Leap Motion VRVisualizer

[Johnny Dioxin]

I just fitted my Leap Motion to my Rift - I'm sure many will have seen how this works, but for those who haven't - it's clear that it's a very useful function to have - though whether a hotkey can be used to bring it up when in-sim, I don't yet know. I was impressed.

 

Passthrough camera? Pffft! :P

 

https://youtu.be/kNO0RtnmKVA

 

PS - no audio in the vid.

[Fab]

1. Does it work in DCS ?

2. You got any Lag?

[wormeaten]

This prows Leapmotion is capable to dissent hand tracking.

 

Major problem lies in DCS. DCS got 2D mouse cursor in 3D environment what make it less precise. This 2D to 3D transition is causing it and with Leapmotion it is doubled because you are transfering it from 3D to 2D and than again from 2D to 3D.

 

Other problem which increasing this precision. Headtracking! Cursor is not positioned in space because how you changing your view and moving your head mouse cursor is folowing your view and it is not positioned in 3D space at all so you need to coordinate your head moving with cursor moving what is sometime hard by its self.

 

So this is actualy job for DCS devs to create real 3D spacing of cursor inside cockpit than maybe Leapmotion devs could do something with it for further implementation of Leapmotion or any other hand tracking device.

 

Also cursor should be positioned only in space by mouse or what ever controls you are using and not be affecting by headmove. Without this there is no proper hend using even with mouse. This will significantly improve precision in cockpit interaction in genera not just with Leapmotion or VR.

Edited July 12, 2016 by wormeaten

[funkyfranky]

This looks actually pretty cool :) I think I read somewhere it's not (yet) working with DCS. Is it?

[Johnny Dioxin]

I can't yet tell you if it will work (as in the VR Virtualizer function - Leap Motion itself doesn't work 'as is' in DCS) as I had only just mounted and installed it when I shot the video.

 

I have to do more checking to see if it's possible to use a hotkey to switch to the Visualizer view from whichever sim/game you are using, and then back again.

 

If this is possible, I'd say the Leap Motion is worth getting, even if you can't use it for hand tracking in DCS World, just for the passthrough function.

[Johnny Dioxin]

I have asked on the Leap Motion website, but no response as yet - I doubt if I will get one, tbh.

 

I do get the impression that they are simply making this function available for devs to implement into their progs/games as they see fit. Wouldn't need Leap itself (or Orion, if you like) as a controller putting in DCSW - just the ability to use the passthrough function from VR.

And in that case I don't see it ever being an option for DCS World, which is a shame, but there ya go.

[wormeaten]

You can use Leapmotion only as windows mouse emulator instead of mouse.

[Johnny Dioxin]

Huh? :huh:

[Johnny Dioxin]

The Leap Motion devs are telling me we should Alt-Tab between DCS World and the VR Visualizer.

 

I'll give it a go and post results.

[funkyfranky]

Great! :thumbup:

[Johnny Dioxin]

Great news - I've fully tested this and it works just great!

 

Start the VR Visualizer before you start DCS World (I already had Oculus Home running) and go into your mission as normal. You can then simply Alt-Tab between DCS World and the VR Visualizer.

 

I tried making a recording, but I only got DCS World showing in it, but trust me - it works as advertised! :thumbup:

[hansangb]

Brixmis,

Question for you. So you're just using it as a passthru function outside of DCS, yes? Like pushing MFD (button boxes, pits etc) while flying?

 

Or are you talking about using your hands in DCS in lieu of the mouse?

[lobo]

Very interesting. I just tried this as Brixmis described above. It certainly allows you to have an infrared view of your real world immediate surroundings, projected via the leap motion, and viewed in the rift. Some comments:

 

1) It is outside of DCS. You are alt-tabbing between dcs and the visualizer.

 

2) What you see is exactly like in the video in first post of this thread.

 

3) Weird to be able to interact with real world while seeing your hands displayed as virtual objects.

 

4) Easy to make out keyboard, mouse etc. Hard to make out individual keys as you are viewing an infrared image.

 

5) Useful to find out, without taking the rift off, what you just banged your head into. Don't ask me how I know. (ok... it involves me, an A-10C with open canopy, trying to lean out of the cockpit enough to see the extended ladder, and a real world wall.)

Edited July 16, 2016 by lobo**

[hansangb]

Thank you Lobo.

[wormeaten]

It is pointless to use Leapmotion just as some sort of AR.

 

We need 3D positioning of the mouse cursor in 3D cockpit. Only then you will be able to use Leapmotion inside the DCS.

 

Leapmotion is open source and will be possible to make something similar for DCS but right now solution for such things not exist in DCS at all.

Problem is from proper 3D positioning mouse cursor benefit will have all players even those who using normal mouse.

Edited July 17, 2016 by wormeaten

[FoxDelta]

It is pointless to use Leapmotion just as some sort of AR.

 

We need 3D positioning of the mouse cursor in 3D cockpit. Only then you will be able to use Leapmotion inside the DCS.

 

Leapmotion is open source and will be possible to make something similar for DCS but right now solution for such things not exist in DCS at all.

Problem is from proper 3D positioning mouse cursor benefit will have all players even those who using normal mouse.

 

i totally agree, 3d mouse should be the next logical development step for VR-DCS!

[Johnny Dioxin]

The whole point of this exercise was just to try and use it as a 'pass-through' device, to be able to see what you are doing at your desk/office/man-cave without the need to remove the headset. It does that very well.

 

The possibilities of using Leap Motion for control in the sim has been discussed at length in other threads.

 

Personally, I feel the pass through effect is enough to justify the purchase - especially as it has been very much reduced in price recently, and can be used in cockpits in other sims.

 

The more use it will get, the easier it is to cough up the readies :)

 

**just a quick heads-up here; I was using my Rift and Leap Motion this morning in ambient temps of around 30°C and after about 20 minutes the Leap Motion sensor got so hot that it melted the adhesive on the tape and fell off my Rift. I could feel the heat through my shirt, when the sensor dangled down against it - and it was bloody hot.

 

I've removed it for now.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Brixmis

[JaBoG32_Prinzartus]

cv1 has no video camera. where ich s the pass through video coming from?

[lobo]

cv1 has no video camera. where ich s the pass through video coming from?

 

Leap Motion Sensor

 

https://www.leapmotion.com/

[lobo]

 

**just a quick heads-up here; I was using my Rift and Leap Motion this morning in ambient temps of around 30°C and after about 20 minutes the Leap Motion sensor got so hot that it melted the adhesive on the tape and fell off my Rift. I could feel the heat through my shirt, when the sensor dangled down against it - and it was bloody hot.

 

I've removed it for now.

 

Curious if you are using the Universal 2-piece curved VR Dev Mount? or did you have the sensor directly attached to the Rift?

[Johnny Dioxin]

Directly to the Rift.

 

The headset was just warm, but the Leap Motion sensor itself caused the issue. Whether it would be enough heat through the dev mount to cause the same problem, I've no idea.

 

As many people are using their own methods, they need to be aware of just how hot this thing gets. The velcro tape I am using is very strong stuff ( it came with a set of pedals as an alternative to screwing them down and is very strong).

[jay43]

Thats plasticiser migration induced by heat, basically the heat is reactivating the adhesive used on the back of the Velcro tape coupled with the PVC used in Rift shell the 2 are not compatible under heat stress.

Try to find a double sided tape that is heat resistant and suitable for PVC application.

Although looking at mine it has a dome finish so perhaps the clip is more contoured to fit better giving full footprint adhesion as opposed to say 50% due to the Leap being flat.

[TripRodriguez]

Hey guys, hope you don't mind the necro.

 

I was looking for exactly this, and hope it is still working.

 

All I want is the pass-through camera to quickly switch to this view so I can flip switches in my sim cockpit without being blind!

 

Ok, maybe that's not ALL I want, I'd rather be able to see my hands via Leap and flip the RL switches that are in the same locations as the in-game ones, but that is asking a bit much.

 

Trip

[Johnny Dioxin]

I don't see why it shouldn't still work.

 

From my experience you should have no problems operating your cockpit via the visualizer function - although it will also depend on some shade differences (contrast). If you have dark switches or knobs/dials on a dark panel, it may not be so easy to make out individual controls and vice-versa.

 

Although, I would guess seeing the panel would be enough - I'm sure you will know it well enough to be able to hit the switch every time, regardless.

 

By the way, I flip my switches and operate my MFDs by feel alone :)