Leap Motion Compatible with DCS?

Hello,

I was wondering the new software Leap Motion that is compatible with VR, is it or can it be compatible with DCS? Because some of us are using VR and it would be cool that with this new software you can use your hands instead of the mouse in VR.

I know some guys here tested it when it was released and found it far too insensitive to be of any use in DCSW.

That might have changed though, with new software.

Well the new software is more precise and more accurate. It would be awesome that you can use your hands and only HOTAS in your DCS-VR.

This is currently on about half-price sale at Amazon UK (compared to the price on the makers website).

There are a lot of very poor reviews - though they are nearly 2 years old now.

It's very tempting at the price of £38 ($54) but I don't want to end up with another expensive paperweight.

The idea of using it with VR is tantalising - but if the software doesn't exist what's the point?

It isn't heavy enough for a paper weight, btw. ;)

save your money and buy a new mouse leap is just a gimmick

But the idea is awesome in a sim context. Because of the HTC-VR with 2 controllers that is totally not practical

I wouldn't call it a gimmick. It just isn't ready for what we want to use it for.

No - I agree, I already decided not to bother with it until and unless I see good results in the sims and games I would use it in. Considering how long it's been around, the development rate is very tardy.

So far I have been very unimpressed with its abilities on a PC and looking at the Skyrim review video did nothing to change that.

Maybe one day.

I have a Leap Motion (buyed for robotic's stuff) but it's a big disappointment. For game purpose, the mouse emulation is not good at all, and most importantly the few applications available are paid.

I have also a Razer Hydra, that works pretty well and used with trackir is very immersive. The mouse emulation is free and it's precise, and most importantly there is no drift. The analog stick can be mapped to zoom in and out. Right now it's hard to find, but it's a good device.

But, Orion is supposed to have changed a lot of the weakness. So we'll have to wait for some reviews.

For windows there is already a beta of Orion

Beside Leap Motion, it would be a real advantage for all, if DCS would implement a new mouse mode. I think, everybody dislikes the situation if you aim with TrackIR to a specific cockpit switch and tries to catch the switch with the mouse symbol. As soon as the head is moved the mouse symbol leaves the switch position. In a stress situation it is sometimes a real fiddling.

I would suggest a mode (Leap Mode) in which the mouse symbol is locked on a position in the cockpit, independent from the head movement, as long as the physical mouse device is not moved. This would give a chance to have your virtual finger locked on a switch while you observe anything else. The normal mouse move, I call it the relative mode, could be left as it is. In Leap Mode, the mouse would be moved to absolute positions in the cockpit. Leap Mode/Relative Mode could be bound to the right mouse key as a toggle switch. Locked mode could be displayed with a different color of the mouse symbol.

I hear you!

For those interested in leap or VR input in general this video is worth a watch.

It sure does look like they are on the right track.

Nice

For those interested in leap or VR input in general this video is worth a watch.

 

 

It sure does look like they are on the right track.

Incredible talk. So much information presented and the future he paints really does sound amazing.

Or scary, depending on how deep you go with it (think HMD shrunk to contact lens size and connected to billions of small sensors scattered everywhere).

I think Haptic revolution is going to follow VR. The first all body encompassing product to successfully bring the wearers full range of senses in to VR (beyond just sight and sound) will break through in to a new age of user experiences.

DCS & Skyrim should be a blast, too!

:thumbup:

I just found a basic, but interesting video demo of Leap Motion using Orion, with a Rift:

As it's relatively cheap, I may get it just for fun - but if they suddenly release "version 2" I will be returning it, sharpish!

Edit - I just went to buy one from Amazon, but found they hiked the price to £60 ($87) - so now they can forget it!

Hah - just found one from a different dealer on Amazon - Birmingham IT Goods - and it was £33 ($48 ) - so it's ordered and on the way!

Perhaps I should pull mine out and try Orion out.

My initial fear was a lot of demos had the hands very close to the headset. At least conpared to where switches may be in our VR cockpits. That video does show the arms extending to full reach though. I nearly pulled the trigger on one this morning! I'm terrible for buying crap that I never end up using. It would be just my luck oculus would release a hand tracking add on a week after it arrives. I think I'll wait until I see it supported within DCS. Without support in the sim I know I will never use it.

wait is definitely the way to go

The problem with tracking hands in a vertical position remains, also positional precision is still to low for things like DCS switches.

They need to use TWO or better three leap motion cameras to track individual finger positions in a 3D space. One leap motion alone still isn't precise.

Or like the concept from Control VR, that combines a leap motion with positional accelerometers on each individual fingertip in a glove. That is the perfect match to overlay leap motions tracking on the sensor and constantly correct the cumulating drift.

Really cool, but it seems ControlVR stopped development.

Even with orion a single leap motion may be ok to wield a gun/sword/club, push tables and open doors in a VR first person adventure, but precisely flipping little switches on crammed boards in DCS is very challenging to say the least...

EDIT: just to be clear, I just tested the Oculus plus LeapMotion (with Orion) setup two days ago and I have access to a leap motion for testing at work.

EDIT: just to be clear, I just tested the Oculus plus LeapMotion (with Orion) setup two days ago and I have access to a leap motion for testing at work.

Please let us know whats you findings of it?

I have been using leapmotion in FSX\P3D with FlyInside for some time it really is awesome. Some way to go before its the real deal but you are probably talking a few months rather than years its more than usable it picks out your hands with no problem and every slight movement that those digits make. most features in FSX P3D were developed way before any of this so they are developed without any of it in mind.

I can't even tell that its attached to the DK2 and I am using it more and more it can make life very easy in the cockpit.