rec.autos.simulators

The 3D effect is really amazing, although it really shows up the
limitations in computer graphics at the moment - for example, I always
used to think that the Monaco circuit in MGPRS2 was really lifelike, but
now it looks like an extremely lifelike huge paper model with cut-out
buildings and stuff connected in really intricate ways.

You can really see how all the objects are made up of flat surfaces with
patterns on them (which is exactly what they are, of course!).

The old-style circuit in MGPRS2 is like driving round Trumpton
(children's TV programme in the UK) - a bit like a train-set, with nice
rounded hills in the background.

I reckon these glasses would be absolutely brilliant with that Lego
construction set program, as you can visualise your 3D world in much
greater detail.

As for driving games: they make it much easier to learn a new circuit,
as you can "see" the shape of the road much more easily, but what it
really shows is how well you can do without true 3D once you've really
learned a circuit - the brain seems to fill in the missing depth
information with its memory of the layout of the circuit, so that things
seem more 3D-like after a great many laps.

So: 3D glasses will probably make more difference in rally games, as you
tend not to be able to memorize the circuit quite so well, but have to
react to what come up.

The downside is that there is quite a big performance hit with a Voodoo
Banshee card - you need to run at 1280x1024, as the vertical resolution
is halved by the glasses, which gives me about 15-20fps with GPL (but
quite a bit more with MGPRS).  I only have a P233 though, so it might be
better with a beefier processor.

Anyone else have any experiences with these?

Were are you getting these 3D glasses at?  :)

Dan Belcher
Team Racing Unlimited

Try http://www.simply.co.uk for supplies in (duh) the UK, not sure they
do the Wicked ones but they have the Elsa 3D Revelator model in for
55UKP
but you need an Elsa card to run them :( (based on the TNT2)
--
Mike Buckley    
Cotswold Pig Development Co Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1472 371591  Fax: +44 (0)1472 371208

http://www.toastyhamster.freeserve.co.uk

However, I did manage to obtain a set of glasses (and associated
infra-red transmitter, VGA pass-through and CD) via eBay, so you may be
able to find some for sale in the same way.

(In case you haven't heard of eBay, they run a huge world-wide auction
website where anyone can sell stuff - take a look at http://www.racesimcentral.net/
or http://www.racesimcentral.net/).

You can also get the Elsa 3D Revelator glasses (http://www.racesimcentral.net/) but
I believe they are designed for OpenGL and won't work with Grand Prix
Legends except maybe through the OpenGL beta patch (and you know what
that means  ;-)  ).

I've heard that the Elsa drivers are a lot less flaky than the Wicked3D
ones - I've had quite a few problems, which is kind of unsurprising when
you consider what nefarious things they have to do to get the game to
render in stereo 3D without realising it.

Another good places to look is http://www.racesimcentral.net/, which is a kind
of stereo-3D enthusiasts site where they report on the latest
developments in the field and so on.

I really do believe that the *** world will go stereo-3D-crazy at
some point in the future - it's not quite there yet but the day will
come when all consoles are stereo-3D by default.  For I have seen the
promised land etc...  ;-)

Don Scurlock
Vancouver,B.C.

They use an LCD display with a cunning backlight that directs alternate
lines of the display to each eye independently, and when coupled with a
tracking device allows the user to move around and see "round" the
objects in the display (as the image is updated in real time as the
viewer moves).

What this means, of course, is that once LCD screens take over from CRTs
for good, there's a good chance that the standard displays will have a
3D capability (probably one that you can switch off to get double the
resolution).

It's also possible to have multiple light sources behind the screen to
support multiple viewers, possibly with each of them having a different
3D view (thus allowing full-screen interactive multi-player games with a
single screen).

Not sure when this will get to the mainstream, though!

I did read somewere that Mitsubishi made 3D monitors for research
institutes, but they cost a lot of money. 10.000$ or something like that.
But eventually will those monitors become mainstream too with a low price.

/M Lindqvist

In arcade racing games are they great, is it very fun to drive around in a
3D environment. With the glasses so is it very impressive to drive behind
the competitors, and see their cars in full 3D only a little bit inside the
monitor! They look almost like small real cars. In car view in some games
are also very good, for example Colin Mcrae Rally. In 2D does the panel look
like shit, but in 3D is it actually fun to drive in that view.

Unfortenately arent they so good for GPL, because of the loss in resolution
and frame rates. In GPL do you need to see as far ahead as possible and its
harder to do when the resolution is halved. But the F10 view is crazy, when
you see how the suspension works up and down, and to see that little driver
turn on his wheel. The old Formula racer becomes a little toy car.

With a little tuning and the right games, so are 3D glasses great.

--

/M Lindqvist

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