Collated from existing resources and revised with new details. The goal is to have a single place to get started in learning to tune your platform with Sim Racing Studio 2.0. Thank you Sim Racing Studio, Thanos, and everyone else who has contributed to the discussion on motion tuning! Topics include: Introduction to Motion Tuning Intellitune vs Manual Tuning
Tuning Page Features
Platform
Effects
Max Telemetry
Smoothing Effects Advanced Vertical Actuator Effects THANOS (Spike Filter)
Auto Smoothing Low Speed
What is Telemetry
Understanding the Effects Sliders and Max Telemetry
Capturing Telemetry
Exporting Telemetry
Advanced Telemetry Capturing Tips Resetting Telemetry Corrupted and Bad Telemetry Adjusting Max Telemetry General Max Telemetry Tips
General Effect Slider Tips
Platform Differences
Advanced Boost Tuning
Reverse/Invert an Axis
Clipping Bad Telemetry
Miscellaneous Tuning Tips
Introduction to Motion Tuning
The key to getting the best performance and experience from your movement platform is through tuning. Without tuning, the platform might not move enough or moves too much when playing a game. Tuning is essential if you want to create the best possible experience for each game and car and make the platform behave in the way you feel is more realistic or comfortable with your style of racing or flying.
Sim Racing Studio (SRS) has created default motion profiles based on the telemetry outputs of each game; however, these don’t take into account the nuances that each vehicle has when it comes to acceleration, braking, cornering, road conditions on many different tracks as well as your specific taste and preferences in terms of immersion in a motion simulator (ie. do you like more or less movement).
Important Tips:
Tuning in SRS is always LIVE and you feel the effect of the change immediately after you change a parameter. Once you are satisfied with how the motion feels, press SAVE so it will remember and auto-reload when you get back to the game/vehicle.
You can utilize the Profile Manager in SRS for general tuning setting without having to launch the sim. However, for vehicle specific tunings, you will need to load into the specific vehicle in the sim. You can find details on using the Profile Manager here: https://www.simracingstudio.com/post/profile-manager
Tuning is disabled when the Profile In Use in the upper right indicates “Stand By”.
Once you have loaded a game, the Profile In Use name will change to the game name if supported by SRS.
Once you have loaded a vehicle in supported games, the Profile In Use will switch to the name of that vehicle. Not all sims support vehicle specific tunings.
If your game is full screen and you can’t see SRS, ALT+TAB out to Windows and select SRS so you can begin to tune. Remember to reselect the game to resume testing once you’re done tuning in SRS.
Intellitune vs Manual Tuning
With the release of SRS v2.9.0.2, a new feature called Intellitune Wizard is available which is an artificial intelligence and machine learning feature that takes into consideration Pro and Community motion profiles to find the best suggestion for settings. Intellitune can be utilized to gather Max Telemetries and basic settings for an improved motion experience over the default motion profiles. Since the telemetry is not manually reviewed, is only 3 minutes long, and limited to a single track, it will not be as accurate as the processes outlined in this guide.
If quick setup is the goal, its recommended to utilize the Intellitune Wizard. Please refer to the SRS blog post for more information on the Intellitune Wizard here. This guide covers the concepts of tuning which can be use to modify the Intellitune Wizard profile if needed. Please contact SRS for more information or issues with the Intellitune Wizard here.
However, if you want the most accurate tuning available for a specific vehicle, this guide will provide the guidance on collecting telemetry and creating a motion profile.
Tuning Page Features
To start tuning, launch Sim Racing Studio 2.0, select TUNING at the top and then Motion in the left column. Below is the definition of each function and feature found in the SRS Tuning page.
Actuator and Non-Actuator Tuning Page Settings
Sim Racing Studio will provide different options depending on the type of motion platform selected in SETUP > HARDWARE > Motion. Essentially, it will be divided into two categories: Actuator and Non-Actuator. There will be some settings available to each type of platform that is not available to the other. This guide will call these features out if they are exclusive to Actuator or Non-Actuator platforms.
Actuator Tuning Page (Examples: PT Actuator, Thanos, Prosimu, SFX100)
Non-Actuator Tuning Page (Examples: DOF Reality, YawVR)
Platform Settings
These settings are applied universally to the motion of the platform independent from the Effects sliders or Max Telemetry settings. Adjusting these settings will change the overall feel of the motion profile.
· MAX ANGLE: This setting adjusts the maximum amount of movement available to the vertical actuators for actuator platforms and the maximum amount of movement for the entire platform for non-actuator platforms. In simplest of terms, it’s a percentage slider. If you have Max Angle set to 100, it will use 100% of the available travel in your platform. Reduce it down to 50, the platform will only move 50% of its potential motion. It will "proportionally" calculate, for each telemetry value, the new actuator/motor position so it’s not a “stop when reaching 50%” type of rule. The lower the value, the less total movement will be achieved. This value is the primary way to reduce overall motion of the platform while maintaining the fidelity of all the other settings.
Note: If you set the Max Angle to 0, the platform will not move from game telemetry. However, if you have an actuator platform, it will move into the "ready" position which is typically mid-stroke on vertical actuator platforms.
· MAX HORIZONTAL: (Actuator Only - Must have horizontal actuators) This setting adjusts the maximum amount of movement available to the horizontal actuators (surge, sway, traction loss) for actuator platforms. It behaves exactly like Max Angle in terms of limiting motion and is only available if horizontal actuators are available.
· OVERALL SMOOTHING: Overall Smoothing will limit how much the platform moves when large changes in direction occur in a very short period of time. Overall Smoothing only applies to these large quick changes; whereas Max Angle and Max Horizontal applies to all motion. For example, when driving straight in a racing sim and you swerve very quick hard to the LEFT and then to the RIGHT:
If the Overall Smoothing slider was set to 0, then the platform would move 100% to the LEFT and 100% to the RIGHT.
If the Overall Smoothing slider was set to 50, then the platform would move 100% to the LEFT and only 50% to the RIGHT.
If the Overall Smoothing slider was set to 90, then the platform would move 100% to the LEFT and only 10% to the RIGHT.
The higher the Overall Smoothing value the less motion there will be in quick changes in telemetry. Too much Overall Smoothing can result in extremely limited motion. If the value is set to 100, during large sweeping motion the platform might not return to center as the return value is too low. This is most noticeable with joystick motion tunings and high-performance aircraft. In addition, actuator platforms can also be impacted by an increase in Overall Smoothing which potentially results in jerky motion in surge and heave (likely a result of the high update rate and capabilities of actuators being limited by the setting).
Important Note: With the addition of Effect Smoothing (See Effect Smoothing section), the usefulness for a global smoothing effect like Overall Smoothing has been minimized. Overall Smoothing can still be utilized to minimize large fast changes in telemetry to avoid jarring/jerky motion; however, utilizing Effect Smoothing, accurate Max Telemetries, and other values has essentially made Overall Smoothing obsolete and remains in SRS for legacy tunings or for those that still utilize its functionality.
· REACTION SPEED: (Non-Actuator Only) Limits how quickly the motors will move to get to the desired position. For example, you are in a high-speed tight S-curve and the SRS formula has calculated that your platform need to go from position 100% left to 30% right and back to 80% left in a very short amount of time. Reaction Speed at 100 (max and also the default of the platform) will try to reach the new position as fast as possible. Reaction Speed at 70 (the minimum value available) will slightly slow down the speed and thus will be smoother. However, latency can become an issue if performing very quick movements if the Reaction Speed is too low.
Note: Reaction Speed is a global setting and will apply to all motion profiles once changed and saved. For example, if you have one motion profile that has already been saved with Reaction Speed at 70 and are tuning a different game and vehicle and set Reaction Speed to 100, the previous motion profile's Reaction Speed will increase to 100. This is because Reaction Speed is a global setting in firmware and not saved locally via software.
· BOOST: Increases the amount of movement in each actuator/motor when small quick changes in telemetry occur. (Boost is the opposite of Overall Smoothing).
For example, if there was a very small and quick change in telemetry for heave (bouncing up and down with small quick movements) and the platform needs to raise up only 1%, Boost at 0, will move the platform from 0 to +1.0%. Boost at 50, will move the platform from 0 to 1.5%. Boost at 90 will move the platform from 0 to +1.9%. The higher the Boost value the bigger your change in direction for small changes.
Boost can be used to increase the feel of the small details in the road (like bumps from small rocks, minor divots in the terrain, poor road conditions) as well as small bumps from turbulence for flight sims. Boost is completely dependent on if the telemetry output for the sim supports these small changes. Be careful when increasing Boost too much since it can also increase the “jerkiness” of the platform due it constantly shaking.
VERY IMPORTANT: Boost is a global setting and will apply to all axes. If you are only attempting to boost the feel of road telemetry, an increase in Boost will also increase pitch, roll, yaw, sway, surge, and traction loss. It is HIGHLY recommended to utilize the individual Effect Sliders and accurate Max Telemetries instead of using Boost.
See Advanced Boost Tuning below for additional guidance on tuning boost if required.
Note: The minimal value for Boost is 1 as it is a multiplier for increasing telemetry.
Effects Slider Settings
These settings handle how much travel and how predominant the motion is on each axis (pitch, roll yaw, sway, surge, heave, and traction loss). They will determine how much surge you feel when accelerating or braking, how much roll occurs while on a banked curve or while banking in an aircraft, how much sway occurs during fast cornering, or how much heave is felt from bumps on the road.
· PITCH – Pitch controls how much the platform pitches up and down based on the angular position of the vehicle. For racing, it will be how much the platform rises and falls as it goes over hills, jumps, or anything that will raise or lower the front end of the car. For flight, it controls the pitch of the platform based on the angle of the aircraft as it climbs or dives. If you are climbing to gain altitude, doing a loop, taking off from a hill, Pitch controls how much the platform will pitch up and down. Pitch is the angular position of the vehicle on the pitch axis.
· ROLL – Roll controls how much the vehicle will roll side to side. The angle of the vehicle from side to side vs the horizon. This would be felt while in a vehicle and on a banked curve, driving on the side of embankment, or rolling during a crash. For aircraft, its when a banked turn occurs or whenever the pilot rolls the aircraft. Roll should not be confused with Lat G Sway which is the lateral g-forces felt when going around a curve. Roll is the angular position of the vehicle on the roll axis.
· YAW – The twisting movement when you use rudders in an aircraft/spacecraft without rolling or pitching. Yaw represents the platform pivoting on a central axis. Generally used for aircraft, especially helicopters. Note: Depending on the sim, Yaw can be driven by either g-forces on the yaw axis (angle rate which is typical for most flight simulators) or the positional representation of the vehicle within 360° on the yaw axis (compass heading (ie: 0 = North, 90= East, 180 or -180 = South, -90 = West)) which is typical for most racing simulators). Tuning for yaw should take this into consideration.
· LAT G SWAY - The lateral g-force affecting the vehicle (Sway). This would be felt when you are on a high-speed curve and your car is being "pushed" to the outside of the curve or when you are on the track warming up the tires with sudden left and right movements in the steering wheel. Sway is what will move the platform from side to side. Sway is not as predominate a force in aircraft as it is in road vehicles.
· LONG G SURGE ACCEL - Long G Surge Accel (aka Surge Accel) controls how much the platform will pitch backwards or surge forward (for actuator platforms with a surge actuator) during acceleration. For racing, this is the primary effect when you accelerate, take off from the start line, and feather the throttle. For flight, it’s the feeling when taking off from the runway, launching from an aircraft catapult, or engaging the afterburner. If more platform movement is desired when accelerating, increase the Long G Surge Accel slider towards 20.
· LONG G SURGE DECEL - Long G Surge Decel (aka Surge Decel) controls how much the platform will pitch forwards or surge backwards (for actuator platforms with a surge actuator) during deceleration. For racing, this is the primary effect when you brake, shift gears, or crash head on into a wall. For flight, it’s the feeling when braking on the runway, using air brakes, or crashing straight into the ground. If more platform movement is desired when decelerating, increase the Long G Surge Decel slider towards 20.
Important Note: Long G Surge Accel and Long G Surge Decel work together to provide the feeling of acceleration, braking, and gear shifting. This is because there is only a single value for surge that is either positive or negative value. (Long G Surge Accel is POSITIVE surge telemetry and Long G Surge Decel is NEGATIVE surge telemetry). The larger the values of the Accel and Decel slider, the more the platform will need to move during a gear shift or braking event. This is due to a larger value of the Accel slider pitching or moving the platform in one direction at a larger distance while the larger value of Decel is pitching or moving the platform in the opposite direction at a larger distance as well. The acceleration, braking, or gear shift event still needs to happen in the same amount of time; however, there is now more distance for the platform to move. This can result in jarring or jerky motion. A balance between the two sliders is key to a good motion profile for surge and those values are completely dependent on the vehicle and sim. The tuner will need to find the balance and adjust the sliders accordingly. Use of Gear Smoothing Factor will help to eliminate the jarring motion during gear shifts.
Note: Long G Surge Accel and Long G Surge Decel had to share the SAME Max Telemetry value in SRS prior to version 2.20.0.1. Ensure SRS is updated to this version or higher to utilize this surge information in this guide.
· VERT G ROAD HEAVE - The vertical g-forces affecting the vehicle (Heave). For a car, this would be the road texture and bumps. For planes, it would be felt in turbulence or when you hit the ground. Heave also includes transitions in both inclines and declines of the vehicle position. Affects both cars and planes in similar ways.
· ENGINE HAPTIC - An effect created within Sim Racing Studio that represents the engine shake from a vehicle if the RPM telemetry is available. The Engine Haptic effect will create a shaking effect in the platform from the actuators/motors and the strength of the shaking is handled by the Engine Haptic Effect Slider. Note: This effect is different than the Engine shake effect available to transducers/shakers via the Shake Tuning in SRS which uses sound waves for the effect.
Max Telemetry
Max Telemetry tells SRS when to move the platform on a specific axis to its maximum amount of potential movement. For more information, see the "Understanding the Effects Sliders and Max Telemetry" section below.
· MAX TELEMETRY - The numerical value in the black box tells SRS when to move the platform to its maximum potential movement, the Effect Slider allows you to tune that motion against all the other axes. See the "Understanding the Effects Sliders and Max Telemetry" section below for more information.
· EYE ICON - A shortcut link that will take you directly to the GAME > Telemetry page of SRS in order to Capture or Export game telemetry.
· On/Off SWITCH - A switch that will allow you to turn On or Off a specific axis. If Off is selected, that specific axis will not move from telemetry when motion is active.
Racing
· TRACTION LOSS – The force when the back part of your car is rotating quicker than the front part. For traction loss, the platform will pivot on a front axis so only the rear of the platform moves. Examples would be when you are drifting or losing control of the rear. Generally only for cars and usually not for aircraft.
· WHEEL SLIP/LOCK – An effect created within Sim Racing Studio that represents the Wheel Slip or Lock for each individual wheel on the vehicle if the telemetry is available. Wheel Slip occurs when tires spin with no traction independent if the car is rotating or completely standing still (slipping). Wheel Lock occurs when the car is moving but tires are not moving (locked). Note: Not all games support Wheel Slip/Lock. Please refer to the SRS blog post for supported titles here.
· RUMBLE STRIPS - An effect created within Sim Racing Studio that represents individual wheel shaking for when that specific wheel encounters a rumble strip. The effect strength is not impacted by speed; however, it can be adjusted using the Effects slider. Note: Not all games support Rumble Strips. Please refer to the SRS blog post for supported titles here.
· ABS LOCK - An effect created within Sim Racing Studio that represents the shake that can occur with Anti-Lock Brakes if the telemetry is available. Note: Not all games support ABS Lock. Please refer to the SRS blog post for supported titles here.
Flight
These effects are created exclusively by Sim Racing Studio and are based on actions within the sim. See SRS Blog post here for more information.
· AFTERBURNER - (Telemetry based) An effect created within Sim Racing Studio that represents the shake that can occur when an afterburner is engaged. This effect requires the simulator to export telemetry that the afterburner has been engaged and is not available for all flight sims.
· CANOPY - (Telemetry based) An effect created within Sim Racing Studio that represents the shake that can occur when the canopy on an aircraft is closed. This effect requires the simulator to export telemetry that the canopy is closing and is not available for all flight sims. It is recommended to leave this value at a lower number to avoid excessive shaking.
· LANDING GEAR - (Telemetry based) An effect created within Sim Racing Studio that represents the shak