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Input Devices

A controller other than the keyboard is highly recommended. You can use any HID device detected as a "gaming device" that can be attached via USB:

  • Gamepad
  • Steering wheel and pedals
  • Joystick
  • Some RC transmitters

It is important for steering and throttle to have analog controls. This is true with basically all steering wheel and pedal combos and a lot of gamepads. Gamepads usually will have an analog thumbstick and you should look for ones that have analog shoulder paddles.

With steering wheels you don't need the most super expensive wheel intended for simulations. We do not use any of the force feedback functionality, so even the cheaper models are fine.

Depending on your vehicle you may prefer a joystick, this may be a good option for planes, quadcopters, or maybe also boats.

A PC keyboard is also supported and will always remain active. However, we do not recommend using it as a daily driver, but it might suffice for testing purposes.

Setup

To set up your controller open the menu on your viewer by pressing Esc. Select the "Input" tab. Once you have your controller plugged in via USB, it will show up in the dropdown list, select it, click "Calibrate" and follow the calibration procedure. The calibration is saved between restarts. In case your controller is not perfectly centered you can adjust the deadband setting accordingly.

Deadband

In the Viewer menu you can set a deadband per axis after calibrating your input device. This deadband helps eliminate any twitching around the center of your controls, so your vehicle will not move or steer without intentional input. Set it as low as possible to preserve the best possible input resolution.

When a deadband is set, the section is indicated as such in the preview. If you do not touch your controller and the bars do not move out of the set section, you should be fine.

As a rule of thumb: If you need to set it higher than 10% you should really consider a different input device.

Compatibility List

This list is not exhaustive, just a couple of input devices we have tested ourselves and would recommend for usage with v3xctrl.

  • GuliKit KK3: Analog thumbstick, two analog shoulder buttons for throttle forward/reverse
  • PXN V3 Pro Gaming Wheel: Analog wheel for steering, analog pedals for throttle/reverse
  • Radiomaster MT16: Analog wheel for steering, analog pedals for throttle/reverse
  • XBOX Controller: Analog thumbstick, two analog shoulder buttons for throttle forward/reverse