Steering effects generates extra feedback signals based on how the car is behaving, then feeds those signals into:
- Grip-O-Meter overlay window (visual indicator)
- Racing wheel vibration (selectable vibration patterns)
- Racing wheel constant force (increase/decrease force)
- Pedal vibration
- Sounds
Calibration file
MAIRA automatically loads the calibration file for the car you are driving – there is nothing to select or configure. When the iRacing simulator loads, MAIRA finds the first calibration file matching the current car and loads it. When a calibration file is loaded, its data is drawn on the calibration graph.
The files are loaded from your Documents\MAIRA Refactored\Calibration folder
If there is no calibration file for the current car, a “Calibration file is not yet available for this car” message is displayed at the top of the calibration graph.
The calibration file is only needed for the understeer and oversteer effects, and for the skid/slip indicator of the Grip-O-Meter overlay — these all stay at zero until a calibration file is loaded. The seat-of-pants effect does not use calibration files.
The calibration graph shows various colored lines when a calibration file is loaded –
- Cyan line = the expected yaw rate for each steering wheel position
- Yellow line = your minimum threshold setting
- Red line = your maximum threshold setting
The calibration graph also displays a live dot indicating the current position of the steering wheel vs. the current yaw rate of your car.
Understeer / Oversteer / Seat-of-Pants
Each of the three steering effects (Understeer, Oversteer, and Seat-of-Pants) have very similar controls –
- Enabled / Thresholds
- Wheel vibration effect
- Wheel constant force effect
- Pedal vibration effect
Enable / thresholds
Enabled
Turns the effect on/off. The rest of the settings for the steering effect are hidden if the effect is disabled.
It is not recommended to enable oversteer and seat-of-pants at the same time. Use one or the other.
Default: OFF
Minimum threshold
For understeer and oversteer, this is the amount of deviation, from the expected car performance, before the effect will start playing.
For seat-of-pants, this is the minimum lateral velocity, or lateral acceleration, or ratio of velocities, before the effect will start playing.
Maximum threshold
For understeer and oversteer, this is the amount of deviation, from the expected car performance, where the effect will be at maximum.
For seat-of-pants, this is the lateral velocity, or lateral acceleration, or ratio of velocities, where the effect will be at maximum.
When tuning the effect for your driving style, it is recommended to map both the minimum and maximum threshold – / + buttons to the same knob on your steering wheel. This way, you can turn the knob up and down, while test driving the car, until the effect is active exactly when you want it to be.
Algorithm
For the seat-of-pants steering effect only, there are three algorithms to choose from:
- Lateral acceleration (Ay)
- Lateral velocity (Vy)
- Ratio of velocities (Vy/Vx)
Lateral velocity (Vy) is what the original version of MAIRA used. The refactored version uses Ratio of velocities (Vy/Vx) by default instead, because this algorithm establishes a relationship between the forward velocity of the car vs. the lateral velocity of the car.
Default: Ratio of velocities (Vy/Vx)
Threshold Tuning
To tune the thresholds for the car you are driving, it is recommended that you take your car out on the Centripetal Circuit track and drive in circles. It will help to map some inputs to the – and + threshold buttons, so you can change the setting on the fly while driving. Better yet, map the – and + buttons for both the minimum and maximum thresholds to the same knob, so when you turn it, the minimum and maximum thresholds both go up and down by the same amount.
Here’s a handy table –
| Experience | What To Do |
| Cues trigger too late | Lower both thresholds |
| Cues trigger too early or often | Raise both thresholds |
| Effect ramps up too quickly | Increase the maximum threshold |
| Effect ramps up too slowly | Decrease the maximum threshold |
Wheel vibration effect
Adds a vibration signal to the wheel when the effect is active.
Vibration pattern
Options: None, Sine wave, Square wave, Triangle wave, Sawtooth wave (In/Out)
If the vibration pattern is set to “None”, then the rest of the settings are hidden.
Default: Sine wave for understeer, None for other effects
Strength
How strong the effect should be, as a percentage of your wheel force.
Default: 10%
Minimum frequency
This is the frequency that the wheel will vibrate at, while the effect is playing. This frequency is fixed, and will not change, while the amount of deviation is below the maximum threshold.
Default: 15 Hz
Maximum frequency
This is the frequency that the wheel will vibrate at, when the amount of deviation reaches, and exceeds, the maximum threshold.
Default: 50 Hz
Curve
Default: 25%
Wheel constant force effect
Modifies the wheel’s main torque output when the effect is active.
Direction
Options: None, Decrease force, Increase force
If the constant force direction is set to “None”, then the rest of the settings are hidden.
Strength
Default: 10%
Curve
Default: OFF
Note: for the Seat-of-Pants effect only, the constant force Curve defaults to 25% rather than OFF.
Pedal vibration effect
Minimum frequency
The frequency to vibrate the pedal at, when below the steering effects maximum threshold.
Default: 10% (5Hz)
Maximum frequency
The frequency to vibrate the pedal at, when at or above the steering effects maximum threshold.
Default: 100% (50Hz)
Curve
Default: OFF
Private messages
Send private chat messages to the driver
When enabled, MAIRA sends you private iRacing chat messages during your session, such as a confirmation whenever a setting changes.
Default: ON
Enable input mapped setting update messages
When enabled, MAIRA shows a private chat message whenever you change a setting using a mapped input (for example, turning a knob on your steering wheel), so you can see the new value without looking away from the track.
Default: ON
Grip-O-Meter
The Grip-O-Meter is a small overlay window driven by the steering effects above. It shows a skid/slip indicator (based on under/oversteer deviation) and a seat-of-pants ball (based on the seat-of-pants effect). The skid/slip indicator stays centered until a calibration file is loaded for the current car.
The Grip-O-Meter overlay is now enabled and configured on the Overlays page, along with MAIRA’s other overlay windows.
Previous page: Racing Wheel
Next page: Pedals