Guide to the DCS View System (very early WIP)

[PeterP]

Guide to the DCS View System (very early WIP)

 

First: This is a dynamic post - means: I will often change/edit the first post(s) during the finalisation of this guide.

 

I'm working right now on a pictured and and filled with Videos Guide that contains almost every aspect of the view system of DCS World and how it functions and in which way you can alter it on a consumer basis.

 

My intention behind it:

There are so much thread where people ask the same on and on again and there is no reference that covers it all (like a manual) where you can point them to.

 

This idea evolved wile I was writing the "Dummies Guide for the “MonitorSetup.lua“ , working with Icemaker at the EMC and creating this mod: Reworked Cockpit Views with proper Neck

 

And I answered almost every thinkable question about the view-system of DCS during the last years to others myself - and I started to go trough each post of mine and extract all usable info from it.

 

And I did decided to put everything what I can think of in a understandable and user-friendly way together. So everyone gets the info in a compact way without the need to browse the forums and hoping for someone that response - and the DCS manual is also not very suitable when having questions that goes furthers as a single screen.

 

 

Here is a rough sketch of the table of contend and each point will get also his own paragraphs with additional in-depth info:

 

Fundamentals:

-How does a Graphic Engine render

-FOV and the method of projection

 

Cockpit view:

-Pivot point and Eye point

-Cockpit view limits

-Snap views

 

The "MonitorSetup.lua"

- see here for reverence >>> Dummies Guide for the “MonitorSetup.lua“

Cockpit building and choosing the right arrangement of displays and/or projectors:

-Single screen-Triple head

-Desktop T-shape

-Desktop 6 or 9 monitors as MainView

-the cube >>>

 

Appendix with useful mods/software utilities.

- Easy Monitor Configurator

- and much more...

 

 

It will contain a lot of Pictures to visualize what is written

 

 

example:

 

FUNDAMENTALS

- "why is my Image on my monitor Distorted/Stretched ?!"

 

 

 

First lets talk about triangles - so we have the same basis of knowledge:

 

 

Please make following mind experiment:

Change angle 2 and try to imagine what happens with distance c.

 

OK- I think you got it , Great!

 

Now lets move on and put it in relation to your/our problem and name things:

 

Now lets see what happens when we change the FOV of the Graphic-Engine Pinhole camera:

 

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1024x681.

 

 

This is a schematic 2D abstraction what the Render Camera of the Graphic engine is seeing/projecting on the Monitor/Projection surface 'M' and what your Eye is capturing of it.

Your EYE is nothing more/less than a second pinhole camera in this system .

 

Lets assume in the above image that the FOV of 'M' in your EYE is The same like that's the one of angle '2' and distance 'c' - because angle '2' and '2b' is the same.

 

 

Now lets see what happens when we change the FOV of the Graphic-Engine Pinhole camera:

 

 

 

 

You can see that now the "balance" is way off - because 'M' is a static value and doesn't change the size/width dynamical - just like the window of your room (I hope you have windows ?!) - to see more of the world you will have to get closer to them... (... but now I'm distracting a little)

 

Same applies to Monitors/Projection surfaces but we have to maintain ourself which FOV they show in them.

 

So we now know that we disturbed the "balance" (linearity of 'a' and 'b' ) by changing the angle '2' and now '2b' isn't matching any more with angle '2'.

So now we have a distorted projection on 'M' - because 'M' is static and can't get wider.

 

 

To get the things in balance again we have to change distances so we have angle '2' and '2b' matching again :

 

- and if a picture isn't enough it will get a video-link.

 

just like this:

 

...

 

Putting everything together still needs some time and needs a lot of polish.

So please don't expect a full release next week...- it will probably take the next 3-5 month (keep in mind I have to work to pay my bills and my wife and daughter also consumes some of my time ;))

Time is also working against me - as all this Info can be very soon absolute useless when everyone get their own Oculus Rift ;):)

So I'm also very interested to put everything together until I have a Oculus Rift in my own hands and maybe are not interested in Monitors and Projections any more... :)

 

I will first use this thread to show my progress and ask for input what could be better/must be changed -. because I have such a natural understanding how things work and it can very easily happen that I don't see the problems of newbies any more...

I hope you get my point.

 

So my first questions is:

What you need most/ what where your most pressing questions about the 'view' when you first started to use DCS?

 

Post links and/or your own experience.

Edited May 26, 2013 by PeterP

[PeterP]

Will fill up a FAQ during the next time ...

FAQ:

 

 

Q:

How do I get a true Hud-only view? Currently the Alt-F1 shows the HUD, a giant map and the MFD on the side, how can I get rid of those two?

 

I know the map can be hide with the button "K"

But I can't get rid of the MFD - or how about a way to downsize it since it's rather large.

 

In DCS A-10C I can get rid of it by following this:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=58428

 

I just need it for Flanker, F-15...etc.

 

A: >>> http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1810145#post1810145

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2013 by PeterP

[PeterP]

reserved for additional space when I reach the character limit in #1 and #2

[PeterP]

reserved for additional space when I reach the character limit in #1, #2 and #3

 

(please don't laugh about the reservations... reaching the characterlimit of 15000 for a single post happened to some of my Threads very quickly ...;))

Edited May 24, 2013 by PeterP

[Sarge55]

Excellent news. Thanks PeterP. Having all the info in one place will be great.

[mmtaraval]

Prost Peter, I know its sometimes easier to drop files into folders rather than actually read instructions so, hats off to you.

 

Miguel

[Rusty_M]

You do some great work for this community. Kudos.

[leonpo]

Great work. My main question: is it possible changes to pilot FOV and view angles that currently reside in SnapViewDefault.lua and mainpanel_init.lua and getting overridden by every DCS update can be done in autoexec.cfg? I was trying to directly update relevant variables but without success so far.

 

Thanks

 

Leon

[PeterP]

Great work. My main question: is it possible changes to pilot FOV and view angles that currently reside in SnapViewDefault.lua and mainpanel_init.lua and getting overridden by every DCS update can be done in autoexec.cfg? I was trying to directly update relevant variables but without success so far.

 

Thanks

 

Leon

 

This is already covered and possible by saving own snap-views that are stored in your C:\Users\>YOUR USERNAME<\Saved Games\DCS\Config\View\SnapView.lua and don't get affected by an 'update'.

 

Please follow this link to learn more:

 

Also pay attention that this function is 'partly' broken in 1.2.4.12547 - (lets hope this changes in another 'update')

 

>>> DCS 1.2.4 doesn't carry over the Default Snap-views values when Customising

 

You be good advised to store first your ...Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\Config\View\SnapViewsDefault.lua into C:\Users\>YOUR USERNAME<\Saved Games\DCS\Config\View\ and rename it to SnapView.lua - so you don't have to start from scratch when recreating all the views.

 

And Pardon me , First I'm looking for people that answer my question in post #1 - so I can collect things I have to bring into the guide.

 

Quid pro Quo

 

This thread don't has the merely purpose that people ask me questions how to do 'X'- well, they can . But don't expect a answer from me - especially if it is already covered by many threads.

 

But you can expect me to bring it in in the Guide - if the answer isn't too obvious.

[leonpo]

Peter Hi

 

Thank you very much, I thought SnapView.lua was only for custom views and not default ones. Will check. I do think it should be part of the guide because forum is full of FOV questions for triple display configuration.

 

Thank you very much.

 

leon

[PeterP]

Peter Hi

 

Thank you very much, I thought SnapView.lua was only for custom views and not default ones.

 

To be clearer :

Snap-views are sanp-views , doesn't mater if customized or default.

When you chose the customization the Snapview.lua will be in control and not the DefaultSnapViews.lua

[Mnemonic]

Hi PeterP, thx for the thread.

I am thinking to put together my multi-monitor system for DCS in the near future. I personally doubt that this info will become obsolete with Oculus Rift, as I have my Rift Devkit now, and I see that multi-monitor system is much more practical for DCS then consumer Rift will be.

 

Here are some of my observations on current Rift devkit with DCS:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1764950&postcount=374

Edited May 25, 2013 by Mnemonic

[PeterP]

yes I'm observing the thread - check the first posts.

 

-whatever-

Here is a tip:

 

The 32bit variant of the IZ3d drivers are supporting side-by-side rendering.

 

So get a 32 bit operating system (If you don't have a dual-boot -maybe you know someone that has a old laptop still with a 32 bit OS) and install DCS on it - than copy the 32bit files into your 64bit OS. - after this you are able to run the 32 bit version on your system with fully side-by-side stereoscopic output.

 

Please Make a forum search - I explained several times myself how to install a 32 bit DCS on a 64bit system.

Edited May 25, 2013 by PeterP

[blaster454]

This is an excellent project, Peter, and if I can offer any assistance, please ask.

 

What I would like to see is a section on how to position (and perhaps re-size) certain elements ... both in the UI and in the 3D world.

 

For example, many of us have multi-screens one above the other for Helios or other use. It is hard to get things tweaked so that display items stay on one monitor or the other (F-10 map view, the kneeboard, radio menus, and the like). This is just going to get more complex as more modules are added.

 

Hopefully, ED will soon settle down on the internal program structure they want to adopt so we don't keep seeing changes making mods invalid or very hard to "fix" for the latest.

 

Thank you for all the hard work you've put into this sim for the consumers. When complete. we should try to find a way to get information to all those users who are not forum visitors. Perhaps using the wiki and then publishing its availability here and on FB and Twitter and wherever else.

[Thick8]

I was unable to find an answer to this question.

I would like my default F1 view to look like the cntrl+F1 view without the head movement into turns. I've played with the SnapViewDefault.lua (#13)and got it pretty close but the HUD no longer "fits right". is there a way to resize the HUD? does anyone have their A-10c default view set up like I want to set mine?

thanks.

John

 

Oh yea, I set my FOV to 133 but it doesn't seem to change fron 120. Is 120 the max FOV?

[Chops]

Thanks for your effort on this project Peter.

 

Will you be covering the external views as well? I have not found much documentation on this and a lot of the commands are a mystery to me.

[PeterP]

I was unable to find an answer to this question.

I would like my default F1 view to look like the cntrl+F1 view without the head movement into turns. I've played with the SnapViewDefault.lua (#13)and got it pretty close but the HUD no longer "fits right". is there a way to resize the HUD? does anyone have their A-10c default view set up like I want to set mine?

thanks.

John

 

Oh yea, I set my FOV to 133 but it doesn't seem to change fron 120. Is 120 the max FOV?

 

No - no way to resize the HUD without that it becomes useless , as the piper and way-points are not matching with the 'outside' any more.

 

A collimated HUD has only a narrow band it is properly visible inside the cockpit - and it is calibrated for only one eyesight-line. - you can't change this. - that's why the button to move your seat up/down is in the cockpit of the A-10C.

 

 

About the changing max FOV : >>> http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=109127

Edited July 5, 2013 by PeterP

[PeterP]

Thanks for your effort on this project Peter.

 

Will you be covering the external views as well? I have not found much documentation on this and a lot of the commands are a mystery to me.

 

 

Maybe -

 

but you should also take some time to print out the keyboard view-commands - so you can start to play around with them and see what happens.

 

I already made some screen-shots that you can use for it.

 

 

EDIT:

...and when you use this image with this mod you can even have it all time 'in-cockpit'.

>>> KNEEBORD_Tablet_Mod_PP_for DCSWORLD_1.2.4.rar

 

Edited July 5, 2013 by PeterP

[Flagrum]

Hi Peter,

perhaps you can give me a hint where I could start digging for a solution for my problem:

 

I configured my snap views (thanks to your excellent guides & threads) and I could toggle from TIR to snap view by pressing RCTRL+Num0. Then I could switch to whatever snap view I had configured. To go back to the default (TIR) view, I pressed RCTRL+Num0 again.

 

Now (since 1.2.4? dunno ...) this isn't working anymore. RCTRL+Num0 doesn't actually toggle anymore. Instead, I see the snap view only as long as I hold down LWin+NumX (as if I never pressed RCTRL+Num0).

 

(yes, I checked the keyboard mapping already ;)

[PeterP]

Hi Peter,

perhaps you can give me a hint where I could start digging for a solution for my problem:

 

I configured my snap views (thanks to your excellent guides & threads) and I could toggle from TIR to snap view by pressing RCTRL+Num0. Then I could switch to whatever snap view I had configured. To go back to the default (TIR) view, I pressed RCTRL+Num0 again.

 

Now (since 1.2.4? dunno ...) this isn't working anymore. RCTRL+Num0 doesn't actually toggle anymore. Instead, I see the snap view only as long as I hold down LWin+NumX (as if I never pressed RCTRL+Num0).

 

(yes, I checked the keyboard mapping already ;)

 

...post a bug-report like I did : DCS 1.2.4 doesn't carry over the Default Snap-views values when Customising