Hey all, I've posted about my ANT+ 3D video game hobby project several times on here since 2010 ( http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ew_flat;post=3880939 ) and recently quit my job to actually devote my full time to it. Will the fall/winter trainer season coming up on us I figured it was time to post an update. For full disclosure, I've now ended up forming a company with a few other guys who were going for a similar idea. I've spent 15 years in the video game industry working on graphics tech for XBox/Playstation/Nintendo games over the years, and finally figured out how to combine that passion with cycling and *hopefully* making a living at it.
For me this all started back when I had to ride indoors due to family/time constraints, but was too cheap to buy a powermeter to do it properly so I started to write training software for myself to do the simple "virtual power" conversion and show me numbers realtime while dumping all the data to a standard fit file for WKO+/Strava. Eventually that simple software evolved into what it is today, which is what I believe to be the most fun you can have on a trainer. I've seen much of what is out there pop up since I started development and I think it's great to have a multitude of choices, but nothing that's come out has been something I'd really want to use yet so I kept on plugging away at my own software.
The software works with the ANT+ devices you'd probably expect it to work with, as well as the computrainer (thanks Mark L!!) and supports ERG workouts on CT and KICKR. I also think I've improved on the standard equation most people use for virtual power to make a more compelling non-power meter experience for sprint efforts - something I'll elaborate on one day in the future. I've also made an attempt to have a fairly complete physics model being used in the simulation including Crr, CdA, riders mass, slope of the road, and density of the air and the drafting is modeled after what little whitepapers are out there regarding drafting shapes behind riders - and how far those draft areas go back. I'll probably even simulate wheel mass in there at some point just because I can ;) I'm a data nerd so I've tried to stay as accurate as possible throughout, however don't let that make you think the software isn't *fun*.
There will be a more official announcement about this stuff coming soon with loads of details, so in the meantime how about how about a screenshot or two.These are all in-game shots, taken live in the game (which uses my own 3D engine).
For me this all started back when I had to ride indoors due to family/time constraints, but was too cheap to buy a powermeter to do it properly so I started to write training software for myself to do the simple "virtual power" conversion and show me numbers realtime while dumping all the data to a standard fit file for WKO+/Strava. Eventually that simple software evolved into what it is today, which is what I believe to be the most fun you can have on a trainer. I've seen much of what is out there pop up since I started development and I think it's great to have a multitude of choices, but nothing that's come out has been something I'd really want to use yet so I kept on plugging away at my own software.
The software works with the ANT+ devices you'd probably expect it to work with, as well as the computrainer (thanks Mark L!!) and supports ERG workouts on CT and KICKR. I also think I've improved on the standard equation most people use for virtual power to make a more compelling non-power meter experience for sprint efforts - something I'll elaborate on one day in the future. I've also made an attempt to have a fairly complete physics model being used in the simulation including Crr, CdA, riders mass, slope of the road, and density of the air and the drafting is modeled after what little whitepapers are out there regarding drafting shapes behind riders - and how far those draft areas go back. I'll probably even simulate wheel mass in there at some point just because I can ;) I'm a data nerd so I've tried to stay as accurate as possible throughout, however don't let that make you think the software isn't *fun*.
There will be a more official announcement about this stuff coming soon with loads of details, so in the meantime how about how about a screenshot or two.These are all in-game shots, taken live in the game (which uses my own 3D engine).
