Fanatec Rotary Encoder Support !

Discussion in 'Wish Lists' started by SebS, May 15, 2019.

  1. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    Hello. I did some research but couldn't find any answer for it.

    The new steering wheels now use rotary encoder like in real life for Traction Control and Engine Map.
    The problem is : In the game it's just a + and - button for those settings.
    It would be amazing if you could separate those settings so we could map it on the rotary encoder.

    For example if there is 5 Engine Map, instead of having a + and - button, it could be good to have 5 slot in the key mapping menu to put them on the rotary encoders.

    Of course all cars are different so maybe 8 slot for Engine Map and 8 for TC would be good.

    Thanks !

    [​IMG]
     
  2. F1Aussie

    F1Aussie Registered

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    Even better have a different function to each position, for example abs at 1, TC at 2, fuel mix at 3, brake bias at 4 etc. Then use a toggle or two buttons one for up and one for down. I asked this question in the discord tonight.
     
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  3. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    Yeah that could also be a good idea but maybe a bit more difficult to implement.
     
  4. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    Also another problem with sub menu is. You will need to add some information in game somewhere otherwise it's gonna be difficult to use it in VR since you can't see the position of your switch...
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2019
  5. F1Aussie

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    I believe iRacing has this implemented and I think ACC has some sort of functionality for it too.
     
  6. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    I have also ACC and I'm pretty sure it's just a + and - button for everything.
    Didn't try iracing but raceroom is also the same.
    So for now those buttons are just useless...
     
  7. Coutie

    Coutie Moderator Staff Member

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    The problem is that you can have as many levels of tc, abs, fuel mix, etc, as you want, so I don't see how it could be done.
     
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  8. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    In real life it's working like that so why not?
    There are 12 positions I think on those rotary button.
    You can choose in your setup the starting position. And depending on this you have 12 possible position. That's exactly what we are doing now. You choose a starting position in the setup and you can still modify it when driving.
    I'm not sure we need more than 12 so if you don't need the lowest value of TC in the setup you start at the value 3 or 4 and the first value on your rotary button will be 3 or 4. And if you need then start at 0 in your setup.
    It just modify the starting position of your TC mapped on your rotary button.
    And since all the new steering wheel now are using those rotary button the games will definitely need to find a solution...
     
  9. F1Aussie

    F1Aussie Registered

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    I believe there is a constant mode so if that is used you can have it in a position where separate buttons can increase or decrease it's level. The games would have to implement this type of usage though, if they want it to work this way
     
  10. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    What do you mean by constant mode?
     
  11. evi

    evi Registered

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    I'll look up in the manual later, but, as far as I remember, there is a mode where each encoder position sends it's own button press. This requires developers to implement interface where I could assign different, for example, TC levels to separate (if I may say so) "joystick" buttons. As, no one did that already, default mode is to send "button press up/down" for each encoder position change.

    In order to match encoder position and level in settings, I just set encoder position on wheel to the level I have in settings before I press "race" in UI.
     
  12. F1Aussie

    F1Aussie Registered

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    I think the way it works is that whatever you have assigned to a certain position is always on and then when you press another button it increments it or decrements it. So let's say you have position 3 as fuel mixture, in constant mode if you have selected position 3 then fuel mix is active and when you use another assigned button you can increase or decrease the setting.
     
  13. Bart S

    Bart S Member

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    The wheel software/driver (Fanatec) would have to have an interface where you program what each switch does, the game would then require a plugin that reads from the wheel/driver at the start of the session like when you click drive.
    If the wheel is using a simple incremental encoders that doesn't recognise the position of the switch from the moment its turned on, you would have to manually initialise the position of the switch every time you power cycle.
    If its using an absolute rotary encoder like you would then still need Fanatec to have the software driver for that and a plugin from the game to read it Absolute Rotary Encoder
     
  14. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    That would be good!
    But no...
    There are only 2 choices in the setting of the wheel.
    First is : you have 12 different button assign in the rotary.
    Second : first position is off plus 11 different button on the rotary...

    That's it! No other solution. So yeah for now it's completely useless.
     
  15. evi

    evi Registered

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    You are right. I was talking from my experience with Formula V2 wheel. There rotary encoders can work the way I described. I just assumed that on McLaren they work the same.
     
  16. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    Yeah sadly it's not.
    And the it is now. It's almost not possible to use it. You can't map anything on it like that.
     
  17. Bart S

    Bart S Member

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    Arnt Fanatec supposed to come out with new driver software soon. If they are true absolute rotary encoders they may unlock with software.
    The club sport f1 2018 wheel I have has 1 absolute encoder that I believe allows you to switch the function of the buttons and switches to up to 4 alternate functions. This still isnt the function you guys are looking for.
     
  18. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    Well the function I'm looking for actually is just the one they actually use in real life.
    With the wheel it's possible but for now no Sim can use it.
    And you can't even put another functionality on it because you can activate just one of the 12 at the same time.
     
  19. SebS

    SebS Registered

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    Small update.
    This option is now working in Raceroom and ACC.
    In both game you can now map button for + and - setting or individually on the rotary button.

    Would be good to have it in Rfactor 2.

    Thanks
     
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  20. Jörg Lange

    Jörg Lange Registered

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    Hi folks,

    is there anything new about this? Use the McLaren-Wheel too and I´m not able to use the rotary buttons for ABS/TCR - which annoys me quite a bit... I think the Fanatec base with the McLaren Wheel is really a basic set that the game should actually support.
     

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