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Dear DCS community, After almost 40 years of active flight simulation (my father had the first MS Flight Simulator back then), I have now fulfilled a big dream at almost 50. It started with the change to VR-glasses a few years ago. Anyone who uses VR knows what I'm talking about - there's no way back. VR has already brought the flying experience very close to reality. However, as an enthusiast and a big fan of DCS, I wanted more and started looking into motion platforms. My dream was to also be able to feel the movements of the plane in the VR immersion. I saw a lot of great DYI projects from motion platforms on YouTube, but I didn't see any chance of realising something like that myself. I just don't have the time or the technical background. I needed a plug-and-play solution - so I researched as best I could all the platforms that could be purchased and obtained the missing information from the manufacturers. After all, such platforms cost a fortune - others buy a great motorbike with that money... 1. Decision for Motionsystems After completing research, MotionSystems (MoSy) was at the top of my list. This had 3 reasons: A) Highly professional web presence with a variety of different platform solutions. Among other things, they are also the manufacturer of the V3 platforms distributed by NextLevelRacing, so they also offer a mass product with corresponding quality assurance and customer support. B) Provides VR Motion Compensation, more on this later. C) MoSy is headquartered in beautiful Wroclaw, Poland, which is only 7 hours away from my home and offered me the opportunity to test the product before purchase. After more than 2 years of email exchange (as you can see, it wasn't a quick decision), I got in the car and went to Wroclaw. I tested a 3-DOF and my current 6-DOF platform (PS-6TM-150) on site. It became clear to me then that their hardware was of outstanding quality, but that the software and adaptation to DCS would still mean (joint) work. I decided to go for the somewhat more complex and expensive variant of a 6 DOF system, in line with the motto "all or nothing". I simply wanted to have every movement of the aircraft / helicopter transmitted as realistically as possible. The software respectively the implementation of DCS on the platform was still in its infancy at that time, some movements were missing, others were simply wrong. However, given the trusting and sympathetic contact with the MoSy staff, I was confident that we would manage to get the maximum performance out of the platform in combination with DCS. So at the end of 2020, the platform was ordered and the adventure took its course... In February 2021 the platform was delivered, the biggest challenge was to get the more than 300 kg into my basement. But that's another story... We then worked permanently for about half a year on improving the software profile for DCS. The result is (at least from my humble point of view) quite well done. The support from MoSy is really fantastic, it is not a big company, you feel very well taken care of as a customer... 2. Motionsystems Software solution The basis is the ForceSeat PM software of MoSy, which you obtain by purchasing a platform. The software offers profiles for a variety of games (flight and mainly racing simulations). Within the profiles, the user can adjust an incredible number of settings for the behaviour of the axes, special effects and, of course, the strength of the movements. You have a very flexible set-up. The big advantage is the plug-and-play solution. Switch on the platform, start the software, select the profile of the game and off you go! A special plus, however, is the VR motion compensation called VR Head Way. For those who don't know what this is: when the plane accelerates, the platform pitches backwards to simulate the acceleration. However, the VR glasses interpret this movement as leaning back in the seat. Without compensation, I would sink into the pilot's seat during take-offs or turns, or hang out of the cockpit when the platform rolls left or right. The VR Motion Compensation calculates the movements of the head caused by the platform and transmits this to the software of the glasses (all common VR glasses are supported). As a result, I remain 1:1 stable in the cockpit, no matter what the platform does. If I move in the seat, i.e. if I lean forward or to the side, then this is of course also transmitted by the VR glasses, as it goes beyond the movements of the platform. In the meantime, MoSy has significantly improved the calibration of the seating position. In the past, you still had to set the approximate sitting position with millimetres. Now the software calibrates itself automatically by having the platform take up 3 different positions and measuring how much the head moves in the room. This works really well and without any mistakes and once again showed me, that MoSy never stops developing and improving their products / software. 3. Cockpit Setup Only the platform is delivered with a stable steel plate as a basis for a cockpit, which you have to build yourself. MoSy was happy to adjust the position of the screw holes for my cockpit for me. I used the MTX Flight Rig from Monstertech as a basis for my cockpit on top of the platform. I mounted it on 160mm profiles, because otherwise the movement profile of the platform would have led to collisions with the cockpit frame. By the way, the conversion to a racing cockpit with steering wheel takes less than 5 minutes, which is very comfortable. But we are flying here... 4. Implementation in DCS Now that the fine-tuning of the MoSy profile for DCS is completed, the performance of the platform is simply indescribable. The movements and also the strength of the accelerations are breathtaking. This leads to the point that you really start sweating in aerial combat for fear of being shot down. Because the rollercoaster ride during the spin towards the ground is sometimes so strong that I press the emergency stop button in panic. The bottom line is that the platform has led to the same result as the VR glasses - there is no way back. Flying without the platform now feels as wrong as flying on the monitor when the VR glasses are next to you. 5. Summary I hope I have given you a small overview of my big dream. Maybe there is someone out there who has the same thoughts and dreams as me... More than a year ago, I would have been more than happy if there had been anyone who had already tested all this and written such a review. So I took a bit of a risk, but it was more than worth it. Pictures speak more than a thousand words, so I have created a few videos to show you what the platform can do. Please forgive me - I'm neither a Youtuber nor a product tester, so everything doesn't look quite as shiny as it does from other testers, but it should give you a good impression of the platform. All the best, MadMonty Links: Motionsystems - https://motionsystems.eu/ Plattform - https://motionsystems.eu/product/motion-platforms/ps-6tm-150/ Cockpit Rig - https://www.monster.tech/ (My MTX has been revised, the actual version is MTS)
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In short: I thought I would get tired with this expensive toy after a few weeks before re-sell it, which exactly my wife bet so a year ago. Well, didn't expect still love to use it after one year instead of leaving into dust. Started with VR VR & motion simulator is just like bread & butter. I won't flight again without VR & motion simulator. After all, flight or racing is all about immersiveness. And it remains true after 1 yr of use, as I thought I might be tired soon after a few weeks Started VR journey in 2018 w/ a second hand Rift CV1. Those 3 sensors are really headache for calibration and cable layout in living room. Then bought Rift S as soon as it's released in early 2019. Love inside-out solution and never be complained by my wife on complex sensor and cables. And didn't expect that was the last gen of main stream PCVR. All-in-one is totally setback to me. Enjoy the best image quality which could possibly be squeezed out from latest PC hardware. So I got virtual reality. What about a physical cockpit? Stepped into fancy static simulation shair... well, it became "preamble" to next big thing Envy those built their own 1:1 jet cockpit at home without being "fired" by wife. No guts for that. Then eyes on affordable "cockpit" chair so I could sit in with HOTAS mounted for a bit more immersiveness. Handed on a flight simulation chair of GT lite from Next Level Racing. It's nothing more than a foldable chair with HOTA mount. Quality is decent and felt quite convenient to have everything mounted. So I could just sit in and enjoy flight in font of a 85" flat TV. When family needs some spare in living room, the chair could be folded quite easily and put into corner and kept as low profile. Very soon. I realized there are some dream motion simulation equipments available in the market, which had existed only in professional aviation or entertainment industry before. From 2dof, 3dof, 4dof to ultimate 6dof, seems mainly 2 type of platform, and both types are bulky for home. Then I saw this video from Youtube...landing/taking off from a carrier. It's poison! Dream toy to own! It looks relatively neat for home comparing some other 6dof system I 've seen. OK. That's my baby! Bought from a local guy...not even unboxed and I saved all shipping/duty. Dream deal for me! Also needed to put a convincing story to wife with a comprehensive plan... Assembly is not even close to build a set of IKEA furniture. Took me 2 days + 2 nights on my own. I believe anyone could do that in a few hours...after he/she 'd practised with 6 sets or more. And I made all mistakes that could happen. Also made some DIY to replace those 3 gas spring which were designed for big guy upto 200 pounds to eliminate the jittering during movement. After all those, welcome to "real" flight! Put on VR headset, I don't feel and motion range or angle restricted significantly as the brain is easy to be cheated when you visual movement + true movement/speed, and brain would compensate the rest. Flight sim is a life time hobby not like some fading with time. Each time I "decided to onboard", just hop into the motion seat, buckle up! Surprise It's made in UKRAINE...believe prior the war. Wish staff stays safe there.
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Hi, I'm having trouble customizing the default Mirage view by editing the Server.Lua file at /Saved games/DCS.openbeta/Config/View ... which is the method recommended by ED in order to not mess with the Module's files that are within DCS folder. I do this customization by inserting these lines on my Server.Lua: These lines were taken from the Modules default ViewsF1C.lua, and editing only the "limits_6DOF" and the "CameraViewAngleLimits" lines. If I edit those lines directly on the default ViewsF1C.lua file of the Module, then I get the desired customization: a wider FOV and a bit more leeway for getting my virtual head nearer the instruments panel and consoles when I want to see some instrument up close (rather than zooming) ... but the same lines of Server.lua have no effect at all. Could it be that ViewSettings["Mirage-F1EE"] needs a different Module ID? To better illustrate my point, this is the standard 6DOF of the Mirage EE, where I try to move my head forward, up, down and back up to the limits of movement that the aircraft allows: and here is the same mission, but with the customized 6DOF values: Thanks for any help with this Eduardo