I have been thinking about this for a while and I think that it could be a good idea, to add a DIY section to the forum.
The great and inspiring modding and custom builds, get more and more numerous here, so it would make it easier to find those that would be helpful for whatever project that strikes ones fancy.
It could be a section on its own or a subforum in Hardware & Tech Questions section.
I think that there is quality and quantity enough to warrant its own section, but that’s just my opinion.
I for one have several projects that would fit right in and I have discovered a Makerspace fairly close to me, that have a professional lasercutter. So now I have added some buttonboxes to the todo list and some of the enclosure parts for my 3D printer will be lasercut. I have also ordered a laserhead for the 3D printer, so now I will have to see what I can do with it.
I find it great to be able to see and be inspired by others creativity and it is also great to share my own doings as well. It gives great satisfaction if I can be an inspiration, encourage to go ahead and attempt DIY and show the pitfalls I stumbled into, so others can avoid them.
The willingness here to help out a fellow simmer with whatever problem that is bothering, is just so wonderful and I am very happy to be a part of one the best places in the internet.
oooo, so many variables
VR, augmented or 2D &
full cockpit tactile panels or touch screens?
motion 2/3/6 DoF or static?
backlit or flood lighting?
platform specific or a generic hybrid?
fixed wing or rotary wing?
military or civil?
portable or immobile?
full size or space restricted?
& the list goes on…
seriously dipping your toes into a very deep pool
Don’t get me wrong I’m all for it
back in the day I built my Mk II cockpit which ended up being the inspiration for the now infamous Akers-Barnes cockpit, which I was very humbled that Peter & Michael credited me for in their design…
I’ve always been a fan of having a dedicated sim-pit.
but everyone will have specific preferences and requirements
they may not have the funds, the space, the skillset or simply the time required
(everyone is time-poor!)
There have been some excellent articles on various websites over the years on considerations for planning / building a sim pit
It would be nice to have a resource here to set the standard ‘benchmark’ for all DIY simpit
much akin to “Chuck’s Guides” being the unofficial ‘how-to’ for learning any DCS module
but there are also so many existing sites for each respective genre
I mean how many different DIY 7n7 cockpits have you seen online?
some of those guys are complete nutters…
Long-term OCD-suffering rabbit-hole-free-falling technofile degenerates.
I got ya Gadget, currently building a simpit myself. The only useful thing I can share is tailor made components that you could drop in somewhere else, Cougar MFD with a LCD, drop in gauges that function with an arduino/DCS-BIOS. That sort of thing. I am going to do everything on Github, helps people get started I suppose.
@TheAlmightySnark the arduino code and DCS-BIOS will be definite winners (personally)
I’ve yet to delve into DCS-BIOS at all.
perhaps a library (cheat sheet) of commonly sought after functions per platform… (if thats appropriate)
A-10C; master caution, etc.
F-18; extend hook, etc.
as well as any really obscure / tricky ones
There’s only so much you can achieve with the hardware, at some point it needs to talk to the sim… (then I’m screwed)
I was just going to go with a few examples and implementations, so that the pro-active copy’n’pasters among us can easily use it!
My Simple-INS project is also showing how to interface with X-plane from start to finish, as will the soon to be released X-plane to Stellarium project
What you just cut up a keyboard and place the default mapped key under the physical switch or knob and have it activate the keyboard key mechanically. You just run the diced up keyboard switch board circuit mat through a multiplexer to get the correct inputs and then output that through a PS2 to USB convertor. If at some point the sim changes the default key bind you just crawl under/behind there and move the physical keys around where they need to be, and probably end up running new wire while you’re there, and changing out the multiplexer because you have a new better design… Couldn’t be simpler lol
I could create a new DIY topic, but I am also not able to change category on my existing topics.
Now I see that I am only a Member and not a Regular. So there is the reason.
Trust Level 3 — Regular
Regulars are the backbone of your community, the most active readers and reliable contributors over a period of months, even years. Because they’re always around, they can be further trusted to help tidy up and organize the community.
To get to trust level 3, in the last 100 days…
Must have visited at least 50% of days
Must have replied to at least 10 different topics
Of topics created in the last 100 days, must have viewed 25% (capped at 500)
Of posts created in the last 100 days, must have read 25% (capped at 20k)
Must have received 20 likes, and given 30 likes.*
Must not have received more than 5 spam or offensive flags (with unique posts and unique users for each, confirmed by a moderator)
Must not have been suspended or silenced
* These likes must be across a minimum number of different users (1/5 the number), across a minimum number of different days (1/4 the number). Likes cannot be from PMs.
All of the above criteria must be true to achieve trust level 3. Furthermore, unlike other trust levels, you can lose trust level 3 status . If you dip below these requirements in the last 100 days, you will be demoted back to Member. However, in order to avoid constant promotion/demotion situations, there is a 2-week grace period immediately after gaining Trust Level 3 during which you will not be demoted.
Users at trust level 3 can…
Recategorize and rename topics
Access a secure category only visible to users at trust level 3 and higher
Have all their links followed (we remove automatic nofollow)
TL3 spam flags cast on TL0 user posts immediately hide the post
TL3 flags cast on TL0 user posts in sufficient diversity will auto-silence the user and hide all their posts
Make their own posts wiki (that is, editable by any TL1+ users)
Daily like limit increased by 2×
Admins can change these thresholds by searching for TL3 in site settings.
I have added a new T16000m DIY mods topic to the DIY section where I have combined and rewritten both of my T16000m topics.
My Finished modding my T16000m and My modded TM T16000m DIY topics can now be locked and deleted.
With regards to renaming and recategorisation, may I suggest that those of us who only have the member badge, post our existing topics here with wished for namechanges?
