Fanatec Base V2 - Rumble Strips and Offroad FFB too strong!

Hi,

New to the forums so bare with me, I've searched high and low and found many who advise that tweaking the .json config file of the specific profile I'm using might solve the problem but for me it never worked. I've loaded the file time and time again and it has no effect what-so-ever.

I have followed DrR1pper's tutorial on how to get it just perfect and when driving on the track it feels fantastic, the bumps are there, the force is great, everything is as amazing as DrR1pper foretold! However... when I hit a rumble strip or go off road... all hell breaks loose!!!! My wheel goes nuts! It starts clipping and can't keep my hands on it anymore... here are the settings I'm currently using:

Fanatec Wheel settings:
Sen: off
FF: 100
SHo: 100
AbS: off
LIn: off
dEA: off
drI: off
For: 80
SPr: 0
dPr: 0

.json of my custom profile:
"Force Feedback":{

"Jolt magnitude":0.1,
"Jolt magnitude#":"How strong jolts from other cars (or walls) are. Suggested Range: -2.0 to 2.0.",
"Off-road multiplier":0.1,
"Off-road multiplier#":"Temporary test variable to reduce force feedback strength off-road (0.0 = zero FFB, 1.0 = full FFB)",
"Other spring coefficient":0.2,
"Other spring coefficient#":"Static spring effect rate (-1.0 to 1.0) for any other FFB-capable controllers",
"Other spring saturation":0.8,
"Other spring saturation#":"Static spring effect peak force (0.0 to 1.0) for any other FFB-capable controllers",
"Rumble strip magnitude":0.05,
"Rumble strip magnitude#":"How strong the canned rumble strip rumble is. Range 0.0 to 1.0, 0.0 disables effect.",
"Rumble strip pull factor":1.2,
"Rumble strip pull factor#":"How strongly wheel pulls right\/left when running over a rumble strip. Suggested range: -1.5 to 1.5.",
"Rumble strip update thresh":0.2,
"Rumble strip update thresh#":"Amount of change required to update rumble strip effect (0.0 - 1.0)",
"Rumble strip wave type":0,
"Rumble strip wave type#":"Type of wave to use for vibe: 0=Sine, 1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.",
"Skip updates":0,
"Skip updates#":"Apparently some drivers can't handle a quick FFB update rate, so use this hack to skip the given number of updates (0=full update rate, 1=half, 2=one-third, 3=one-quarter, etc.)",
"Steering effects strength":10000,
"Steering effects strength#":"-10000 to +10000, applies to all steering effects (torque, resistance, static spring, jolt, etc.)",
"Steering resistance coefficient":0.1,
"Steering resistance coefficient#":"Coefficient to use for steering resistance. Range: -1.0 to 1.0",
"Steering resistance saturation":0.1,
"Steering resistance saturation#":"Saturation value to use for steering resistance. Range: 0 - 1.0",
"Steering resistance type":0,
"Steering resistance type#":"0=use damping, 1=use friction",
"Steering spring coefficient":0,
"Steering spring coefficient#":"Static spring effect rate (-1.0 to 1.0)",
"Steering spring saturation":0.1,
"Steering spring saturation#":"Static spring effect peak force (0.0 to 1.0)",
"Steering torque capability":7.0,
"Steering torque capability#":"The maximum torque capability of the wheel (in Nm, obviously)",
"Steering torque extrap blend":0,
"Steering torque extrap blend#":"Higher blends of extrapolated value allows driver to feel torque changes even when actual torque exceeds 'input max' (0.0=disables, 1.0=max)",
"Steering torque extrap time":0.015,
"Steering torque extrap time#":"Time in seconds to extrapolate steering torque based on current change (Range: 0.001 to 0.050. To disable, set 'blend' to 0.0)",
"Steering torque filter":1,
"Steering torque filter#":"Number of old samples to use to filter torque from vehicle's steering column (0-32, note that higher values increase effective latency)",
"Steering torque minimum":0.039,
"Steering torque minimum#":"Minimum torque to apply in either direction to overcome steering wheel's 'FFB deadzone' caused by friction",
"Steering torque per-vehicle mult":1,
"Steering torque per-vehicle mult#":"Per-vehicle steering column torque multiplier (this is a copy of the .CCH value)",
"Steering torque sensitivity":1,
"Steering torque sensitivity#":"Sensitivity curve applied to representable torques: 0.0=low 1.0=linear 2.0=high",
"Steering torque zero-speed mult":0.3,
"Steering torque zero-speed mult#":"Multiplier at zero speed to reduce unwanted oscillation from strong static aligning torque",
"Test workaround":false,
"Test workaround#":"Workaround for apparent driver CTD on release",
"Type":1,
"Type#":"Type of force feedback: 0=off 1=wheel 2=joystick 3=rumble\/gamepad 4=custom"

I can't drive properly without knowing that I can safely hit a bloody strip or momentarily go off-road for a sec!

Please help... no idea what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks!!

-Sebastian

 

0.04 (well, 0.039) is a lot of STM. With a CSW V2, you should have the power/torque to not need 3.9% steering torque minimum, well unless you have your FFB set-up really, really weak, but this does not seem to be the case as all, judging from your wheel's and controller files' settings. Lower your STM first. Disable it actually just to start with (set it to "0" [without the quotes]). Then work your way up in 0.005 or even 0.0025 increments, but 0.39 seems like a lot for a wheel using the power/torque that you are.

This is going to sound dumb, but make sure you're even actually using your custom FFB settings. Edit the controller files in your controller folder, not the controller.ini in the same folder which also includes your player.json file. That controller.ini file (the one in the same folder as your player.json file) is only the current settings for whatever controller profile you choose, you want to change the actual saved ones which are in the controller folder. If you have no saved ones listed, then just go into the game and click "save" in the controls section. This is just to be safe so you know for sure that you're using the correct settings, since you select and load the appropriate controller file in the game.

You can also have a bunch of differently named controller files in your controller folder, each with different settings to test. Then you can quickly load them each up in-game without having to exit, change settings, start game, exit, change settings, start game, etc.

As a last resort, you can add some smoothing. It's in the game, in the same section where you edit the overall FFB (per-car FFB multiplier, or whatever it's called). It may also be the "Steering torque filter" setting in the controller file, but I can't remember for sure.

Start with the STM and in-game smoothing both at 0. Then slowly up the STM like I explained above. You may find that you don't need any smoothing.

 

Hey,

Thanks for the reply, yeah I was tweaking two controller files, CSW_NSX.json and CSW_Formula.json and I make sure to load them when I make changes. The STM change made a difference in the quality of the road details but still blows up my wheel whenever I'm hitting kerbs. I'll try to post a video soon!

 

Lower the STM, add a touch of in-game smoothing, maybe set in-game smoothing to 1 or 2 instead of 0. Give that a shot.

 

Ok, so i did some reading of a written review and it seems this issue of the ffb "going nuts" over rumble strips (for example) is an unavoidable side-effect of the CSW V2 and it's not a design flaw. Supposedly, due to the newly included servo controller in the wheelbase, the motor response has been significantly improved, so much so that the wheel will spin up from stationary much quicker (i.e. closer to instantaneous start-up) than the V1, and the same goes for coming to a stop (and everything in between of course). As a result, you supposedly can't stop the wheel from oscillating like you once could do by gripping the wheel tighter when going over curbs (etc). The wheel will oscillate with much greater response by ramping up the force output from the motor in response to any drag/friction in the system (such as when you grip the steering rim which increases the moment of inertia of the wheel) and then modulating the motor torque as needed as the wheel rotates which means changes in wheel direction should be much stronger, sharper, punchier and accurate (hence the experience you are having with having violent ffb response over curbs....which might i add is most probably very normal in real life).

I recall watching Shaun Cole doing a review of the CSW v2 a while back mention the fact that he had to let go of the wheel when/if crashing into a wall because the ffb was too violent and he demonstrated it in the review and my impressions were that he was heavily exaggerating (not helped by the way he showed himself having to let go of the wheel....looked/felt very pre-meditated @ 9m42s in).

But then, the written review seems to confirm Shaun's impressions/observations: http://www.simology.co/entry/3-whee...port-wheel-base-v2-one-wheel-to-rule-them-all

Now, i also don't think it's possible to turn down the strength of the curbs (for example but i could be wrong) because the ffb effect from them is not baked in i believe. The resultant ffb effects are a direct consequence from the physics of the tyres being displaced very quickly (especially at speed) when driving onto or off the rather thick curbs and the resultant violent changes in force through the steering rack as the front wheels drive over them. Naturally, this would be felt very violently through the steering wheel and in non V2 wheels you would feel less of an impulse as the motor more gradually built up torque but with the new V2 the forces are built up much quicker thanks to the inclusion of a utilised servo controller. I could be wrong, there could be a coefficient in one of the files that can control ffb strength when driving over the curbs (and grass) but if there is, i'm not aware of it. Perhaps someone else can chip in here?

So it would seem that the problem you are describing is actually an unavoidably side-effect (at least in a sims like rf2 due to the non-baked in nature of it's ffb) caused by the significant hardware improvements made to the wheel CSW. Without the servo controller, you would get less violent ffb over curbs but you would then loose the improvements in ffb responsiveness and accuracy.

I must confess, after reading all this, i'm quite interested in trying the CSW v2 for myself now.

 

This is me with the V2:

Fanatec Wheel settings:
Sen: off
FF: 100
SHo: off
AbS: off
LIn: off
dEA: off
drI: 4
For: 100
SPr: 0
dPr: 0

I'm feeling high FF with the Camaro at LRP 2.00 when on the curbs. I've turned FF down to 0.80 in the sim but it still feels odd. I noted the curbs were strong with the V1 base but it's brutal with the V2. I need to experiment later in the week but something needs tweaking.

@Hype_Z, FYI the guide you used must be for the V1. drI works different for the V2 base. 005 is no damping and off is max damping. So you want to start at 005 then dial in damping to taste. I find 004 to match the feel of the V1m so I'm using that for now.

 

On top of what I and others have already said, also try enabling drift mode on the CSW v2. Normally on the Fanatec wheels, enabling drift mode (0=off, enabled=1-5) means the wheel is artificially sped up through the FFB. It uses the motors to help the wheel turn, it's an artificial way of getting rid of the natural damping of the wheel in order to speed up it's responses and make it more free. However - and I hardly hear people mention this other than in maybe 2 reviews - with the CSW v2 it's the complete opposite. There is so little resistance in th CSW v2 that enabling drift mode actually ADDS dampening just in case the wheel is too free for some. The drift mode feature is completely different on the CSW v2 than on all the other Fanatec wheels. While having drift mode off in all the wheels (including the CSW v2) means using the wheel in it's "pure"/"true" form, the drift mode feature is used to artificially speed up and liven the wheel with all Fanatec's wheels except the CSW v2 where the drift mode feature is used to artificially slow things down.

Then there is also the regular ol' damping feature as well that all wheels, including Logitech and Thrustmaster, allow. I;m not sure how the regular damping feature differs from the drift mode feature on the CSW v2, but ya, try those.

So...

- Try STM
- In-game smoothing
- Drift Mode
- Damping
- SRT (steering resistance type) "1"

 

F1Fan07, interesting the only real difference between your wheel rim settings is the drI (artificial dampening) setting.

According to the written review i mentioned earlier...

edit: his description doesn't make sense to me though. Shouldn't "off" be zero artificial dampening and "5" maximum artificial dampening effect? I just checked the V2 manual and it would seem so:

 

Oops, I got the numbers backwards then (post #8) thanks for the correction F1Fan07 and Dr.R. Ok so to have the CSW v2 in it's true form you now must use drift mode at max ("5"), while the lower the number (including off) the more artificial dampening get's added. I got the numbers backwards, but ya, it still works the complete opposite way as all the other Fanatec wheels; where all the other Fanatec wheels get artificial FFB to help speed/liven their FFB, the CSW v2 gets artificial FFB to help slow/calm it's FFB.

Both those quotes say the same thing, the lower the drift mode, including "off", the more artificial damening get's added. The wheel in it's pure, raw form would therefore be at drift mode 5 with the CSW v2 (whereas the other Fanatec wheels the pure, raw wheel is drift mode "off" while the higher the number the more artificlal FFB get's added to speed/liven the wheel.)

 

hmm...still looks confusing to me. Because the review says "When DRI is off the artificial dampening is fully functioning", meaning the servo controller is baking in effects. But he then goes on to say "but at 5 this dampening is gone and you're only resistance is whatever mechanical resistance there is left in the wheel" and for that to be true, you would need artificial dampening to be on....or as said previously in the "off" state, for the artificial dampening to be "fully functioning".

Am I wrong or is he saying the same thing for both ends of the spectrum which doesn't make sense?

 

Hello Hype_Z, change the rumble strip magnitude and pull factor in the settings you posted. That helped me..

 

I'm not really sure what you mean but that statement seems pretty clear to me. When drift mode is Off, the artificial dampening is on and affecting things, as you go up to the numbers then this artificial dampening becomes less and less until you hit "5" where this artificial, FFB-induced dampening is fully gone/disabled, so if all the artificial FFB-induced resistance is fully removed, then the only resistance you have left is just the natural resistance of the device, you know, the metal, the parts, the pieces, the FFB motor (not baked effects just natural resistance that any and everything has a certain amount of), etc. etc.

I would have preferred it numbered the opposite way, where "Off" means just what it means - "Off". This would be the raw wheel, just like in all previous Fanatec wheels, but then when you enable drift mode (#s 1-5 instead of "off") then the artificial resistance kicks in, and is at it's fullest at "5". This would be just like how the other Fanatec wheels are set, but they get more FFB-induced quickness added to them the higher the drift mode #, rather more FFB-induced resistance the higher the #s get. In Fanatec's defense though, then it wouldn't be make sense to call it drift mode (with the CSW v2), because if doing it that way, then the drift mode would be slowly the wheel down and it would then not make sense to call it "drift mode", lol, then again though, in it's current form, most people assume that "off" is the wheel in it's true, raw form and "5" is the most artificial FFB assistance like in all other Fanatec wheels. So both ways aren't exactly logical.

In my opinion, numbering it the way I mentioned, and then calling it something else rather than "drift mode" ("smoothening" or "Calming", or how about just "resistance"?) would have been the most intuitive, and made the most sense. At least that way you would know that "off" is the raw wheel, just like with every other Fanatec wheel, and you would know what you're adding (smoothing/calming/resistance), and how much of it (levels 1-5).

 

Ah yes, i see it now. Thanks Spinelli.

It is very strange to see the artificial dampening settings/values to actually mean the reverse.

Hype_z and F1Fan07, have you had a chance to play around with the drI mode in game to see what difference it makes and what it feels like? If so, can you tell me please?

 

hmm, i guess i stand corrected? There are working curb (and maybe grass) force feedback coefficients to play with the reduce their ffb effect/strength?

can you confirm as well Spinelli?

 

Some tracks still use "fake" curbs. Well maybe they aren't fake in terms of physics (I'm sure they have some sort of physical modelling applied to them) but they can "bake in" the curb's FFB. Maybe so they can save FPS or time/effort into not having to physically model a curb with a bunch of individually modelled sawteeth? I'm not exactly sure why it's done, but there is still the option for track makers to add in different types and amounts of FFB curb effects into specific parts of the track's surface. So I'm guessing that the rumble strip magnitude in the controller file, as well as the pull factor (anything that you can edit individually, rather than applying a curve to the entire FFB system), only affect the "fake", baked-in curb-FFB, since there is no way for the game to determine what a "real" curb FFB effect is, since it's all just physics based on what the car/tyre/suspension etc. is doing.

 

Hello, I also have a CSW v2 few days ago. To reduce vibration I change these settings:

"Steering torque minimum":0,
"Rumble strip pull factor":0.5,
"Jolt magnitude":0.5,

All the rest by default

 

I haven't experimented too much as I've only had the base for a few days.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about drI settings. I just read a post on the iRacing forums claiming that OFF is full damping and 5 is some sort of steering assist and that 2 and 3 are the most neutral settings. I need to spend some time with this but for now I'm quite happy in iRacing, rF1 and rF2 using 004.

 

Thx F1Fan07. Btw, what did you upgrade from and how big of a difference is it in your opinion?

 

I upgraded from a CSW V1 (and G27 before that). The V1 is great but I felt a little let down because the FF was not as smooth as I thought it would be and with some mods the FF would fade as the motors warmed up. The V2 addresses this very well and I feel that it's a huge improvement. It always felt like the V1 had discrete steps of rotation because there was always this slight roughness to the FF... not so with the V2. In fact, the first few days with it, I found myself over steering the car because I wasn't getting the rotational feedback.

It's a significant upgrade from the V1 and a huge jump from my G27. I'm glad I bought it. Given that one can sell a used V1 for ~$350 right now I'd say the V2 upgrade makes a lot of sense.

 

i followed the advice in this thread : url]http://isiforums.net/f/showthread.php/19034-Guide-Optimal-FFB-settings-for-rFactor-2-The-key-to-being-in-the-Zone-D[/url] the only time now when i hit the red in the pedal overlay plugin is when i hit the ripple strips my wheel is 100% better in every way now.