Please add the ability to zoom inside the Oculus Rift

[Deano87]

Hey all,

 

I've been away from DCS for a short while and I've been spending some time in FS-X flying tubeliners (Yes, you may roll your eyes and yawn but I enjoy it so :harhar:) anyway, I fly all my flight sims these days with the Oculus Rift DK2, and to fly FS-X with the Rift I use a plugin called FlyInside FS-X, I was so impressed with this plugin that I decided to get the pro version which also includes the ability to zoom. Now like many of you I was concerned that zooming whilst using a VR headset would be a one-way ticket to :puke: but I have to report that it actually works really well! It allows me to read gauges and see other aircraft at distances with absolutely no problem and while it does feel somewhat like you've been fitted with bionic eyes its not uncomfortable or motion sickness inducing for me.

 

I would love to see the feature available inside DCS. People who find it uncomfortable or strange need not use it but for the rest of us Rift users it would really make DCS properly playable.

 

Obviously I suggest that the most 'zoomed out' position would be the default rift FOV and then you could zoom in from there if you wanted. I have a rotary on my HOTAS which would be perfect for it!

 

Cheers

D

[Deano87]

So I guess none of the 70 ppl who have viewed this thread have an opinion on it either way?

 

Maybe I should make it clear for the ppl who don't currently have a Rift or any other VR headset. DCS currently doesn't offer the ability to zoom while in the Rift. It locks you to the correct FOV for the headset you are using, as such readability of gauges and visibility of aircraft and ground units can be a big problem. While the resolution bump of the upcoming CV1 over the DK2 will help that somewhat I'm sure, VR users are still going to have a hard time spotting stuff compared to screen users without the help of a zoom function.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Deano87

[KLR Rico]

I brought that up a while ago. I hope it becomes possible, at least with a mod or something. Having a keybind to simulate binoculars would be helpful.

[King_Hrothgar]

Don't have a VR headset and no plans to get one, but this should certainly be done. I'm a little surprised it is treated differently tbh.

[OnlyforDCS]

I second this, as I too will be a future Rift user. I don't feel that even the CV1 version will be powerful enough without this function to be of much use in DCS for flying anything other than aircraft which don't rely on gauges and instruments so much.

 

I don't own any of the previous Rift versions and for some reason thought that zooming would be handled just like it is with TrackIR.

[ac5]

But....

 

You don't see the keyboard and the joystick having the Oculus Rift on, right?

How do you manage to fly / control a complex airplane with dozens of keyboard shortcuts and joystick buttons?

[Vedexent]

But....

 

You don't see the keyboard and the joystick having the Oculus Rift on, right?

How do you manage to fly / control a complex airplane with dozens of keyboard shortcuts and joystick buttons?

 

I almost never use the keyboard in flight.

 

The joystick buttons become second nature as you learn them.

 

And - for DCS level modules - anything not mapped to the HOTAS can be clicked in-cockpit via mouse.

 

FC3 aircraft are simpler; you can pretty much map whatever you need for flight operations onto a HOTAS.

 

In a pinch, you can something like VoiceAttack as well. I have programmed macros for most ATC requests.

 

In fact, for AI squadron commands, using VAICOM is probably far superior to trying to navigate the F-key radio menu.

 

In short, it can be done.

[ac5]

Hmmm....

I use a LOT F1 to F10 to see outside, missiles, map etc...

And not having a hotas, for me most hotas commands are ctl-coolie hat,

alt-l cocpit lights, shift-l landing lights. So I have a standard mapped to all

DCS aircrafts.... I'd be dead without keyboard...

[Vedexent]

Hmmm....

I use a LOT F1 to F10 to see outside, missiles, map etc...

And not having a hotas, for me most hotas commands are ctl-coolie hat,

alt-l cocpit lights, shift-l landing lights. So I have a standard mapped to all

DCS aircrafts.... I'd be dead without keyboard...

 

Well, yes - lack of HOTAS would probably be a big problem with the Rift.

[ac5]

Indeed... and you don't have HOTAS with all aircraft....

on the contrary, most DSCS birds don't have it.

[Vedexent]

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Indeed... and you don't have HOTAS with all aircraft....

on the contrary, most DSCS birds don't have it.

 

By HOTAS, I mean player HOTAS - not modeled aircraft HOTAS.

 

While it's not completely accurate to do so, I've got most functions in the Su-25 (for example) mapped to a button, or toggle, on my Saitek X55 HOTAS - even if in real life, they're toggles on the front control panel (e.g. flaps settings).

 

A little practice with this kind of setup, and the controls become second nature. I don't need to use the keyboard or look at the HOTAS, I know where to "feel" for that control to perform that function.

 

Given that setup, I wouldn't need to see any of my computer peripherals to fly the Su-25.

 

More complex DSC level aircraft (e.g. MiG-21) you could map most of what you need to HOTAS controls. Other - seldom used - controls you could manipulate via mouse in the clickable-cockpit. True you have to reach for the mouse (or a large trackpad), but that should pretty much stay in the same spot, so you don't need to see it, either.

 

For added realism and/or convenience, pull in voice commands (Voice Attack and VAICOM).

 

In any case, you can get away with not seeing any of your computer peripherals in the Rift.

 

Provided you can read the gauges, which - as per the OP - zoom would really help with.

[Deano87]

Aha.. good to see some responses in here now!

 

Regarding seeing the keyboard and mouse etc, I get this question asked a lot when I tell people that I use the Rift.

 

The Rift is not completely sealed unit around your face, for most people I know who have tried my Rift they can successfully see down through the gap around their nose. This is conveniently placed for looking at a keyboard. If I need to find an exact key or if I loose the mouse I can glance down through this gap and see well enough to find what I want. Regarding the mouse. The mouse is generally wherever I last left it, so when using a clickable cockpit aircraft I instinctively reach for my mouse on my mouse-pad and 9 out 10 times find it without any problems at all. Inside the sim the clickable cockpits work very well in the Rift apart from the aforementioned lack of zoom.

 

Also Vedexent is correct in assuming I also very rarely use the keyboard in flight. For FC3 birds everything is bound to my HOTAS including even the arming window. For more complex aircraft like the A-10C I use my HOTAS mapped realistically and the mouse. If' I use the KB its usually to chat and this is done through touch typing like I'm doing right now... also not looking at the keyboard :thumbup:

 

Regarding a button for binocular mode or something similar, this could work as long as the zoom level could be adjusted on the fly. Sometimes I'm going to want to use full zoom to see a contact on the horizon and sometimes I just want to zoom in a little bit to see a gauge or a selection of switches so I don't want a set zoom level. I would like the exact same zoom function the 2D players get, including the ability to assign it to a Joystick axis so I can quickly and precisely get to the zoom level I want and then go back to normal just as fast.

[Deano87]

Somebody else has had the same idea as me and posted a youtube video showing what the zoom function is like in FS-X.

 

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhDL0lmI7hI[/ame]

 

Wish we could get this in DCS :sad_2:

[Sandman1330]

I'm curious, with TrackIR I can "lean in" to better read gauges or see the TGP. Really, this just simulates moving your head around the cockpit as you would do in real life and is independent of zoom, which I have mapped to a rotary for seeing ground targets, etc.

 

Does rift not even support the "lean in" feature? I was thinking of getting one, but if it lacks this functionality, I don't know...

[Barbajet]

No please

[DayGlow]

No please

 

Why would you want to limit how others use the game?

[PiedDroit]

Hi there, as a future VR user (and one time DCS/DK2 user), I support the idea of zoom in VR! :thumbup:

I brought this a couple of time in the VR discussions on this forum too.

 

I'm curious, with TrackIR I can "lean in" to better read gauges or see the TGP. Really, this just simulates moving your head around the cockpit as you would do in real life and is independent of zoom, which I have mapped to a rotary for seeing ground targets, etc.

 

Does rift not even support the "lean in" feature? I was thinking of getting one, but if it lacks this functionality, I don't know...

It does support full 6DOF movement, just like the TrackIR.

The problem is not only about reading gauges, it's more about seeing things on the outside world.

Edited February 28, 2016 by PiedDroit

[sniperwolfpk5]

Really it doesn't support 6dof? Then what is the point of VR

[SDsc0rch]

i think the visibility vs zoom issue is a real issue

 

i went out to nellis last month to get jet pics and i was paying attention to how far away the jets were - 3-5miles jets are *clearly* visible - not tiny dots like they are in DCS

 

so it seems like there should be "some" allowance for visibility restrictions in DCS to make up for the fact that its harder to see a jet in the game vs real life ---- and that would apply to the VR environment as well

 

personally, i use the fore-aft axis in T-IR to zoom my view ---- i put my nose right up there in the HUD and i can see a head-on a/c in the target designator box at 15+ nm

 

if we could do "something" similar in DCS, that would be great --- i'm sure DCS isn't the only game/simulation using VR - perhaps if we look at how other devs solve this problem and take a pointer from them, that might be a good starting point...

[OzzyNeil]

Fly inside for FSX and P3D as already mentioned has this perfected. You can set the zoom to your liking or assign a switch to move in and out as needed.

 

The HUD in P3D in the fighter jet looks awesome zoomed in.

 

I've noticed DCS have the limit set so that you cant quite stick your head through the cockpit glass which is good for realism, cos in FlyInside for FSX you can lean right out and look down at your wheels, its a funny feeling and sometimes make you feel your gonna fallout.

 

Shouldn't be too hard for them to do, just whether they can be bothered.

 

If it doesn't happen then I'll stick with the disadvantage cos there's no way I can go back to monitors anymore.

 

These cockpits look so good I can sit for hours just twiddling knobs.

 

Anyway I'm voting for some Zoomageness.

[Deano87]

Just to be clear the Rift does support full 6DOF, you can indeed lean forwards to read gauges etc. But the problem is that leaning forward doesn't help you any when you want to zoom in to scan or ID an aircraft or look for ground targets etc etc. There are many things that zooming would help with and it really should be in the sim tbh.