Look under physical mods: how to see some of your home cockpit with VR
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Wanted to make this it’s own thread because I want to see other’s experience. I have posted this before in another thread but it is a little lost in the details of everything.
I don’t know why more people haven’t done this on the DCS side since VR has been a thing there. But I must admit while the thought occurred to me, it wasn’t until I saw Bergison actually do it to inspire me. His link here of his extreme G2 mod that he actually cut part of the housing away and also he did it previously to an Oculus headset as well: https://bergisons.simpit.info/making-of_reverb_g2_mod
Generally, VR is designed for immersion to keep outside stimuli out, so creating a good light seal is part of that. So maybe this is why you haven’t seen it that much. However, though of us with cockpits, it is probably more immersive or at least functional to be able to see the cockpit. One other issue is that this will create a little be less support for your VR headset that you may have to counter with a tighter headband or counterweights, which the later are often used with NVGs and helmets in RL. Honestly, this is very similar to RL NVGs, because even though BMS doesn’t model it yet, you do have to look under NVGs to read the instruments and MFDs due to them not being focused inside. One added pro to look under mods as I see it, is that you will get more ventilation for the headset to prevent fogging.
For these experiments, I’ll be using a spare facial interfaces ( @Aragorn, no jokes this is the “gasket” between the VR headset that the cushions are mounted to). Unlike Bergison’s mods, this allows me to reverse anything I do and in most cases fairly quickly if I want to use the headset in traditional VR and not have the light bleed. The sacrifice here compared to Bergison is that it’s still going to be a narrow view look under. With my first mod, I get about the whole ICP/1 MFD in view. But reading my DED as I type into the ICP does require moving my head back and forth a little. But it is much easier to interact with my not 1:1, fairly generic but extensive IMHO home cockpit.
Pics of my mod Pimax 8k X. I removed some foam under my eyes and some plastic that would sit on/around my nose:
Eventually I’ll try to get comparison views of what the actual look under looks like. Next headset up is my Oculus Quest 2, a spare facial interface should be here tomorrow. We’ll see if I get the mods done tomorrow evening. I may also be acquiring an used Reverb G2 today as well.
I truly believe eventually MR/XR headsets will also be a viable option for this, but to me so far, this has been a good option. Also I would point out the Meta Quest Pro actually comes like this with a factory “look under” and you have to add blinders to the bottom since it is designed to be a productivity headset first and people would be interacting with their physical work.
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I’m not sure what the situation of your set up is, but the reference link had someone with a pretty accurate simpit but still modified their headset to see below them? I don’t understand, if everything is modeled correctly in the simpit I’d assume he would just be able to look at the cockpit in VR and navigate it in real life with the VR version as a reference.
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@globalnet no, it doesn’t work that way unfortunately. 1:1 isn’t really 1:1 between RL and VR between seating positions and virtual to actual dimensions. Plus you don’t know exactly where your hand is at on your home cockpit switches without being able to see.
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Look under mod for Quest 2 completed besides for some finishing touches. It was fast to do and this gets again one full MFD and decent look under for switches/ICP too. This aftermarket Facial interface was under $20USD from Amazon. I was able to keep the lower retaining tabs still and clear some of the aftermarket’s flange that went down too that is harder to see in the pictures. However, that was a noticeable improvement to the look under.
I must admit this is a pretty cool feeling with my home cockpit. Before experimenting with my Pimax undercut mod in DCS was a little bland since doesn’t export MFDs in VR. BMS exporting MFDs in VR means I can look under to view my TGP etc, press the MFD button I want and then flow back into VR quickly and the two of them just kinda melt together. In a way, it makes my not 1:1 slightly generic home cockpit feel more real because most of my vision is Viper cockpit.
Top stock Quest 2 facial interface, bottom modded after market:
Factory:
Modded, no view restriction from nose piece now:
Factory, front bottom angle:
Modded front bottm angle:
Next up: Reverb G2. Printing a facial interface that looks like it will be actually pretty good for look under right of the printer, but will chop and possibly reprint as needed.
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@Snake122 said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
Next up: Reverb G2. Printing a facial interface that looks like it will be actually pretty good for look under right of the printer, but will chop and possibly reprint as needed.
I wanna mention that there are 3d print files on the internet for a more shallow mask for the Reverb G2, that places your headset/lenses closer to your eyes, increasing FOV by a lot. Haven’t used my original mask in 2 years.
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@Exon said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
@Snake122 said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
Next up: Reverb G2. Printing a facial interface that looks like it will be actually pretty good for look under right of the printer, but will chop and possibly reprint as needed.
I wanna mention that there are 3d print files on the internet for a more shallow mask for the Reverb G2, that places your headset/lenses closer to your eyes, increasing FOV by a lot. Haven’t used my original mask in 2 years.
Yes, but with my added VROptician lenses I can’t even remove my G2v2 “spacer” as it puts my eyes too close to the lens surface, something to keep in mind.
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@Exon said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
@Snake122 said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
Next up: Reverb G2. Printing a facial interface that looks like it will be actually pretty good for look under right of the printer, but will chop and possibly reprint as needed.
I wanna mention that there are 3d print files on the internet for a more shallow mask for the Reverb G2, that places your headset/lenses closer to your eyes, increasing FOV by a lot. Haven’t used my original mask in 2 years.
Yep, that’s the other plus for sure, but supposedly the G2 v2’s facial interface increased FOV too. I’m not familiar enough with the v1 besides for it looks like the v2’s with the glasses spacer. I printed 2, one that looks like the v2 but even closer and one that looks like the v1, but both advertise more FOV. I’ll test this too, but the first one to come off the printer last night looked very good and possibly the most amount of look under! Hopefully more reports tonight.
@Icer said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
@Exon said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
@Snake122 said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your cockpit with VR:
Yes, but with my added VROptician lenses I can’t even remove my G2v2 “spacer” as it puts my eyes too close to the lens surface, something to keep in mind.
For sure. One of the ones I printed has an option for lenses. It may not increase the FOV as the ones without, but the options are still out there. Granted the VROptician ones are their own nice solution.
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@Snake122 - this is why as a cockpit builder I have ZERO interest in VR.
Until I can get both look-though and 1:1 correlation between the real world and the VR world, all VR does for me is turn my efforts building a cockpit into a HUGE waste of $$$.
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@Stevie I’m assuming you’ve played with NVGs at work. The look under concept applies just like them and actually seems maybe a little more natural because both are in color instead of dark but color cockpit to green NVGs.
But the Mixed reality stuff is coming for sure and I think will do what you dream of with the display style you want. This is just for now or those who don’t want to pay the money. This is a fast and relatively cheap way to use a home cockpit with VR.
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@Snake122 My spare face interface for the Pimax is already on its way to me, cannot wait to try that
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@Snake122 - Yes - I agree about the ability to look under. What I don’t like is that looking from one to the other changes perspective wrt size and position of what I’m trying to touch. Or that a VR goggle may just plain physically interfere with my field of view due to their shape/fit.
It’s also interesting to read of people already complaining of eye strain and focus problems - similar to complaints I’ve read about only being able to see the JHMCS Reticle wrt one eye (with RL NVGs there is also an issue of night vision recovery, as using them amounts to sitting too close to a TV for a time). These are RL problems…and also something I was expecting to hear about. Not a surprise to me.
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Interesting solutions for cockpit owners here.
I dont have a cockpit as such, but i have two F16 Thrustmaster MFD (though only the frames with buttons -no screens) and an A-10 UFD which I also plan to use. And of course an Hotas solution, Thrustmaster Warthog.
I use a Pico 4, but I don’t want to cut into it because I’m using it for other games too. But fortunately I can just double-tap on the side of the headset and it instantly switches to a color passthrough view from the two front cameras. It is not perfect of course, certainly not 1:1 with what I see while playing, but well enough to press whatever I need to press if my muscle memory isn’t up to it. And then I quickly double tap the headset again, and the passthrough disappears and I’m back into the game. Takes a second.For people with real cockpits I understand the need to do a more dramatic solution to get the most of both worlds. But this was just a tip to those with Pico 4. The Quest 2 passthrough is of less quality so I didn’t bother when I used that. But for Pico 4 - the color passthrough works
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@Stevie said: @Snake122 - this is why as a cockpit builder I have ZERO interest in VR.
….all VR does for me is turn my efforts building a cockpit into a HUGE waste of $$$.
This is why as a VR User I have ZERO interest in building a pit.
All VR does for me is turn my space into a complete Virtual Cockpit turning my lack of required efforts into a HUGE gain of $$$
Ara’
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@Aragorn yep there’s that and PointCTRL (and eventually probably other hand tracking) brings in the virtual switches to the whole feel.
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I tried it with the Pimax. Unfortunately it does absolutey not work for me.
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@Korbi how so? How much material did you remove, all of the nose piece at least and some to the sides of it? I do have to wear my headband a little tighter without the support of the bottom of facial interface so the headset doesn’t droop down into now empty area
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@Snake122 said in Look under physical mods: how to see some of your home cockpit with VR:
@Korbi how so? How much material did you remove, all of the nose piece at least and some to the sides of it? I do have to wear my headband a little tighter without the support of the bottom of facial interface so the headset doesn’t droop down into now empty area
I removed even more. Step by step though.
I think my headform is simply not compatible with a VR HMD that misses the lower support. I cannot make it fit in a way to make enough space to look under and have a sharp Picture in the Headset at the same time. -
@Korbi ok, sorry! The PiMax has a smaller sweet spot than others because of the wide view lenses. Like I said in one of the earlier posts, counterweights can also make up for that lack of contact. Do you have a fairly wide nose? Most of what I see is looking around the areas the nose support/cover used to be.
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@Snake122 Yes I’d say my nose is quite a viewblocker in that case.
No worries, simply waiting for the 12K then -
@Aragorn - and that’s actually quite understandable.
…but as for me, I’ve already spent the $$$.