Has anyone got a virtual keyboard working in ED with VR?

DaveB · Oct 21, 2020

There are few times, but important ones, when you actually need to type text in ED - system searches, renaming bookmarks - I'm not even considering text chat here.

Now, I've already tried setting up virtual typing by speaking phonetics into voiceattack, but it's just not good enough. I've tried pinning a pc-based on-screen keyboard to the environment in oculus, and it shows just fine but the moment you try and use it everything goes seriously haywire.

Has anyone come up with a solution for having a usable keyboard in ED when in oculus VR (non-steam, so no steamVR overlay solutions are available) other than pushing the HMD up onto your forehead and using the physical keyboard? (Im NOT a touch-typist, tried to learn to be one for 30+ years and it just never happened for me, something about how the brain is wired, I guess)

dexatron · Oct 22, 2020

I had the same problem, Especially When replying to txt msg in ED. So I tried Something and it worked Quite Well, But I haven't used it in a while. It's a Program called Dragon natural dictation speaking. It will do what you want and also More.

DaveB · Oct 22, 2020

dexatron said:
I had the same problem, Especially When replying to txt msg in ED. So I tried Something and it worked Quite Well, But I haven't used it in a while. It's a Program called Dragon natural dictation speaking. It will do what you want and also More.

Dictation progs like dragon are great - IF you're speaking english or any other language they are programmed for. Getting them to type "COL Sector Gobbledigook 347-a-12-idiot" isn't so easy

dexatron · Oct 22, 2020

Yes I agree, I was just using it to talk to people in game. Not to Explore Different Places, The other option is to pre program your places in a Voice Pack Bookmark I think you can have up to 10. That's how I'm doing it at the moment. Sorry I'm not more Helpful

Old Duck · Oct 22, 2020

My goal is to have a bunch of text macros ready, so I can just push a button and it'll send a prewritten comms. For example, if I'm playing the role of a PvP pirate, I need to get a message out ASAP to let my target know my terms so they don't assuming I'm just another ganker. A hotkey to send this message isn't just handy in VR, but even in 2D where I can see the keyboard, because nothing can type as fast as a macro.

FWIW, I'm not a "let's sit and chat all day long in comms like Facebook Messenger" guy, especially in VR. Usually my comms are tied to roleplay, be it the casual "o7" or the "Give me 32 tons of cargo and I'll let you live" directive.

(If Frontier was smart, this would already be built into the game)

DaveB · Oct 22, 2020

Yeah, I hear ya, Old Duck, chat is genuinely the least of my concerns. Even before I went VR I had VA macros for some of that. The vast majority of my multiplayer time is with a bunch of regular buddies and we're all on one of several discord vox channels anyway.

The one core aspect to the game that - so far, at least - has no possible workaround for typing arbitrary text is navigation. Whether searching for a location or managing your bookmarks it cannot be avoided by any means.

Finding a specific distant system in the galmap cannot be done without either typing its name or having an existing bookmark to its location- I know, theoretically you could use the movement controls in the galmap to get into the right general area and try to find it but who has that many hours to spend on NOT playing the game? I have full 6dof movement in the galmap mapped to controls that suit me well and I can navigate to any system I can see on the screen in seconds - but getting to the point where you can see a particular distant location with movement controls alone is needle in a haystack time. Right now I'm just doing it the "nasty way" - taking my headphones and HMD off, typing what I need and then putting 'em back on. Sometimes several times an hour during a play session. I'd take even a fairly clunky solution to avoid this but so far haven't been able to find one that is remotely workable, clunky or not.

Cairton · Oct 25, 2020

The only "solution" I've been able to come up with is teaching myself to touch type.

DaveB · Oct 27, 2020

Aye, I hear ya @Cairton - but like I said in the OP I've been trying that for three sodding decades. At this point I think I have to just admit that it aint going to happen for me.

AvonNZ · Nov 5, 2020

Not quite on topic, but I tested out 2 methods of speech to text at the beginning of the year with mixed results, see below. It works kind of for words in the window 10 dictionary, but not for arbitrary words or text, which is what you are wanting to do. I only tested it in ED chat, which is a bit pointless unless you don't want to use your real voice on the mic.

Source: https://youtu.be/LDAkcp5L7ok