Community Event / Creation DIY Controller and Throttle

[Jypson]

Really nice build! I just thought about doing this myself. It looks like an bit amount of work though.

Did you publish the 3D models to 3D print this? I didn't see a link.

Also I'm not sure how you do yaw control? Does the joystick allow 3D input or only roll and pitch?

And where is the throttle? Foot pedals?

Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions or stuff that have already been covered. It is a long thread though

You can see most of his gear in his later posts, here's a couple to check out.

Another step: Add in-game audio with a geek-factor:

Sony Minidisc Head unit I had sitting in my garage for over 10 years, powered from a bench power supply (for now) and fed directly into the Logitech Amp.

Of course it needs proper mounting.

http://i.imgur.com/3YoKwnd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Oc8dvlD.jpg

No news yet, so i thought i'll just put up a picture.

View attachment 103392

 

[Cataclysm72]

Really nice build! I just thought about doing this myself. It looks like an bit amount of work though.

Did you publish the 3D models to 3D print this? I didn't see a link.

Also I'm not sure how you do yaw control? Does the joystick allow 3D input or only roll and pitch?

And where is the throttle? Foot pedals?

Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions or stuff that have already been covered. It is a long thread though

No worries! the left stick moves only back to front and is the throttle. Right joystick is the XY axis. On the floor i made a yaw control (no toe brakes). On the trottle is also an analog thumb stick for x/y thrusters adding to 6 analog axes. The rest is all buttons and switches.

check www.simplicate.info/tag/joystick for the (outdated) blog on the parts design. I did put the mechanical 3d stuff on thingiverse but i would have to check: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1274312

You can see most of his gear in his later posts, here's a couple to check out.

Thanks for helpng out while i was on holiday!

 

[Cataclysm72]

I've decided to add a few more panels for buttons/switches and audio to my setup. It has been brewing in my mind for about a few weeks. This morning it hit me. I will add a slightly bigger console below the triple screen setup. I also added some immersion to the setup by adding a little hood over the 3 screens. The top panel could be used in the near future for some overhead switches.

Let me know what you think.

click for large

 

[t00thPIK]

CAT! Had I been checking the foruns lately, I would have replied with interest to your post RE the DIY circuit board! I'm sure I said way back near the start that I'd like to see you do that!
I think there's plenty of market for something like this. Especially with consumer 3D printers, more people are bound to start making their own peripherals. We all know how dismal the HOTAS/flight controller selection is these days. And you know no one ever really produced a proper helicopter controller. Yours is the closest thing to a cyclic and collective I've seen in a game controler. DCS World has a few helicopter modules now. Your current set up would be great for that.

 

[Cataclysm72]

Thank you very much for your support, t00thpik.

I am current a pretty stable config right now. I am using my board from the early posts that allows 4 analog and 16 digital ios per board (i currently have 3 of these running in my setup), and a few auxiliary boards for led lighting. It would be a nice challenge to combine these in a single easy-to-use package. But as everything is working great now there's absolutely no need to hurry.

I am so wanting to buy a CNC router to mill aluminium and/or 6mm plywood. But i do not have the money or the space. I'm hoping my local hackerspace will be able to get one in the near future, hopefully with a large bed (larger than 30x20 cm anyways).

 

[Jypson]

I've decided to add a few more panels for buttons/switches and audio to my setup. It has been brewing in my mind for about a few weeks. This morning it hit me. I will add a slightly bigger console below the triple screen setup. I also added some immersion to the setup by adding a little hood over the 3 screens. The top panel could be used in the near future for some overhead switches.

Let me know what you think.

click for largehttp://i.imgur.com/j9NIY02l.png

Man-oh-man, it was already amazing, this is going to get crazy. So jealous!!!!

 

[Cataclysm72]

My 3D printer is currently making a prototype bracket for the intricate console mount. I need 6 of them, and just one takes about 7hrs to print. I'm having a little powernap first, then i'll start working on the switch panel designs.

 

[Blairvoyach]

I am so wanting to buy a CNC router to mill aluminium and/or 6mm plywood. But i do not have the money or the space. I'm hoping my local hackerspace will be able to get one in the near future, hopefully with a large bed (larger than 30x20 cm anyways).

I have a CNC router (self designed and built) capable of milling Aluminium (and most other softer materials) but it isn't a pleasant or speedy experience even on thin sheet. For mechanical parts you really need a mill TBH, a router just doesn't have the mass. For cutting switch panels or parts to create a, for instance, 1:1 scale Cobra cockpit however, it's a very handy bit of kit. I use mine for everything from incredibly delicate lithophanes to chopping out mooring cleats from 40mm HDPE for the boats we build at work, a very versatile machine. My word do they make a mess though!

Often thought of adding a print head and hotplate to my router. I'd have the perfect makermachine then

BTW, like the look of the model, sort of "finishes off" the monitor side of the build, what software are you using to design in Cat?

 

[Cataclysm72]

I'm using SketchUp Make 2016. It should be free to use. I use it for crude brainstorming (like the image in my sig), but also for detailed design or my 3D printer. It has a nice plugin to export to STL. You need a lot of work to model things like wood panelling and 2x4's because without some work it doesn't know about things like 'thickness'.

ideally i'd like to work witha 5-dimensional CNC mill, but these things 'start' at 5k $.

 

[PANTHER STARFORCE]

Haha, thanks! I never was a hero to anyone before

He, I'm a sucker for nostalgic tech... also probably showing my age a bit
Seriously you have a very classy simpit build. I'm slightly envious... I've been planning my simpit build for about a year... but I'm a family guy with 2 kids so the process is a slow crawl... and when I do finally pull the trigger it will all be off the shelf hardware starting with the Icarus Avenger 180. Your build is far more exotic... and also the pride that comes with knowing that it's entirely your own creation.

I'll look forward to the updates with the cowl and larger control panel. Keep it up!

-EJIRO

 

[Cataclysm72]

He, I'm a sucker for nostalgic tech... also probably showing my age a bit
Seriously you have a very classy simpit build. I'm slightly envious... I've been planning my simpit build for about a year... but I'm a family guy with 2 kids so the process is a slow crawl... and when I do finally pull the trigger it will all be off the shelf hardware starting with the Icarus Avenger 180. Your build is far more exotic... and also the pride that comes with knowing that it's entirely your own creation.

I'll look forward to the updates with the cowl and larger control panel. Keep it up!

-EJIRO

Cowl. New word has been assimilated into vocabulary. Knowledge level improved. Thank you.

Haha

 

[Cataclysm72]

Some progress was made today. I had the afternoon off, so I visited my local hackerspace for a bit of MDF lasercutting. The vertical support brackets to hold the console are now finished. I need to cut horizontal woodbars to length so I can mount the switch panels. If space allows, the top layer will get a nice layer of orange leather.

(design here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=171495&page=22&p=3892245&viewfull=1#post3892245)

Next step is to cut the longer horizontal panels that make up the outer layer.

 

[Cataclysm72]

Today's progress. I cut call the structure beams to size a bolted them together. Later this week I hope to cut the covering panels After that I will have to go back to the drawing board an actually come up with the layout of the backlit switch boards. But first I need to make sure this all sits nice and firm on my mounting frame. I hope it isn't too heavy already or I will have to add more vertical support (and I don't want that)

 

[Jypson]

Today's progress. I cut call the structure beams to size a bolted them together. Later this week I hope to cut the covering panels After that I will have to go back to the drawing board an actually come up with the layout of the backlit switch boards. But first I need to make sure this all sits nice and firm on my mounting frame. I hope it isn't too heavy already or I will have to add more vertical support (and I don't want that)

http://i.imgur.com/2JE5Zy7.jpg

Looks a bit hefty, how heavy would you say it is so far?

 

[Cataclysm72]

Looks a bit hefty, how heavy would you say it is so far?

It surprises me how stiff it is without weighing too much. I just put one section on a scale and it measures about 600gr. So the three combined would add up to 1.8kg in total for the thing on the picture. Perhaps add another kilo for the thin acryl panels and the switches and it stays safely under 3kg.

 

[Jypson]

It surprises me how stiff it is without weighing too much. I just put one section on a scale and it measures about 600gr. So the three combined would add up to 1.8kg in total for the thing on the picture. Perhaps add another kilo for the thin acryl panels and the switches and it stays safely under 3kg.

Wow, much lighter than it looks, nice!

 

[Cataclysm72]

Wow, much lighter than it looks, nice!

Haha probably because it is very very cheap wood (shaved spruce?) and 4mm mdf. I think i paid €3,50 for 4 beams of 210mm.

 

[Cataclysm72]

It's a good system to measure twice and cut once..

The console design is full of strange angles. I did not want a basic box design so I came up with a mathematician's monstrocity. 17.5 degree angles everywhere. So I made an error in my calculations. During my test-fitting I found out that the console is now 6mm short on both sides because I did not account for the edge of the displays (6 times 1mm). Also, the 2 angles between the screens are off by the same 6mm. This is not something that can be easily hidden. Even though I'm the only one seeing the different I am sure it will annoy me if I do not fix it right now. So it's good that I didn't cut all the panels yet. Should be an easy fix, but oh my what a waste of time.

 

[Jacob Marshall]

Cat, I remember when this was 'just' two joysticks; you've created a monster.

Looks bloody amazing o7

 

[Cataclysm72]

Cat, I remember when this was 'just' two joysticks; you've created a monster.

Looks bloody amazing o7

I'm really getting scared. My original goal was 'just two joysticks'. Something went wrong along the way. Perhaps I need professional help. This thing is getting out of control. If this were alcohol or drugs, my friends would have done an intervention no doubt. My house is a mess. 3D-printers, parts, tools, power drill, spare wood panels in the garage... Thousands of 'work in progress' pictures and documents (digital and printed). They say gaming is an addiction, just wait until you go hardware.

/sarcasm.