Can anyone read cockpit instruments?

[imacken]

So, I got my new Rift yesterday to use in DCS, and I have very mixed emotions.

Firstly, the feeling of immersion is absolutely amazing. I really can’t explain to anyone who has not tried it how good it feels being ‘in the cockpit’. Difficult to look at a 2D monitor now!

However, my amazement has been tempered by the difficulty in reading cockpit instruments. Of course, I was aware of the fairly low res of VR, but I am surprised by the practical difficulties of it.

Setting the pit to 512 or 1024 doesn’t seem to make much difference either. In the A-10, the MFDs are almost unusable unless you’ve memorised the OSBs!

Is it just me that feels this? Is there something I can do to improve the situation?

[hansangb]

I don't really have any issues reading the OSBs, cockpits etc. Setting the texture to high and resolution to 1024 helps. But I also run at PD of 1.5. Finally, Rift has a sweet spot. So it's critical that you adjust the HMD so that you can use the sweet spot for HUD.

 

 

 

And then you can set a button on your joystick for VR Zoom. This helps greatly as well.

[imacken]

Thanks for that. I have texture set to high and the pit to 1024, and yes, the zoom makes a difference, but the MFDs on the A-10 are pretty much unreadable.

I have the display calibrated with the vertical and horizontal lines in Oculus Home.

I have been using PD of 1.0 as I thought that pushing it way up would have a huge effect on FPS, but I’ll try that when I get back later.

[Lensman]

Thanks for that. I have texture set to high and the pit to 1024, and yes, the zoom makes a difference, but the MFDs on the A-10 are pretty much unreadable.

I have the display calibrated with the vertical and horizontal lines in Oculus Home.

I have been using PD of 1.0 as I thought that pushing it way up would have a huge effect on FPS, but I’ll try that when I get back later.

 

Just pushing it up to 1.4 makes a huge difference to the readability of dials and small text for me. As has been said, finding the Rift's sweet spot is most important and you get there by adjusting the HMD to your face - up/down and twisting too. :thumbup:

[eaglecash867]

I'm using 2.0 pixel density, and as I found out yesterday, checking "Force IPD" and setting it to the IPD for my eyes (70 mm) made a difference in cockpit readability.

[Thick8]

I can read all my gauges, HUD, radio frequencies, and the MFDs from normal sitting position. I have to zoom for the CDU buttons and to better see the TAD. Long distance spotting is pretty good without zooming as well. I’m running 1.3 SS and 2xAA.

[sze5003]

When I was using my rift I used PD of 1.5 or 1.8 depending on the map or mission I was doing. Set textures to high and cockpit res to 1024 not 1024 every frame, as I didn't notice a difference.

 

I'm now using a Samsung Odyssey with a PD of 1.5 and I can see everything clearly in the A10c. I do have some trouble in the harrier since the text on those screens is smaller.

[jaxx_za]

In the default view, I cannot read the osbs either. But I also cannot see the complete HUD through the glass in this view either

 

So I zoom the view in somewhat (right shift, right Ctrl and num pad *) until I can see all the HUD marking, at which point I can read the osbs.

 

The side consoles are another issue - I cannot read any of the labels on the dials or button on the radios for eg, even with the VR zoom - not sure what's the cause.

 

I'm using 1024 textures, default VR setting with PPD of 1.8, and there's no ways I can go back to a monitor either.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[hansangb]

For HUD, this *may* still be applicable: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=172584

 

 

And I haven't tried this in a while, but it may work as well:

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=172910

[FragBum]

What you can read depends on the model and your settings of course.

 

Adjust the rift HMD there are a few adjustments to physically get the rift correct and this makes a difference on how sharp things appear.

 

set IPD

 

 

1, Height in front of your eyes using the band over the top.

 

2, Angle of the rift it's adjustable adjust height and the angle so you minimise colour fringing top and bottom of the rift display you'll notice this will also sharpen the image a lot.

 

Go through steps 1 and 2 a few times until you find the sweat spot, you should be able to get rid of the colour fringing pretty much all together and easily read the text at top and bottom of the rift display.

 

Also the Rift also does not need to be attached with the veracity of an alien face hugger. :D

 

GPU settings I'm finding PD @ 1.1 and MSAA @ and 4 AF @ 2, most everything else max except shadows flat only for now until there are some optimisations made in DCS.

 

If your into rotary I 110% recommend the Minigun Gazelle in left seat for VR immersion. Currently the NTTR map is the most efficient.

[dburne]

You can also assign VR Zoom to a button , it is in the UI Layer of the controller setup menu ( down below the module listing on the left ).

If I am looking at an instrument that is a little tough to read because of it's size, I just press and hold my assigned VR Zoom button.

 

I suggest setting this and also VR Re-center as well.

[Fri13]

Yes, at this moment the VR is not perfect, nor great or even good for reading cockpit instruments. Even when set perfectly to sweet spot (Oculus tool allows you to set it so) and setting all pixel density etc tricks in.

 

You can get close to good, but some just stays unreadable. So you need to memorize many things. And many has done so with long experience and they might not even realize that they can't see well but they recall things well. It is common thing in human nature as brains are in "automatic" and it can become feeling very simple and easy.

[FragBum]

For the helicopters the instruments are pretty good in VR??

[fitness88]

So, I got my new Rift yesterday to use in DCS, and I have very mixed emotions.

Firstly, the feeling of immersion is absolutely amazing. I really can’t explain to anyone who has not tried it how good it feels being ‘in the cockpit’. Difficult to look at a 2D monitor now!

However, my amazement has been tempered by the difficulty in reading cockpit instruments. Of course, I was aware of the fairly low res of VR, but I am surprised by the practical difficulties of it.

Setting the pit to 512 or 1024 doesn’t seem to make much difference either. In the A-10, the MFDs are almost unusable unless you’ve memorised the OSBs!

Is it just me that feels this? Is there something I can do to improve the situation?

 

 

 

+1...I hear ya! If graphic detail is what's important to you go with multi-monitors. If you're getting enough out of the VR immersion then you learn to accept the graphic limitations. Yes we can play with the controls/options but currently you'll never have the beauty of the DCS graphics as you do with monitors.

[Greyman]

Check the user downloads, as there are some alternative cockpit textures that make it easier to read the instruments in VR.

[Gizzy]

It comes down to your settings and that depends on your PC and GPU.

 

 

Running a OC 980ti and a OC i76700 I use a PD of 1.6, most setting max'ed, no MSAA and cockpit display set at 1024 (not every frame) and as a guide I have no difficulty reading the main instruments / MFDs in all aircraft.

 

 

 

I fly mainly all rotary wings and the 8AVNA & LC39L MP using airframe navigation (as in game all F10 map options are turned off) in VR with no issues..... so I use all the instruments all of the time....

 

Apart from the normal set-up alignment and adjustment of the rift / face angle to ensure 'sweet spot' sharpness, these options may help...

 

 

1. Map a HOTAS momentary button to your VR zoom.

 

 

2. Using your camera view controls, set 'your seat' at the correct distance from the cockpit panel. Most A/C defaults the seat is too far back, away from the instruments... with VR bring 'your self' forward. Look at the top of the in game joystick and naturally rest your hand on the top... if you 'feel' the real joystick top you are positioned correctly.

 

 

3. With some airframes the MFD displays are enhanced and larger in HUD view 'ALT F1' - A10C and Ka50 for example. This makes it easier to identify targets. Map 'ALT + F1' to a momentary button, it acts as a view on/off toggle

 

 

4. Use 'a couple of 'snapviews'. In VR you can assign different zoom and positioning of the 'pilot' view to snapviews. It is NOT like 2D, the screen is NOT frozen or static, you still have full head movement it is just the camera or pilot head position that is changed. Map these to a latching toggle switch.... just change your positioning for task.... i.e. for the Mi8 I have a view that is leaning outside of the pilots window and another for the side gunner to lean out of the side door.... helps in very tight landing spaces etc.... For the Ka50 I use one to get closer to the abris for configuration and another which sets me little closer to the Garmin in the Mi8, again for configuring... in use normal view as in 2 above, the positioning is just fine...

 

 

 

5. If you use spectacles for driving or distance work you need them in the rift. Keep them clean, if they have coating they attract muck like iron filings to a magnet. Clean them daily. For me, spectacles are uncomfortable in the rift but these are great......

 

 

Edited May 29, 2018 by Gizzy

[Fri13]

5. If you use spectacles for driving or distance work you need them in the rift. Keep them clean, if they have coating they attract muck like iron filings to a magnet. Clean them daily. For me, spectacles are uncomfortable in the rift but these are great......

 

Nope. If the person eye sight is good to 2m distance, then they don't need spectacles.

 

The HMD optics draws the panel to 2m distance, not to infinity. So many even with spectacles can use VR without any.

[farmertom]

For HUD, this *may* still be applicable: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=172584

 

This worked for me!!!Thank you :thumbup:

I am running DCS 2.5 release and the directory structure was slightly different but I figured it out.

[Falcaw]

Something that was an absolute game changer for me was to force the IPD setting to the same as my oculus rift. I have to push the IPD slider on my oculus all the way to the left and wish it would go a bit further. It then says 59mm distance used. SO I set the IPD in dcs to this. Wow the biggest single difference I have ever made in readability of the instruments.

[fitness88]

Some cockpits are more clear than others. The F-18 so far for me is the clearest! I can read most of the button/dial labels w/o zoom. I'm not having any problems reading the gauges and with the clarity of the 3 displays and all the info you can assign them, it makes all the difference, rarely use the zoom.

[Supmua]

I have a Vive Pro/NVIDIA 1080, but the visuals and crispness of the textures in the new PG map on high settings high FPS on a regular monitor are so good they absolutely crush the VR counterpart.

 

I’m going to stick with TrackIR for the time being since at least for now I prefer optimal graphic quality to immersion.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dburne]

Some cockpits are more clear than others. The F-18 so far for me is the clearest! I can read most of the button/dial labels w/o zoom. I'm not having any problems reading the gauges and with the clarity of the 3 displays and all the info you can assign them, it makes all the difference, rarely use the zoom.

 

Agreed, the F/A-18 cockpit is spectacular in VR.

[VirusAM]

Hopefully it is done with VR in mind from the beginning...

Anyway someone with vive pro or Samsung Odyssey...what are the performance in VR vs 2d screen?and what about picture clarity?

[dmwierz]

With an Odyssey, using the momentary-contact VR Zoom button, I can read every single letter and number on everything in the cockpit. Even without using the VR Zoom, I can read all of the needles on the instruments, and if I want to look closer, I just look at the instrument or location, VR Zoom in, and everything is clear.

[sze5003]

Hopefully it is done with VR in mind from the beginning...

Anyway someone with vive pro or Samsung Odyssey...what are the performance in VR vs 2d screen?and what about picture clarity?

I have an odyssey and a rift. Ever since I got the odyssey the rift has been in the closet. Performance wise one of my buddies did some testing today after the latest patch to beta and he said fps is locked to 48 no matter what changes he does in graphics settings. I haven't tested this myself but he mentions in other VR games like Skyrim and Onward he gets 90fps.

 

Visuals in the Odyssey are very clear. The hornet cockpit is way better than the rest of the modules in VR. I was amazed at how I didn't have to lean in at all. I'm using mostly high settings except for shadows and pixel density of 1.5. Msaa x2. Haven't checked my fps but it's very smooth gameplay wise.

 

Visuals on the odyssey are much sharper and it's half the price of the vive pro ( they have the same lenses).