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Scotty

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Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 12:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post

First post here so if I go over old ground, well I'm sure you'll toast me good and proper;)

I've been looking into HMDs but come to the conclusion that they have too many drawbacks at present to make them desirable for an instant arcade 3d 'hit' (price, never fully supported, compromised operation etc).
I'm now thinking large monitor and shutter glasses is the way to go.

This is my inspiration and kinda where I'm heading - http://www.vrealities.com/cmpsr.html
Yes - I do like my car games!!!!

Currently I have Elsa revelators but running on Nvidea drivers and I get a fair bit of ghosting and not enough 'depth' for my liking (used to be better with the Elsa driver hack actually).

Bear in mind I'm building a complete new system here - so is it worth my perservering with the Elsa's or should I look to other shutter glasses (I don't mind wired).

I'm thinking about a Sidewinder Force feedback steering wheel and Athlon XP2000 based system.

Recommendations please or ideas?
Has any built anything like this themselves?

I'm looking for the best depth perception and least ghosting possible - are any shutter glasses less 'tinted' than others (the Elsa's have a definite greenish tint).

Also I'm confused about using LCD projection systmes with 3D - can you or can't you?!!! Much conflicting advice on this one :/

Thanx :)
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Alexander Oest

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Posted on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 8:05 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post

I made a setup that looks a bit like what you suggest.
See http://stereoscopy.cti.dtu.dk for a description.

I use ASUS and I-art shutterglasses - they work OK.

Unless you want to pay lots of money on a stereo projector, I believe CRT projectors to be the only working solution yet. I'm looking for a suitable DLP projector, but have found none yet.

The CRT projector gives noticable ghosting and is complicated, but a used one can be purchased for a reasonnable price.

Alex
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scotty

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Posted on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 1:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post

Wow!!!! The in game shot looks absolutely incredible - I'm guessing the immersive effect with a screen that, er, humongous(!) must be very impressive.

I must admit I was thinking about using a conventional large PC monitor set up but I COULD be swayed here!!!
The proposed split screen LCD looks very interesting and potentially cheap but I think way beyond my technical abilities!

Thanks for your response :)
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David Barker

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Posted on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 - 8:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post

Hi,

Sounds like a great toy your building, I am new to 3d (have only just bought a pair of second hand ir revelators). But am already planning my own immersion cabinet. Although I have not tried either of the following methods yet (i'm brand new to this) I can't see why they wouldn't work!

Both plans work with the fresnel lens which is being sold everywhere on ebay.

The first is to get a hold of a silver screen (I got a 3 1/2 foot square one for £15 in a second hand shop) and build this into the front of your cabinet with the fresnel projector (made from light wood) relatively close giving a good(ish), sharp image which mirrors the refresh rate perfectly (due to the speed of light!)

The second is to mount the fresnel lens in front of the monitor and mount the monitor close to your face inside your cabinet (With perhaps some kind of adjustment ability) thus giving not only a screen which is pushed out to the edges of your vision but also what is called a collimated disply which rather than straining your eyes allows your natural focus to be some 11 feet in front of you, whilst playing without the flicker glasses! Anyway this display should respond ideally to the glasses as it is still the same (cheap) 17/19 inch monitor.

Hope this is up your street, I will keep you posted when I finish my own. Now all I have to do is save for my force feedback wheel!
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Scotty

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Posted on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 - 11:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post

David - that, as they say, is spooky! - I was just looking at fresnel lenses on E-Bay yesterday and wondering. There seems to be one major drawback with these and that's the brightness off the monitor (and monitors I think aren't generally as bright as TV's which most people seem to be using these things for). Still, for a couple of quid it's gotta be worth a go!!
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David Barker

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Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 10:37 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post

He He, Great minds or fools?!?

I think this is why the in front of head plan would work much better.

For more info on this project have a look at

www.rickleephoto.com/rlcoll.htm

Also I think that by using a screen well down from 6 feet (which the fresnel can project) and turning up the brightness through the graphics settings would improve the quality of the fresnel projection, a silver screen and a completely dark environment will also improve the effect which should be easy to achieve in a cabinet, my only concern is the focus length required between the projector and screen but I am sure that by adding a mirror this could be reduced.

For some ideas on how to build one of these this site has the plans for free!

www.bstvcentral.b0x.com

Good luck
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Scotty

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Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 4:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post

OK - been messing around with a cheap fresnel lens (AKA page magnifier from local book store!)and I can confidently say that it does not mix with shutter glasses - the effect is pretty much lost. The lens seems to mess with the page flipped image offsets and you get a an effect not far off someone watching it without the glasses!!!

I ran Thief ii comparing the immersion with the shutter glasses and then the fresnel in 2d. The strong 3D effect with the glasses can't be denied but the landscape always feels just a bit, well cardboard cut-out if you know what I mean! Definately like you're detached from it rather than being brought into the game.

The fresnel lens did surprise me a lot - provided you get the distances right, and this is crucial - the immersion effect is much stronger although only really where there is movement. Not so good in static scenarios. The appearance is more 'natural' than the glasses. I can see why these things are popular with the flight sim crowd! I think it's because of the apparantly huge virtual field of vision (no wonder the HMD lot are always banging on about this). Whether you could live with it is something different again - you do end up very close to the monitor. It draws you in both visually and physically

Very Interesting!!

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