Author Topic: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?  (Read 1514 times)

Offline Drano

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Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« on: June 12, 2022, 02:13:46 PM »
I tried the method used for IL-2 and AH crashes right out so I had to switch it back. Would be cool to get it running that way. For those running AH with SteamVR there's possibly a good bump in performance running it this way if possible. I'm running AH with Oculus Rift S and it runs just fine that way but every little bit helps, right? IL-2 needed a little help. Switching over has been like eyesight to the blind in that one.

Yesterday was a crappy day here so I took a swing at getting it set up for IL-2. Wasn't super easy but I got it all running. Seemed it was much easler for the WMR headsets. Did it for a couple of reasons. One was the performance boost, of course. I'd been running Opencomposite before but switched over to SteamVR so I could use an app called VR NeckSafer develolped by a player there. I've discussed that here before. It works for IL-2 and DCS. It lets you tweak your rotational values for your VR headset kind of like TIR so you don't have to kill yourself looking around in flight sims sitting in a chair. Love it. It's aptly named! Better than hat switches but you can set them up too if you like. Prior it only worked with SteamVR but the dev has a working version for OpenXR now so I've switched back. This one works with IL-2 and DCS and they're working on MSFS.

Another reason was to set up something called XR Toolkit which works in OpenXR. That app gives you greater control over the visuals in VR that aren't available in something like NVidia control panel. Those controls only work on a monitor. With this you can adjust brightness, color, contrast, use NIS or FSR, etc. REALLY cool and wonder why it wasn't always like this for VR. You bring up a menu in the headset and scroll through the tweaks. Most adjustments are in tiny increments--tenths mostly. So pretty fine control. See the results in real time as you're doing it.

Anyway, I was just wondering if this could be used with AH? Problem could be a graphics engine limitation. I think both of those other sims use the unreal engine. Not sure what AH uses. Might be something for the wish list but thought I'd post here in case anyone has it working or thought it would be interesting.
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Offline RichardDarkwood

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2022, 03:33:20 PM »
I use the Oculus De-bug tool to add clarity
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Offline 1stpar3

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2022, 11:47:50 PM »
I use the Oculus De-bug tool to add clarity
THIS!!!!
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Offline 1stpar3

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2022, 12:10:43 AM »
"Better than hat switches but you can set them up too if you like?"  Only in AcesHigh though. Any time I play, DCS or IL-2, NOPE.. NOT ALLOWED?   This is why that 'Necksafer" feller is so appreciated by me! PERFORMANCE BOOST? I must have missed something?   To my understanding, AcesHigh is only Sim that allows 'Hat Switch' views? So why run 'NeckSafer' in AH? That idea never crossed my mind.  Are/were you trying to run it for "Performance Boost"?  Still dont understand how "NeckSafer" works in that regard? Oculus Tray Tool is sufficient, as to Nit-Pick performance. Combined with De-bug tool...AOK
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Offline Drano

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2022, 01:25:43 PM »
My PC shreds AH so any boost in performance here I'd honestly never notice. Thought it might help someone with lesser specs is all. I'd love to be able to use the OpenXR Toolkit tho. For whatever reason the AH world just always seems inherently dark in my headset. Even at high noon. That can be tweaked with this tool.

The reason I'd like to use NeckSafer here is that once he gets the smooth autorotation figured out (it's still in beta after all) to use in the XR version as it did with the original Steam version it's gonna eliminate hat switches entirely. It never worked right in AH with Steam but it was close. I tried it and could never get the head level set lower than about ten feet higher than it should be. People had a similar issue trying to use it with DCS. The rotation part worked perfectly tho. Just as good as TIR and I used that for years before switching to VR. I do have it working in IL-2. Autorotation isn't smooth, still a WIP. Using the hats to look left and right at a pre set degree works great for now. Beats the heck out of breaking your neck just looking around. Best part is the plan is to have it work in pitch. The steam version only worked in yaw. Still way better than nothing.

But in order to do this you have to able to use OpencompositeVR and that involves swapping out the openvr_api.dll in AH. Trying it with the swapped .dll crashes the game at the launcher so it's no go.
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Offline 1stpar3

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2022, 02:22:51 AM »
My PC shreds AH so any boost in performance here I'd honestly never notice. Thought it might help someone with lesser specs is all. I'd love to be able to use the OpenXR Toolkit tho. For whatever reason the AH world just always seems inherently dark in my headset. Even at high noon. That can be tweaked with this tool.

The reason I'd like to use NeckSafer here is that once he gets the smooth autorotation figured out (it's still in beta after all) to use in the XR version as it did with the original Steam version it's gonna eliminate hat switches entirely. It never worked right in AH with Steam but it was close. I tried it and could never get the head level set lower than about ten feet higher than it should be. People had a similar issue trying to use it with DCS. The rotation part worked perfectly tho. Just as good as TIR and I used that for years before switching to VR. I do have it working in IL-2. Autorotation isn't smooth, still a WIP. Using the hats to look left and right at a pre set degree works great for now. Beats the heck out of breaking your neck just looking around. Best part is the plan is to have it work in pitch. The steam version only worked in yaw. Still way better than nothing.

But in order to do this you have to able to use OpencompositeVR and that involves swapping out the openvr_api.dll in AH. Trying it with the swapped .dll crashes the game at the launcher so it's no go.
Got Ya!  "Even at high noon. That can be tweaked with this tool."    Where can one find this Tweak?  This doesnt work in AH yet? I have this Program, just havent played with it much, in DCS. Let alone, tried it in AH :uhoh
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Offline Drano

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2022, 09:44:46 AM »
That's what I'm sayin. These tools don't work with AH and would be really cool if they could be adopted. I set them up for IL2 easily. Maybe it's a graphics engine incompatibility thing?

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Offline Drano

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2022, 11:56:15 AM »
XR NeckSafer now has smooth autorotation left/right. Not too shabby for only being out a week. On the road map next is pitch rotation and user curves (like TIR). This would be cool for those in VR. Combining the views of VR with the tracking ability of TIR.
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Offline Vulcan

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2022, 06:23:30 PM »
Would it annoy you to know I had that with VR in AH2 13 years ago. When HT released the native VR support in AH it was one of the first things I asked for (VR axis scaling).

Offline Drano

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2022, 08:09:05 AM »
Nah. It just seems so natural. TIR spoiled me. Of course, there are others especially in the other sims, that are all abouts the realisms and think it's just so wrong to not want to break your neck to check your 6. I've also come to the conclusion most of those are TIR players afraid to lose their "advantage".

I finally got this version working myself last night in IL2 and it's great. Oughta be that way with everything. The dev says it should work with all opencomposite games, not quite there with all OpenXR games yet.
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Offline Vulcan

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2022, 05:13:49 PM »
Yeah I figure it reflects the fact that you can move your eyeballs which VR does not cater for (and VRs FoV does not reflect the real world) which is up around 220 degrees. The software I used to use was Opentrack (an open source trackIR alternative), which had support for some VR headsets.

Offline 1stpar3

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2022, 04:26:42 AM »
That's what I'm sayin. These tools don't work with AH and would be really cool if they could be adopted. I set them up for IL2 easily. Maybe it's a graphics engine incompatibility thing?

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Offline Drano

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2022, 10:02:51 AM »
I'm still messing around with it. I actually got AH to load and it acted like it was gonna go to the headset, thought I was winning there for a sec but it just opened on the monitor. Dang! So it's close. As I understand it OpenXR is the basis for all these different VR engines (Oculus, Steam, etc), so theoretically it should work as AH will run on those as well as WMR. I'm following along in a couple of the discord channels. They're testing different games compatibility. I haven't asked there specifically about AH. Trying different commands in the opencomposite.ini file. That was how I got it to at least load up. AH would crash out prior. Eventually something will pop. Works great for IL2.
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Offline fd ski

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2023, 03:02:07 PM »
did you ever get it working ?
I got OpenXR configured for DCS and difference is mindblowing. Don't want to go between settings each time i start a different game...and OpenXR sure delivers performance.
 

Offline Drano

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Re: Is there a way to run AH with OpencompositeVR/OpenXR?
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2023, 03:37:19 PM »
 Nope. I even had a back and forth with Mbuccia, one of the the devs, trying to get it to work one day but even he couldn't make it happen. Said it was something in the game. So guess it's a no unless HT tweaked it. As I understand it, openxr is the basis for all vr so somewhere it should be able to hook in as AH will run in SteamVR or OculusVR. Agreed it would be a lot better especially for people with lower end machines. The other stuff like XR Toolkit and XRnecksafer would be great too.

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