The Vive discussion Thread

bitstorm · Dec 13, 2016

esxste said:
I've seen the greying out issue once. I don't remember the exact circumstances leading up to it but I'd taken the headset off, gone afk for 10-15 minutes but had left Elite open. A reboot of the headset resolved it.

Cheers.

I sorted it out by uninstalling everything plus a reinstall.

I do have another question though, this happens consistently with me, I assume it's a bug.

- Start ED in normal (non-VR) mode just through the launcher
- The processes VR Server, VR Compositor and VR Dashboard start up when you check in task manager!

Now this may well be normal I have no idea, maybe they have to start to cover the event you switch to VR using the in game ED settings.

But the issue is..

- Close ED
- VR Server, VR Compositor and VR Dashboard are still showing as running in the task manager, they do not shut themselves down

And because they are left running I cannot subsequently start "SteamVR" through the little Steam icon. I have to forcibly kill these tasks off first.

Do other people see this?

esxste · Dec 13, 2016

bitstorm said:
Cheers.

I sorted it out by uninstalling everything plus a reinstall.

I do have another question though, this happens consistently with me, I assume it's a bug.

- Start ED in normal (non-VR) mode just through the launcher
- The processes VR Server, VR Compositor and VR Dashboard start up when you check in task manager!

Now this may well be normal I have no idea, maybe they have to start to cover the event you switch to VR using the in game ED settings.

But the issue is..

- Close ED
- VR Server, VR Compositor and VR Dashboard are still showing as running in the task manager, they do not shut themselves down

And because they are left running I cannot subsequently start "SteamVR" through the little Steam icon. I have to forcibly kill these tasks off first.

Do other people see this?

I'll check this out, but I've used ED Profiler to set the graphics options - I go through the launcher, and it launches into VR mode. I've never really noticed what processes start, and whether they stop appropriately - but I have other weird VIve issues likely related to my motherboard (ASUS) and firmware not really sticking.

Additinal USB 3.0 card is in the works for that.

On a different note:

Has anyone come accross a decent implementation of IRC in VR?

rogue221 · Dec 15, 2016

You try reinstalling steamVR?

bitstorm · Dec 15, 2016

rogue221 said:
You try reinstalling steamVR?

Aye, reinstalled a few times.

It's consistent.

For some reason whenever ED starts up, even in non-VR, the following services auto-start :

- VR Server
- VR Compositor
- VR Dashboard

This doesn't happen for anyone else?

Heater · Jan 3, 2017

Looking at making the jump to the Vive VR world….

A few questions on the Vive,
I understand that you have to place the base stations diagonal from each other but how does this effect sitting at the desk?
In my case the room is 3,60 x 3,30 BUT has an angled roof on onside. Will this affect the set up in anyway?
Most (90%) of the use will be sitting at the desk which is in one corner of the room any issues I need to think about?
Do I have to use the controllers? Or can I use My warthog for the controls?
Do I have to use the steam version of Elite?

Thanks in advance.

Eric Hunt · Jan 3, 2017

Heater said:
A few questions on the Vive,
I understand that you have to place the base stations diagonal from each other but how does this effect sitting at the desk?
In my case the room is 3,60 x 3,30 BUT has an angled roof on onside. Will this affect the set up in anyway?
Most (90%) of the use will be sitting at the desk which is in one corner of the room any issues I need to think about?
Do I have to use the controllers? Or can I use My warthog for the controls?
Do I have to use the steam version of Elite?

Thanks in advance.

Hi

I have mine setup pretty much how you discribed your room and I have no issues - you will be able to tell early on - as both stations should have a Green light at the front if they can see each other.
Controllers ? - no I use my x56 - you use the controllers for other VR Games but not ED
I use Steam VR to play ED but I am 99% sure you can run it without Steam VR

Hope this helps - btw, you are in for a massive treat the first time you login and enjoy ED as it shou7ld be played - no going back after VR

Eric

dree · Jan 3, 2017

I think SteamVR is always running and is necessary.
If I start ED, SteamVR is starting automatically.
You don't have to buy ED from steam, I bought ED from Frontier.

Dree

Filmgeek47 · Jan 4, 2017

Heater said:
A few questions on the Vive,
I understand that you have to place the base stations diagonal from each other but how does this effect sitting at the desk?
In my case the room is 3,60 x 3,30 BUT has an angled roof on onside. Will this affect the set up in anyway?
Most (90%) of the use will be sitting at the desk which is in one corner of the room any issues I need to think about?
Do I have to use the controllers? Or can I use My warthog for the controls?
Do I have to use the steam version of Elite?

Thanks in advance.

Yeah, the Vive tracking can technically operate fine with one base station, so the desk should not be an issue as long as the base station can see you while you're sitting there. Doesn't have to be right in front of your face or anything though.

Definitely go for the Vive if you're on the fence, it is an amazing bit of kit anyway, and it transforms elite from a game into an experience.

Once you're setup, do be prepared for a bit of a learning curve getting your graphics settings setup just right. Getting your settings adjusted to make the most of your hardware can feel like solving a rubics cube, but there's a big difference between the standard VR low or medium presets, and using things like the HMD resolution and super sampling settings to maximize the clarity of what you're seeing, even though both take about the same amount of graphics card grunt to run.

stripealipe · Jan 4, 2017

And definitely download the "ED Switcher" app - it's by far the easiest way of finding optimal settings for your rig.

Heater · Jan 4, 2017

Thanks for the reply's....

BostromNZ · Jan 8, 2017

Hey guys, has the scale issue been fixed in the Vive yet? Does anyone know if it's fixed by playing around with the distance of the lens to the display?

jojon · Jan 9, 2017

BostromNZ said:
Hey guys, has the scale issue been fixed in the Vive yet? Does anyone know if it's fixed by playing around with the distance of the lens to the display?

Umm, hi Ben. The lens focal distance mod concerned me and my aging eyes, and desire to use the Vive without glasses. I am pretty sure it would be a bad idea to do for anybody with perfect vision; If your chaperone bounds match up (to your eyes) with your actual walls, your hardware should be ok.

Susanna · Jan 9, 2017

Hi Guy,

OK - I'd like to get my HTC Vive sorted out with ED. This is what I essentially bought the thing for after all. At the moment, its a mess and the game is fuzzy, blurred and text, especially in-game BBs text / nav-panel text etc is hard to read. This can't be the best it can be!

So, does anyone know of a "How the Heck do I setup my Vive for the best experience" type guide. The galaxy map I can probably map some buttons on my x52 hotas to sort this out so I'm not overly concerned with this issue... At the moment, I just want to get the game playable in VR!

Many Thanks in advance for any help offered!

Susie
~~~~

dree · Jan 9, 2017

This thread helped me to get ED "Crystal clear"

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/274325-How-to-get-Elite-in-VR-looking-CRYSTAL-CLEAR-D

Dree

EDIT, Read all of it or scroll further becouse some things changed over time with driver, ED and SteamVR updates.

Susanna · Jan 10, 2017

dree said:
This thread helped me to get ED "Crystal clear"

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/274325-How-to-get-Elite-in-VR-looking-CRYSTAL-CLEAR-D

Dree

EDIT, Read all of it or scroll further becouse some things changed over time with driver, ED and SteamVR updates.

Hi Dree,

Thanks for the thread link. I had seen this and all 72 pages of it are now printed out for me to slog through... I was kind of hoping to find a reasonably up to date (video) guide though, rather than slog through n^23 conflicting/contradictory posts (due to different spec pc builds) that discuss a large number of variables with very little to go on as to where these settings reside and what files need to be editted and how to access them...

Without meaning to play the Dumb Redhead card >> "I'm a dumb Redhead and need help!" ...

I'll start reading I guess.

stripealipe · Jan 10, 2017

Susanna said:
Hi Dree,

Thanks for the thread link. I had seen this and all 72 pages of it are now printed out for me to slog through... I was kind of hoping to find a reasonably up to date (video) guide though, rather than slog through n^23 conflicting/contradictory posts (due to different spec pc builds) that discuss a large number of variables with very little to go on as to where these settings reside and what files need to be editted and how to access them...

Without meaning to play the Dumb Redhead card >> "I'm a dumb Redhead and need help!" ... I'll start reading I guess.

Did you download and install ED Profiler?! https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...r-Robust-Settings-Profiler-Switcher-Detector!
This is the quickest way to find your ideal settings.. i'd also steer clear of supersampling in the game itself and let SteamVR do all that for you as it still seems to be more efficient at doing this.

Susanna · Jan 10, 2017

stripealipe said:
Did you download and install ED Profiler?! https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...r-Robust-Settings-Profiler-Switcher-Detector!
This is the quickest way to find your ideal settings.. i'd also steer clear of supersampling in the game itself and let SteamVR do all that for you as it still seems to be more efficient at doing this.

Hiya Strip, Yes I've installed ED Profiler although I've only used it to change my HUD colours so far. I'll have another look at this app this evening.

How do I access the Steam VR settings? Is this via the SteamVR app on the PC that opens alongside the game at alunch as I couldn't see these setting there? Developer tab maybe or something like that???

dree · Jan 10, 2017

What I understand is that you don't have to change any config file anymore the "Render Target Multiplier" setting
is replaced by "HMD Quality" in ED.

I think you can manage everything with the tool stripealipe suggest.
One more suggestion, ones you have a setup, change only one thing, fly to your next station to
see what that change does and so on, if you change to much you loose track of what does what.

DoegDree

jojon · Jan 10, 2017

dree said:
What I understand is that you don't have to change any config file anymore the "Render Target Multiplier" setting
is replaced by "HMD Quality" in ED.
...

When the HMD Quality setting was first changed from a slider of unknown function, to a numeric value, selected through a pop-up menu, that presumably serves to modify how large a bitmap to render, from what is requested, it overruled one's RenderTargetMultiplier in the SteamVR configuration. Currently, however, the two values stack, so if you have both at 2, you'll render an image that's four times standard.

Magic Man · Jan 10, 2017

jojon said:
Currently, however, the two values stack, so if you have both at 2, you'll render an image that's four times standard.

Are you sure? My SteamVR rtm is set to 1.6, my HMD quality in ED set to 1.5. I'm running fine and not at what would be 3.1 if they were summed...