MFD export in VR possible?

[Farside24]

Up, need help about this

Here is a VR screenshot (the actual kneeboard is only visible on miror but not in VR)

Any idea how to fix this?

[Ditch]

On 3/4/2025 at 11:21 AM, Farside24 said:

- Kneeboard (in-game default one) is now transparent (there only is the frame of the kneeboard but no content, I can see through)

Yes I also have this issue. Forced to move fully to Open Kneeboard.

[SizzlingPopcorn]

On 12/3/2024 at 8:52 PM, Ditch said:

OK I got it to work!!!

I never gave up and finally found the solution from YouTube Channel - The Watrhog Project "How I set up mixed reality in DCS"

I was simply missing the block stating that my VR was to mirror to a specific location.

For me:
VR_MIRROR =
    {
        x = 0;
        y = 0;
        width = 3840;
        height = 2160;
    }

My Monitor and 3 MFDs are laid out from left to right. eg, main monitor, mfcd1, mfcd2, mfcd3.

 

If you want to copy what I've done to get it working....

If not existing, create folder .\Saved Games\DCS\Config\MonitorSetup or .\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\MonitorSetup

Create a .LUA file in that folder, name it what you wish. Mine is called MyVRsetup.lua

Content of my Working LUA file:
 

_  = function(p) return p; end;
name = _('My VR Screens'); -- Name shown in DCS dropdown menu
Description = 'VR to main monitor and 3 working WinWing MFDs' -- Description

Viewports =
{
	Center =
	{
		x = 0;
		y = 0;
		width = 3840;
		height = 2160;
		aspect = 1.7777777777777777;
	}
}

VR_MIRROR =
	{
		x = 0;
		y = 0;
		width = 3840;
		height = 2160;
	}
	
UIMainView = Viewports.Center
GU_MAIN_VIEWPORT = Viewports.Center
VR_allow_MFD_out_of_HMD = true

LEFT_MFCD =
{
	x = 4616;
	y = 256;
	width = 752;
	height = 762;
}

RIGHT_MFCD =
{
	x = 5384;
	y = 256;
	width = 752;
	height = 762;
}

CENTER_MFCD =
{
	x = 3848;
	y = 256;
	width = 752;
	height = 762;
}

You may need to adjust your 'monitor' locations for your own setup. There is a lot of detail around on how to achieve this.

 

Launch DCS... Options > System > Monitors "My VR Screens"
Set the resolution and in turn ratio to match full stretch of all screens. eg for me this is 6144x2160 (128:45)

NOTE! the Winwing or monitors seem to have a 8-16px buffer between the screens, note my center MFCd starts at 3848 and not 3841. You may need to play around with this.

Options > VR > VR Mirror Options "Use DCS System Resolution"

Hit OK.

relaunch in VR.

You can still use SimAppPro for the buttons and lights, just don't touch the display settings area.

Very happy to have this working and I hope this solution works for you.

I could not find the VR_MIRROR block info anywhere else online. Id love to witness the source.

This worked great! Thank you!

Edited September 14 by SizzlingPopcorn

[Willie Nelson]

Apropos of nothing, I like this idea: 

https://www.loftdynamics.com

Using QR codes and mixed reality to combine the best of both worlds. It could be feasible for DCS to do it one day. I don’t expect this is in any way on ED’s radar as yet but it’s plausible at some point, albeit, you’re depending on pretty high spec headsets with good LIDAR pass through and QR code scanning capacity. For mist users we’re not really there yet. 
 

One can always fantasise. 

[sleighzy]

Had another user also encounter this issue with the DCS Kneeboard being transparent, just the tabs etc. displayed. Would be good to know if and how other folk who've hit this managed to resolve it, if at all.

[666]

On 12/4/2024 at 8:52 AM, Ditch said:

OK I got it to work!!!

I never gave up and finally found the solution from YouTube Channel - The Watrhog Project "How I set up mixed reality in DCS"

I was simply missing the block stating that my VR was to mirror to a specific location.

For me:
VR_MIRROR =
    {
        x = 0;
        y = 0;
        width = 3840;
        height = 2160;
    }

My Monitor and 3 MFDs are laid out from left to right. eg, main monitor, mfcd1, mfcd2, mfcd3.

 

If you want to copy what I've done to get it working....

If not existing, create folder .\Saved Games\DCS\Config\MonitorSetup or .\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\MonitorSetup

Create a .LUA file in that folder, name it what you wish. Mine is called MyVRsetup.lua

Content of my Working LUA file:
 

_  = function(p) return p; end;
name = _('My VR Screens'); -- Name shown in DCS dropdown menu
Description = 'VR to main monitor and 3 working WinWing MFDs' -- Description

Viewports =
{
	Center =
	{
		x = 0;
		y = 0;
		width = 3840;
		height = 2160;
		aspect = 1.7777777777777777;
	}
}

VR_MIRROR =
	{
		x = 0;
		y = 0;
		width = 3840;
		height = 2160;
	}
	
UIMainView = Viewports.Center
GU_MAIN_VIEWPORT = Viewports.Center
VR_allow_MFD_out_of_HMD = true

LEFT_MFCD =
{
	x = 4616;
	y = 256;
	width = 752;
	height = 762;
}

RIGHT_MFCD =
{
	x = 5384;
	y = 256;
	width = 752;
	height = 762;
}

CENTER_MFCD =
{
	x = 3848;
	y = 256;
	width = 752;
	height = 762;
}

You may need to adjust your 'monitor' locations for your own setup. There is a lot of detail around on how to achieve this.

 

Launch DCS... Options > System > Monitors "My VR Screens"
Set the resolution and in turn ratio to match full stretch of all screens. eg for me this is 6144x2160 (128:45)

NOTE! the Winwing or monitors seem to have a 8-16px buffer between the screens, note my center MFCd starts at 3848 and not 3841. You may need to play around with this.

Options > VR > VR Mirror Options "Use DCS System Resolution"

Hit OK.

relaunch in VR.

You can still use SimAppPro for the buttons and lights, just don't touch the display settings area.

Very happy to have this working and I hope this solution works for you.

I could not find the VR_MIRROR block info anywhere else online. Id love to witness the source.

Thanks heaps!!!! this worked for me too! Has anyone got any ideas as to why all 3 screens load up perfectly for the F18, F15SE, Apache but for the F16 only the top 2 screens load and the HSI doesnt display on the centre and the F14 screens dont work at all? 

[666]

23 hours ago, sleighzy said:

Had another user also encounter this issue with the DCS Kneeboard being transparent, just the tabs etc. displayed. Would be good to know if and how other folk who've hit this managed to resolve it, if at all.

Just tried this after reading your post and can confirm this is the case for me....possible fix might be OpenKneeboard which could possibly offer a solution to this? 

[sleighzy]

13 hours ago, 666 said:

Just tried this after reading your post and can confirm this is the case for me....possible fix might be OpenKneeboard which could possibly offer a solution to this? 

OpenKneeboard covers the majority of the use cases so all good there. The one in particular which was raised externally was the Vaicom kneeboard page however. This uses a bunch of lua code, although is displayed as another tab within the standard kneeboard, so not static content. Don't think OpenKneeboard handles that one unfortunately.

I'll do some further testing around that one.

Edited September 25 by sleighzy

[MAXsenna]

On 9/25/2025 at 10:05 AM, 666 said:

Thanks heaps!!!! this worked for me too! Has anyone got any ideas as to why all 3 screens load up perfectly for the F18, F15SE, Apache but for the F16 only the top 2 screens load and the HSI doesnt display on the centre and the F14 screens dont work at all? 

The HSI in the Viper is not exported by default, so you have to edit, (or use Helios to edit the files for you),  the correct files in the core which breaks IC. In the Tomcat you have to use the provided names I guess.

Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

Edited September 30 by MAXsenna
Added text

[SKYWARRIOR]

Hi yes this is a fantastic thread. I am contemplating going vr and have wing wing ddi and hud plus To panel etc etc Now I can maybe think I have a chance of getting this lot to work in VR / reality.

Thank you

[SKYWARRIOR]

Hi, another naive question as I am looking at the Q3 range now having soaked up many of the above comments. For dedicated DCS sim and not living room tennis, is it necessary to have 128 gb or 512 gb unit and do I need the hand controllers or a battery pack if I am seated in one spot with DCS sim ?

Thank you 

[Phantom711]

vor 6 Stunden schrieb SKYWARRIOR:

is it necessary to have 128 gb or 512 gb unit

The storage is completely irrelevant for PCVR, so you can pick the cheapest version.

vor 6 Stunden schrieb SKYWARRIOR:

do I need the hand controllers or a battery pack

I think it always comes with hand controllers anyways. You could go without them, but if you want to see your desktop at some point between games to…I don‘t know…change a windows setting somewhere without lifting your headset, you need the controllers simply to turn that desktop view on.

Edited October 1 by Phantom711

[Ditch]

On 10/1/2025 at 9:04 PM, SKYWARRIOR said:

Hi, another naive question as I am looking at the Q3 range now having soaked up many of the above comments. For dedicated DCS sim and not living room tennis, is it necessary to have 128 gb or 512 gb unit and do I need the hand controllers or a battery pack if I am seated in one spot with DCS sim ?

Thank you 

However, If you ever want to do pass-through for MIPs etc, you need to 512GB version as the others cannot do it.
EDIT: Went to check where I sourced this information from and cannot find it. Sorry I did not sight it in this post. This now required verification.

I'm doing this as I type this. Here because new headset messed up all my monitors

Edited Sunday at 11:35 PM by Ditch

[SKYWARRIOR]

1 hour ago, Ditch said:

However, If you ever want to do pass-through for MIPs etc, you need to 512GB version as the others cannot do it. I'm doing this as I type this. Here because new headset messed up all my monitors

Hi Ditch and good job I asked because I want pass through to try and use my Wing Wing screens and UFC to the full as they are so good in real life once you have figured out how to use them. This was not in my experience as easy as it should have been because Windows 11 for me refused to keep the monitor position ( in the Display section) for Sim app pro to refer to it and the DDIs had desktops and were angled  and the desktop extended over their screens as well. So I have solved this using a program called "Display Fusion" which controls monitor position and task bars among other things, plus of course I use the process of a mask and filter to enhance the brilliance of the actual info on the DDI screens. It has taken a long time and aggravation to get this all to work reliably so my footsteps forward to VR are small ones.

You can see if I am to use these DDI's with bright screens I also have to get the above to integrate with your suggestions. Do you have advice or experience in my specific type of set up . I think you do as your knowledge seems excellent but I am seeking  reassurance that I am not going down another dark tunnel of IT stuff that I am not trained in.

Thank you for your advice its appreciated

[Ditch]

For interest sake. I now have the exact same MFD export and pass-through working on my Quest 3 using the exact same settings. However, the trick was to uncheck the in headset virtual desktop Streaming option for "Use Optimal Resolution"
 

[SKYWARRIOR]

On 10/3/2025 at 7:26 AM, Ditch said:

For interest sake. I now have the exact same MFD export and pass-through working on my Quest 3 using the exact same settings. However, the trick was to uncheck the in headset virtual desktop Streaming option for "Use Optimal Resolution"
 

Hi I am so nervous about this as my Windows tech experience is very basic . Does your reply mean you have the same Wing Wing set up as me ?  I saw the use of Helios in the Whart hog video so does that mean I will be watching Helios generated DDI screens or pass through DDI;s with Re shade enhancement . Getting that lot to coordinate fills me with horror especially if I have to use Dispaly Fusion to adjust the screens! I wont be using my big bendy Coursair which is set to 3840 x 2160   but i will be using the WingWig screens with the size you specified . Does windows put task bars on the DDI'S ?  Since they now not related to a large viewing screen for position does the display setting in Windows become easier.  I am sorry if this all sounds negative but I have had serious problems with window positioning in my current set up and it does not seems to have been reported much on the forum so I can only conclude I and an isolated case or not too many are using the full Wig Wing set up . Sorry so many questions . Is there a step by step video or article which is baby steps to setting this up as above ?

Thank you

Hi, I have already posted this on another thread but for clarity this is my set up and shows what I refer to

[MAXsenna]

13 hours ago, SKYWARRIOR said:

does that mean I will be watching Helios generated DDI screens or pass through DDI;s

Neither. Helios does not "generate" the exports. Neither is WW or other software. The exports are pure from ED/DCS and are defined in the monitor.lua, in which you have to edit to have exports in VR. 

Helios, WW etc software can help you generate that file, but not for VR. That's why you need to manually edit it.

Cheers! 

[SKYWARRIOR]

Hi Max. We have spoken in the past and it was about connection speed which funnily enough 9 months after requesting 1 G it will be fitted on the 10th Oct so it shows what an advanced country the UK is now !

The Wharthog video is well explained in some respects but I am still confused with Helios. So is it possible for some basic advice of the steps required to install a Quest 3 for DCS only and no living room table tennis required.

I have tried for instance to connect my headset with Quick link and its stuck on a connection window for an office use unit !! Is this the best program to use for me or is it hard wire which I can do. 

So: 1) Connect headset hard wire. 2 ) Create a Meta account ( you dont need "Horiion ...??? Or should I be using virtual desk etc etc etc .Ie Baby steps as the whole process is not designed just for us its designed to sell Meta software which may not be needed for my particular purpose.. 

Why Oh Why do DCS not produce a plug ad play program that exports all of this stuff properly instead of it being like Mocrosoft sim 9 with endless work around  they have VR settings in controls etc but dont follow through with the rest !

 

 

[Phantom711]

Am 2.10.2025 um 09:30 schrieb Ditch:

However, If you ever want to do pass-through for MIPs etc, you need to 512GB version as the others cannot do it.

Sorry, but can‘t resist to follow up on this….and just out if curiosity. Why would this be the case? All Q3 can do passthrough.

Or is that some requirement that comes with using Virtual Desktop and Open Kneeboard  in order to get a Mixed Reality cockpit.

Edited October 7 by Phantom711

[MAXsenna]

5 hours ago, SKYWARRIOR said:

Hi Max. We have spoken in the past and it was about connection speed which funnily enough 9 months after requesting 1 G it will be fitted on the 10th Oct so it shows what an advanced country the UK is now !

Yes I remember! I've moved, and have been waiting for fiber for nine months myself. They are planning to start digging this October.  

Unfortunately, I cannot be much of help with VR. 

5 hours ago, SKYWARRIOR said:

Why Oh Why do DCS not produce a plug ad play program that exports all of this stuff properly instead of it being like Mocrosoft sim 9 with endless work around  they have VR settings in controls etc but dont follow through with the rest !

Yeah, and like that other F-16 sim where setting up exports is a breeze... 

Cheers, and best of luck get everything up and running!  

[SKYWARRIOR]

Well at the moment I am not sure what direction to go in . I have the headset Q3 and it took one and half days to get it paired since the software seemed to get stuck on a business connection frame. I then discovered via Meta chat that this is overcome by a factory re set which is described in some site intsructions as a last resort having consequences. The consequence was that it paired, and I am cable attached. I did also buy the BoBo headframe with a battery and can if necessary go wi fi but cable is good for me as all of my computers are cabled wired and this to me eliminates any possible wifi glitches. 

However with my physical instruments as shown in the photo I cannot make out which is the best way forward. I really want to retain the ability to use these as I do now or I might even just go back to the 2D set up i currently have 2D working after endless hassle getting Windows to keep screen positions ( Now solved with a bolt on program ) So what am I asking here:

What programs and stages do I need to complete my wish if in fact its at all possible ? All help welcome and appreciated.  

Maybe DCS might think of a proper pass through syatem which would I am sure make VR on DCS much more attractive to many more hopefuls. Here's hoping !

 

Edited Thursday at 10:59 AM by SKYWARRIOR

[Phantom711]

vor einer Stunde schrieb SKYWARRIOR:

Maybe DCS might think of a proper pass through syatem which would I am sure make VR on DCS much more attractive to many more hopefuls. Here's hoping !

This would be on Metas part to make it happen, not ED.

I doubt, that DCS has access to the passthrough feature of Metas headsets. 

You need to step back and see the big picture here: how many people play in VR? How many of them have a headset that offers at least „good enough“ passthrough quality? How many of those have peripherals that are arranged in an almost replica-cockpit style that would make mixed reality even an option?

You can get mixed reality working with virtual desktop and open kneeboard though.

And also you can activate/deactivate passthrough by double-tapping on your headset if you just need the passthrough momentarily.

[SKYWARRIOR]

"This would be on Metas part to make it happen, not ED." 

I was wrong in saying pass thru I actually meant export the monitor data for the gauges and screens from DCS to enable us to use the pass thru system to full use without the cheats and trick of other programs. Sorry for that

[SKYWARRIOR]

I  would ask for a little advice on the following please: 

I am not sure that the VR is the thing for me at the moment as I may be expecting more than it can deliver for ny expectations re all of the above debate.  I have however, noticed that returning to the excellent oled 42" Corsair screen that I once thought was impeccable seems to have a slight ghost image of micro proportions (alhtough I have noticed it) around the lettering on the screen in menus etc.

Now I did not save my setting which of course is stupid and am not sure in re setting these for the 2D screen I have overlooked a setting that might cause this ? Or of course it may be the astonishingly crisp nature of VR has spoiled me during the last days in  my opinion of the 2D display of lettering. I have been through the settings a number  of times but cannot find the culprit. Any suggestions welcome as restarting my game every time involves screen position settings and is not as straight forward as I would like it to be. Thats another story as conveyed on this forum  

Edited Saturday at 10:07 AM by SKYWARRIOR

[SKYWARRIOR]

Decision made to rerun to 2D and screens for instruments and my current set up. As you can see from the spec its a pretty powerful beast so I decided for once to give it a try with everything set to MAXIMUM. I have so far followed others recommendations and thinking that MAX was not possible.

Well I found out that it is. It runs my 42" Corsair Exnon  2x 27 Dell  one either side for Discord and icons etc plus the whole Wing Wing set up of DDI's and UFC and PTO 2 , Throttle with extras plus a Throttle block from W/Wing.  No problem and I have never seen it quite like this before. The only lag I get is in the on screen DDI when I am wing tip vertical and pulling max G to avoid missile. The picture within the on screen DDi is just a little juddery but the cockpit is is all stable. I dont care about this anyway as I am looking at the W Wing instruments in front of me. 

So that is what made my decision, together with the too complex set up related to actual instruments and stiil unstable Windows display software unable to keep a track ot the monitors in the first place. So its back to ebay and thank you all for your input and advice its appreciated