I’ve released Wheeler, an Open Broadcaster overlay.
Wheeler is designed to replace pedal cams (sock cams) in racing games for streamers. It displays configurable racing wheel, pedal, shift and handbrake input and plays nicely with multiple input devices.
Wheeler is priced at pay-what-you-want, but all support is appreciated.
Additional details and setup instructions can be found at Wheeler’s Itch.io page
After some trial and error (and error, and error, and error), I’ve managed to get DiRT Rally telemetry data to display on a TM1638 display module, and have released both the arduino sketch I’m using and the python script used for communication here: https://github.com/Billiam/pygauge
The python script is also available as an all-in-one exe. You can download gauge.zip here.
Here it is in use:
I started with X-Sim and this guide, but ran into a few problems. X-sim required Dirt’s extradata option to be set to 1, and didn’t seem to be aware of each cars rev limit. In the linked guide, the rev limit has been hardcoded to 9,500, which is pretty far off of some of DiRT Rally’s cars. The Use automatic maximum adjustment setting partially resolves this, but it won’t know what the maximum rpm until you reach it at least once.
X-Sim is extremely flexible and powerful, but is very configuration-heavy and felt like overkill for this project. If you’re already using X-Sim to drive your sim rig/gauges, I’d recommend sticking with it.
Additionally, if you’re interested in using this LED module for other games, including Assetto Corsa, iRacing, Project Cars and rFactor, check out http://batrako.blogspot.com/ instead.
You are going to need a few things:
Connect the Arduino to your machine. You may need to install these drivers to recognize the USB serial device: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM%20v2.12.00%20WHQL%20Certified.zip
Install the Arduino software. Here is a helpful getting started guide: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Windows. Download the TM1638 library and extract the TM1638 directory to your Arduino library folder (ex: C:\Program Files\Arduino\libraries).
Verify that you can upload sketches by uploading the blinky light Arduino example (see guide link).
You will need to connect arduino pins to the LED module. One for ground, one for power, and 3 to control it. If you plan to daisy chain multiple modules, you’ll be using additional pins.
Both the Arduino and the LED module pins are labeled on the PCB. Connect the Arduino 5v to the VCC input pin on the Arduino, connect ground to ground. I’ve wired Strobe 0, Clock and data to D3, D4 and D5 respectively.
If the TM1638 library was installed correctly, you should have a TM1638 menu in the Arduino app under File > Examples. Upload the tm1638_one_module_example sketch to verify that you can communicate with the led module. You may need to update the data, clock and strobe pins used, depending on how you wired them together.
In your DiRT hardware configuration, <Documents>\My Games\DiRT Rally\hardwaresettings\hardware_settings_config.xml, set the motion_platform udp enabled attribute to true and extradata to 3
<motion_platform>
...
<udp enabled="true" extradata="3" ip="127.0.0.1" port="20777" delay="1" />
</motion_platform>
Install this sketch on your Arduino. You may need to change the data, clock and strobe pin numbers, again depending on how you wired the led module up.
Download the pygauge app, which will be responsible for passing telemetry data from DiRT Rally to the Arduino.
Edit the included config.yml file, setting the host and port of DiRT Rally (likely 127.0.0.1 and 20777 if you’ve left everything default), and the COM port that your Arduino is connected to.
Launch the gauge app (either run the exe, or python path/to/gauge.py). You should see the Arduino reset.
That’s about it. Load up DiRT Rally, and you should see the LED module react once your stage starts.
extradata to 3I’ve released finalver, the versioning specification you’re probably already using.
Finalver is most appropriate for assets that change hands and update regularly, codifying and standardizing one of the most popular1 versioning systems in active use today.
It’s currently at version old.old.final, and moving toward version old.old.final-final soon.
Citation needed ↩
This is the obiligatory “I’ve update my blog, and I’m serious about adding regular content, guys. From here on, things will be different,” post.
This site now sports the Minimal Mistakes jekyll theme and with it, better responsive support.
Additionally, the site has a new vanity domain, a real and appropriate moniker (“Fail Fast”), more room for large images, and a marginally less grumpy author avatar.
I still need to add a nice banner image and favicon, but it’s not pressing.
I’m looking forward to the content I’ve been meaning to write. Fingers crossed.
Ran into an issue this weekend with httparty, and an API (mapquest) that was sensitive to query parameter order. Specifically, when batch geocoding locations, mapquest expects a query string like: ?location=foo&location=bar&location=baz, and will return geocode results in the order received.
I noticed the issue when an api call for a US city returned a result in Ireland.
Httparty has two methods of encoding query parameters. The default, rails-friendly, way converts
:param => ['bar','baz']
into
?param[]=foo¶m[]=bar
This can be disabled by calling disable_rails_query_string_format, which replaces the default query string normalizer with this proc
NON_RAILS_QUERY_STRING_NORMALIZER = Proc.new do |query|
Array(query).map do |key, value|
if value.nil?
key.to_s
elsif value.is_a?(Array)
value.map {|v| "#{key}=#{URI.encode(v.to_s, Regexp.new("[^#{URI::PATTERN::UNRESERVED}]"))}"}
else
HashConversions.to_params(key => value)
end
end.flatten.sort.join('&')
end
Different version of ruby (even different 1.8.7 versions) will sort the result of
Array({:key => :value})
differently. A sort was added at the end of the normalizer proc to ensure that the query string is consistent across versions, likely for testing. This works, but has the side effect of also shuffling the order of array value elements.
Httparty pull request can be found here: https://github.com/jnunemaker/httparty/pull/245