Display Options?

[Digital Filmmaker]

In order to fully decide what (if anything) I'd like to do, I need to have a pretty decent plan in place.  My question is this - what display options are there for pit builders?

Seems to me like the only things I've seen are projection (which in addition to added cost, adds space and size issues), or strapping a monitor to the top of your MIP (which I personally don't care for the look of).

Are these the only two real solutions, or is there some other way I don't know of?

[JSpahn]

TripleHead2Go Could be a nice alternative. Also a nice dlp tv could work out nice.

[beaky]

Video goggles, maybe?

What do you use currently, and why isn't that good enough?


My display concept for my design is fairly modest, but it's fine for me, as I have gotten by just fine with a 19" CRT until now. A 20 or 22" LCD will be a big step up, but the display is still not that important to me.
I've tried not to concern myself with how it looks aesthetically, because I know when I'm in there with the program running on a single panel in front of me, it will be more than adequate, because the purpose of the simpit layout is, for me, to simply be able to use my hands and feet the way I do when flying real airplanes.

This goes hand-in-hand with the generic style of my design: I think replicas of specific cockpits are terrific when done right, but the function was more important to me... so my weird box is sort of ugly.

[JSpahn]

Rottydaddy Your pit is the bee's knees I especially like the makeshift throttle quadrant here:

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2 ... 1165972220

Not to get way off topic or anything

[Digital Filmmaker]

I don't have a pit at the moment...I'm still in R&D mode.  I think I'll ultimately end up with some sort of projection system.  I've been looking into dome projection and geodesic dome construction, but I haven't yet figured out what sort of space requirements I'll have.

[JSpahn]

Same here no cockpit, R&D is what will make the difference! Cant wait to see what you come up with!

[JBaymore]

I don't have a pit at the moment...I'm still in R&D mode.

I think my pit was at least a full YEAR in the R+D mode.  Well worth the thinking and drawing.  Once I started the path was somewhat direct with few 180 degree turns to solve unexpected / unplanned "issues".

By the way, you do know that R+D stands for "rip off and duplicate" don't you?  ;)

best,

.......................john

[Digital Filmmaker]

By the way, you do know that R+D stands for "rip off and duplicate" don't you?

Funny, I thought it meant "Re-start and Do again".

[JSpahn]

I thought it meant ruin it and do-over???

[beaky]

Rottydaddy Your pit is the bee's knees I especially like the makeshift throttle quadrant here:

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2 ... 1165972220

Not to get way off topic or anything

That's history... the R&D, along with an "E" for experimenting, continues...

DF is right about projection: it requires space, often lots of it. One thing I've been mulling over is a large rear-projection TV... merely a projector, mirror and screen already sorted out and mounted in a box. They're getting shallower, and cheaper. Won't give you a "wraparound" effect, but it's a good option.

Dome projection can really drive you crazy, especially if you try it with more than one projector, to minimize distortion (you'll have fun "knitting" the images, even with projectors that are networked and using special software). If you must have a dome, I highly recommend the NEC GT series DLPs... very expensive, but the built-in image correction is astounding. It can be set to project on a concave or convex curved or spherical screen with very little distortion. One of these babies will easily throw a flat-looking image on a big dome all by itself.
I once saw a demo of a GT where they aimed it at the corner of the room, where two walls met the ceiling. I could hardly tell it wasn't flat... and that was an Excel spreadsheet. Amazing.


http://www.nec-pj.com/products/others/distorted.html