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Thread: BMW controller...

  1. 08-12-2003, 03:25 AM #1
    nzKAOSnz
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    BMW controller...

    has anyone got some detailed pictures of that bmw idrive thingy? i had a search on the net, but cant really find any good ones...

    And, has anyone ever used one? Want to know how good they are. My (mebbe slightly wacked) idea is to mill one out of aluminium, and use microswitchs with that serial controller thing (sorry bout description, but i saw it in one of the other threads, and for the life of me, i cant find it now).
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  2. 08-12-2003, 04:48 AM #2
    Skraggy_uk
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    What I would suggest you do, if you want to make one, is look at mounting on Arcade spinner, with a button on top, then mount the spinner on top of a very short arcade joystick (old fashioned pacman type stubby one) cover the whole think with a sprung milled cover, so it looks like one large knob, then you have twist, directions, and click.

    The whole thing can be interfaced through the stuff you can buy to build a PC based arcade cabinet emulator.
    4x4 in a turbo stylee.
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  3. 08-12-2003, 04:58 AM #3
    nzKAOSnz
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    where would i find stuff like that? yea, i was thinking about the small joystick type thing.
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  4. 08-12-2003, 05:36 AM #4
    Skraggy_uk
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    have a search through the site. Can't remember the URLs off the top of my head, but I recall posting links to arcade stuff myself.
    4x4 in a turbo stylee.
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  5. 08-12-2003, 08:56 AM #5
    vladilen
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    http://www.happcontrols.com
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  6. 08-14-2003, 07:53 PM #6
    nzKAOSnz
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    the bmw controller... the rotation part of it, is it an unlimited rotation or is it just a twist and return to centre???
    im still thinking of making own interface with computer, but not sure if i am better off hacking an old keyboard, or just going through the serial port...
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  7. 08-15-2003, 01:02 AM #7
    Skraggy_uk
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    Serial would be your best. Don't know about the BMW, but if you make it one full twist (or just slightly less in actual fact) it will be easier. Because then you could use high (fully one way) and low (fully the other way) voltages to show extremes of contol. You would just need calibrate the center position, but that is all. And just less than one full circle means you get to use wireing instead of having to locate sliprings for any switches on top.
    4x4 in a turbo stylee.
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  8. 08-15-2003, 01:56 AM #8
    gork
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    The bmw I-Drive spins fully with unlimited rotation and has very subtle jogs (like your mouse wheel)

    I presume the jogs are to prevent it from spinning when you go into a turn. It has a little bit of resistance. Every time it jogs, it changes the selection one increment, again like a mouse wheel. It's a dial but it works like three buttons, again, just like a mose wheel.. Jog left, jog right, press.

    Come to think of it, you could probably steel the wheel mechanism out of a mouse and mount it in the dash to get similar functionality without taking up the huge amount of space that the i-drive piece of crap uses. BTW, it sucks
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  9. 08-17-2003, 05:17 PM #9
    nzKAOSnz
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    hmmm yea.... mounting it is gunna be prob no 2.

    oh crap... had a bad thought.... where i gunna mount it? i gotta right hand drive subaru legacy.... means if its in the middle im gunna haveta use left hand....and im right handed. Bugger. need to think about that.
    anyone ever tried using one with left hand???

    i was thinking of trying to get a rotary switch, that is like momentaily on, so its a twist and release to return to center.
    starting to draw it all up at the moment, before making it.

    welllllll..... if its so crap.... may have to try somthing else.... I saw that commercial one someone had a thread about, but really want to have more control in the one device, i.e left/right/up/down/click(maybe 2 buttons???)/twist left/twist right
    also too much $$$$


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  10. 08-18-2003, 01:29 AM #10
    Skraggy_uk
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    Well, Im in the UK, so RHD too. I'm right handed, and managed to get used to using a minitrackball with a trigger button with my left hand no probs.

    Wouldn't do it while on the move mind, on when stationary, but a spinner/stick might be easier, if the application could be programmed to accept the input like arrow keys across buttons
    4x4 in a turbo stylee.
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