Vector feature requests

[DickDastardly]

Hi,
I've got a couple of feature requests which I think, if implementable, might be really useful to your users:

1. At the moment when flying a combat flight sim with 6DOF it is very hard to ensure that your virtual viewpoint is lined up correctly with your gunsite. Even if your head is only slightly off-centre it can be enough to spoil your aim completely.

To overcome this problem I'd like to see the addition of a "combat mode" for the TrackIR with its own definable hotkey. When activated this would restrict head movement along a line running from the default head position to the gunsight ie straight forward.

Then you could enjoy the full 6DOF during normal flight, and switch to this combat mode when about to shoot. In combat mode you could still rotate your view but you wouldn't be able to slide your head to the left and right or up and down thus ensuring that your virtual eyes and the gunsight are lined up correctly for firing.

Once you've finished shooting you'd just hit the combat mode hotkey again to turn it off, restoring full 6DOF control.

2. Allow game developers to define valid head positions on a plane by plane basis to prevent pilots from moving their virtual heads through the seat or cockpit glass.

You can already do this to some extent by editing the curves on a profile so that, for example, your head cannot be moved backward beyond a certain point, but if you then fly a different plane you have to go back into the TrackIR software to switch to a new profile which corresponds to the new plane's cockpit dimensions.

It would be much better if this could all be controlled automatically by the game without the user having to set up and switch the profiles, and presumably it would also be possible for the game developers to more accurately define the volume of valid head positions.

Cheers,
DickDastardly

[Jim]

Hello:

Thanks for the suggestions.

It has been suggested that we could use a better "precision mode", so perhaps your idea can fit in there, seems reasonable.

Also, for the head position limiting, you did get it right for how to deal with that currently. We are working with developers to better support 6DOF in future games, but it is an uphill struggle to get their time. Look for BoB II to have excellent support for this. You can even move your head outside with the canopy open, but not when closed, cool.

[DickDastardly]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the quick response - I love the sound of the BOB II feature you mentioned, it sounds like that game will be an essential purchase.

Whilst I've got your ear, I wanted to explain a bit more why I think the addition of the 4DOF combat mode I proposed could really help encourage developers of combat flight sims to add Vector support to their games. I know, for example, that Oleg Maddox cited the issue of problems when aiming with 6DOF on the Ubi forums in response to pleas for their addition to FB/AEP/PF, and I imagine it was also one of the reasons LOMAC:FC only supports 3DOF.

After all, in any combat flight sim aiming is a pretty important activity and 6DOF without the option of a such a combat mode can be VERY detrimental to accuracy - having your head even a couple of inches off-centre when firing can easily result in your shots missing by tens of metres. With the addition of the combat mode (with its restrictions on X and Y translation) this problem would be eliminated whilst still allowing players to enjoy full 6DOF when not aiming (by toggling the mode to "off"). This is why I think developers of combat sims would be much more likely to incorporate 6DOF support if such a mode was available.
Cheers,
DD

[ June 09, 2005, 11:58 AM: Message edited by: DickDastardly ]

[BM357_TinMan]

For Item 1

I too had this problem at first, but I found a really good work around for this problem.

Assign a "center" (not with trackIR but in CFS3 itself) hotkey, then line up with the gunsight as best as you can. When you are ready to fire, hit the "center" key and viola, you are lined up perfect.

This is game developer problem more than a trackIR problem. The real fix would be for the game designers to model the sight as it actually was. That is to say, to make it behave as a reflective gunsight would. Then there would never be any confusion as to whether or not you were lined up or not.