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Review 6DOF Motion Plattform from Motionsystems


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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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PC: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming | AMD Ryzen 7800X3D | Palit GeForce RTX 4090 Game Rock OC | 64 GB Patriot VIPER VENOM DDR5-6000

Input: Brunner CLS-E FFB Base | Thrustmaster Warthog Joystick & Throttle | Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder | WinWing Phoenix MIP (VR) - F16 ICP - PTO2 | VPC SharKA-50 Collective 

VR: HP Reverb G2

Motion-Platform: Motionsystems PS-6TM-150 | Monstertech MTX

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madmontys6dofmotionplatfor386/featured

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On 2/16/2022 at 1:39 AM, MilesD said:

Very Nice!!  And what a great video showing all three elements. It really helped in looking for the force cues.

Thank you for your feedback.

It was a very interesting experience to see that from the specifications of force assignments to the individual axes, complex flight manoeuvres are reproduced precisely over 6 axes via the algorithm of the software. 

It now feels incredibly real, every little force acting on the pilot is reproduced in detail. 

PC: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming | AMD Ryzen 7800X3D | Palit GeForce RTX 4090 Game Rock OC | 64 GB Patriot VIPER VENOM DDR5-6000

Input: Brunner CLS-E FFB Base | Thrustmaster Warthog Joystick & Throttle | Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder | WinWing Phoenix MIP (VR) - F16 ICP - PTO2 | VPC SharKA-50 Collective 

VR: HP Reverb G2

Motion-Platform: Motionsystems PS-6TM-150 | Monstertech MTX

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madmontys6dofmotionplatfor386/featured

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  • 3 weeks later...

So I have made a few pics of my cockpit and I am happy to share...

 

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PC: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming | AMD Ryzen 7800X3D | Palit GeForce RTX 4090 Game Rock OC | 64 GB Patriot VIPER VENOM DDR5-6000

Input: Brunner CLS-E FFB Base | Thrustmaster Warthog Joystick & Throttle | Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder | WinWing Phoenix MIP (VR) - F16 ICP - PTO2 | VPC SharKA-50 Collective 

VR: HP Reverb G2

Motion-Platform: Motionsystems PS-6TM-150 | Monstertech MTX

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madmontys6dofmotionplatfor386/featured

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MadMonty - 

Thank you for your excellent post, very informative! 

Did you also purchase the power supply? 

Also, what's the total height clearence needed for you in the seat in the fully vertical extended position? 

And finally, do you have a rough estimate of the kWh power usage per hour of usage?  Understanding the maximum draw is 17 amps, would it safe to assume that the average draw is a lot less? 

Thanks in advance! 

Rix

Rix

4090 - 5800X3D - Aero

 

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24 minutes ago, Rix said:

MadMonty - 

Thank you for your excellent post, very informative! 

Did you also purchase the power supply? 

Also, what's the total height clearence needed for you in the seat in the fully vertical extended position? 

And finally, do you have a rough estimate of the kWh power usage per hour of usage?  Understanding the maximum draw is 17 amps, would it safe to assume that the average draw is a lot less? 

Thanks in advance! 

Rix

Hello Rix,

I will be happy to answer your questions...

With the platform you get the so-called "power cabinet", which is the black transformer and fuse box on the right behind the platform (seen from the front). However, it is connected to high voltage power (not the standard power connection Schuko type CEE 7/4 at my place in Germany), which I have solved with an extension cable from the electrical sub-distribution (fortunately only a few metres away).

Since the maximum load is 17A and the room is fused with 16A as standard, I installed a 20A fuse to be on the safe side, from which the extension cable comes off.

Maximum consumption according to the manufacturer is 4.3 KWh, but as you correctly pointed out, this is the peak load. When I look at the platform, it is probably almost exclusively in the lower load range when flying. Only if you get shot down and spin down to earth and the platform plays roller coaster with you, it is probably in the upper range. In any case, I have not noticed any significantly higher power consumption (but I only fly about twice a week). Unfortunately I don't have an exact value...

When the platform is fully raised, the floor plate has a distance of just under 70cm from the ground. The cockpit structure is about 40cm, then the seat adds about 100cm, therefore the maximum required height is probably 210cm. So the height is usually not critical.

What weighs more (in the truest sense of the word) is the total weight. The platform weighs 305kg, my cockpit assembly alone about 90kg. I myself have 80kg, which makes 475kg. The floor must be able to cope with that... By the way - the manufacturer specifies 150kg as payload, but after consultation 200kg is no problem at all. I am in between and have not noticed any problems after 1 year of operation.

The delivery comes as a wooden box, relatively compact (160 x 145 x 55cm), but weighs around 400kg. You would have to see how you can get the box into your room. In my case, a piano transport company did it for me. A customer (now a friend) who came to my house to see the platform and also bought it was able to negotiate with the manufacturer that the platform would be assembled in his room. But that is probably the exception rather than the rule...

I hope I was able to help you a little...

Best, MadMonty

  • Thanks 1

PC: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming | AMD Ryzen 7800X3D | Palit GeForce RTX 4090 Game Rock OC | 64 GB Patriot VIPER VENOM DDR5-6000

Input: Brunner CLS-E FFB Base | Thrustmaster Warthog Joystick & Throttle | Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder | WinWing Phoenix MIP (VR) - F16 ICP - PTO2 | VPC SharKA-50 Collective 

VR: HP Reverb G2

Motion-Platform: Motionsystems PS-6TM-150 | Monstertech MTX

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madmontys6dofmotionplatfor386/featured

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Thank you for that - yes it did answer a lot of questions.

I have exactly 205 centimeters clearance in my basement!  That's cutting it very close.  Is there any variability in seat height?  Otherwise I'd have to jackhammer the floor to get the platform low enough to make it work.  It would be easier to build a custom frame for the chair I'd think. 

Your approach to visit the factory makes a lot of sense as well.  Do they have DCS ready to go and set up for visitors? 

Also, you'd mentioned it took a year from ordering to receive it.  These are made to order? 

Here's a Pic of my current rig, which has 7 transducers. 

 

20210125_083905.jpg

Rix

4090 - 5800X3D - Aero

 

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Hi Rix,

great setup, looks good.

If you have 205cm, you should be fine. I had already been told by Motionsystems that I had quite a high setup, which was probably also because I made it easy for myself and built a ready-made MTX frame from Monstertech on top of the platform. If you build your cockpit differently or adapt the one from Monstertech, you can certainly manage 205cm.

I may have expressed the delivery time in a misleading way. After ordering, the platform is available in 6-8 weeks, at least that's how it was for me. The year referred to the joint development of the software with the CTO of Motionsystems, so that the platform now really reflects the forces acting on the pilot down to the smallest detail.

And yes, you can fly DCS at Motionsystems. They don't have such a professional cockpit (they only sell the platform, you have to build the cockpit yourself), but it's enough to get an impression.

PS: Of course the Plattform also works great for FS2020 as for a lot of Racing Simulations...


Edited by MadMonty
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PC: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming | AMD Ryzen 7800X3D | Palit GeForce RTX 4090 Game Rock OC | 64 GB Patriot VIPER VENOM DDR5-6000

Input: Brunner CLS-E FFB Base | Thrustmaster Warthog Joystick & Throttle | Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder | WinWing Phoenix MIP (VR) - F16 ICP - PTO2 | VPC SharKA-50 Collective 

VR: HP Reverb G2

Motion-Platform: Motionsystems PS-6TM-150 | Monstertech MTX

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madmontys6dofmotionplatfor386/featured

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  • 7 months later...

Hi MadMonty,

Hello from Australia. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with MotionSystems 6-DOF platforms. I have also recently taken delivery of a 6-axis system from MotionSystems, the PS-6TL-350. Had a great customer experience with Lukasz, and cannot recommend their customer service and build quality high enough. What a great company to deal with!!! I got everything connected yesterday, and I’m in the early phase of getting the settings right. I started out with X-plane 11, and have had to severely dial down all the sliders, as it was way too jerky and violent at the default settings. So, I’m slowly working my way through tweaking the settings for maximum realism and immersion. I fired up DCS late last night, and activated the DCS-profile in ForceSeatPM, but got absolutely no response from the motion platform, leading me to believe there is no telemetry being supplied to ForceSeatPM from DCS, or perhaps there’s something else basic I’ve done wrong? I’d be hugely appreciative if you can share your slider-settings in ForceSeatPM, as the -150 and -350 should be reasonably similar in their characteristics. I’ve included a couple of pictures of my rig, so you can see what I have. Essentially, a Trak Racer TR-8 Pro with a customised electric seat from a scrapped Nissan 370Z. For controls, I have the Brunner CLS-E joystick with a Thrustmaster F/A-18 grip, a set of VKB anti-torque pedals (turned out my Thrustmaster TKS pedals was too wide to fit inside the frame of the TR-8 Pro), Thrustmaster Warthog throttle and a collective (for heli flying) from OE-XAM. I’ve also just upgraded my VR-headset from the Pimax 5k to the Varjo Aero, so pretty excited I should end up with an excellent result, once I have it all dialled in correctly. Hope to hear back from you - your videos are great and so nice to see that you have taken the time to make them, and share them with the community. Ohh - and please tell me I’ve oriented the cockpit in the correct direction. I did seem to notice that deceleration forces seemed to pitch the front UP, rather than DOWN, as I’d expect it to to, but the manuals from MotionSystems offered no direction, and I just observed the motion on the platform in a roller coaster game run before I installed the rig. Your cables enter from the front, leading me to believe I might have made a boo-boo, as my cables enter in the back;-) Easy to turn it 180 degrees if needed

 

Best regards - from Melbourne

Sun, 16 Oct 2022, 07:05.pdf Sun, 16 Oct 2022, 07:05 3.pdf Sun, 16 Oct 2022, 07:05.pdf

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Hello ozav8r,

first of all congratulations on your platform, the whole thing looks really good and you have definitely chosen a good partner in Motionsystems.

Firstly, your setup - if your platform works in the same way as mine (which I assume it does), then your cockpit is indeed mounted the wrong way round. MoSy explained it to me quite simply - you represent the highest weight with your seat, the seat is "at the back" of the cockpit, so the cockpit should be oriented such that the seat is placed on the flat side of the triangle with the 4 motors and the front of your cockpit then at the apex of the triangle with the 2 motors. I hope I have been able to make this clear.

As far as your problems with DCS are concerned, it is difficult to assess from a distance. The whole system is Plug&Play, so you only have to do the installation routines, then everything runs automatically. You could check two things:

1) DCS needs an entry from MoSy ( resp. their software ForceSeatPM) in the LUA file. ForceSeatPM does this automatically. Please check your action menu to see if the task for the LUA entry is still open. Then simply install it and it should work. By the way, you always have to do this with new DCS versions or new versions of ForceSeatPM, but in the end it is part of the installation routine and is displayed in the action menu.

2) Check whether you have pressed the blue park button by mistake. I assume that you also have this on your platform. It often happened to me at the beginning that I didn't see that the park mode was still activated under the VR glasses.

Otherwise, I recommend that you contact MoSy support. They are incredibly helpful and fast. Their CTO Pawel also has a Discord channel, why don't you let them invite you as a beta tester, where any questions are also exchanged in the community and help is actually offered around the clock.

Last but not least, I'm attaching my settings for DCS, which you simply have to try out yourself, as I don't know how agile your platform is. In any case, MoSy's platforms have a lot of power and I also had to adjust a lot to survive the flights 😄

Best regards from Germany!

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PC: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming | AMD Ryzen 7800X3D | Palit GeForce RTX 4090 Game Rock OC | 64 GB Patriot VIPER VENOM DDR5-6000

Input: Brunner CLS-E FFB Base | Thrustmaster Warthog Joystick & Throttle | Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder | WinWing Phoenix MIP (VR) - F16 ICP - PTO2 | VPC SharKA-50 Collective 

VR: HP Reverb G2

Motion-Platform: Motionsystems PS-6TM-150 | Monstertech MTX

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madmontys6dofmotionplatfor386/featured

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Thanks so VERY much for your reply - truly appreciated🙏 Your explanation of the seat positioning is perfect, and I kind-of did reasoned that way when fumbling my way through the installation of the rig. I thought my seat was actually positioned so that the 4 motors drive the back, and the front of the cockpit is over the apex of the triangle formed by the 2 motors. I realise now that the front should be over the apex of the BASE. I just had confirmation from Lukasz at MoSy and they have updated the manual to give clear instructions, so wil swing the rig around and secure it 180 degrees opposite where it currently is at. I will also definitely will try your suggestion with the LUA-file for DCS and hope that sorts the problem with no telemetry. I will also reach out to Pawel on Discord, and get this show on the road. Stay tuned - I’ll keep you posted - it’s so very exciting to get this working right. I’ve had the 2-axis motion seat made by MoSy for NextLevel Racing for a number of years, and it has functioned flawlessly, but the 6-axis upgrade seems to be the “holy grail”. I jump in a 6-axis Level D simulator every six months for my day-job, so getting this for my home-sim is a dream come true!

 

Warm regards - Eivind


Edited by ozav8r
Edited AGAIN🤗 due my limited understanding;-)
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