Oculus Rift s VR and P3DV4.5

[golfacce2]

Has anyone been successful in using the Oculus Rift s VR headset to fly P3DV4.5 flight simulations?

If yes, what steps need to be accomplished with Oculus Rift s setup?

Thanks,

Bob
Golfacce@aol.com

[ronh991]

Unfortunately P3D v4.5 does not have a very intuitive application of VR. Using gaze and setting a joystick button allows me to turn lights on an off, but that's about it. I tried to raise lower flaps but only got them to go down. Not up. This is with my favourite third party aircraft. Can't even use the hand controllers.

I have had success with fly inside application that allows you to use the oculus hand controllers. And drag levers turn dials etc. Works well. If you don't use fly inside, then all your switches and levers need to be mapped to. Buttons on your joystick, trying to press a key on a keyboard with goggles on is not going to work.

LM please provide a better and more elaborate explanation on how to use P3D with the oculus rift. One sentence about gaze HMD key controls is not very helpful thanks.

To answer your question, what does not work when you use the VR menu item in P3D? Make sure oculus has been set to allows third party applications.

Good luck.

[JoeVarco]

In order to use Oculus Rift you have to install Steam VR. Setup your Rift as you normally would, install steam and Steam VR and presto, it works. Hand controls don't work, but you get a white dot that allows you to interact with anything that requires manipulation.

[raypiggott]

I fly exclusively in VR with a Rift S and the native P3d 4.5 VR. I don't use Steam.
Make sure that your Oculus Home software is running before booting up P3D.
I use FSUIPC to allocate axes and buttons and once these are committed to memory it all works well. The mouse pointer can be used to control anything that is not set through FSUPIC. I find that a trackball is better than a mouse.
I use a Honeycomb yoke, Saitek throttle quadrant and addition buttons bought from Ebay.
I have Flyinside but do not use it as it messes with some P3D settings and I don't find it easy to use.

If P3D would only include a way to import windows (checklists etc) from the desktop - as Flyinside does - life would be perfect.

[golfacce2]

Thanks for the inputs, guys. Really appreciate the help. I think that LM has some homework to do to make VR a really viable part of its platform. It's obvious that VR is the wave of future flight sim... not quit there yet, but we're close.

Golfacce2@aol.com

[vtracy]

@raypiggott: You say you are using the mouse in p3d native vr mode? I find that the mouse does not work any more as soon as I put on my headset. I can see a white circle, it does highlight functions of e. g. buttons pointed at. But when I try to push the button or move the lever/switch, nothing happens. (in a different forum, I was told that it does not work).
If you have the mouse klick function working, can you please show me how to do that!
Re. HOTAS: I have of course, mapped some functions to buttons on my joystick (VKB) but only a very few. For example, when flying a A2A Spitfire Mk IIb, I have to open and close the shutters with a lever in the cockpit. In 2D, it works when using the mouse (click and drag) but not in VR (Oculus Rift).
Any help much appreciated!
Volker

[raypiggott]

Hi Volker
Sorry to answer late - maybe you have solved the issue by now. There is no secret, in VR with Oculus Rift S focussing on a switch or lever with the white dot allows it to be operated with a click of the mouse (trackball) or scroll wheel. I have set nothing up besides enabling native VR.
I also use plenty of additional buttons and axes through FSUIPC.
Happy flying
Ray

[Jason210]

Hi

Another late response! This is applies to version 4.5. I haven't got 5 yet.

I use the Oculus Rift S and the Oculus software with Prepar3d. In fact VR was the reason I got back into flight simulation lately. The mouse pointer works for me. I didn't do anything special, it was just there when I moved the mouse although it was "lost" at first and I had to move and click the mouse around a bit first to find it.

There a few of things I'd like to say that you may find helpful:

• The 3D pointer is based on a collision ray that can find surfaces in the VC. You need to see it moving across the parts of the VC, with various tooltips popping up as passes over and detects buttons and controls. However, sometimes the pointer gets lost behind a panel, and I have found that left clicking the mouse brings it back to where it should be.

• I've noticed that in some VCs, like in the Just Flight Canberra, there are some VC panel surfaces that it cannot detect, and so far have not found a solution for that.

• The pointer works with the 2D pop-up panels also, although it can be tricky to see precisely which control the pointer is hovering over.

• With 2D panels, I have noticed that occasionally, there is a 2D pop-up panel that will not work. An example is the Engine Selector Panel in the A2A Constellation.

• Finally, may I recommend a couple of nice vintage aircraft to use with VR. The first is Just Flight C-119 Boxcar. This is wonderful aircraft for VFR flights, with an realistic cockpit and plenty of windows to look through. The other one is Manfred Jahn's freeware C-47, which also has a very realistic feel and you can full appreciate the work that team has put into the 3D geometry of the model.

In summary, I have found that Prepar3d in VR is great and much easier to fly aircraft in than on a desktop. You get a proper sense of how much input you need to apply to your controls when landing, and how to do cross wind landings. I can see how there is some room for improvement, but as it is now it is serviceable. It's hard to go back to desktop after a good experience in VR, and you'll be wanting to do all your landings and take offs in VR.
Jason

[vtracy]

Thanks guys, for your replies!
I have the Rift S now, had the same problem: as soon as I go from VR-disabled to enabled, the mouse pointer is gone.
But the idea with the pointer needing a surface is one that I will purue, maybe it was „hidden“ all the time!
Will come back later: At the moment, I have a different problem. In coincidence with installation of the new A2A Spitfire for v5, P3D now CTD as soon as I switch away from the default screen/aircraft to either a different a/c or scenery. Have to do some de-installation series, I fear.
See you later!
Volker