GTR & Vector Expansion?

[Steffo]

hi trackheadz,

i just noticed the vector expansion kid and me really does like the idea of the new freedom in movement. does someone have any information if the vector expansion will be implemented in gtr? the roll thing would be really cool for race sims!

i red somewhere that even in games which only support 2DOF i will bring an improvement. so the vector expansion in combination with the new software will make the trackIR a lot smoother in every game, correct?

cheers,
steffen (dE GTR Team)

[KenStreet]

We are working closely with the Simbin team , and its only a matter of time. We aggravate them each and everyday; they will do anything to make us stop messaging. Even if it means they have to assign movement to any or all of the 4 new axis�s we now offer.
They seem to be excited about the limitless possibilities,.however,.it may have to be a menu option to unfasten your 5 point harness, and, or remove the HANS system , but head roll,..there is a good idea. I hope the team will make it an option, head tilt would make GTR even an even more immersive experience.

The new Vector software will have the option to go back to the 2D mode at any time, as many of you are "leaners". These drivers literally throw themselves into the corners, always trying to race as realistically as possible. In 2D a lean is a head turn, and it really makes sim-racing an interactive experience.

If you drive like me;.. left hand draped loosely across the top of the wheel, right arm and most of right upper body stretched across the top of an empty desk chair, body bent far to the right, and making turns with your wrist,...then you will like 6Dmode. With 6DOF, the driver will have the freedom to move from side to side(translation), and it will not result in a head turn. You must actually rotate your head to get the turning motion to happen. I also listen to Stevie Wonder as I drive, so I'm sure you can imagine what my experience was like before 6DOF as I redlined my Ferrari at Monza, while swaying to �ebony and ivory� .
Now that I have 6DOF,..reaching for that beverage, or doing my �I�m eating blueberry pancakes� dance has never been easier while lapping the entire field at Spa(night). It is not necessary to keep yourself locked in the same exact position, as shifting in your seat is no longer an unwanted view change.

It is defiantly more smooth no matter which �D� you choose. 3 dots tracking, and some great new software makes all the difference

[Steffo]

now that is what i call from simmers for simmers! ken, you just sold a vektor kit with one of the best customer supports i ever experienced. i already am hooked to this device, but maan the demo just blew me away

IMO the roll thingie really is interesting for racing sims. i remember when gpl glance came out, some people suggested you wouldn't only turn "the head" with the wheel movement but also roll into the corner. back then drivers argued this would be an overdose, since most of us allready roll/lean into the corners automatically. acutally in a real cockpit you can't lean much, so the movement into a corner is more a combination of lean/roll and head turn. but now, we got what we need to make simracing even more real

keep on groovin'

[Thomas H]

The Vector clip is a "must" i GTR.

I can't express how much this gadget made for the sim...

Thomas

[ December 20, 2004, 04:21 PM: Message edited by: Thomas H ]

[Tommy Trauma]

Been tracking my V.E. through UPS and its scheduled to be delivered on the 22nd. In GTR it has several adjustments you can do in the .plr file. And am wondering if they should be altered for use with the Trackir3 pro and V.E. or just left alone. I've been using a pretty mild custom setup of the 4.0.0.18 software for a few days trying to get used to it, but have really been waiting for the V.E. before I go installing the 4.0.0.20 drivers and clicking it on every time I race. I've been turning the "lookahead to apex" angle to 0 and around 3% on world movement in the game when using T.ir. The lines in the .plr file are as follows:
Glance Rate="7.00000" // Rate to follow controller for glancing
Look Up/Down Angle="0.75000" // Angle to look up/down (pitch) w/ controller in radians (= degrees / 57)
Leanahead Angle="0.00000" // Angle to lean head (roll) w/ steering in radians (= degrees / 57)
Look Roll Angle="0.75000" // Angle to lean head (roll) w/ controller in radians (= degrees / 57)
Glance Angle="0.75000" // Angle to look left/right (yaw) w/ controller in radians (= degrees / 57)
Lookahead Angle="0.50000" // Angle to lookahead (yaw) w/ steering in radians (= degrees / 57)
Head Physics="0.70000" // Fraction of head physics movement applied to cockpit view (position AND rotation)
Head Rotation="1.00000" // Additional head physics multiplier affecting rotation only
World Movement="0.05000" // Fraction of world movement seen through driving views

[Thomas H]

I recieved my Vector kit yesterday and haven't had a chance to mess around with those settings yet (but I'm gonna). Been to busy driving

When I fired up GTR after activating the Vector my view was already centered, wow!

Then I tried how much I could move in my chair without losing the tracking. It never happend. Always perfectly centered.

I am a "leaner" which have made driving a bit frustrating at times. If I'm leaning into a turn and at the same time glance into it, I have had trouble exiting as I've kept leaning and at the same time tried to focus on where to aim. The leaning made me glance even if I didn't want to.

Now, with the Vector clip, I don't have to worry. I can drive like if it was for real...

Another good thing is that I don't have to move back in the cockpit to be able to watch my mirrors. With the Vector expansion it's easy to check the mirrors without losing control of the raceline, brakingpoints, etc...

Thomas

[ December 21, 2004, 03:24 AM: Message edited by: Thomas H ]

[Tommy Trauma]

I always like it when I get home from work, boot up, and check my tracking on packages I am expecting. Clicked on the UPS link and hit their site only to find out it said "Delivered", Location "front porch" by yiminy they were right, I opened up ther front door and there it was, hmmm imagine that. A day early too. Gotta love them UPS guys (Race the truck Dale). Am a little disapointed that the roll wont work in GTR until Simbin gets it all working in 6DOF if that day ever comes (which I personally doubt) Because we can rarely get an answer from anyone at Simbin, even on matters concerning problems with the game itself. But as you said Thomas H. The V.E. works great, darn near centers itself dead on every time. Will spend the evening playing with the settings and finding the sweet spots. Thanks Natural Point, Great improvement with the V.E.

[Tommy Trauma]

Holy cow, I knew this was going to happen, I just knew it. I want to thank Natural Point for a really inovative product that works wonders in a racing sim for realism. After sitting here and doing a full 3 hour race against the AI with my new V.E. I hopped up and headed down to the local convenience store for some pepsi and smokes. Not even thinking one time what I had hooked on my hat. I casually walk into the place, grab my pepsi and head for the counter. The little honey (oh my she's sweet) looked at me and grinned, well I just assumed she was admiring my dashing good looks and my best James Bond wit. We talked for a few minutes (all the while she is just a grinin'). she finally asks me what the heck is on your hat? I replied I had no idea, but knew what was on my mind. I reached up and realized I still had my vector clip hooked on to my hat. Now while I turned about 3 shades of red I thought of a quick comment to cover up my blushing and told her what it was straight out. She was fascinated. We chatted, we laughed, we cried, and went back 2 hours later to take her out to dinner and a romp in the hay. We wound up back here at my place after a lovely dinner for two, and was getting ready to plan my move to play "hide the salami" when she got interested in my GTR. I showed her the ropes of driving a high powered racing Corvette around Enna Pergusa and then let her give it a try. 4 HOURS later the night was over, with both of us trading seat time and playing with the V.E. in GTR. Thanks N.P.

Signed: Love starved in Indy

[ December 23, 2004, 03:29 AM: Message edited by: Tommy Trauma ]

[warrenEBB]

Awesome!

[Tommy Trauma]

All I can say is the new Vector Expansion is truly a huge step up for GTR! I was having trouble with the single dot and 3.0 software getting my center to come back to the same spot everytime when coming out of a corner. That has been eliminated up to 98% of the time with the V.E. The total of 3 tracking dots on the clip has made the Trackir a completely different beast. One thing that was a little disappointing was that GTR still wont allow me to roll my head into a corner like you would in real life to counteract the g-forces of a helmet pulling your head over. Will this be implemented in the patch? I have my doubts that it made it in there, and thats understandable as I'm sure Simbin is busy scrambling to get all the MP bugs and stuff fixed. But in the .plr file there are adjusments or so it seems for "head roll" I have changed the lean ahead angle from 0.00000 to .75000 and it really helped (try this even without the TIR or V.E.) Really cool roll effect. But the roll is stil controlled by my steering wheel and not by the TIR. Is there a way to get it to see my VE roll axis as the controller for the roll?

Glance Rate="7.00000" // Rate to follow controller for glancing
Look Up/Down Angle="0.75000" // Angle to look up/down (pitch) w/ controller in radians (= degrees / 57)
Leanahead Angle="0.00000" // Angle to lean head (roll) w/ steering in radians (= degrees / 57)
Look Roll Angle="0.75000" // Angle to lean head (roll) w/ controller in radians (= degrees / 57)
Glance Angle="0.75000" // Angle to look left/right (yaw) w/ controller in radians (= degrees / 57)
Lookahead Angle="0.20000" // Angle to lookahead (yaw) w/ steering in radians (= degrees / 57)
Head Physics="0.81000" // Fraction of head physics movement applied to cockpit view (position AND rotation)
Head Rotation="1.00000" // Additional head physics multiplier affecting rotation only

From this: Leanahead Angle="0.00000" // Angle to lean head (roll) w/ steering in radians (= degrees / 57)

To this: Leanahead Angle="0.75000" // Angle to lean head (roll) w/ steering in radians (= degrees / 57)

[ December 23, 2004, 04:59 AM: Message edited by: Tommy Trauma ]