Oculus Rift and DCS World Discussion

[Shinigami]

Well I won't speak of Oculus rift cause i didn't try it but imagine no using keyboard or HOTAS o anything just like flight in a real cockpit touching the switch or moving the stick, that would be very cool. The only downside that I see is that you cant feel that you are pushing the buttons. But perhaps a combination of this device (leap motion controller), VR glove(Haptic gloves or a more advanced technology) to sense the buttons and oculus rift and you have a perfect virtual cockpit.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Shinigami

[Kougar]

No need for a several monitors anymore

 

The Rift would do away with all the monitors some have for a flight sim. It would immerse you into the game. Like others have said we still need a way to see the keyboard to push the buttons. Or some other way perhaps it could be done.

 

I would gladly pay $300 for one these but I am hoping the price will come down.

[hassata]

Re motion sickness and Positional Tracking:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-09-05-oculus-rift-impressions-its-amazing-until-it-makes-you-want-to-hurl

[npole]

Like others have said we still need a way to see the keyboard to push the buttons.

 

There's the ventilation slots at the bottom, you can see the keyboard trough them.

However with a fully clickable cockpit (another reason to have only A10C level aircrafts) you don't need the keyboard at all, you can literally look at the switch and click it with a command on your hotas.

[tjhowse]

I fly the P-51D, A-10C, the F-15C and the Su-27. I cannot think of a single control that I need the keyboard for; everything is on my TM Warhog. The only thing I need the mouse for is rolling the canopy shut on the mustang, and the ramp-start on the hog. For me the resolution is the only thing standing between the rift as-is and the ideal world. If the res is good enough to read the text on an MFD, I'll be happy. Having a better res to spot bogies would be good too, but I think I can manage.

[Succellus]

I fly the P-51D, A-10C, the F-15C and the Su-27. I cannot think of a single control that I need the keyboard for; everything is on my TM Warhog. The only thing I need the mouse for is rolling the canopy shut on the mustang, and the ramp-start on the hog. For me the resolution is the only thing standing between the rift as-is and the ideal world. If the res is good enough to read the text on an MFD, I'll be happy. Having a better res to spot bogies would be good too, but I think I can manage.

 

I havent reached this state...Lucky you.

Wouldn t some kind of zoom fit your need ?

Problem with small screen is that, independent of resolution, without a zooming feature, its hard to cram all the info in a legible way with little pixels.

[tintifaxl]

I fly the P-51D, A-10C, the F-15C and the Su-27. I cannot think of a single control that I need the keyboard for; everything is on my TM Warhog. The only thing I need the mouse for is rolling the canopy shut on the mustang, and the ramp-start on the hog. For me the resolution is the only thing standing between the rift as-is and the ideal world. If the res is good enough to read the text on an MFD, I'll be happy. Having a better res to spot bogies would be good too, but I think I can manage.

 

How do you operate the UFC, CDU and MFD's in the A-10C then? Or do you fly easy mode?

[tjhowse]

How do you operate the UFC, CDU and MFD's in the A-10C then? Or do you fly easy mode?

 

Good point! I'd forgotten about those. At present I have the MFCDs on my left and right monitors with hawgtouch providing buttons. I'd have to use the mouse to manipulate those and other cockpit controls. UFC, CDU, etcetera. I think I could handle that.

[lobo]

The Rift would do away with all the monitors some have for a flight sim. It would immerse you into the game. Like others have said we still need a way to see the keyboard to push the buttons. Or some other way perhaps it could be done.

 

DCS simming plus the Rift has huge potential. I will definitely be getting an OR. Re the problem of seeing the keyboard... Maybe an option would be to have the bottom of the goggles made of a smoked translucent plastic? Could be made so that this translucent bit has some sort of cover for times when it is not required to see out the bottom.

 

Off to the BBQ.

[npole]

DCS simming plus the Rift has huge potential. I will definitely be getting an OR. Re the problem of seeing the keyboard... Maybe an option would be to have the bottom of the goggles made of a smoked translucent plastic? Could be made so that this translucent bit has some sort of cover for times when it is not required to see out the bottom.

 

Off to the BBQ.

 

The bottom of the OR has the vent cracks.. you can see the keyboard through em.

[Cyb0rg]

The bottom of the OR has the vent cracks.. you can see the keyboard through em.

 

 

He was a good pilot.

 

Not only the force. The vents were there too.

[jay43]

Why not do away with said keyboard and mouse and just use the Leap motion.

[Mnemonic]

He was a good pilot.

 

Not only the force. The vents were there too.

Remember such a powerful Jedi (or Sith if you will) doesn't require eyes to pilot and shoot the opponent down :D

[npole]

Why not do away with said keyboard and mouse and just use the Leap motion.

 

...or just looking at the buttons, you don't even need to "point" em with the finger. The problem however is about the semi-arcade modules, such as FC3 ...they have no fully clickable cockpits unfortunately.

[Flim]

Just played the rift helicopter demo...hooked up my hydra and flew around for an hour in some crappy demo I would have never tried without the rift. The cockpit was perfect 3d and had the correct zoom. Also, the hydra allows you to lean outside the cockpit while hovering, so cool ! This really shows how Huey flying will be in the near future. I wish Ed could give a little love to the rift! Lol

[cichlidfan]

I forgot about the Hydra. I have one in the closet that has never been hooked up! :doh:

[jbrking]

i dunno.. i think id rather keep my track ir 5 and buy a nice touch screen. i can agree with everyone on not being able to see the keyboard and hotas could be a problem. :noexpression:

[cichlidfan]

i dunno.. i think id rather keep my track ir 5 and buy a nice touch screen. i can agree with everyone on not being able to see the keyboard and hotas could be a problem. :noexpression:

 

If you actually need to see your HOTAS, you have much bigger issues. ;)

[Flim]

I've gone back and forth as well... but track IR does suck compared to 1:1 tracking, and hurts my neck if I use it to long.

 

The 5 projector setup I had is nice and great immersion, but you still know that you are on the ground in a simulator... Last night playing with the heli demo, I actually felt like I was in the seat hovering above tree's. It was the most in the game experience I have had yet in simulation.

 

You can check out my seat setup in other threads, but my keyboard sets low right on the side of the seat and I can see it no problem looking down through the rift. Also, I can see all of my throttle switches etc...

Edited July 24, 2013 by Flim

[Burner_Tbird2]

Not seeing the keyboard is 100% fixable. I posted this earlier but people keep bringing the keyboard thing up, so here it is again with emphasis :)

 

A keyboard screen overlay is already a feature of VorpX, it could just as easily be made a feature in an officially supported version of DCS.

 

In DCS the keyboard is used for housekeeping items, things that aren't already on the HOTAS. This feature lets you type keyboard inputs using your head. In fact if it was officially implemented by ED they could render the keyboard to appear on your lap in the cockpit, or simply down out of the way of all MFDs.

 

Problem solved, now let's go back to filling this thread with posts about why ED should be implementing this tech ASAP!

[Cowboy10uk]

Just played the rift helicopter demo...hooked up my hydra and flew around for an hour in some crappy demo I would have never tried without the rift. The cockpit was perfect 3d and had the correct zoom. Also, the hydra allows you to lean outside the cockpit while hovering, so cool ! This really shows how Huey flying will be in the near future. I wish Ed could give a little love to the rift! Lol

 

 

Nice writeup Film, I must say I was surprised that you went away from the amazing cube setup, now I was very jealous of that. Although I'm very very happy that the Rift, and even the low res Rift seems to be living upto my expectations.

 

One question though, Hydra? May I ask what that is.

 

I can't wait to try this in my Huey.

 

The commercial version cannot come quick enough.

 

Cowboy10uk

[mue]

I'm still in doubt about a rift version in the near/medium future that is usable for serious flight simulation where you have to read gauges, mfds, huds,... . As others (e.g. Mnemonic) already pointed out you need for that big fov ( ~90 degrees) at least a 2K resolution per eye. For the rift design it means you need a 5.5 - 7 inch 4K display.

When do you think such displays are available?

Probably an HMD design with 2x 2K displays (and some mirrors or other optics) are more likely in the near/medium future for achieving the needed resolution. What do you think?

[Flim]

No doubt a 4k display will be the ultimate goal, but initially that will not happen. I'm guessing Oculus will come up with away to get rid of screen door, up the resolution much as possible while using a mid range system, and add positional tracking. Right now you can use the Razor hydra for positional tracking, but strapping a controller to your back will not work forever. If ED were to integrate the rift to the A-10a module with stero 3d, head tracking/hydra, and adjust the cockpit FOV/pilot positioning ( where it looks correct from the seat instead of the 2d viewpoint...), it would be totally usable right now. You could lean forward to view detailed items while leaning back would give a life like experience. As resolution increases then you will see more and more detail without having to lean forward. As it stand now, it will work, but not without ED specifically jumping into the code and making it happen. I doubt that Vorpx or any other driver will work to a standard we need... it will have to come from ED specifically geared towards the rift, and when that happens people will be blown away.

[howie87]

I think when this kind of technology takes off, it will definitely happen. I can't imagine anything more awesome than 360°, 3D, 6DOF, HD head tracking with a friend in the same Huey as the co-pilot :D

 

Screw the keyboard. That's why we have a HOTAS and fully clickable cockpits. It's pretty easy to find a mouse with your eyes closed... Try it, you'll be surprised.

[mhe]

I'll be at GamesCom and test the HD prototype and will keep you posted. Will be very interesting to see what Oculus shows us next...