Hi all,For a long time I have searched forums and searchmachines etc...I stumbled upon an easy way to create a collimator.I have now made a fist "prototype" that I am experimentig with.The sense of depth is amazing. Allready on this unprecise setup.With this I guess it's also possible to setup a large display with a projector in the back. It seames that the back mirror does not have to be curved. But I will start expreimenting with this as soon as I have the plexi mirror I ordered. The "Collimator" by the way is a normal acrylic glass bougth in a "do it your self" store.If anyone is interested in a good out the window view it's worth expremimenting with this :-)Any one else got some experiance with this ? any suggestions for a alternative collimator. Or curved mirror ?CheersGerhard

Nice experiment. How is it possible that this "simple acryl glass" is able to work as a mirror? I thought these semi permeable mirrors were quite expensive?Keep us informed about your progres.Norbert

Hi,Every glas structure has a mirror effect. You can get a stronger mirror effect by applying some "silver-nitrat mixture". But the stronger the mirror effect is, the stronger the ligth source must be. It's the same principle as the "james-bond mirror" ;-) .The theory of ray tracing makes the ligth source from the monitor go ca. 50% through the 45degr glas to the viewer and 50% to the other side (mirror). So the darker the surrounding arrea (cockpit) is the bether the collimated display effect.http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys...fln/u13l3a.htmlHere some cool closeup's http://fmr.ilr.tu-berlin.de/Sep_10.htm :-)http://www.modmusic.com/mirrorfaq.htmCheers,Gerhard

A small update on my out to window view experiments.I received the plexiglass mirror. That's a realy cool mirror thingy highly flexible and good reflections.I found that the "collimator" with a plexiglass has some big disadvantages. The reflected picture is dark und rather unsharp.This seames to be a problem with most of these semi-transparent mirrors/windows.Seames that a bether solution is to have a normal mirror below the field of sight. That mirrors to the curved mirror. One has the same depth (3D) effect but with a much brighter and sharper image.Cheers,Gerhard

Although plexiglass is much stronger and lighter than glass, it's still plastic, so the light doesn't reflect the same as on glass. The molecular structure of the plexiglass is the reason that the light beams are reflected dark and blur, so I suspect (I'm not a physicist).George DorkofikisAthens, Hellashttp://online.vatsimindicators.net/811520/1704.png

I actualy also tried Mineralic glas. Which is verry thin. It actualy had the same result as the Acryllic glas (blury/dark).The "see through" mirror's are sharper but also need alot of light. (almost like 2000 ansi and abowe ;-) )