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    Zwift Hacks

    Building a Hardwired Zwift e-Controller

    Johnny Tselikas
    By Johnny Tselikas
    January 31, 2021
    LAST UPDATED January 29, 2021
    28

    There are a few great posts out there on building a wireless Bluetooth e-Controller for Zwift, however in my tests I found it was interfering with my ANT+ signal and quite small for my big fingers. I wanted a simple solution, so I decided on a hard-wired button controller.

    Prices online for a gaming button controller were over $100, so I rummaged through my parts drawer looking for a cheaper alternative. That’s where I found a USB Nintendo controller:

    Controller

    • Hard Wired – No Interference
    • Inexpensive – On E-bay for less than $20 or on Amazon for $12.99 for a 2-pack
    • Big Buttons – Perfect for Big Fingers

    The next step was working out how to make this work with Zwift. I found this great application called AntiMicro which is a graphical program used to map keyboard buttons and mouse controls to a gamepad. Useful for playing games with no gamepad support which works well for what I needed, Kudos to the developers! This was the 2nd part of the project.

    Software

    • Ready Available – On the internet
    • Inexpensive – FREE Download
    • Highly Configurable – Opens possibilities to other projects

    The next part of the project was programming. This was easier than I imagined, just plug in the controller and step through and allocate the various keyboard shortcuts for Zwift that you require. This completes the 3rd part of the project.

    Programming

    • Power Up – Button A – Space
    • Elbow Flick – Button B – F1
    • Screen Shot – Button X – F10
    • Wave Hand – Button Y – F2
    • Look Forward – Up Stick – 1
    • Look Back – Down Stick – 6
    • Look Left – Left Stick – 4
    • Bird’s Eye View – Right Stick – 9

    The final part of the project was mounting the controller and labeling the buttons until I memorize them. For mounting the controller I once again rummaged through the parts drawer and found a clip-on bicycle mirror which I modified by removing the mirror and cutting the surround to fit the controller, hot gluing it in place. I also had to superglue the pivot balls as there was too much movement when I pushed the buttons, the super glue fixed that problem.

    Mounting and Labeling

    By the time I finished this post I had already programmed more functions into the controller which might lead to further ideas. The next revision will include shortcuts for OBS Studio so I can change scenes from the controller using a toggle button to change sets to a new button layout.

    The final revision as it stands is shown below:

    • Set 1 – e-Controller – My Default Layout
    • Set 2 – e-Controller 2 – Same as Set 1 except camera views are different
    • Set 3 – Team Car – Drone view controlled by joystick for better control
    Mounted Just above the right hood for easy access

    This works very well and the total cost of the project is about $20. Bargain!

    Editor’s note: this post was originally published on bhbug.com.au. It is reposted here with permission.

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      Johnny Tselikas
      Johnny Tselikas
      Johnny started road cycling in late 2016, track cycling and Zwift in 2018, racing track and crit from 2019. He founded BHBUG in 2017 as a side project as well as completing his coaching, first aid and WWCC to be Aus Sports and Ride Nation Accredited as Road & Track Skills Coach in 2019. He joined Team Cryo-Gen in October and races for both the CRY-GEN Herons TTT and Cryo-Gen Mount Hotham Racing teams.

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