Windows Mixed Reality VR Question - SteamVR or Desktop?

mossfoot

mossfoot
So I'm getting a WMR setup (Lenovo Explorer) and I was wondering if there was any advantage to using Steam's VR setup vs playing it using Frontier's default launcher?
 

Morgan Wolfe

M
I use the Lenovo myself, and haven't found a way around using the launcher. My process now is to open the Elite launcher from Steam, choose to open in Steam VR mode, and then login. Once that's done, all I do is click Play and put on the headset. Everything else starts automatically.

Hope you enjoy your Lenovo. :)
 

mossfoot

mossfoot
Just arrived today, but the bluetooth dongle might not arrive till tomorrow. Hopefully I can still set up the headset and play tonight ;)

I heard elsewhere that it's possible to access SteamVR only and then run the game normally without having to use the Steam launcher.
 

mossfoot

mossfoot
Well, we'll see how well it works for me. I'm running a borderline rig for this, but all my research indicated it SHOULD work well with the right settings. I have a GTX970, 16GB RAM, and an i5-3450 @3.10GHz. I've heard from people running with weaker setups and no problems :D
 

mossfoot

mossfoot
Uuuuuuugh. Why can't anything be simple?

Plug and play my posterior.

When I run the Mixed Reality Portal I can't get past "Connect your Headset". I have. I plugged it in, unplugged it, replugged it, etc.... I swapped out different USB 3.0 slots. It just won't pick up. It seems the issue might be related to the 3.0 USB driver. Even though it's recognized, I keep getting error codes tied to it.

This error code - 2181038087-12 lead me to this possible solution:
https://forums.hololens.com/discussion/9205/something-went-wrong-error-2181038087-12


However, it did not seem to work. Because then I get this error code:
2181038087-14


I have already tried unplugging and trying the other 3.0 port, as well as uninstalling and reinstalling the 3.0 driver. Many. Many. Times.


But some progress was made. I unplugged the other USB ports (2.0) that were tied to it, eventually I was able to get one step closer. I could get it to say "Check Your Display Cable". Obviously, I did. I disconnected, reconnected, and so on... nothing. I can't get past this step.
 
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ziddan

Z
Its worth a shot, if you know someone else with a compatible computer you could try hooking it up there, if it works and the USB controller on that motherboard is different its a likely cause unless something is odd with your software.

I had a similar issue with a kinect (microsoft hardware), didnt like my main comp, worked fine on my secondary, got USB card put into the first and the kinect worked.
 

dogbite

dogbite
Something many Oculus users found was that not all usb controllers are created equal. It's one of the reasons Oculus recommended certain 3rd party usb boards like Inateck. Another thing we discovered is keeping Windows power mgr from putting your usb to sleep when idle is a good idea. You can do this in device manager for each usb controller by expanding usb serial devices and right clicking each controller (and hub)-select properties-select power mgmt. tab- "deselect (untick the box) "allow the computer to turn off the device to save power"
Also of note is that too many usb devices on one controller can saturate bandwith and lead to issues which is another good reason for an add in board if your rig has minimal ports. If one thinks the usb is at fault try moving devices to different ports.
A final thought was a personal experience. I had an intermittent short in my usb rudder pedals which caused my Rift to totally go down until I disconnected them and rebooted.
 
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mossfoot

mossfoot
dogbite said:
Something many Oculus users found was that not all usb controllers are created equal. It's one of the reasons Oculus recommended certain 3rd party usb boards like Inateck. Another thing we discovered is keeping Windows power mgr from putting your usb to sleep when idle is a good idea. You can do this in device manager for each usb controller by expanding usb serial devices and right clicking each controller (and hub)-select properties-select power mgmt. tab- "deselect (untick the box) "allow the computer to turn off the device to save power"
Also of note is that too many usb devices on one controller can saturate bandwith and lead to issues which is another good reason for an add in board if your rig has minimal ports. If one thinks the usb is at fault try moving devices to different ports.
A final thought was a personal experience. I had an intermittent short in my usb rudder pedals which caused my Rift to totally go down until I disconnected them and rebooted.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I ordered an Inateck one after mistakenly getting one that was too big for my last available slot (PCI-Ex4 instead of x1) and hopefully it will do the trick. I made sure to get one that required power instead of getting it from the card alone, just to be safe.
 

mossfoot

mossfoot
Got it to work (at last!) But it took a lot more effort than it really should have. In the end I not only needed to have a new USB 3.0 slot added in, but I also needed to delete and reinstall the drivers (yeesh), though it took me a loooong time to get to that part.

Plug and play my ...
 

mossfoot

mossfoot
Okay, despite having THREE days of miserable complications, frustrations, and delays, I got my Lenovo Explorer to work.

All is forgiven. All is forgiven.

Wow. This works better and smoother than the PSVR using Trinus, that's for sure. With the added bonus of being able to get up and walk around your chair if you want ;)

Other comparison notes for the curious - the resolution is definitely better, with the PSVR I needed to switch to a green HUD to read the screen more clearly, but with the Lenovo I am having no problems at all. The sweet spot, however, is frustratingly small, so I spend a lot of time adjusting it to get it right (also my IPD is 67, so it's right on the border of what it can be adjusted for digitally).

So, some new questions:

Is there an easy way to get rid of the barrier line references, or change how they appear (I'd like it if they showed up only once I was getting very close).

When I was playing ED on Steam, I noticed that it created a second display screen on my regular monitor. My assumption would be that that's taking processing power to do and I really don't need it. Can I disable it somehow? Should I?
 

ziddan

Z
Welcome to the real world ;)

If its the steamvr chaperone that shows all the time you may want to redo the room setup and make sure your play seat isnt near the edge of it and steamvr advanced settings (a 3rd party plugin) allows you to change the distance at which it shows up.

If its a WMR thing ive got no idea since im on Vive.

The display window can be made smaller in the settings but i think the consensus is that its just mirroring one of the eyes and that it makes no noticeable performance difference.
 

Pville_Piper

Pville_Piper
USB issues were also an issue with the Rift and Tobii Eyes so nothing new here. I was fortunate when I got my Rift that I already had a good card that I had to get when I purchased the Tobii Eyes.

I'm curious as to what your graphics settings are as I was thinking initially about getting the WMR headsets...
 
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dogbite

dogbite
mossfoot;6423798 So said:
As a Rift user, I disabled Chaperone color so it doesn't show:
Steam\config\steamvr.vrsettings" (depending on where your steam install is). The option we're looking for is CollisionBoundsColorGammaA . Set the value next to it to 0
As far a your monitor goes, it shouldn't be taking too much overhead, but you can lower your desktop resolution without affecting your hmd if concerned. Ed defaults my desktop image to 1280x768 windowed mode.
Congrats on getting things working.
Click to expand...
 
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mossfoot

mossfoot
dogbite said:
As a Rift user, I disabled Chaperone color so it doesn't show:
Steam\config\steamvr.vrsettings" (depending on where your steam install is). The option we're looking for is CollisionBoundsColorGammaA . Set the value next to it to 0
As far a your monitor goes, it shouldn't be taking too much overhead, but you can lower your desktop resolution without affecting your hmd if concerned. Ed defaults my desktop image to 1280x768 windowed mode.
Congrats on getting things working.
Click to expand...

It sure as hell wasn't easy. I was THIS close to just calling it quits and sending everything back.

I found a simple way to turn off the barrier from the WMR portal (without losing the boundaries so it will be there next time), but I wish I could adjust the settings. As it stands I can always see the barrier, and I'd like it if I only saw it once I was within a certain proximity of it.

I also found the foam around the nose pinched my nose to the point of not being able to breathe through it. I ended up trimming that foam area for that reason.
 
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Cmdr Scorpion

Cmdr Scorpion
mossfoot said:
So I'm getting a WMR setup (Lenovo Explorer) and I was wondering if there was any advantage to using Steam's VR setup vs playing it using Frontier's default launcher?
Click to expand...

You have to play it through Steam, I was having many issues at first CTDs an locking up, But since doing a bit of house keeping using CCleaner it is running like a dream.
Not sure if Steam or Microsoft have anything to do with it.
BTW I got my Lenovo at Christmas.
 
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