Anyone have any experience with a curve screen setup?

 

I'm hoping to invest in a 1080p projector someone time down the road which can double for cinema viewing, and flightsim.

 

The setups I've seen work with 3 projectors. Anyone know how effective/immersive a one projector system can be?

 

Immersive Display Lite 2 is a software ($40) which seems to be able to distort the images around a screen.

 

http://www.fly.elise-ng.net/index.php/immersivedisplaylite2

 

I have also seen rear screen projectors, but the curve screens seem very expensive at this point.

Noone has any experience with single projector curve screen/dome setups? :(

Wish I did, but havent yet. I hope someone has so that we can get an idea of how it looks.

 

Kind regards,

I have been using projectors for my flight simulation for the past seven years now, I bought a new one last month, an Epson EWH3200 and I am very happy about it. However I do not use a curve screen, only a flat one since the screen must have the real life size dimensions located about 1 meter in front of me, and a curve screen even with inadequate software won't allow for a "wrapping" view of your cockpit.

 

This projector hangs on the ceiling and shoots downward (the setup of the lens is extremely easy, 2 wheels to adjust) so as to offer an image right in front of my eyes in a 4:3 ratio, because I want to have more vision in my "cockpit" than the 16:9 ratio that basically allows a large horizontal view through the windshield and no panel view at all without panning up and down in critical phases of the flight, for me this departure from the 4:3 ratio is a real pity for our simulation but it's still possible to preserve it with a projector and TV screens (4:3 computer monitors just don't exist anymore).

 

I use this setup in conjunction with Track IR5 so the simulation rendition is really totally immersive. I would recommend it without reservation. By the way to answer your other question, I have another same Epson in my home cinema used only for that purpose on a 3.5m x 1.8m wall screen and its quality makes it a very very cheap alternative to my old Barco! The projector's lamps can be used now for at least 4000 hours and are getting cheaper. Should you need further feedback, let me know.

 

Happy landings.

Hi Jean-Claude,

 

I'm running fsx on a 40" HDTV right now with track IR -- still doesn't feel very immersive. I guess the next step would be to build a cockpit, but that would be expensive.

 

I perhaps will make the jump to a projector (since it can double as a home theater, that way it will be more acceptable for the wife :) , but then again it is not 180 degree viewing coverage, so I am not too sure how surreal the experience will be.

 

The thing with projectors and 'warping' software is I believe you need at least 3 of them in your setup to have the adequate viewing angles -- again, expensive.

I thought about building a cockpit, that's the ultimate and best step, BUT it limits to only one type of aircraft, and I like to change planes on each on my flights, so it could become a bit boring (for me...)! That's why the projector is the closest compromise to the real thing. As for the "wrapping effect", I don't see how the virtual cockpit could be adapted to that 180° projection without being warped... Compromises, compromises, isn't it what this hobby is all about!

 

Have a great week-end.

Jean-Claude, this is what I'm thinking of doing --

 

 

And

 

 

http://www.frex.com/gp/

Great videos, I just wonder how an overhead panel of an airliner would look like on such device though, I guess this would be limited to fighter jets? Anyway good luck with your project it looks like fun!

It seems ultra short throw projectors are the fad now and with this software might make it a possibility --

 

 

I'm just wondering why I can't find any more information -- surely someone has taken the jump and set it up, and lurkes this board :)

Epson also has several identical short throw models for classrooms, I preferred to stay away because of the better resolution I was getting. Incidentally, I believe that a great deal of your disappointment with your 40" monitor was caused by the fact that you were using the 16:9 ratio, should you try a 4:3 screen with a projector, you will surely feel the difference since you won't be glazing at your windshield and the clouds only but also at your main panel below, that's why I stick to that ratio, for our hobby it is a mistake to go with the new ratio, in my view of course, since it is taking away the perspective of your cockpit, it's like looking at a wing view, after 3 minutes I get bored.

I believe that a great deal of your disappointment with your 40" monitor was caused by the fact that you were using the 16:9 ratio, should you try a 4:3 screen with a projector, you will surely feel the difference since you won't be glazing at your windshield and the clouds only but also at your main panel below, that's why I stick to that ratio, for our hobby it is a mistake to go with the new ratio, in my view of course, since it is taking away the perspective of your cockpit, it's like looking at a wing view, after 3 minutes I get bored.

 

Hi Jean-Claude, I have no issues viewing the panels, they fill up about half the screen with ez-dok and WideAspect=True in fsx.cfg.

 

Perhaps its just fsx itself which is upsetting, I've spent too much time tweaking the program to my liking. Right now I'm trying FXAA-tool (ENBseries crashes too much to my liking), but still too dark at night, and panels not sharp enough during the day.