I made this in a few hours out of a old joystick, and an old icecream tub, using a copy of virtual H-shifter. It's not incredible but great fun for free (almost) the most expensive part was the screwdriver, and thats temporary!
It's a Dog-leg first, means you have 2nd + 3rd together and 1st (only really used in pit and at start) is out of the way. that's my logic and it seems to be pretty common on RL racers.
I just got back from the first testing session, I love it!, It feels a lot better than it looks, the gate isn't a proper shape yet due to the materials used (ice-cream tub ). I'm gonna sort out a proper box for it along with a nice ali H-plate, All can be appropriated for free!
Total cost so far - £6 for joystick
I call that a bargain
It's just sold my mate on LFS with the power of my skint-shifter, he wants one too now!
Once I've sorted a nice enclusure, I'll prolly just leave it as a nice open H-gate for looks , a gaiter would look OK but it's not really my style, I like my cars with no frills
hm something ive been wondering about with all these shifters that uses a joystick, might as well ask here since im thikning about it now .
doesnt a joystick usualy return to the center on its own? how does the joystick stay in each gear without returning to the center?
thanks you. :]
A force-feedback joystick can stay "in gear" by applying constant forces, on a joystick without force-feedback you'd have to engineer it yourself, something like this perhaps, or magnets, something
I just removed the up/down springs from my nonFF joystick shifter. It has an h-gate and the gates don't allow it to move until I pull it to center. Then the left/right spring is still there allowing the shifter to center. I haven't used it much as the program I used wasn't very good. I have another program (possibly the same one as the orig. poster) that I've now been inspired to try tonight (in about 5 minutes).
*Edit: Oh crap, no gameport on this computer. Means I have to install the old soundcard for it. Hmm, do I install or not bother with it?
I am trying to make a H-shifter too, together with handbrake and 3rd pedal...
so far, i have almost made the |-|-| thing... (I just do that @ school, got no tools at home too make that coolish).
I make a handbrake with an old wheel.
steps:
I: take the wheel of.
II: do a steel/iron (whatever) instead on it.
III: done.
3rd pedal: I don't know yet...
Since it's such an easy (and satisfying) project, I suppose i'd better knock up a how-to or something.
I'm gonna take some pictures once i get going on the proper version, as it's still in the prototype stage,
It looks like i'm gonna be able to use the 2 spare axes (throttle/rudder) on the joystick to replace my 'clutch' wheel (it's a pain having 2 wheels knocking about just for one pedal) and adding a handbrake should be easy. I'll prolly just end up building a big box to clamp on to the side of my seat.
Will hopefully have a nice enclosure for it in a few days, i'll sort out a proper how-to for it then.