I've been searching for a way to make handwritten notes in P3D (any version). This project for DCS is the inspiration. It would be especially useful for VR, but being able to see what notes you took and what was going on at the time in a replay of a scenario would be a good training tool in general. Has anyone come across something like this, or have there been any other inquiries about such a tool?

Wowzer!! Been wanting something like this for a LOONNG time. For someone who flies true IFR with live ATC (PilotEdge) this is a must have!

You can import any desktop window into VR even the whole computer desktop itself and resize it without any extra software. You can import a virtual keyboard for typing. If you have a stylus pen you can import the draw window. You can layout the computer desktop with a windows manager and bring the whole lot into VR for instant access to all running apps on the computer.

6 hours ago, glider1 said:

You can import any desktop window into VR even the whole computer desktop itself and resize it without any extra software. You can import a virtual keyboard for typing. If you have a stylus pen you can import the draw window. You can layout the computer desktop with a windows manager and bring the whole lot into VR for instant access to all running apps on the computer.

Got any instructions or video? Last time I checked, not so long ago, this required additional software and was a kludge to use.

10 hours ago, yurei said:

Got any instructions or video? Last time I checked, not so long ago, this required additional software and was a kludge to use.

How to do it depends on what headset you have. Importing windows is native to Oculus and WMR headsets like Rift-S and HP Reverb. A pure SteamVR headset might have to buy an extra app to make it happen - not so with Oculus and WMR. The impact on performance is possibly 5-10% hit on GPU load so if your GPU is at 50% it will now be 55-60%. I have both Oculus and WMR headsets and was very sensitive to see if stuttering increases with imported windows but 108ti-2080-2080ti GPU's handle it with ease so long as you give them the processing headroom.

If you are going to do it, aim to import your whole computer desktop into VR as a window. That is the most flexible solution because you get access to everything on your computer within the cockpit of the plane without having to switch windows.

Note: the higher res headsets like the Reverb do a better job at reading small text on your desktop window in VR and to your brain the window appears the same size as if you had a laptop on the passenger seat of your cockpit.

Edited September 1, 20205 yr by glider1

 

7 hours ago, glider1 said:

How to do it depends on what headset you have. Importing windows is native to Oculus and WMR headsets like Rift-S and HP Reverb. A pure SteamVR headset might have to buy an extra app to make it happen - not so with Oculus and WMR. The impact on performance is possibly 5-10% hit on GPU load so if your GPU is at 50% it will now be 55-60%. I have both Oculus and WMR headsets and was very sensitive to see if stuttering increases with imported windows but 108ti-2080-2080ti GPU's handle it with ease so long as you give them the processing headroom.

If you are going to do it, aim to import your whole computer desktop into VR as a window. That is the most flexible solution because you get access to everything on your computer within the cockpit of the plane without having to switch windows.

Note: the higher res headsets like the Reverb do a better job at reading small text on your desktop window in VR and to your brain the window appears the same size as if you had a laptop on the passenger seat of your cockpit.

Very helpful. Full disclosure: I have yet to buy a VR headset. Is it also possible to interact with the desktop or specific window in P3D without having to toggle focus, like Alt+Tab? In other words, does it feel natural to use whatever you've imported, or are there extra steps required to make use of it once you set it up?

2 hours ago, BeckerSup said:

 

Very helpful. Full disclosure: I have yet to buy a VR headset. Is it also possible to interact with the desktop or specific window in P3D without having to toggle focus, like Alt+Tab? In other words, does it feel natural to use whatever you've imported, or are there extra steps required to make use of it once you set it up?

In both Oculus and WMR headsets once the desktop is imported into the VR space resized and positioned with your mouse to fit the cockpit, whenever your cursor in VR hovers over the window it turns into a normal mouse pointer that you use to do anything you like on the computer from the desktop as you would normally do on a day-to-day basis. You simply move the mouse away from the window and it once again it becomes a cursor for manipulating things in VR.

Typically what you do is setup your desktop windows before the flight so that your browser, PDF viewer, software keyboard, little navmap etc are the correct size so that all you have to do in VR is click on the taskbar to bring them up and switch between them.

It is best if they don't cover the P3D window. What I do is dedicate the left side of the flat screen to the P3D window and the right side to all other apps including the browser, PDF viewer, Pilot2ATC etc. That way P3D quickly regains focus when you click on it inside VR. The smaller you make the P3D window the more real estate you have on the virtual desktop to display other apps but the less resolution is available for finely positioning the VR cursor inside VR. This is because the position of the cursor in VR is directly mapped to where it is on the 2D P3D window on the desktop. They are not independent and it is a primitive solution more of a hack to get VR to work. Hopefully MS2020 will make the VR cursor completely independent of its position in 2D but somehow I doubt they will bother because it requires a complete rethink of the interface.

There are quirks though but basically it is that simple. WMR has more quirks than Oculus which is more mature software but WMR is going to have to catch up considering it is Microsoft and they will try to promote WMR as the future of VR in MS2020. If you are serious about readability of windows in the virtual desktop inside VR, the new HP Reverb will be the headset of choice.

Edited September 2, 20205 yr by glider1

10 hours ago, glider1 said:

In both Oculus and WMR headsets once the desktop is imported into the VR space resized and positioned with your mouse to fit the cockpit, whenever your cursor in VR hovers over the window it turns into a normal mouse pointer that you use to do anything you like on the computer from the desktop as you would normally do on a day-to-day basis. You simply move the mouse away from the window and it once again it becomes a cursor for manipulating things in VR.

Typically what you do is setup your desktop windows before the flight so that your browser, PDF viewer, software keyboard, little navmap etc are the correct size so that all you have to do in VR is click on the taskbar to bring them up and switch between them.

It is best if they don't cover the P3D window. What I do is dedicate the left side of the flat screen to the P3D window and the right side to all other apps including the browser, PDF viewer, Pilot2ATC etc. That way P3D quickly regains focus when you click on it inside VR. The smaller you make the P3D window the more real estate you have on the virtual desktop to display other apps but the less resolution is available for finely positioning the VR cursor inside VR. This is because the position of the cursor in VR is directly mapped to where it is on the 2D P3D window on the desktop. They are not independent and it is a primitive solution more of a hack to get VR to work. Hopefully MS2020 will make the VR cursor completely independent of its position in 2D but somehow I doubt they will bother because it requires a complete rethink of the interface.

There are quirks though but basically it is that simple. WMR has more quirks than Oculus which is more mature software but WMR is going to have to catch up considering it is Microsoft and they will try to promote WMR as the future of VR in MS2020. If you are serious about readability of windows in the virtual desktop inside VR, the new HP Reverb will be the headset of choice.

Thank you! This all makes perfect sense and is exactly the information I was looking for.