Fix the loading screen in VR

[gbechtinger]

Seems that the loading screen locks the render thread. For non-VR users this is ok, but for VR this is very bad because the image of each eye lost sync, hangs and gives a far from ideal experience. Openxr show an hourglass when this happens. I'm using the quest 2.

Edited August 9, 2023 by gbechtinger

[Moxica]

That would be nice.
Also, kinda on topic, the black screens often make me wonder if DCS actually did start. 
Off with the headset to check monitor to see the logo.
Please send some info during startup to VR rig.
..if possible.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Moxica

[Gunfreak]

3 minutes ago, gbechtinger said:

Seems that the loading screen locks the render thread. For non-VR users this is ok, but for VR this is very bad because the image of each eye lost sync, hangs and gives a far from ideal experience. Openxr show an hourglass when this happens. I'm using the quest 2.

 

I mean just don't watch the loading screen? When I load missions I just put the headset on my forehead and look at my phoen for the 10-30 seconds the loading takes. 

[obious]

+1

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

On 8/9/2023 at 11:07 AM, gbechtinger said:

For non-VR users this is ok, but for VR this is very bad because the image of each eye lost sync, hangs and gives a far from ideal experience

I'm pretty sure that's only the case for Oculus headsets. WMR ones don't suffer from that: my G2 for example doesn't show loading screens at all: there's just blackness until I'm in-game.

[Germane]

+1

[Chief_Biv]

My G2 seems to have that problem. I cant wear the headset until I am in the hanger properly.

[draconus]

On 8/12/2023 at 7:12 PM, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

my G2 for example doesn't show loading screens at all

There are 2 loading stages. When you run a mission there's a short first stage up to the briefing - we get the distorted/desynchronized image in this stage. In the second stage there is black screen with the hourglass (it's fine). So you have black screen for both stages?

[Gunfreak]

45 minutes ago, draconus said:

There are 2 loading stages. When you run a mission there's a short first stage up to the briefing - we get the distorted/desynchronized image in this stage. In the second stage there is black screen with the hourglass (it's fine). So you have black screen for both stages?

If you use stream vr you'll they those locked and weird loading screens. If you use Openxr you'll get a black screen 

[actually_fred]

FWIW, the best fix for this is on OpenXR or the Oculus API is to render the loading screens as a 'quad layer' rather than putting it into the eye buffers. When this is done, even if the thread locks up, the VR runtime is able to re-render the layer at the correct position, accounting for head movement.

This isn't directly supported via OpenVR as OpenVR as does not support submitting multiple layers, but 'another sim' works around this by spawning a separate OpenVR overlay process for the menus.

> If you use OpenXR you'll get a black screen 

Current behavior varies between headsets, runtimes, and based on your system performance - even when using OpenXR. Sometimes a black screen, sometimes tearing, sometimes takes you back to SteamVR home, sometimes flickers in between several of these.

[SkateZilla]

I honestly hope we go the route of not putting the headset on until in the mission.

I launch DCS with the HMD on my desk, use Oculus Mirror to navigate menus, and load missions, once the cockpit is loaded I put on the headset, re-center and click fly.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

15 minutes ago, SkateZilla said:

 

I honestly hope we go the route of not putting the headset on until in the mission.

 

That doesn’t really work for those of us who use a simpit that’s not directly “in front of our PC”.

I for one wouldn’t want to have to stand up and walk back-and-forth between my pc and simpit.

 

[Gunfreak]

2 hours ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

That doesn’t really work for those of us who use a simpit that’s not directly “in front of our PC”.

I for one wouldn’t want to have to stand up and walk back-and-forth between my pc and simpit.

 

Just lift your headset up when the loading happens. Its a 10-40 seconds period. When it loads. Just don't watch it. 

[SkateZilla]

5 hours ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

That doesn’t really work for those of us who use a simpit that’s not directly “in front of our PC”.

I for one wouldn’t want to have to stand up and walk back-and-forth between my pc and simpit.

 

My rig is on a shelf against the wall,
I have 4 Screens on my desk, and my VR Headset, but I have my Cockpit seat immediately next to that, so I can leave the HMD on the desk until mission is loading and then get into the seat and put the headset on.

[draconus]

16 hours ago, SkateZilla said:

use Oculus Mirror to navigate menus

That stopped working around a year ago for Rift users. No mirror until you put a headset on.

[SkateZilla]

9 hours ago, draconus said:

That stopped working around a year ago for Rift users. No mirror until you put a headset on.

Funny, because I do it everyday, and as recently as this morning.

I launch Oculus App and then Oculus Mirror without wearing the headset at all.

[draconus]

3 hours ago, SkateZilla said:

Funny, because I do it everyday, and as recently as this morning.

I launch Oculus App and then Oculus Mirror without wearing the headset at all.

Do you use Rift S also?

Do you turn on any setting for mirror or another app? How do you start DCS in VR?

I always just run DCS shorcut with force_enable_VR argument and it starts Oculus app automatically but I have no mirror view until I put on the headset. It used to work a year ago and stopper after some Oculus update.