Game Control and Hardware Overview

DashForge can send commands to a game, send telemetry to external devices, and generate cockpit feedback. These features are related, but they should stay separate in your setup.

Choose The Right Feature

Goal	Use	Page
Press a game key from a dashboard widget	Action Button + DashForge Bridge	Action Buttons
Receive Assetto Corsa / ACC telemetry on another device	DashForge Bridge	DashForge Bridge
Send selected telemetry fields to Arduino, ESP32, serial, or UDP hardware	Device Packet Output	Device Packet Output
Generate vibration from telemetry or audio input	Bass Shakers	Bass Shakers
Drive cockpit fans from speed, throttle, brake, or steering	Wind Simulator	Wind Simulator
Control a game from a physical button box	Bridge command JSON or USB HID	Hardware Input

Keep Ports Separate

Flow	Direction	Typical port
Game telemetry	Game -> DashForge	8000
Bridge commands	DashForge or hardware -> Bridge	8765
Device Packet Output	DashForge -> device	your choice
Wind Simulator	DashForge -> fan controller	your choice

Do not reuse the same UDP port for live telemetry, Bridge commands, and hardware output. Separate ports make troubleshooting much easier.

Recommended Setup

For most users:

1. Keep live telemetry on port 8000.
2. Use Bridge commands on port 8765.
3. Use Keyboard commands before trying Win32.
4. Use Device Packet Output only for displays, shift lights, and custom packet hardware.
5. Use Bass Shakers for tactile feedback.
6. Use Wind Simulator for fans.
7. Use USB HID hardware when you need a true controller or gamepad.

Dashboard Game Control

Use an Action Button widget for cockpit controls such as ignition, headlights, wipers, pit limiter, camera change, or stream markers.

Basic flow:

1. Run DashForge Bridge on the Windows PC.
2. Enable the Bridge command listener on port 8765.
3. Add an Action Button widget.
4. Set Action to Bridge Command.
5. Choose Keyboard, Mouse, or Win32.
6. Enter the command code.

For skins, label placement, toggle behavior, and examples, see Action Buttons. For Bridge setup, see DashForge Bridge.

Hardware Output and Feedback

DashForge has three separate hardware/feedback modules:

Module	Sends	Best for
Device Packet Output	JSON telemetry fields over UDP or Serial	shift lights, gear displays, Arduino/ESP32 dashboards
Bass Shakers	low-frequency audio	engine rumble, road texture, slip, lockups, gear shifts
Wind Simulator	fan level / PWM values	speed-based fans and cockpit wind

Use the dedicated pages for setup:

• Device Packet Output
• Bass Shakers
• Wind Simulator

Hardware Input To Control A Game

For physical button boxes, use one of two strategies.

Strategy	Flow	Best for
Hardware sends Bridge command JSON	controller -> UDP 8765 -> Bridge -> keyboard/mouse/Win32	button boxes and switches
Hardware acts as USB HID	controller -> USB HID -> Windows game	true keyboard/gamepad-style hardware

For Bridge command JSON, send one UDP packet to the Windows PC running Bridge:

Host: Windows PC IP address
Port: 8765
Payload: UTF-8 JSON command

Example button that taps F8:

{
  "v": 1,
  "type": "command",
  "id": "hardware-f8-001",
  "source": "hardware",
  "profile": "custom-panel",
  "profileName": "Hardware Panel",
  "createdAtMs": 1790000000000,
  "input": {
    "kind": "keyboard",
    "code": "F8",
    "mode": "tap",
    "durationMs": 80
  }
}

Example Win32 virtual-key F1:

{
  "v": 1,
  "type": "command",
  "id": "hardware-vk-f1-001",
  "source": "hardware",
  "profile": "custom-panel",
  "profileName": "Hardware Panel",
  "createdAtMs": 1790000000000,
  "input": {
    "kind": "win32",
    "code": "0x70",
    "mode": "tap",
    "durationMs": 80
  }
}

Debounce physical buttons in firmware so one press sends one command.