dodger42 Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 True you could do that too. Does anybody recall a project from a while back that projected video onto a dome in wich the cockpit sat? From memory it wasnt military/government, but some extreme hobbyist. No doubt a marriage breaker though! Something like this, but was more hobbyist: http://www.cae.com/www2004/Products_and_Services/Military_Simulation_and_Training/Equipment_and_Technology/Visual_Training_Solutions/Display_Systems/dome.shtml . . . Lockon Advanced Realism with Touch-Buddy
Fufunka Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 -Yes, I've posted some info about affordable immersive projections for sims a while ago: http://forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=7135&page=8&highlight=projection -And in other threads also posted about the *half/full dome - this option works best with software support, where you export the warped picture which could be cylindrical or composit of cubic projection/fishey. This is pretty easy supported by DirectX and OpenGL libraries, just few lines of code, but obviously no big game dev supports it at the moment since there is no "demand/market" for it. There were (hope still are downloadable) some ports for older versions of Unreal Tournament and Quake games with panorama and fishey capability though.. So if you have a little sheet of mylar mirror and pj give it a try.. (If you don't have a pj - you can use mylar mirror and cell phone/pda/gps with bright lcd for diy car HUD - that's another application of this technology - the curved image reflected from mylar decreases double vision/ghosts on the curved windshield in your car) http://forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=7135&page=7&highlight=bourke -- * from the hw side you need only cheap curved plastic mirror (mylar) and dlp or diy projector(s) = this could be pretty mainstream - no big budgets needed - but so far no interest from simmers in this area.. 1
Pilotasso Posted March 11, 2007 Posted March 11, 2007 INSTANT DIVORCE or sell a liver :tomato: You must be special by having more than one liver heh? :D .
Fufunka Posted March 11, 2007 Posted March 11, 2007 The new tripleH2go digital edition has got some bezel management to compensate for the distortion caused by lcd/monitor frame. Anybody knows whether the author of that software app. is planning to support similar feature? Benefits of Monitor Bezel Management: Real life simulation: http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/digital/home.php
Fufunka Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Got some spare 8800GTX? Well, what about put them into some serious work - SoftTH in 5760x1200 85Hz (1920x1200 on each monitor) - performance rFactor is 4x AA and 16x AF at 28 FPS.. Actually the texture limit of 8800gtx in directx is cca 8100x8100pixels.. Pictures, details: http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?p=334212#post334212 PS the Lockon/BS dev team should seriously look into the spherical, cylindrical projections as described on the previous page, the technology is here and frankly long overdue. We only need the little help on the code site (and most of the workflow and code is also known).. Even the simplest setup including one projector (could be diy style with long lamp life) and plastic curved mirror, plus mainstream PCI-E video card (8600/8800/1950) is within the budget of most of the simers and the immersion effect is like from NASA/mil grade spec simulators..
G3 Posted March 16, 2007 Author Posted March 16, 2007 totally agree on the mirror/dome/spherical projection. could the curving of the image be done seperate to the game and run as a graphics plugin as such? the domes themselves would be not that difficult to make, a round 6-8' frame with a plastic sheet drumskin style gradually filled with water to get the dome shape for example, then a mould made, who knows, if we had the software i will make the dome :D the small rounded mirror could possibly be: a half dome shaped mirror/reflective security camera cover or similar. and think of the space saving compared to a triple projector setup. it definately has potential and i would love to see it somehow intergrated into a future sim, or as a seperate program to curve a games normal output, flying a heli in a dome would be something to behold. fingers crossed, its out of my league :)
Fufunka Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 totally agree on the mirror/dome/spherical projection. could the curving of the image be done seperate to the game and run as a graphics plugin as such? :) ggg87> You can have it right now like the MSFS guys, basically a "passive system" but with little bit of distortion. Just take one pj (widescreen preferably), sheet of mylar mirror, curved projection screen, adjust your FOV in the settings and you are all set. As far as I understand it the best approach from fps/video fidelity standpoint though is to make those warping/edge blending/and adjusting calculations or what have you directly in the game engine. That's like in the Unreal/Quake in fisheye/panorama versions or as the mil. grade simulators work. Now, these effects could be applied also afterwards similarly to the "SoftTH" approach, this is doable within the DirectX environment but it will eat a bit more cpu/gpu resources. For instance you can render in your main video card "flat" FOV 120 surround image 3840x1024 or bigger (5760x1200 with nvidia 8800 cards is now possible), blend the connecting edges, and spit out those three different views for each monitor/projector.. Now if you hook it up with 3x XVGA-WUXGA aligned projectors (could be diy) you will get seamless panorama image (flat) with this edge blending technique. For higher fidelity additional effect must be applied like warp the image mesh accordingly to user selectable mode or projection (cylindrical, spherical), dimensions of projection screen etc. The simplest and perhaps most likely to be first adopted solution: ordinary PC/gpu, one pj and mirror curved projection type of setup could be implemented by the devs in no time. But again there is little or no interest in those features, I wonder why? Everybody seems to be completely consumed by the tiny details and specs. of military hw while this immersion factor is being neglected.. Btw., all the major info about the workflow and code have been linked before..
Styxx Posted March 17, 2007 Posted March 17, 2007 The new tripleH2go digital edition has got some bezel management to compensate for the distortion caused by lcd/monitor frame. Anybody knows whether the author of that software app. is planning to support similar feature? It has had it since the first version.
G3 Posted March 18, 2007 Author Posted March 18, 2007 Styxx, could you expand on this please, i have one of these units and to allow for the bezel edge i adjust the picture position on my left and right monitor towards the centre one, making diagonal lines etc line up, are you saying it can be done automatically giving? Fufunka, i have followed the discussions about the domes and curved screens with blending etc that you have posted before, i love the idea, especially the domes. i have a projector, would build a dome and get a mirror if i understood that we could do it for lockon. to warp the image mesh seperate to the game is what i am wondering. i wish i understood it enough to help make it come true :) currently the th2go, zoomed out to near normal view is just too demanding for my system so sacrifices are required in the graphics department. on the side screens you get some distortion and that interferes with your depth perception, for example looking at an airport from say 5miles @ 5k alt, it will appear to be closer on the left and right, and further away in the centre view, making you think you needed to turn in quicker when landing etc if you see a strip from the side view you quickly adapt but it would be much better if the depth of field could remain constant. point being: if we can have a partial dome, the same basic rectangular shape of the projectors resolution (16:9) along with the "remapped image mesh" to match the dome. i am guessing the above issues might be resolved? the dome pics posted earlier looked pretty bloody good... its all big screen talk i guess :) cheers for the discussion but we are getting of topic, lets continue this dome talk in a new thread, i will make one, please join me. back to topic: anyone tried the softwareTH ?
Recommended Posts