Non-Logitech wheel support over DirectInput (WIP)

[isamu]

Hi Matlo. Just wanted to say thanks for everything you're doing for us here in this forum and with the GIMX project. Also, whenever you have some free time and you're not busy, I invite you to join us over at the vJoy forum and in **THIS THREAD** that I started yesterday.

I asked about G27 emulation in windows and a poster named Trafiken had some pretty interesting things to say about possible solutions with GIMX and adding DirectInput support. I'm sure both he and I probably said some things about GIMX that are incorrect, so feel free to read the thread and correct us accordingly. Perhaps once you decide to go down the DirectInput road, he may be of some help. Anyway hope to see you over there

[Matlo]

Hi,
To be honest, I'm not really liking the idea of adding a feature that will be Windows-only.
I'll still see if I have some time for this, but I can't promise anything.

[isamu]

No worries bro. Hope you enjoyed reading the thread

[Matlo]

I realized that the SDL library that GIMX uses for joystick inputs on Windows has DI force feedback wrappers.
It looks like I'll be able to add DI force feedback support with very little efforts!

[isamu]

NO WAY man! Wait are you serious?!??!?!?!?! So you're saying with this new discovery, you'll be able to make GIMX support all DI FFB wheels, and you no longer require our wheel's protocols to make it work, and we no longer need to own or have a Logitech wheel? So I can use my Leo Bodnar FFB wheel to emulate a Driving Force on PS3 now? Is that what you're saying?!?!?!?!?

[Matlo]

If my understanding of the documentation is correct, yes, it should be possible.
This only concerns the force feedback effects.
The other commands, especially the wheel range changes, are still to be handled separately.

[isamu]

Wow that is great news! Please continue to keep us posted on this amazing breakthrough! Once I get my adapter and I test it out, if it turns out to work the way I'm hoping, I will be *extremely* happy! I'll donate $100USD!!!

[Matlo]

First tests are not so promising. It looks like the DI FFB API is a big mess. Hopefully there will be a way to make it work.

[isamu]

No worries, I know the exact people you should talk to. The first guy's name is Shaul and he's the guy behind vJoy. Shaul is very knowledgeable when it comes to spoofing ffb into apps. He has been able to make vJoy support FFB through something called feeders. There is a very educational thread on force feedback in the Vjoy forums. I encourage you to reach out to Shaul and ask him advice on understanding the DI FFB API.

http://vjoystick.sourceforge.net/site/i ... or-testing

Some interesting comments he educated me on when I asked about writing feeders for vJoy in this thread:

http://vjoystick.sourceforge.net/site/i ... edback-how


General vJoy discussion forum:

http://vjoystick.sourceforge.net/site/i ... Discussion


The another guy you should definitely reach out to, and who is *VERY* knowledgeable about force feedback and racing hardware, goes by the name "Racer_S". This guy knows Direct Input API and force feedback effects like the back of his hand. Racer_S is the guy behind the well known and popular x360ce program and TocaEdit website. Check out some of mods he's done for various things:

http://www.tocaedit.com/

PS2 Logitech wheel Mod for PCSX2:

http://www.tocaedit.com/2014/08/pcsx2-w ... pdate.html

[Matlo]

Thanks for the links. The PCSX2 mod is quite interesting, and the source code is on github.
But as I said earlier, I still want to avoid using the DI API directly, because it is Windows-specific.
Having it work using the SDL would be better as it is cross-platform.

Anyway, I was able to get constant force feedback work using the SDL library.
Hopefully I can get the other forces to work.