Telemetry data needed for motion platform

[Propnut]

Hi,

I currently have a motion platform that has pitch and roll (2DoF) but I am building a new one that will incorporate at least 3DoF but hopefully 4DoF (pitch, roll, heave and yaw). Regardless of how many degrees of freedom that I eventually add; I would like to be able to use even my 2DoF platform with Cliffs of Dover.

Does anyone know how I might find the telemetry data in Cliffs? I myself am not a programmer but if I can find out where to get the data I can turn that over to a guru over on XSimulator.net who will create a plugin for SimTools (a totally free motion software).

Most motion builders are race car fans but I and several others over there would like to promote flight sim motion as well.

Any help with this one?

Thanks for taking the time to look this over.


EDIT: I found a sticky here in this section that might have the answer and posted my question there as well. If anyone else has motion for their sim and needs information on creating plugins, regardless of the specific software used, please do post here and perhaps we can get a discussion of motion and Cliffs of Dover going.

[Flyingblind]

As I understand it, the X-Sim software requires a plugin to work and in the case of IL2 this would be DeviceLink with it's limitations with online use. However X-Sim also provide a Force feedback driver - Force Feedback scanner. According to their wedsite it works as follows:

This application implements itself between the game and a force feedback able input device like a joystick and extracts all Force Feedback effects provided by the game through the Microsoft Direct-X interface. If you are a programer, you could use this software for your own simulator control software as well. To do this some skills in visual C++ or Delphi are required. An example for exporting Force Feedback effects is located in the X-Sim 3 installation directory. The FF driver visualizes all effects that are provided by Microsoft’s Force Feedback like described in on the MSDN home page.
If you are using a Force Feedback wheel instead of a joystick which offers a X and Y axis, you also need the help of the joystick interface or the injector speed gauge detection to get a ingame Y ingame force value. These combinations help you to get every game working with X-Sim if you invest some evenings of hard work The results will be very impressive, you will get not the combined vibe effects, but separated forces. One of them is the force you feel for left and right. With single force you own the ingame lateral force of your simulator. No combined effects will be transferred to your simulator, only the selected pure lateral ingame forces!

I can only assume that as force feedback works during online use then so would the data extracted which would seem a better bet than the DeviceLink route.

This is all something I am quite keen on pursuing but I am pretty restricted by a lack of work space and family distractions. I have been building a good size workshop in the garden from scratch over the summer which is progressing well and once finished hope to hide in there and try and get my head around this sort of stuff.

[Propnut]

Hi Flying Blind,

Thanks for the response.

One thing to note though; I am not using X-Sim. There is a newer, and in my opinion, better software that is totally free to use (X-Sim requires you to either pay or be online whenever you are using it). Didn't used to be this way but the author of the software gets to call the shots.

I am using SimTools, which is developed by the community (especially Youbuddy and Value1) and will remain free.

To me it is very very much easier to use than X-Sim.

But to your point,

I understand about extracting the DX information but from what I have read wouldn't the memory map work better? FF data is not always current with the orientation of the plane. But to be honest I am not sure as I do not yet know enough to create the plug-ins myself.

You mention that Devicelink has issues with online use? Could you explain that a bit more direct me to a thread that might help? I had not heard that there were any issues with using the telemetry from IL-2 1946 via Devicelink and motion software. I am using it with Simtools myself.

Thanks for your input! With any luck we can make more and more plug-ins for SimTools and support all flight sims.

[bolox]

You mention that Devicelink has issues with online use?
Devicelink for 'old' IL2 was released with only a limited amount of data available when in online mode. Oleg's original plan was to extend this data available online at a later date- however some of the more vocal , competitive online types howled blue murder at the prospect (CHEAT CHEAT), and **** anyone else's needs cos their type of flying is IMPORTANT - Oleg's ready room 'debates' never were civilised:-P
Basically I think they scared Oleg off and no further work was done on what was a great, innovative idea which had great potential for pitbuilders etc.
So in old IL2 there is a fixed data set of outputs, which is heavily restricted online - no instrument/plane orientation type data.
There is a long thread at UBII about devicelink- some may be useful
http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/509085-The-Device-Link-tips-and-questions-thread
and if you have IL2 there is a devicelink readme in the games root folder.

With CoD Oleg returned to the theme and came up with a huge variety of data that can be read from sim (via scripts), However there is no way to write data TO the sim (so self made autopilots etc can't be done- one of the complaints about what could possibly be done )
What Colander has done for CoD. is make the instrument values for a plane more available by memory mapping these values. The plane must have the instrument in it to output a value (so no artificial horizon information available in a 109). Hopefully this should be enough to make instrument panels , motion pits etc- tho there is no G values available, or direct orientation, it must come from the planes instruments and could thus give some 'odd' readings with a toppled artificial horizon.

Hope some of rhis is useful

[Propnut]

Bolox, thanks for the information.

You know what? I remember that brew-ha-ha and to be honest since I did not know any better at the time I too was on the side of the Anti-Cheaters (I am sorry to say). As I said, I didn't really understand the situation. :( It seems that I might have unintentionally shot myself in the foot so to speak, lol. The old adage "Ignorance feeds fear" is valid. Although I never posted on the topic. It is amazing to me that IL-2 brings about more discourse, usually civil, than any other online topic that I have experience with.

I am not sure how Prilad created the plug-in for IL-2, there are many work arounds for extracting data from a game. He might have used one of these routes. I had assumed that he used DeviceLink, my bad. Again the ignorance issue rears its head. Sorry.

Yes, everything that I learn is helpful. Even if it does not result in a working plug-in.

Thanks for taking the time to explain this to me.