Typing in VR

theGunner76

theGunner76
Hi, fellow VR-cmdrs!

Im so thrilled to finally getting to play ED in VR!

My Quest 3, connected through Virtual Desktop, opens overlaying web-pages like Inara and the occasionally YT video for the longer hauls and the handtracking works like a charm within them. Together with my Hotas as controllers for the actual game, the immersiveness is unreal! (pun intended)
Ive got one problem though… Typing in game. Using the Galaxy map is somewhat awkward in itself, but typing seems impossible?
I come from a ps4 (non-vr) where a virtual keyboard opened whenever I marked the type-box, but pc doesn’t (obviously). How do you guys cope with this? I don’t want to break immersiveness by removing my goggles. I can get my Quest to trace a keyboard (if I buy a new one), but Im guessing this will either have the keyboard show up all the time, break my Hotas-setup, or only be usable on the Quest overlaying windows.

Now, there is a virtual keyboard on SteamVr, but either Im using this wrong, or its not made to be opened with easy access – I need to open SteamVr menu – select view desktop – select keyboard, and type while I see the game as a small window, navigating that said window with my headmovement. Its clunky to say the least, and it ruin my experience. I found removing the headset a lot easier.
There has to be a better way of typing in game without removing the headset, right??
 

Arioch

Arioch
theGunner76 said:
Hi, fellow VR-cmdrs!

Im so thrilled to finally getting to play ED in VR!

My Quest 3, connected through Virtual Desktop, opens overlaying web-pages like Inara and the occasionally YT video for the longer hauls and the handtracking works like a charm within them. Together with my Hotas as controllers for the actual game, the immersiveness is unreal! (pun intended)
Ive got one problem though… Typing in game. Using the Galaxy map is somewhat awkward in itself, but typing seems impossible?
I come from a ps4 (non-vr) where a virtual keyboard opened whenever I marked the type-box, but pc doesn’t (obviously). How do you guys cope with this? I don’t want to break immersiveness by removing my goggles. I can get my Quest to trace a keyboard (if I buy a new one), but Im guessing this will either have the keyboard show up all the time, break my Hotas-setup, or only be usable on the Quest overlaying windows.

Now, there is a virtual keyboard on SteamVr, but either Im using this wrong, or its not made to be opened with easy access – I need to open SteamVr menu – select view desktop – select keyboard, and type while I see the game as a small window, navigating that said window with my headmovement. Its clunky to say the least, and it ruin my experience. I found removing the headset a lot easier.
There has to be a better way of typing in game without removing the headset, right??
Click to expand...
All I do with my Quest 3 is double tap the side of the headset to enable passthrough, type what is needed (my keyboard has illuminated characters and is very easy to see), then double tap to get back into the game.
 

Doctor Dread

Doctor Dread
theGunner76 said:
Hi, fellow VR-cmdrs!

Im so thrilled to finally getting to play ED in VR!

My Quest 3, connected through Virtual Desktop, opens overlaying web-pages like Inara and the occasionally YT video for the longer hauls and the handtracking works like a charm within them. Together with my Hotas as controllers for the actual game, the immersiveness is unreal! (pun intended)
Ive got one problem though… Typing in game. Using the Galaxy map is somewhat awkward in itself, but typing seems impossible?
I come from a ps4 (non-vr) where a virtual keyboard opened whenever I marked the type-box, but pc doesn’t (obviously). How do you guys cope with this? I don’t want to break immersiveness by removing my goggles. I can get my Quest to trace a keyboard (if I buy a new one), but Im guessing this will either have the keyboard show up all the time, break my Hotas-setup, or only be usable on the Quest overlaying windows.

Now, there is a virtual keyboard on SteamVr, but either Im using this wrong, or its not made to be opened with easy access – I need to open SteamVr menu – select view desktop – select keyboard, and type while I see the game as a small window, navigating that said window with my headmovement. Its clunky to say the least, and it ruin my experience. I found removing the headset a lot easier.
There has to be a better way of typing in game without removing the headset, right??
Click to expand...

There's one ultra-high tech solution I'm using since Q2, and I carried it fully to Q3 I'm using now: there is a tiny gap, a millimeter or so, at the bottom of the padding near the nose/mouth. I raise my head fully and lower my view to peek through it - enough to see the keyboard.
 

theGunner76

theGunner76
Doctor Dread said:
There's one ultra-high tech solution I'm using since Q2, and I carried it fully to Q3 I'm using now: there is a tiny gap, a millimeter or so, at the bottom of the padding near the nose/mouth. I raise my head fully and lower my view to peek through it - enough to see the keyboard.
Click to expand...
haha, yeah not quite what I was looking for. I try to close that gap as much as I possibly can myself. And anyways. As old as I am, I'll have to keep my keyboard on such a distance that my hands wont reach it :p
 

theGunner76

theGunner76
Arioch said:
All I do with my Quest 3 is double tap the side of the headset to enable passthrough, type what is needed (my keyboard has illuminated characters and is very easy to see), then double tap to get back into the game.
Click to expand...
I guess removing, or enable passthrough, is the only way... too bad, but its not that often anyways...
 

HRDiagram

HRDiagram
Doctor Dread said:
There's one ultra-high tech solution I'm using since Q2, and I carried it fully to Q3 I'm using now: there is a tiny gap, a millimeter or so, at the bottom of the padding near the nose/mouth. I raise my head fully and lower my view to peek through it - enough to see the keyboard.
Click to expand...
I'm less tech savvy, so I just go by muscle memory, but that's very set-up dependant, of course.
I have my keyboard (and mouse) easily accessible, so I just type based on my (presumed) knowledge of the keyboard, sometimes with hilarious effects.
If desperate, I too double tap on the headset.
 

Tetra Trash

Tetra Trash
theGunner76 said:
Hi, fellow VR-cmdrs!

Im so thrilled to finally getting to play ED in VR!

My Quest 3, connected through Virtual Desktop, opens overlaying web-pages like Inara and the occasionally YT video for the longer hauls and the handtracking works like a charm within them. Together with my Hotas as controllers for the actual game, the immersiveness is unreal! (pun intended)
Ive got one problem though… Typing in game. Using the Galaxy map is somewhat awkward in itself, but typing seems impossible?
I come from a ps4 (non-vr) where a virtual keyboard opened whenever I marked the type-box, but pc doesn’t (obviously). How do you guys cope with this? I don’t want to break immersiveness by removing my goggles. I can get my Quest to trace a keyboard (if I buy a new one), but Im guessing this will either have the keyboard show up all the time, break my Hotas-setup, or only be usable on the Quest overlaying windows.

Now, there is a virtual keyboard on SteamVr, but either Im using this wrong, or its not made to be opened with easy access – I need to open SteamVr menu – select view desktop – select keyboard, and type while I see the game as a small window, navigating that said window with my headmovement. Its clunky to say the least, and it ruin my experience. I found removing the headset a lot easier.
There has to be a better way of typing in game without removing the headset, right??
Click to expand...
I actually finally learned to touch type to typr in VR 😅 I’m still quite slow and error prone and it takes a bit of fumbling around to find the bumps on the keyboard. Still can’t really do the numbers except for 7 ;-)
 

Craith

Volunteer Moderator
Craith
I also touch type.

I have my HOTAS on the desk, where it sits in VR, and the keybord is just in between throttle and stick. Finding the keyboard is easy that way, and getting back to the stick feels natural. Sometimes if the view is slightly off center I am also one key off while typing, but I usually spot that. Usually. If not under pressure or such (like the pressure typing in the hyperjump tunnel, when you know the jump is over soon and you lose everything you typed - that bug was fixed for a glorious 2 months at some point, only to return)

So... touch typing. Not necessarily good touch typing

There is also the possibility of using speech to text software, but I never really invested the time to get it to work.
 

theGunner76

theGunner76
Someone on reddit just told me that Virtual Desktop now have the ability to make a passthrough area for the keyboard. I'll defenitely going to check this out when I get home tonight.
 

TomCatT

TomCatT
A straightforward fix, learn how to type w/o looking at the keyboard.
Apps or websites can teach you the "Home Row Keys." That way, you'll never have to take the HMD off to look again.

o7
 

Helmut Grokenberger

Helmut Grokenberger
Learning to touch type is the only viable long term solution in my opinion. As a bonus, it even helps when you're not wearing VR goggles! ;)

Well sort of. I can't touch type in the academic sense; I've never learned it properly, but I'm pretty good typing blindly on a keyboard I am trained on and that's sitting in front of me at the right position, and I can adapt to a new keyboard fairly quickly. Here is how I do it, ghetto style:

My main typing fingers are the index and middle finger, but I also use the other ones for keys at the outer rim of the galaxy. Errr, keyboard. I don't really rest my fingers on the middle row as you should, but rather hover slightly over the keys, with my thumbs always touching the space bar, and the right pinky always touches the right shift key.

I also use cheats: For one, every keyboard has two bumps on the middle row (on my layout it's the F and J keys), I think that's where you traditionally park your index fingers. Anyway, those bumps give you an orientation help.

I expanded that concept and marked a few essential keys on my ED keyboard (which is a Logitech MX Mechanical Mini - Awesome little keyboard by the way). I've put little self-adhesive felt tips (actually the fluffy side of rolls of velcro) on the W, A, S, D, 5 and Enter keys. WASD is obvious, 5 is the key for the suit tool, and I marked the Enter key so I know exactly where it is as to not send chat messages prematurely by fumbling around. Those keys, along with the stock bumps on F and J, give me enough orentation so I always can recenter myself without looking, in case I get lost on the keyboard. The rest is just muscle memory and, sadly, a fair bit of practice.
 

TomCatT

TomCatT
I guess it's like cursive, no one knows how to write or read it.

Yes, it's called "The Home Row Keys". Correct, your index fingers go on the F and J.
 
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