Request: Leap Motion for operating switches etc. in VR

[TripRodriguez]

Hey guys, would it be possible for our awesome modding community to get leap motion hand tracking enabled for operating in-cockpit controls?

 

This has already been done by FlyInside for MSX and P3D:

Demo:

Explanation and scaling factor:

2nd half of vid

 

This would be very much appreciated by all the VR flyers in DCS!

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Trip

[Einherjer]

Would love it, because it works great for me but it was often requested and we never get an answer, sadly

[TripRodriguez]

If ED isn't interested, would someone be able to make a mod? I for one would pay at least $30 for it, probably even $50 plus if I had to.

[skarden]

I too would very happily pay for this, ED seem to be quite uninterested in this for some unexplained reason, the level of immersion this would add to this great sim would be incredible.

 

Didn't ED add a hand model for use with the vive/touch controllers at some point? maybe that's a stepping stone of something that they're working on in the background.

[TripRodriguez]

He'll I've got touch! I want more info on the hand model work!

 

Agree it's odd the devs who put so much into fully functional cockpits would show no interest in utilizing this tech.

[TripRodriguez]

@DigitalEngine I've been back and forth on building a pit for use with my Rift but being blind means only easy to find controls that you don't have to fumble for are immersive this way.

 

I say this based on the A-10C with a Thrustmaster Warthog throttle. When you are looking right at the switch in the sim and have to bump your way around to find the right one on the panel it ruins the effect.

 

I'm still considering it mind you, I think I'm going to build one P-51 panel and if I like it keep going. It's a lot more likely to be enjoyable with a plane that the controls aren't too cluttered in.

[Fri13]

Leap motion costs like $25 so it is cheapest controls you can buy, and it isn't just for VR but for a every TRACKIR user as well!

 

All that is needed is:

A) a virtual hand that moves based the controller

B) a circular pointer that moves based controller

 

You can have a two modes, free that you need to calibrate or a sticky that you can enable so it moves from virtual control to an another.

 

Any ways, of you keep hand still and move head, the cursor/circle didn't move as one option, another is that you can make it move with deadzone from view change.

 

It is amazing this ain't integrated already to system.

[TripRodriguez]

As big a success as it's been with FlyInside it is surprising that ED has not taken note. Still if ED won't do it we have to be able to get a DCS modder to do it no?

 

We will pay!

[Los]

I have been flying in vr exclusively since it came out and have a decent cockpit built and set up for vr. I have a warthog which already has about every switch I need on it, and I have two mfds as well that gives me more switches.i haven't found any issue in finding the right switch when I need it and I have my mouse readily available if I need it. A sim shaker completes the ensemble.

 

My favorite thing is, after I land I pop open my canopy then switch on the fan to my right. My cockpit comes up to about where the sides are in the virtual ac, so I put an elbow out and I feel the breeze as I look out there in vr.

 

I should add that part of preflight it to hit escape, go into control setup and feel my way through the controls reinforcing muscle memory,since I fly multiple ac.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Los

[MikeMikeJuliet]

This might not be because ED wouldn't implement such a feature but rather because they are neck deep in merging 1.5 and 2.0, fixing a ton of bugs that seem to appear at every single turn, trying to finish Normandy and re-do the new Caucasus version and get the F/A-18 out...

 

All this while also working on military contracts.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I would very much like to see this in the sim but we have to be patient. VR and motion controls are still at their infancy (despite motion controls having been around for quite a while) and thus I believe ED have their focus on improving the core sim.

 

After all this juggling with multiple versions of the game has ended and DCS is again a stable product we might start seeing all new features with latest tech. I don't think it to be wise to try to implement such things to multiple versions if it isn't an absolute must.

 

 

Regards,

MikeMikeJuliet

Edited January 12, 2017 by MikeMikeJuliet

[TripRodriguez]

Los, I didn't mean that finding the switches is a problem, only that it's less immersive for the fact that you have to find the switches etc. by feel rather than look at the switch and put your hand right on it as you would in real life.

[TripRodriguez]

This might not be because ED wouldn't implement such a feature but rather because they are neck deep in merging 1.5 and 2.0, fixing a ton of bugs that seem to appear at every single turn, trying to finish Normandy and re-do the new Caucasus version and get the F/A-18 out...

 

All this while also working on military contracts.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I would very much like to see this in the sim but we have to be patient. VR and motion controls are still at their infancy (despite motion controls having been around for quite a while) and thus I believe ED have their focus on improving the core sim.

 

After all this juggling with multiple versions of the game has ended and DCS is again a stable product we might start seeing all new features with latest tech. I don't think it to be wise to try to implement such things to multiple versions if it isn't an absolute must.

 

 

Regards,

MikeMikeJuliet

 

I agree, which I why I posted this in mods and apps. I'm hoping someone might do it as a community mod.

[MikeMikeJuliet]

On a side note: does leap motion support using multiple sensors? I got to try it a couple of weeks ago and it felt less than optimal as a handtracking solution for tasks requiring precision. Also you can very easily block the camera from seeing your full hand, resulting in glitchy behavior of the virtualized hand.

 

Regards,

MikeMikeJuliet

[SinusoidDelta]

I believe the sensor is mounted on the front of the rift/vive for flyinside which uses the leap motion sensor and sdk: https://gallery.leapmotion.com/flyinside/

[TripRodriguez]

Correct, face mounted sensor is the way to go, though multiple sensors I'm sure would be better. Hell, hard mounted sensors to show your hand in relation to a physical sim cockpit so you can flip real switches without feeling around to find them would be ideal!

[SinusoidDelta]

Did you check out the video? That's basically what flyinside has at the moment

[GottHold]

I guess you could easily make some tables of each position of each switch.

Then you could transform your vive pos and leap pos together and toggle a macro activating the function you wished. The only problem with that is, you dont get any feedback whether your hand touches anything or not.

You could program most of the things outside of DCS running next to it but i would prefer learning a way how to insert certain 3d models in the cockpit from the programming layer and how to manipulate switches from there. Somebody has some info on that?

[TripRodriguez]

@sinusoiddelta I very specifically mentioned and even linked FlyInside in the OP.

 

@gotthold FlyInside already has this functionality so we know it is possible! It even works with every P3D and FSX airplane as far as I know so I assume it doesn't need to be individually mapped to each plane but is able to extract needed info on working switches from the sim software.