don't worry, your base is not defective. Ams2 and its physics tend to lead to vibrations and high-frequency noises more quickly between the different bases. This is exactly why I have two different files (and other reasons) because it is impossible to cover everything with one file. It took a very long time until these two files harmonized well with the bases and also with all the different cars (not just GT3) and many, many hours of testing were necessary. The differences between the various systems (from gear to DDS) have become too great, and now there are also enormous differences between DDS bases. It's not getting any smaller, but rather more and more with ever-new technologies. But I think this effort was worth it to give people a different type of FFB without having to spend a long time messing around with settings. Your Simagic Evo base is also prone to vibrations and high-frequency noises more quickly than other bases. 0% cogging torque can also have disadvantages. This means there is absolutely no resistance in the base, which means vibrations can become noticeable more quickly. But the advantages are greater because it makes these Evo bases very responsive and lively. Therefore, I recommend using as little damping or filters as possible but as much as necessary to eliminate these high frequency noises

 

It's a good idea, it would be really nice if Reiza made it so an additional carname_settings.txt file would be loaded, if it existed, for each car. Or that a spreadsheet with the settings could be loaded, and the settings for the line with first row matching the car name or something similar. I'm sure a better way could be made up.

 

For 3.6 I would not use FX at 0, simply because it would remove tear/scrub, which are very useful, and it would not remove the suspension. However 3.7 changes that, which was the idea I got from your last posts.
Reg. the LFB setting, yes, 3.1 would correspond to something quite a bit higher than the 30-40 range, so at some point maybe the LFB should be scaled slightly different, so what is now 50 would be 100 or so. We'll see over time.

Reg. testing I try to do quick iterations, preferrably with small amounts of changes, but many times there are multiple significant changes anyways, which then can lead to the 3.x/4.x situation.
I'm in it for the geeky fun, the ping/pong with others on this project, and because I am picky when it comes to the FFB(imho most sim ffb's simply feel too far away from how a real life steering wheel feels. I am not a "gamer", more of a games programmer mixed with racing sim geek). It's not much fun having to do too much testing and going too methodogical, so I test a few cars on a specific new feature or change, then get feedback on what other people think about it and react to that.

 

"rear_grip_loss_feel" is used in the last part of the directional calculations, when the left and right parts are summed, yes.
The script is a simple lisp dialect, and statements are simply done one after the other. In the end everything goes into "output" which the madness engine reads out and posts to the wheelbase. You likely knew most of this, just rather post slightly too much response than a tiny bit too little.

 

"rFuktor ? experimental 3.7"

FX improvement revision - Better for competitive races & improved minor rear bumps.

* FX slider now has essential elements at 0%, incl. tear & scrub.
* Adjusting FX from 0% to 20% adds "suspension" more and more. 10% likely is my personally preferred setting. Volume of any effect is not changed until past 20%, end then only slightly until 50%.
* Improved small road bumps for rear end, so running over minor bumps gives a "thuck-thuck", as you pass them on both front and rear. Earlier versions would only give a single "thuck".

FX at 20% feels similar to 20% in version 3.6, as it is what I have used mostly, and many others as well.
FX at 100% is nowhere near as crazy as it was before. The whole range 0%-100% is far more useable.

Use FX close to 0% for competitive races, as the "suspension" is an immersion effect, which goes contrary to "shortest path" that the tires would prefer to follow. I'm considering maybe bumps in general should be slightly lower volume at 0% as well. Let me know in case you have any thoughts.

(edit: re-uploaded with minor change, so if you fetched early it has changed very slightly)

 

alpha evo settings perhaps?

 

At the moment I am using your custom file for cars that seem to cause more vibration because as I mentioned your file minimises this for me - this is probably most cars though. LMDH I can use Default. Just tried Default German Group A in 1972 Imola and the amount of "noise" was crazy and this is with Simagic recommended setting of 70% gain on base and 60% in game so only using 5NM of the 12 the base has? But using your file it was OK and that is with 80% gain in base
With your custom file I would prefer the wheel does not weight up so much in corners - feels to heavy for me especially in slow corners. Is there a parameter in your file that I could edit to make this force a bit lower. I have never been one to use high FFB. I am using V7000 topspeed file 3

 

Yes, unfortunately, that's the disadvantage of the Evo bases due to the 0% cogging. Yes, I see that you're someone who prefers low forces. I also know people who ride with 15 Nm, and preferences vary greatly here, too. I'll send you a personal message so you can adjust it to your taste

Nice to see that there are also guys who drive old cars

 

Thanks actually I see in an earlier post you suggested a change to the momentum rack spring setting

 

I do not see where to download the files

 

We finished 15 laps of Nürburgring not too long ago using 3.7. I used T818 with SF1000 Ferrari Wheel as the engine this time. It was fantastic. We entered the pit lane two times and everything went smoothly. I practiced the file for only 20 minutes prior the private race started and decided to go with that even tho I absolutely love 3.6. (I'm winning with 3.6, again "the masterpiece").

I've used two DDs and T300 and all three of them put a smile on my face. You may think it's stupid to use an old T300 base when I have other advance options, but believe me or not; the time attacks and consistency of T300 (with costum 3 fan cooling the **** out of that tiny motor), the result has been nothing, but glorious joy on my data base at this point. I started with that base so I'll never stop racing with it no matter how massive my gear become in the future. It's like having that old BMW in the garage that you always go to and never want to come back home kinda thing. The story of my E46 and E30

Thanks again for all you do, you've kept me going back to AMS2 almost everyday. I feel like the community is growing as you can see online sessions packed and more people are online waiting for races. I see a day that AMS2 will become the goat of the sim racing universe as it deserves to be...in my heart, it's exactly that because it's teaching me how to race and be consistent, be respectful to others, learn the race phycology and be comfortable with making mistakes. This is not Gran Turismo, it's the real thing for what we know as a sim and the real thing only rewards the patient individual who believes in the system and you are a big part of that for taking the time and improving the experience for all of us.

 

Glad it helped you. Otherwise, I would have asked you about your base and in-game settings. The settings there can have a big impact, too. Enjoy Ams2 with all the cars