Oculus Rift Virgin user, 2 day report.

Alec Turner · Mar 13, 2017

Wasp0 said:
I am constantly changing my settings, but like Alec have achieved a pretty constant 90FPS, except in the REALLY big surface stations where it dives to 45FPS.

The drop to 45fps will be ASW kicking in. Chances are you're actually only dropping to 70 or 80. If you press Ctrl + Numpad 1 to turn ASW off then you should be able to see your true framerate.

I'd be really interested to see the settings that you end up with, perhaps post a screenshot of your ED Profiler setup when you're happy with it?

I must say I'm really happy switching between VR and non-VR profiles these days, and each time I do so I'm always pretty amazed by what I see, either the fantastic VR experience or the glorious graphics quality. I guess it's a classic "glass half full" kind of thing (VR is half full of amazing immersion and monitor is half full of graphics quality).

Looking through the 'Nose Hole' to type is do-able. but wholly uncomfortable....

I must say the "nose hole" is a godsend. Not so much for constant typing but just to locate my fingers on the right keys. My touch typing isn't great - but it's getting better.

I remember somewhere a VA program that enabled 'Speak-to-Text' where you dictated what you want printed in the comms and then pressed to send? Anyone point me in the right direction to said program? I might give that ago.

I think the following is what you're looking for ...

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...typing-in-VR?p=5197775&viewfull=1#post5197775

Edit: or Heisenburg's link, which looks even better!

Alec Turner · Mar 13, 2017

Nice post on Oculus tweaks that I came across today ...

http://www.vrbeginnersguide.com/oculus-rift-adjustments-tweaking-for-any-skill-level/

Wasp0 · Mar 13, 2017

Alec Turner said:
The drop to 45fps will be ASW kicking in. Chances are you're actually only dropping to 70 or 80. If you press Ctrl + Numpad 1 to turn ASW off then you should be able to see your true framerate.

I'd be really interested to see the settings that you end up with, perhaps post a screenshot of your ED Profiler setup when you're happy with it?

I must say I'm really happy switching between VR and non-VR profiles these days, and each time I do so I'm always pretty amazed by what I see, either the fantastic VR experience or the glorious graphics quality. I guess it's a classic "glass half full" kind of thing (VR is half full of amazing immersion and monitor is half full of graphics quality).

I must say the "nose hole" is a godsend. Not so much for constant typing but just to locate my fingers on the right keys. My touch typing isn't great - but it's getting better.

I think the following is what you're looking for ...

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...typing-in-VR?p=5197775&viewfull=1#post5197775

Edit: or Heisenburg's link, which looks even better!

Thanks Again Alec. to turn off ASW, do i have to have the De-bug tool running? When using the de-bug tool, i take it you have to run the program before starting ED, set what ever parameters you want in the debug tool, then leave it running, start ED and PLAT?.....

I don't use the debug tool at the mo, as i use all in game settings.

I will post my ED Profiler tonight?

Alec, do you often switch to the 'Non VR' ED? Having used VR now for oh such a long time

(Since Friday) i am getting used to the lower graphics of VR but the HUGE HUGE immursion, that i'd be scared if i went back to my 40" 4k Monitor i might not go back to VR as i could see what i am missing in Quality Graphics?

Thanks Again for your help and Guidance in my embryonic VR Experience.

- - - Updated - - -

CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned said:
I thought Voice Attack did this already - sure I've seen forum posts that mention it.

Small search later...

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...board-needed?p=2231016&viewfull=1#post2231016

Your knowledge of the search engine on the forum is greater than mine B.Damned

Thank you. I searched but got a load of .....

Do you use it?

Alec Turner · Mar 13, 2017

Wasp0 said:
Thanks Again Alec. to turn off ASW, do i have to have the De-bug tool running? When using the de-bug tool, i take it you have to run the program before starting ED, set what ever parameters you want in the debug tool, then leave it running, start ED and PLAT?.....

I don't use the debug tool at the mo, as i use all in game settings.

Nope - no need to use the debug tool - the Ctrl + Numpad stuff is built directly into the Oculus software.

I will post my ED Profiler tonight?

Cool - thanks.

Alec, do you often switch to the 'Non VR' ED? Having used VR now for oh such a long time (Since Friday) i am getting used to the lower graphics of VR but the HUGE HUGE immursion, that i'd be scared if i went back to my 40" 4k Monitor i might not go back to VR as i could see what i am missing in Quality Graphics?

I play about 50:50 (I was on the monitor this morning, basically because I was SRV racing and I still slightly prefer doing that on-screen). Last week I went out exploring to the Horse Head nebula. I spent most of the week in VR (being in an asteroid field in a nebula was just stunning) but again, I had a couple of sessions on the monitor because I wanted to grab some screenshots ..

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/95490-Screenie(s)?p=5244355&viewfull=1#post5244355

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/95490-Screenie(s)?p=5248936&viewfull=1#post5248936

Thanks Again for your help and Guidance in my embryonic VR Experience.

No problem - I'm a massive fan of the VR experience and anything I can do to share that and help others to get the best out of their setup is always a real pleasure.

- - - Updated - - -

Wasp0 said:
Alec, do you often switch to the 'Non VR' ED? Having used VR now for oh such a long time (Since Friday) i am getting used to the lower graphics of VR but the HUGE HUGE immursion, that i'd be scared if i went back to my 40" 4k Monitor i might not go back to VR as i could see what i am missing in Quality Graphics?

One thing I forgot to add, I think having head tracking (I have a TrackIR) helps enourmously with the transition back to non-VR. It's obviously nothing like the same experience but going back to the monitor AND being forced to look straight ahead would feel REALLY limiting.

Wasp0 · Mar 13, 2017

Alec Turner said:
Nope - no need to use the debug tool - the Ctrl + Numpad stuff is built directly into the Oculus software.

Cool - thanks.

I play about 50:50 (I was on the monitor this morning, basically because I was SRV racing and I still slightly prefer doing that on-screen). Last week I went out exploring to the Horse Head nebula. I spent most of the week in VR (being in an asteroid field in a nebula was just stunning) but again, I had a couple of sessions on the monitor because I wanted to grab some screenshots ..

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/95490-Screenie(s)?p=5244355&viewfull=1#post5244355

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/95490-Screenie(s)?p=5248936&viewfull=1#post5248936

No problem - I'm a massive fan of the VR experience and anything I can do to share that and help others to get the best out of their setup is always a real pleasure.

- - - Updated - - -

One thing I forgot to add, I think having head tracking (I have a TrackIR) helps enourmously with the transition back to non-VR. It's obviously nothing like the same experience but going back to the monitor AND being forced to look straight ahead would feel REALLY limiting.

Yes, i have TrackIR also, great little gadget and one of the culprits for getting me into VR

For me the driving (SRV) experience in VR is the most wonderful experience this side of the black IT Stump, it is jaw dropping, but can fully understand about Buggy racing with VR would produce vast amount of sick!

My Wife, who is a total non PC gamer, was standing behind me last night watching me with the VR headset on, i said come on have a look... So i setup my cutter with Docking computer, went out the station and then came back in again using the docking computer and the External camera, gave her the headset and sat here down..................She was absolutely STUNNED Blown away, flabbergasted...... I had a nice smile on my face and knew my expenditure on the VR won't get questioned when the CC bill comes in

Alec Turner · Mar 13, 2017

Wasp0 said:
My Wife, who is a total non PC gamer, was standing behind me last night watching me with the VR headset on, i said come on have a look... So i setup my cutter with Docking computer, went out the station and then came back in again using the docking computer and the External camera, gave her the headset and sat here down..................She was absolutely STUNNED Blown away, flabbergasted...... I had a nice smile on my face and knew my expenditure on the VR won't get questioned when the CC bill comes in

Out of rep but exactly the same here!

My wife was (teasingly) pretty scornful of my Oculus - right up until the moment that she tried it. The first day I couldn't get her off Lucky's Tale and now, as someone who's into her geography, she's a HUGE fan of Google Earth VR (she flew herself up the Rhine all the way from Lake Garda and across Europe last weekend and ending up booking a family holiday based on what she saw!). I haven't dared give her the full Elite experience - I'd never get her off it!

Wasp0 · Mar 13, 2017

Alec Turner said:
Out of rep but exactly the same here!

My wife was (teasingly) pretty scornful of my Oculus - right up until the moment that she tried it. The first day I couldn't get her off Lucky's Tale and now, as someone who's into her geography, she's a HUGE fan of Google Earth VR (she flew herself up the Rhine all the way from Lake Garda and across Europe last weekend and ending up booking a family holiday based on what she saw!). I haven't dared give her the full Elite experience - I'd never get her off it!

Also out of Rep for you and B. Damned, need to spread some more ED love

Alec may i ask do you disconnect your Monitor (HDMI/DP/DVI) plug at the back of the PC when in VR? At the moment my VR screen is a lowly 21" monitor so i can see what going on, but i fear if i connect my 40" 4k monitor and had VR running at same time my Graphics card would say something along the lines, "You want me to run that beast and a Rift at the same time, you having a huge laugh".....

Alec Turner · Mar 13, 2017

Wasp0 said:
Also out of Rep for you and B. Damned, need to spread some more ED love

Alec may i ask do you disconnect your Monitor (HDMI/DP/DVI) plug at the back of the PC when in VR? At the moment my VR screen is a lowly 21" monitor so i can see what going on, but i fear if i connect my 40" 4k monitor and had VR running at same time my Graphics card would say something along the lines, "You want me to run that beast and a Rift at the same time, you having a huge laugh".....

I've only got a 1920x1080 monitor but no, I leave it plugged in. Basically, when you're in VR the game window on the screen is windowed and very low-res by default (1024x768?). You can actually lower the resolution right down to 640x480 but currently there's a fault which means this doesn't get remembered. Even if you set 640x480 in ED Profiler I think it still starts up at its default 1024x768 (or whatever). For what it's worth you can also increase it and set it fullscreen again. I've occasionally done this in order to capture on-screen video while in VR. It's slightly weird tho because the FOV is very narrow and obviously centered on whatever you're looking at in the headset.

Others may know better but I suspect that, even if you did unplug your monitor, your GPU would still be doing the work to produce an image for your monitor (e.g. Windows desktop background + 1024x768 ED window) as well as for the headset so I think it's completely unnecessary. Plus, your wife can see that you're in the middle of a docking manoeuvre and not tap you on the shoulder until you've safely landed!

vic · Mar 13, 2017

For text chatting and galaxy map system search:

I use Voice attack in dictation mode and works great! You do have to take the time to learn it and set up some scripts though.
ALso recoomend installing EDDI. Gives automatic voice readback info of system you are in,
info on scanned planets/starts, where you are going etc...

Thebadmf · Mar 13, 2017

Check out http://www.hellov.io/ if you need to do other things while playing in VR (for me thats LoL pro games, netflix or Plex). I find it fiddly to move the window about each time but it works.

Wasp0 · Mar 13, 2017

Thebadmf said:
Check out http://www.hellov.io/ if you need to do other things while playing in VR (for me thats LoL pro games, netflix or Plex). I find it fiddly to move the window about each time but it works.

Yes, i have seen Dr Kaii YT vid on this, and downloaded the program, but it is so fiddly and not being a xbox 360 users i don't want to have to use yet another controller to control this program. I must admit though i did not give this program the full treatment it deserves as my focus this weekend has been aimed directly at OC my Card, SS, HMD settings, Blurr, Bloom Aliasing and Anti A, ED Profiler.

A Steep learning curve weekend for me! (And still ongoing)

Thebadmf · Mar 13, 2017

XB360 pad? The XB1 pad that comes with your rift works fine.

[HJ]-RedRaven · Mar 14, 2017

For me, navigating in the galaxy and system maps works fine with the mouse... except for selecting the actual star and using the little context menu.

So I move the map about in a gross sense with the mouse, then for the close-in work I set the forward/back, move left/right and up/down to hat buttons on my HOTAS throttle.

Plop the target star into the blue selection circle and the menu appears to set the route etc.

The hardest bit is not being able to easily type in VR... something like the hunt-n-peck SteamVR keyboard would be fine even if you used the mouse.

VR Cmdr Paine · Mar 14, 2017

Welcome aboard the VR train Wasp0 o7
Have been using VR myself since premium beta tbh I don't even think about resolutions these days,
I like to quote this when people ask what its like, "Elite is not a game I play, Its a place I Go"

Wasp0 · Mar 14, 2017

Cmdr Paine said:
Welcome aboard the VR train Wasp0 o7
Have been using VR myself since premium beta tbh I don't even think about resolutions these days,
I like to quote this when people ask what its like, "Elite is not a game I play, Its a place I Go"

Thank you & Great Line Cmdr Paine, and one, if you don't mind, will use when i get asked the same question.

VR StarLightPL · Mar 14, 2017

[HJ]-RedRaven said:
For me, navigating in the galaxy and system maps works fine with the mouse... except for selecting the actual star and using the little context menu.

So I move the map about in a gross sense with the mouse, then for the close-in work I set the forward/back, move left/right and up/down to hat buttons on my HOTAS throttle.

Plop the target star into the blue selection circle and the menu appears to set the route etc.

The hardest bit is not being able to easily type in VR... something like the hunt-n-peck SteamVR keyboard would be fine even if you used the mouse.

I find it puzzling. Why do you insist on using the mouse if you already have some galmap controls on HOTAS? Just bind the required cam pitch controls (see my controls reference I posted a while ago in this thread, use modifiers if you lack buttons), and there is absolutely no need to use the mouse for galmap anymore. UI tab next / tab previous can switch you from the left "long" menu tabs (realistic, map, pp) to "system" tabs (select, plot route, etc.) - there is absolutely no need to take your hands off the hotas.

As for typing, I find the "nose gap" both Rift and Vive have can help you with it, but that said I type for a living (programmer). I sometimes find it easier to use the gap to quicker find the F and J keys which have touch markers on them, than "immersion breaking" blind groping at the keys and type-and-miss if my keyboard is at weird angle. I do not use it for typing per se.

[VR] Mad Mike · Mar 14, 2017

Max Factor said:
I haven't used a mouse in the galaxy map for a long long time. I use my hotas to move around it, the same with the system map. And that includes the options.

same for me as well.... hotass all the way.
My touch typing is so so so can just about get by with typing.

Glad you are getting on with it somewhat wasp, sorry you find the resolution so bad. i must admit, it really does not bother me much. ED is probably the worst example of low res you will find. other games such as robo recall etc which are made for VR, the resolution is a non issue, probably because the art style and colour palette is totally based around VR.
have you considered tweaking you hud using one of the green hues? with sharper text you may not noticed the rest of the low resolution so much.

Wasp0 · Mar 14, 2017

Mad Mike said:
same for me as well.... hotass all the way.
My touch typing is so so so can just about get by with typing.

Glad you are getting on with it somewhat wasp, sorry you find the resolution so bad. i must admit, it really does not bother me much. ED is probably the worst example of low res you will find. other games such as robo recall etc which are made for VR, the resolution is a non issue, probably because the art style and colour palette is totally based around VR.
have you considered tweaking you hud using one of the green hues? with sharper text you may not noticed the rest of the low resolution so much.

Hi Mike,

I am getting used to it, until i went back to my monitor last night to work on some VA Dictation scripts which i failed at..... The graphics are pin sharp, but the immursion was er YUK! i was no longer in the ship! so as soon as i crack these VA dictation scripts i'll hope the mask on and way to go!

I have changed my HUC colors to variation of the Dr Kaii Teale thingy, bit of getting used to having nearly 2 years in ORANGE

.

So just the Galmap to stress about now, i am getting there due to a lot of help from this forum.

TorTorden_VR · Mar 14, 2017

Wasp0 said:
Hi Mike,

I am getting used to it, until i went back to my monitor last night to work on some VA Dictation scripts which i failed at..... The graphics are pin sharp, but the immursion was er YUK! i was no longer in the ship! so as soon as i crack these VA dictation scripts i'll hope the mask on and way to go!

I have changed my HUC colors to variation of the Dr Kaii Teale thingy, bit of getting used to having nearly 2 years in ORANGE .

So just the Galmap to stress about now, i am getting there due to a lot of help from this forum.

Oh, and I forgot to mention.
I also make liberal and nearly obscene use of bookmarks.

Also, if you want some in a certain order, rename in a numbered format and the numbers will be prioritised.

They even support floats, so you can do 1, 2, 3.
Or 1, 1.01, 1.02,, etc.

Korben Dallas · Mar 14, 2017

Very good review there Wasp0.

I think the majority of the crowd here have already given all the good advice so I won't repeat myself and keep this 'DRY'.

Anyhows;

The only thing I would like to advise you on is this:

If Touch Tying is terra incognita for you, I would consider going here:

https://www.typingclub.com

...and practice until you can type this sentence within 15 seconds without looking at your keyboard.

Having stood where you stand at the moment, I WILL guarantee you that :

1) You will NOT regret having invested time to master it
2) You will NOT have taken ages to master it (took me about 2 months)
3) You will wonder why you didn't do this earlier...
4) Your life, will be much easier using all your fingers without needing to look at your KB, with or without the VR headset.

I taught myself TT for the sole purpose to be able to type in system names in the galaxy map in ED without the need to peep through the nose hole.

Welcome to the club.