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Snap Turns in VR


cdjung1

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There have been quite a few posts in recent years discussing the differences in utility between TrackIR and VR headsets for spotting aircraft coming from behind. In the current state of implementation TrackIR users are capable of performing a Linda Blair maneuver to turn their view a complete 180 degrees to the rear to see what is happening on their six. The ability to do this is unimpeded by any physics such as the number of g’s being pulled while changing views. For VR users sitting in a stationary chair that can’t swivel, the ability to look rearward is limited by how far you can turn your neck. This is argued to be more “realistic” by some on the forums, but this argument fails to take into consideration the limited field of view currently employed in most VR HMD’s. The majority of VR headsets have a field of view somewhere in the range of 90 degrees. Normal human field of view is around 180 degrees or more. (If you want to check for yourself, hold both index fingers in front of you and keep moving them until they are out of your peripheral vision.) Being able to look off your tail is essential for situational awareness. In VR with the limited field of view it requires some substantial gymnastics to get your body twisted to the point you can actually see back far enough to discern what is going on. Again, some argue this is more realistic, but for the over 50 crowd none of us want to have to wear a neck brace from using a simulator. For the time being a good work around is to turn your head in the opposite direction of where you want to look and hit the VR view reset button, then when you look in the direction you want to see you are getting close to that 180 degree view (90 degrees left + 90 degrees right). This works well, but it takes a couple of seconds to perform, and in the compressed time frames of air combat a couple of seconds can be a loooong time.

 

DCS has a system of setting snap views and those views thankfully can be set in VR, but there is a limitation when setting the view. The program will take note of movement in the horizontal, vertical, and lateral planes, but it does not record rotational position. What this means is that you can create a snap view position to the right or left of center, and forward of backward, but you cannot record a view that looks to the side or behind. This makes accessing some controls, like turning on the OBOGS in the F-18, difficult no matter where you create the snap view. Adding in the additional rotational degree of freedom would enable us to set up snap views to access difficult to see controls to the left rear and right rear in most of the complex cockpits we fly in. I don’t know from a programming perspective how difficult it would be to include this additional dimension, but the positional data from the headset is being collected to set the snap view right now so it seems adding an additional variable to include the needed degree of freedom would not be an impossible task.

 

In the alternative, adding the ability to snap turn would resolve the problem as well.

In the world of VR games teleportation is a common means of accomplishing movement. Often associated with that is the option to turn on smooth or snap turning. Smooth turning for the uninitiated in VR often results in nausea, but snap turns in increments of 20, 30, and 45 degrees are considered the comfortable option. Adding a snap turn command in VR for left and right turns would solve the problem of looking rearward, as well as the problem of seeing controls which are tucked in behind the pilot to the right and left. I suspect I’m not the only VR pilot who would find either solution a welcome addition to the DCS experience.

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