SIMRunning SimulationsOpenSim

Driver Inputs

Create OpenSim Driver Input timelines for throttle, brake, steering, and optional gear control.

Driver Inputs are reusable OpenSim control timelines. They are different from Drivers: a Driver stores driver profile limits, while a Driver Input stores prescribed control traces over time.

If your team calls these control inputs, use the Driver Inputs screen in 4ACE.

Before you start

  • Select the correct team.
  • Decide the control sequence you want OpenSim to run.
  • Use seconds for segment times.
  • Use percent for throttle and brake, degrees for steer angle, and integer gear numbers when gear is enabled.

Create a Driver Input

  1. Open Driver Inputs from the sidebar.
  2. Select New.
  3. Enter Name.
  4. Add Notes when the timeline needs context.
  5. In Driver Inputs, define required segments for:
    • Throttle.
    • Brake.
    • Steer angle.
  6. Optional: turn on Specify gear channel if gear should come from the Driver Input.
  7. Add gear segments when gear channel is enabled.
  8. Review the charts above each channel.
  9. Select Save.

After saving, the Driver Input appears in the Driver Inputs table and in OpenSim setup.

Segment fields

FieldWhat it meansNotes
SegmentReadable summary of the time and values in the row.Generated from row values.
StartSegment start time.Seconds. Must be 0 or greater.
EndSegment end time.Seconds. Must be greater than Start.
FromValue at Start.Uses channel unit.
ToValue at End.Uses channel unit.

When you add a segment, it starts at the previous segment end when one exists. The new segment lasts 5 seconds by default.

Channel reference

ChannelUnitRequiredValue rangeNotes
Throttle%Yes0 to 100Required for save.
Brake%Yes0 to 100Required for save.
Steer angle°Yes-700 to 700Required for save.
Gearn/aOnly when enabledIntegers 1 to 8Off lets the model handle gear shifts.

Timeline rules

  • Name is required.
  • Throttle, Brake, and Steer angle each need at least one segment.
  • Segment times cannot be negative.
  • A segment start must be before its end.
  • Segments in the same channel cannot overlap.
  • Adjacent segments can share a boundary, but the next start value must match the previous end value.
  • Gear values must be whole numbers from 1 to 8.

OpenSim duration is the latest visible channel segment end time. If no segment extends the timeline, duration is at least 1 second.

Use a Driver Input in OpenSim

  1. Open Simulations.
  2. Select New.
  3. Choose OpenSim.
  4. In Setup, select Vehicle, Ambient, Driver, and Driver Input.
  5. Review the Driver Input preview before continuing.

Troubleshooting

ProblemWhat to check
Save shows Fix Driver Input before savingReview the validation list and fix each channel.
Throttle, Brake, or Steer angle errorAdd at least one segment to each required channel.
Segment overlap errorMove the segment start after the previous segment end.
Boundary value errorMake adjacent values continuous at the shared time.
Gear errorUse integer gear values from 1 to 8, or turn off Specify gear channel.
Driver Input missing from OpenSim setupConfirm the correct team is active and the Driver Input saved successfully.

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