Simcraft Racing Simulator

This is just so absolutely awesome!

 

Reviving this thread. Im planning out my garage for the new house. Ive posted images before but will add a couple of scree shots. I have my cars below with a loft above. I want to put a racing sim in the space. Im not doing the fully movable one like @Thecadster While that is an awesome set up, I also have a golf simulator in the space and really just want something more simple. My question to the group is to solicit suggestions on location and components.

Should I put a racing rig upstairs in the office area? Or should I get an old race car and build a sim out of that and put it on the main level with the cars.
Also- I have a nephew that is big into cart racing and has a sim that is going to help me with components- but I wanted to ask about VR again. Is VR better than a monitor option? I like the idea of a VR set up to keep it clean but if I have friends over, I would think you would lose some of the interaction with the guests.

So main question is location of the sim. upstairs or down and VR or monitors.

If we do monitors- Im thinking a single 49 inch wide screen. Is that enough or do I need to do 3 wrap arounds? I want the system to be clean. Ive attached some examples of a racing sim from Aston Martin. Im not spending 100k on this. I know a good system is 5-10k (without motion) which is fine. Ill spend more for esthetics. But it has to be clean. Photos below- suggestions from the experts welcome.


The first three images are renderings of my garage. 8 cars below (I plan on only 5 for the time being- wife has a separate 2 car garage) and my office upstairs. Office has golf sim, desk and furniture. Where to put the sim?

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Here is the Aston simulator. Would love to have some esthetics like this instead of a metal cage. Also - single 49 inch wide screen monitor. Is that wide enough? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login


As far as the actual components (steering wheel, pedals etc) I have a pretty good grasp on that.

 

Monitor size is all dependent on how much room you have and how immersive you want it to be. Three is certainly ideal, but one widescreen is fine too. Careful with some of the wonky aspect ratios though, not all programs will support them.

I would certainly get a VR headset and have monitors. Even a top of the line headset is only a grand and you can use it for alot of other stuff that is pretty awesome. I wouldn't want that to be the only display though.

 

so cost and space is really not an issue. I can design the space as big and ideal as I want. We haven’t broken ground yet. Still in planning stages.

Cost is not an issue either. I mean I don’t want to spend money on the movable rig but if something cost a grand- that’s fine.

my question is on the VR and monitors. How do you use them both at the same time? Or are you just saying get both and tey both to see what I like better?

 

Someone explain this to me. whats the point of the screen if you are looking at the VR? Im confused.




View attachment simracinggirl-vr-racing-rig.jpg

 

You don't use them at the same time. The display would just be mirroring what one eye is seeing. Can be nice if you have other friends watching so they can see whats going on. You also don't really want to just have a VR headset as the only display option, there might be times when you don't feel like wearing it and it doesn't work particularly well for general windows stuff . Less of an issue for a dedicated racing rig, but even then you'll likely still want a display for setup and other things.

 

I would build the rig with a 3 monitor setup as a stand alone unit. You can always add VR, but you can't just work up a good system with triples after the fact. Some people swear by VR, but there are reasons to have fixed monitors, especially in a space that is social as you are building (unless you are a hermit and don't plan on ever having guests). Like Jag said, if you have a group of people or even one other person, you need monitors or they can't take part. Also, VR is pretty nauseating at first.

The point is that if you design a really nice setup with triples you can always add state of the art VR (which gets better all the time) but you can't go the other way.

While you can get by with a single monitor, if you really get into racing you will want triples so you can see the nose of the car next to you in your peripheral vision. There are also times when the apex is really far over there and even a really wide flat screen won't do. Sure you can get by with a single, but when you have this opportunity to do it right the first time, why compromise?

 

One other thing to consider is light. If you are racing at night with screens you need to be able to cut the ambient light or you can't see. And yes, you want to plan for night racing because team endurance stuff is ridiculously fun no matter your level of skill (we have a 12 hour this weekend). When I say night racing I mean it's night on-track but it might be midday to you, so you want to be able to dim things.

 

After deciding to build my own sim and trying to piece together best-of-breed components, I eventually punted and decided to purchase a pre-built sim. I had space and wasn’t trying to do it as inexpensively as possible, but I lacked the time to do it right. After a lot of research, I ended up buying a CXC simulations sim and have been using it for a couple of months now. I couldn’t be happier with the quality of the experience, especially in helping me prepare for driving Daytona in a Challenge car. Even after the on-track experience, I was able to continue to improve my skills on the sim.

Along the way, I wrestled with all of the same questions that you have. Here is what I have learned and I hope it is helpful for you:
- racing sim software and hardware can be quirky, so don’t underestimate the value of having someone piece together everything you need for a quality turnkey experience
- motion matters...there is certainly an argument for how many axes of motion really matter for a credible experience, but more is not always better IMO
- VR is cool, but not quite ready for prime time yet from a resolution perspective...it’s also nice sometimes to not have to wear a headset. With that said, having both available is the best solution as there are some advantages with VR as you try to fine tune your driving technique.
- multiple, larger monitors enhance the experience both from an immersion and “forward looking around a turn” perspective. While I went all in with 77” OLED monitors for a full immersion experience, you certainly don’t have to do that. But I would argue that one monitor is not enough and that a single curved monitor will cause more issues than having a more realistic 3-monitor setup that mimics the windshield and two side windows in a car.
- realistic pedal feel is often undervalued
- one of the most important components is the steering system and, more specifically, the force feedback mechanism. It not only enhances the experience, it helps teach you the proper technique in the event of an “off track experience”
- finally, a true, pro level motion sim is expensive and not for the faint of heart. I don’t regret making the investment.

Some images of my system:
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wow! very nice... can I come play in your sim????

I have a Trak Racer rig, with Fanatec wheels; pedals and use VR most of the time and single large screen... I race/ practice every other night.. over Christmas holiday I was on every day. l love it!!!

My only complaint is I racing puts out so many updates I'm running out of Memory... so need to get more ....

I've really been using Asseto Corsa ... as the Mods you can down load are really good... its not as sensitive as I racing but I like racing vintage stuff... my absolute favorite is a Ferrari 250 GTO at Goodwood..... I bought a vintage wheel so I can have the same "feel"... works great.

 

Awesome set up! I looked at CXC and it looks great. I also looked at https://www.force-dynamics.com - these guys take motion to the next level. Spent a bunch of time reading last night and talking to some friends. One of them is a professional cart racer and has a set up at home. Here is where I am and likely the direction Im heading.

https://coolperformance.com/simulator/formula - This is likely the sim system Im going to get.

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They have a 3 screen set up that you can do in different sizes ranging from 27 inch to 65 inch 3 screen. You can even do a curved projector. I have the specs with my architect to see what size works best.

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Now why this system:

1- Motion - I know its more realistic, but frankly I dont want anything with motion. The system will be set up on the second floor, I can just see my wife complaining below because the motion is going to cause vibrations in the house. Second, its just one other thing to break. I know these systems are robust but I dont need motion. I want to keep it simple.

2- Looks like a lot of pros are using this. Not sure that means anything but it cant be a bad thing. The set up seems to mimic a race car very nicely. This is also the system my buddy has- he highly recommends it. Good to have an endorsement from someone you know.

3- The esthetics- this matters to me. A lot. I just love how sleek and clean this is. I was going to do a DYI solution and while those work fine I think- as was stated above, putting all the parts and pieces together yourself, just not sure I want to deal with that. This is a turn key solution that has top of the line parts already included. By having something professionally designed, this is going to look great in my space above the cars.

4- Cost - Ive contacted the company and am getting more information. What ive found is that there are some great options out there and this industry is full of innovative companies and you can spend $500 or you can spend $150,000 on your ideal set up. This one while being robust and professional, comes in around 30k. Im totally cool with that. As you start to get into the 50-70k systems, the software is the same but you are now paying for the motion- and as stated, for me, im cool with a stationary system.


Ive given the specs to my architect to design a dedicated location in my office for this. In my office, which is a loft above my garage I will have my golf simulation (Trackman) and now my racing simulator. Likely I might add a few vintage arcade games as well. Thanks to @Thecadster for starting this thread and giving inspiration. And thanks to @Scudmsl for posting your set up. Appreciate everyones input here. Ill keep you guys updated on where we go.

 

Looks like you have done your homework and have found the right system for your needs. Just as an FYI, the motion part of mine does not cause any noticeable vibrations since the system is built like a tank...but the audio system is another thing entirely! The only thing I might look into is future upgradability should you decide at some point you want to add a couple of axes of motion. Otherwise, would love to hear how it works out for you.

 

It’s built like a tank which means getting it up on the second floor might be a challenge. I’m good with no motion but will check on upgradabilty.

 

THIRTY THOUSAND for a fixed rig? That is about three scoops of cray cray.
I could spend 15k, but I wouldn't know what to do with the rest. And that's absolute top end.
Tower: 5k
Wheel: 3k
Pedals: 2k
Rig: 3k
Monitors: 3k
I'd love to see that itemized list...
But for sure that's a cool looking cockpit! My coach builds rigs for pros (Wyatt Gooden). 10k is a mega system.

 

You pay for the looks. lol. There is also the convenience factor.

Having said that- Im 15 months from the house being built. the Cool Performance rig is #1 on the list right now. But happy to keep looking- especially if I can save money without losing performance.

 

Hey, Nice pics and thread. I've only used the ones at Andretti's Indoor Karting in orlando. Very accurate simulators and they gave me the feel of formula one and GT3 race cars.

I ask for the driving aids to be turnt off, so not even ABS. I think they use the CXC brand...

 

I suggest the forums on iRacing. Massive amounts of information there.

 

So doing more reading on this. Spoke to the folks at Cool Performance- good outfit. They use quality parts. But 30k spend got me thinking. Why couldn't I build out my own car. Instead of buying a premade rig, I get a Porsche bucket or a Ferrari bucket seat or maybe the Mclaren Senna seat. Mount it on a platform and then add my own pedals and wheel etc. Essentially Im just rebuilding a porsche, Mclaren or ferrari on my own in the loft with actual parts vs a premade rig. Yes more work, more hassle but I have some local contacts that can build this. This way its a completely custom rig that actually looks like a car. Am I crazy to do this instead of buying a premade rig? Probably would cost around the same.

 

That is exactly how I started. The list I created of needed parts kept growing, ended up being much larger than I anticipated and the costs of the “Ferrari” parts were very high. Hence the reason I punted. However, I did end up ordering a Challenge car seat from Sabelt for a more realistic feel. In the end I certainly could have done it for less than a turnkey solution, but it would have taken me months and I was worried about a seamless integration.

 

This is the article that got my wheels spinning. How cool would it be to get a salvaged Porsche or any car really and build a sim out of it.

https://www.motor1.com/news/409147/mini-cooper-sim-racing-rig/

 

That would be a really fun project. If you have the time, can’t think of a cooler solution.

 

I think that would be awesome! However I think you'd be unlikely to save any money doing it that way. Out of the ~$30k for that Cool Performance rig, I'd guess like $5k is for their UK hand built frame which you would save, but alot of the cost is going into integrating everything and getting the software all working. You'd have to do all that work yourself and I think its a pretty big effort. Might be able to have them (or someone similar) handle it, but you'd pay a premium for a custom solution.

 

It would be a fun project. Totally wouldn’t do it for the cost savings- would be more for t the esthetic appeal.

had a good conversation with the cool performance folks this am. That’s in the lead but I’ve got tons of time before the house is done so I’ll continue to research the options.

 

I;ve been in $60K rigs built on Flight sim like platforms... that are astounding. the graphics are not as great but the overall experience is as real as it gets, and its a total work out.... $30K is easy to drop if you are really going for realisim.