My new project - 'Transformer' Standup/Sit down driver cab

[Cretster]

Well aside from anything else tonight, I've swapped out the CPU so my hackintosh desktop now has the i5 2500k and the arcade now has the i7 2600k as was the opposite previously.

I'm not sure I'll see much practical difference in game performance as I've no idea if games really use hyperthreading at all, and while the benchmark between the two CPUs suggest about a 32% increase in performance with the i7 I'm not sure if I'll really notice anything. 
We'll see.

I'm trying to download Elite at the moment onto the arcade but my broadband is horrific.  Maybe in the morning it'll be done......

So am waiting for new sound system, trying to restrain buying a decent flight system, thinking about rebuilding the cab to slide forward with the wheel etc.
Trying to do one thing at at a time though.  Need to modify some wiring so that the main power on button and some USB ports etc are accessible easily.

[Cretster]

Right - I've completely dismantled the cabinet.

Not happy about the wheel position so I figure I need the top half to slide forwards as it descends.  Not as easy as I anticipated due to space restrictions but hey, it just adds to the challenge I guess!!

So I should get busy with it before I have too much beer and put something together in a horribly wrong way.....

[Cretster]

Well, mission accomplished (mostly).  Cabinet is rebuild and simplified (Meaning more space for fitting things in it!!).

Now as it descends to racer mode it also moves forward to give probably 4" closer reach to the steering wheel when it's dropped for racing.  MUCH more comfortable being able to sit back and not have arms rigid out in front as it gets tiresome pretty quick like that.  Lot of effort for a small change, and tweaks to be done, but big improvement!  Took most of the weekend.

Pics to follow.

Also, today I received the Logitech Z506 speaker system and for the cost & size of it - DAMN!!!  The sub is perfect for the space it needs to occupy, and I like the sound from it all.
Only problem is the stupid shape of the satellite speakers, and the fact they have no means of mounting to anything.  Will mean instant sabotage when I attach them.

And the Thrustmaster Warthog should be here by end of the week too.  So I'd better stop talking and carry on building.....!

[Cretster]

Now how the hell am I going to make these awkward shaped buggers integrate nicely anywhere?
Didn't think of that.  Acoustic cloth would be a solution except that it'd cover the main volume control & power switch on the right speaker.  Bah.

Any suggestions guys?

[Cretster]

Warthog is arriving on Thursday!  Colour be excited as all hell.  Especially now I've started to look into TrackIR, and voice commands for Elite.....

This evening since I'm still undecided about speaker hacking/glueing/rebuilding etc I'm doing bits of wiring and installing the Xbox 360 etc down out of harm's way.  Doing little tweaks here & there for where I've noticed annoyances. 
Things like the PC  was just balanced before on some uneven bits of cabinet but now has a proper shelf.  The PSU for the lift rams has been secured down instead of flapping about etc.  This way hopefully I will be able to at least do some slight mitigation to the wiring horror that will lurk inside this cabinet.

Holy sheeit though when I read this warthog hotas is about 8KG!!  It's gonna be fun fitting it in somehow.....

In the meantime - still after suggestions on what to do about these front pair of speakers.  Do I
1) Gut them, integrate the (single) driver into the marquee panel with a small enclosure behind of approx same volume as their real ones (easy to do) + reposition the volume & power button to the main control panel?
2) Keep them intact but effectively glued in place behind a mesh panel, with acoustic cloth over it, and again with the volume & power controls removed & repositioned?

I think Option 1 is the better option for neatness.  The centre speaker can stay how it is on the top edge of the cab.  I like how it looks and it fits just fine.
Rears - meh - not too worried for now, but I will need to attenuate them somehow presumably,  since my head will be right next to them and about 4 feet away from the fronts/centre.

[BadMouth]

For the speakers, you could do an acrylic marquee with proper size holes cut for each speaker and the volume control area.
If all the edges were sanded round and polished, I think it would look good.  The speakers would have to be pressed up against it.
It would be even cooler if a limited section in the middle was lit and faded to dark around the speakers.
...or you could do something similar in wood (bondo'd & painted glossy) and put a smaller in the middle.

....or just rip the volume control board out of the right speaker.  The only thing that needs to be running back to the housing is speaker wire.

[Cretster]

Cheers for the suggestions.

Yes I'll have an acrylic marquee on the front in due course, but the front speakers will actually be downward firing behind that. 

I've dismantled the main control one and removed the driver & controls etc from the enclosure.  Will be easy enough to give it's own enclosure, as per the left one too.
I had to pick up some pieces of wood today to make a suitable panel for this placing them.

Picked up the warthog today and ye gads what a monster!!!   

The box it came in was huge, and no wonder why!  Can't believe the size of the base plate for the stick.  This will take a little figuring out in terms of where it can fit in!!

[lolomc2]

My sugestion is to open the speaker, get the potentiometer out of the box --- increase length of wires and attach it somewhere else more practical.... It's so easy to install acoustic cloth compare to anything else... Focus on more important thing ! We want automatic device !!! 

You can solve the hole using hot glue and a piece of plastic/wood or whatever... You do not seems to need advises on that 

[Cretster]

Thanks mate - have already stripped out the speaker.

I might actually use the cones from the old system I had, but it depends if the impedence matches, and I still don't know how close the sensitivity would be (ie they might be louder or quieter for same volume setting). Would make life easier though.

Anyway, I have a plan for the warthog throttle position.  It is temporarily screwed to the floor just to test it fits when I shut the door.  It fits.
So now it can sit there but needs to rise up maybe 8-12 inches and move a couple inches to the left ideally so it's not in the way of my left leg when I sit, but is in perfect reach for my arm.
Approx on the floor here, but will actually be closer to camera by a couple of inches or so.



I am trying to thing of a levering/folding mechanism that will allow me to do this?

Ignore the stick - it's just sitting there while I try to figure out where to fit it!!  I might use drawer rails that come out from above the Xbox 360 so it can stay upright.  I don't want it to be folded like the throttle, because all the time while the door is closed and cabinet upright, the stick will be on its side which will affect the springs etc over time.


I need the throttle I guess to have legs like this thing
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Metal-folding-computer-desk-laptop-table-black-and-red-for-choose-sofa-and-bed-and-office/1017201090.html

But where I can lock in different positions to get the most comfy position, and also something to allow it to rotate a little maybe.

[Cretster]

Ok - lots of progress over the weekend.  Some setbacks too....

I now have everything (except a keyboard - I do have an on screen trackball one at least of for now) installed so the cabinet will fold away between driver and upright.
It's rough and needs a lot of refining but it's together and it works, and that includes the new addition of the warthog setup.

I can't do an overall pic just yet until I've cleared a ton of stuff from the room but will do.  Here are some others:

This is the front panel folded down from the cabinet, but not unfolded itself.  You can see the stick and throttle where they are hidden.  They just miss the subwoofer/amp, and the xbox360 when the door is shut.


Warthog throttle opened up:


To do this I had to modify the tightening knobs on the articulated arm.  I could not get them tight enough by hand to keep it steady due to the throttle weight.
So I modified them with thermoplastic, which sets rather like nylon:




This let me tighten them enough to keep it still.

Here's the stick unfolded.  It won't stay unsupported.  It's just too heavy given the leverage its got but I actually prefer this as it comes to rest on your knee and it's ideal.


And here you can see it how it folds away:



A view from behind the seat. 


It's a cramped cockpit for sure, but the hotas throttle tilts out of the way for driving games, and is a tolerable position for flying.
The stick arm needs more rigidity and I'm not sure the best options for that.

Everything is roungh but works and is playable.  Although I broke my cronusmax (shut the cabinet with it still plugged in - crunch), and drilled through the PSU of the Logitech sound system so it now has a sony laptop brick powering it!!

Main problem now is refining it and adding clamps/stoppers/catches/magnets etc to keep things in place where they should be until you WANT them to move.

[Cretster]

A terrible thing happened last night while doing the tedious job of cable tidying/arranging.  My glue gun broke.

We've spent many good years today but all good things must come to an end I suppose.  Will have to get another on the way home to continue the tidying process tonight.
I did get a little bit of Elite tutorial practise in though last night and it really is nice to place with this arrangement and the warthog.  Need to improve the comfort of the seat a little though for longer periods 'in the saddle', which  will require checking how much space I've got etc.

One day, if I can be arsed, I want to rebuild this cabinet, but slightly wider and deeper, so the space constraints aren't quite so tight, and it can be ergonomically a bit nicer.

[Cretster]

Well I've ordered a bundle of little lever roller switches to put in various places which will control flow of power to various parts of the machine, so will prevent any motors running if the front panel is closed, or will not allow the monitor section to descend unless the steering wheel is extended out etc etc.

Should avoid any errors of concentration which end in broken parts.  It already has a master flip switch for the power to the motors for safety.

I've also bought some electro magnets (3x 25kg hold each) so that I can use 2 of them (one either side of the wheel) to keep it held tightly in position, as it's prone to a bit pf wobbling around when raised in position.  I think 50kg of holding force should be enough to keep it solid until it's time to fold back down.

Really need to find a better means of stabilising the stick mechanism though to keep it locked in one position.  Not sure how as it's heavy and has a lot of leverage but we'll think on that...

[Cretster]

So, upright mode for 'normal' games:


Wheel raised up, monitor lowered (note height difference against set of drawers), and front door folded down:


Seat folded up into position, and warthog throttle raised:


Slightly ropey quality player's eye view with Elite running:

[Cretster]

Still waiting for some bits.

Need to tidy up the room a bit now before I get divorced. 
Want to add a USB hub into the seat base, with an holder/charger for phone and another for ipad, specifically so the latter can be positioned to be useful for referring to instructions etc.

Anyone know if an ipad can be used as a touch keyboard input for a PC somehow??!!  Would be useful if it's possible.

[bfauska]

I like the choice of movie on the first pic. I think that's a couple minutes before he kills your avatar right?
It looks like the cabinet has come to a really good proof of concept/prototype stage, it could be pretty awesome with a clean new finish.

I don't remember the the app but it is certainly possible to use an iPad as a touchpad and keyboard for a PC. I used to do it for my HTPC until I got a wireless keyboard that has honestly been a much better solution.

[Cretster]

Thanks mate - yeah that's right.  I'm a bit sort of 'obsessed' with that film as the best (but one of the cheesiest) action movies ever so the original cab was themed on it.
I had a second smaller monitor that would play it automatically on start up.

Will do some searching for that software - it'd be easier to have a holder/ dock thing for the ipad to use it as a keyboard and second independent screen than to fit in a normal keyboard now.

Don't get excited about this thing looking pretty any time soon though guys as that's always last on the list for me (I suck at that), but I want to get it just right first and use it a while before I consider aesthetics.

Am wondering what alternatives I can use as lockable/multi position arms for the Warthog like maybe something using tripod ball heads, or an arm that's a bit like an ATAT's leg, but lockable at different angles.  Hard to know what to search for so I'm just typing in variations of phrases on google for likely looking sturdy kit.  I haven't searched for ATAT's leg though - it could be a euphemism for all I know!

[Generic Eric]

Roccat can simulate a touchpad for your game.  I don't know about the keyboard though.
as for the Warthog, some elite players are using heavy duty velcro.  YMMV. 

[Typefighter01]

I like you Cretster...and I like what you are doing here

[Cretster]

Thanks mate - that's very kind of you.  I'm afraid my builds will never come close to the prettiness & professionalism of many others, but I like to think that they sort of make up a little bit by way of being 'different'.

Roccat can simulate a touchpad for your game.  I don't know about the keyboard though.
as for the Warthog, some elite players are using heavy duty velcro.  YMMV.

Cool - thanks for that.  Found an app that lets me use it as an RDP type mouse & keyboard too, so that might be handy.

New (replacement for smashed one) cronusmax arrived today, so I foresee some Forza testing happening this evening!
Will be interesting to see if the warthog controls get in the way at all when playing a driver.  I don't like the fact the wheel has to be out while doing flight games but when the monitor is dropped there's not sufficient room in the cab for the wheel to go inside it, alas.  Can't have everything though I suppose! (Mental note made for future build....)

[Fursphere]

I see I'm not the only crazy person trying to driving cabinet into a flight sim cabinet.   

[Cretster]

Will have to look at your project and see!

But if you have a driving one to begin with that's a big headstart.  Mine changes from standup to driver/flight and back again to standup.
It hasn't been easy and plenty of room for improvement, specially in respect of comfort!!!!

[Fursphere]

I took a long break from doing anything with it (work, kids.. "life"...  etc), but I've been making some progress lately.  I'll try and get some more recent pics up today in my thread.

[Cretster]

I know the feeling - I've been doing this in the evenings after the kids are in bed basically.  Not easy!!

[Cretster]

Electromagnets arrived today so we can get the wheel really locked in position hopefully now!
Another thing I need to do fairly urgently I think is put stoppers in position for where the cabinet stops in the lower position, as far forward as possible to take stress of it all.  The front of it is supported when the door is shut but not when it's lowered and I think it's slowly bending bits.  Not good.

May also get the mic positioned better tonight one way or another. 

[Cretster]

Electromagnets are now fitted for holding the steering - 2 observations:
1) They get very hot when they've been left on for some time!
2) 25kg holding strength each - my arse!!!! 

[BadMouth]

Good to know.  I considered using an electromagnetic clutch off an AC compressor to switch between 270 degree and freewheeling 360 degree wheel types.
Never got much farther than determining it required more current than I wanted to bother with handling.

[Cretster]

Well these claim to be 8 watts (or 6 maybe) at 12v so not hugely powerful but state 25kg lifting strength.  Even with both attached its relatively easy to 'unclip' the wheel as it were, but they still hold it fairly steady.  I think a system them momentarily moves a bolt into position, then back again if you can reverse it (or retract from the opposite side) would be much better as it'd avoid keeping them on for long periods.  Not sure if the heat can cause a problem and I hadn't timed how long they were on but might test that a bit tonight. 

Too hot to touch though, which generally isn't a great thing.

[lolomc2]

Maybe you can try to supply those with 9 volts ?

[Cretster]

They'd be weaker though.  I think maybe add a timer to the circuit or something.

[Cretster]

Just did a few races on Forza and it's tiring on the arms so something (the wheel I guess) is still not in the right position.
Bit difficult to do a lot about it at this stage so it might just be something I have to get used to.

Also, I'm not getting any force feedback through the logitech wheel I'm using via Cronusmax to play forza on the xbox 360.  I'm sure it did work at some point so probably a setting but it's hard to use without it getting stiffer to turn as you drive faster.

Elite is awesome to play on this, although I just haven't learned all the controls by a long stretch so more messing about than actually playing it properly!