Photo: SimRig with UBoat Game (June 2023)
Have you ever wanted to:
- pilot a Boeing-737 airliner or an F-16 fighter?
- race a NASCAR or Formula-1 car?
- command a German U-Boat submarine during World War II?
- operate huge farming combines and loggers?
- hunt for deer and elk with your favorite bow or rifle?
- adventured through Dungeons and Dragons with quests, stories, and medieval combat?
- be an Air Traffic Controller and guide aircraft at major airports?
- work in heavy construction, like operating a big excavator or forklift?
- drive an 18-wheel truck hauling loads across Europe and USA?
- fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world?
… ALL FROM INSIDE YOUR OWN HOME …
The goal: Realism with proper controls and visuals
Well, that’s what I’m trying to do by building my Simulator Rig! My goal is realism using proper controllers and visuals. It’s quite a challenge to be able to support many different simulations with the same computer hardware.
My games … simulations
Here are some of the simulator “games” I have or will have.
- ATCPro
- Airport CEO
- Alien Isolation
- American and Euro Truck Simulators
- Assassins Creed
- Assetto Corsa
- Construction Simulator
- DIRT 4
- Farm Simulator 22
- Fishing Planet
- iRacing
- MS Flight Simulator or XPlane
- Planet Zoo
- Railroad Tycoon 3
- Shroud of the Avatar
- SnowRunner
- The Hunter: Call of the Wild
- The Long Dark
- Thief Simulator
- UBoat
- Ultima Online
- WW2 Rebuilder
Hardware and controllers
Here’s some of the hardware I have or will get.
- 2 computers (simulator and support)
- 6 display monitors (configured by the video matrix switch)
- 6 x 6 video matrix switch (move video outputs to any monitor I want)
I need extra controllers to make the simulator realistic!
- 1 Stream Deck XL for Twitch streaming and simulator controls
- 1 Farm Simulator Side Panel with buttons and joystick
- 1 set of Racing wheel, pedals, and shifter
- 1 48-key reprogrammable keypad
- 2 clocks (local and UTC/GMT)
Now, I need things to support SimRig, live-streaming, and web/YouTube research.
- 1 old laptop, 1 Raspberry Pi, and 2 monitors (configurations, voice, and testing)
- 1 43-inch 4K monitor and laptop (not pictured) for research and webmaster
- 2 Multi-terabyte Network Attached Servers (NAS) for backup and files
- USB switches for microphones and cameras
- Lots of wires!
- Custom-made tables.
Well, over time I shall explain many of these simulations and how I am building my SimRig. It’s great fun. Stay tuned!
Here’s an updated photo of using my SimRig:
Get Inspired!
Games, simulations, and computer hardware have a lot of capability in their own right. But when they are put together and used in highly realistic ways, the result can inspire the person (player) to new heights.
Simulator realism can increase real-life training in machines and methods.
With a good controller setup, you get “muscle memory” on how to operate equipment. This could translate into real training!
Visual and realistic controller immersion can stimulate real-world education, motivation, and problem-solving.
Don’t just play the game to play the game. Consider it something you can learn from or motivate you to learn more. Pause the game and do a little research, probably on things you didn’t even know you were interested in like how and why air raises a hang glider up into the sky.
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