[simpits-tech] project update...

[dabigboy at cox.net]

---- Gene Buckle <geneb at deltasoft.com> wrote: 
> >
> NThusim+ will handle the warp to match a curved projection surface. 
> However, Sol7 will do that AND warp to a spherical surface as well.  At 
> lesat that's my understanding.  Wayne has studied this far more than I 
> have.

Oh REALLY......how interesting. Alex led me to believe NThusim+ would handle all my needs for a 3-projector setup. What you're saying is it handles vertical pin-cushion (for cylindrical/horizontally curved screens) but not horizontal pin-cushion issues that would pop up once you curved the screen top-to-bottom. That is a huge bummer, I think Sol7 starts around $1900 or so............................per copy...........................oh well, a cylindrical screen would at least be far easier to build, and probably still provide some pretty amazing visuals.

> The TH2G gives me maximum flexibility with the system.  When I was using 
> three 1024x768 projectors with both Need for Speed: Shift and FSX, I was 
> getting good frame rates with no stuttering.  Then again, I'm using an 
> Intel i7 960 with essentially 8 cores on board. :)

You dog! And here I am with my donated Core 2 Duo and an ebay-special 9500GT! :P Oh well, I know I will need to invest in some monstrous systems eventually.

The stuttering I don't think will be an issue (assuming I have enough RAM and video RAM) so much as the actual frame rate.....after many sims, many video tests, and many computers, I have concluded that I need to be able to push 60fps MINIMUM all the time. One of the things that drove frame rate home for me is when I fired up a DirectX test (you know, the little spinning cube) one time on a new video card, and was getting some ridiculous frame rate.....even though it was just a small CRT monitor and there were no 3D glasses or anything going on, I swear that cube looked like I could just reach into the monitor and grab it, the animation was so smooth.

Thanks for sharing your progress and findings, Gene, it's hugely helpful to the rest of us!!!

Matt