Is it possible to use VR + MFCD export together?

[foobolt]

I am using Oculus Rift, VR is superb wonderful.

 

By the way, is it possible to use VR + MFCD export together?

I am a little cockpit builder, and the operation of physical switchs is also convenient in VR.

(I look through the nose gap of Oculus Rift and operate the switch)

 

However, in VR, the MFCD export of Monitor Settings seems to be ignored.

I want to manipulate MFCD of A-10 and ABRIS of Ka-50 with physical cockpit rather than clickable cockpit.

 

Can anyone help me?

[SkateZilla]

with Oculus Enabled, Monitor Configurations are Bypassed and the Graphics are Rendered directly to the Rift's Compositor.

 

 

So the Answer would be No.

 

You can Press Buttons on the MFD Frames, but Exporting Picture is a Nope.

 

unless you bypass the Oculus/SteamVR API and run in Stereoscopic Mode,

Which doesnt really support the rift all that well.

[foobolt]

Hi SkateZilla, thank you for your quick answer.

It is very sad for me that I can not export MFCD picuture with Rift...

 

So,does HTC Vive have the same limitation?

[SkateZilla]

Yes.

[foobolt]

I got it:cry_2:

Thank you for your answer!

[RoyMi6]

Use your physical switches but look at the MDF in your Rift?

 

That's essentially what I'm doing with the Warthog...

 

Also got to love these new problems that are coming up as this technology advances - I mean I see where you're coming from but you've got to admit that wanting to output screens to an real life MDF that duplicates the same information inside a totally VR simulated cockpit is a pretty first world problem :)

 

Saying that, if DCS would just add support for this we could perhaps have Microsoft Hololens supported greenscreen cockpits! :D I've changed my mind, I second this request!!

[NeilWillis]

I suppose if the MFCDs were positioned in the real world where they appear on the Rift screen when looking ahead and sitting back in your seat, you could just reach out and press buttons you see in the virtual world.

 

It had occurred to me to build a cockpit that way, and you'd not even need to bother with back lighting switches.

 

If you could reach out with your real hand to a virtual point in space, and feel a switch, it'd be pretty damn cool I think.

[RoyMi6]

I suppose if the MFCDs were positioned in the real world where they appear on the Rift screen when looking ahead and sitting back in your seat, you could just reach out and press buttons you see in the virtual world.

 

It had occurred to me to build a cockpit that way, and you'd not even need to bother with back lighting switches.

 

If you could reach out with your real hand to a virtual point in space, and feel a switch, it'd be pretty damn cool I think.

 

Exactly that, it works great with the Warthog throttle.

 

I've just got the most basic cockpit made out of unfinished wood, but in VR it doesn't matter at all - all that matters is the positioning, and it's spot on :)

[foobolt]

Currently, I am operating only the switch of TM MFCD which does not display the screen.

Setting the physical MFCD switch to the same position as MFCD of VR is certainly wonderful:lol:

[bpmorris]

Hi All,

 

I know this is an old thread but it describes exactly what I want to do. Is it still the case that DDIs cannot be exported to another monitor whilst in VR? It would be awesome to be able to flip up the headset and use the screens on occasion.

 

Thanks

[davidp57]

Just a quick remark : in the Harrier (and probably just in the Harrier), pressing the dedicated "export left MPCD" and "export right MPCD" keys will export the required MPCD image in a static position (to the up and right of your front canopy).

Quite useful if you ask me.

[Jax37]

I am also very interested in having MFD:s exported while still flying in VR. Anyone knows if there is a solution yet?

[hansangb]

Just a quick remark : in the Harrier (and probably just in the Harrier), pressing the dedicated "export left MPCD" and "export right MPCD" keys will export the required MPCD image in a static position (to the up and right of your front canopy).

Quite useful if you ask me.

 

 

You did this with VR? Or do you mean in general (i.e. with monitors)

[Bergison]

I have already wrote to ED about this, but no reply since weeks. Would be so useful to have a native possibillity for undockable 2D windows, also in VR!

[Bergison]

There is this new feature selectable in the VR settings tab:

VR Mirror Options:

Use DCS System Resolution

it now obviously allows using the set resolution for the VR mirror. Maybe exporting MFDs is now possible after all by assigning dedicated VR + MFD viewports in the MonitorSetup lua files?

[RoyMi6]

Awh man, can't belive I had forgotten about this! It wasn't too much of an issue for me at the time, but as the MFD functionality grows for the planes that have them I'm finding it pretty annoying having to look back and forth as I make more use of the buttons.

 

This has to be solveable. @SkateZillaany input on Bergisons idea?

[RoyMi6]

Oh snap @Bergison, you're on to something!

If I change the "use DCS system resolution" then suddenly the exports work... kinda... The problem is they seem to stay in the game window rather than rendering to the desktop itself, so you can see in my second screenshot that it's literally rendered like a 3D object.

I don't have a second monitor to test with at the moment - anyone else that's better at monitor lua configs want to have a poke? I've literally only started looking into this 2 hours ago!

 

For reference my .lua was as follows - with the one change that needed to be made to make it work appearing to be "VR -> VR Mirror Options -> Use DCS System Resolution"
 

_  = function(p) return p; end;
name = _('LMFCD+Camera+RMFCD-ROY');
Description = 'Left MFCD on the left,Right MFCD on the right and main display in the centre of one screen'
Viewports =
{
	Center =
	{
		x = 0;
		y = 0;
		width = screen.width;
		height = screen.height;
		viewDx = 0;
		viewDy = 0;
		aspect = screen.aspect;
	}
}
   --
LEFT_MFCD =
{
    x = 0;
    y = screen.height - 300;
    width = 300;
    height = 300;
}
   --
RIGHT_MFCD =
{
    x = screen.width - 300;
    y = screen.height - 300;
    width = 300;
    height = 300;
}

UIMainView = Viewports.Center
GU_MAIN_VIEWPORT = Viewports.Center

 

[Camble]

@RoyMi6 did you manage to make any progress with this? I've never been able to get the MFDs to render outwith the 1920x1080 virtual display that hovers in front of the pilot's head.

Edited October 7, 2021 by Camble

[RoyMi6]

@Camblenope, I gave up I'm afraid! I tried even creating a new viewport but never got it working 

 

[Gorn557]

And two years later, checking in... assume no one ever made any progress with this? 

[BigMongostyler]

 

On 8/13/2019 at 7:59 PM, Jax37 said:

I am also very interested in having MFD:s exported while still flying in VR. Anyone knows if there is a solution yet?

 

On 1/6/2023 at 8:16 PM, Gorn557 said:

And two years later, checking in... assume no one ever made any progress with this? 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to this

#Bump

I would be really interested aswell in this..
I could use that to add the exported mfds in my livestream
where the viewers can see the mfds permanent

 

or gett those mfd 2d mirrors on the 2nd or 3rd screen and re-captruer them

into vr with "example. OVR-Drop" to place them whereever i want and toggle them on/off..

 

 

Like a advanced Helmet Mounted Display.

Feel free to hit me up, when there is a solution for this 

 

 

 

[RoyMi6]

Since I gave up on this I don't have a second monitor to test (although not actually sure I would need it) but does anyone want to give this a try? @Camble @Gorn557@BigMongostyler

@SkateZilla - this VR_allow_MFD_out_of_HMD a recently added feature?

EDIT: Not sure if this is the same person making the request but they seem to have a very similar setup and the option has even been added in Helios: MFD export for VR · Issue #742 · HeliosVirtualCockpit/Helios · GitHub

Edited October 26, 2023 by RoyMi6

[SkateZilla]

2 hours ago, RoyMi6 said:

Since I gave up on this I don't have a second monitor to test (although not actually sure I would need it) but does anyone want to give this a try? @Camble @Gorn557@BigMongostyler

@SkateZilla - this VR_allow_MFD_out_of_HMD a recently added feature?

EDIT: Not sure if this is the same person making the request but they seem to have a very similar setup and the option has even been added in Helios: MFD export for VR · Issue #742 · HeliosVirtualCockpit/Helios · GitHub

 

AFAIK this isn't new,

This is essentially the same as making a custom monitor profile for Helios etc. ( lemme re-phrase, it is, adding the line allows one that uses Helios Profiles to continue using the same profile while using VR.)

The only thing the "VR_allow_MFD_out_of_HMD = true" line does is allow the monitor config to render the MFD Viewports overtop of the mirror, like when you run a 2D Screen.
You Set "VR Window Use DCS Resolution", set the res to all of you displays as normal. position the MFD Viewports as normal. (or just use your previous helios setup and monitor config).
You then export that part of the Screen to your MFD screens as normal..

Edited October 26, 2023 by SkateZilla

[RoyMi6]

@SkateZilla - I mean I suppose "new" is a relative term  We've been looking to do exactly this (export the MFDs so we can use cockpit displays in addition to VR) for 7 years... and this is literally the first time I've found this mentioned when I randomly started looking at this again. Your first response to this thread was that it wasn't possible and in 2021 I didn't come across anything to help. A Google search shows that this options isn't exactly being talked about widely... Suppose we're a bit of a niche userbase though  

Will hopefully get a chance to try tonight something tonight as screenshots from this thread also looking into this option (again on helio github Some viewports and instruments are transparent in VR · Issue #756 · HeliosVirtualCockpit/Helios · GitHub) seems to show that it can work with a single monitor for testing at least:

Note that the transparent background is an issue for some in this thread but you can change it to black in the helios settings from what I can see.

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by RoyMi6

[RoyMi6]

Confirmed last night that this does indeed work as advertised, i.e. added "VR_allow_MFD_out_of_HMD = true" to monitors.lua and making sure "Use DCS System Resolution" is checked in the VR settings in DCS (this is essential as I tried it without and it doesn't work without doing this)

What you're looking at is the three MFDs and just below that the RWR (the small green "N") but for some reason the black Helis background isn't working). But that are appearing in a static location on the monitor rather than in the virtual world, meaning they can be exported and used with external displays now.

It looks like you might need to follow the steps outlined here to give the RWR a background colour: 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by RoyMi6