2003 BMW M3 Custom Dash / Overhead Console

**gork** · 05-19-2004, 05:07 PM

Yes. I have started on an interface written using SDL/OpenGL/SDL_perl. The design is pretty simplistic and easy and despite people who are detractors of "scripting" interfaces, it gets over 1000fps on my desktop when unthrottled. It doesn't have any kind of dial widgets now, but I guess that could be written.

I probably won't have time to get back to it for another month or two though, and it's not even really in a workable state right now anyway. I just got a pinball machine too so restoring it is kind of my current 'in progress' project. I will be posting more here when I make more progress on it. It will be opensource. The target platform is Linux but due to SDL and perl, it should be fairly straightforward to get it running on Win32 or OS/X also.

5s to kernel load is achieved with LinuxBIOS. There's a lot of work still to be done with the EPIA-M board, and until that is done there are problems with RAM and ACPI, so it's not really production ready yet, but it will be within a few months...

indianfury: I am not using Xcar, nor have I tried it... I had a little I-Bus wheelkey app that I wrote that despite its limited functionality allows me to change the volume (and that is it).. I would be happy to send the source code, but I dont even think it compiles anymore...

John

**niwa** · 06-17-2004, 05:52 PM

Hi,

Nice setup by the way. I too have an E46 M3 SMG2 in the Uk and am currently doing something similar. Did you ever manager to write that software you were talking about, i.e. that mapped the 9600E81 Ibus to specific keys, with a small ini file you could make those buttons do anything. That would just be cool. Also out of interest how do you hibernate the PC etc, as I say I am new to this!

**1300mer** · 06-20-2004, 01:52 AM

I have an e36 m3, but I feel obligated to chome in here

. To hibernate my pc, I wired a switch to the front dash and push it to turn on the puter and to hibernate. You can set what the power button does in the power tab under screen properties.

**JustWaiting** · 06-24-2004, 11:04 AM

I just installed a CarPC in my 2003 E46 M3 and will be posting pictures tonight....any recommendations on keeping the PC cool? I have a mini pc but it seems to get a little warm. Any recommendations from anyone? Also what does everyone use for a GPS application? I've tried map point from Microsoft and a few others but they aren't too user friendly. My setup has the following:

Touchscreen 7"
GPS - Navman
Gyration Keyboard & Mouse
Aux Input for direct sound into the stereo
3 Ghz machine with 512MB DDR Ram
80GB Hard Drive
DVD+R/RW-R/RW Drive
802.11B Wireless Connectivity(only works near hotspots)

**hifiguy** · 06-24-2004, 12:44 PM

sweet deal! can't wait to see it! my m3 arrives next month!

**JustWaiting** · 06-24-2004, 11:18 PM

**JustWaiting** · 06-24-2004, 11:33 PM

The following link has pics of my new carpc: http://www.embrazza.com/m3

**gork** · 06-25-2004, 12:36 AM

JustWaiting: Very nice! I wish I had seen more of these e46 mounts with the screen down where you put it before I started my project; I might have done that instead. It would certainly be les glare! Your trunk looks about like mine when I first started.. now I've got it all cleaned up and beautified.

New trunk here: http://www.blurbco.com/~gork/carpc/phase2/DCP_0706.JPG

**JustWaiting** · 06-25-2004, 11:29 AM

I have the functionality now....next is cleanup phase and optimizing it. I need a good simple GPS program. I tried road and streets, mappoint 2004 but they are not simple to use. Any recommendations?

**gork** · 06-25-2004, 11:49 AM

I have copilot, and I think it's the best software to use as a driver with a touchscreen. Still, the interface pales in comparison to using something like a Garmin Streetpilot which work infinitely better. I would like to write an emulator for the Garmin GPS's for use on a carpc, and I'm looking for someone with a Garmin Streetpilot 2610/20/50 that can assist me with a couple things.

Anyway on copilot -- the buttons are too big, the text on the map is too small. Except when it is in "Driver" mode, the interface is basically designed for a larger screen laptop running at 1024x768 sitting in a normal computing position. There is still no good way to make adjustments to it that would make it better. Some folks have hacked on it with various resource editors to make the buttons smaller with limited success.

Garmin has some software out too that may be a bit better, but this has yet to be seen.