Installation instructions are also available via our video tutorial featured below:
Software startup
Once installed, the dashboard software is launched automatically each time Windows is started.
The 3dRudder icon is located on the Windows task bar in the systray area.
Once the Dashboard is launched, a notification will pop up prompting you to manage your device if you so choose.
Getting started
When first launched, Dashboard will display the following windows:
Welcome
Start window
Pre-installation window
Do not plug the 3dRudder yet.
Plug in the 3dRudder
Update the device to the latest version of Dashboard
Update the device to its latest version.
Wait for the device to calibrate
"Enable One foot to initialize": Thank this option, you can use the 3dRudder with only one foot.
Please, don't hesitate to visit the following link concerning the unilateral gaming.
After the device has been calibrated, the device's tutorial will start. Follow these instructions to learn the 3 basic movements
Then, follow the tutorial instructions to learn the final and most difficult movement: up/down.
The dashboard will then ask you how you would like to use your device. Select your desired mode and go to the Dashboard
After installing the Dashboard, you can now use your 3dRudder!
User Interface (UI)
Introduction
The User Interface (UI) is made of 4 main areas :
a menu,
a taskbar at the top of the window,
another taskbar on left of the window,
a central display area.
Main Pages
Several pages are accessible by the left taskbar. These pages are listed below:
Home
Games
Joystick
Mouse
Keyboard
Unleashed VR
HTC Vive / Mixed Reality
Oculus Rift / Quest / PiMax
All buttons on each mode panel are disabled until said mode is activated. This can be achieved by clicking the appropriate activation button on the bottom right corner the central display area.
Upper taskbar
Introduction
The upper taskbar has two functions :
To display pertinent device information. This information is listed below:
3dRudder connection status
available updates
help
if device is connected, 3dRudder firmware version
To open important pages
Pages
Clicking the 3dRudder icon on the top left corner of the taskbar window will open the About window.
Clicking the gear icon on the top right corner will open the Settings window.
Clicking the download icon will open the Software Update window.
Clicking the question mark icon will open either the documentation on Windows 32-bit devices or the Menu Page on Windows 64-bit devices.
Lower taskbar
The lower taskbar displays the following information :
currrent mode: standard (joystick), mouse etc.,
device status: standby, in use etc.
Home Page
The Home page will pop up when the Dashboard is initially activated. It includes the following items:
A 'Launch Tutorial' button which starts the device tutorial.
A 'Open Portal Web/WebVR' button which open this URL on your browser.
A news area featuring announcements from 3dRudder
A 'Visit our Gallery' button which redirects to the gallery page of our website 3dRudder.com.
This page is updated each time you restart the Dashboard.
Alternatively, it can be updated by right clicking and selecting 'Reload' from the drop down menu.
Reload home page
Axis Introduction (Expert Instruction)
Axis data and response curve
A standard response curve is shown below:
Each device axis has its own response curve : Forward/Backward, Left/Right, rotation and Up/Down.
This curve transforms a physical value (ex. Left/Right angle, in °) into an output value.
The user-defined parameters are :
X0: dead zone; any value below this limit will give a null result,
Xsat: saturation limit; any value above this limit will give a full-scale value,
Ysat: full-scale value,
curve shape coefficient, see below.
The curve shape is determined by a coefficient called 'acceleration'. This confers either a linear or exponential behaviour to the curve shape :
If the coefficient = 1, then y = 𝑥. The curve is linear (as shown above),
If the coefficient = 2, then y = (𝑥⋅𝑥) = 𝑥². The curve is exponential, smaller significant input values will yield larger output values,
If the coefficient = 3, then y = (𝑥⋅𝑥⋅𝑥) = 𝑥³. The curve is more exponential, even smaller significant input values will yield even larger output values
etc.
This output value is then divided by Ysat, so the final result is in a closed interval [-1,0 .. +1,0].
When multiplied by 100, this result can also be expressed a percentage value (eg 0.8 x 100 = 80%).
The 3dRudder VR dashboard is an application under the SteamVR Dasbhoard.
You can access it when you open the SteamVR Dashboard or when you activate the Unleash VR from the 3dRudder Dashboard.
The VR Dashboard allows users to change their 3dRudder settings while wearing their VR hardware.
VR menu
There are 4 tabs:
Free Locomotion
Controller Mapping
Axes Parameters (Params)
Game Configurations (Configs)
Warning: After you change any settings, you must click on the "UPDATE" button to apply them
There is also a Notification Bar to display the 3dRudder status
Free Locomotion
Free locomotion allows you to move in all directions
WARNING: If you're having problems with the 3dRudder free locomotion, such as seeing a black screen or experiencing unwanted rotation/position, remove your feet and click on the "Reset Position and Orientation" button
To enable free locomotion you must first calibrate the device. Please make sure you are in your in-game position and click on the calibration button.
If you see the message "you are not in the right position/calibration" displayed in orange text, this is because you are not close to your original position/orientation when you initially calibrated your device with SteamVR (Room Setup)
Controller Mapping
In this window, you can associate each 3dRudder axis to a specific controller action.
-Priority to trackpad: Yields priority to trackpad in case of double use. Eg. Navigating the pip boy in Fallout 4 VR.
-Touch only: When ticked, only touch controls will be patched. To patch both press and touch controls, leave this box unticked
-Type: it's for Valve Index controller, joystick or trackpad mapping (All by default, joystick and trackpad)
Axes Parameters (Params)
Non symmetrical pitch: When activated, in the case of the Forward/backward axis, the output is magnified depending on the initial user position (measured during the calibration phase) to ensure access to a the full range to output magnitudes.
Roll to Yaw compensation: When you yaw with your 3dRudder, you also roll a little. This feature will counterbalance against that.
Deadzone[%]: The input threshold necessary to trigger movement.
Sensitivity[1-5]: Determines the sensitivity of each parameter (i.e. at which minimum angle will result in the maximum speed of the character's movement.)
Linear: Determines the reactivity of each parameter. Ticking this box will reduce the reactivity of said parameter.
Games Configuration (Config)
Select the configuration for your game and click "LOAD"
Instructions in white text will appear when a configuration is selected
Top Bar
The top bar will indicate if the Unleash driver is installed. If not re-install, please the 3dRudder Dashboard
Activate/Deactivate the Unleash SteamVR
Update new settings (you must click this button to apply any changes)
Reset to default settings
Save configuration. Click this only you after you have entered a name for your configuration (the keyboard VR will open automatically)
Notification Bar
This overlay will always be positioned in the same place.
The notification bar will display the status of the 3dRudder. A list of possible statuses are below:
NoStatusDisplayed while the 3dRudder initializes.
NoFootStayStillPlace the 3dRudder on the floor, curved side on the ground, without putting your feet on the device. The must user wait for approximately 5 seconds for the 3dRudder to boot up until 3 short beeps are heard.
InitializationThe 3dRudder will initialize for about 2 seconds. Once complete, a long beep will be heard from the device. The 3dRudder is then operational.
PutYourFeetPut your first foot on the 3dRudder.
PutSecondFootPut your second foot on the 3dRudder.
StayStillTo complete user calibration, the user must remain still for half a second until a last short beep is heard from the device. The 3dRudder is then ready to be used.
To show this menu, click right on the 3dRudder icon, in the Windows taskbar :
A contextual menu is then displayed :
The user can :
activate different device modes (Joystick, HOTAS, Keyboard, mouse),
launch the “LiveViewer” Window,
launch the diagnostic
launch the Dashboard (software window),
close the software.
Live Viewer
Presentation
The “LiveViewer” is a software used to display the current state of the connected 3dRudder. It can be useful for video editing and for debugging purposes
Launch the LiveViewer
click right button mouse on the Icon 3dRudder in the systray.
Select "Display LiveViewer"
Actions
”F1” : Show the Help window where you can find every key binding
”F2” : Enable and disable the enhanced mode (shadow, up/down arrow, pressure disks)
Normal mode
Enhanced mode
”F3” : While in enhanced mode, toggle between scale and transparency variation for the disks.
Scale variation
Transparency variation
”F4” : : While in enhanced mode, display 4 disks (upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right)
”F6” : While in enhanced mode, display 6 disks representing every sensor on the 3dRudder.
”F8” : Change the background color
“F9” : display Window Title (Move, Resize,close window),
“F10” : Change the disk color.
“F11” : Change the arrow color.
LiveViewer and Video
You can use the LiveViewer for your videos.
To do this,
Change the background Color (F8) of the LiveViewer
For example, Under OBS, add a filter : Chroma Key
Freeze/Unfreeze
It may be useful to temporarily deactivate and reactivate the 3dRudder without necessarily removing and replacing the users' feet.
This makes it possible, for example, to freeze the displacement when they are more required in the 3D universe, without risk of drifting, and to avoid freezing the user in his initial neutral position, and thus to relocate the device or move the legs into a more relaxing position.
In Freeze mode, the values returned by the 3dRudder are identical to those returned when the device waits for the 2nd foot: the outputs are set to 0.
During an "unfreeze":
The device switches directly to the "InUse" mode, without going through the required immobility step required in standard mode. This makes it possible to freeze the displacements and to restore them without latency, for a more fluid operation.
The user offsets are recalculated when unfreezing: thus, during the freeze, the user can change his rest position.
As a summary, the freeze / unfreeze function allows you to reposition yourself without creating unintentional movements in the game.
You can use the “Space” Key (by default) to activate Freeze under the Dashboard but you can change the key bind directly on the settings page
Accessibility
Windows Cortana
To use Cortana, you need Windows 10 and a microphone plugged in.
Check that the Dashboard has installed the following shortcuts:
"Mouse Mode",
"Keyboard Mode",
"Standard Mode",
“Hotas Mode”,
“Freeze”,
“Unfreeze”,
“Toggle Freeze”,
"Diagnostic"
To activate Cortana under Windows 10, click on the microphone at the bottom of the taskbar and then on the icon "Settings".
Check the option "Hey Cortona" and "Try to answer only to me". Then click on "Learn how I say Hey Cortana" and follow the instructions.
Finally say "Hey Cortana Start Mode X" or X is the desired mode between "mouse", "standard", "keyboard"...If it works Cortana will launch the shortcut which will change the mode in the Dashboard.
Menu Page
Introduction
Select one of the 6 modes if you want more information
You may also skip this menu and go directly to the Dashboard home page
Mode informations
Tell me more: open the documentation of Dashboard,
Go to mode: open the selected mode page,
Skip this page and go to the home page.
List config file settings
Here is the list of the setting files of the Game page
Introduction The “LiveViewer” is a software used to display the current state of the 3dRudder (when connected). It can be useful for video editing and for debugging purposes. * Launch the LiveViewer Click right on the 3dRudder icon in the systray. ...
Launch Diagnostic Please, connect your 3dRudder on your Pc. 1- Right-click the 3dRudder icon on the Windows taskbar. 2- Select "Launch Diagnostic" 3- Wait for the end of the process. This step takes a few minutes. You should have this Windows 4- ...
Joystick Page Introduction From this page the user can select if the device will be used as a standard joystick or a HOTAS (Hand on Throttle And Stick). To do this, select the Joystick or HOTAS option, and press the 'Joystick/HOTAS mode activated' ...
Settings Page Introduction The following page allow you to set few parameters of the Dashboard. Features This page features : the option to automatically search for the last updates, the option to disable the windows notification at startup, a ...
Troubleshooting When you use the Unleash VR mode of the 3dRudder Dashboard, the dashboard must displayed in VR. If it's not the case, please check That your graphic card driver is up to date Check that your headset is plugged to the same graphic card ...