MINATURE DOLL PILOT - FIXED!!!!!!! Seriously, full size scale in ED with workaround

[Mulbin]

EDIT - only works well for me with Oculus 6.0.0.0, but not a problem as 6 works fine with elite (it's 6.0.0.1 that has issues for some people)

Disclaimer - the fix for Oculus' non functioning IPD adjuster requires you to update using custom firmware. I've tried it and it works great, but you do so at your own risk. If you are familiar with firmware updating this should not be a problem for you... but if it's too scary or you pull your cable out during update please don't complain to me!



So... I am a very, very happy bunny! For the first time ever I have just been sitting in my (slightly larger than usual) cockpit with a full size pilots body.

As you may know ED does not import IPD settings from oculus config... in fact many games are unable to (Alien Isolation for example) and is locked to the default IPD of 63.5. This is fine if you happen to have a physical IPD that perfectly matches but not much good for the rest of us who have to look at a tiny dolls body hanging from our neck in our miniature cobra

Note - this will fix scale in ALL oculus games, not just ED


It's done using custom firmware, I've just used it and updated with an IPD of 64.5 which seems to get the scale just right for me... trust me, this isn't a subtle difference, it's extremely noticable once you have a full size pilot.


Here is the reddit thread, simply follow the steps outlined by this chap and enjoy full scale ED.

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/3aim44/firmware_solution_for_dk2_lens_separation_ipd/


If you get any eye strain or increased nausia then just reinstall the standard firmware... although this custom firmware may actually reduce eye strain, particularly if you also buy a physical lens seperator to go with it.

 

[rennarda]

That's quite old - but I'm tempted to try it as the mini pilot model is a constant annoyance.

 

[rohirm]

I have no problem with the pilot size. In my Oculus (0.5.0.1) config the settings are: Player height: 150cm (I am 184cm), Eye To Neck Distance, Horizontal: 100mm, Vertical: 100mm, IPD: 64,5mm.
In ED config IPDAmount 0.064500

 

[Mulbin]

I have no problem with the pilot size. In my Oculus (0.5.0.1) config the settings are: Player height: 150cm (I am 184cm), Eye To Neck Distance, Horizontal: 100mm, Vertical: 100mm, IPD: 64,5mm.
In ED config IPDAmount 0.064500

Oculs config has ZERO effect in elite. Confirmed by support in my thread here https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=170370

If the pilot looks right to you it's simply because your eye's natural IPD (the distance between your pupils) just happens to match the default IPD closely enough for scale to appear correct for you. You're wasting your time tweaking the oculus config... it's broken.

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That's quite old - but I'm tempted to try it as the mini pilot model is a constant annoyance.

It still uses the most up to date firmware as far as I'm aware... unless a new one was released with runtime 7 or 8? Working great for me, complete game changer... man these cockpits are bigger than I thought!

 

[[VR] Scifikomori]

Interesting, thanks!

There's also a hardware lens separation fix here: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/vrgear
(there's probably more out there, but that's one that I know about)

I haven't gotten myselft to order one even though my IPD is on the verge of being too wide. But I can manage (though barely). I have to center the HMD pretty precisely, or else it's blurryvision on one eye.

However, updating the firmware on that thing is not something I do lightly anymore.. I did it once, and it took about 10 tries before it went without an error!


EDIT:

I'd just like to add that I don't think the scale in ED looks off, it looks really good imho. If anything the pilot body seems a bit tall (but I'm on the short side lol).

 

[BillD]

Interesting, thanks!

There's also a hardware lens separation fix here: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/vrgear
(there's probably more out there, but that's one that I know about)

For those that have a 3d printer you can print them.

 

[DOCa Cola]

Thanks for posting this. For me the correct IPD setting made a huge difference. I don't know when exactly that IPD setting had no more effect on ED. But since then there was something off i couldn't put my finger on. And i thought i just got used to VR, since everything felt less immersive...

 

[Mulbin]

Interesting, thanks!

There's also a hardware lens separation fix here: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/vrgear

The seperators dont really alter the scale in the game on their own, they simply make the lenses line up with your own eyes better to reduce blurring and give you a larger "sweet spot" where the image is crisp... but this in turn puts the lenses out of sync slightly with the screen inside the headset. The firmware workaround recomends you use a combination of firmware and the seperators to get everything crystal clear and correctly scaled. I'll be tracking down some seperators to go with this workaround to get the best image possible

I'd just like to add that I don't think the scale in ED looks off, it looks really good imho. If anything the pilot body seems a bit tall (but I'm on the short side lol).

It's not really about opinion, people perceive it differently for a simple physical reason. It simply means your eyes (the physical distance between your actual eyeballs) happens to be a close match to the defaul IPD of the oculus rift (63.5)... a slightly oversized pilot would mean that your natural IPD is slightly smaller than default. People with eyes a few milimeters further apart or closer together will get scale problems without this workaround. People who perceive the pilot to be the correct size dont need the workaround as the default is fine for them... they also don't need to bother using the profile tool in oculus config, and benefit they think they see from it is, unfortunately, completely in their head... It's broken.

Thanks for posting this. For me the correct IPD setting made a huge difference. I don't know when exactly that IPD setting had no more effect on ED. But since then there was something off i couldn't put my finger on. And i thought i just got used to VR, since everything felt less immersive...

It seems a bit hazy but it looks like a lot of games lot the ability to communicate with oculus config after runtime 4 was updated to runtime 5.0. Many oculus specific titles these days simply have their own internal IPD adjuster to avoid trying to get the info directly from the ovr service.

An odd example is half life, I've found that the only way it will import oculus IPD is by performing a fresh install of the runtime, the game AND steam vr and setting the IPD before you enter the game for the first time.... after that you are stuck until you reinstall.

Another example is Alien Isolation which completely fails to import IPD... but this can now be fixed with the workaround ... almost too scared to try it out though.

 

[jprelph]

Hmm, I'm using the VR Gear separators because I've got an IPD around 69mm and I've been using their interceptor software - so now I'm wondering if that's been making a difference or if that is equally ignored in ED? I've not noticed a massive problem but I'm wondering if my eyes had basically just adjust to it...

 

[CylonSurfer]

Another example is Alien Isolation which completely fails to import IPD... but this can now be fixed with the workaround ... almost too scared to try it out though.

Just tried it - pretty painless to be honest but I guess there is a small risk factor. I set my IPD to 67.0, tested with both Elite and Alien, both looked a lot better in terms of scale. I reflashed to the official firmware in the end and will wait for a official fix from Frontier... might be waiting some time though.

 

[[VR] Scifikomori]

It's not really about opinion, people perceive it differently for a simple physical reason. It simply means your eyes (the physical distance between your actual eyeballs) happens to be a close match to the defaul IPD of the oculus rift (63.5)... a slightly oversized pilot would mean that your natural IPD is slightly smaller than default. People with eyes a few milimeters further apart or closer together will get scale problems without this workaround. People who perceive the pilot to be the correct size dont need the workaround as the default is fine for them... they also don't need to bother using the profile tool in oculus config, and benefit they think they see from it is, unfortunately, completely in their head... It's broken.

I'd thought it was the other way around, but then again I often get the "opposite logic" of things lol, so maybe I'm wrong. So, my understanding is if your real IPD is bigger (wider) than the virtual IPD (settings in Oculus config or whatever the VR application use), then things would look bigger? (Think of an extreme opposite, where you have a stereo photo of, say, a city, and the cameras are placed wide apart. It would look like a small model city basically. Also btw, the "system map" in Elite Dangerous that lines up the stars and planets is like that in a way, and even more extreme, and they look like small model stars and planets).

My IPD is around 68-69 mm somewhere (not sure exactly), thus wider than Oculus default of 63.5mm (or is it 65mm?) by quite a bit. Maybe it's just that I'm used to E: D's scale, but it doesn't look off to me. Except as said, that pilot do seems a bit tall (not really large, just tall, and not smaller), but then again I'm not

And Alien Isolation can be very disturbing lol (You don't happen to have a work-around for the tilting head turning, or that displaced VR radial menu thing?)

Also, yes I know the separators don't scale the game, just improve the sweetspot for your eyes etc.


EDIT:
Having just played for a few hours and looking more closely at the pilot, he is actually a little bit big. And have a really long torso.

 

[rennarda]

I've tried several times to apply the patched firmware, but the updated just craps out after about 25% saying device was not attached. I'm on Windows 10. What am I doing wrong ?

 

[[VR] Scifikomori]

I've tried several times to apply the patched firmware, but the updated just craps out after about 25% saying device was not attached. I'm on Windows 10. What am I doing wrong ?

I assume that's a technical term for the "Error reading block 0" or "...block 1" or something? https://forums.oculus.com/viewtopic.php?t=13936

Anyway, yes, it will not be recognized if the firmware update fails, but don't worry (ish ): You just have to keep trying, and hope for the best!

From a quick google: http://www.roadtovr.com/how-to-update-oculus-rift-dk2-firmware/

…the firmware updater is not fatal even if it crashes mid-update or if you yank your cables. In the unlikely event that the firmware update gets interrupted mid-update this is what would happen…


Your device will not be recognized anymore by the Config Util and it won’t function. It will look “bricked” except maybe for a flashy orange light. Don’t panic. Just reopen the Config Util and go back to the Update Firmware menu item and select the update again. When it doesn’t find an active device, it will instead look for a device that is already in “firmware update mode”. When it finds it it will restart the update process again and once finished, all will be well.

​

Which was also my experience, but I'm still very hesitant to try that again. I had to do it almost 10 times before it went without an error! And all I did was simply to retry it...and retry, retry, retry etc... (it's the definition of crazy, trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Sometimes in Windows that's just what works though ) I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit btw, I don't know if Windows 10 have some new tricks up it's sleeve regarding all this.


EDIT: Uh, assuming you have the DK2, ofc...

EDIT # 2: Also, it wasnt' the intention of hijacking this thread.. maybe better continue or separate the last two posts in another thread if that's better. But then again this thread also concerns messing with firmware updates.

 

[Mulbin]

I've tried several times to apply the patched firmware, but the updated just craps out after about 25% saying device was not attached. I'm on Windows 10. What am I doing wrong ?

I had the exact same problem, updating my runtime from 5.0.1.0 to 6.0.0.0 fixed it for me. ALthough ED officially supports runtime 5 I've always found it plays fine with runtime 6 as well... it's 6.0.0.1 and higher that it has issues with.

Other people have also reported the same problem when trying to update firmware via a USB 3 socket... you could try pluggin the oculus into a USB 2 socket instead for the update (black socket instead of a blue one).

 

[rennarda]

Thanks, I will persevere. I have noticed weirdness with USB 3.0. For instance, half of the controls on my X52 don't work if plugged into USB 3.0. I'll try plugging into the one and only USB 2.0 port on my machine !

 

[gamer101]

I'd thought it was the other way around ..... .....

Me too. I have a very wide IPD, everything looks BIG to me. A friend has a small IPD, and everything looks small.

A word of warning about using those physical IPD extenders (that you can 3D print). It is not enough just to move the lenses further apart. I have found that after using a modest IPD extender for a few minutes, it took several minutes for my eyes to stop double vision (crosseyed) afterwards.

I believe that the IPD has an impact when looking at close objects, but tapers off as your eyes relax looking at distant objects. Moving just the lenses, means that your eyes are still "converging" even on distant objects and eystrain results.

In the CV1, the Lens AND the display move together to overcome this.

 

[Wolfox]

I don't know what the IPD has to do with all this. If IPD is wrong you have a double image and eyes pain, if your body looks small that is because of the FOV.

 

[gamer101]

The space between left and right lens and between displays impacts a person's depth perception and sense of scale.

Some people put on the rift and everything looks small and like a doll house.

The IPD adjustment is supposed to compensate for this, but many people are either above or below the IPD adjustment available, or in the case of the original post, IPD offsets are not being applied within ED.

 

[Mulbin]

I don't know what the IPD has to do with all this. If IPD is wrong you have a double image and eyes pain, if your body looks small that is because of the FOV.

Sorry but that's simply not correct. You're talking about position of lenses relative to eyes and screen which is just a case of image misalignment not digital IPD. The virtual IPD adjustment alters the distance between the 2 in game cameras. If you get eye strain you need to also move the lenses to match your physical IPD, this will be the case whether you alter virtual IPD or not... You just don't fit you headset.

An incorrect fov would cause image distortion like a fish bowl. But it is not possible to change oculus Fov with elite.

The space between left and right lens and between displays impacts a person's depth perception and sense of scale.

Some people put on the rift and everything looks small and like a doll house.

Yes that's what ipd adjustment does, it moves the virtual cameras further apart altering the scale. I'm a VR developer so have a full understanding of the effects of in game IPD

FOV does not change in elite when using oculus, it is locked to the default

The IPD adjustment is supposed to compensate for this, but many people are either above or below the IPD adjustment available, or in the case of the original post, IPD offsets are not being applied within ED.

Just to confirm again the oculus config has ZERO effect on ED. not an issue of being outside available adjustment, there is NO available adjustment at this time.

FOV does not change in elite when using oculus, it is locked to the default.

 

[horizone]

Here is a fix for 0.6.0.1 that doesn't include messing with the firmware.

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/3dugxj/thank_you_oculus_sdk_0601_now_supports_lens/