The little Story of WELD's COCKPIT

[Weltensegler]

Hello Gentlemen,

 

this thread is about the story of a sim setup and due to its improvised character in many ways hopefully inspiration for everybody who always wanted to build something for his passion but hesitated because of lacking technically knowledge and or skill.

 

I always wanted to get a bit closer to the real feeling and during the work on "Red Tails"

I felt the time had come to try some things in that direction.

I wanted to provide as realistic and constant avionics and maneuver animation throughout the air battles in the movie as possible and of course as script and director allow to.

"Cliffs of Dover" was about to get released (and postponed again)for the 100th time and DCS P51 was unfortunately not even mentioned yet.

So I decided to build a little Desk-pit for DCS A10C beta as test project which should include MFDs with displays, toggle switches and LEDs.

I grabbed some wood rests and screws and put together some rough platform that with some paint didn't even look that bad.

I learned how to wire switches and LEDs to usb-interfaces and map them to keyboard commands.

That's how that little thing looked like BTW:

 

 

 

 

With the TM Warthog this setup was actually really fun but guess what...

...soon that wasn't enough and I reminded myself why this was supposed to be a test project.

 

It was fall 2011 when me and my girlfriend moved into a new place and I specifically had looked for an extra room that would serve as man-cave.

Some days off were approaching at work and I had ordered one of FLIM's ejection seats to save some time and get as far as possible with something bigger than last time.

 

All rooms still empty and no furniture anywhere I started spreading the pre-cut parts of the ejection seat on the floor figuring I actually need not only tools but a ton of screws too.

Well what I was about to start surely would need a ton of tools anyways so I bought one by one as needed.

 

How I had all the money though I just moved?

Well who needs furniture when you can have a sim to fly and spend 15h a day and often weekends at work anyways :)

Ok I admit I also like empty rooms, not a fan of furniture.

 

Next problem I was facing was measurement tools... I couldn't find any metric ones in the tool store and as a German I don't really have a good estimation to build something in inches, elbows, feet, spoons and cups so I set new rules for my project.

Vodka, eyeballs and items that lay around should be my measurement tools.

 

The seat since it was pre-cut was no challenge but the seat alone didn't make a pit.

 

more pics:

 

 

 

Due to my liquid measurement tools I thought only about one step at a time and usually didn't have a plan how to finish something when I started it which made it extremely fun and exiting! :)

The seat and anything I might build needed a platform and so I made one.

Pretty simple, rigid and stable so it won't make noise later when more weight gets added and shifted.

 

 

To get a good height and orientation for the seat I made a little socket on the platform.

 

MetalNwood was so nice to make me an awesome extension for my Stick!

This requires a picture to not sound inappropriate :)

 

 

To avoid damage to the hardwood floor I glued some felt patches under it.

 

So there I was ...sitting with a big smile in my seat with a mounted stick.

But something was missing.

I needed some front panel and to not bind myself to one aircraft I decided to go for a touch screen Helios setup for now.

 

The biggest affordable touchscreen I could find on ebay was an ELO touch 24" and it was pretty thick and heavy.

First I had no idea how to mount that thing stable and rigid in position when I suddenly saw the "U" shaped IKEA table legs on my desk.

They had almost the right height so I just mounted them from below to sink them a bit in the platform.

Then I used a cheap monitor mount to connect the ELO to the table leg.

 

 

 

 

This was pretty stable but since the ELO was really heavy there was still some play that didn't quite satisfied me but I decided to solve that with a wooden construct around it.

I supported it with 4 plates of plywood (two inner 3/4" and two outta 1/2 inch) which also should be the case of my front panel.

 

 

So far so good everything was stable and rigid and nothing was moving or wobbling.

Now I made a front panel layout from cardboard in A10C style and place the MFDs perfectly into the upper corners of the touch screen leaving the lower half open for gauges and switches and leaving the sides open for 7" usb screens I had from my test project.

I planed to use those for fuel and hardware monitoring but towards the end they turned out to be too much performance loss for the many screens I was going to attach.

 

Edited July 27, 2012 by Weltensegler

[Weltensegler]

To have a good slide for my feed for using my simped pedals I cut some metal sheets and screwed them into the platform in front of them.

 

 

And here is how the front panel is mounted with MFDs.

The MFDs JUST fit in the front panel overlay with a tiny bit force so I didn't need any screws or glue and they could just lay on the screen.

 

more pics:

 

 

 

The first stage was done!

The cockpit was for the first time flyable.

I did consider buying projectors (I wish I had so I could have made a 180 or 360 surround projection) but for reasons I don't remember I went for a 55" LED LCD for now.

 

 

Now I downloaded a bunch of Helios profiles and puzzled and arranged an A10C profile for this front panel layout.

But I did hope for the F18 at that time already and most planes there might come would have something like an ICP displaced off the front panel.

I also planed at that point to get into Falcon but that was before I had a look at the "environment" in that sim.

Great sim technically but when I build a pit I don't wanna fly IFR only.

In that case I could have saved money on screens.

 

But there was still hope for some eye-candy sims so I started building an ICP box that I could detach and attach within seconds to stay flexible for switching aircrafts.

The ICP got a 7"mimo touch that as the MFDs got placed tight into the box so nothing would move when you push buttons on it.

I also left half of the box open on top and bottom since I hadn't tested yet how hot the little touchscreen gets and also I didn't wanna cover more of the 24" touch screen for same reasons.

Turned out temperatures are totally decent though.

 

 

more pics:

 

 

 

Next I optimized my Helios profiles for DCS and added a 23" touch screen to the right that I could switch to the left panel by touching a vent in the Helios profile.

 

 

Now I had a huge pit in front of one main screen...that had to change so I added two more 55" screens standing on IKEA stands.

 

 

I bought a brand new just released gtx 680 4GB ftw to have enough video memory on my primary card to feed the 4x1080p for the main screens and the front panel.

I kept my gtx580sc for the side panel.

Here is the thread I tried to figure out all the softTH part.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=90300

 

PeterP helped me a lot getting into this tool and providing his collection of links and tutorials about these works.

 

I soon noticed I went to far and 3x55" was way to big.

Angled towards me as in the pic the setup was still more than 9 feet wide and almost covered 180deg of view.

Using three viewports would cost more performance and wouldn't be fun with zooming or trackIR.

Using one planar mapping produces ugly distortion on the appropriate FOV and trackIR started to lose my clip LEDs when looking to the side without adjusting curves and dead zones.

 

At the beginning I considered to have all screens in portrait mode but wanted to go for the wide view instead of wasting screen behind my front panel.

(that was before I noticed all the disadvantages of the horizontal alignment and wide image aspects in DCS)

So I built new stands to turn only the outta screens vertical as PeterP suggested.

(pictures follow)

[Weltensegler]

This is pretty much the unfinished (yet) story of my improvised fun-pit project and I will keep you posted about the further progress of course!

 

ATM I am building "the fuselage" to integrate my 23"touch better and maybe have some generic toggle switches (real metal) like in my test project.

Unfortunately I used 1/16 plywood for the hull instead of 1/8 mdf.

The plywood starts to splinter easily and is very flexible so it creates kind of a shower curtain effect between the screws.

more pics:

 

 

I keep you posted how this will turn out.

 

 

I hope so far this was all easy for the eye and inspiring for people who want to build something similar for themselves.

You don't need to know a lot! Just get some good 5 to 6 times distilled vodka (for less hangover)and be a bit inventive.

Walk through all the tool stores and home depots and look at everything and how you could use it.

Like cables and pipe clamps for parachute rip-cords etc.

 

Hope you had fun reading, see you soon with updates.

Feel free to ask questions.

 

regards,

 

Weltensegler (WELD)

[Kuky]

Looking great! Seing more and more of you dudes making a pit makes me wanna start on one... but I have to hold off till I get a DCS MiG-29 to build a pit for :D

[Weltensegler]

Start now! :)

Its more fun when you have time and it is not about getting done really...but wait with hardware so you get max performance for your money once your pit is ready, hehe

[Flim]

Really nice job!

 

I like the multi-use setup... I'm the same way these days and like to fly different aircraft.

 

Great job on the paint as well, looks awesome.

[Feed]

That's fantastic. Very nice setup!

[showtime817th]

Nice setup you got!

[Mike Powell]

very impressive!

[Cali]

Nice pit!

[PeterP]

Thanks for the insight!

[Deadman]

Wicked good looking Pit:thumbup:

[Weltensegler]

Thanks guys!

The paint is actually primer :)

I fell in love with that color and matte look so I didn't dare to mess it up with the actual paint and just kept using primer only.

[PeterP]

Matte dark colour is probably the best you could have choose- you don't want to make any reflections once you have a 360° dome.

:P

[Weltensegler]

Are you implying I wont stop before I have all walls and ceilings projected?

:D you might be right.

 

But I will stick to the screens for some time until Nvidia releases Kepler 3rd generation or something bc I want each wall at least in HD ...better 4K because then I don't have the zoom problem...I just use real binoculars :lol:

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Outstanding work!

[cichlidfan]

...better 4K because then I don't have the zoom problem...I just use real binoculars :lol:

 

That would be just too funny! :lol::lol:

[Weltensegler]

UPDATE:

 

Right panel still missing a lot elements but I wanna test the touch mounted sooner :)

 

 

Edited July 28, 2012 by Weltensegler

[Duckling]

Great looking pit Weltensegler :thumbup:

[Weltensegler]

Majesty Duckling! What an honor! :)

Thank you!

Always admired your metal frame work!

[Weltensegler]

UPDATE - screens and right panel/hull

 

Dirty stitching and my phone camera couldn't hold the exposure but you get the idea.

 

 

Two 3/4 shots:

 

 

 

If there is anyone that is good in lua scripting and you would have a minute for me, please PM me!

:helpsmilie:

I started scripting black polygons into the cockpit and behind the instruments

since I have the sim also running in the upper half of the front panel and have no fps impact yet.

But I do have trouble writing the same as a back layer for the RWR.

It is extremely bitchy and doesn't accept and own BG-Mesh nor any of such from other instruments reaching over.

 

This one of my working approaches for the CMSC. :geek:

In this case it is using the CMSC's origin and also covering the AN_ALR69V but unfortunately its literally COVERING it.

 

 

 

CMSC_BG = CreateElement "ceMeshPoly"

CMSC_BG.name = "CMCS_BG"

CMSC_BG.primitivetype = "triangles"

CMSC_BG.vertices = {{-0.18,-0.12}, -- this defines the vertices including the AN_ALR69V

{0.09,-0.12},

{0.09,0.05},

{-0.18,0.05}}

CMSC_BG.indices = box_ind

CMSC_BG.init_pos = {0.0,0.0,-1} -- (-1) to move polygon into front panel

CMSC_BG.level = DEFAULT_LEVEL

CMSC_BG.material = MFCD_SOLID_BLACK

Add(CMSC_BG)

 

 

I tried writing it as a function tried to reference it from the definition files but I can't get it to work with the AN_ALR69V code.

Maybe I have to define a different scale or set another origin within that lua.

I have some theories but I'm missing parts of the puzzle.

 

So if anyone is an experienced lua scripter here please gimme a hand! :helpsmilie:

Edited July 29, 2012 by Weltensegler

[Cowboy10uk]

Wow stunning project and a great finish to the cockpit, just using screens and that's stunning pre cut Seat.

 

Great idea to make it multi role, was thinking you could have several cutouts for the centre screen that match various different aircraft, then you just need to make different Helios profiles for the different layout. When you change aircraft, just swap the cutout and Helios profile and bingo, new cockpit layout.

 

Granted seat and stick would stay the same, but as the warthogs a stunning stick that won't matter.

 

Very jealous.

 

If Film is reading, could ou confirm if you are still making the seat for private orders, I Appreciate that sadly SCS Simulations is no more, but you do have some stunning sim kit. :)

 

Would look great with the stunning transfers I've just received from Deadman.

 

While I don't have the room for 55" LCD sadly, I think touchscreens might just work for the keys.

Could you let us know what size and make of touchscreens they are. I've just got the same 680 4GB card for my new build and agree its a monster. So should cope with the majority of this, will be getting another in a few months and sli'ing them so should then run all the monitors.

 

Can't wait to see the updates.

 

Cowboy10uk

Edited July 29, 2012 by Cowboy10uk

[Weltensegler]

Could you let us know what size and make of touchscreens they are.

 

Yes I believe I wrote that in my boring text between the images :)

 

The front panel is a 24" elo touch (would look for a lighter one if I were you)

and the side panel is an 23" acer touch (I believe it was a T231H)

 

I overclocked the 680 4GB ftw now very slightly to gain another 10fps.

Now I get about 46fps in first instant mission which keeps me save in each scenario ground and most cities) when limiting them to 30fps.

[Cowboy10uk]

Thanks, Weld, yep guess my eyesight must be failing as I missed that. Sorry

 

Thanks for the info though, gives me something to price up and plan now. Have several plans I've been looking at. But because of space issues at mo, leaning towards helios and touch screens. Love the look of your cockpit and the idea having several profiles for the many aircraft that we have coming.

 

Thanks again

 

Cowboy10uk

[ruprecht]

Lovely work Weld. I always chuckle at these "slow escalation" projects, I know that drug all too well :)