Sideshow69 A-10 VR Pit

Hey all, just wanted to show off my labor of love the A-10C homepit. made exclusively for VR simming. special thanks goes out to Lynx for the panel work, Gadrocks sofware for getting rid of my ghost switching issues and the many many examples and instructions I gleaned inspiration from everyone.

Last things to do are finish UFC and CDU. Then learn how to properly employ "smart" weapons and refueling. UGHHHHHHHH that's such a pain.

For VR I'm using the OSVR HDK2 with steam wrapper. running an old skool I7690 3.33. 32 gjg ram and nvidia gtx980. base kickers for feedback and thrustmaster warthog joystick throttle. for rudder pedals im using a hybrid of thrustmaster's new and old rudder pedals so i can have toebrakes an still have that beefy return to center that i like. Not butter smooth

Nice very very nice....

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

Very nice pit! So how is it flying with the HMD and using the switches in your cockpit?

Very nice pit! So how is it flying with the HMD and using the switches in your cockpit?

Great question, Brewnix. Jbresso, do you line up your vision in the HMD precisely with the cockpit so that the switches are in exactly the same position? Do you use hand tracking technology such as Leap Motion or just manipulate the switches "by feel"?

Your pit looks great. I find the immersion of these simulators, particularly when paired with VR, so exciting. My biggest gripe with the A-10C in VR now is that the HUD symbology is too big for the HUD display which means I frequently have to bob my head up to keep track of the compass tape, and then bob down to see the TVV (for example) which I doubt pilots have to do in real life, and you certainly don't need to do when flying on a monitor. Apparently the symbology size has been hard coded in to the DCS A-10C simulator though so unlikely to see a simple solution to that. Still love the Hawg though. So thrilling to see those SAM smoke trails streaking up towards me in VR....

Nice looking pit you've got there Sir :thumbup: Good work

Cheers

Hans

Thanks everyone for ur support..Its been a labor of love and damn gaming in it is freaking amazing.

CptClownfish, Brewnix, building the pit for VR i wanted to make every switch as close to the real dimensions as feasible as possible but of course that went out the window when i had co make it smaller for the space i need. So while the actual dimensions are off the switches and panels are more or less in the appropriate area. Next comes muscle control for finding them. while in the HMD there is no pilot body per-se to use its a good guide and i rarely miss the switch i'm going for. The whole mantra for this build wasn't prettiness but functionality and specific placement. Most of the switches and buttons are accessed at start up and shutdown of the air craft so I don't have to do key combos or anything detrimental to the suspension of belief. having the butt kickers really takes immersion to another level even when hitting that 30mm GAU:"-)

Thanks everyone for ur support..Its been a labor of love and damn gaming in it is freaking amazing.

 

CptClownfish, Brewnix, building the pit for VR i wanted to make every switch as close to the real dimensions as feasible as possible but of course that went out the window when i had co make it smaller for the space i need. So while the actual dimensions are off the switches and panels are more or less in the appropriate area. Next comes muscle control for finding them. while in the HMD there is no pilot body per-se to use its a good guide and i rarely miss the switch i'm going for. The whole mantra for this build wasn't prettiness but functionality and specific placement. Most of the switches and buttons are accessed at start up and shutdown of the air craft so I don't have to do key combos or anything detrimental to the suspension of belief. having the butt kickers really takes immersion to another level even when hitting that 30mm GAU:"-)

How do you think the UFC will be and entering in the 9 lines and weapons information? Do you get any external vision from VR or are your eyes totally encased?

Nice setup btw!

No, you can sneak a peak through the bridge of your nose. That's how I use the MFDs and will be using it once my switchbox is built. Life keeps getting in the way of my switchbox (boooo!) ;)

UFC will work nice because I can just lift my head up and look at the UFC sitting between my MFDs on the desk. I'll angle it 45 deg or so to make the input easier.

Its not that bad actually...I'm in the process of remaking my UFC but when I had the prototype going I used it by visual in the headset and by feel of the buttons. Once in a while I had to lift up the headset, but not for much because I mostly have to shut up the caution which the button is the biggest or its relatively calm while in autopilot loitering just beyond the battle zone getting set up for my run.

Jbresso, have you considered building/buying an extension for your Warthog? Would help at lot with air-to-air refueling.

Haven't thought about an extension merely getting in the appropriate switches and stuff so I don't have to touch the keyboard..but who knows what'll be on the christmas list :-)

Haven't thought about an extension merely getting in the appropriate switches and stuff so I don't have to touch the keyboard..but who knows what'll be on the christmas list :-)

I wouldn't wait for Christmas if I were you. Your pit is a great example of a VR/braille pit, but you are missing the most obvious and advantageous implantation. An extension not only gives you much greater precision (notably better), it much more closely replicates the kinematics of the actual cockpit you are sitting in so your real movements would better match your virtual ones.

Pretty low hanging fruit here for the benefits you would get from it... this is the primary control of your primary controls. Here's one I cobbled together out of Gardena parts, a blown out Cougar gimbal and some scrap aluminum that also has an offset. album: http://imgur.com/a/1HkLN

Thanks everyone for ur support..Its been a labor of love and damn gaming in it is freaking amazing.

 

CptClownfish, Brewnix, building the pit for VR i wanted to make every switch as close to the real dimensions as feasible as possible but of course that went out the window when i had co make it smaller for the space i need. So while the actual dimensions are off the switches and panels are more or less in the appropriate area. Next comes muscle control for finding them. while in the HMD there is no pilot body per-se to use its a good guide and i rarely miss the switch i'm going for. The whole mantra for this build wasn't prettiness but functionality and specific placement. Most of the switches and buttons are accessed at start up and shutdown of the air craft so I don't have to do key combos or anything detrimental to the suspension of belief. having the butt kickers really takes immersion to another level even when hitting that 30mm GAU:"-)

Thanks for the response I guess muscle memory would take hold after awhile.

@Thadiun Okona nice ext that is very clean. Good workmanship.

I built my ext too! I used the Gardena nut and PVC. It is not pretty but it works. I put a coupler on cut it to about 3/8in and shaved the edge down at a eyeballed 45 degree angle for the Gardena nut to tighten against.

For my offset the springs are a must.