FPV Freerider RC Quadcopter Racing Simulator

Introduction and Availability

FPV Freerider is an RC quadcopter racing simulator available on multiple platforms. It offers realistic flight physics and various modes for training and enjoyment.

Available on:

• Itch.io: FPV Freerider, FPV Freerider Recharged
• Steam: FPV Freerider, FPV Freerider Recharged
• Google Play Store (Android): FPV Freerider, FPV Freerider Recharged

Features

Flight Views: FPV (First Person View) and LOS (Line of Sight) views are available.

Flight Modes: Supports Self-Leveling, Acro, and 3D flight modes (including negative thrust/inverted flight).

Input: Compatible with Touch screen, Keyboard, and USB Controllers.

Controller Configuration: USB controllers can be calibrated for modes 1 through 4. Settings for rates, camera, and physics are adjustable.

Default Control Setting: Mode 2 is the default. Left stick controls Throttle and Yaw. Right stick controls Pitch and Roll.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• C (or Space): Toggle camera (FPV/LOS)
• L: Toggle self-leveling/acro/3D mode
• U, I, O: Quick select flight mode
• R: Reset quad to starting position
• T: Timed race
• P: Pause
• V: Temporarily hide on-screen buttons
• Esc: Exit to menu
• Alt + Enter: Toggle full screen/windowed mode (OS dependent)

Note: Keyboard control is not recommended for actual gameplay; it is primarily for testing.

Controller Recommendations: Using a USB controller is highly recommended. Most USB controllers should work if recognized as a joystick by your device. For Android, USB OTG support and an adapter are required. It is advised to try the free version first to test controller compatibility.

Controllers successfully used include: FrSKY Taranis, Spektrum, Devo, Turnigy, Flysky, Jumper, Radiomaster, Eachine, Detrum, Graupner, Futaba RC radios, Realflight and Esky USB Controllers, Xbox, Playstation, and Logitech gamepads. The HobbyKing 6ch flight simulator USB dummy transmitter controller is known to be incompatible.

Controller Setup

To calibrate your controller, select “Calibrate Controller” from the main menu and follow the on-screen instructions.

Calibration Process:

• Ensure all sticks, including the throttle stick, are centered before starting.
• Observe the circles above the OK button; they should form a straight line when no input is given.
• Move sticks smoothly to verify input detection.
• Hold the stick fully in the indicated direction while clicking OK. The corresponding circle will display the stick name (yaw, throttle, roll, pitch).
• The simulator defaults to Mode 2, but you can assign different sticks during calibration.

Troubleshooting Calibration:

• Disconnect any other connected input devices to avoid conflicts.
• If automatic detection fails, manually override by clicking the specific channel circle instead of OK.
• Ensure smooth movement of circles on the calibration screen. If not, recalibrate your operating system's controller settings or adjust controller trim/midpoint/range settings.

After calibration, a test screen allows you to verify stick input and add digital trim. For RC controllers, consider selecting “Throttle zero at bottom” and “Dead zone off” from the main menu.

Settings

Graphics Settings

Use the selector on the left of the main menu to adjust graphics quality. The recommended setting is “Highest”. For lower framerates, consider lower quality settings or running the simulator at a lower resolution.

Command Line Parameters (Windows): You can specify resolution using parameters like -screen-fullscreen 0 -screen-width 1280 -screen-height 720. These parameters also work on macOS and Linux.

Windows Tip: Use -window-mode=exclusive to override default fullscreen settings for potentially smoother screen updates.

Custom Settings

The full version allows adjustment of rates, camera, and physics. Several presets are available (Sluggish, Snappy, Snappy2, Snappy3). You can save your custom settings in slots A and B.

Expo Curve: Tuneable for yaw, pitch, and roll. Throttle is linear.

Physics Explanations:

• Mass: Affects quad weight; higher mass makes it feel heavier and sluggish, lower mass makes it more responsive.
• Gravity: Increase if the quad feels too floaty.
• Angular Drag: Higher values make rotation stiffer (instant start/stop); lower values make it looser.
• Drag: Air resistance; low drag makes the quad fly more 'slippery' with more momentum, high drag requires more effort to move and stops quicker.

Advanced Flight Modes and Features

Dead Zone Setting

It is generally recommended to have the dead zone turned off. If your controller sticks do not center well, causing drifting or jittering, you can enable a dead zone (large, medium, small, or off) via a main menu button to mitigate these small movements.

3D Flight Mode

Select 3D mode using the flight mode button (Self-leveling - Acro - 3D). To arm the throttle in 3D mode, place the throttle stick above the middle position. This provides positive thrust above the middle and negative thrust below.

Racetrack Generator (FPV Freerider Classic only)

This feature generates an almost infinite number of 5-gate racetracks using procedural generation. Press “Generate New Track” to create a track, then “Timed Race” to fly. Each track has a unique number that can be entered to regenerate a specific track. Pressing “G” on the keyboard also generates a new track.

Side-by-Side VR View (FPV Freerider Classic only)

Available in custom settings, this feature is for users of Google Cardboard-style VR viewers on Android. Enabling “Stereoscopic SBS FPV” provides a 3D flight camera. If your device supports gyro headtracking, you can enable it to look around freely in LOS mode. Flying with goggles requires a physical controller. Menu navigation while wearing a headset necessitates removing it or using a Bluetooth/USB mouse and keyboard.

Freerider Recharged Specific Features

Level Editor

The desktop version of Freerider Recharged includes an expanded level editor with extra levels. Access levels via the “Level Editor” icon, then select “Level” > “Load” to choose and play levels, including downloaded or custom ones.

Keyboard Shortcuts (Recharged only)

• 1: LOS view
• 2: FPV view
• 3: Ghost quad FPV view (if available)
• S: Set LOS view position
• F1: Record
• F2: Play

Flight Recording

Press F1 to record your flight; press again to stop. Press F2 to play back. During playback, you can switch to ghost quad FPV view (using the camera button, 'C', or '3'). You can also fly normally during playback. This feature is experimental and best used with a stable framerate. Only one recording is stored at a time, and it is not saved upon exiting the simulator.

Ghost Quad Racing

Use the recording feature for ghost racing. Record before the countdown finishes to have the race start with the recording. During the next race, play back the recording before the countdown to race against the ghost.

Level Editor Controls (Recharged)

Navigation is primarily via mouse and keyboard.

• Mouse: Left button (Interact), Right button (Rotate camera, +Alt for focused object rotation), Middle button (Move camera, scroll wheel for forward/backward movement).
• Keyboard: Arrow keys (Move camera), Page Up/Down (Move camera up/down), Shift (faster movement). Numerical keyboard also supports movement.
• Keyboard Shortcuts: F (Focus), Ctrl+D (Duplicate), Ctrl+Z (Undo), Ctrl+Y (Redo), Del (Delete), S (Scale), R (Rotate), T (Translate). Hold Shift for uniform scaling.
• Touchscreen Controls: One finger (interact/select), Two fingers (look around), Three fingers (move camera), Pinch (zoom). Precision editing is difficult on small touchscreens; USB/Bluetooth mouse and keyboard are recommended.

Level Editor Tools

• Terrain: Paint terrain height and texture, choose the sky. Using many textures can increase file size; use sparingly.
• Objects: Drag objects from categories into the scene. Rotate, move, and scale using transform tools. Objects may have color or material properties.
• Level: Load, Save, and Play levels. Custom levels can be loaded. Built-in levels cannot be edited directly (except on Android).

Creating a Level from Scratch

1. Create Terrain: Start with terrain creation (default size 1000). Large terrains increase file size. Choose a base texture.
2. Place Player Start Position: Drag the “Player Start Position” object from the list into the scene. Ensure it rests on a flat surface.
3. Save Level: Levels are saved in the Freerider Data folder. Consider rendering a level icon.
4. Play: Launch the created level.

Creating a Racetrack

Place gate triggers for timed races. Gates are directional; ensure correct orientation. Freerider automatically detects gates in order, allowing for gaps between numbered gates. Use built-in objects like the Basic Shape Box (0.5m), Cylinder (1 yard), or Pillar (2m) for precise distance measurement.

Sharing Levels Online

Sharing and finding levels requires DIY skills. The official FPV Freerider forum at Itch is a good starting point.

Loading Community Levels: Download, unzip, and place level folders into your Freerider Data folder. The custom level .txt file must match the folder name.

Sharing Levels: Create a zip file of your level folder. Upload it to a file-sharing service (e.g., Google Drive) and post the link with a description and screenshot. A PNG image in the level folder can serve as a screenshot.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Connecting Your Transmitter

1. Directly via USB: Many transmitters (e.g., FrSKY Taranis, Walkera Devo) work when plugged in via USB. Select “USBHID” as the protocol in model setup. For Windows, endpoint setup might be necessary.
2. USB Dongle: Use a universal USB flight simulator dongle. The Phoenix proprietary dongle is not compatible.
3. Wireless USB Dongle: Connect your receiver to a wireless USB dongle.
4. 3.5mm Audio Cable (Windows): Use “SmartPropoPlus” software. Connect your radio to the soundcard's speaker port with a 3.5mm mono audio cable. The software converts PPM pulses to a joystick driver. Ensure mic filtering is off and external mics are disabled. Linux users can use ppmadapter; Mac users can use macPPM.
5. Dedicated USB Controller: Offers better control than a standard gamepad.
6. Home-Built USB Interface: Projects using Arduino are available for DIY enthusiasts.

Common Issues

• Controller Not Detected (Windows 10): Often caused by Windows updates. Refer to specific fix documents.
• Transmitter/Axis Issues: Ensure no other controllers are connected. Uninstall conflicting software (vJoy, Smartpropoplus). Set radio model type to “Heli”. Check USB dongle switches or remap channels. Try the 3.5mm audio cable method if USB fails.
• FPV Freerider Not Working After Windows 10 Update: Update graphics and sound card drivers.
• Assign Keyboard Shortcuts to Transmitter: Use third-party software like JoyToKey (Windows), Joystick Mapper (Mac), or antimicro (Linux/Windows).

Mac Installation Troubleshooting

• Unzip files on a Windows machine and transfer via USB, or download using Chrome on Mac and extract with Keka/Unarchive.
• For first-time runs, right-click the application and select “Open”.
• Adjust System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General to allow “Anywhere” if needed.
• If blocked as an unidentified developer, use Terminal: sudo chmod +x /path/to/FPVFreerider.app/... and then select “Open Anyway”.

Linux Simulator Execution

FPV Freerider is a Linux executable. Unzip it into a “bin” folder, set execute permissions, and run it. Consider using -force-opengl if needed.

Linux Joystick Calibration

Emulate buttons using tools like Wejoy and calibrate with jscal to remove dead zones.