Announcement: VorpX - Rift 3D Driver

[German]

One thing the Oculus Rift needs in order to be successful is standardized integration. Their dev kit and C++ API is a good start, but I want to see an oculus rift API in OpenGL and DirectX.

It already is, it's called shader support. If you are talking about head tracking, that is an input method and doesn't apply to OpenGL and would probably be a DirectInput device as far as DirectX integration(if it were to happen).

[Delryn]

It already is, it's called shader support. If you are talking about head tracking, that is an input method and doesn't apply to OpenGL and would probably be a DirectInput device as far as DirectX integration(if it were to happen).

I know DirectX 11.1 has stereoscopic rendering support, but what about the fish-eye distortion?

After doing some research, Xinput has taken over for DirectInput. XInput and DirectInput represent parts of the greater DirectX API. Though the bad news is that XInput only seems to support XBox controllers

This is out of my league, since I've only done rudimentary OpenGL programming, but I think that OR needs to be supported on the OpenGL/DirectX level entirely, so that it can be incorporated into the engines easily, and from there the games with nothing more than the flick of a switch and consideration on how it works with gameplay.

DirectX integration seems unlikely, but I don't think OpenGL should be difficult.

On the other hand, a post-processing wrapper like VorpX could be the way to go for easy universal support.

[German]

I know DirectX 11.1 has stereoscopic rendering support, but what about the fish-eye distortion?

...

This is out of my league, since I've only done rudimentary OpenGL programming, but I think that OR needs to be supported on the OpenGL/DirectX level entirely, so that it can be incorporated into the engines easily, and from there the games with nothing more than the flick of a switch and consideration on how it works with gameplay.

As I have already said, shaders take care of all of this. This graphics tech has been around for ages now. There is no need for integration of anything new into OpenGL or DirectX to support Rift from a graphics standpoint. It's much more complicated that "flick[ing] a switch" to support Rift in the way it's meant to be used, though. The graphics and input layers are probably the simplest part of development compared to the way you integrate the input into a game, which isn't something any library is just going to magically do for you.

[backstaia]

Any news on pricing/release/videos and website? Looking forward to some news from your project!

[Okta]

Any news on pricing/release/videos and website? Looking forward to some news from your project!

Yeah...no pressure or anything

[MaterialDefender]

I work best under pressure. But I have enough already.

Pricing hasn't fully decided yet, since I haven't chosen a payment service which might influence the final price. The price will be competitive and most likely there will be an early bird discount for the first month or so.

Things are coming along nicely. Integrating the earlier mentioned 'classic' 3D mode in an elegant way that makes it possible to switch between z-buffer based (fast) and classic (slower and less supported games so far) 3D on-the-fly while ingame took a bit longer than expected, but that is fully working now.

Expect full information and the website around the time the devkit ships, release will be shortly after.

[jhouff]

is there a reason VorpX dosen't have it's own forum category like the Vireo Perception? Just curious.

[jf031]

is there a reason VorpX dosen't have it's own forum category like the Vireo Perception? Just curious.

My (reasonable) guesses:
1. Unreleased. This is the biggest reason why.
2. Not open-source, so not so much a need for community involvment.
3 (lesser, half-serious point). He isn't a moderator of MTBS3D.

However, I bet that is will get its own forum if it is popular after release.

[jhouff]

is there a reason VorpX dosen't have it's own forum category like the Vireo Perception? Just curious.

My (reasonable) guesses:
1. Unreleased. This is the biggest reason why.
2. Not open-source, so not so much a need for community involvment.
3 (lesser, half-serious point). He isn't a moderator of MTBS3D.

However, I bet that is will get its own forum if it is popular after release.

Makes sense!

I'm just lazy and don't like paging through the forum to find the VorpX thread! haha!

Thanks!

[cybereality]

I can talk to Neil about getting a dedicated VorpX forum. I think if it becomes popular it will be something that is helpful to the community.

I know Neil has rules about commercial entities on the forum, but he might go for it.

@MaterialDefender: If you are interested in this, just PM me.

[zalo]

Why don't we just do a 3D driver software forum? That way I won't have click into different subforums to see posts about Vireo, VorpX, Nthusim, iZ3D, Nvidia, AMD, and that other one.

It is a different enough subject to warrant a separate subforum, but not one for each!

[cybereality]

I think Neil likes it with very specific forums for each software or topic. Personally I think the site could use a LOT less of these sub-forums, but whatever.

[topas]

Let's wait with this kind of discussion for release of first proofed information

[wileythecoyote]

Will this driver be ready for general public on April, when the devkits arrive?
If not I'd be more than pleased to participate beta as a tester
I mainly concentrate on arma II (perhaps III if it is out by then) and some flight sims (take in helicopter, xplan, fsx).
In addition I'd be more than pleased to try out all the current and upcoming aaa titles with it.

About arma series, I was wondering if you got that headroll solved already?

[MaterialDefender]

Was there a head roll problem in Arma? I can't remember... If there was one, it's OK now. FSX is supported, IIRC in both 3D-creation modes.

The plan is still to release a first version more or less together with the devkit, with subsequent updates and more game profiles following fast. If nothing big comes up in the testing phase, that should work out well. Feature freeze for the first release is in reach, I'm mainly doing stabilzing work and profile adjustments already now. More than 50 games will be officially supported in stereoscopic 3D because they were tested, more might just work. And many more (most DX9-DX11 games to be precise) will at least work without stereoscopic 3D but everything else (which is more than you might think ).

As it stands today the only thing (apart from me being snowboarding one week in March) that *potentially* *might* cause a slight delay is integrating the Rift headtracking and adjusting the optical parameters to the final hardware, but I don't think that will be a problem at all. Great care has been taken to make that as easy as possible.

[MaterialDefender]

March is coming closer and thus the Rift. Time for some details about what you can expect from VorpX, I guess. There's much more going on than in a 'normal' 3D-driver. And as far as I'm concerned, otherwise the whole thing woudn't make much sense at all. I'm quite confident you will be with me in this regard, once you tried more than a quick test of any older game with your own Rift .

Literally several hundred hours of work went into the project already, and extensive (but fun) tests where done to identify and then tackle many of the issues that inherently arise when you want to play older games on the Rift.

So, here we go:

1. Adaptive 3D-Algorithm

Image based 3D normally does not work like a pair of eyes. While your eyes focus and converge (in the physiological sense meaning that both eyes rotate slightly inward so that their lines of sight meet) at the same point, 3D images do something else. They separate focus and convergence. Convergence is always a fixed value. That is also true for typical 3D drivers, and it makes every sense in the world for an image or screen, since you want to be able to focus anywhere on the image.

With a VR device like the Rift on the other hand it makes much more sense for a 3D algorithm to behave like a pair of human eyes instead. VorpX does that. The images automagically converge where you look at, just like your eyes do. This can, but doesn't have to, be accompanied by a slight DOF-blur, simulating your eyes way of focusing.

All of this is purely optional, of course. If you want manually configurable convergence, you always can.

2. Configurable VR Hotkeys

This may sound more practical: how to press buttons when you can't see your keyboard? A serious problem for many PC games that use more keyboard shortcuts than just WASD and a few extra keys.

VorpX has a freely configurable (via an ingame menu) virtual hotkey system to tackle this issue. At the touch of an easy to reach button, <SHIFT> middle mouse button per default, a semi transparent menu pops up in front of you, All you have to do then is to look at the button you want to "press" and release the mouse button. Extremely useful, pretty natural, and it can't get easier.


That's it for today. There are more of these things that I like to call the SUTs. Small Useful Things. Although they are more than useful. Taken together they are a plain necessity if you want to really play games on the Rift that are not specifically designed for the device. Stay tuned (if you like ).


And btw, in case anyone wonders: while this is a sparetime project and a true work of love, so to speak, I'm a professional 3D-artist and programmer for more than 15 years. So there is a little bit of expertise and experience behind all of this.

[mrgrey]

That sounds awesome. I was worried when I first looked into the Rift that games had to be specifically made for it. This driver confirms they don't have to be (though obviously would be better built from the ground up for Rift). Looking forward to trying this out when the consumer version of the Oculus Rift arrives

[jhouff]

I'm soooo excited for the VorpX! Good job MaterialDefender!

Is there a newsletter or anything I can signup for?

[geekmaster]

...With a VR device like the Rift on the other hand it makes much more sense for a 3D algorithm to behave like a pair of human eyes instead. VorpX does that. The images automagically converge where you look at, just like your eyes do. This can, but doesn't have to, be accompanied by a slight DOF-blur, simulating your eyes way of focusing.

How do you set Depth of Focus? Does it work similar to the method used in some autofocus cameras, where the focus is set for objects at the screen center (and all other objects at that depth)? Without eye-tracking, screen center tracking for autofocus makes the most sense. Or did you find a better way?

[MaterialDefender]

Actually most autofocus cameras use more sophisticated methods and take more than just the absolute center into account. So does VorpX. With a strong preference for the center, of course. As you say, anything else doesn't make much sense without eye tracking.

@jhouff: Unfortunately there wasn't much time so far for anything else than working on the main project. That will change in the not too distant future.

[Dantesinferno]

@materialdefender hey man, I plan to implement a motion tracking gun into fps shooters.. Is there anyway your driver can modify the in game gun to move and turn in sync to the gun/hillcrest tracker . My vr gun will have an, x,y, and z axis.

[Grix]

Hi, any plans to add support for Trackmania (Nations or others)? They are fast paced driving games where you do all sorts of insane maneuvers. I think it would be amazing with rift support. Here's a gameplay video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h1PddKDjsc

[Callezetter]

Hi, any plans to add support for Trackmania (Nations or others)? They are fast paced driving games where you do all sorts of insane maneuvers. I think it would be amazing with rift support. Here's a gameplay video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h1PddKDjsc

Trackmania with rift would be insane..lol

[2EyeGuy]

1. Adaptive 3D-Algorithm

Image based 3D normally does not work like a pair of eyes. While your eyes focus and converge (in the physiological sense meaning that both eyes rotate slightly inward so that their lines of sight meet) at the same point, 3D images do something else. They separate focus and convergence. Convergence is always a fixed value. That is also true for typical 3D drivers, and it makes every sense in the world for an image or screen, since you want to be able to focus anywhere on the image.

With a VR device like the Rift on the other hand it makes much more sense for a 3D algorithm to behave like a pair of human eyes instead. VorpX does that. The images automagically converge where you look at, just like your eyes do. This can, but doesn't have to, be accompanied by a slight DOF-blur, simulating your eyes way of focusing.

Huh? It's not clear what you mean, but that sounds like a really bad idea. Your eyes already take care of behaving like a pair of human eyes, so why would you want the world to do that too? That's just doubling up.

I guess you're trying to force convergence to match focus, since focus is always set at infinity? So everything you look at looks like it's at infinity, except things around what you look at move to behind or in front of infinity? But that wouldn't be good since your eyes can't diverge past infinity.

I haven't tested anything like that, so it's possible that would work and help with the (minor?) focus/convergence mismatch problem. But it seems like it would be strange and unreal. It's good to try different things though.

All of this is purely optional, of course. If you want manually configurable convergence, you always can.

But we probably don't want manually configurable convergence either. What we want is to set what kind of Rift we have, what eyecups we are using, what number from -5 to 5 the dials are set to, and what our IPD is. Ideally that could be saveable for each user and loaded. Then we want what we see to be rendered to match reality, so that something 30cm wide and 1 metre away looks like it's 30cm wide and 1 metre away. With your 3D method, that probably requires the depth-buffer ranges for each game in real world units to be worked out before releasing, and for other methods, that probably requires the game units to be worked out for each game. But unless we can get the FOV of the game to match the Rift, that might not be possible.

You seem to be getting backwards what separates a VR driver from a 3D driver. VR has an exact rigorous scientific specification for what it's supposed to look like. A normal 3D driver is like a work of art to make a painting on a wall and there are various ways you could choose to make it look, and various tricks you have to use to make it pleasant.

I'm still really looking forward to this driver though. Fast support for so many games with so many features is really good.

[drgroove101]

What we want is to set what kind of Rift we have, what eyecups we are using, what number from -5 to 5 the dials are set to, and what our IPD is. Ideally that could be saveable for each user and loaded. Then we want what we see to be rendered to match reality, so that something 30cm wide and 1 metre away looks like it's 30cm wide and 1 metre away. With your 3D method, that probably requires the depth-buffer ranges for each game in real world units to be worked out before releasing, and for other methods, that probably requires the game units to be worked out for each game. But unless we can get the FOV of the game to match the Rift, that might not be possible.

^^

Thumbs up man, you nailed it. Someone who can deliver what you're describing in the first few sentences above would be a freaking hero!

[Direlight]

We can all beta test and get it working smoothly!

[MaterialDefender]

@Dante: That would be theoretically possible in the geometry based 3d mode and might make sense for games that render the weapon in a non-optimal position/size. No such functionality will be in the first release though.

@Callezetter, Grid: Trackmania sounds like a good idea. No promises, but I will see what I can do.

@2Eye: No need to worry. As said above, the whole thing is completely optional. Sometimes it might be better though to try something before you judge it. IPD is configurable, and savable of course.

[2EyeGuy]

@2Eye: No need to worry. As said above, the whole thing is completely optional. Sometimes it might be better though to try something before you judge it. IPD is configurable, and savable of course.

Does that mean you'll send me an early version?
Although it will be at least a month before I have a Rift
It would be fun to try. I'm still not completely sure what you're trying to do though.

[Callezetter]

@Dante: That would be theoretically possible in the geometry based 3d mode and might make sense for games that render the weapon in a non-optimal position/size. No such functionality will be in the first release though.

@Callezetter, Grid: Trackmania sounds like a good idea. No promises, but I will see what I can do.

@2Eye: No need to worry. As said above, the whole thing is completely optional. Sometimes it might be better though to try something before you judge it. IPD is configurable, and savable of course.

Looks like trackmania 2 have support for headtracking, SBS and fov change. Its totally undocumented tho, and noone seems to know anyting about it.

[3dRat]

how much will cost your driver? will you accept paypal?

[MaterialDefender]

Payment and delivery will be processed through one of the usual international e-commerce services that are around. That's the best way for everyone to keep things safe, secure and hassle-free. Paypal will most likely be one of the payment options you will have.

I haven't chosen a service yet though. This choice might influence the final price to a certain degree, so I can't give a 100% final answer for now. Expect a price in the range of a normal full price game.

[2EyeGuy]

Payment and delivery will be processed through one of the usual international e-commerce services that are around. That's the best way for everyone to keep things safe, secure and hassle-free. Paypal will most likely be one of the payment options you will have.

I haven't chosen a service yet though. This choice might influence the final price to a certain degree, so I can't give a 100% final answer for now. Expect a price in the range of a normal full price game.

That's a bit expensive. While it may be worth that price, I would guess people would be put off by anything over $50. But I don't know, maybe it will seem like a must-have and they'd still buy it for $70 or $80. Although it may depend how easy piracy is. Price points are tricky, but I'm guessing you'd make more money selling it at $50. You should ask around though, because I'm no expert.

[Direlight]

$60 USD seems great if it includes every game you've converted. If it's being charged per game, then no!

[twintips382]

Any plan to support iRacing? Arguably THE standard in the PC sim racing genre? I know the entire community would be stoked to be able to use rift on day one. I know they have an Oculus Rift forum over on the website and it's been confirmed the iRacing dev team are getting two dev kits, but you might pick up a few extra customers if its ready to use when the rift ships, since a lot of those players bought dev kits. You can download and play the game three months for free currently (it's subscription based).

Sorry this is starting to sound like a pitch, but it's the game I play 95% of the time.

Hope that helps.

[Teeks419]

Hey MaterialDefender, I'm really looking forward to the VorpX driver and something you said in another post got me pretty excited.

"Despite having tested a lot of stuff recently, my first (DIY-)Rift moment I will never forget was just watching a sunset in (a extremely beefed up, graphically on par with Crysis) Elder Scrolls: Morrowind. That was nothing short of breathtaking, literally! First time I really wished to be there... No screenshots, words or anything could transport the unmatched level of immersion I felt. Truly Amazing."

Does this mean Morrowind will be one of your supported games? I really hope so. I'm actually downloading the Morrowind Overhaul right now to see what it looks like.

[Unclebob]

Hi

in terms of game set up with the driver.

Do you set it up to render at 640 by 800 the driver then generating the SBS view of two 640 by 800 images?

From past experience of stereo 3d the native resolution of the game is the biggest performance issue.

Thanks

UB

[MaterialDefender]

@2Eye: Most likely the final price will be somewhere in the middle of the range you mentioned. And there will be an early bird discount for those who dare to be the first.

@Direlight: Uh, selling it per game is a great idea. No, just kidding, you pay once for all supported games.

@twintips: I haven't looked at iRacing so far, but I might. However, rFactor is already supported when it comes to serious racing.

@Teeks: Yes Morrowind is supported. You will need the Overhaul though, otherwise there would be no DX9 in Morrowind, which is the minimum DirectX version currently supported by VorpX.

@Unclebob: You set up the resolution to the display resolution. Most likely 1280x800 for the devkit. VorpX has two different ways of generating 3d, one of them has only a ~10% performance hit. Not all games support both methods though. If you have a graphics card that supports downsampling (most do) in many cases you should be able to choose even higher resolutions, which helps image quality.

[baggyg]

Hi MD,

I think you are correct in considering what the service is before choosing a payment plan. What, I believe, is most important is the continued support /upgrades and addition / revision of new game profiles / requests. You need to ensure that the price being charged allows you the revenue to continue to support the driver. Personally I would be happy to pay more in the knowledge that the driver will continue to be supported right up to and beyond the commercial version of the Rift.

I personally am keeping a game list of FPS I would lo0ve to try on the Oculus. The hope that some, if not most, of these would be supported someday and that service would be a very valuable proposition.

[Unclebob]

@Unclebob: You set up the resolution to the display resolution. Most likely 1280x800 for the devkit. VorpX has two different ways of generating 3d, one of them has only a ~10% performance hit. Not all games support both methods though. If you have a graphics card that supports downsampling (most do) in many cases you should be able to choose even higher resolutions, which helps image quality.

Sounds great mate..

Essentially then most games that play well at a 1280 by 800 resolution will be fine for the rift.

Modern hardware will chew up older games frame rate wise so even a moderately modern rig with a relatively new video card will be good enough.

Thank you. Looking forward to the release.

UB

[superbike81]

@twintips: I haven't looked at iRacing so far, but I might. However, rFactor is already supported when it comes to serious racing.

I just wanted you to know that I will be buying the VorpX software as soon as it's available.

Also, I would be more than happy to pay for your iRacing subscription while you develop for it. It's not expensive to get started, about $15, but then it ends up being $100 a year after that.


Oh and THANK YOU for supporting rFactor as well! Guess I'll be reinstalling it once I get my Rift.