FFBeast Wheelbase Control for SimHub

A SimHub plugin that allows you to control your FFBeast wheelbase directly from SimHub, enabling you to bind controller buttons or keyboard keys to wheelbase functions like recenter.

Note: This plugin is designed specifically for the FFBeast direct drive wheelbase and requires the device to be connected via USB.

Features

• Reset Center: Recalibrate the wheelbase center position with a button press
• Reboot Controller: Restart the wheelbase controller
• Auto-reconnect: Automatically reconnects to the wheelbase if connection is lost
• SimHub Integration: Full integration with SimHub's control mapping system
• Settings UI: Test actions and view connection status directly in SimHub settings

Prerequisites

• Windows PC with SimHub installed
• FFBeast wheelbase connected via USB
• .NET 9 SDK or later (for building from source)
• Visual Studio 2022 or VS Code (optional, can build with dotnet CLI)

Installation

Option 1: Using Pre-built DLL (Recommended)

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download the latest FFBeast.SimHubPlugin-vX.X.X.zip file
3. Extract all files from the ZIP archive
4. Copy all DLL files to your SimHub installation directory:

   C:\Program Files (x86)\SimHub\
   

5. Restart SimHub
6. The plugin should appear in the SimHub settings under Additional Plugins

Option 2: Build from Source

1. Prerequisites:

   • .NET 9 SDK or later
   • SimHub installed (default: C:\Program Files (x86)\SimHub\)

2. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/CoryManson/FFBeast.SimhubPlugin.git
   cd FFBeast.SimhubPlugin

3. Set Environment Variable (Optional):

   • If SimHub is installed in a non-default location, set SIMHUB_INSTALL_PATH:

     [System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('SIMHUB_INSTALL_PATH', 'C:\Your\SimHub\Path\', 'User')

4. Build the Project:

   dotnet build FFBeast.SimHubPlugin.csproj -c Release

5. Copy to SimHub:

   Copy-Item "bin\Release\net48\FFBeast.SimHubPlugin*" "C:\Program Files (x86)\SimHub\" -Force

6. Restart SimHub:

   • Close and restart SimHub to load the plugin

Usage

Setting up Button Bindings in SimHub

1. Open SimHub and navigate to Controls and Events

2. Go to Custom Serial Controls (or Controls tab)

3. Add a New Action:

   • Click "Add" or "+" button
   • Look for actions starting with "FFBeast."

4. Available Actions:

   • FFBeast.ResetCenter - Reset wheelbase center position
   • FFBeast.Reboot - Reboot the wheelbase controller

5. Map to Your Controller:

   • Select the action (e.g., FFBeast.ResetCenter)
   • Click "Map" or "Bind"
   • Press the button on your controller or keyboard key you want to use
   • Save the mapping

Example: Binding Recenter to a Button

1. In SimHub, go to Controls and Events → Custom Serial controls
2. Click Add action
3. Find and select FFBeast.ResetCenter
4. Click the Map button
5. Press your desired button (e.g., a button on your wheel or controller)
6. The button is now bound - press it anytime to recenter your wheelbase!

Plugin Settings

Access the plugin settings in SimHub:

1. Go to Additional plugins or Plugins tab
2. Find FFBeast Wheelbase Control
3. View connection status and device name
4. Use Quick Test buttons to test actions:
   • Test Recenter - Immediately recenter the wheelbase
   • Test Reboot - Reboot the wheelbase (with confirmation dialog)

Troubleshooting

Plugin Not Showing Up

• Verify all DLLs are copied to the SimHub directory
• Check SimHub logs for any errors
• Ensure .NET Framework 4.8 is installed
• Try restarting SimHub

Cannot Connect to Wheelbase

• Make sure the FFBeast wheelbase is connected via USB
• Check Windows Device Manager for the device (VID: 1115, PID: 22999)
• Try unplugging and reconnecting the wheelbase
• The plugin auto-reconnects every 5 seconds if disconnected

Button Mapping Not Working

• Verify the action is properly mapped in SimHub Controls
• Check that the plugin shows "Connected" status in green
• Test the action using the Quick Test buttons first
• Try remapping the button
• Check SimHub logs for any error messages

Development

Project Structure

simhub-wheel-api/
├── FFBeast.SimHubPlugin.csproj   # Modern SDK-style project file
├── FFBeastPlugin.cs              # Main plugin class (IPlugin, IDataPlugin, IWPFSettings)
├── FFBeastWheelApiClient.cs      # HID communication layer using HidSharp
├── SettingsControl.xaml          # WPF settings UI
├── SettingsControl.xaml.cs       # Settings UI code-behind
├── build.ps1                     # PowerShell build script
├── Properties/                   # Assembly metadata and resources
│   ├── AssemblyInfo.cs
│   ├── Resources.resx
│   └── Resources.Designer.cs
├── README.md                     # This file
├── QUICKSTART.md                 # Quick start guide
└── BUILD.md                      # Detailed build instructions

HID Communication Protocol

The plugin communicates with the FFBeast wheelbase using 65-byte HID reports:

// Report structure (65 bytes: Report ID + 64 bytes data)
byte[] buffer = new byte[65];
buffer[0] = REPORT_GENERIC_INPUT_OUTPUT;  // 0xA3 (Report ID)
buffer[1] = COMMAND;                      // Command byte
// Remaining bytes are padding (zeros)

Supported Commands:

• 0x04 - Reset center position (recenter the wheelbase)
• 0x01 - Reboot controller (restart the wheelbase)

Device Selection:

• VID: 1115 (0x045B), PID: 22999 (0x59D7)
• Filters by MaxOutputReportLength >= 65 to select the vendor interface (MI_00)
• Avoids the joystick interface (MI_01) which has 18-byte reports

Building for Distribution

1. Build in Release mode:

   dotnet build FFBeast.SimHubPlugin.csproj -c Release

2. Files to include in distribution (from bin/Release/net48/):

   • FFBeast.SimHubPlugin.dll - Main plugin assembly
   • FFBeast.SimHubPlugin.pdb - Debug symbols (optional)
   • HidSharp.dll - HID communication library

Creating a Release

To create a release for distribution:

1. Build Release configuration:

   dotnet build FFBeast.SimHubPlugin.csproj -c Release

2. Package the files:

   # Create a release folder
   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path release
   
   # Copy required files
   Copy-Item "bin\Release\net48\FFBeast.SimHubPlugin.dll" release\
   Copy-Item "bin\Release\net48\HidSharp.dll" release\
   Copy-Item "README.md" release\
   
   # Create ZIP archive
   Compress-Archive -Path release\* -DestinationPath FFBeast.SimHubPlugin-v1.0.0.zip

3. Create GitHub Release:

   • Go to your repository on GitHub
   • Click "Releases" → "Create a new release"
   • Tag version (e.g., v1.0.0)
   • Upload the ZIP file
   • Add release notes

Technical Details

Dependencies

• HidSharp 2.1.0 - Cross-platform HID library for USB communication
• SimHub SDK DLLs - GameReaderCommon, SimHub.Plugins, SimHub.Logging, log4net
• Target Framework: .NET Framework 4.8 (SimHub compatibility)
• Build SDK: .NET 9 SDK (modern SDK-style project format)

FFBeast Wheelbase Specifications

• Vendor ID: 1115 (0x045B)
• Product ID: 22999 (0x59D7)
• HID Interface: Vendor-specific interface (MI_00)
• Report Length: 65 bytes (Report ID + 64 bytes data)
• Connection: USB HID device

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

Development Setup

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes
4. Test with your FFBeast wheelbase and SimHub
5. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
6. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
7. Open a Pull Request

References

• FFBeast Wheel API Library - Original C/C++ API implementation
• SimHub - Racing dashboard and control platform

License

This project is provided as-is for the FFBeast community.

Support

For issues or questions:

• Check SimHub logs for error messages
• Refer to FFBeast documentation
• Open an issue on the project repository

Version History

1.0.0 (2025-11-03)

• Initial release
• SimHub plugin with action mapping support
• Reset Center and Reboot controller actions
• Auto-reconnect functionality (5-second interval)
• WPF settings UI with connection status and test buttons
• Modern SDK-style project compatible with .NET 9 SDK