Oculus "Rift" : An open-source HMD for Kickstarter

Post by **MikeFesta** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:49 am

Nick3DvB wrote: Like the vids, what were they rendered in?

The videos were rendered in blender (http://www.blender.org), a great open source 3D program. I just used the stock blender render engine, but it has the ability to use other rendering engines.

Post by **sambeckett** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:03 pm

Can you let us know how many pre-kickstarter pledges you have received? And maybe release a username list?
Also I was expecting your kickstarter project to start on the 14th, as it is now the 15th when is the new expected start date!
Let me know if I can do anything to help.

Post by **Vaughanabe13** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:13 pm

sambeckett wrote:Can you let us know how many pre-kickstarter pledges you have received? And maybe release a username list?
Also I was expecting your kickstarter project to start on the 14th, as it is now the 15th when is the new expected start date!
Let me know if I can do anything to help.

Read the last few pages of the thread.

Post by **brantlew** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:23 pm

@cms: That sounds like a very cool project. Congrats on getting it past just the initial movement tests and actually customizing to a game environment. There is a thread dedicated to just this sort of thing here.

http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=120&t=15040

You should post some videos of the system in action.

Post by **PalmerTech** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 3:40 pm

sambeckett wrote:Can you let us know how many pre-kickstarter pledges you have received? And maybe release a username list?
Also I was expecting your kickstarter project to start on the 14th, as it is now the 15th when is the new expected start date!
Let me know if I can do anything to help.

I have received exactly 22 orders, I am going to leave it open till the Kickstarter launches. If you read up in the thread, I mention a few times that I am just waiting for Kickstarter to approve it now. If they do not do so by the end of the day, it will probably not be till after the weekend.

Most of the people on the list have already posted in this thread, I don't want to release the names of the others without their permission.

Hurry up, Kickstarter!

Post by **Nick3DvB** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:33 pm

I don't want to jinx you Palmer but I have a gut feeling that the kickstarter is going to fund very quickly. It would be good if you could keep a dozen or so unit in reserve for forum members who don't realise this, couldn't get on the pre order, picked the wrong week to go on holiday, or maybe don't have the funds availiable straight away. Just a thought...

Post by **andrewe1** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 5:04 pm

Nick3DvB wrote:I don't want to jinx you Palmer but I have a gut feeling that the kickstarter is going to fund very quickly. It would be good if you could keep a dozen or so unit in reserve for forum members who don't realise this, couldn't get on the pre order, picked the wrong week to go on holiday, or maybe don't have the funds availiable straight away. Just a thought...

No doubt, especially if he mentions Carmack and Doom 3 backing the project. That's gonna drive sales through the roof.

Post by **3dvison** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:13 pm

This is sorta on topic. Its about buying a RIFT.
Has anyone ever opened up a new paypal account using only one of those Green Dot MoneyPak cards you can get at wal-mart ?
Looking at the PayPal site, I am pretty sure you can, just wondering if anyone here has done it and if it went smoothly for you ?

Post by **PatrickReddeck** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:52 pm

PalmerTech wrote:
....I have received exactly 22 orders, I am going to leave it open till the Kickstarter launches...

If you can email me before you go live with KS I would appreciate that. I didn't buy into the pre-sale because it wouldn't allow me to start developing sooner, and I haven't heard-back from Hillcrest Labs as to if/when the "Carmack firmware" will be available to the public. In a community in the hundreds of devices any fragmentation between developers would be a hindrance.

Post by **cybereality** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:16 pm

I'm waiting for the Kickstarter to go live, this is going to be great.

Post by **bmwesting** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:29 pm

I'm really looking forward to the Rift kit.

I run a visualization laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, and will be using the Oculus Rift to experiment in a next generation immersive environment for clinical radiology. Also Doom 3!

Looking forward to working with the device and developing software/tools for immersive visualization.

Brandt Westing

Post by **brantlew** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:53 pm

@bmwesting: Can't help it. GO HORNS!

Seriously though...we've got a lot in common. I'm UT alumni, work in radiological image processing, and VR on the side. Looking forward to my Rift as well. We should grab a beer sometime

Edit: Oh, I just noticed we practically have the same name. I think you're my evil twin.

Post by **NickK** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:39 pm

PatrickReddeck wrote:
PalmerTech wrote:
....I have received exactly 22 orders, I am going to leave it open till the Kickstarter launches...
If you can email me before you go live with KS I would appreciate that. I didn't buy into the pre-sale because it wouldn't allow me to start developing sooner, and I haven't heard-back from Hillcrest Labs as to if/when the "Carmack firmware" will be available to the public. In a community in the hundreds of devices any fragmentation between developers would be a hindrance.

Isn't it considered personal data? Palmer can of course do whatever he wants to do but IMHO it would be a rather questionable move if he shares it.

If you are concerned about fragmentation among developers, what prevents you from posting your suggestions/proposals in the public forum? He's already told you that most of those folks read this thread.

Post by **Ameria** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:47 pm

NickK wrote:
PatrickReddeck wrote:
If you can email me before you go live with KS I would appreciate that. I didn't buy into the pre-sale because it wouldn't allow me to start developing sooner, and I haven't heard-back from Hillcrest Labs as to if/when the "Carmack firmware" will be available to the public. In a community in the hundreds of devices any fragmentation between developers would be a hindrance.
Isn't it considered personal data? Palmer can of course do whatever he wants to do but IMHO it would be a rather questionable move if he shares it.

If you are concerned about fragmentation among developers, what prevents you from posting your suggestions/proposals in the public forum? He's already told you that most of those folks read this thread.

Maybe I'm misreading something, but I don't think PatrickReddeck was looking for any personal data - I read that as his asking Palmer for an email heads-up when the Kickstarter goes live (to avoid missing out on it), followed by an observation that if the optimised firmware isn't publically available, that could lead to fragmentation between those who have it and those who don't...

Post by **NickK** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:23 pm

Ameria wrote: Maybe I'm misreading something, but I don't think PatrickReddeck was looking for any personal data - I read that as his asking Palmer for an email heads-up when the Kickstarter goes live (to avoid missing out on it), followed by an observation that if the optimised firmware isn't publically available, that could lead to fragmentation between those who have it and those who don't...

I apologize if I misunderstood him. His previous message asked for a list of orders (people who had already sent their money). I'm not sure that list should go public. Or maybe I'm just too paranoid about privacy? It's possible too.

Post by **cybereality** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 12:26 pm

That list should certainly not be public. Especially since we've already had issues with a retailer (who will remain nameless) trying to sabotage this project.

Post by **PatrickReddeck** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 1:38 pm

Ameria, you are correct in my intentions. Thank you for stating so.

NickK, again you are wrong.

Please fact check before you make statements of fact. User sambeckett requested pre-sale customer list not I, and that post is on page 27 of this thread a mere 11 post before your own.

sambeckett wrote:Can you let us know how many pre-kickstarter pledges you have received? And maybe release a username list?
Also I was expecting your kickstarter project to start on the 14th, as it is now the 15th when is the new expected start date!
Let me know if I can do anything to help.

cybereality I believe I know of whom you type. Their website is something of an amateur 1995 geocities monstrosity and their VR tech looks about as old.

Post by **NickK** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:24 pm

PatrickReddeck wrote:Ameria, you are correct in my intentions. Thank you for stating so.

NickK, again you are wrong.

Please fact check before you make statements of fact. User sambeckett requested pre-sale customer list not I, and that post is on page 27 of this thread a mere 11 post before your own.

Yes, indeed, it was a different user. I should have responded to sambeckett instead of you. I am sorry about the confusion.

Post by **Emerson** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:36 pm

I'm curious--does anyone has solid data on the optics distortion on the Rift yet?
I'm working on a DirectX proxy dll that ought to be able to do the optics correction, but I need to jury-rig some sort of test mapping until I can get a real device.

Post by **Mel** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:51 pm

I just got off the phone with a representative from PayPal. She called me to ask me about a $500 payment I made to PalmerTech last week and wanted to know what the skinny was with it. She warned me that because the payment was marked as a 'gift', they could not guarantee the 'purchase' should it turn out to be a scam. She said she spoke with Palmer and that the project sounded exciting, but wanted to know when/if I could expect delivery of the goods. I didn't have an answer to that question, but given that Palmer said the Kickstarter would run for 2 months, I took a guess and said 3 months.

Her concern over the matter made me start wondering about it myself.

So Palmer: Are you and John Carmack running a scam here?

Post by **Alkapwn** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:56 pm

Emerson wrote:I'm curious--does anyone has solid data on the optics distortion on the Rift yet?
I'm working on a DirectX proxy dll that ought to be able to do the optics correction, but I need to jury-rig some sort of test mapping until I can get a real device.

My best guess would be John Carmack, as I believe he's the one that figured out the distortion to be able to output the inverse of that directly from the game. My assumption is that he'll probably release that info as he wants the developers to have all the tools needed to push this thing to the next level.

Sidenote: I saw your Mirror's edge thing and OMFG!! how the hell did I not think of that as the first game to try the Rift out on, especially given how much I love that game. And the fact that you can remove all hints is like a dream come true for me in a video game. Too many video games these days baby us. Can't wait to get my Rift and try Mirror's edge on it once you finalize your code for it.

I'm assuming all of you pro developers are working on your versions of how to make this work best with each game and engine and whatnot. What about maybe even on the Rift site or something, if you make like a developers code base section. Then everyone can work on figuring stuff out together which might make the process easier. Something like a list of games that have been configured for use with the Rift. And then which code you need for each game, until we get a multi-game pack or something. And for SURE there should be a donate section where you could donate to the developers responsible for making each "Rift Certified Title". I'm sure nobody here would hesitate to chip in some coin for all the hard work you guys are all doing.

Post by **andrewe1** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:11 pm

Mel wrote:
So Palmer: Are you and John Carmack running a scam here?

I really hope that is sarcasm. You seriously think someone like Carmack would help run a scam like this? Do you even know who John Carmack is? It's people like you that make these sorts of projects problematic. It's a hobby project, you shouldn't even expect it in 3 months, delays always happen.

Palmer needs trust and patience, something you can't seem to have. So I suggest you kindly ask for a refund and just wait for the kickstarter or till there's a more established distribution channel.

Post by **cybereality** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:16 pm

This is exactly why I was pushing for using Kickstarter (in the other thread) rather than going through PayPal. They will minimize customer service headaches.

Post by **Mel** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:54 pm

andrewe1 wrote:
Mel wrote:
So Palmer: Are you and John Carmack running a scam here?

I really hope that is sarcasm. You seriously think someone like Carmack would help run a scam like this? It's people like you that make these sorts of projects problematic. It's a hobby project, you shouldn't even expect it in 3 months, delays always happen.

Palmer needs trust and patience, something you can't seem to have. So I suggest you kindly ask for a refund and just wait for the kickstarter or till there's a more established distribution channel.

Let me just say how ridiculous it is of you to question whether or not it was sarcasm, then to outright accuse me of awfulness with an "It's people like you..." diatribe. Of course it was sarcasm. Do you honestly believe that I think multi-trillionaire John Carmack would run an online scam? Really?

I was more posting it to see if anyone else received the PayPal phone call. I shall now revert back to lurker mode.

Post by **andrewe1** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:07 pm

Mel wrote:
andrewe1 wrote:
Mel wrote:
So Palmer: Are you and John Carmack running a scam here?

I really hope that is sarcasm. You seriously think someone like Carmack would help run a scam like this? It's people like you that make these sorts of projects problematic. It's a hobby project, you shouldn't even expect it in 3 months, delays always happen.

Palmer needs trust and patience, something you can't seem to have. So I suggest you kindly ask for a refund and just wait for the kickstarter or till there's a more established distribution channel.
Let me just say how ridiculous it is of you to question whether or not it was sarcasm, then to outright accuse me of awfulness with an "It's people like you..." diatribe. Of course it was sarcasm. Do you honestly believe that I think multi-trillionaire John Carmack would run an online scam? Really?

I was more posting it to see if anyone else received the PayPal phone call. I shall now revert back to lurker mode.

I'm sorry, but I didn't catch it since I know paypal usually does things like this. I thought of you doubting it because I followed very closely the openpandora project which started somewhat like this. A mini computer built by hobbyists and everything went wrong, from paypal freezing their funds to people getting impatient and thinking it was a scam and demanding their money back, ultimately harming them even more.

I apologize, but next time, try to make it a little more obvious.

Post by **WiredEarp** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:17 pm

Haha.

'Be careful Mel. You're treading on our dreams'

Equilibrium is a movie that really needs much more recognition.

Post by **benz145** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:40 pm

WiredEarp wrote:Haha.

'Be careful Mel. You're treading on our dreams'

Equilibrium is a movie that really needs much more recognition.

Second this!

(just lurking to find the latest on the Rift)

Post by **PalmerTech** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:28 am

andrewe1 wrote:I followed very closely the openpandora project which started somewhat like this. A mini computer built by hobbyists and everything went wrong, from paypal freezing their funds to people getting impatient and thinking it was a scam and demanding their money back, ultimately harming them even more.

Hey, me too! I was lucky, I managed to get an early unit by accepting one that had a malfunctioning analog stick. Was just a cold joint, easily fixed. Thank goodness I did that, because even today, several years later, there are still first-batch pre-orders that have not been fulfilled.

Some news!

Good news, bad news, and good news:

Good news: I got a call from Paypal as well, they were very friendly, I explained what was going on, said that the buyers knew it was a product that is not already in existence. I have to re-verify my ID, bank account info, address, and all that to prove my account has not been hijacked, and then it should all be good. I know Paypal will sometimes screw people over pretty badly, but I am hoping that my 7 year old business account with nearly $100,000 in total transactions will get halfway decent treatment.

Bad news: The Kickstarter is approved, but I am going to have to delay it for two weeks.

Good news: That is not actually bad news at all. A lot has changed in the past week, and while I cannot go into details just yet, I can promise that nobody here would possibly be upset with it. Some really big names in the game industry are getting involved with this, not only the initial kit, but future development as well. Thanks to those names, the Kickstarter can be 30 days instead of 60, meaning that the Kickstarter will end and start shipping units even earlier than before!

More info as soon as I can give it.

Thanks for holding on with me!

Post by **Samiad** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:32 am

Exciting stuff!

Post by **andrewe1** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:39 am

Dammit! I wanted to just pledge on kickstarter and then completely forget about it till it shows up in my front door.

Oh well, If you say the industry is getting more interest, then it's a win win for everyone.

I hope one of the other big names is someone that starts with G and ends with abe Newell

Post by **Alkapwn** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:49 am

Great to hear Palmer! That's so friggin awesome that all your hard work is getting crazy noticed now!! Between you rockin a super solid HMD kit, and the crazy awesome programmers here on this forum we should have multiple game support in NO time!

Again, we should think about some sort of code base where we can donate to all the people making all our favorite games compatible with the Rift!

We wait with bated breath to hear the good news!

Post by **nixarn** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:14 am

Awesome! Super excited about new news what ever it is =) hype++

Post by **Chriky** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:43 am

Some really big names in the game industry are getting involved with this, not only the initial kit, but future development as well.

Alright seeing as we've been delayed let the pointless, baseless rumours start now! I'm calling it - Valve.

But seriously, congratulations Palmer there's nothing better than a honest geek with a lifelong passion finally getting that big break

Post by **AntonieB** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:01 am

Congratz Palmer

I just hope the 'hacker / DIY perspective' won't get lost with all kind of 'commercial / big party' interesests.

Don't take me wrong I am still very excited about this project and can't wait for more information / the kickstarter to commence so we can get this thing going

Keep up the good work!

Post by **Krisper** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:53 am

This is sounding better all the time, does this mean we get an even better kit? I know, no details yet, just very excited about this. Two weeks is going to feel like forever.

Post by **Mark2036** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:15 am

Chriky wrote:
Some really big names in the game industry are getting involved with this, not only the initial kit, but future development as well.
Alright seeing as we've been delayed let the pointless, baseless rumours start now! I'm calling it - Valve.

But seriously, congratulations Palmer there's nothing better than a honest geek with a lifelong passion finally getting that big break

Damn I hope it is Valve... If they end up developing Portal 3 with time travel game play AND VR support and I may just have a nerdgasm.....

Also, next gen sony and microsoft is coming very soon.... lets hope the buzz created by the Rift leads to console based VR support too

Post by **Vaughanabe13** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 7:23 am

Wouldn't it be great if the new announcement is an upgrade to 1080p displays? LOL I can dream.

Post by **ido** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:26 am

Palmer! Great to see this coming along!

I am still very much into the VR hobby and would love to help out any way possible. Very interested in trying out this design.

Good luck to you.

Edit: Wowzers, just finished catching up with this thread... I am glad I decided to check up on this when I did. Kickstarter only a couple weeks away? Very nice. I sent you a PM Palmer.

Post by **Nick3DvB** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:16 am

Thanks for the update Palmer, sounds really exciting.

No probs on the delay, good things come to those who wait...

PS - found a little bit on the FOV2GO and RIFT here:

http://www.3dfocus.co.uk/3d-news-2/the- ... ality/8736

Projects Backed · Post by **LeeN** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:06 am

PalmerTech wrote:Bad news: The Kickstarter is approved, but I am going to have to delay it for two weeks

Is that 2 weeks from the original date or 2 weeks from today?
What is your preference Paypal or Kickstarter?

One thing to keep in mind when doing time estimates about Kickstarter is that Amazon will hold the funds for 14 days after the campaign is ended.