Ezdok user thinking about get OpusFSI only for Buttkicker control

[KingGhidorah 209]

I'm a long time user of Ezdok. It was tedious to set things up originally, but once set up I like it. I like the way it shakes the eyepoint and the ability to have absolute control over how much it does so, I like the convenience of just being able to hit a hotkey and shift views, etc. It's a devil, but sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't, and so I have a lot of hesitancy to switch over to something like Opus.

 

I got a Buttkicker not too long ago and was recently in a discussion about the landing effects. Some research led me here. Honestly, I have little interest in Opus weather, as I am a loyal user of ASN. I'm only interested in getting Opus for the Buttkicker control features, but would probably use it for the Camera controls as well, since they're there.

 

Here are some questions:

 

Do Opus camera effects work when running on a machine other than the FS machine in a networked configuration?

Do Opus DHM effects need to be active in order for Buttkicker controls to work?

Does Opus allow the user to set up eyepoints (like Captain's seat, First Officer seat, etc) and shift between them with a simple hotkey just like Ezdok?

How much control does the user have over DHM, and level of head vibration compared to EZdok?

Are there any issues with Opus DHM effects interacting with Active Sky Next weather?

Do the Buttkicker controls of Opus signifigantly enhance what I'm already getting without?

Does Opus provide any overlap with any of the functions of ACCUFEEL?

Anything else I should know?

[toby23 136]

You will need to buy a separate usb soundcard to get this working with Opus as it intercepts the sounds and creates its own frequencies.

I used to use it, so I speak from experience.

I only used it on my local machine, without a network.

DHM is not related to sound, so no the effects don't need to be active.

Personally I find it much easier to set up cameras in Opus than I did in Ezdok.

I've never had issues with Opus DHM and ASN, using the latest versions of each.

Opus has great customer support forums.

Opus weather is probably better than you might think, even though I use ASN more often, sometimes Opus generates a nicer alternative.

Good luck setting everything up, it's great when it all comes together.

[KingGhidorah 209]

I would need a USB soundcard? I have a Creative X-fi soundcard which is my main sound device. Also, so that deep ATC or FO voices (MultiCrew Experience) don't shake my Buttkicker, I have told FSX to use my motherboard sound, the RealTek, for all vocal sounds. So I'm already using 2 different sound devices, now I would need a 3rd one? What happens to all the vibration from all the rest of the FSX sounds (like rumble from the spoilers or thump of the gear coming up) if the Buttkicker needs to be plugged into a completely different sound device than that which is set to handle FSX audio outputs?

[Slayer 190]

if it's an analogue connection then you could use a cable splitter on the FSX sounds output. A friend of mine had to do that because he didn't want teamspeak voices making the buttkicker going off on peoples voices.

[Opus Software 84]

The Opus ButtKicker audio is a 'wired' connection from the dedicated USB audio device (see Opus documentation) so all other sound effects do not interfere with the BK operation.

DHM is needed if you want BK to respond to turbulence effects.

Live Weather is needed if you want DHM to be intelligently controlled depending on meteorological effects. Opus weather is far more detailed than any other and supervises all DHM (and hence BK) turbulence effects.

Stephen :-)

[Ebs 114]

 

 

Live Weather is needed if you want DHM to be intelligently controlled

 

Hi Stephen, would you every consider splitting out the camera portion of OpusFSI into a standalone addon to compete with EZDOK? I realise some of the camera functionality relies on the current weather implementation, but as an ASN/PMDG user I'd only be interested in the camera features.

 

Thanks!

[gboz 157]

You will need to buy a separate usb soundcard to get this working with Opus as it intercepts the sounds and creates its own frequencies.

 

I used to use it, so I speak from experience.

 

 

Hi Toby.

So I assume you are not using the Buttkicker now?

Just curious why you stopped?

 

Thanks,

gb.

[toby23 136]

Changed my chair and set-up.

[Opus Software 84]

OpusFSI already competes and all the features can be enabled or disabled to suit your needs. There's no need to separate the features as the price would hardly change. Stephen :-)

[Ebs 114]

 

 

There's no need to separate the features as the price would hardly change. Stephen :-)

 

Alright, thanks for the answer Stephen

[KingGhidorah 209]

Ok, so Opus DHM does not respond to x,y,z accelerations of the plane itself when determining how to shake the head? If I'm using ASN, and it's causing the plane to physically displace in space around it's flight path, then Opus DHM will not respond to those impulses for the reason that those impulses are not being generated by Opus itself? What happens if I kick the rudder or cause some other sharp acceleration about an axis? Will the head not respond to the physics of that because Opus wasn't the originator of that acceleration?

 

The reason I'm pursuing that line of questions is because in my current Ezdok/ASN setup I don't think the concept of "turbulence" as FSX defines it matters. What matters is the movement of the plane and the momentum of the head. The plane bounces around in choppy weather because of whatever ASN is injecting into the sim, and Ezdok apparenlty uses the momentum of the head to move it relative to the cockpit. I don't think Ezdok cares what the originator of the impulse acting on the airplane is. I'm trying to determine if Opus would basically be doing exactly the same thing more or less as Ezdok is doing (responding to actual airplane movements regardless of whether it is caused by "turbulence" as FSX defines it).

[Opus Software 84]

All DHM is derived from actual 3D accelerometer data recorded on board a light aircraft and a B737. The supervision is also coordinated as much as possible with the turbulence and wind shear data injected within the sim. OpusFSI calculates all turbulence and wind shear data, including CAT, both in real time and when injecting data into the sim. The OpusFSI turbulence also includes support for special sight effects, many defined using the experience of real world airline pilots. We do not care to imitate any other product as realism is all that matters in OpusFSI. Stephen

[KingGhidorah 209]

So, bottom line, what kind of head movement would I get if I ditched Ezdok, and instead used the Opus camera effects with ASN weather? I'm sure there must be some people using it this way. And also, what kind of Buttkicker vibrations would be generated by Opus in such case?

[Opus Software 84]

The actual DHM and BK effects are unaffected by the weather source. However, the supervision and control of turbulence effects is much reduced or simplified without the OpusFSI LWE as its one million plus meteorological parameters are no longer available and cannot be taken into consideration. We do have plans to improve the current basic DHM/BK supervision slightly when the OpusFSI LWE is disabled but the level of control will never equal what can be achieved when the OpusFSI LWE is active. Our LWE maintains far greater levels of meteorological data than the sim is capable of using or processing.

 

Stephen :-)

[KingGhidorah 209]

That answers my question. Thanks