GT Speedster
I originally wrote this tutorial over at Race Department as I came across over that with one of Niels_at_Home posts about triple screens and how it could be set up and then I finally found the will to write a more in-depth explanation on the subject of triple screens, FOV, monitor angles and so on. And now I realize it actually belongs here as well, more so even.
A proper mathematically correct setup is a bit like the Holy Grail: heard of by most, sought by many and achieved only by a handful few who endure the months and years of research and collecting of bits and pieces of information tucked away among mathematical theories and other empirical trials in order to become worthy of such prize.
In a way it should be like that but I intend to expedite the search and hopefully pave it a bit less tenuous with this thread.
So I give you...
GTSPEEDSTER'S TRIPLE SCREENS SETUP GUIDE
Whenever triple screens are employed for any kind of simulation only a mathematically correct RIG with a proper FOV should be acceptable, otherwise what is the point of all the labor, time and money invested on it?
1. MONITOR ANGLES
There is a unfortunate and widespread notion out there that the gMotor2 engine locks the monitor angles at 45 degrees...
This couldn't be more INCORRECT as the gMotor2 engine has never locked the monitors at any set angle but, on the contrary, has used a mathematical formula based off your FOV to calculate what monitor angles you should be using.
This "45º myth" probably started because a "common" distance that a good number of people have their monitors at works out to more or less around 45º... And because you'll only start noticing a bigger discrepancy when you either begin going really close or really far away to the screens. Regardless it is definitely set improperly for most of the people and your brain can tell it even if you don't realize right away what it is telling you.
The higher your FOV the higher the side monitor angles you should use.
It can't be emphasized enough: just like the FOV, the monitor angles as well are NOT a matter of subjectivity, taste or opinion! They must be set following the application of the MATHS (Mathematical Anti-Telharsic Harfatum Septomin).
The closer the monitors are from you the higher the vFOV, the higher the vFOV the higher the side monitor angle, it is all linked together along with you viewing distance and panel's width obviously.
For reference: MY RIG currently has its screens set at a mathematically dictated angle of 60º (~60,22º), with my viewing distance being 82,5cm from triple 95,7cm wide screens.
How to properly calculate the angles you should set your monitors at:
How to calculate the distance you should sit in order to be able to run certain angles:
OBS¹: When I say "viewing distance" I'm meaning the distance from your eyes to the center of the screen.
OBS²: InvTan (arc tangent or atan) can be found in any scientific calculator. Windows has one which you can set to scientific under file. To use it just press the buttons "Inv" and then "Tan").
2. FIELD OF VIEW
Keep in mind that FOV is not in any way subjective or a matter of opinion! A mathematically correct FOV does never feel off as it should represent exactly what the real world feels and looks like. Therefore if you're a triple screen user you'll want to use only a proper FOV, believe me!
FOV has many more important implications than people realize, it directly affects the way depth and height are displayed and perceived. If the FOV is too height then the straights will look way longer than they are, turns will look less sharp and heights will look shallower. An incorrect field of view provides "greater sense of speed" only because distances that appear longer are traversed in the same amount of time.
So, first of all I DO NOT RECOMMEND this "Project Immersion" calculator. I've seen it being mentioned many times and I think it has merit but its implementation of the maths is a tad too generic. Do not follow this but instead calculate yours yourself with the proper formula.
vFOV is easily calculated be taking half the height of the image (image, not screen!) and dividing it by the viewing distance (the distance between your eyes to the center of the screen). You apply inverse Tan on that result and then finish it by multiplying this by two.
The reason half the screen height is used is because you are supposed to line the center of the screen with your eyes. That half height divided by the distance to your eyes provides the viewable angle when inverse tan is applied. It only describes the triangle on half of the screen so the other half must be added which is equal to the first since the angles are the same as long as your eyes are lined up with the center of the screen.
For reference: MY RIG currently produces an image height (image, not screen!) of 52,25cm, with my viewing distance being 82,5cm from the center of the screens, which renders my vFOV at 35º (~35,14º).
How to calculate the proper vertical FOV:
3. HORIZONTAL FIELD OF VIEW
This doesn't really apply to rFactor, Automobilista or GSCE but since this is a triple screens setup guide it's worth mentioning.
And going back very quickly to the right triangles, we already know that "A = invTan(a/b)" and that we need to double "A" in order to get the entire monitor angle and to halve the width of said monitor in order to get to "a". All of that gives us the formula: MonitorAngle = 2 x {invTan x [MonitorWidth ÷ (2 x ViewingDistance)]}.
So... You can simply calculate the total horizontal FOV by multiplying A by 6 instead of only by 2. As in 3 monitors times 2. That happens because there are three monitors but we are only calculating half of the viewing angle.
How to calculate the proper horizontal FOV:
4. ADDITIONAL TIPS AND ADJUSTMENTS
It goes without saying but in case you're in doubt, yes, the screen bezels' width must be corrected within the NVIDIA or AMD control panels regardless of the other calculations or adjustments in order to achieve a seamless transition between the screens.
Raise or lower your screens and/or seat in order to align your eye line with the middle of the screens that way you won't be constantly looking up or down in search for the horizon but facing forward in natural line as you should and as you do in real life. Ideally your eye line must align to the middle of the screen up to 20% above of that (or between 50% to 60% up from the bottom of the viewable area) but no more.
Always try to get as big of a screen as possible and sit as close to it as you can since the closer your eyes will be to the image the lower the FOV you'll be able to use and the best visual experience you will get.
Turn off things like "virtual arms" and "virtual steering wheels", since you already have you real ones...
Level the horizon for the cockpit view of your favorite cars in your vehicle .CAM files:
Remove all the artificial cockpit vibrations in your PLR files.
This is not at all essential but I'd recommended you to customize and to attach a hood and skirts to your monitors as it will improve your experience by blocking potential distractions and by eliminating or reducing reflections (and will make your rig look even cooler). I cut MINE out of simple styrofoam sheets and then wrapped it in "carbon fiber" film, but you can use a whole bunch of other different materials to achieve similar or even better results.
And that's it for now. Later on I'll be adding more information on what to look for when choosing the right TV for sim racing as well as how to improve the overall eye candy factor for the various sims.
Mathematical perfection for practical application at its best!
[MYOUTUBE]2dOwQhokR6A[/MYOUTUBE]
Enjoy!
A proper mathematically correct setup is a bit like the Holy Grail: heard of by most, sought by many and achieved only by a handful few who endure the months and years of research and collecting of bits and pieces of information tucked away among mathematical theories and other empirical trials in order to become worthy of such prize.
In a way it should be like that but I intend to expedite the search and hopefully pave it a bit less tenuous with this thread.
So I give you...
GTSPEEDSTER'S TRIPLE SCREENS SETUP GUIDE
Whenever triple screens are employed for any kind of simulation only a mathematically correct RIG with a proper FOV should be acceptable, otherwise what is the point of all the labor, time and money invested on it?
1. MONITOR ANGLES
There is a unfortunate and widespread notion out there that the gMotor2 engine locks the monitor angles at 45 degrees...
This couldn't be more INCORRECT as the gMotor2 engine has never locked the monitors at any set angle but, on the contrary, has used a mathematical formula based off your FOV to calculate what monitor angles you should be using.
This "45º myth" probably started because a "common" distance that a good number of people have their monitors at works out to more or less around 45º... And because you'll only start noticing a bigger discrepancy when you either begin going really close or really far away to the screens. Regardless it is definitely set improperly for most of the people and your brain can tell it even if you don't realize right away what it is telling you.
The higher your FOV the higher the side monitor angles you should use.
It can't be emphasized enough: just like the FOV, the monitor angles as well are NOT a matter of subjectivity, taste or opinion! They must be set following the application of the MATHS (Mathematical Anti-Telharsic Harfatum Septomin).
The closer the monitors are from you the higher the vFOV, the higher the vFOV the higher the side monitor angle, it is all linked together along with you viewing distance and panel's width obviously.
For reference: MY RIG currently has its screens set at a mathematically dictated angle of 60º (~60,22º), with my viewing distance being 82,5cm from triple 95,7cm wide screens.
How to properly calculate the angles you should set your monitors at:
How to calculate the distance you should sit in order to be able to run certain angles:
OBS¹: When I say "viewing distance" I'm meaning the distance from your eyes to the center of the screen.
OBS²: InvTan (arc tangent or atan) can be found in any scientific calculator. Windows has one which you can set to scientific under file. To use it just press the buttons "Inv" and then "Tan").
2. FIELD OF VIEW
Keep in mind that FOV is not in any way subjective or a matter of opinion! A mathematically correct FOV does never feel off as it should represent exactly what the real world feels and looks like. Therefore if you're a triple screen user you'll want to use only a proper FOV, believe me!
FOV has many more important implications than people realize, it directly affects the way depth and height are displayed and perceived. If the FOV is too height then the straights will look way longer than they are, turns will look less sharp and heights will look shallower. An incorrect field of view provides "greater sense of speed" only because distances that appear longer are traversed in the same amount of time.
So, first of all I DO NOT RECOMMEND this "Project Immersion" calculator. I've seen it being mentioned many times and I think it has merit but its implementation of the maths is a tad too generic. Do not follow this but instead calculate yours yourself with the proper formula.
vFOV is easily calculated be taking half the height of the image (image, not screen!) and dividing it by the viewing distance (the distance between your eyes to the center of the screen). You apply inverse Tan on that result and then finish it by multiplying this by two.
The reason half the screen height is used is because you are supposed to line the center of the screen with your eyes. That half height divided by the distance to your eyes provides the viewable angle when inverse tan is applied. It only describes the triangle on half of the screen so the other half must be added which is equal to the first since the angles are the same as long as your eyes are lined up with the center of the screen.
For reference: MY RIG currently produces an image height (image, not screen!) of 52,25cm, with my viewing distance being 82,5cm from the center of the screens, which renders my vFOV at 35º (~35,14º).
How to calculate the proper vertical FOV:
3. HORIZONTAL FIELD OF VIEW
This doesn't really apply to rFactor, Automobilista or GSCE but since this is a triple screens setup guide it's worth mentioning.
And going back very quickly to the right triangles, we already know that "A = invTan(a/b)" and that we need to double "A" in order to get the entire monitor angle and to halve the width of said monitor in order to get to "a". All of that gives us the formula: MonitorAngle = 2 x {invTan x [MonitorWidth ÷ (2 x ViewingDistance)]}.
So... You can simply calculate the total horizontal FOV by multiplying A by 6 instead of only by 2. As in 3 monitors times 2. That happens because there are three monitors but we are only calculating half of the viewing angle.
How to calculate the proper horizontal FOV:
4. ADDITIONAL TIPS AND ADJUSTMENTS
It goes without saying but in case you're in doubt, yes, the screen bezels' width must be corrected within the NVIDIA or AMD control panels regardless of the other calculations or adjustments in order to achieve a seamless transition between the screens.
Raise or lower your screens and/or seat in order to align your eye line with the middle of the screens that way you won't be constantly looking up or down in search for the horizon but facing forward in natural line as you should and as you do in real life. Ideally your eye line must align to the middle of the screen up to 20% above of that (or between 50% to 60% up from the bottom of the viewable area) but no more.
Always try to get as big of a screen as possible and sit as close to it as you can since the closer your eyes will be to the image the lower the FOV you'll be able to use and the best visual experience you will get.
Turn off things like "virtual arms" and "virtual steering wheels", since you already have you real ones...
Level the horizon for the cockpit view of your favorite cars in your vehicle .CAM files:
Remove all the artificial cockpit vibrations in your PLR files.
This is not at all essential but I'd recommended you to customize and to attach a hood and skirts to your monitors as it will improve your experience by blocking potential distractions and by eliminating or reducing reflections (and will make your rig look even cooler). I cut MINE out of simple styrofoam sheets and then wrapped it in "carbon fiber" film, but you can use a whole bunch of other different materials to achieve similar or even better results.
And that's it for now. Later on I'll be adding more information on what to look for when choosing the right TV for sim racing as well as how to improve the overall eye candy factor for the various sims.
Mathematical perfection for practical application at its best!
[MYOUTUBE]2dOwQhokR6A[/MYOUTUBE]
Enjoy!
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