Hi simmers! I want share with you a review in English i wrote for reach not only italian simmers but also people that are interested to watch this fantastic setup ! I m proud of my creations!
Today we are here to talk about DOFREALITY (www.dofreality.com) and its entry level product in the motion platform section.
Before going into the details of the review let’s talk about DOFREALITY. We spent many years dreaming of small, versatile, robust and low-cost movement units.
Today, thanks to the replacement of the components of the components and the publication that these people present in finding new engineering solutions, we come to have all this.
DOFREALITY is a company born a few years ago, but very experienced in the construction of a movement platform. Thanks to the social networks and the instagram channel @DofReality you can admire their products and see how customers use their platforms and with what software.
The DOFREALITY guys registered very high quality components. Their motion platforms are robust and well designed.
For our test we tried the MS2 platform, the movement level of the DOFREALITY movement platform.
The MS2 is a 2-axis platform (DOF). We first ordered the M2SF model (MS2 platform but with universal attachment for any metal, iron or other material top) and after a few hours the representative sales of DOFREALITY contacted us giving explanations and giving advice on how our motion system could can be used with an Airbus seat from FSCOCKPIT (www.fscockpit.eu).
We wanted to test the M2S with an FSCOCKPIT seat because we wanted to integrate the DOFREALITY motion system into our Airbus A320 pilot cabin.
After getting information and advice from DOFREALITY’s excellent pre and post sales service, the platform started and arrived after a week.
The packaging has been prepared with a meticulous care! The platform was protected by a very resistant polystyrene shell and all its parts placed in customized boxes. It seems trivial but not all manufacturers have this care in shipping their products.
After opening and unpacking everything, we found ourselves in front of the platform practically already ready for use.
The shipped platform consists of the same complete with two motors of the two axes, connected to the mechanical system for the movement of the upper platform (approximately 40 x40 cm). The two performing motors are mounted in the lower base and well welded to the frame.
The second unit in the packaging is made up of power cables and data cables for the two motors. These must be inserted in the DOFREALITY unit. This is a black box 30cm x 30cm in size where the power supply components of the two motors (one power supply per motor) and two electronic boards are the core of the DOFREALITY M2S platform.
After mounting the two panels we mounted the FSCOCKPIT A320 (Captain side) chair.
FSCOCKPIT has provided us with the chair without its support and without the mechanics because it is not necessary for our project.
After having easily assembled the FSCOCKPIT Chair, we fixed it to the upper wooden slab.What we have left is to connect the data cables and power cables from the motors to the DOFREALITY unit, hook the main power supply to the Unit and connect via usb cable the unit to the PC after installing the software suite that DOFREALITY provides.
Once assembled, we positioned the FSCOCKPIT chair and the DOFREALITY MS2F in the pilot seat of the A320 cockpit.
Now let’s get to the software configuration.
As previously mentioned DOFREALITY supplies the Professional license of SimTools, a software that thanks to a modern engine manages to connect the telemetry output from the various video games and simulators to the DOFREALITY motion platform.
Simtools is one of the most popular motion platform management software. It started as an indie project a couple of years ago and now has reached version 2.0 it is stable and reliable.
Thanks to the license provided by DOFREALITY we are now in possession of all the plugins that transfer telemetry from the simulator to the motion platform.
The SimTools software is very well made. Quick and easy to set up. Do you think that after 10 minutes we were at the mercy of the motion platform on an AIRBUS A320 with Lockheed Martin Prepar3d!
In fact, after configuring the percentage of movement of the two axes and of Sway, Surge, Pitch and Roll through the SimTools, we are ready and aligned on the runway at the Genoa LIMJ airport.
The magic cable that connects the DOFREALITY MS2F motion platform to our PC is the USB cable.
The DOFREALITY system is not CPU or GPU consuming at all. Simtools does not occupy more than 5% of the resources of our AMD system powered by ASUS ROG. Our simulator PC is a fully AMD PC. Ryzen 7 1800X CPU, ASUS ROG STRIX VEGA 56, ASUS ROG CrossHair VI Extreme Mainboard and ultra fast gaming mouse ASUS ROG STRIX Impact, practically a power bomb!
In fact, despite Simtools, Prepar3d, DOFREALITY MS2 and a couple of custom scenarios, the framerate of our PC does not drop below 30 FPS with the details above the half of the sliders and a LOD close to the maximum allowed.
Now then… .. as said lined up on the track we can start! Engine at maximum and let’s see how the ASUS ROG system and the DOFREALITY MS2F behave!
As soon as we gave the throttle engine our FSCOCKPIT seat started to jump for the roughness of the track.
As soon as we arrived at V1 we pulled the sidestick on us and … and voila ’we are in flight! Cart on, positive pitch of our DOFREALITY motion platform and off in the low clouds of a gloomy day in Genoa.
After the first phase we can say that the feedback returned from the movement of the DOFREALITY motion platform is something amazing! The loyalty of the movement is comparable to a higher category motion platform. Although we only have 2 axes, I can guarantee you that the software and the precision of the motors do not make you miss the third axis! At least on our Airbus flight simulator!
Thanks to the excellent movement emulation given by both the SimTools software and the firmware of the DOFREALITY motors, I can assure you that we do not miss a third axis.
However Sway Surge, Pith Roll and Heave are completely governed by the SimTools user interface for each simulator and game that we own the Plugin!
Continuing our flight, we followed a route led by the ATC, simulating an Engine Failure and returning to the LIMJ airport in Genova Sestri.
After entering the clouds we can feel the vibration of the turbulence through the DOFREALITY motion system. WOW what a feeling! It really seems to cross it!
After going around we landed on the opposite leeward track. The touch of the trolley on the track was deliberately rough to test the feeling with the motion system. Well even in this case our back has warned him clearly.
After a taxi at the gate, I turned off the engines, attached the APU I got up from my chair with a smile on my face and with the awareness that the combination of DOFREALITY motion system, ASUS ROG PC and Prepar3D was the combination that made me the most to approach the real flight that each of us dreams but which not everyone can experience.
DOFREALITY MS2F is a platform that starts at US $ 749. It is the entry level of DOFREALITY but I can assure you that it is already an excellent product, well cared for, with very high performance and with a quality of construction and top-of-the-range materials!
You will soon see the DOFRELAITY MS2 at work with the Rollercoaster simulator most loved by simmers. In addition, DOFREALITY will also be compatible with the addon for FSX and P3D FlightControlReplay v4 (http://bit.ly/FlightControlReplay)
Below you also have the comparison table of all DOFREALITY models!
Go to Instagram’s @FlightOnFly channel and @Dofreality if you want to see videos and new content on the DOFREALITY MS2F test! Rollercoaster, Airbus simulation and many other contents !!!
Curated by Merlo Fabio
