DCS:- Black Shark English Version Released!

[Dj_Jestar]

From what I can see there is about £1k of monitors, £300 CH stick+throttle, £100~ momo, probably some pedals for another £40ish.

 

[Andrew_McP]

If you get a minute can you run through costs

Well, there are no hidden costs, so it's the cost of the Triplehead box, a GTX 260, and the three monitors.

You don't have a wide choice of Triplehead suppliers, and the week I cracked the only place that had it in stock (the newer digital version) charged me £226 delivered, which was a fair bit more than I could've paid if I'd been more patient. I made myself do an extra day at work that week as punishment. :->

My old 320Mb 8800GTS proved surprisingly capable in most sims (cpu limited, remember) but when switching from the 'mix & match' 4:3 setup to 3*widescreen I decided more pixel power was advisable. I got the (old style) GTX 260 for £160. Oh, and unless something's changed recently, to run 3x(1680x1050) you need an Nvidia card. ATI can't quite handle the total resolution. The widescreen gaming forum's the best place to research this topic.

The monitors were the hard part. In the end I paid 3*£117 for the Samsung 2032BW screens. They're not monitors I'd be happy with on my main desktop box (this machine where I 'live' has a Dell 1600x1200 which is definitely superior in price and quality) but for gaming, which is all that end of the desk gets used for, those Samsungs are excellent.

Oh, I lied... I made my recent iRacing movie on that machine. Movie editing on a three screen setup was absolutely superb. All the necessary tools and windows could be spread out nicely. I also tried the Eve Online demo recently, and that also benefited from several screens. There are more menus in that game than in all the restaurants in London!

Anyway, it's obviously not a cheap setup even if it compares well to historical gaming costs. And it has limited use in most games, so it's important not to get caught up in techno-lust. This won't make you a better pilot or driver, but the extra peripheral vision can be useful when overtaking, and the sense of being there is obviously worth its weight in gold. I suppose multiplayer FPS gaming might have some advantages as well.

But the Triplehead does add another layer of complication to the PC, and it can be a pain at times. So it's not a totally win-win situation. You also have to consider what happens if/when one screen dies... even if it's replaced under warranty, the chances of getting an identical replacement may be limited, ruining the uniformity.

All in all it probably makes no sense whatsoever. But then this is gaming we're talking about... since when did that have anything to do with sense?

Andrew McP

PS Don't forget the desk space required and OTT geek factor... this kind of setup takes some explaining to visitors!

PPS The softTH route if definitely worth researching if anyone has a PC with two PCI-E slots.

 

[Andrew_McP]

From what I can see there is about £1k of monitors, £300 CH stick+throttle, £100~ momo, probably some pedals for another £40ish.

That's an old style Logitech Momo (inc pedals), about ten years old now. It cost me £150 back then... a new G25 would be about the same a decade on.

The CH Fighterstick was a bargain from Play about three years ago... £95. The throttle is half of a Saitek X-45. The stick is hidden round the back, and not used. I think that cost me about £80 some 6 or 7 years ago.

It all adds up over the years, but my PC is my only vice. I don't run a car and I have a very old fashioned approach to saving a significant proportion of my wages. So that leaves me plenty of slack in my budget to be indulgent from time to time.

I certainly wouldn't recommend this kind of kit to anyone on a tighter budget. It may be good, but it's not worth stretching yourself for. Very little is! The trick is recognising that before you hit the buy button rather than afterwards. Buyers' remorse is a terrible thing.

Andrew McP

 

[Dazboots]

hi again im buying my monitors and matrox digital to go tomorow.
could do with some expert advice if u can.
my system is core duo@ 4.2 ghz.
4 gig memory.
2 ati 4870 in crossfire.
windows 64.
im thinking about buying 3 monitors but got 3 difrrent ones in mind.

and a nec 4.3 1280 by 1020 monitor.
i play most games but would like to know my resolution limit.
would i be able to play @ 3x1440x900 or is 3x 1280by1024 my best bet . thx in responce your reply is realy apriciated.

 

[andyp]

*images*

Fantastic setup Andrew - I'm very very impressed.

Just done a quick price up of £520 delivered for a triplehead and 3*20" widescreens.

It's a hell of lot of money.... but......

 

[rapid64k]

Very nice indeedy if i may say so Andrew. Hmmm i have 2 dell 17" i may give that a go one day along with my Samsung 24".

 

[eXor]

glimpse of heaven

I haven't gamed in over three years ( RSI ), but the urge to return is suddenly overwhelming.


That is breathtaking.

 

[Darg]

If you guys want TrackIR for about £5 then just go out and buy 4 LEDs and some wire.

I played around yesterday with making a 3 point (will probably end up making a 4 point) setup but the locations of the points weren't right, I ran out of time but managed to get freetrack working with just one point and it works perfect in 2 DOF in wwiio (which only supports 2 DOF anyway).

I'll be putting some proper time into making a 4 point setup on thursday out of some coat hangers and a baseball cap.

As for the software it's incredibly easy to set up. Just download and change the sensitivity in the settings to what you want, I use 1.4 if you want to start off trying that. If you want to get more detailed you can edit the curves yourself.

So if you have a webcam lying around all you need is a point of light on your head and it'll act as TrackIR. It's recognised in games as trackIR thanks to a handy emulator too so any game that supports TIR will support freetrack

 

[Nieldo]

If you guys want TrackIR for about £5 then just go out and buy 4 LEDs and some wire.

I played around yesterday with making a 3 point (will probably end up making a 4 point) setup but the locations of the points weren't right, I ran out of time but managed to get freetrack working with just one point and it works perfect in 2 DOF in wwiio (which only supports 2 DOF anyway).

I'll be putting some proper time into making a 4 point setup on thursday out of some coat hangers and a baseball cap.

As for the software it's incredibly easy to set up. Just download and change the sensitivity in the settings to what you want, I use 1.4 if you want to start off trying that. If you want to get more detailed you can edit the curves yourself.

So if you have a webcam lying around all you need is a point of light on your head and it'll act as TrackIR. It's recognised in games as trackIR thanks to a handy emulator too so any game that supports TIR will support freetrack

Yeah Im very tempted to have a crack at making my own TrackIR LED array.

Also a note for people with x52's. The STT profile maker program does not recognise the difference between LeftShift and RightShift, but they are bringing out an update later this week to fix it.

You guys have some real nice setups, atm I would be happy with my current monitor and a TrackIR/FreeTrack device .

Do you guys know if you could just buy the webcam and a TrackIR pro clip, and use them both together for 6DOF?

Edit: I did some googling and found that you can use the trackIr clip.

 

[Darg]

yup you can do that. Might be the easiest thing to do depending on how cheap you can get the pro clip.

I like bodge jobs though so I couldn't resist making my own

 

[KnightStalker]

hmm thats given me an idea, ive got some IR Leds laying about, do you have a link to this bodge job, i would love to make a IR clip type thing for my TIR4 (using that stupid clip on cap thing)

 

[rapid64k]

Yes people use Free track with BS so go for it.

 

[Nieldo]

Going to buy myself a £10 webcam and the Track IR Pro Clip thing... cheapest place in the UK that I can find is £30 :/... but better then paying £100 for a full TrackIR 4 set.

 

[Andrew_McP]

could do with some expert advice if u can.

The only advice I can offer before I dive off to work is spend more time researching before you commit. The widescreen gaming forum is the place I hung out for a few weeks before making any decisions. I think yours may be complicated by the crossfire setup, but I might be wrong... maybe it's softTH I'm thinking about. Either way it's better to be safe than sorry.

Another factor to consider is the post Christmas panic among many retailers this year. There may be some excellent bargains to be had for anyone who's patient.

Andrew McP

 

[Nate--IRL--]

Be aware that Free Track does not work with the English version of Black Shark, without a patch. I didn't pay much attention to where you get the fix ( i already have TIR4) but if you have search on the Black Shark Forum you should be able to find it.

Edit:- http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=35002&highlight=freetrack

And i thought i was cool having 3 screens in work

Andrew, your setup is so sweet, I'm so tempted to go tripplehead now. However one issue that concerns me is the really skewed FOV at either side, that for example the racing game above seems to exhibit, is this the case with black shark also? Would you know if other sims like LFS or LOMAC do this too?

Nate

 

[Andrew_McP]

I haven't gamed in over three years ( RSI ), but the urge to return is suddenly overwhelming.

I was very close to giving up until recently. So many titles had disappointed me... though part of that may just be the inevitable getting older thing. Seen it all before... several times! But trying out iRacing switched something back on again and led to the triplehead experiment.

Ironically I developed a love/hate relationship with iRacing (love the driving experience, hate the service wrapped around it) but it's incredibly satisfying to drive with the expanded peripheral vision. However my wrists don't appreciate it at all. Something about the flappy-paddle gear shift and my 'death grip' on the wheel at times of stress causes me grief which doesn't go away unless I stop driving for days at a time. So I can understand your mixed feelings.

However one issue that concerns me is the really skewed FOV at either side, that for example the racing game above seems to exhibit, is this the case with black shark also? Would you know if other sims like LFS or LOMAC do this too?

The 'stretched' sidescreens in rFactor (the screenshot) are duplicated in just about all games/sims, including LFS. I haven't experimented much with FOV settings (where they're available) but I can say that in use you don't feel/sense there's anything wrong at all. Those screens are, after all, supplying immersive peripheral vision most of the time, and they do it very well.

Black Shark (and I presume LOMAC, though I have no working installation at the moment) seems to be better in this respect, but only because it has better FOV controls than most sims. But I think the *extremely* wide FOV offered by the triplehead solution (particularly with triple widescreen monitors) is probably being handled as well as can be expected by standard game code. I'm just amazed it works at all!

The best way to try and put your mind at ease before putting a toe in the water is to try a two screen gaming setup. I'm not sure about ATI, but with Nvidia cards you can attach a second monitor (anything capable of displaying the same resolution as your first), make a simple change in the driver controls, and then you're away. No additional cost or hassle.

Having the screen divide in the centre of your vision isn't ideal, but I drove iRacing for a week (until my subscription ran out) like that purely because the true widescreen experience was so amazing. My lap times were only slightly slower, but my grin was much wider.

Andrew McP

 

[Dano]

Also a note for people with x52's. The STT profile maker program does not recognise the difference between LeftShift and RightShift, but they are bringing out an update later this week to fix it.

Do you know if they have or if they have any intention of fixing the 50% CPU issue with rotary/slider keypress commands at all?

 

[eXor]

Something about the flappy-paddle gear shift and my 'death grip' on the wheel at times of stress causes me grief which doesn't go away unless I stop driving for days at a time.

I have a G25 which, along with TrackIR 3 Pro, has been gathering dust for years. I feel so guilty.

The G25 has 3 different gear changing modes: paddles, sequential and H-Pattern. Maybe you would fare better with a mode other than paddles?

 

[Andrew_McP]

Maybe you would fare better with a mode other than paddles?

Possibly, and I do have an Act Labs gear shift thing buried somewhere in the graveyard of hardware dreams. But as I don't drive in real life I never really got the hang of a gear stick... it slowed me down no end, fumbling for the change! And I'm incredibly slow already.

I keep meaning to experiment with padding on the wheel, altering my grip, but as I'm currently trying to stay away from iRacing it's not a big issue. When I race other sims I rarely do it for long enough or regularly enough to trigger problems. It's only when I'm paying out hard cash to race that I feel obliged to get my money's worth.

Andrew McP

 

[Dazboots]

Possibly, and I do have an Act Labs gear shift thing buried somewhere in the graveyard of hardware dreams. But as I don't drive in real life I never really got the hang of a gear stick... it slowed me down no end, fumbling for the change! And I'm incredibly slow already.

I keep meaning to experiment with padding on the wheel, altering my grip, but as I'm currently trying to stay away from iRacing it's not a big issue. When I race other sims I rarely do it for long enough or regularly enough to trigger problems. It's only when I'm paying out hard cash to race that I feel obliged to get my money's worth.

Andrew McP

wel i have finaly bite the bullet and bought 3 nec monitors and a digital matrox tripple head 2 go.
will post pics soon as i get it up and running.
this is all your fault andrew.