Enhanced Oculus Rift Support - DCOCv2

[CrazyNorman 1]

After a lot of work, I'm proud to announce DCOCv2!

 

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc7LOAeL45Y

 

You can download it here: http://www.dcoc-vr.com/

 

DCOCv2 is a Prepar3D plugin which adds Oculus Rfit DK2 support.  It does a lot more than the basic plugin released by Lockheed Martin

• Asynchronous timewarp means you don't need to worry about achieving a solid 75fps.  The experience will remain smooth and judder free as low as 30fps.  So turn up your graphics settings and enjoy!
  
• Zoom functionality.  Trying to read a small gauge or make out a far-away runway (probably the biggest issue with the DK2 currently)?  Press forward on your pov-hat to zoom in, left and right to adjust, and then press back to return to normal view.  It works really well for seeing things that normally are too small.
  
• In-Rift menu navigation.   Change vehicles, airports, and weather, all inside the Rift.  Make sure you have aero turned on if you are on Windows 7.
  
• Improved Virtual Cockpit support.  The mouse is easy to see in 3d space, and the tooltips appear next to it in large easy to read text.  Together with the zoom feature it is much more practical to manipulate complex cockpits from inside the Rift.
  
• Simplified installation.  No more messing around with DLLs and XML files.  If you installed DCOCv1 please remove it before installing though.
  

 

Anyways, I saw that someone posted a mini-review of DCOCv1 here a long way back, so I thought I should post an update here.  I've done my best to address the issues with performance (via async timewarp) and also with readability via the zoom feature.  Let me know what you think!  And shoot me an e-mail if you run into any issues.  

[gboz 157]

75 down to 30 FPS, that encouraging.

 

gb.

[FlyIce 354]

I can confirm that. I don't know the actual fps (can't see it in DK2), but the new plugin is very smooth and judder free even at my medium to high settings. A huge improvement over the previous version. Having menus within DK2 is great too.

[ErichB 3,637]

As amazing as it finally is to experience P3D in a 3D environment, there is just no way that it is playable with the current resolutions available on the Rift.  I think you did a brilliant job with its implementation though.  It does exactly what is says on the box with absolutely no issues during the setup, so well done.  Hopefully as Rift resolutions improve, the experience will feel more like' being there' although I can't imagine that even 1440p will be enough for a flightsim application.  Sitting in the cockpit is pretty amazing though.  I really is a WOW experience! You really feel like you are there.  But  I can only spend 5-10 mins flying in the current resolution environment, although the application ran like butter for me.

 

However, keep up the good work, and when the time is right and the Rift development has moved on, you'll be onto a winner.

 

erich

[CrazyNorman 1]

As amazing as it finally is to experience P3D in a 3D environment, there is just no way that it is playable with the current resolutions available on the Rift.  I think you did a brilliant job with its implementation though.  It does exactly what is says on the box with absolutely no issues during the setup, so well done.  Hopefully as Rift resolutions improve, the experience will feel more like' being there' although I can't imagine that even 1440p will be enough for a flightsim application.  Sitting in the cockpit is pretty amazing though.  I really is a WOW experience! You really feel like you are there.  But  I can only spend 5-10 mins flying in the current resolution environment, although the application ran like butter for me.

 

However, keep up the good work, and when the time is right and the Rift development has moved on, you'll be onto a winner.

 

erich

Thanks for trying it out!  Have you tried the zoom functionality at all?  Or is it more that just being in low-resolution feels uncomfortable?

[gboz 157]

Possibly NVidia's new GTX980/970 upscaling/down sampling might help with the low resolution.

 

gb.

[FlyIce 354]

Possibly NVidia's new GTX980/970 upscaling/down sampling might help with the low resolution.

 

gb.

 

I certainly hope so but the low resolution screen of DK2 is a hardware deficiency that is simply impossible to totally get over it. CrazyNorman's plug-in is doing a great job, but he can't increase the real resolution of the screen. I found flying with DCOC +DK2 is so enjoyable, but that only makes me dream how much MORE enjoyable it could be if the screen is 4K. The screen door effect is the only major thing that constantly breaks the sense of "presence". Once it's gone everything will be totally incredible.

 

The good news is that Oculus Rift just demoed a new model Crescent Bay, which apparently uses a much better screen with much reduced screen door effect. The future is definitely bright...

[fakeflyer737 990]

ya cant read guages with this it's useless to me and many others

[CrazyNorman 1]

ya cant read guages with this it's useless to me and many others

Did you try the zoom functionality (forward/backwards/left/right on your first hat)?  I included it specifically so that you can read gauges, and I've been able to read the smallest text on every airplane using it.  Which airplanes/gauges are you having trouble with?

[denali 74]

What a timely post Norman.  I've been playing around with google cardboard today, which I made a separate post about.   I can't justify the rift until it gets to a higher resolution, but for $20 (or $33 in my case) to see what modern VR is all about it is dirt cheap.  I'd really like to check out your project as you claim to have a fix for Framerate issues.  So I installed it.  But it won't run unless I have an Oculus Rift connected, is that right?  Do you have any way I can get around that?  I think if what you have works under a "demo" setup like cardboard, many people will go to an Oculus for the full effect.

[ErichB 3,637]

Thanks for trying it out!  Have you tried the zoom functionality at all?  Or is it more that just being in low-resolution feels uncomfortable?

 

Hi Norman

 

No I didn't.  I don't want to have to do that to use the sim, although, again, that was great added functionality on your part, as others may benefit.  

 

I also tried out DCS three weeks ago,  Again, initially a WOW experience, but it was a juddering mess and I felt ill after 10 minutes - in addition to the glaring screendoor effect....

 

I doubt that flightsims will be really playable until at least another 2 years or so.  The visual fidility is not there in VR just yet.  But it will be a great experience to come back two years from now to see the improvement.  I'm thinking of selling my DK2 for now...

 

But again, well done on your implementation of DCOCv2.  Good work.

[JasonHarris 96]

Thanks Norman, I will give it a whirl tomorrow.  Looking forward to seeing what asynchronous time warp can do.   Luckily for me when it comes to civilian sims I am happy flying light GA so I don't have to worry about gauges so much, just the general direction some of the needles are pointing.

[denali 74]

Oculus had their first developer conference.  They've created a new prototype, still not to spec for the consumer version, but “This prototype shows off the features, the quality, the presence that we need to deliver for consumer VR,”

 

http://www.wired.com/2014/09/oculus-crescent-bay-prototype/

 

"the experience was vastly improved over anything I’d seen for the DK2, and even The Room itself. The so-called “screen door” effect, in which the spaces between individual pixels are visible, was completely gone. The 360-degree tracking was nearly flawless; try as I might, spinning this way and that, I could only break presence in two of the 13 demos. The 90Hz refresh rate made everything appear incredibly smooth and lifelike, "

[FlyIce 354]

I couldn't wait for the CV1 or DK3. And I hope both Oculus and Prepar3d will support SLI soon, in that case I won't hesitate to buy another 780ti or upgrade to 2x 980.

[JasonHarris 96]

Its smoother for sure, nice work.

 

    I noticed a few things, like textures missing, nothing that you can solve yourself though.

 

    The more annoying thing, and once again I don't know if it is the rift, is that I was coming in to landing and I put down the flaps and my screen turned off.   I didn't think it could be related and it wasn't.   What happened is that the screensaver had gone on and turned off all my screens.

 

    I was playing but hadn't used the KB or mouse for 5 minutes.  I have my setting low because i only use the machine for gaming, so if I haven't used it for 5 mins I am generally not going to.

 

   I don't know if this would happen if I wasn't using the rift or if I can get around it, perhaps I just have to put my setting up higher, or jiggle the mouse from time to time.