Sim Panel/Button Boxes

[timhunter1969]

I am seeing these Button Boxes online. Does anyone use them? Does it help with gameplay? I see a lot of buttons on them I wouldn't even know how to use. I think some things are done automatically in the game, like Trailer Air Pressure?? What is that? Thanks for any input.

[timhunter1969]

Originally posted by timhunter1969:

I am seeing these Button Boxes online. Does anyone use them? Does it help with gameplay? I see a lot of buttons on them I wouldn't even know how to use. I think some things are done automatically in the game, like Trailer Air Pressure?? What is that? Thanks for any input.

[Reese]

So I built my own.

Every button on those boxes has a purpose. They are fully functional. Windows can be rolled up and down, air brakes can be released, engine brake can be applied, lights can be triggered, etc.

Does it help with gameplay? Not really. You could easily assign every keybind to your keyboard instead. You could even turn your keyboard into a button box if you wanted.

Does it make it more immersive to have a dedicated panel? Absolutely. Feels so cool to control everything in the truck with a panel.

If there's any specific feature that you're curious about, feel free to ask.

[Underscore_101_3]

It's been a while since I used it, and a long while since I used the free version, but
Sim Dashboard has a free version that allows for 3 "items" so you could just play and see with that, the paid version is like 7 Euro (dunno what that would be in USD) and works on both ETS2 and ATS

I mainly used it for a better view of the speedometer and fuel gauge among a few other things, but it has lots of options for buttons as well, you can make your own design or use one from the community.

https://www.stryder-it.de/simdashboard/

There are other similar apps, but this is the only one I've used so can't recommend if something is better or worse.

[Duke Leto]

I use a streamdeck, but since I started playing VR it is a bit overkill to have buttons that display icons - since I cannot see the buttons in VR.

[deckerdave1973]

I am almost finished building my new ats/farm sim desk. I saw the sim panel button box, and new I had to incorporate it, as it looked badass. I have been playing with it for a few days now, and I can say that I have zero buyers remorse over the large price tag. Between the moza tsw steering wheel, shifter, and the button box, I don't have to touch keyboard or controller at all. I still use the mouse in menus.

Even though I have no friends to talk to, the CB looks good hanging there. The rest of the buttons are well laid out, and I am building up a memory as to where they are located, so I can roll down the windows or adjust the jake without taking my eyes off the road.

It is expensive, but if you can eat the cost, I'm sure you will be happy with one.

Off topic and just as expensive, but I also have tons of good things to say about the moza tsw steering wheel. My ats experience has gotten alot better.

[Boomerang]

I have built my own simulator, and I use multiple tablets as a dashboard using Sim-Dashboard. You can design your own layouts and display only the dials you require, and can also choose which switches/controls to use. They will also display the maps/Navigation. I have built my own indicator stalk using a Zero-Delay USB board which adds more immersion but both make a big change on your driving experience. I'm now on version 2 of my simulator, as I had to make it multipurpose for Driving / Flying. But the tablets adapt for whichever mode I am using. Check out my ver 1 and ver 2 rigs on my website https://woo-uk.com/Boomerang-Gaming/rigs.html

[BiggusThiccus]

Originally posted by Reese:

So I built my own.

Every button on those boxes has a purpose. They are fully functional. Windows can be rolled up and down, air brakes can be released, engine brake can be applied, lights can be triggered, etc.

Does it help with gameplay? Not really. You could easily assign every keybind to your keyboard instead. You could even turn your keyboard into a button box if you wanted.

Does it make it more immersive to have a dedicated panel? Absolutely. Feels so cool to control everything in the truck with a panel.

If there's any specific feature that you're curious about, feel free to ask.

How did you tackle the light situation? On mine, I have a rotary switch (not encoder) and there's 3 separate buttons per notch. Is there a way to make it so that each notch (button) is a separate stage in the light mode (running, low beam, high beam)

[AyMazingATS]

Originally posted by BiggusThiccus:

How did you tackle the light situation? On mine, I have a rotary switch (not encoder) and there's 3 separate buttons per notch. Is there a way to make it so that each notch (button) is a separate stage in the light mode (running, low beam, high beam)

Can be done by editing the controls.sii file for the headlights.