[simpits-tech] Collimated Display

[Matt Bailey]

On Sun, 29 Dec 2013 14:25:06 -0800 (PST)
geneb <geneb at deltasoft.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 29 Dec 2013, Thomas Hoeltschi wrote:
> 
> > Hi Frank,
> >
> > They use only one projector on one computer.
> > See the video on their homepage: http://youtu.be/OVsLOv-bNek
> >
> 
> Calling that comparison "disingenuous"(sp) would be charitable.
> 
> He's comparing his single projector, non-collimated display to a 
> multi-projector *collimated* visual system from the mid to late 90's.
> 
> There are NO seams in the military display system when you're at the 
> operating position. None.  If he's spreading  single projector's
> output across 260 degrees, there's a huge loss happening somewhere.
> 
> g.

Gene, I'm curious: how would you consider the older military sim's
visual system a collimated system? Is it not just a bunch of projectors
rear-projecting onto flat sections of purpose-built material?

I *AM* quite curious as to how the visuals on those military sims
require 120 computers! Perhaps he was referring to all the processing
units for every part of the sim (control loading, instrumentation, data
logging, etc).

If you look at some of the refueling footage, you can see some pretty
jagged edges on the wing of the refueler aircraft. I'm guessing he's
pushing maaaaybe 1600x1200 on the resolution, which would give some
rough edges at that FOV. But for a heavy-use "for the public" system
that needs to be simple and easy to maintain, it's probably an awesome
solution. IIRC, the 210* Eurocopter sim I flew at Flight Safety used 6
projectors, with each projector being driven by its own dedicated Linux
box (and Google Earth for visuals, oddly enough). It was beautiful.

Matt