Cheap Curved Screen Set-up started w/Immersive Display Lite 2

[737NUT]

Hey Guys,
Just wanted to update you with some pictures with my latest sim project. I started on my visuals and so far am very pleased with the progress. So far I have less than 750.00 invested and that includes 2 projector's, cables, materials. I will be getting 3rd projector in the next few months.
I can't say enough so far about how easy the software is to set-up and adjust and then to tell you that it cost only 58.00us would make me sound like a liar!! :) I have NOT done any edge blending yet. I'm waiting on version 1.8 to come out at the end of the month which will put a frown on everyone else in the sim world which bought someone else's much higher priced solution.
Specs to date:

4' by 16' screen (24' soon)

Two Optoma HD70 projectors (3rd soon)

Behr Silver screen paint

Matrox TH2GO 2560x720 mode

Please excuse the quality of the pics as there were taken with my cheap phone camera. The 'seem' you see is not the screens but 2 things, no edge blending yet and one pj has a new bulb and other is at 2500hrs!! New bulb coming soon for that one! LOL

[Matt Olieman]

Looks good Rob!!!! :)

Matt Olieman

[riche543]

Nice rob keep us posted please looking good.

[fsaviator]

Looks great! Keep us posted,

Warren

[rprather]

Looks superb! Definitely gives me some insight as I prepare to implement my visuals.

Robert Prather
http://www.777simulator.com

[Geremy Britton]

brilliant thanks for this! and pointing out the software!
Looks like a great setup you have there Rob.

are your soon to be 3 projector visuals running from one vga input via a matrol TH2GO? That's great.

May i ask what your computer(s) spec is?

[nax228]

No wonder why you shake a bit on the pic :D Looks like a million

[737NUT]

brilliant thanks for this! and pointing out the software!
Looks like a great setup you have there Rob.

are your soon to be 3 projector visuals running from one vga input via a matrol TH2GO? That's great.

May i ask what your computer(s) spec is?

I have a self built Win7 64bit I5-2500k oc to 4.3G, ExtremeB4 mobo, 8G ram 1600mhz , SSD drive, GTX460 1G video card I am getting 30fps with the pmdg 737 and sliders 80 to 100% That is locked, if I unlock it, over 100 at altitude and varies down low. Built 1K
Rob

[twisted8]

really nice! good job!
any tips on you built it?

[dc8flightdeck]

Looks very nice!!

[Aaron]

Great job!

Are you using just extended front view or multiple undocked?

In my tests, I was unable to get good and stable fps (and the most important, smooth flight) with just one pc with three undocked views in every condition (KSEA on thunderstorm at dusk on I7 2600k@4.2 8Gb DDR3-1600 NVIDIAGTX570)

[737NUT]

Great job!

Are you using just extended front view or multiple undocked?

In my tests, I was unable to get good and stable fps (and the most important, smooth flight) with just one pc with three undocked views in every condition (KSEA on thunderstorm at dusk on I7 2600k@4.2 8Gb DDR3-1600 NVIDIAGTX570)

I am using one view through a TH2GO adapter. No problem with frame rates/ smooth flight.

[Aaron]

I am using one view through a TH2GO adapter. No problem with frame rates/ smooth flight.

Ok! thats what I say. If you want to move your head left/right and see what is really happends in that direction, there is not easy way to do it! Undocked views (for a trully >180º smooth visual) its something like a dream with just one PC.

[MrBob]

I would like to know how did you get the projectors to line up on the screen? I recently built a 180 degree curved screen like yours, however my room is only 11 ft by 11 ft square and I using 3 benq mp771 short throw projectors. I'm having trouble getting the image to be square on the screen before I apply the fly elise lite 2 immersive display. No one seems to have the answer to the alignment question!

[Aaron]

On a curved screen you will always have "unshaped" or "unsquare" image untill you correct them via warping software (immersive display, nthusim, sol7, warpalizer, etc.)

You should decide first if you want edge-butting or overlap mode. If you want seamless image, overlap is the choice. If you overlap, you should place the projector overlaping a certain length. In our setup, we overlaped just 15cm (we have a 9m curved screen and 220º) and its all fine. But its true that its easier if you overlap a little be more (the more you overlap, the easiest and smoother its the transition between projectors and the "fade"

[MrBob]

On a curved screen you will always have "unshaped" or "unsquare" image untill you correct them via warping software (immersive display, nthusim, sol7, warpalizer, etc.)

You should decide first if you want edge-butting or overlap mode. If you want seamless image, overlap is the choice. If you overlap, you should place the projector overlaping a certain length. In our setup, we overlaped just 15cm (we have a 9m curved screen and 220º) and its all fine. But its true that its easier if you overlap a little be more (the more you overlap, the easiest and smoother its the transition between projectors and the "fade"
Hi Aaron, Thanks for the reply. I have yet to activate my immersive software,(i guess I will find out soon enough). I understand that the warping and or blending software can correct the running program/programs shape that is projected but does it correct or manipulate the projectors outside image that is on the screen? I don't know how else to word my question! I have attempted to adjust each projector's keystone settings and still am unable to get the projectors image square and i realize that the image is tall on one side and short on the opposite side. If I project it on a flat screen it is square, but once I project it on my curved screen than the geometry changes.

[Aaron]

Hi Bob,

You should NOT use keystone on your proyector. Keystone its one of the things that warping software will do with your projectors images.

As you can see here (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dYVjxmKgj3o/ToiNEINL9xI/AAAAAAAAAD8/LnF4SIr8thM/s1600/right.jpg) every projector have its own unique "shape" accoding with the position respect to the screen. You can see also the amount of overlap in my setup. Every time you project onto a curved surface you will have this "smiling" effect. The more distance to the screen, the more effect, so this effect its more visible on the bottom of the screen (the top of the projection its not to so much distorted)

More photos of our projection building here (http://mi737.blogspot.com/p/fotos.html)
And final result here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYHnAoFtTH0&context=C328e979ADOEgsToPDskK5wt9JuORzyC2pZTfLsH7V)

[blueskydriver]

Hi Bob,

I know what you're asking and that is on-screen alignment based on the zoom factors of each view, in a 3 view setup.

First, you setup the actual projectors by adjusting their mounts so to see aligning of the screen edges without the computer being turned on yet (butt edging, dont worry about overlap yet). No keystone either.

Next, you have to startup the computer and run the screen correction program; be it NTHUSIM, Warpalizer or Immersive View, it must be setup and aligned using it's grid patteren alignments; see here for examples of NTHUSIM:

http://nthusim.com/forum-topic/multiple-undocked-views-fs2004-or-fsx

Next, you actually have four window/views; the full size background, but dont count it, and then only make the left, center and right views. You will then adjust the zoom values of these 3 views and manually doing this is difficult, so you need a free program called Window Maker here:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/23199-Windowmaker-tool-updated!

With Window Maker you determine the zooms and then apply those values to the .FLT files located in the FSPlans folder (where you save flights, look that up please). From this point forward you will not start from the FSX menu dialog selection of location, aircraft, weather, time/date & etc. You must always start from a saved .FLT file and then change it to where, when and how (weather) you want to fly.

Next, once you have the zoom setup with Window Maker, you might need to fine tune the values by changing them in small increments at a time manually until you get it right, and then resave them within the .FLT file. Once you start working with all of this you'll get it and understand what you'll need to do...

Finally, you should have a pretty good alignment at this point. You must realize that perfect alignment will never happen because there are issues with in-flight turns and weather alignment matters. Although, it will be 99.9% aligned and this amazing considering we're talking a home cockpit...

Good Luck,

BSD

[MrBob]

Thank you for that usefull information. I will have to post progress hopefully by this weekend. I'm greatful for you all out there that have gave me your input! That is what makes the Flight Sim Community incredibly awesome.

[MrBob]

Hi blueskydiver, thank you for that info. Can you tell me that does window maker also work with x-plane 9? I'm running x plane 9 on my sim and one computer with the matrox triple head 2 go. The fly elise lite2 immersive has a xplane key in it. or does the window maker only apply to fsx or fs?

[MrBob]

Aaron, Your pictures and your project are incredible. I see in your pics on #12 your colored projection images were smiling! That is the effect I'm experiencing but I have yet to apply the immersive software. I registered the immersive last week but have not yet applied it to the x-plane program. I hear that x-plane is a little more challenging to work with on the immersive.

[MrBob]

Hi blueskydriver, by chance, you don't happen to be any where near michigan are you?

[blueskydriver]

I am in Warrens, Wisconsin which is more Northwest Central of the state. About 2 hours north of Madison, WI. For you, it would be a long drive; unless, you ferry across the lake into Milwaukee area, and then it's about 3 hours...no ferry's this time of the year though.

As for your question regarding Immersive Display 2 Lite and Xplane, I placed an order for Xplane 10 yesterday and already have Immersive Display, so if you can wait a little bit, we could try to work it out.

BSD

[MrBob]

Thats cool. I plan on getting the x-plane 10 soon too. I have once taken the ss badger across the lake back in 1999 when I was temporarily moving out to california. The badger journey was very unforgettable. Keep me posted on your x plane 10 quest. Any help would be appreciated since there are not very if any tutorials out there on youtube on a step by step process of the immersive. It would be helpful if someone were to make a video of that.

[MrBob]

BSD, What type of cockpit project do you have?

[blueskydriver]

My wife and I have a B737-800 working with a 3 projector curved screen setup...

Did you by chance look at this posting:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/24029-737-quot-ElephantAir-quot-build-Image-warping-with-Immersive-Display-Lite-2?p=129265#post129265

BSD

[MrBob]

My wife and I have a B737-800 working with a 3 projector curved screen setup...

Did you by chance look at this posting:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/24029-737-quot-ElephantAir-quot-build-Image-warping-with-Immersive-Display-Lite-2?p=129265#post129265

BSD

BSD,
Incredible info here! I am starting to learn about the keyboard short cuts with this program. I thankyou and appreciate your help on this. Free beer offer is always open:p