VDASH-EMU ButtonBox with iRacing Simulation tutorial

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ATTENTION:
Since version 3.4.6.3 of SLIMax Manager Pro the Virtual To Real (V2R) USB Controller
is recommended as it gives you the possibility to use your VDASH-EMU button Box as A REAL Button-Box!
See the Virtual To Real User Guide for more info...


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time to talk about the powerful virtual button box integrated in VDASH-EMU.

Don't start with this tutorial, you must first be familiar with VDASH-EMU features and SLIMax Manager custom setups, Also, you must read and understand the basic rules about the buttonbox and the SLIMax Manager Pro Advanced Options panel by reading this sticky:

https://www.eksimracing.org/forum/index.php?topic=3200.0

And maybe watch some video tutorial of Getting Started with SLIMax Manager Pro if this is the first time you use the software.

OKay so you have read all these basic instructions and as you see, the buttonBox can be used to drive your USB devices or EMUlators but also your game or simulation. This simply done by sending MACRO (sequence of keys) to the simulation. these keyboard keys are define (assigned) in the settings of the game or simulation AND in VDASH-EMU.

This tutorial is a base for building your own buttonbox and takes as an example the iRacing simulation which have a very good API.

Let start to define de keys in the iRacing settings:




for your convenience, all controls setting have been grouped in one unique screenshot

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Now you have set all key to all controls, it's a good practice to check them by simply typing the key on keyboard while you are on track.

We can create the design of our buttonbox with VDASH-EMU editor (see the VDASH-EMU getting started section for more info on editor). Don't forget to save.

For the example, you can use the template in attachment.
- drop the file template_buttonbox.json into the /vdashemu_template directory (see the sticky if you don't know where is your vdashemu_template)

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OKAY!!!! and congrats we have now our iRacing VDASH-EMU ButtonBox ready!

The next step is to create a custom setup for VDASH-EMU based on default setup.
- Select the Advanced Options of SLIMax Manager Pro
- click the VDASH-EMU icon on the top
- click the EXPORT button and enter the name of your custom setup
in our example the setup is named "vdashemu_iracing_bbox"

(obviously, the setup is available for download and ready to be used see in attachment and install them into  C:\SLIMax Manager\cfg\ directory )

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if you follow the instruction in the faq you learned how to map the button to a MACRO (sequence of keystroke) and how to map a switch to MACRO.

Button or Encoder:
https://www.eksimracing.org/f-a-q/buttons-to-char-mapping-wizard/

Rotary Switch:
https://www.eksimracing.org/f-a-q/use-switch-to-chars-mapping-to-simulate-a-keystroke-with-rotary-switch/

We do the same thing with the virtual bittonbox.

for that purpose we need the current layout of the bbox (index of leds, buttons, encoders and switches) go to EDITOR MODE to display the control index




and then we need to edit the custom setup using the Advanced Options panel and set the corresponding keystroke to the buttons encoders and switches:


Buttons and Encoders:






NOTES:
If you check carefully the entry of button 6, we have
Y (the key)
0 (no modifier)
1500 (the delay)

this means the key is down during 1.5 second, it's the time needed to exit from the track on iRacing.

also, the MACRO of button 12 is to close the blackbox of iRacing. I didn't find a simple way to close the blackbox, so I force F5 to be displayed and click F5 again to hide the box (drop me a line if you have another way to do that).






Switch 1 and 3:







NOTES:
Switch 1 is dedicated to select the Pitstop stuff by sending a command via the text chat (tire/fuel/repair), select the appropriate command BEFORE entering the pit.











 

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The switch 2 is used to change the info on Fanatec panel
and the button index 8 Q.Info will display some critical info like the remaining fuel,

as usual the Getting started section of SLIMax Mgr Pro will give you some info on how to manage the Fanatec display panel

We have created a custom setup named "fanatec_iracing_bbox" and mapped the VDASH-EMU switch 3 and VHAS-EMU Button 8 to the Fanatec functions.

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That's it for today and obviously, you can do the same thing with any game or simulation.

Hope this mini tutorial will help you to make your own VDASH-EMU buttonbox, fee free to talk about the integrated buttonbox in VDASH-EMU support forum.
Cheers,
z

Files of this tutorial:

VDASH-EMU ButtonBox Templates: DOWNLOAD

SLIMax Mgr Pro VDASH-EMU iRacing Setup: DOWNLOAD

SLIMax Mgr Pro Fanatec iRacing Setup: DOWNLOAD

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In latest version of VDASH-EMU (v1.1-11 ) you can simply load any buttonbox layout file from menu "Set ButtonBox..." and also Export your custom ButtonBox and share it with us.

a preview is automatically done. Here is the preview + buttonbox layout for the latest version (UPDATE to the latest version of VDASH-EMU).

Just drop both files into templates or exported directory and then use Set ButtonBox menu to install it automatically.