Windows Mixed Reality Discussion

[imacken]

Ah, you mean SteamVR Home, not Cliff House in WMR. Thanks. 
I’ve never seen a way of switching it off. 

[speed-of-heat]

Other than preference, what benefit does it have to turn it off?

[imacken]

Not really saying there is any benefit. I was just curious to hear that someone had been able to do it, but obviously not. 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

5 minutes ago, imacken said:

but obviously not

Yes it is turned off, like I said. I just don't remember which option exactly did the trick. I am very new to WMR and spent a lot of time testing stuff.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Raven (Elysian Angel)

[imacken]

1 minute ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

Yes it is turned off, like I said. I just don't remember which option exactly did the trick.

Sorry, I thought you said it was the SteamVR ‘house’ you turned off, not ‘Cliff House’ in WMR portal. 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

No worries. I just turn off everything I don't need.

18 minutes ago, speed-of-heat said:

what benefit does it have to turn it off?

I simply don't see the point of it, so I turned it off. It's not needed for DCS.

[speed-of-heat]

So it’s preference... fair enough

[imacken]

As far as I know, you can’t switch off WMR Cliff House.  If you know otherwise, please let us know how. 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Perhaps it's just the way I launch things that disabled Cliff House instead of me turning it off. I found this post:
How to skip Cliff House and go straight to SteamVR in Windows Mixed Reality | Windows Central

 

The way I launch DCS:
[spoiler]

- Open Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR via a desktop shortcut;

(- SteamVR launches automatically;)

- I walk to my setup, sit down and put on the headset;
- Inside the headset there is no Cliff House and no Steam House, but there is a window with a Play-icon which launches Cliff House when I click on it - I ignore that;
- I click on the X-button on the XBox controller, which brings up a window;

- I select "Desktop" which brings up a window with my desktop on it;
- I launch DCS by clicking on the icon with my controller;
- As soon as DCS is running, I close the desktop window which brings DCS to the foreground;

- I click the DCS window with RT to make sure it's active so I can use my mouse;

- Then I can do whatever within DCS.[/spoiler]

[imacken]

Ok, thanks for that. Sounds very complicated! I just put on my headset and click on a DCS icon in Cliff House which loads instantly and automatically. 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

54 minutes ago, imacken said:

click on a DCS icon in Cliff House

How did you get it there, if I may ask? My way may seem overly complicated, but it works. If it can be simplified, I'd love to find out how

[imacken]

I have a desktop window open whenever Cliff House loads, so I just click on the DCS (well, Skate’s DCS utility) icon with my mouse. 

[speed-of-heat]

same

[streakeagle]

Unlike Oculus software, WMR opens exactly the way I left it: with a Desktop window in front of me. I may have to click on the Desktop to get the image to begin actively refreshing, but from that point, it is just like being on the desktop. Also, unlike Oculus, WMR lets me use my mouse inside their environment, which is great since I don't normally use the VR controllers.

 

So, if I am sitting at my PC, all I do is put on my headset. WMR opens to my desktop. I click on the start menu button to expose all of my short cuts and proceed starting any required/desired applications from there:

Simshaker for Aviatiors to get my vibrating seat pad working,

VoiceAttack with VAICOM Pro,

SRS (though it may be configured to start when DCS starts anyway),

Discord if needed,

finally my DCS Open Beta VR shortcut created using the DCS Configuration Manager 3rd party tool. If I didn't want all that extra stuff, I could just click on this icon.

 

From that point, I see the SteamVR environment start up, which leaves me in the grid with the starry sky until DCS starts up as I have SteamVR home disabled.

 

The only problem I have with this setup is that when I exit DCS World, I am left in the SteamVR environment. So, I have to remove my headset briefly if I want to exit SteamVR and stay in WMR or if I want to restart DCS World. Otherwise, I just remove my headset and shutdown SteamVR first, then WMR.

 

If SteamVR remembered the desktop and/or used the mouse the way WMR does, I wouldn't mind going straight into SteamVR, but since WMR natively supports my way of doing business by opening from the start with a virtual desktop view and a functional mouse, it is my preferred VR interface.

 

 

[dburne]

2 hours ago, streakeagle said:

Unlike Oculus software, WMR opens exactly the way I left it: with a Desktop window in front of me. I may have to click on the Desktop to get the image to begin actively refreshing, but from that point, it is just like being on the desktop. Also, unlike Oculus, WMR lets me use my mouse inside their environment, which is great since I don't normally use the VR controllers.

 

So, if I am sitting at my PC, all I do is put on my headset. WMR opens to my desktop. I click on the start menu button to expose all of my short cuts and proceed starting any required/desired applications from there:

Simshaker for Aviatiors to get my vibrating seat pad working,

VoiceAttack with VAICOM Pro,

SRS (though it may be configured to start when DCS starts anyway),

Discord if needed,

finally my DCS Open Beta VR shortcut created using the DCS Configuration Manager 3rd party tool. If I didn't want all that extra stuff, I could just click on this icon.

 

From that point, I see the SteamVR environment start up, which leaves me in the grid with the starry sky until DCS starts up as I have SteamVR home disabled.

 

The only problem I have with this setup is that when I exit DCS World, I am left in the SteamVR environment. So, I have to remove my headset briefly if I want to exit SteamVR and stay in WMR or if I want to restart DCS World. Otherwise, I just remove my headset and shutdown SteamVR first, then WMR.

 

If SteamVR remembered the desktop and/or used the mouse the way WMR does, I wouldn't mind going straight into SteamVR, but since WMR natively supports my way of doing business by opening from the start with a virtual desktop view and a functional mouse, it is my preferred VR interface.

 

 

 

 

Dumb question - how to you get WMR to open to a desktop view?

[imacken]

15 minutes ago, dburne said:

 

 

Dumb question - how to you get WMR to open to a desktop view?

You just press the Windows button on one of the controllers, then press All Apps, then select Desktop.  Once opened it stays there.

Sorry to repeat myself, but my method of running DCS is:

- put on headset

- click on Cliff House desktop window

- click on Skateziilla's utility on the desktop, and there you have DCS running.

Edited December 28, 2020 by imacken

[dburne]

4 minutes ago, imacken said:

You just press the Windows button on one of the controllers, then press All Apps, then select Desktop.  Once opened it stays there.

Sorry to repeat myself, but my method of running DCS is:

- put on headset

- click on Cliff House desktop window

- click on Skateziilla's utility on the desktop, and there you have DCS running.

 

 

Why not just a DCS.exe shortcut?

Also do you use WMR for SteamVR beta?

Edited December 28, 2020 by dburne

[imacken]

12 minutes ago, dburne said:

 

Why not just a DCS.exe shortcut?

Also do you use WMR for SteamVR beta?

 

You mean outside of WMR?  If so, because you can get 6 DOF issues (and occasional mouse control issues) if not synced with WMR first.  Yes, it will work 90% of the time, and it all depends on your room setup etc., but I (and others) have never had an issue launching DCS from  a desktop window within Cliff House.  It's the same process, just a different order.

Yep, I always use betas as they have always been stable for me, and usually get features long before release versions. Bit like DCS, really!

EDIT: Maybe you meant using a DCS.EXE instead of Skate's utility.  I always have Skate's utility open on my desktop, so it's no odds to click 'launch' on it, or double click a DCS icon.  Skate's utility is invaluable, I think. You can choose to run different DCS versions, with different setups for VR or monitor, etc.  Repair, update, and many other things to DCS.

Edited December 28, 2020 by imacken

[freehand]

I cannot remember the last time I used a controller but if it works for some then all good.

 

 

[kengou]

Is it worth grabbing an Odyssey Plus headset only (lacking hand controllers) for cheap? I already have a nice trackir setup and I'm not dissatisfied with it. I've never tried VR except very brief demos of old systems and never in a flight sim. Is it that much better than trackir to be worth the purchase? I also have a GTX 1060 so I'm not expecting to be wowed by performance, either.

Edited December 30, 2020 by kengou

[freehand]

28 minutes ago, kengou said:

Is it worth grabbing an Odyssey Plus headset only for cheap? I already have a nice trackir setup and I'm not dissatisfied with it. I've never tried VR except very brief demos of old systems and never in a flight sim. Is it that much better than trackir to be worth the purchase? I also have a GTX 1060 so I'm not expecting to be wowed by performance, either.

If it's cheap yes I had one lovely colours & Blacks great for night flying make sure you have the "VR cover" you could buy separately for comfort and seals the headset from light. 

Edited December 30, 2020 by freehand

[markturner1960]

I have found that trying to click on the DCS icon in WMR using the controllers it’s really easy to make the icon disappear....? I don’t know where it goes, I have had to make a new icon and shortcut 2 or 3 times now. I usually start WMR, ( then stuff like VA, discord etc) click DCS icon, then put on the headset. Mostly, the mouse works as it should in VR but occasionally, I have trouble and have to quit out and start again. 

[imacken]

1 minute ago, markturner1960 said:

I have found that trying to click on the DCS icon in WMR using the controllers it’s really easy to make the icon disappear....? I don’t know where it goes, I have had to make a new icon and shortcut 2 or 3 times now. I usually start WMR, ( then stuff like VA, discord etc) click DCS icon, then put on the headset. Mostly, the mouse works as it should in VR but occasionally, I have trouble and have to quit out and start again. 

Mark, don't use the controllers for this, use the mouse.  Also, I recommend using Skate's utility for all things DCS. Much easier clicking on the 'Launch' button there than having to double click on a smaller icon.

[ShaunX]

If I may enter this discussion a little late..

 

Regarding start up order, I always startup VA with Viacom Pro BEFORE launching WMR because, as I have to have VA running as an administrator, if I launch WMR first and then run VA from a WMR desktop, I then have to remove my headset to click on the "Do you want this app to make changes to your Device?" window, which has blacked out my headset display. This is pain, because I now have prescription lenses fitted in my G2, which are excellent, but means when I take it off I'm essentially blind and have to fumble for my specs

 

I'm also having an irritating issue whereby it appears that VRAM is not always cleared when I exit a mission. If I start another mission without quitting DCS, my FPS tanks, and sometimes, even if I quit out to Steam VR, it's still not cleared and Steam VR glitches until I quit all the way to WMR

 

 

[speed-of-heat]

Set up Viacom to run as a scheduled task as administrator, create a shortcut to that task launch the short cut...

 

Elevated Program Shortcut without UAC Prompt - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums (sevenforums.com) works for 8 and 10 as well

Edited January 2, 2021 by speed-of-heat