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VFX1 HEADGEAR Virtual Reality System Release
v2.0 Last Updated: August 25, 1997 Written by: Mickey Johnson
(mickster@geneseo.net) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------- CONTENTS: ---------
Download
the FAQ now
- [0]
Preface
------------------------- |SECTION 1:
INTRODUCTION| -------------------------
- [1]
Introduction
- [1-1] A word from
Mickey Johnson
- [1-2] About the
"Official" VFX1 HEADGEAR FAQ
- [1-3] Getting the
"Official" VFX1 HEADGEAR FAQ
- [1-4] Adding to the
FAQ
- [1-5]
Acknowledgments
- [1-6] Accurate
Information
------------------------------------ |SECTION
2: ABOUT THE VFX1
HEADGEAR| ------------------------------------
- [2]
What is the VFX1 HEADGEAR and how does it work?
- [2-1] What do I get
with the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [2-2] What does head
tracking do?
- [2-3] What is the
audio of the VFX1 HEADGEAR like?
- [2-4] What is the
video of the VFX1 HEADGEAR like?
- [2-5] What can the
microphone be used for?
- [2-6] How many games
are supported by the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [2-7] Will the VFX1
HEADGEAR slow down my computer?
- [2-8] Does the VFX1
HEADGEAR work with anything besides the PC?
- [2-9] Is the VFX1
HEADGEAR compatible with Windows 95 or Windows
3.1?
- [3]
What makes the VFX1 HEADGEAR different from other Virtual Reality
systems?
- [3-0]
Comparing
- [3-0-1] Between
the VFX1 HEADGEAR, the CyberMaxx 180 and the i-Glasses!, which
has the best design?
- [3-0-2] Which of
the 3 units is more comfortable to wear?
- [3-0-3] Which of
these units has the best display?
- [3-0-4] How can I
be sure of which HMD to buy?
- [3-1] What is Virtual
Reality (VR)?
- [3-2] What is Virtual
Orientation System (VOS)?
- [3-3] What is 3D
video?
- [3-3-1] What is
Line-Sequential 3D video?
- [3-4] What is the
CyberPuck?
- [3-5] What is the
VFX1 HEADGEAR Interface Protocol (VIP) card?
- [3-6] What does
"immersive" mean?
- [3-7] What does
"ergonomic" mean?
- [3-7-1] Why are
ergonomics important?
- [3-8] What is
ACCESS.bus?
- [3-9] What is
IPD?
- [3-9-1] Why is
IPD important?
- [3-10] Why does the
VFX1 HEADGEAR use the VESA feature connector?
- [3-10-1] Why
will the VFX1 HEADGEAR only display 256
colors?
- [3-11] Does the VFX1
HEADGEAR use de-pixelization filters?
- [3-12] What kinds of
video does the VFX1 HEADGEAR accept?
- [4]
Who created the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [4-1] How can I
contact FORTE Technologies?
- [5]
What are the differences between the different releases of the
VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [5-1] The
VFX1?
- [5-2] The VFX1
HEADGEAR?
- [5-2-1] With
filled rear text?
- [5-2-2] With open
rear text?
- [6]
Where can I get the VFX1 HEADGEAR and associated
information?
- [6-1] From FORTE
Technologies?
- [6-2] How can I get
the the VFX1 HEADGEAR specs for creating add-on
products?
- [6-3] What are the
VFX1 HEADGEAR specifications?
- [6-4] Are there any
web sites other than Forte's that have VFX1
information?
- [7]
What is needed to run the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [7-1] What is
REQUIRED to run the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [7-2] What is
RECOMENDED to run the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [7-3] What video
cards does the VFX1 HEADGEAR support?
- [7-4] What game
controllers does the VFX1 HEADGEAR support?
- [7-5] What sound
cards does the VFX1 HEADGEAR support?
- [8]
What is the VFX1 HEADGEAR game software and where can I get
it?
- [8-1] What does
"native" mean?
- [8-1-1] What is a
native driver?
- [8-2] What does
"VRMouse" mean?
- [8-2-1] What is
the VRMouse INI file?
- *8-3* What native
games are available for the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- *8-4* What VRMouse
games are available for the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- *8-5* Are there other
applications that the VFX1 HEADGEAR can be used for other than
gaming?
- [8-6] What can I do
to help add to the number of available
applications?
------------------------------------ |SECTION
3: USING THE VFX1
HEADGEAR| ------------------------------------
- [9]
How can I use the VFX1 HEADGEAR better?
- [9-1] Why should I
get an extra cable?
- [9-2] What is the
best way to fit the Smart Visor to my face?
- [9-3] How should I
store the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [9-4] How can I help
a friend enjoy a VFX1 HEADGEAR game?
- [9-5] What is an easy
way to add volume control to the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [9-6] How do I clean
the lenses?
- [9-7] What are the
replacement optics for?
- [9-8] How do I use
this CyberPuck?
- [9-8-1] Can I use
two Cyberpucks?
- [9-9] Is it safe to
unplug the CyberPuck when the headset is on?
- [9-10] Can the
CyberPuck take a beating?
- [9-11] How do I put
on the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [9-12] How do I
adjust the brightness in the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [9-13] How do I use
the nape strap?
- [10] How can I use this
game better with the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [10-1]
Darker
- [10-2] Dark
Forces
- [10-3] Descent
Shareware 1.2 (from the VFX1 HEADGEAR Bonus CD)
- [10-4] Descent
Registered/Commercial/Dest. Saturn 1.4A
- [10-5] Descent 2
- [10-6] DOOM
- [10-7] DOOM
2
- [10-8] Rise of the
Triad
- [10-9]
Heretic
- [10-10]
Hexen
- [10-11]
EF2000
- [10-12] Flight
Unlimited
- [10-13] Magic
Carpet
- [10-14] Magic
Carpet 2
- [10-15] Mech
Warrior 2
- [10-16]
Quarantine
- [10-17]
SuperKarts
- [10-18] System
Shock
- [10-19]
TekWar
- [10-20]
Virtek
- [10-21] Wings of
Glory
- [10-22] US Navy
Fighters (Gold) / Marine Fighters
- [10-23]
Zephyr
- [10-24]
Witchaven
- [10-25] Witchaven
II
- [10-26] Red
Baron
- [10-27] Aces of the
Pacific/Europe
- [10-28]
Locus
- [10-29] Slipstream
5000
- [10-30] Terminator
Future Shock
- [10-31] Flight
Simulator 5.0
- [10-32] Virtuality
Madness II
- [10-33] Terra
Nova
- [10-34]
Apache
- [10-35] Jane's
Combat Simulations Advanced Tactical Fighters
- [10-36] Duke Nukem
3-D
- [10-37] Top
Gun
- [10-38]
Quake
- [10-38-1] What
are Quake bots?
- [10-38-2] Are
the mission add on packs worth buying?
- [10-39] Mechwarrior
Mercenaries
- [10-40] Mechwarrior
2: Ghost Bear Legacy
- *10-41* Redneck
Rampage
- [10-42] Skynet
(Terminator Future shock)
- [10-43] Comanche
3
- *10-44*
Simcopter
- *10-45*
Outlaws
- [10-46] Descent to
Undermountain Demo
- *10-47*
Blood
- *10-48* Shadow
warrior
- *10-49*
Chasm
- [11] What are all these
utilities and drivers for the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [11-1] What is
VFX1.COM?
- [11-1-1] What do
all these options do?
- [11-1-2] How do
I turn off the LCDs in the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [11-2] What is
VRMOUSE.COM?
- [11-2-1] What
are the improvements in VRMOUSE.COM 2.0x?
- [11-2-2] What do
all these options do?
- *11-3* What about
Windows 95?
----------------------------- |SECTION
12:
TROUBLESHOOTING| -----------------------------
- [12] Why won't the VFX1
HEADGEAR video work correctly?
- [12-1] What is the
maximum resolution I can see in the headset?
- [12-2] Why don't I
see anything on my monitor?
- [12-3] Why don't I
see anything in the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [12-4] Why does the
video in the VFX1 HEADGEAR look strange?
- [12-5] Why are the
colors in the VFX1 HEADGEAR not like the
monitor?
- [13] Why won't my sound
card work with the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [13-1] Why can't I
hear anything in the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [13-2] Why doesn't
the microphone do anything?
- [13-3] Why does the
sound stop when I start using the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [14] Miscellaneous VFX1
HEADGEAR problems
- [14-1] Why won't the
tracking work correctly?
- [14-2] Why does the
VFX1 HEADGEAR seem to crash at certain times?
- [14-3] Why isn't
VRMouse working?
- [14-4] Why can't I
use the CyberPuck in all the games?
- [14-5] Why do I get
sick when playing games with the VFX1 HEADGEAR?
- [14-6] What are
these SRAM errors?
- [14-7] Why can't I
get the VFX1 HEADGEAR focused?
- *15* VFX1 - 1997
- *15-1* Another word
from Mickey Johnson
- *15-2* The games
that I am playing in the VFX1 and why.
- *15-2-1*
Quake
- *15-2-2* Magic
Carpet
- *15-2-3*
Mechwarrior mercenaries
- *15-2-4*
Commanche 3
- *15-2-5* Flight
Unlimited
- *15-2-6*
EF2000
- *15-2-7*
Skynet
- *15-2-8* Build
engine games
- *15-2-9*
Locus
- *15-2-10* Terra
Nova
- *15-2-11*
Simcopter
- *15-3* Multiplayer
maddness
- *15-4* Want to see
Mars from a 1st person
perspective.
(back) [0]
Preface
***************************************************************************** NOTICE
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
NOTICE*
Please take a look at section [15]
VFX1-1997
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
NOTICE* *****************************************************************************
---------- DISCLAIMER ----------
This
FAQ is to aid in informing the public about the VFX1
HEADGEAR Virtual Reality System, by FORTE Technologies, Inc.
Mickey Johnson claims NO responsibility regarding ANY illegal
activity concerning this FAQ, or indirectly related to this
FAQ. Mickey Johnson is not an employee of FORTE Technologies,
Inc. and is not awarded payment for this document. This
document is written entirely at the time and expense of Mickey
Johnson. The information contained in this FAQ reflects the
questions and answers of FORTE Technologies, Inc. and
questioning FORTE Technologies, Inc. regarding any any
information in this FAQ is possible by e-mail at
"faq@fortevr.com".
--------------------- TRADEMARK
INFORMATION ---------------------
All specific names
included herein are trademarks and are held by their respective
companies. Mickey Johnson in no way claims any rights to the
trademarks contained herein. All rights to the trademarks in this
file are still held by their respective
companies.
---------------- COPYRIGHT
NOTICE ----------------
This article is Copyright 1995,
1996 by Mickey Johnson. All rights reserved. You are granted
the following rights:
- To make copies of this work in original form, so long as
- the copies are exact, complete and unedited;
- the copies include the copyright notice and these
paragraphs
in their entirety;
- the copies give obvious credit to the author, Mickey
Johnson;
- the copies are in electronic form.
- To distribute this work, or copies made under the
provisions
above, so long as
- this is the original work and not a derivative form;
- you do not charge a fee for copying or for
distribution;
- you ensure that the distributed form includes the
copyright
notice, this paragraph, the disclaimer of
warranty in their entirety and credit to the author;
- the distributed form is not in an electronic magazine
or
within computer software (prior explicit permission may
be obtained from Mickey Johnson);
- the distributed form is the NEWEST version of the article
to
the best of the knowledge of the distributor;
- the distributed form is
electronic.
You may not distribute this
work by any non-electronic media, including but not limited to
books, newsletters, magazines, manuals, catalogs, and speech.
You may not distribute this work in electronic magazines or
within computer software without prior written
explicit permission. These rights are temporary and revocable
upon written, oral, or other notice by Mickey Johnson. This
copyright notice shall be governed by the laws of the state of
Illinois. If you would like additional rights beyond those
granted above, write to the author at "mickster@geneseo.net" on
the Internet.
------------------------- |SECTION 1:
INTRODUCTION| -------------------------
(back) [1-1]
A word from Mickey
Johnson ================================= I purchased my
system at the beginning of October 1995, and the
original version of the FAQ was put together in January 1996. I
thought I would put my tips and tricks together to help new
users. Headsets are so new that if you have a problem, there
doesn't seem to be very many people available to ask for help.
I hope this FAQ will stir up some discussion on the FORTE
system. I am curious on how other users like the product, and
I hope that this file will help to encourage users to share
information on the HEADGEAR. I live in a rural community in
the midwest, and most likely, I am the only FORTE owner within
a 200 mile radius. I like troubleshooting hardware/software
incompatibilities. If I have ten games that work and one that
doesn't, I will usually spend all my time trying to get it to work
even if I don't want to play it. If users have any problems,
comments, information they want to add to the FAQ, or just
want to discuss the FORTE system with me, feel free to e-mail
me on the Internet at mickster@geneseo.net.
(back) [1-2]
About the "Official" VFX1 HEADGEAR
FAQ ============================================= Here's
how revision classification works. If a new version of the FAQ
only has a small amount of information changed or added, the
version number is increased by 0.1. This is called a "minor
revision." If a new version of the FAQ has a substantial amount
of new information changed or added, the version number is
increased by 0.5. This is called a "standard revision." If a
new version of the FAQ has a huge amount of added or
changed information, major parts of the FAQ are rearranged, or
major parts of the FAQ are rewritten, then the version number
is increased by 1.0. This is called a "major revision." You
may be wondering why chapter numbers are enclosed in
either []:'s or **'s. The definition of these is as
follows:
[]: Chapters enclosed in brackets mean that the
information contained in the chapter has not been updated in
this version of the FAQ. **: Chapters enclosed in asterisks
means that the information contained in the chapter is new or
has been updated for the current version of the FAQ you are
reading.
(back) [1-3]
Getting the "Official" VFX1 HEADGEAR
FAQ =============================================== The
"Official" VFX1 HEADGEAR FAQ can be requested from me. My Internet
E-mail address is "mickster@geneseo.net". Please make the
subject of your E-mail "VFX1 HEADGEAR FAQ Request."
New
releases of the "Official" VFX1 HEADGEAR FAQ are uploaded to the
following Internet FTP sites:
(1) ftp.fortevr.com IN
/pub/documents_text
The file name of the upload will be
"vfx1_??.faq" where "??" is the version number of the
FAQ.
ATTENTION: ALL BBS's, CompuServe, America On-line,
GEnie, and all other information services. PLEASE conform to
the naming standard of the "Official" VFX1 HEADGEAR FAQ when
placing this file on your system. The file name should be
"vfxfaq??.zip" where the "??" is the version number of the FAQ
or "vfxfaq??.txt" if the FAQ is a text file instead of
PKZIPped.
(back) [1-4]
Adding to the FAQ ======================== If you want
something added to the FAQ, please send E-mail
to "mickster@geneseo.net" (no quotes), explaining what your
addition is. It will be reviewed, and if accepted, added to the
next FAQ version. In the E-mail, please supply your name and
E-mail address. Please note that all submissions to the FAQ
become the property of the author (Mickey Johnson) and that
they may or may not be acknowledged. By submitting to the FAQ,
you grant permission for use of your submission in any future
publications of the FAQ in any media. The author reserves the
right to omit information from a submission or delete the
submission entirely.
(back) [1-5]
Acknowledgments ====================== I would like to
thank my wife, Monica, for editing this FAQ into something
readable, and Adrian Luff from FORTE for the information and
suggestions that have enhanced the FAQ a great deal. I would
also like to thank Rick Vaida for his contributions to the
FAQ. Much appreciation is given to Hank Leukart for his Doom
FAQ which was the model that created this FAQ for the VFX1. I
am also grateful for the information provided by Rob Marino in
section 12 regarding hardware troubleshooting. Finally a
big thank you to Adam Briggs for making the VFX1 driver for
Quake. I appreciate that he understands that gamers don't want
to wait for official support from Id.
(back) [1-6]
Accurate Information =========================== An
attempt has been made to make the information in this FAQ
as accurate as possible. Unfortunately, due to the fact that
the product was recently released, and updates, add-ons, and
new information are being worked on each second, it's hard to
keep up.
------------------------------------ |SECTION
2: ABOUT THE VFX1
HEADGEAR| ------------------------------------
(back) [2]
What is the VFX1 HEADGEAR and how does it work? The
HEADGEAR is a HMD (head mounted display) that can connect to the
IBM PC or compatible computer. It has two small color LCD
screens where the user looks at through adjustable optics. It
gives the illusion of a 120" screen at 11 ft. much like a movie
theater. It also has head tracking. Head tracking adds another
level of immersion. When the player moves his head, the
software responds. The VFX1 HEADGEAR also supports 3-D or
Stereo vision mode. This 3-D mode sends a slightly different
signal to each eye to heighten the effect of 3-D.
(back) [2-1]
What do I get with the VFX1 HEADGEAR? The VFX1 HEADGEAR
comes complete with a HEADGEAR nape strap (used to adjust the
headset for various head sizes) , VIP (VFX1 HEADGEAR Interface
Protocol) Card, 26-pin 9" VESA Feature Connector Ribbon Cable,
two (2) mini-phone cables for sound and microphone connections,
8' Headset/VIP Interconnect Cable, Cyberpuck, CD-ROM Bonus
Software Disk, and full documentation.
Software
included is all on the included CD-ROM. HEADGEAR software
available is version 2.13. Software on the
CD-ROM:
Descent: Destination Saturn 1.4a Doom 1.9
Shareware Flight Unlimited Heretic 1.2
Shareware Locus Magic Carpet Mechwarrior II Rise of
the Triad 1.3 Shareware SuperKarts Wings of
Glory
This demo CD is available to current headset owners.
The price is $10(US) + shipping and handling
charges Contact FORTE for more information.
(back) [2-2]
What does head tracking do? Head tracking allows the
computer to be "aware" of the position of the user's head. The
VFX1 HEADGEAR uses the Virtual Orientation System to accomplish
this. When the computer has this kind of information, images
can be displayed that correspond to the user's view in
the virtual world.
(back) [2-3]
What is the audio of the VFX1 HEADGEAR like? The audio in
the HEADGEAR is totally immersive. Almost all outside sound is
cut out. With a 3D sound card, the immersive experience
is heightened to the point of being frightening!
(back) [2-4]
What is the video of the VFX1 HEADGEAR like? The video is
like a 120 inch screen viewed from 11 feet. Sort of like a huge
personal movie screen.
(back) [2-5]
What can the microphone be used for? Many of the network
games that are supported by the VFX1 HEADGEAR Headset also
have support for network communications. The built-in
microphone in the visor allows the user to utilize most of
these communication features. Also, with compatible sound
cards, the mic can be used for voice recognition
applications.
(back) [2-6]
How many games are supported by the VFX1 HEADGEAR? There
are over 50 games that the VFX1 HEADGEAR supports through
VRMOUSE or natively. Many more games are currently being
developed with native support or are being patched to support
the VFX1 HEADGEAR. These are all games available from your
favorite computer retailer.
(back) [2-7]
Will the VFX1 HEADGEAR slow down my computer? Because the
VFX1 HEADGEAR drivers are loaded into memory, there is some
slowdown. The amount is negligible on all systems.
(back) [2-8]
Does the VFX1 HEADGEAR work with anything besides the
PC? The VFX1 HEADGEAR only works with IBM PC and compatible
systems. No TV or other inputs are compatible.
(back) [2-9]
Is the VFX1 HEADGEAR compatible with Windows 95 or Windows
3.1? FORTE Technologies does not encourage ANY gaming to be
done from the DOS prompt in ANY windows version. With the
memory and other requirements of today's games, running the
games from a true DOS prompt with the least amount of
unnecessary drivers loaded will always provide the most hassle
free game play. Windows 95 specific drivers have been
developed for Windows 95 native games.
(back) [3]
What makes the VFX1 HEADGEAR different from other Virtual Reality
systems?
(back) [3-0]
Comparing Please note that both Virtual I/O and Victormax
have ceased making virtual reality headsets. This section was
written while all three companies were still making vr headsets
and all three had current software support. At this time Forte
is the only company getting full vr headset support in the
PC gaming industry. I left this section in so that people could
still see the differences in the designs of the three different
headsets.
(The following editorial is from Rick Vaida, not
Forte!) First of all; let me begin by saying that the following
comparison between the VFX-1, the CyberMaxx 180, and the
i-Glasses is not meant to be a technical comparison. If you are
looking for a Specification Comparison Chart on these units,
I'm sure any one of the manufacturers will be able to provide you
with one. Secondly; it is not my intention to trash these
units. FORTE, VictorMaxx, and Virtual I.O. have all worked
very hard to get to this point with their respective products
-- and there is a lot of money and a lot of jobs riding on
making home VR a reality. As a user, I appreciate the advances
these companies have made so far, and wish them nothing but
success. I was asked to answer these Head mount-Display
Comparison Questions by Mickster@geneseo.net, the author of
this outstanding FAQ file, because I happen to own all 3 of
the above-mentioned products. Stop laughing. Some people own 3
cars. Some people own 3 computers. I own 3 HMDs. It's a
weakness. I'm sorry. I love this stuff! 8-) All of what
follows is just my opinion based on having lived with, and
played with, all 3 HMDs for a while.
(back) [3-0-1]
Between the VFX-1, the CyberMaxx 180 and the i-Glasses!, which
has the best design? In my opinion, the best of these 3
units in the area of design is the VFX-1. Unlike the i-Glasses!
and the CyberMaxx 180 - the VFX-1 uses a complete helmet-like
design. This solves many potential problems for the user. It
distributes the weight of the unit, evenly, over the entire
head. This allows the user to be able to wear the VFX-1 for
longer periods of time. The VFX-1's helmet-design makes the
unit more self-contained so the user doesn't feel so tied to
the computer. A good example of this is how all cabling
disconnects from the VFX-1 helmet. Once a cable is attached to
the back of the computer, the user can forget about it, and do
all disconnecting right at the helmet. This makes switching
between the VFX-1 & the monitor more convenient. Even the
CyberPuck connects and disconnects at the helmet. Another
example of the VFX-1's superior design is its, flip-up, Smart
Visor. The Smart Visor lets the user pause a game and attend
to other things without having to taking it off. I found this
to be a major problem with the i-Glasses! and the CyberMaxx
180.
[3-0-2]Which of the 3 units is more comfortable to
wear? The VFX-1 wins hands-down in the comfort category as
well. While the i-Glasses! may, technically, be lighter than
the VFX-1 - it still puts the bulk of the weight on your
forehead, as does the CyberMaxx 180. As mentioned above - the
VFX-1 distributes the weight over the user's entire head. This
allows the user to "stay in the game" much longer without the
forehead-fatigue caused by the other HMDs. What really makes
the VFX-1 the most comfortable is the fact that you simply
"wear" the VFX-1. Both the CyberMaxx 180 and the i-Glasses!
are worn by tightening a band of plastic around the head. This
isn't horribly uncomfortable, but it does get bothersome after
a short while. Another great feature that makes the VFX-1 more
comfortable to use is its significantly larger headphones.
Instead of small earphones that lay on the outside of your
ears, the VFX-1's headphones completely envelop your ears,
like a good set of enclosed headphones should.
(back) [3-0-3]
Which of these units has the best display? Overall, I feel
that the VFX-1 has the best display. While it may be true that
all 3 units use the same LCD's, there _does_ seem to be a
difference in the quality of optics used, and if a
depixelization filter is involved. A depixelization filter is
used to hide the black edges around each pixel. A
depixelization filter allows the designer to magnify the HMDs
image, giving the user a slightly larger Field of View (FOV).
The CyberMaxx 180 uses this technique. On the up side: You get
a bigger picture. On the downside: Your picture tends to look
softer - or - less clear. I prefer the VFX-1 because it
does not use a depixelization filter. With the VFX-1, I still
get a large, immersive, image -- plus the added benefit of more
picture clarity. The reason I have left the i-Glasses! out of
this comparison is because I don't consider the i-Glasses! to
be a true VR head mount-display. The picture is way too small,
and the i-Glasses! give the user way too much peripheral
vision. It's a neat little unit to mess around with and watch
TV with, but that's about the extent of it.
(back) [3-0-4]
How can I be sure of which HMD to buy? Try them! Don't just
take my word for it. Give all three units a try. Compare the
VFX-1 with the CyberMaxx 180. Compare the i-Glasses! with the
VFX-1. Compare the CyberMaxx with the i-Glasses!. Compare.
Compare. Compare! Another aspect to consider when looking at
any hardware device for the PC is software support. Make sure
that the HMD is supported by the games that you want to play.
The best hardware in the world is useless if the game has no
support for the device.
(back) [3-1]
What is Virtual Reality (VR)? Virtual Reality has been
defined many ways. The most basic explanation is a computer
generated experience that immerses the user to the point where
the user believes s/he is in another world.
(back) [3-2]
What is Virtual Orientation System (VOS)? FORTE's patented
Virtual Orientation System (VOS) tracks your head's every
move. The Digital Signal Processor (DSP) controller provides
accurate input and responsive feedback putting you in the
middle of the virtual world. The VOS head tracker provides
pitch, roll, and yaw for precise VR orientation. Since this is
passive, there is no need for external tracking
equipment.
(back) [3-3]
What is 3D video? Stereoscopic 3D Video is a way to display
images in three dimensions to the human eye. It works by
displaying a slightly different image in each eye of the user.
This is how your eyes normally see; you can test this by
looking around a corner with only your right eye. The left eye
will be viewing the wall, but your right eye will look around.
If you open both eyes, your mind tries to combine the two
images, and you may see the wall overlapping the images you
see in your right eye. By having two LCDs, one for each eye,
the VFX1 HEADGEAR allows you to re-create your natural depth
perception in your software.
(back) [3-3-1]
What is Line-Sequential 3D video? Line Sequential is a time
honored method of creating 3D video on computers and in TV It
uses even lines for one eye and odd lines for the other. On
the PC, the most common version of this is to use a 320x400
video mode. This makes each eye see 320x200, the standard mode
for PC games.
(back) [3-4]
What is the CyberPuck? The Cyberpuck is a 2-axis peripheral
that frees the user from the restraints of a traditional
desktop mouse or joystick. The unit provides 3 programmable
buttons and comfortable ergonomic control for either left or
right-handed users. The Cyberpuck connects to the FORTE VFX1
HEADGEAR system via the ACCESS.bus port located at the rear of
the helmet or on the VIP card.
(back) [3-5]
What is the VFX1 HEADGEAR Interface Protocol (VIP)
card? The VIP card is an ACCESS.bus controller card. It
also functions as a video buffer for the headset.
(back) [3-6]
What does "immersive" mean? Immersiveness is a term used to
describe how much a VR device makes you believe you are in
another world. The more immersiveness you have, the more you
"get into the game".
(back) [3-7]
What does "ergonomic" mean? Ergonomic is a word that
describes a design concept. The basic idea is that a device
should fit the user's body comfortably and be useable for long
periods of time without strain.
(back) [3-7-1]
Why are ergonomics important? Ergonomics determine how long
you can use a device. If your VR headset isn't ergonomic, you
can't get into the game because you're constantly re-adjusting
it so that it doesn't pinch, press or pain you.
(back) [3-8]
What is ACCESS.bus? ACCESS.bus technology is a powerful
interface allowing you to connect up to 125 different
peripherals to a single host card. FORTE peripherals utilize
ACCESS.bus to bring the future to your PC by providing the
latest in superior interface technology. This allows you to
keep your other peripherals (mouse, joystick, etc...) connected as
usual with the capability to install future FORTE Virtual
Reality peripherals on the ACCESS.bus.
(back) [3-9]
What is IPD? IPD stands for Inter Pupilary Distance. This
is the distance between your pupils (the center of your
eyes).
(back) [3-9-1]
Why is IPD important? Each person has a different IPD size.
For clear vision, it is vital that the displays be in front of
the user's eyes. Otherwise, eye strain and discomfort can arise
as your eyes try to compensate for the uncomfortable
positioning.
(back) [3-10]
Why does the VFX1 HEADGEAR use the VESA Feature
Connector? The VFX1 HEADGEAR uses the VESA feature
connector because the connector is a digital connection to the
video card. This allows the VFX1 HEADGEAR to get the video
data from your video card without having to convert the data
from analog to digital and then back the analog. All these
conversions put distortions in the video, which reduces the
quality of your picture. With a digital connection to the
video, the data is converted only once; from digital to
analog.
(back) [3-10-1]
Why only 256 colors? The VFX1 HEADGEAR supports only 256
colors because the system uses the VESA feature connector,
which is limited to 8-bits(or 256 colors).
(back) [3-11]
Does the VFX1 HEADGEAR use de-pixelization
filters? De-pixelization filters are used in some headsets
today because of the LCDs. LCDs basically operate by having a
transistor in each pixel. This area is not illuminated when
the LCD is active. You see this as a black space around each
pixel in the LCD. De-pixelization filters are used because
when the LCD is magnified, the black area is also magnified.
The filters try to diffuse the light from the LCD to cover the
magnified black areas. This leads to the image looking fuzzy and
washed out, which is why the VFX1 HEADGEAR does not use
them.
(back) [3-12]
What kinds of video does the VFX1 HEADGEAR accept? The VFX1
HEADGEAR accepts an RGB signal using a separate, composite
sync. signal. The conversion from digital video to RGB is
handled by the VIP card.
(back) [4] Who
created the VFX1 HEADGEAR? The VFX1 HEADGEAR was created by
FORTE Technologies, Inc., of Rochester NY. Founded in 1985,
FORTE Technologies, Inc., started out by designing PC based
audio boards for professional recording studios and
broadcasters. FORTE gained notoriety however, with their
design and subsequent introduction of a new audio card in 1991
called the UltraSound, that utilized superior and affordable
wavetable technology.
Concurrently, FORTE Technologies was
also involved in the development and design of virtual reality
peripherals, including a head-mounted display. In 1994, and
with over 50 years of combined PC experiences, FORTE decided to
form a separate company called E-tek to continue the
development of PC based audio solutions. Now, FORTE
Technologies' primary focus is on developing affordable,
virtual reality peripherals for the home market.
FORTE
Technologies are active participants in the ACCESS.bus, VESA, IEEE
VR and Universal Serial Bus committees, ensuring its virtual
reality and gaming peripherals are well supported from their
inception.
Currently based in Rochester, NY, FORTE
Technologies has recently opened an additional manufacturing
plant and warehouse, and currently employs 104 people as of
December 31st, 1995.
Virtual reality does not just consist
of a headset. True virtual reality must combine elements such
as a headset, displays, quick head tracking, communication and
feedback. FORTE's ultimate goal in virtual reality is
to overcome all five senses - smell, touch, sight, hearing, and
taste, the key to immersive interaction.
Strategic
Alliances
FORTE Technologies has formed a strategic
alliance with Kopin Corp, a supplier of cutting edge active
matrix, liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs). In addition to an
equity investment, Kopin and FORTE plan to use Kopin's
high-resolution SMART SLIDE imaging device for future
generations of the VFX1 HEADGEAR. Kopin is also making
available new technologies, including full VGA color LCD's and
high-resolution NTSC and RGB displays, in a small format
design.
(back) *4-1*
How can I contact FORTE Technologies? FORTE Technologies
provides customer support by telephone and through major
computer networks including CompuServe and on the
Internet.
Electronic addresses for messages and files
are: Internet E-mail: Support@fortevr.com
CompuServe: GO
FORTE
Internet:
www.fortevr.com ftp.fortevr.com dir:/pub
Phone, Fax
or Mail 716.427.7380 FORTE Technologies, Inc. 716.427.8604
(Tech Support) 2615 West Henrietta Rd. 716.427.7383 (TS Fax)
Rochester, NY 14623
(back) [5]
What are the differences between the different releases of the
VFX1 HEADGEAR? There has been only one headset
available from FORTE to the public, but rumors abound about
other things about FORTE.
(back) [5-1]
The VFX1? The "VFX1" was a prototype for the current VFX1
HEADGEAR. Only 100 of these were ever made. They were mostly
used by developers to start coding support for the public
product, the VFX1 HEADGEAR.
(back) [5-2]
The VFX1 HEADGEAR? The VFX1 HEADGEAR was the result of over
four years of development. The system incorporates several
design features, outlined in this FAQ.
(back) [5-2-1]
With filled rear text? This is one of the first production
runs of the VFX1 HEADGEAR. There is no differences besides
cosmetics.
(back) [5-2-2]
With open rear text? This was a cosmetic change made to
enhance the appeal of the VFX1 HEADGEAR.
(back) [6]
Where can I get the VFX1 HEADGEAR and associated
information? Several retailers around the country carry the
VFX1 HEADGEAR. Call a local store and ask, or call FORTE's
sales at 716-427-7380 for information. FORTE's World Wide Web
site also has a list of stores around the world.
(back) [6-1]
From FORTE Technologies? Contact FORTE's sales department
at sales@fortevr.com or call them directly at
716-427-8595.
(back) [6-2]
How can I get the the VFX1 HEADGEAR specs for creating add-on
products? You can contact FORTE's developer relations
people at develop@fortevr.com for new product add-on
information.
(back) [6-3]
What are the VFX1 HEADGEAR specifications? 3D Stereoscopic
Flip-Up Visor With focus and IPD adjustments High contrast
color video Dual 0.7 color liquid crystal displays 180,000
pixels per LCD Works with existing, standard VGA
applications
Optics Field of view - 26.4 degrees
vertical 35.5 degrees horizontal 45.0 degrees
diagonal High quality color corrected optics Provides large
screen stereoscopic (3D video) imaging
Virtual Orientation
System (VOS) (TM) Source less Head Tracker With three degrees
of freedom Yaw (azimuth): 360 degrees Pitch (elevation): +/-
70 degrees Roll (tilt): +/- 70 degrees
VFX1 HEADGEAR
Interface Protocol (VIP) Card Interfaces with standard VGA card
and sound card Includes ACCESS.bus host Connect up to 125
different devices Does not require serial port
connection
Cyberpuck VR Controller Left or right-handed
control ACCESS.bus device 3 programmable
buttons Lightweight (3 oz.) Free floating design
High
Quality Stereo Headphones Designed by AKG of Austria 20 Hz -
20 kHz Stereo and 3D sound capable
Comset
Microphone Hands free communications Multiplayer
communications Voice recognition capable
Ergonomic
Design Comfort Control Extended use
Power
Requirements 5 volts, 2.0 watts 0.4 amps (with Cyberpuck
controller) Does not require external power
sources
System Requirements IBM PC or compatible, 386,
486, Pentium or better VGA card (ISA, VLB, PCI) with VESA
Standard Feature Connector Free expansion slot Stereo sound
card (for audio)
(back) [6-4]
Are there any web sites other than Forte's that have
VFX1 information? Yes, Bob Jackson, a die hard VFX1
HEADGEAR owner, has a web site with up to date VFX1 gaming
information. His web site is located
at:
http://sailfish.exis.net/~bunda/
(back) [7]
What is needed to run the VFX1 HEADGEAR? You need a IBM PC
or 100% compatible with a VGA card that has a working feature
connector on it. You will also need a free 16-bit ISA
slot.
(back) [7-1]
What is REQUIRED to run the VFX1 HEADGEAR? The VFX1
HEADGEAR comes with the interface peripherals you need to run
the system. Your computer must be an IBM PC or compatible 386
or higher with a free expansion slot (16-bit ISA) and a VGA
card (ISA, VLB, PCI) with a VESA standard feature connector.
The speed at which your applications play is not affected by
the VFX1 HEADGEAR. If you are satisfied with this performance
there is no need for additional upgrades.
(back) [7-2]
What is RECOMENDED to run the VFX1 HEADGEAR? You really
should have the minimum for the game or application you use.
Nowadays, at least a 486DX-66 with 8 MB of RAM.
(back) [7-3]
What video cards does the VFX1 HEADGEAR support? This
section lists video cards and their maximum resolution in the
VFX1 HEADGEAR. Because specifications change so rapidly in the
video card arena, FORTE makes no guarantee that any card on
this list will or will not perform to the listed
specifications. If you have information about a specific card
not on this list, please contact FORTE Technical
Support.
Video Cards with a Maximum Resolution of 640x480 @
256 Colors: Manufacturer Video Chip Acer Aspire P75
CL-5440 Actix Graphics Engine64 VLB S3-864 Actix Prostar VL
VLB CL 5426 Alaris Matinee PCI DRAM S3-868 Alaris Matinee
PCI DRAM ASPM 6412 Alaris Stinger DRAM PCI S3-864 Ark Logic
Ark-1000PV PCI ARK-100 ATI Graphics Turbo Mach 64 ATI
Graphics Xpression VLB DRAM Mach 64 ATI Graphics Xpression PCI
DRAM Mach 64 ATI Graphics Ultra Pro VLB Mach 32 ATI
Graphics Ultra Pro PCI Mach 32 Cirrus Logic VLB DRAM CL 5428
Compaq Presario 9546 + S3 Trio 64[AL1] Compaq Presario 9548
+ S3 Trio 64 Compaq Presario 9564 + S3 Trio 64 Diamond
Speedstar Pro VLB CL 5426 Diamond Speedstar 64 PCI CL 5434
Diamond Speedstar Pro ISA CL 5426 Diamond Stealth 24 ISA
S3-801 Diamond Stealth 24 VLB S3-805 Diamond Stealth 32 PCI
ET 4000 Diamond Stealth 64 PCI DRAM S3-864 Diamond Stealth
Pro ISA S3-928 Diamond Stealth Pro VLB S3-928 Diamond
Stealth SE DRAM S3-TRIO 32 Diamond Stealth 64 Video 2201 XL
S3-TRIO V Plus Diamond Stealth 64 Graphics 2001 DRAM Ark 2000
PV Gateway 2000 STB PCI DRAM S3-TRIO 32 Gateway 2000 on
board video CL 5428 Genoa Windows VGA24 8500 VLB CL
5428 Genoa Phantom 32I 3200 VLB ET 4000 Hercules Dynamite
ISA ET 4000 Hercules Dynamite PCI DRAM ET4000/W32P Hercules
Dynamite VLB ET 4000 Hercules Stingray 64 PCI DRAM Ark Logic
2000 PV64 IBM Value Point on-board video CL 5428 IBM Value
Point on-board video S3-905 IBM Value Point on-board video
S3-864 Number Nine GXE Level 11 PCI S3-928 Number Nine GXE
Level 11 VLB S3-928 Number Nine GXE 64 PCI S3-864 Number
Nine GXE 64 PCI + S3-TRIO64 Number Nine Imagine 128 PCI
Number Nine 9FX Vision 330 + S3-TRIO64 Oak Technologies
WCYW VGA ISA Orchid Fahrenheit 1280 ISA S3-801 Orchid
Fahrenheit 1280 Plus ISA S3-801 Orchid Kelvin Video 64 DRAM
Alliance 6410 Orchid Fahrenheit 64 PCI S3-864 Orchid Kelvin
64 VLB CL 5434 Orchid Kelvin 64 PCI CL 5434 Orchid
ProDesigner IIs ISA ET 4000 Reveal VC300 ISA CL 5422
Reveal VC500 ISA CL 5426 Reveal VC700 ISA AGX 014 Sigma
Concorde VLB ET 4000 Sigma Legend 24LX ISA CL5424 Sigma
Legend 24VL-IDE VLB CL 5426 Spider Graphics Black Widow VLB
STB Systems Express PCI ALG 2301 STB Systems Horizon VLB CL
5426 STB Systems Lightspeed VLB ET 4000 Trident TGI9440
9440AGI Trident 8900C ISA 8900C Trident 9440 9440
AGI Tseng ET4000 PCI ET4000/W32 Western Digital 90C33
90C33 Western Digital MVGA P1DW P1DW
Video Cards with a
Maximum Resolution of 640x480 @ 16 Colors: Manufacturer Video
Chips ATI Graphics Ultra Pro Turbo PCI Mach 64 VRAM Acronics
ASI200 Orion VLB CL 5434 ATI VGA Wonder 512k ISA ATI CSS
MaxGraphics ISA Diamond Stealth 64 PCI DRAM S3-868 Diamond
Stealth 64 PCI VRAM S3-964 Diamond Stealth 64 PCI VRAM
S3-968 Everex 626 VGA w/overlay ISA Genoa Windows VGA 7900
ISA CL 5422 Matrox MGA Millenium PCI MGA Number Nine 9FX
Motion 771 ? Number Nine GXE 64 Pro PCI S3-864 Oak
Technologies OV 2.15-35 VGA ISA Oak Orchid Fahrenheit Pro 64
PCI S3-964 Orchid Paradise VGA ISA Paradise Orchid Celsius
AGX015 Orchid Fahrenheit Pro Video 64 PCI S3-968 VRAM Sigma
Legend ISA ET 4000 Sigma VGA/H ISA ET 3000 Sigma VGA HP-8
ISA C&T C452A Sigma VGA HP-16 ISA C&T C452A Sigma
WinMach ISA S3-928 Star Media SM5000 VLB CL 5426 STB Systems
Evolution ISA CL 5422 Tandy Integrated VLB SVGA True Vision
Bravado 8 ET 4000 VGA-2-The-Max HYG-VGA 4000 ISA Video 7
VRAM VGA Video 7 Western Digital 90C33 90C33
Video
Cards Without Working Feature Connector: Manufacturer Video
Chip Actix Graphics Engine ISA S3-801 Actix Ultra 64 PCI
S3-964 Add on America Renior Ultra SVGA ISA Ark Logic
Ark-1000PV PCI Mach 32 AST Advantage On board chip Cirrus
Logic CL5429 Diamond Viper VLB Weitek 9000 Diamond Edge 3D
Hercules Graphite ISA AGX015 Jazz Multimedia Jakarta
Media Vision Thunder and Lightning ISA CL 5422 Number Nine
GXE Level 11 ISA S3-928 Orchid Fahrenheit VA ISA
S3-801 Paradise W. Digital Sigma Legend GX ISA
S3-805 Sigma VGA Legend II ISA ET4000X True Vision Bravado
16 ET4000 Video 7 Mirage S3-868
+ The S3 TRIO 64 chip
set requires an S3 provided DOS utility called FCON to enable
the feature connector. Additionally, some systems require
other features, such as MPEG, to be disabled for the feature
connector to function.
(back) [7-4]
What game controllers does the VFX1 HEADGEAR support? The
VFX1 HEADGEAR does not disable any joystick, mouse, or any
other input device on your computer system. Since the VFX1
HEADGEAR sends and receives its information on the ACCESS.bus,
the user still can use any input device they want. Currently
there are several controllers using the ACCESS.bus, including
keyboards, mice, joysticks and monitors as well as the
CyberPuck and the head tracking of the VFX1
HEADGEAR.
(back) [7-5]
What sound cards does the VFX1 HEADGEAR support? All sound
cards are supported. The HEADGEAR supports sound the same as a
pair of headphones attached to the user's sound card.
(back) [8]
What is the VFX1 HEADGEAR game software and where can I get
it? The VFX1 HEADGEAR game software are programs or games
that support the VFX1 HEADGEAR either natively or through the
VRMouse emulator.
(back) [8-1]
What does "native" mean? Native applications are programs
which have been written specifically to support the VFX1
HEADGEAR. These are typically done by the software companies
who created the software. These programs work out of the box.
(back) [8-1-1]
What is a native driver? Some programs have a special
interface for devices that become available after the game.
These games are listed as Native Driver games, as they do
require additional software to run with the VFX1
HEADGEAR.
(back) [8-2]
What does "VRMouse" mean? VRMouse programs are applications
which have been set up to run using the VRMouse program.
VRMouse is a keyboard and mouse emulation driver for the VFX1
HEADGEAR. Any program can be configured to use this software,
but many applications are much better suited than others for
use with the VFX1 HEADGEAR.
(back) [8-2-1]
What is the VRMouse INI file? This file is where VRMouse
pulls all the settings for the various games. A list can be
obtained by typing "VRMOUSE -?". FORTE has a file called
"VRMINI.TXT" which explains how to modify this file, but FORTE
doesn't recommend it. Just contact them if you have a game you
want support for!
(back) *8-3*
What native games are available for the VFX1
HEADGEAR? Note: + denotes that a patch is available to add
native support.
Title Company
Support ============================================================================== Blood
Monolith productions +Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Puck Comanche 3
NovaLogic 3-D+Roll, Pitch, Yaw Dark Forces Lucas Arts +Roll,
Pitch, Yaw, Puck Descent 1.4a Interplay 3-D Roll, Pitch,
Yaw Descent 2 ver. 1.1 Interplay 3-D Roll, Pitch,
Yaw Descent to Undermntin. DemoInterplay Pitch, Yaw Duke
Nukem 3-D ver. 1.3 Apogee Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Puck EF2000
Ocean/DID Roll, Pitch, Yaw Flight Unlimited Looking Glass Roll,
Pitch, Yaw Heretic 1.2 ID +Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Puck Hexen ID
+Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Puck Jane's ATF Electronic Arts Roll, Pitch,
Yaw Locus GT Roll, Pitch, Yaw MadSpace Maddux Games 3-D
Pitch, Yaw Magic Carpet Bullfrog Roll, Pitch Magic Carpet 2
Bullfrog +Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Puck Maniac Karts Virgin
Yaw Mechwarrior II ver. 1.1 Activision Pitch, Yaw,
Puck Mechwarrior II Ghost Bear Activision Pitch, Yaw,
Puck Mechwarrior II Mercenaries Activision Pitch, Yaw,
Puck Quake ID +Pitch, Yaw, Roll, Puck Quake mission pack 1
ID +Pitch, Yaw, Roll, Puck Quake mission pack 2 Activision
+Pitch, Yaw, Roll, Puck Redneck Rampage Interplay +Pitch, Yaw,
Roll, Puck Rise of the Triad ver. 1.3 Apogee +Roll, Pitch, Yaw,
Puck Simcopter Maxis Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Puck Slipstream 5000
GT +Roll, Pitch, Puck Storm Fighter Maddux Games Pitch, Yaw,
Roll, Puck SuperKarts GT Yaw System Shock CD-ROM Origin 3-D
Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Puck TekWar Capstone Roll, Pitch, Yaw,
Puck Terminator:Future Shock1.3 Bethesda Yaw, Pitch
Terminator:Skynet Bethesda Yaw, Pitch Terra Nova Looking
Glass Yaw, Pitch US Navy Fighters ver. 1.1 Electronic Arts
Roll, Pitch, Yaw Wings of Glory Electronic Arts Roll, Pitch,
Yaw Witchaven Capstone +Pitch, Yaw, Puck Witchaven II
Capstone Pitch, Yaw, Puck Zephyr New World Computing Pitch,
Yaw, Puck Zar Maddux Games ??????????
(back) [8-4]
What VRMouse games are available for the VFX1
HEADGEAR? (This table includes all the games that have been
tested and set up in the INI file. If a game is not on this
list, It still may work. Call FORTE about making a INI file.)
Please note, the amount of support in the game is limited to
the original design of the game code. The VRMouse emulator will
not add any extra view or control modes that the user could not
do already with the mouse or keyboard.
Title Company
Support ============================================================================== 1942:
Pacific Air War Microprose Yaw and Pitch Aces of the Pacific
Dynamix Yaw, Pitch, Puck Aces over Europe Dynamix Yaw, Pitch,
Puck Apache Longbow Dig. Integration Yaw, Pitch Blue Max:
Aces of the Great War Yaw Chasm Megamedia Corporation Yaw,
Pitch, Puck Chuck Yeager's Air Combat Electronic Arts Yaw,
Pitch Commanche Maximum Overkill Nova Logic Yaw Cyclones
Yaw, Pitch, Puck Daggerfall Bethesda Yaw, Pitch Descent
Interplay adds Puck to native Descent 2 Interplay adds Puck to
native Doom ID Yaw, Puck Doom II ID Yaw, Puck Ultimate
Doom ID Yaw, Puck Falcon 3.0 Spectrum Holobyte Yaw F-15
Strike Eagle II Microprose Yaw F-15 Strike Eagle III Microprose
Yaw Gunship 2000 Yaw Iron Assault Yaw, Pitch, Puck LHX
Attack Chopper Yaw, Puck Nova 9 Yaw Out of the World
Interplay Yaw, Pitch, Puck Privateer Origin Yaw Quarantine
Gametek Yaw Reach for the Skies Yaw Red Baron Dynamix Yaw,
Puck Shadow Warrior 3-D Realms Yaw, Pitch, Puck Spectre VR
Velocity Yaw Speed Racer Puck SU-27 Flanker SSI Yaw,
Pitch Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe Lucasarts Yaw,
Pitch Slipstream 5000 Gremlin Puck Strife Yaw, Pitch,
Puck Strike Commander Origin Yaw, Pitch Stunt Driver
Yaw The Heros of the 357th Yaw Their Finest Hours Yaw Top
Gun Spectrum Holobyte Yaw, Pitch Under a Killing Moon Access
Pitch, Puck Wing Commander II Origin Yaw, Puck Wing
Commander III Origin Yaw, Puck
(back) *8-5*
Are there other applications that the VFX1 HEADGEAR can be used
for other than gaming? Currently there are software
developers in the process of using the VFX1 HEADGEAR from
locating trunk lines in virtual maps to creating worlds for
astronaut training. The uses for the VFX1 HEADGEAR are limited
only by the imagination. There is also support for the VFX1 in
certain VRML programs. Forte has also released a viewer
that allows panoramic pictures to be viewed in the
VFX1.
(back) [8-6]
What can I do to help add to the number of
available applications? If you are reading this faq
there's a good chance that you are a VFX-1 owner. And if you
are a VFX-1 owner you have probably wondered what Forte is
doing to get more support from software developers. Whether
you are a member of a commercial on-line service, or prefer to
hang-out on the Web, it should be clear that Forte has done
(and continues to do) a pretty good job in the software
support area. Obviously, it is in Forte's best interests to
get as many software developers on board as possible. But as
VFX-1 owners shouldn't we be looking out after our best
interests as well? In my opinion, one of the best things we can
do for ourselves is to let the game-makers of the world know
we're out here with these "things" stuck to our faces. One of
the first things I did after I uncrated my VFX-1 (and tested it
throughly) was to make a few customer support phone calls to
my favorite software companies and let them know: Yes! People
are actually buying this stuff!!...and would really appreciate
some support for this wonderful new toy. Another thing I like
to do is to always send a quick public-message, or a brief
piece of e-mail, thanking the various software companies that
do support the VFX-1. So the next time you are on-line, or on
the phone, with your favorite software developers, let them
know you have a VFX-1 and am looking forward to their support.
It can't
hurt.
------------------------------------ |SECTION 3:
USING THE VFX1
HEADGEAR| ------------------------------------
(back) [9] How
can I use the VFX1 HEADGEAR better? This section was
written from my own personal experience with VFX1 HEADGEAR.
Hopefully these tips will help fellow users get more immersed into
the gaming environment and forget about the computer equipment
that gets them there.
(back) [9-1]
Why should I get an extra cable? By connecting the extra
COM cable into the cable that comes with the system, the cable
doubles in length. It also adds a relief point. If some one
wearing the helmet would happen to fall down or move to far
away from the computer, the cables will pull apart at the
junction of the two cables. This reduces the chance of yanking
the cord from the back of the helmet or computer. In addition,
with the length of the cable doubled, the user should have
enough length to wind the cable behind and under the computer
desk and still have enough cable to allow it to go all the way
to the floor when standing. By doing this, when the user turns
in full circles (games like doom) he will just step over the
cable. This prevents the YO YO effect (the cable winding
around the body if you continue to turn in the same
direction). You can order these cables directly from FORTE
Sales.
(back) [9-2]
What is the best way to fit the SMART VISOR to my
face? Once you have an open and free area it's time to best
fit the helmet to the user. I have found that it is best to
focus and adjust inter-pupulary distance with the eyecups
removed. To give the best VR experience, it usually helps to
make sure the user is not able to see any outside lighting.
Either use the eyecups to cut down peripheral vision, or play
in a dark room. I purchased an additional set of eyecups so
that I could trim them to better fit my face. I trimmed some of
the flare on each piece (9 to 3 on each cup). This allowed the
eyecups to fit tight on the lower and outer portions around
the eyes, while not pushing in hard on the inner and upper
areas. If you just can't seem to keep the headset in focus with
the eyecups on, just take them off and play in a dark
room.
(back) [9-3]
How should I store the VFX1 HEADGEAR? There are a few hints
to storing the VFX1 HEADGEAR. Various heads in human
proportions are available from stores across the country. Pier
One Imports, for example, carries glass heads that are perfect
for storing the VFX1 HEADGEAR. Another option is to open the
visor all the way and stand the VFX1 HEADGEAR up on the bottom
of the visor. The headset should stand up like this, well
balanced. I keep my VFX1 stored in the normal position with the
smartvisor open. This keeps the optics facing down to cut down
on dust accumulation on the lenses. The edges of the smartvisor
will keep the optics from touching anything so its pretty much
up to the user where and how he wants to keep his HEADGEAR
stored. You should never keep the VFX1 HEADGEAR next to the
monitor for extended periods of time. This will affect the
sensitive magnetic sensors in the system. Also, do not store
the headset so that the cable is twisted or folded.
(back) [9-4]
How can I help a friend enjoy a VFX1 HEADGEAR
game? Following is another tip that might make your VFX1
HEADGEAR system work a little better for you. If you are
letting some of your friends experience it, due to the music
and sound effects, you may have found that is hard for the
person in the HEADGEAR to hear any instructions you may be
giving. You can hook up a microphone to the mic-in jack of the
sound card. Make sure that the microphone is turned on and the
volume is up on the software mixer of the sound card. Now you
can speak into the microphone and your voice will be mixed in
with the sound effects and music. I found this helped a lot
with people who were trying the system that had never played
computer games before. This microphone makes it easy for the
game player to hear any tips or directions. You can also check
on FORTE's WWW page for a list of trade shows that are going on
around the world. Most of the time, FORTE is displaying units
at these shows.
(back) [9-5]
What is an easy way to add a volume control to the
headset? A volume control is another feature that was
probably deleted due to cost. If you find that this feature is
something you truly need, a volume cable adapter is available
from Radio Shack. The price is $4.99 and the part number is
42-2459. This adapter is put in-line with the jumper that
connects the sound card and the VIP card.
(back) [9-6]
How do I clean the lenses? Lens care is an important
concept with the VFX1 HEADGEAR. You should purchase lens paper
or a lens cloth for cleaning the lenses of the VFX1 HEADGEAR.
Press firmly and wipe in circles around the optics. Avoid the
use of alcohol on the lenses, as this can harm the anti-glare
coating. Also, try using EnDust or Pledge. Both of these work
great at getting rid of dust and fingerprints!
(back) [9-7]
What are the replacement optics for? Forte now has
available replacement optics. These optics are the same optics
that are now in your vfx1 with an additional glass lens on top
of the plastic lens. What this does is allow the user to
clean the lens with just about any cloth with out the worry of
scratching the plastic optic lens. The optics are currently
$50. Forte charges $35 to install the optics. Please note these
prices may change at any time. If you are not having any
problems keeping your current optics clean, you really don't
need to upgrade your optics. The amount of focusing and
magnification has not changed with these new optics.
(back) [9-8]
How do I use this CyberPuck? I think for most users, the
CyberPuck is a love/hate relationship. People like the idea of
free floating device but are frustrated by the fact that the
unit doesn't have any set limits to hit. I highly recommend
that users give this device extra chance before throwing it in
the "never use again box." While I don't think this will ever take
the place of a mouse or joystick for good, it does have an
advantage that other devices do not. If you plug it in the
back of the HEADGEAR and swing the visor down, it takes the
PC-gaming feel out of the game and makes it feel more like a
FORTE HEADGEAR game. A good example of this is Doom. I know
that I can play the best if I play with a keyboard and
monitor, but I have the most fun if I play using the HEADGEAR
and CyberPuck. The CyberPuck is the only controller a gamer
can use and still turn a full 360 degrees. When you use your
entire body to turn in a 3-D environment the immersion effect
is much higher. The attitude to use when using these devices
is not how can I get the highest score, but how can I get the
most immersion and have the most fun. With the release of the
2.00 software, the VRMouse program can be used with natively
supported games. What does this mean to you? You can now
select the VFX1 HEADGEAR in Descent, set the game up to use
the mouse, run the VRMouse program and use the CyberPuck to
control the craft. If you are finding that the CyberPuck is
too 'twitchy' or sensitive, just turn down the mouse
sensitivity in the game. I have found that if the CyberPuck is
too sensitive it can make a game unplayable, but if it is set
up right and the user practices with the puck it can be a lot
of fun.
(back) [9-8-1]
Can I use two Cyberpucks? FORTE has a Cyberpuck with a
joystick interface available. In games where the software
allows two controllers to be used at the same time, such as
Descent or Mechwarrior II, the user can setup one puck as a
joystick, and the other as a mouse or keyboard functions using
Vrmouse. For example in Descent: I use the joy-cyberpuck to
slide the craft left/right and pitch up/down. I use the VFX1
HEADGEAR to pitch up/down and rotate left/right. I then use
the six buttons on the pucks to: 1) fire primary
weapon 2) fire secondary weapon 3) move forward 4) move
backward 5) cycle primary weapons 6) cycle secondary
weapons While most cases you won't use two Cyberpucks, some
games the immersive effect can be increased since the gamer
won't have to grope for the keyboard while the SmartVisor is
down.
(back) [9-9]
Is it safe to unplug the Cyberpuck when the headset is
on? The ACCESS.bus system FORTE uses in the VFX1 HEADGEAR
was designed to allow the "hot plugging" of devices. Hot
plugging means that devices can be removed or installed while
the computer is hot, or on. So, yes it is safe to unplug the
CyberPuck from the VFX1 HEADGEAR with the system on.
(back) [9-10]
Can the CyberPuck take a beating? The CyberPuck is a rugged
device. It will take quite a bit of abuse. The user should
take care not to over flex the cable, however.
(back) [9-11]
How do I put on the VFX1 HEADGEAR? Basically, the VFX1
HEADGEAR should be held by the ear cups. Pull the ear 'boots'
outward (do not flex the plastic shell). Bring the HEADGEAR
straight down onto your head. It may take a couple of tries to
get the hang of the process.
(back) [9-12]
How do I adjust the brightness in the VFX1 HEADGEAR? I have
found that the display in the HEADGEAR is very high contrast
compared to the way I have my monitor configured, i.e. the
darks are darker and the lights are lighter. Even though there
is no controls for brightness and contrast on the HEADGEAR (I
hope future versions of the VFX1 HEADGEAR have these
controls), there are several options to help the user have the
proper illumination. First, (and easiest) way is that most
games have gamma correction, F11 in Doom for instance. By
tapping the F11 key, the user can select proper brightness (or
cheat a bit in a dark room). Second, there is a Shareware TSR
program in the FORTE section of America On-line that allows
the user to adjust the palette of the video card to compensate
for improper brightness. Third, if the user slides the
eyepieces all the way together, two very small potentiometers
will be seen through two small holes. By turning these, the
brightness of the displays will increase or decrease depending
on the direction of turn. TAKE NOTE---> ONLY do this at
last resort. It is very hard to get both displays at the exact
same brightness. If the displays are not exactly the same, it
will become very irritating to the eyes. FORTE DOES NOT
recommend you do this! In my opinion, the unit should have had
a knob that would control both displays at the same time with
the two potentiometers just to keep the displays sync-ed to
the same brightness. I am sure that cost figured into this
option not being on the HEADGEAR.
(back) [9-13]
What good is this nape strap? The nape strap is used to
adjust the VFX1 HEADGEAR for various sized heads. The User's
manual gives a lot of direction in using this strap on page
3-8. Basically, the nape strap pushes the users head tight
against the front of the headset.
(back) [10]
How can I use this game better with the VFX1
HEADGEAR? Every game has its quirks. This is a list of some
of the ones we have seen. Additional information can be had by
contacting the software company or FORTE.
(back) [10-1]
Darker - HEADGEAR looks around - left, right, up,
down. - Cyberpuck flies ship up, down, left, right. -
Buttons fire guns, missiles, and activate turbo mode (must use
CyberPuck when HEADGEAR is active). - Video sometimes
flickers: may be incompatible with the video card or VESA
driver. - No audio: only works using a Sound Blaster card. -
F-keys change view. - Full version of Darker has NO HEADGEAR
support An interesting demo, but I have found out that the full
version of the game has no headset support. This game no
longer ships with the VFX1 HEADGEAR, and FORTE is not
recommending it.
(back) [10-2]
Dark Forces - HEADGEAR looks left, right, up, down. -
Cyberpuck forward, reverse, turns. - Cyberpuck buttons fire,
open, select weapon - buttons 2 & 3 together to
jump. - Run DARKVFX1.EXE instead of DARK.EXE to enable VFX1
HEADGEAR support. This driver is available from FORTE as
DFVFX1.EXE. - Center for tracking is wrong: Exit game, wear
helmet in DOS and follow the driver's directions to center
headset. Dark Forces works with a patch available from FORTE.
It takes a little while to get used to the CyberPuck, but once
you do, it's a lot of fun. I use the command line switch /S,
so that I can strafe in the game by rolling the helmet from
side to side. The user may also want to use the /L option.
This will make the HEADGEAR turn the player left-right with the
yaw of the helmet. Try this if you are having trouble getting
used to CyberPuck.
(back) [10-3]
Descent Shareware v1.2 (VFX1 HEADGEAR Bonus CD) - No
CyberPuck support. Use joystick or keyboard to fly ship and
shoot. - Enter key re-centers. - No tracking: Run
VRDescent. - Stereo is identical to the monitor: Run
VRDescent. - Mono Mode: Run "descent -vfxtrak" to get
tracking. - See Descent.
(back) [10-4]
Descent Registered/Commercial/Dest. Saturn v1.4A - Use
joystick, mouse or keyboard to fly ship and shoot. - To use
CyberPuck to fly, use 'VRMouse descent' and select mouse
as input device in game. - No tracking: Run SETUP and select
VFX1 HEADGEAR as VR input device. - Stereo is identical to the
monitor: Check VIPPORT statement and ensure that the drivers
are being run. - There is a line sequential 3-D driver
available that should solve any incompatibility problems that
the user may be having. - Headset controls movement direction
(same as other controls). - Mono Mode: Run "descent -vfxtrak"
to get tracking without 3D video. This is one of the games that
supports the stereo mode(3-D). If the user wants to use the
CyberPuck to control the craft in Descent, use the VRMOUSE 2.0
program to emulate the mouse while using the native software to
use the HEADGEAR. This is a fun game to play. There are many
add on levels available to keep this game fresh for a long
time.
(back) *10-5*
Descent 2 version 1.1 - Version 1.0 does not have
support. - To use CyberPuck to fly, use 'VRMouse descent' and
select mouse as input device in game. - Use joystick or
keyboard to fly ship and shoot. Interplay seemed to take all
the annoying things in the gameplay of Descent 1 out, and add
some interesting new features to Descent II. Definately take a
look at this version. VFX1 HEADGEAR support is identical to
Descent 1.
(back) [10-6]
Doom - Must use default keys. - HEADGEAR for yaw
tracking only left/right turning. - Cyberpuck for forward,
backward and shooting (can use keyboard). - Problems tracking,
run VRDOOM. - Game must be configured for mouse and keyboard
input. These games work great. The user needs a long enough
cable so that he can continue to turn in one direction with
out wrapping himself in the cable. You need to make sure you
have the mouse sensitivity in the game set so that one turn in
the headset equals one turn in the game. I was basically bored
with these games before I got the VFX1. I don't think I play
as well with the helmet and CyberPuck, as I do with the
keyboard, but the game is much more fun to play. The Doom
style of games still tend to give me motion sickness if I
don't take a break occasionally. Even though the user can't
look up and down (yaw support only), the effect is still
amazing.
(back) [10-7]
Doom II - Do not run VRDOOM : Run VRMOUSE
DOOM2 DOOM2 VRMOUSE -F - Must use default keys - See
Doom.
(back) [10-8]
Rise of the Triad - works with both VRMouse and a native
patch. - Must use version 1.3 or higher for native patch to
work. - detailed instructions on configuring headset are in
native patch In my opinion, this is one of the blander Doom
clones (a lot bloodier though). I thought this game was quite
boring until I tried it in VR. The graphics seem much better
in the HEADGEAR. Its pretty hard to knock a game that the
enemy begs for mercy before you take your last shot. It's also
fun jumping up and down on the pedestals. This game works
quite a bit better with the native patch than it did with the
VRMOUSE program. Make sure to have version 1.3 for the FORTE
patch to work. This game is at least worth playing the
Shareware version, and the retail version isn't really that
expensive either.
(back) [10-9]
Heretic - works with both VRMouse and a native patch -
requires version 1.2 patch for native support - detailed
instructions on configuring headset are in native patch These
games are as fun as the Doom and Doom 2, but the user gets the
added effect of looking up and down and carrying an inventory
of magical items to use at one's discretion. There are two
ways for the game to be configured to the VFX1. If the user
uses the VRMouse driver. the helmet looks up and down and
controls movement left and right, while the CyberPuck controls
forward-backward movement with the buttons mapped for weapons,
doors, and jumping. The second way involves using the native
patches for these games. With these patches, the helmet looks
around while all movement is controlled by CyberPuck,
joystick, mouse, or keyboard. I personally like the VRMouse
way of using the helmet. To me, the immersive effect is better
if the helmet controls the movement, than just to look around.
When the helmet does not control movement of the character in
the game, but only direction of view, I find I only look
straight ahead all the time anyway where my weapons
are.
(back) [10-10]
Hexen - works with both VRMouse and a native patch -
detailed instructions on configuring headset are in native
patch - See Heretic.
(back) [10-11]
EF2000 - Use VFX1 HEADGEAR -R to center. - Press Alt-F1
in cockpit to enable headset tracking. - Make sure the VFX1
HEADGEAR is selected in Config program. - No CyberPuck
support. - Use Alt-F7 and Alt-F8 to change brightness. - Use
the mouse in cockpit to zoom into MFDs. - To use the Hi-res
mode in the game, you will need to download the UniVBE driver
from SciTech Software. This driver must be loaded before the
VFX1.COM driver. Also delete the UNIVBE.DRV file from the
EF2000 directory.
EF2000 is an excellent, complex,
combat flight-sim that comes with native-support for the VFX-1
right out of the box. Thank you, DID! During the program's
configuration, you can choose between two resolutions: 320x200
or 640x400. Both of these resolutions are supported by the
VFX-1. If you have the horsepower, go with 640x400. The
scenery, in this mode, looks good on VFX-1 display. Make sure you
have lowered your monitor's refresh rate to 60 Hz before you
load the simulator. As far as the main cockpit view is
concerned; you'll find that the HUD gets pretty washed out
against the sky during the day, but is quite readable when
flying night missions. The individual MFD's are rendered in
low-res, so they are very easy to read with the VFX-1 -
especially when you zoom into each MFD. If you are going to
fly the EF-2000 with the VFX-1 you will have to use the
ThrustMaster FLCS/TQS stick and throttle system, since you
won't be able to see your keyboard when the Smart Visor is
down. For obvious reasons, the VFX-1's head tracking
capabilities come in real handy when locking-up the enemy. The
keystroke- commands you will need to adjust EF2000 to your own
personal preference are: ALT+F1 to enable the helmet view;
ALT+F5 to center the helmet; ALT+F7 to lower brightness; and
ALT+F8 to increase brightness. The U key adjusts the
brightness of the HUD...but this really doesn't help you see
the HUD more clearly during day missions. Landing is a rush
with the VFX-1. Overall; EF2000 is the first military
flight-sim., I've come across, that works fairly well with the
VFX-1. Give it a try if you get the opportunity.
(back) [10-12]
Flight Unlimited - No cyberpuck support, Joystick or
keyboard only. - Video problems (flicker): To run Flight with
the headset, run "flight +nounivbe" (this will disable univbe
support). - No tracking: Must be in "first person" simulation
to track properly. This view shows the propeller, both wings,
and the gauges.(ALT "f" toggles zoomed view gauges). - No
tracking: Be sure to select mono headset in the options menu
(must be done each time you run the game or run "flight
+headset" each time you run flight. - Video is too
dark/bright: To adjust the brightness use "[" and
"]" keys. - ALT "c" re-centers the headset. - Windows 95
version has no HMD support. This is a great game to play. The
headset can be started by both command line options and menu
options. The resolution of the helmet makes it quite difficult
to read the gauge numbers, but the user can still see the
needle positions. I just memorized the gauge faces so that I
have a good idea of the reading by seeing the needle
direction. This is one amazing game with the VFX1. One tip
that can help virtual pilots is to press Alt-F. This function
will put a gauge in every corner that is larger and not
affected by sun glare. The user can also switch to 320x400
mode to decrease pixelization slightly. This makes the gauges
easier to read, but by no means crystal clear.
(back) [10-13]
Magic Carpet - HEADGEAR flies - Roll steers (side to
side), pitch aims carpet (up and down). - Requires joystick or
gamepad with VFX1 HEADGEAR: moves forward, reverse, slide side
to side. - 4 button control -fire primary, fire secondary,
select weapon, re-centers the carpet. - Colors may go bad
during game play. Press ESC and select the GLOBE icon to
correct. One of the best games to use the VFX1 HEADGEAR
involves the user rolling and tilting his head to tip the
carpet, while moving the carpet with a Gravis pad. You can use
a joystick, but the Gravis pad really shines in this game.
Each of the four buttons on the pad has a function. It's worth
the 15 bucks for this controller for this game alone. The
add-on pack hidden worlds (it's free with Magic Carpet Plus)
works the same as the original game. This game exhibits it's
full capacity with the headset. I would rate it as one of the
best games I have ever played. I have not found any bugs or
quirks with how the HEADGEAR works with the software. The Magic
Carpet Demo also supports a look around mode using the yaw
axis of the HEADGEAR. The retail game does not support this
feature. I don't think the user will find it very useful any
way.
(back) [10-14]
Magic Carpet 2 - type netherw -vfx1 to enable support in
the game - yaw support to look around (use normal controls to
fly carpet) - to add extra tracking support to control the
carpet with the HEADGEAR and CyberPuck, use patch from
FORTE. There is two ways to use this game with the HEADGEAR,
but at this time, neither way supports 3-D(Stereo vision)
mode. The first way to use the HEADGEAR is the built in
support from the game. Use the command line switch -VFX1 to
enable. This mode only supports yaw (the user can look around
but still uses the keyboard, joystick, or mouse to control the
carpet). I personally don't like this mode. It doesn't seem to
add much to the game. However, FORTE has released a native
driver that really spices things up. With FORTE's patch, the
HEADGEAR and CyberPuck control the carpet. The HEADGEAR still
has the original yaw mode too, so the user does not lose
anything by using the FORTE patch. I am not quite as good a
player with the headset-CyberPuck combination as I am with the
headset-Gravis pad in Magic Carpet I, but the game is very
immersive now and a lot of fun. FORTE could have just left the
game with the original support, but they decided to take the
time to improve it. This impressed me quite a bit. I feel this
shows that they want their customers to be fully satisfied
with their product. I did tweak the INI file that came with
the patch to emulate the Magic Carpet 1 settings as much as
possible. I wanted the HEADGEAR to control almost all the roll
and pitch of the carpet, while the puck just slides the carpet
and shoots the weapons. Here are my changes to the original
INI file:
1) Changed headrollsense to 4 2) added the
line headpitchsense=3 3) changed puckrollsense to 7 4)
changed puchrollsense to 7 5) changed puckmoveslegs to on 6)
changed puckrollthresh to 600 7) changed puchpitchthresh to
1400 8) remaped stop to button 3 9) changed instructions at
end of INI to reflect my changes
These changes do the
following: Steps 1 and 2 set the sensitivity of the HEADGEAR
as close to Magic Carpet I as possible. Steps 3 and 4 cut the
sensitivity of the puck down as much as possible when it comes
to pitch or rolling the carpet. Ideally, I wish I could shut
that function off entirely, because in Magic Carpet 1, the
controller the player uses only slides the the carpet. I
wanted to duplicate this effect. Step 5 makes the CyberPuck
active all the time on sliding the carpet just like Magic
Carpet 1. Steps 6 and 7 adjust the CyberPuck so it's not as
sensitive on how the user holds the CyberPuck. This prevents
unintentional sliding up the carpet. In Step 8, I remaped the
stop function to button 3, since I would be using that often.
I also did not need the default function that was on button 3
because of step 5. Step 9 I only redid some of the
instructions to reflect my changes in case I ever uploaded my
settings to any one.
(back) [10-15]
Mech Warrior 2 - No tracking: Must have version 1.1 of
MechWarrior (which includes the VFX1 HEADGEAR drivers).
Download from Activision or FORTE. - No tracking: Enable the
headset as an active input device in game control
configuration screen. - Default controls: Cyberpuck moves
forward, left/right. Buttons fire, select weapon and select
target. The VFX1 HEADGEAR moves torso up/down and
left/right. - If using y axis of CyberPuck for throttle,
stopping won't be possible. Mech Warrior 2 works with a
patch from Activision or FORTE. There is one flaw. If the user
has the CyberPuck configured for throttle, the mech will never
quite stop. It just slows down. Aside from that, the headset
works great. This game is fun playing on a monitor but will
just blow you away playing in a headset. The game has many
commands to control the mech, so it's not possible to map it
all to the CyberPuck, so plan on still using the keyboard a
bit.
(back) [10-16]
Quarantine - HEADGEAR gives yaw motion. - Cyberpuck
controls front, back, left, right motion (can use
joystick). - Button fires. - Locks up: Boot clean with
VFX1 HEADGEAR drivers loaded.
(back) [10-17]
SuperKarts - HEADGEAR for yaw motion only. -
Joystick/Keyboard steers. - Shift/F10 looks at back of drivers
head (centers VFX1). - May seem to lock up on exit. Use Alt-Q
to exit. - Uses VFX1 HEADGEAR -R to center. This game is a
blast. It has yaw support only (you can look around with the
helmet.) The tracks are so narrow and the karts go so fast
that you don't have a lot of time to look around. One of those
games that VFX1 HEADGEAR doesn't really add much to the game.
When quitting the game, it may appear to hang up in the VFX1
HEADGEAR test screen. Just press Alt-Q and the game should
quit.
(back) [10-18]
System Shock - No tracking: Must run enhanced CD-ROM
version. Run CDSHOCK with game. - Cyberpuck moves forward,
backward, and side to side. - Button 1 = fire; Button 2 =
jump; Button 3 = Use/Open - To switch to stereo mode press ESC,
select Video, select Headset, and turn stereo on (must be in
full screen mode). Use [2] key to toggle from full screen to
normal screen mono. This is a doom style game, but more like a
graphic adventure as far as game speed. The levels are huge.
It really feels like you are exploring a space station. I have
seen this game sell for as cheap as $15.00. It's being sold as
a CD-ROM classic through Origin. It also supports 3-D mode
(stereo vision). The 3-D mode adds a lot of depth to image,
but messes up the cursor. I have had to play the game in
normal mode (no 3d stereo) to manipulate objects and to fight.
If you want a fast action game like doom, this is not for you.
If you want to explore a space station for about 6 months this
is the one. By the way, the Floppy version does not support
headsets.
(back) [10-19]
TekWar - Use command line switch -vfx1 to enable native
support - Use headset to look up-down, turn left-right - Use
CYBERPUCK to move forward-reverse, slide left-right. - To
change CYBERPUCK button defaults, edit VFX1.CFG in TekWar
directory A DOOM-like game, comes with native support for
the VFX-1. It allows the use of head tracking & the
CyberPuck. No stereo vision, sorry. But a big THANKS to
Capstone for supporting us VFX-1 users. They include a
VFX1.CFG file so you can configure the three buttons on the
CyberPuck to your own personal taste. This is not documented
in the manual or the read me file - but you'll find a VFX1.CFG
file in the TEKWAR directory of your hard drive. You can use
any text-editor to change the VFX1.CFG file. At first I
thought TekWar was going to be just another DOOM clone, but
after spending some time with it, I found TekWar to have more
depth-of-play, and a refreshing new look. It's crisp, well
defined, graphics suit the VFX-1's head mount display quite
well. Movement with the CyberPuck takes a little getting used
to, but well worth the effort.
(back) [10-20]
Virtek - If the game locks up: enable EMS memory in DOS
configuration (MEMMAKER). In Win95, you must add the following
lines to the CONFIG.SYS
file: DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE -
Requires keyboard. Use arrow keys and ALT to move.
(back) [10-21]
Wings Of Glory - Flightstick/Joystick flies plane while the
headset looks around the plane. - No tracking: Edit the
wg.cfg file in the WINGS subdirectory that the Wings of Glory
setup creates. Place the following line somewhere in the
wg.cfg file: -hf - Before running game, run VFX1 HEADGEAR -R to
center the headset. - If colors are strange, run VFX1 +S before
running the game. Wings of Glory is a good flight simulation.
The VFX1 HEADGEAR adds a lot to the game. The user can look
around the cockpit. This type of simulation is perfect for the
HEADGEAR, because the limitations of the display don't affect
game play. It doesn't matter that the gauges are too pixelated
in VR, because that information is not important in old
bi-planes. I used to have trouble finding the enemy when he
would get behind me. The HEADGEAR enables me to look behind,
while still controlling the craft with the joystick. I know
that the game has a virtual cockpit for people with out
headsets, but I could never fly a plane with one hand and use
the other to pan my view. It's like trying to pat your stomach
and rub the top of your head at the same time.
(back) [10-22]
US Navy Fighters (Gold)/Marines Fighters - Use VFX1
HEADGEAR -R to center. - No tracking: Make sure the VFX1
HEADGEAR is selected in game's hardware Setup. - No
CyberPuck support. The Gold version has both USNF and marine
fighters included. It also has built in VFX1 HEADGEAR support.
The original USNF needs a patch that is available. The look
around mode of the helmet is amazing and really helps in this
type of game. Lack of the resolution of the helmet really shows
in this game, however . It's almost impossible to read the HUD
numbers, so altitude and airspeed are hard to read. I really
haven't taken the time to learn how to play this game. I think
the best way to get the most out of this game is to learn to
play it on the monitor until the user is comfortable with the
control scheme, then play it through the HEADGEAR.
(back) [10-23]
Zephyr - HEADGEAR yaw turns tank turret and pitch moves
tank up or down. - Cyberpuck controls forward and reverse
motion, left and right motion and button 1 fires (no movement
without puck). - Enter key centers the CyberPuck and F4 centers
the headset. Most people should be able to find this game for
$10-15 . Don't pay any more than that though, it's just not
worth it. I could not get it to work on my system, but I do
know it's compatible with the headset, because other users
have had no problems getting it to run. It's a Doom style of
racing game, sort of like Cyberrace. Pick it up if its cheap
and you are bored, pass otherwise.
(back) [10-24]
Witchaven - Patch available from Capstone or FORTE to add
native support. - HEADGEAR looks up/down, rotates
left/right. - CyberPuck strafes left/right, moves
forward/back. - Specific instructions on customizing puck are
with included with patch ONLY the full retail game of
Withchaven will work with the VFX1. The demo is incompatible.
There is a native patch available for Witchaven. Users should
be able to find at FORTE's web site. I am undecided about this
game. The architecture of the levels is amazing. It looks like
a real castle, but almost all of the fighting is hand to hand
combat. This style of fighting to me doesn't seem quite as fun
as the other Doom style of games. The user runs up to the
monster and hacks away, hoping that you kill the monster
before he hacks your health down too low. Pick it up if its
cheap.
(back) [10-25]
Witchaven II - A bug in setup does not create VFX1.CFG
file, use VFX1.CFG file from Witchaven 1 patch or Tekwar. Call
FORTE technical support for more information. - HEADGEAR
looks up/down, rotates left/right. - CyberPuck strafes
left/right, moves forward/back. - CyberPuck buttons are
configurable by editing VFX1.CFG file. I bought this game at a
fairly cheap price. It was worth it just for the install
screens (the're quite amusing!). Capstone also added a level
creator for people who like to spend their time making
new levels. Witchaven II is quite a bit better than its
predecessor. The graphics are very good. This game is hard,
expect to play it on its easiest level. I like the way Capstone
setup the VFX1 support. I turn with the HEADGEAR, but can
still strafe with the CyberPuck.
(back) [10-26]
Red Baron This game works better than you might think with
the VFX1. I wouldn't buy this game specifically to play in VR,
but if you have it already, it's definitely worth playing in
the HEADGEAR.
(back) [10-27]
Aces of the Pacific/Europe I thought that these two games
would work great in the HEADGEAR since Red Baron is similar to
them. I found out from another user that the VRMouse support
is not worth the effort. I personally tried Aces of the
Pacific and found the support to be pretty dismal.
(back) [10-28]
Locus This is a futuristic sports game. Three teams with
two players on a team try to score points in opponent's goals.
The arenas are really wild. The player can drive on the walls
and the ceilings. The headset allows players to shoot in a
different direction than where his 'sled' is going. This comes
in handy when you are screaming down a wall and you want to
shoot the opponent who is cruising up another wall. If the
arenas where flat, you would not need to shoot anywhere but
straight ahead, but since the arenas are spheres, cylinders,
and other strange geometric shapes the HEADGEAR really helps.
This is the type of game that you will love or hate. I love
it. There is a demo available (about 3 megs). It's definitely
worth the download. If you want a fast-action paced game, this
is for you.
(back) [10-29]
Slipstream 5000 - pitch and roll of CyberPuck and HEADGEAR
steer. - puck buttons shoot, select weapons, make menu
selections I've played this game just enough to verify how well
the VFX1 controls the game. It works quite well. I don't feel
I've played the game long enough to give a honest opinion of
it. It just didn't seem to catch my interest.
(back) [10-30]
Terminator Future Shock - Must use version 1.3 or
later. - Run shock /hf to enable support. (/hf must be in
lowercase) - F10 recenters headgear. - no cyberpuck
support. It has pretty neat game engine. I had fun on the first
two levels. The mission briefings are all text (no speech)
which is kind of a bummer in these days of multimedia. If like
Doom style of games, but want a game that is more into
exploration and less on combat look at this game. The levels
are huge, expect to get lost from time to time. There is a
sequence in level two where the player gets to drive a jeep
that is fun.
(back) [10-31]
Flight Simulator 5.0 The helmet works well with this one,
because there are so many views. It's not as nice as Flight
Unlimited, but there are many custom files out there for this
game to let the user try the things he wants. I personally
like the helicopter sim files for this game. If you already
own the game, I would use it with the VFX1, but I would not
buy it specifically for use with the helmet. There are too
many other games that work better in VR.
(back) [10-32]
Virtuality Maddness II This 800 page book comes with 4 CDs
of demos and programs. I don't have this one either. It does
come with Virtek's 3-D designer which is compatible with the
VFX1.
(back) [10-33]
Terra Nova - Run TN +VFX1 to enable VFX1 HEADGEAR
support. - Run TN +VFX1 +NECK to enable VFX1 yaw to control
head of character separate from body. - Although the
CyberPuck buttons are active, the controls are not. - Make sure
to keep Cyberpuck in upright position or your character will
drift in the game. This game is amazing! My prefered method of
control is to use the mouse in my right hand to select
functions and fire weapons, the joystick in my left hand to
move, and the HEADGEAR to look around. The learning curve is
about the same as Mechwarrior II. There are a lot of
weapon/suit configurations. This game is a little easier than
Mechwarrior II because all of the commands are mapped to the
screen. This allows all the controls to be selected with mouse
clicks. This type of control interface works well with the
VFX1 HEADGEAR. It allows the player to focus on the game and
not groping for keyboard commands in the heat of
battle.
(back) [10-34]
Apache - Vrmouse Apache to enable tracking. - No
tracking: enable the headtracking with the top CyberPuck
button. - No tracking: make sure the cyclic controls are set to
collective. I played the demo long enough to test the VFX1
HEADGEAR. I suggest only buying this game if you really are
hurting for a helicopter simulation.
(back) [10-35]
Jane's Combat Simulations Advanced Tactical Fighters - Use
VFX1 HEADGEAR -R to center. - No tracking: Make sure the VFX1
HEADGEAR is selected in game's hardware Setup. - No
CyberPuck support. This game should have been called US Navy
Fighters II. It is much like its predecessor, but with the
added feature of modem play. Electronic arts did make quite a
few small improvements over US Navy Fighters. If you are
looking for a flight sim, give this one a look.
(back) [10-36]
Duke Nukem 3-D - Driver available to add VFX1 support to
version 1.3d. - 1.2 version of driver supports modem/serial/net
play. - 1.3 version allows cycling of weapons. -
Instructions are included with driver on how to use and
customize driver. - vfx1 driver is completely compatible
with the Duke Nukem Plutonium add on pack and Duke Nukem Atomic
Edition This game is nothing short of amazing. This is a must
have. The headgear looks left/right and up/down. By rolling the
headgear the player can strafe in the game. The cyberpuck
buttons can be mapped to almost all keyboard commands. This
game has the action of Doom and the humor of Full Throttle.
This is probably one of the best games for 1996 (without a
VFX1, but especially with)! Make sure you have the latest
version of the VFX1 driver. Forte has made some improvements
that were requested by VFX1 owners. They do listen!
(back) [10-37]
Top Gun - Vrmouse topgun adds headtracking support -
Press F8 in flight to change to virtual cockpit - hold
CYBERPUCK on side and press button three to enable tracking -
if centering gets offtrack, use arrow keys to center view This
is a lightweight jet fighting game with alot of full
motion video to move the story along. The tracking works okay
in this game but not as well as some of the other titles with
native support.
(back) [10-38]
Quake - Driver available to add headtracking/cyberpuck
support. - Instructions are included with driver on how to use
and customize driver. - Use version 1.01 or newer of
Quake - VFX1 Quake driver has been updated, current version is
3.00 - Version 3.00 of VFX1 Quake driver adds support up to
version 1.08 - Version 3.00 is compatible with mission packs 1
and 2 This is my favorite game in the VFX1 HEADGEAR for 1996.
It has a simple control scheme which allows the gamer to use
the cyberpuck. The levels are designed to encourage the player
to look around often, and the polygon style of graphics look
good in the VFX1 displays. I recommend setting the screen
resolution to 360x240 since this closly matches the VFX1 LCDs.
In my opinion, Quake and the VFX1 HEADGEAR are the perfect
combination.
(back) [10-38-1]
What are Quake bots? There is a new way to play quake. With
the help of some user made modifications for quake, a gamer can
now play multiplayer fragfest deathmatchs by himself. Sound
silly?? Read on. I like playing quake in single player mode
with the monsters, but there is nothing like the adrenelin rush
of fragging someone in a muliplayer game. There's one
problem. Many people don't have access to a Local Area Network.
Even if you do, you are limited to playing only when you can
get the whole gang together to play. While you can
play deathmatch quake on the internet, the lag on a 28800
modem makes play in the vfx1 impossible. This is where the
Quake bots enter the picture. What's a Quake bot you ask? Well,
a Quake bot is a patch for Quake that adds computer
deathmatch opponents. These bots act like human players,
have adjustable skill levels, and will work on any quake
level, even user made levels. They can play team deathmatch
or free-for-all. There's even a Capture the Flag bot
patch. With this patch, you can set up teams with bots helping
and opposing you. These bots don't act like the monsters,
they have been specifically programmed to act as much like
normal deathmatch players as possible. They circle-strafe, jump
, and swim. They start each level without knowledge, but as
they play, they remember where the power-ups, weapons,
and health are placed. The longer you play the smarter they
get. I have played both Quake and Quakeworld on the internet,
and I must admit that I prefer the bots to internet Quake. I
am not the greatest deathmatch player, but with the bots, I
can adjust the skill level so that I can have a decent chance
of dominating the level. Also, since the entire game is ran
from your own machine, the player gets to setup the whole
game. You decide the rules, what level to play and how
many opponents you face. If you need to take a break, you
can just hit pause, and then come back to the game whenever
you want. All the options are left up to you. It's the best
of both worlds, multiplayer action with the advantages of
single play. All this and no internet lag frustrations to
boot. Interested? Here's how..... First of all you must have
the full registered version of Quake. These patches will
not work with the shareware version. I am using two Quake
patch files. The first is reaperbot .81. This patch is still
in beta because people were so impressed with it that
the creator of reaperbot has been hired to create the
artificial intelligence for the monsters in the upcoming game
Unreal. But at .81 this patch is finished as far as I am
concerned. It is very stable, and I have been very satisfied
with its performance. The file is called reaperb81.zip and it
can be found
at:
http://www.cdrom.com/pub/idgames2/quakec/bots/reaper/
To
run both the vfx1 and the reaperbot patch at the same time will
require the user to modify the vfx1qke.cfg file. I can't really
give specific instructions since it will depend on how and
where you have Quake, vfx1, and the reaperbot patch installed.
The second patch I am using is called ctfbot11.zip. It adds
bots to the Capture the Flag patch. Believe me, it's easier to
setup than it sounds. First get the Capture the Flag client
side patch. Then get the bot CTF. The procedure to use the
Capture the Flag bots with the vfx1 is the same as the
reaperbot. All the information on the Capture the Flag bot can
be found
at:
http://www.interpath.com/~davidson/ctfbot.htm
(back) [10-38-2]
Are the mission add on packs worth buying? Both official
add on packs are very good. I have been playing mission pack 2
(Dissolution of Eternity) and in my opinion the levels are
better than the original ones in Quake. The music is also
better than the original background ambiance music that came
with Quake.
(back) [10-39]
Mechwarrior Mercenaries - Identical support as Mechwarrior
2 with the exception that no patch is needed, it has native
support out of the box.
(back) [10-40]
Mechwarrior 2: Ghost Bear Legacy - Identical support as
Mechwarrior 2 with the exception that no patch is needed, it
has native support out of the box.
(back) *10-41*
Redneck Rampage - Use the redneck vfx1 patch - Run setup
and pick keyboard and external for controls - Setup external
and type in redneck.exe - Page down recenters VFX1 - If
having trouble with video in the headset select VESA
1600x1200 in the Redneck video setup. This will select the
default 60hz video mode.
(back) [10-42]
Skynet (Terminator Future shock) - Stand alone product that
adds multiplayer to Terminator Future shock and another single
player campaign as well - VFX1 support is the same as
Terminator Future shock version 1.3
(back) [10-43]
Comanche 3 - Use driver from Forte to fix headtracking and
3-d support - Alt F12 to enable headtracking from within
game - Select Stereoscopic in Video menu from within game to
play in 3-d - Read the readme file included with the Forte
driver to explain any other minor details This game really
shines in the VFX1. The LCD's tend to anti-alias the the
graphics in this game giving the Voxel Space 2 engine a nice
look in the headgear. I have had alot of fun with this game. I
like the way the campaigns are set up. Multiplayer is also alot
of fun. I have been blasting other helicopters in the VFX1 over
the internet. The game really uses the VFX1 to its fullest
capacity. A throttle device really adds to the immersion (so
you don't have to grope for the keyboard when dropping the
landing gear or opening the weapons bay) This game is a must
buy in my book. Beware it takes a pretty peppy machine to run
in the hi-res modes at a descent frame rate.
(back) *10-44*
Simcopter - Uses directx win95 drivers - make sure VFX1
and Cyberpuck are in the Joystick control panel - You may need
to check the reverse Yaw axis box in the VFX1
control panel. - set the Yaw sensitivity at its maxmimum.
Set the pitch and roll sensitivity to 40 in the VFX1 control
applet. You must set the vfx1 control applet at these settings,
any other settings will cause vfx1 to be uncontrollable. All
further adjustments must be made in the sim3d.twk file. -
There is a bug in the pitch view. If pointing north, looking
down will look down. If you pointing south, looking down will
look up in the game. There is no fix for this. If it gets
too disorienting, just disable the pitch view. - The
readme.txt file explains on how to map the axis of the VFX1 and
cyberpuck to the controls in the game - The readme.txt file for
Simcopter explains a little about twk files. You will need to
edit a twk file to get the VFX1 sensitivities correct. By
default the VFX1 yaw support is twice as sensitive as it should
be. Here are the basic steps to adjusting the VFX1 in
Simcopter. Quick tip: the 1.01 patch will copy the
tweak directory for you. If you are using 1.01 then skip
to step 3.
1) Copy the tweak directory from the
Simcopter directory of the CDROM to the Simcopter directory on
your hard drive. 2) Make sure that the read-only attribute (all
files from CDROMS have the read only attribute set to on) is
set to off. You can do this by right clicking on the
files, clicking properties, and unchecking the read only
attribute box. 3) Using notepad (or any other word
processor) make the following changes to the sim3d.twk file
that is now in your simcopter\tweak directory of your hard
drive.
Change: view yaw
multiplier=1.0
to: view yaw multiplier=2.0
Save
the file (make sure to save it in text format) 4) The VFX1 yaw
tracking should now be approximately at a 1 to 1 ratio to yaw
view in Simcopter. If you change the VFX1 yaw sensitivity to
any other setting other than maximum, Simcopter defaults back
to the improper 2 : 1 ratio. While it took me some time to
finally work around the sensitivty problem in Simpcopter, I can
still say that it was worth the work for me. I really like
civilian based simulations for two reasons. First, I would like
to fly in real life, but will probably never have the chance.
Secondly, I like the challenges of civilion based sims as
opposed to learning weapon and radar systems of the combat
flight simulations. While the tracking is not as good comanche
3, the effect the VFX1 gives is startling. The map is the only
thing that's hard to read in the VFX1. This is not
surprising since the map is hard to read on a monitor. While
you may need to flip up the visor occasionally to look at the
map, it doesn't seem to detract from the VR experience. While
you can use the cyberpuck, I have found that using a
joystick/throttle setup works best for me. The flight model is
not very realistic, but the 1.02 patch adds two realistic
flight modes for the hard core computer pilots.
(back) *10-45*
Outlaws - Uses directx win95 drivers - Make sure VFX1 is
in the Joystick control panel I was unable to get this game to
work in a playable mode in the VFX1. If anyone has been able to
set up the sensitivties and axis of the VFX1 so that it
makes the game playable in the VFX1, please email me.
(back) [10-46]
Descent to Undermountain Demo - Use command line switch
-vfxtrak to enable headtracking - No 3-d support at this
time This is a first persion view dungeon game that uses the
descent game engine. That combination alone makes this a very
interesting demo. I haven't spent that much time playing it
other than to verify that the VFX1 supports works. My only
excuse is that its really hard to play anything other that
Quake. :)
(back) *10-47*
Blood - Use the vfxblood.exe driver - Driver is
compatible with 1.1 and up. It will not work with 1.00 or
1.02 - Page down key recenters headgear I have had a lot of
fun playing this game in the VFX1. It has several interesting
weapons and monsters. Even if you think the build engine games
are getting past their prime, give the shareware a try at the
very least.
(back) *10-48*
Shadow warrior - The Duke Nukem 3-D driver will not work
with this game. Use Vrmouse instead. - The default vrmouse
settings disable roll of the puck to turn, to enable puck roll,
remove -px from options line in vrmouse settings. - I had
trouble with vrmouse and Shadow warriorin a win95 dos box. You
may need to shutdown to dos to get vrmouse to work
properly with shadow warrior. I was able to make a very
playable vrmouse setup for this game. This game is okay, but I
definitely would rate it behind blood and redneck rampage.
However, give the shareware a try.
(back) *10-49*
Chasm - You may have trouble getting Chasm to work with
vrmouse in a win95 dos box. If you do, just shutdown to dos to
run the game. This is a 3-d shooter that uses polygons instead
of bitmaps (like quake). I don't feel it is as good as quake,
but still it has some neat features such as rain. I liked the
game enough that I was going to request the company for native
support. Well, I spent an hour or so and made a vrmouse setup
that works as well as native would have.
(back) [11]
What are all these utilities and drivers for the VFX1
HEADGEAR? There are only two small programs the connect the
software link between the games and the VFX1 HEADGEAR. The
first is VFX1.COM. This driver turns on the displays and routes
the tracker input to natively supported programs. The second
is VRMOUSE.EXE. This program converts head tracking and
CYBERPUCK output into mouse and keyboard commands for games
that do not have native support. There is also a SETVFX1.EXE
utility that will help the user set up and test the VFX1
HEADGEAR. It is menu based and very straight forward
to use.
(back) [11-1]
What is VFX1.COM? With the release of the 2.00 drivers,
FORTE has combined some of their executables. VFX1VID.COM and
VFX1INIT.COM both have been integrated into the VFX1 driver.
Zeroset.com has also been put in VFX1.COM. It is now a command
line switch -R. The only drivers that have to be run to
activate the HEADGEAR are a set statement to configure the card
and VFX1.COM to run the tracker and displays. VFX1.COM now
auto loads high, and it is also smaller than the old setup in
1.76. VFX1.COM also has a power saver mode that is user
configurable. The power saver mode will shut down the VFX1
HEADGEAR displays and tracker if it is unused for a period of
time. It will then fire back up when new data is received from
the HEADGEAR. The power saver mode is disabled by default. The
3-D (Stereo vision) mode has been improved in 2.00. FORTE has
added a more compatible 320X400 mode that is compatible with
most all video cards. The VRMouse program can now be used in
conjunction with native supported programs. This allows games
without CyberPuck support to use the VRMouse program while
retaining native headset support. The palette snooping option
(+s) has been improved to help alleviate users with palette
problems.
(back) [11-1-1]
What do all these options do? Here is a breakdown of the
VFX1.COM command line switches: Example of using a command line
switch: VFX1.COM -h
-h lists all the command line switches
and syntax
-y uses alternate sync mode. Try this if your
monitor screen shrinks when the VFX1.COM is loaded.
This switch must be used when initially loading
VFX1.COM.
-m# number of minutes before auto power saver
mode is activated. A 0 will disable auto power saver mode.
The power saver mode is disabled by default. This switch
must be used when initially loading VFX1.COM
-c disable the
video sync modes. This option is like removing the VFX1VID.COM
from the 1.7X software. It will make the display in the headset
unreadable. It's a switch for tech support.
+c enable
the video sync modes. This option is default. This is like
running the VFX1VID.COM from the 1.7X software.
-r
centers the tracker. This is the same as the old zeroset.exe
from 1.7X.
-f removes the VFX1.COM driver from memory. This
is sometimes not possible. If it cannot remove the driver,
a text message stating so will be shown.
-l force VFX1.COM
to load low.
-o shuts the VFX1 HEADGEAR displays and
tracker off.
+o turns the VFX1 HEADGEAR displays and
tracker on.
+s enable software copying of the color
palette. If the user is getting improper colors in the
HEADGEAR try using this switch. It copies the color
palettes from the video section to the access card
through software. This option will degrade system
speed slightly.
-s disables software copying of the
color palette. This is default. The hardware of the access card
should not need software copying of the color palette in
almost all cases. By leaving this option, off it increases
speed.
-t Turn off the line sequential stereo mode.
DEFAULT
+t Force VFX1 line sequential stereo mode always
on.
-z Print debug information.
-q Do not print
anything during loading.
-v Print the driver version
number.
-i Only intialize the VIP hardware.
(back) [11-1-2]
How do I turn off the LCDs in the VFX1 HEADGEAR? Since most
users will not be using there computers with the HEADGEAR all
the time, one may want to remove the two statements that are
put into the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and put them in a separate file
of there own, for example v.bat. Make sure to put the new
v.bat file in a directory that is pathed such as DOS, windows,
or the VFX1 HEADGEAR directory. Now the user can leave the
helmet dormant when not in use, but by typing v and pressing
return, the helmet will be ready for use. Since the 2.00
version of the software supports a power saver mode, the VFX1
HEADGEAR driver is smaller, and it also loads itself high, the
user may want to just leave the driver in and let the helmet
shut down when dormant automatically.
(back) [11-2]
What is VRMOUSE.COM? VRMOUSE is a driver program used to
support the VFX1 HEADGEAR system in non-native mode. The
driver simulates mouse and keystroke actions for applications
that do not directly support the VFX1. Headset movements,
Cyberpuck motions, and button actions are translated into
simulated mouse and keyboard inputs for the non-native mode
application.
(back) [11-2-1]
What are the improvements in VRMOUSE.COM 2.0x? The VRMouse
program looks and runs identical from the previous version.
The INI file has been updated and more games have been added.
The primary difference between this version and previous
versions is that both native support and VRMouse support can
be active at the same time. For example, the user can now use
both VFX1 HEADGEAR and CyberPuck in the game Descent. The
amount of memory that Vrmouse uses has also been cut in
half.
(back) [11-2-2]
What do all these options do? An example of using a command
line option : VRMouse -h
-F Unloads the VRMouse
driver. Loads specific settings for game in vrmouse.ini
file. -H Lists games supported and command line options. -?
Lists games supported and command line options. -Q Quiet mode,
nothing is echoed to the the screen. -XX Disable headset x
tracking. -XY Disable headset y tracking. -PX Disable
CyberPuck x tracking. -PY Disable CyberPuck y tracking. -DX#
Set headset horizon report rate 1 to 255 (default=3) -DY# Set
headset vertical report rate 1 to 255 (default=2) -BXXX Sets
the button mask for the puck (1=on, 0=off) -O default VRMouse
to off (normal is on) -I# Set Keyboard injection type
(0=off) -A Use Absolute mouse mode
(back) *11-3*
What about Windows 95? With the release of the 2.1x
drivers, the VFX1 now has support in Windows 95. The drivers
will automatically install, and a control panel will be added
that allows the user to adjust the VFX1 settings. These drivers
enable the VFX1 to work in a dos box through windows and with
native Win95 applications with direct input. Currently the only
Win95 native titles to work with the VFX1 are Mechwarrior
II, Mechwarrior Mercenaries, Havoc, Windoom, Simcopter and Fury
3. Flight Unlimited for Win95 does not and will not have VFX1
support. As more companies switch to using Win95 with direct
input, I will update this section and expand it.
----------------------------- |SECTION 12:
TROUBLESHOOTING| -----------------------------
(back) [12]
Why won't the VFX1 HEADGEAR video work correctly?
(back) [12-1]
What is the maximum resolution I can see in the headset? -
Video modes supported :
320x200x256 320x400x256 640x400x256 640x480x16 640x480x256 DOS
text 80x25
(back) [12-2]
Why don't I see anything on my monitor? - Make sure that
all cables are firmly connected, and that the system unit,
monitor, and peripherals are powered and switched on.
-
Make sure that the VIP card is installed properly : the
edge connector is inserted fully and that the VESA feature
connection cable is attached correctly to the VIP card and your
computer system's VESA feature connector.
- Check for a
possible conflict with another device or card. If your computer
boots up normally when the VIP card and VESA feature connectors
are removed then most likely there is an I/O conflict. Change
jumpers and re-install the VIP card and run SETVFX1 and select
the SETUP VIPPORT option (F1).
(back) [12-3]
Why don't I see anything in the VFX1 HEADGEAR? - Check to
see if VFX1.COM is loaded in AUTOEXEC.BAT. - Check VGA feature
connector for correct and tight fit (pin 1 to pin 1). - Some
video cards do not support 640x480x256 or the feature
connector in any mode. Contact your video card manufacturer for
information or FORTE for a list of tested video cards. -
Make sure you are running in 60 Hertz video mode for 640x480
(utility with the video card). - Make sure the feature
connector of the video card is enabled (hardware jumper on the
video card). - Check video card software for "enable feature
connector". - Possible VIP card or feature connector problem :
contact FORTE Technical Support. - Disconnect the monitor.
If this works it is a temporary fix : contact FORTE Technical
Support.
(back) [12-4]
Why does the video in the VFX1 HEADGEAR look strange? -
Disconnect the monitor. If this works it is a temporary fix
- contact Technical Support. - If you are using an ET4000
Chip set (which can be checked using MSD - Video) with a Rev A
VIP card : contact Technical Support.
(back) [12-5]
Why are the colors in the VFX1 HEADGEAR not like the
monitor? - PCI palette snooping might be disabled in either
the BIOS options or the video card software. If enabled and not
working, try to disable. - Some VRAM cards pose problems; check
compatible video card table from FORTE. - IRQ or Baseport
conflicts are rare but possible. Verify that these are
unique. - Add the "+S" option to the "Vfx1.com" line in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file to force software palette snooping.
(back) [13]
Why won't my sound card work with the VFX1 HEADGEAR? No
sound card is incompatible with the VFX1 HEADGEAR. Check the
following things to get your audio working.
(back) [13-1]
Why can't I hear anything in the VFX1 HEADGEAR? - Check the
connections at the VIP card for correct and tight fit. - Check
the output volume of the sound card. - Make sure your
application supports, and is configured for, your sound
card.
(back) [13-2]
Why doesn't the microphone do anything? - Make sure the
cable connections to the sound card are tight. - Check the
volume in the sound card mixer. - Make sure the microphone is
enabled. - Check the application to make sure it has microphone
capabilities. - Check the sound card and be sure it supports
microphone pass through. - Make sure your application
supports, and is configured for, your sound card.
(back) [13-3]
Why does the sound stop when I start using the VFX1
HEADGEAR? - If you are using QEMM, rem out the "DOS-up"
line in AUTOEXEC.BAT. - Check and verify that the VFX1 HEADGEAR
and Soundcard are on different IRQ and Ports. Sometimes
"SETVFX1" test doesn't detect a soundcard unless it is in use
and therefore the test passes when in reality, they are in
conflict.
(back) [14]
Miscellaneous VFX1 HEADGEAR problems
(back) [14-1]
Why won't the tracking work correctly? - Check cables. -
Turn off and on your VFX1 HEADGEAR by turning the puck on its
side for 3 seconds and click the third puck button. Then click
the third button again to center the VFX1. - Test VFX1.
Point VFX1 HEADGEAR at monitor and hit the space bar. Check
tracking. - Run manual calibration (SETVFX1 F5). - REM out
PC mouse driver in AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
(back) [14-2]
Why does the VFX1 HEADGEAR seem to crash at certain
times? Sometimes while using VRMouse, the user will
accidentally hit the bottom button while holding the CyberPuck
on its side. This disables the tracking in the game, and so the
headset seems to have "crashed". To reactivate the VFX1
HEADGEAR, just tilt the CyberPuck on its side again, and hit
the bottom button.
(back) [14-3]
Why isn't VRMouse working? - Check cables. - Make sure
the VR batch file was run(VRMOUSE RUN). -
Game configure for mouse and/or keyboard. - Test VFX1. Point
VFX1 HEADGEAR at monitor and hit the space bar. Check
tracking. - Run manual calibration (SETVFX1 F5). - REM out
the your PC's mouse driver in the AUTOEXEC.BAT. If this works
contact Technical Support.
(back) [14-4]
Why can't I use the CyberPuck in all the games? - Check the
connections at the VIP card for correct and tight fit. - Make
sure the VRMouse is configured correctly. - Run SETVFX1 and
test the Cyberpuck (F4). - Test Cyberpuck in SETVFX1 : option
F4. - Some games might be compatible with the VFX1 HEADGEAR
Headset and not the VFX1 HEADGEAR Cyberpuck.
(back) [14-5]
Why do I get sick when playing games with the VFX1
HEADGEAR? Some people experience "Virtual sickness" when
using VR headsets. This is related to motion sickness that
people experience in the car. The easiest way to overcome this
sickness is to use the headset for only a short time each day.
Wait until you've fully recovered from any effects you feel,
then try again. You should be able to build a tolerance to VR
that won't leave you sick!
(back) [14-6]
What are these SRAM errors? - The occasional SRAM errors
that you may see occur are a bug in the firmware of the VIP.
Unless these errors occur every time the computer is booted,
the user has no reason to worry.
(back) [14-7]
Why can't I get the VFX1 HEADGEAR focused? Focusing can be
challenging at first for users. The best way of thinking of
the system is to compare it to a pair of binoculars. FORTE
recommends that the user set the optics to 20/20 vision before
beginning. To do this, put the white line straight down, at a
six o'clock position. While wearing the VFX1 HEADGEAR, the
first step is to align the IPD (inter-pupilary distance). This
can be done by simply moving the eye pieces left and right.
Once the image is centered on your eyes, you should adjust the
focus by rotating the optics left and right. This should be
done slowly so as not to "over focus". This occurs when the
user, instead of focusing to infinity, focuses on the surface
of the LCDs. This can cause eye strain and will not give a
good perceived image.
(back) *15*
VFX1 - 1997 This section is just another way for me to keep
the FAQ updated. This section is not in a question format since
most of it is just my opinions and not technical reference.
This section basically explains what I am doing with the
headset now.
(back) *15-1*
Another word from Mickey Johnson Well, it's been almost two
years that I have been using Virtual Reality in my own home via
the VFX1. Many things has changed in the gaming world. I have
upgraded from a p100 with 16megs to a 166mmx with 40 megs of
ram. This has greatly improved the framerate of quite a few of
the games I play in the VFX1.
(back) *15-2*
The games that I am playing in the VFX1 and why I thought I
would make a list of the games that I still play in the VFX1. I
realize that the compatible software list is getting quite
long, and it is hard to pick the good from the bad when there
is so much to pick from. Here are my top ten games that I still
play heavily in the VFX1. These are the games that I feel had
the best combination of gameplay and implementation of the
VFX1's headtracking abilities.
(back) *15-2-1*
Quake This game is the 3-D shooter I play the most. The
robot modifications is what makes this game fun for me. I use
the first Quake driver that was available. It fits
my preferences the best. When I was dreaming about
Virtual Reality, Quake is what I pictured. I cannot emphasize
enough how playing standing up adds to the virtual
reality experience. Use the headtracking to control your
movement in the game, not just to look around.
(back) *15-2-2*
Magic Carpet I never get tired of this game. I am currently
playing this game a second time. This is the first game that I
have ever replayed levels. I think that says a lot when there
are so many new games to pick from. The game play is the
most original style that I ever played.
(back) *15-2-3*
Mechwarrior mercenaries All the Mech games are good, but
mercenaries is probably the most fun for me. It's nice to run
and repair my own mechs. The random scenarios are nice. It
extends the life of this product dramatically. When I upgraded
my computer I was able to turn on all the textures which
greatly enhanced the graphics in the game.
(back) *15-2-4*
Commanche 3 I was very happy when this game came with
native vfx1 support. I have been a Commanche fan since the
original came out. I played all the missions in the first
Commanche twice on a 386, so you can imagine the number
of hours I have put in on the current version in VR!
(back) *15-2-5*
Flight Unlimited This product is a lot of fun for me,
because I wish I could afford to fly for real. I usually do a
lot touch and go landings. Sometimes I take the glider up to
see how long I can keep it in the air. This is another game
that I am playing in a higher res now that I have upgraded my
machine. While some people think this game is a little boring
since it has no combat modes, for me, it is exactly what I
was looking for in a flight sim. Lately, I have been
playing this game with the see-through cockpit with external
gauges (alt-f). While this is not as realistic, it's neat to
see the ground come right up to you when landing.
(back) *15-2-6*
EF2000 As soon as I upgraded my machine, this was one of
the first games I played in the VFX1. A P100 will run this
game, but a 166mmx really kicks the frame rate up. I don't do
to much combat in this sim either. I do a lot of take-offs
and landings. You really need a throttle control and
rudder pedals to get the desired vr effect.
(back) *15-2-7*
Skynet This terminator future shock sequel is really fun
for me. The tracking works great, and there is nothing
like running away from an opponent, jumping in a HK figher,
and blowing your opponent away with the HK's weapons. I only
play this one multiplayer. I really haven't played the single
player campaign.
(back) *15-2-8*
Build engine games Right now the build engine games I have
been playing are Blood and Redneck Rampage. I don't play these
games as much as quake, but it's a nice change every once in a
while. While the engine is not as 3-d as Quake, the colors
are more varied and story variations make up for the dated
engine.
(back) *15-2-9*
Locus I still play this one. While futuristic sports games
aren't for everyone, the different shaped arenas keep this
game fresh for me. I like the high paced action in the
futuristic setting.
(back) *15-2-10*
Terra Nova This is another game that moving from a P100 to
a P166 helped a great deal. While I definitly prefer the
mechwarrior series over Terra Nova, I still find time to play
this game.
(back) *15-2-11*
Simcopter While this game really does not belong here in my
VFX1 hall of fame, I wanted to mention it here since I am
finally able to play it in the VFX1. It has undocumented
support that requires some tweaking to get the tracking
playable. I ended up playing this game for a couple of months
on the monitor after giving up on its headtracking sensitivity
problems. I sat down and figured out the problem, and took
Simcopter for a test flight in virtual reality. I was blown
away. It is amazing how much the VFX1 can add to some games.
Even though, it made it a little harder to complete
the missions, the flying effect is so much more real for
me. Although, this game may not have any combat, it does
have some features that make it a memorable game. You can use
any simcity 2000 city with the game giving the player
unlimited new supply of terrain to download and fly in. You can
get out and walk around. How many flight sims let you do
that? The city just seems alive not just some texture
mapped targets to shoot.
(back) *15-3*
Multiplayer maddness I have two VFX1 headgears now which
has added a whole new dimension to my gaming setup. I link the
computers via the serial ports. Then I use win95's built in
networking to link the computers with the ipx protocol. This
allows all the games to work. It seems like the win95 ipx
protocol is more stable then using the direct serial code in
each of the games. Another advantage to this method is that
you don't have to create a new link to send the information
back and forth whenever you switch games. The real
advantage of the VFX1 headgear is the built-in microphones. I
hook these up by hooking the VFX1 mic of the headsets to the
opposite computer's mic in jack. I had to adjust the audio
levels with a software mixer of the sound cards to get
everything the right level. With this setup, you can talk to
your opponent (or team mate depending upon the game), but you
cannot hear the sound effects he hears in the game. This
gives the perfect isolation for best gameplay, but still allows
the fun of playing games with another person. I have tested
quite few games with this setup and found absolutly no
conflicts with the VFX1 and the direct connect setup. With the
large number of games with both VFX1 and multiplayer support,
this opens up a whole new way to use the VFX1 headgear. With
two VFX1's linked together you have a virtual reality system
that outperforms a lot of professional setups found at malls
and theme parks. You can play a quick deathmatch of Quake or an
involved cooperative EF2000 mission. I was really surprised
on how much fun I had playing Skynet in this multiplayer mode.
With the mail order prices of the VFX1 so low and the fact that
more and more families have two computers, this muliplayer
Virtual Reality setup is within reach of the hard core
gamers.
(back) *15-4*
Want to see Mars from a 1st person perspective. Forte has
released a viewer that allows pananoramic bitmap files to be
viewed in the VFX1. It has headtracking and cyberpuck
support. They included a Mars picture that has to be seen to be
believed. I was very impressed by this viewer. This viewer will
work with any bmp graphic file that is setup up to the proper
size. It has documentation to describe both the viewers
controls and specifications of the graphic files.
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