How to show desktop window inside game?

_bryan

_bryan
Hi folks,

I bought the "Valve Index" and one of the features I was hoping to try was getting the EDDB website window inside the game like down by my feet or something. This would allow me to ALT-TAB to that window, and search for something, then ALT-TAB back to the game.

Does anybody know how to do that? I looked around in the SteamVR program and I don't find a way to do it.

Thanks for any advice.
 

Hairychest

H
I just have the various tabs up on a web browser in the background and alt-tab to the browser and then go back to the game window. Hardly a problem...
 

[VR] Orodruin

[VR] Orodruin
This functionality is not native in SteamVR. There are however third-party apps like OVRtoolkit.
Hairychest said:
I just have the various tabs up on a web browser in the background and alt-tab to the browser and then go back to the game window. Hardly a problem...
Click to expand...
This does not really work in VR.
 

_bryan

_bryan
Hairychest said:
I just have the various tabs up on a web browser in the background and alt-tab to the browser and then go back to the game window. Hardly a problem...
Click to expand...

How do you see web browser with the HMD on? Do you take it off while looking at browser?

I was hoping to see web browser inside ship somewhere, like down by my feet.
 

_bryan

_bryan
One thing I had not considered was resolution of game inside HMD. It might not be enough resolution to show web browser text like in EDDB. So it might be a moot point from the start.
 

Craith

Volunteer Moderator
Craith
I have a Vive, but what I use is the Steam-overlay - it allows you to show your desktop. I increased its size to 200%, so it fills everything in front of me, and websites are easy enough to read without any changes. I do have only a small monitor though, 1920x1080, since I play VR only anyhow. If you have a 4K monitor it might need some zooming in. I can open the overlay by pushing the button on the headset, no need for the controllers.

I tried OVR Drop but it never worked the way I wanted it to, Steam overlay works better for me (I just wish "Return to game" would also close the overlay without needing another confirmation).
 

_bryan

_bryan
Craith said:
I have a Vive, but what I use is the Steam-overlay - it allows you to show your desktop. I increased its size to 200%, so it fills everything in front of me, and websites are easy enough to read without any changes. I do have only a small monitor though, 1920x1080, since I play VR only anyhow. If you have a 4K monitor it might need some zooming in. I can open the overlay by pushing the button on the headset, no need for the controllers.

I tried OVR Drop but it never worked the way I wanted it to, Steam overlay works better for me (I just wish "Return to game" would also close the overlay without needing another confirmation).
Click to expand...

Where can I see the Steam Overlay from within the game? Do I press Shift-Tilde or something like that?
 

Craith

Volunteer Moderator
Craith
it is a button on the headset - press it and it shows up. on the Vive it is on the right side. alternatively you can use the menu button on the controller. Not sure on the index, since mine hasn't yet arrived ... no, not jealous ... not a tiny bit ... no sir ... :D
 

_bryan

_bryan
Oh okay yes there is a button on the HMD on the bottom left. I was wondering what that does. I will try it out.
 

_bryan

_bryan
Okay I tried that button but it does not bring up Steam Overlay. What that button does is to create a mouse-like pointer on the VR display, and I can turn my head and point and click using that button.

I did find a way to show the VR home screen, which has a "Desktops" button. When I click that, it shows the Windows desktop in its own window in VR home page. I think that's my best option right now. If I move my head closer I can "zoom in" on the text well enough to read it.
 

Craith

Volunteer Moderator
Craith
Yes, that is the one I was talking about. there is a slider at the bottom where you can enlarge the window
 

_bryan

_bryan
Okay I will look for that slider. It is a bit awkward leaning forward to try and read a VR representation of a 2560x1440 monitor that's probably inches away from my head, on the other side of the HMD.

I would almost like the HMD to have a way to take it off and put it on easily, but my problem is I have to continually adjust it for at least 1-2 minutes before I get the sweet spot.
 

_bryan

_bryan
Craith said:
Yes, that is the one I was talking about. there is a slider at the bottom where you can enlarge the window
Click to expand...

I found it, now my desktop is 150%. If I set it to the max the text in the browser is comfortable to read.

Do you know how I could move my desktop down a bit? Right now I have to sort of look up at it. The location of the steamVR overlay is a bit high up in the 3D world.

V/r,
Bryan
 

Vertimyst

Vertimyst
Edit: Oops, didn't mean to necro an old thread, didn't see the data, haha.

_bryan said:
Okay I tried that button but it does not bring up Steam Overlay. What that button does is to create a mouse-like pointer on the VR display, and I can turn my head and point and click using that button.

I did find a way to show the VR home screen, which has a "Desktops" button. When I click that, it shows the Windows desktop in its own window in VR home page. I think that's my best option right now. If I move my head closer I can "zoom in" on the text well enough to read it.
Click to expand...

That's odd, it should bring up the Steam Overlay - it does for me. Maybe it's remappable somehow.


_bryan said:
I found it, now my desktop is 150%. If I set it to the max the text in the browser is comfortable to read.

Do you know how I could move my desktop down a bit? Right now I have to sort of look up at it. The location of the steamVR overlay is a bit high up in the 3D world.

V/r,
Bryan
Click to expand...

In the bottom right corner of the Steam Overlay, there's a button to 'reset sitting/standing view'. Then look where you want to be facing when it appears and it will reset to that position.
 

Terekhov

Terekhov
View "Malic VR"'s streams, he often demos how to use the native Oculus tools to achieve this when not running through Steam, however there is a bug in the Oculus software that make this fail intermittently.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom