Button Box vs Sim Dashboard

[lancemcgonigal]

Hello...I'm in the process of building up my sim. I've just purchased the build components for the PC.

I'm working through the options of using a button box or sim dashboard. I like the tactile look and feel of the button box but I want different controls. Sim Dashboard seems to be much more flexible and I have the tablet(s).

What is your experience? Pros and cons from your perspective?

Thanks

[Yggdrasil]

I use a Elgato Stream Deck as my "button box".

[Twelvefield]

Tactile controls mean you don't have to look at your stuff, which keeps your eyes on the road and improves workflow. This applies to any sim, but also productivity apps like Photoshop. The more you can do with your hands means the less work you have to do with your eyes. Moving your eyes means losing time, since you are always re-orienting to a new screen.

There's a pretty funny Judge Dredd comic where Dredd gets both of his eyes gouged out (a. spoiler alert, b. gouging out eyes is funny, right? Like Slumdog Billionaire?, c. another spoiler alert). Dredd gets his eyes replaced with bionic orbs, and as a bonus his eyelids are sped up so that he blinks less often and when he does blink, it's in 1/125th of a second. This way he can keep his eyes open longer to see and catch perps. That is funny to me anyways, because it's true. The less I blink the better I work, but also the sooner I go for cataract surgery.

Like you say, though, tactile controls are limited. Sometimes, you can make up macros and key combos to make use of a limited number of physical switches.

Another option is voice command.

[Underscore_101_3]

I use both, Simdashboard for dials and information, and a buttonbox (Saitek), for switchable controls (for example (de-)attach trailer, wipers, reset eye tracking, light options, switch gearbox, etc,.. it's currently the best option for me because my wheel doesn't have buttons, if it had i probably wouldn't be using a buttonbox at all (or a more realistic one), won't recommend the Saitek though, it's kinda flimsy)

Since you mention already having tablets available, i'd say use both, an advantage of Simdashboard is that you can have several pages in a design with different things, so you can have one page with a sort off realistic looking buttonbox layout, another with dials and other info and one with a map, if you have two tablets available, and/a spare smartphone you can have one with dials and another with buttons, etc...
It's quite customizable.

The only advantage i see in a buttonbox that it's somewhat more realistic pressing an actual button, but it's not as versatile as sim dashboard, and for realism i'm guessing they can get quite expensive when they are made specifically for trucks.

There's a free/trial version for Simdashboard, but that only lets you add 3 items, the version for ETS2 and ATS together is about 7 euro and a version for all games it supports is about 10 (prices are guesses, it's been a while since i got it)

[Underscore_101_3]

Twelvefield eredeti hozzászólása:

Moving your eyes means losing time, since you are always re-orienting to a new screen.

You're kinda doing the same thing in a car, with the exception that buttons and switches in a car can be used without looking for them, you learn where they are and are usually quite seperate from eachother, like wipers on one side and lights on the other, this of course really depends on the manufacturer.

A buttonbox removes that advantage because the buttons are quite close together and depending on the model, are usually same or similar shapes, so you'd still have to look if you're pressing the right button, or risk pressing the wrong one :-) also while driving you very rarely have to use it, at best for wipers and windows, most other buttons are used when standing still or driving slow already.

[Twelvefield]

The box I use for Photoshop has uniquely shaped switches and knobs for each and every control, the TourBox. For the Honeycomb Bravo, yes, those buttons are similar. I put bits of velcro on to help figure out which switch is which. Then you can do it by touch.

So don't get me started on touchscreens for cars, those things are terrible. Even in cars, voice control is better than touchscreen. For sim, though, if touchscreens is what you have, sure, why not use them? Tactile is better, but those controllers have limits unless you have deep pockets.

[Stenleh44]

Twelvefield eredeti hozzászólása:

The box I use for Photoshop has uniquely shaped switches and knobs for each and every control, the TourBox. For the Honeycomb Bravo, yes, those buttons are similar. I put bits of velcro on to help figure out which switch is which. Then you can do it by touch.

So don't get me started on touchscreens for cars, those things are terrible. Even in cars, voice control is better than touchscreen. For sim, though, if touchscreens is what you have, sure, why not use them? Tactile is better, but those controllers have limits unless you have deep pockets.

Touch screen in car is terrible…I completely agree.