FPVFreerider Manual
FPVFreerider Manual
Simulator
Features/Keyboard shortcuts..............2
Controller setup...................................3
Settings........................................ ........4
Freerider Classic features...................6
Freerider Recharged features.............7
Freerider Recharged level editor.........8
FAQ/Troubleshooting tips..................12
FPV/LOS view
Self-Leveling/Acro mode
Also features 3D flight mode (negative thrust/inverted flight)
Touch screen/Keyboard/USB Controller input
USB Controllers can be configured for mode 1 – 4 during calibration
Ability to adjust settings for rates, camera and physics
Keyboard shortcuts:
(If selecting Keyboard as input you can fly with arrow keys plus WASD. Keyboard control is absolutely not recommended, it is really just
for testing purposes only).
* Controllers that have been successfully used include FrSKY Taranis, Spektrum, Devo, Turnigy, Flysky, Jumper, Radiomaster, Eachine,
Detrum, Graupner and Futaba RC radios, Realflight and Esky USB Controllers, Xbox, Playstation and Logitech gamepads.
(Known incompatibilities:
The HobbyKing 6ch flight simulator USB dummy transmitter controller is known to not be compatible with the sim.
The Betafpv Literadios does not support joystick emulation on Android, however it seems to work in Windows)
See the FAQ/Trouble shooting tips for more info on how to set up your radio.
2
Controller Setup
After you have made sure that your controller is recognized in your operation system, select “Calibrate
Controller” on the main menu screen of FPV Freerider.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
All other sticks other than the one currently being calibrated should be centered. That includes the throttle
stick! It should be centered, not at the bottom.
To make sure everything is working as it should you can keep an eye on the circles just above the OK button.
Ideally, all the circles will be in a straight line when no input is given. You should be able to move some of the
circles smoothly up and down using your controller sticks.
Make sure you hold the stick that is currently to be calibrated all the way in the direction shown while clicking
OK. The circle corresponding to the stick that is detected will change to display an abbreviation of the stick
name (yaw,throttle,roll,pitch).
Note: Default is Mode 2. During the calibrate controller procedure you have the opportunity to configure for
different modes by using another stick than the one shown in the picture. Keep an eye on the top of the
screen - when it says, for example “Yaw Left”, you use the stick you want to assign for yaw movement).
If you have several input devices (such as other joysticks, pedals or steering wheels) connected, that may
cause a conflict with the input manager. If you're having trouble calibrating your controller, make sure all
other input devices other than the one you intend to use are disconnected.
(The movement of the little circles on the calibration screen shows exactly what can be read through the
input manager. If all the circles are not lined up straight, or you are not able to move some of them smoothly
both up and down you need to calibrate your controller in your operating system or alter some settings on the
controller itself (such as trim, midpoint or range settings). Most controllers will work fine with a bit of setting
up, but there is no guarantee that your particular controller will work with your particular system. Try the free
version first to see).
After calibration, you will be taken to a test screen where you can try the stick input. When sticks are
centered, the circles should be in the middle. When stick input is given, ideally you will be able to move the
circles smoothly all the way out to the corners of the grid. Here you have the opportunity to manually add
digital trim.
If you are using a RC controller you will probably want to select “Throttle zero at bottom” and “Dead zone off”
on the main menu.
There is more info on setting up your controller in the FAQ section of this manual.
3
Graphics Settings
Use the selector on the left of the main menu to set graphics quality. The recommended setting is “Highest”.
If you are getting low framerate you might want to select one of the lower quality settings. Running the
simulator at lower resolution also helps the framerate a lot.
If you wish to run the game at a different resolution in Windows you can add command line parameters to the
.EXE file. (Command line paramenters will work on MacOS and Linux too).
For example:
On Android you have the option to select between high and low resolution via the button on the main menu.
-window-mode=exclusive
...in order to override the default fullscreen setting and achieve adaptive sync. On some hardware that might give smoother screen
update and better performance.
Custom Settings
In the full version there is a Custom Settings screen where you can adjust settings for rates, camera and
physics.
There are also a few presets that you can select (Sluggish, Snappy, Snappy2 and Snappy3)
If you aren't sure what the settings does the recommendation is to simply use the presets.
You can save your own custom presets in the slots A and B.
It is possible tune the expo curve in the custom settings. The expo will be added to yaw,pitch and roll.
Throttle is linear.
4
Dead Zone setting
3D flight mode
3D mode is selected using the flight mode button on the top left (Self-leveling - Acro - 3D)
To arm the throttle control in 3D mode, put the throttle stick above middle. You will have positive thrust above
middle stick and negative thrust below.
5
Racetrack Generator
(FPV Freerider Classic only)
The original version of Freerider (Freerider Classic) includes a racetrack generator. It will generate an almost
infinite number of 5-gate racetracks using procedural generation.
While in the Racetrack Generator, press "Generate New Track" at the bottom of the screen - a track will be
created. You can then press "Timed Race" to fly timed races as usual.
Each track will have a unique number, displayed by the button.
If you wish, you can enter any number of your choice to generate that specific track. If you have found a
track that you like and wish to be able to return to fly later, take a note of the track number so that you can
enter it later.
Tip: You can also press shortcut "G" on the keyboard to generate a new track
Side-by-Side VR View
(FPV Freerider Classic only)
In Freerider Classic you are able to select Side-by-Side VR mode in the custom settings.
It is mostly aimed at users of Google Cardboard style VR viewers on Android.
Turn "Stereoscopic SBS FPV" on if you wish the flight camera to be stereoscopic (3D) instead of flat.
If your device supports gyro headtracking, you can turn that on in order to be able to look around freely when
flying in LOS mode.
When flying using goggles you obviously need to use a physical controller (rather than touchscreen).
You can't navigate the menus while having your VR viewer strapped to your head. You either need to take it
off each time, or, use a Bluetooth mouse and/or keyboard, or a USB mouse and/or keyboard connected via a
USB OTG splitter to navigate the menus.
6
Freerider Recharged specific features
The desktop version of Freerider Recharged (PC/Mac/Linux) has extra levels included in the level editor.
In order to fly the extra levels - Click the Level Editor icon on the main menu. Select "Level" on the top right,
click "Load". Select the level you want to play, and click "Play".
That is also the way to load any levels that you have downloaded or created yourself.
(See more info on custom levels in the following pages).
1 - LOS view
2 - FPV view
3 - Ghost quad FPV view (when available)
S - Set the LOS view position (It will be set to the quads current position)
F1 - Record
F2 - Play
Press the Record button (or F1) to record. Press again to stop recording.
Press Play (or F2) to play back the recording.
When the recorded flight is being played back you can select the ghost quad FPV view if you wish by
pressing the "camera" button or keyboard shortcut "C" as usual. You can also quick select the ghost FPV
view by pressing number 3 on the keyboard.
Any other camera view will also work. And, while the recording is being played back you can also fly as
usual. The simulator still functions exactly as usual.
You can use the recording feature for simple ghost racing.
When starting a race - if you press record before the countdown has finished, a recording of the race will be
made. (The recording will start exactly when the countdown is finished, you don't need to time it perfectly).
When starting a race the next time - press play before the countdown has finished, a ghost quad will be
replayed from the previously recorded race. (The replay will start exactly when the countdown is finished,
you don't need to time it perfectly).
Note: Flight recording is somewhat an experimental feature. It's admittedly not very intuitive and user friendly. It is mostly for fun really.
It works best when the simulator is running at a high and stable framerate.
It is limited to one single recording in memory. Whenever you make a new recording the old one will be lost. A recording or custom LOS
view position is not kept when exiting the simulator.
7
Freerider Recharged Level Editor:
To load a custom level, click the “Level” tab, then “Load”.
A window will open that lets you select the level you want.
After loading, click “Play”.
Controls:
Click "Controls" in the upper right corner of the level editor to view the control layout.
Basically, you navigate the level editor using the mouse and keyboard:
Mouse:
Left mouse button - Interact
Right mouse button - Rotate camera (+Alt to rotate around focused object)
Middle mouse button - Move camera
(Hold and drag wheel to move, scroll wheel to move forward/backward)
Keyboard:
Arrow keys - Move camera
Page up/Page down - Move camera up/down
Hold down shift key to move camera faster.
Keyboard shortcuts:
Tip: Hold shift when scaling a non-uniform scale object to perform a uniform scale.
Touchscreen Controls:
If you are using a touchscreen device, for example if you are using the Android version of Recharged, it is
possible to edit and navigate using touch screen controls.
It is very difficult to do any extensive and precise editing using a small touchscreen though, so it is
recommended to use a USB or bluetooth mouse (and keyboard) if possible.
8
Tools:
There are three main tool menus on the top right of the screen:
Terrain:
Use the Terrain tools to paint terrain height and texture.
The Terrain tool menu is also where you choose the sky.
Note: Since all textures are saved on a separate layer, using many textures will significantly increase file
size. It is recommended to use as few textures as possible.
Objects:
Open up the different categories of objects in the list.
Drag the desired object to the scene to place the object.
Depending on the type of object it is possible to rotate, move and scale it using the transform tools in the
Objects menu.
(Drag the colored arrows (or the center part of the arrows) to rotate, move and scale in different directions. It
is not possible to select multiple objects at the same time).
Some objects have a color property - an RGB selector will automatically appear. The Basic Shapes also
have a material property.
Level:
Used to Load, Save and Play a level.
(This is also used to load custom levels that you might have downloaded or purchased).
(Note: It is not possible to load or edit FPV Freerider's built-in levels, that is, the ones on the main menu of Freerider.
In the Android version of Recharged it is possible to edit the built-in levels by pressing the Edit Level button to the right of the main flight
screen)
4. Play
9
Creating a racetrack:
In order to create a racetrack that can be used with the "Timed Race" function, it is necessary to place gate
triggers. You can move, scale and rotate the gate triggers just like ordinary objects. The gate triggers are
directional, meaning the player need to pass them in the right direction to clear the gate. There is a light on
the triggers that is only visible from one side, place them in the correct orientation for your track.
Tip: Freerider will automatically detect the gates in the correct order, even if there are "gaps" between the
gate numbers. Therefore it is possible to start off by placing "Gate 1", "Gate 5", "Gate 10" for example, to be
able to place other gates in-between later, if necessary, without having to rearrange the actual gate
placement.
Tip 2: If you need to create a track with precise dimensions you can use the built-in objects to measure
distance:
The Basic Shape Box is 0.5 meters.
The Basic Shape Cylinder is 1 yard long (3 feet).
The Concrete Pillar, Wooden Stick and Iron Rod is 2 meters long.
(Laying these objects next to each other it is quite easy to create a custom measuring object that is 5 meters
for example)
10
Sharing levels online:
At the time of this writing, there is no centralized sharing hub for levels, so you will need some DIY skills to
share and find levels.
A good starting point to share and find levels might be the official FPV Freerider forum at Itch.
In order to load a level that someone else has made available, download it, unzip it (if it comes in ZIP format)
and place the unzipped level folder in your Freerider Data folder. This is the same folder as mentioned in
Save the level above. It needs to be in the correct folder in order for Freerider to find it. If you are uncertain of
this folder location, save any level and take a note of the full folder path that is displayed after saving is
complete.
The folders are as follows:
Windows:
FPVFreerider_Recharged_Data
MacOS:
FPVFreerider_Recharged.app/Contents
Linux:
FPVFreerider_Recharged_Data
Android:
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.Freeride.FreeriderRecharged/files/
or
Internal Storage/Android/Data/com.Freeride.FreeriderRecharged/files/
Note: The name of the custom level .txt file needs to be the same as it's folder name for it to be recognized.
Create a zip file of your level folder that you wish to share.
(On windows - right click the folder of your specific level and create a zip)
Upload the zip file to an appropriate place, for example your Google Drive account, or a filesharing site.
Post the link to that file, preferably along with a short description and screenshot of your level.
the official FPV Freerider forum at Itch or the FPV Freerider Recharged Steam community hub forum are
good places to post.
Tip: There is a small .PNG image in the level folder that you can use as screenshot when posting.
Note: The name of the custom level .txt file needs to be the same as it's folder name for it to be recognized.
11
FAQ/Troubleshooting tips
Q: How do I connect my transmitter?
The Devo 7E/Devo 10 and other radios running DeviationTX seems to most often work fine with the stock ini
file on MacOS and Android. Note: Select "USBHID" as protocol in the model setup. You may need to select
"Re-Init" once connected via USB.
On Windows you may need to set up the endpoints. Here is a custom model ini file that you can try:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwSDHIR7yDwSM0ZPam9LY3N4ZXc/view?usp=sharing
2. USB Dongle
You can try to connect your transmitter using a universal USB flight simulator dongle. Some of them have
switches on the side. In that case, find the position that works with your transmitter.
Note: The Phoenix proprietary dongle does not work with FPV Freerider, it is deliberately made to work only with the Phoenix simulator.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwSDHIR7yDwSaHNwcmZuQm1NeG8/view?usp=sharing
Note: With smartpropoplus, you need to turn off mic filtering in the advanced tab. Otherwise it perceives some of the PPM as noise.
Also, make sure any external mic is disabled while you're using the trainer port and smartproplus, otherwise there might be interference.
12
6. Home-Built USB interface using Arduino
This is an interesting project for those who like to tinker and build things themselves:
http://www.instructables.com/id/RC-Transmitter-to-USB-Gamepad-Using-Arduino/
Q: My controller is not detected in Windows 10. It used to work fine but now it doesn't
Due to an automatic Windows 10 update that broke the USB drivers some controllers may not be detected:
See this document for a possible fix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wF9BgUEZSSCORfa4lauR_EivjLp8ohZJ/view?usp=sharing
- Make sure you don't have any other joysticks/controllers connected, that might cause a conflict.
- If you're having trouble with calibration using a USB connection, make sure you uninstall vJoy and
Smartpropoplus if you have that software installed on your computer.
- Make sure you have "Heli" selected as model type on your radio. ("Plane" generally doesn't work so well).
- If you're using a USB dongle - check if there's a switch on the dongle where you can select different modes.
- Perhaps you can remap the output channels (in the menu of the transmitter) so that it sends to another
channel.
- If you have tried connecting your transmitter using a USB dongle with no luck, you might want to try the
3.5mm audio cable method which is described earlier in this document.
Yes, you can use a separate piece of software to do that. Here are some examples of such applications:
Windows: http://joytokey.net/en/
Mac: http://joystickmapper.com/
13
Mac installation troubleshooting
Newer version of MacOS are picky when it comes to what apps can be run.
If, when you try to open the app on your Mac, it says: 'The application “FPVFreerider” can’t be opened”, here
are four possible solutions:
1. If you unzip the file on a Windows machine and transfer the file to your mac with a USB stick it might work.
There's also a chance that it works better if you download the zip using Chrome (not Safari) on MacOS and
extract with Keka or Unarchive app.
2. To run a program that says "this can't be opened", right-click the icon and choose "Open". You'll be given
an option to open the program, and from then on, chances are it won't bug you.
3. For Mac's having trouble installing FPV Freerider try going to the Mac's System Preferences>Security and
Privacy> General Tab and check the box "Anywhere" to see if this allows your Mac to install FPV Freerider.
4. For those who are still having the issue of the simulator not opening, you need to open up terminal and
type sudo chmode +x (fpvfreerider.app) and that should do it.
chmod +x /Applications/FPVFreerider.app/Contents/MacOS/FPVFreerider
or
chmod +x /Applications/FPVFreerider_Recharged.app/Contents/MacOS/FPVFreerider_Recharged
If you still have trouble getting it working there's a more detailed step-by-step instructions for this method on
the next page.
14
Here is a more detailed step-by-step description of the chmod+x method, for those who a still struggling to
get it working on their Mac:
click on general
2. double-click the zip file you downloaded from itch.io and put the .app file in your application folder as usual
to "install" the app by drag and drop to your applications.
3. once the file is in the application folder like this: "/Applications/FPVFreerider.app", right-click it and select
"show package content" - a new window will pop up with the content of the .app file.
5. launch terminal with [command] + [space bar] then type "term" then press [enter] or [return]
return to the finder where the content of the .app is open. then drag and drop the "FPVFreerider" file to the
terminal. Now the path to the file is added automatically the line in the terminal should look something like
this :
myusername@MyMacBook-Pro ~ %
chmod +x /Applications/FPVFreerider.app/Contents/MacOS/FPVFreerider
(the command start with "chmod", the part with "@" is your user name and computer name.)
7. press enter, then launch the Freerider app by double-clicking it in your app folder and it should work.
Tip: If you are unable to run the sim on your Linux machine you might need to force Open GL:
user@computer:~$ ./FPVFreerider.x86_64 -force-opengl
Sometimes, buttons must be emulated otherwise the controller is not recognised by FPVfreerider.
To do that, use Wejoy https://github.com/Vantskruv/wejoy and calibrate the original joystick with jscal to
get rid of deadzone.
15
Freerider on Itch:
https://fpv-freerider.itch.io/fpv-freerider
https://fpv-freerider.itch.io/fpv-freerider-recharged
Freerider on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/854250/FPV_Freerider/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/813530/FPV_Freerider_Recharged/
16