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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Gaming => Topic started by: wonea on October 21, 2002, 01:27:03 PM
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I was just wondering, does anyone know where I could get virtual reality software for the Amiga. I mean complete immersive stuff. Like what was all the rage a few years ago, on games master & Tomorrows World. I remember vivdly Amiga Format covering it in a about 1992. All of the simulation running on a Amiga 3000.
Know if I could have that at home, it would very cool.
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virtual reality on an 060?...hmmm...interesting..
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Hi,
does anyone know where I could get virtual reality software for the Amiga.
Funny you sould ask that, I have just bought a VR system (2X Virtual Research VR4 headsets and tracking module)
The problem is connecting the darn thing up, It needs to individual video inputs, I intend to hook it up to my A3000 (Which has two video outputs) but they are not off set so I may end up cross eyed quickly..
Then I have to hook up the tracking module.. I got a quote of £400 for the PC card to hook the modules up to :-? I was hoping it was a simple serial interface with mouse emulation, oh well..
The Software almost looks simple..
EGS supports multimonitor support needed for VR (But will it support overlapping?)
If the tracking module support mouse emulation (Although you will need a driver on the Amiga side) then you can play normal games like Doom or Quake...
As for simple VR software, I dont think there are any, I have the Amiga mag with the VR review in it but they were showing IBM computers running VR stuff, I dont know of any Amiga`s with VR or of any software.. Sorry
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Mmm dead end I guess. I will investigate further. Obviously support for VR was mostly for SGI machines / wintel boxes primarily. Though there was limited support for VR in a couple of games, around the time of Escom. As they unsuccessfly marketed a couple of headsets.
Gloom might support it, worth checking some of the other Doom like games as well. Espicially that really dark one made by a demo group (sorry can't remember the name).
:-o
Some serious routing around is in order, but there must be some stuff hanging around. Espicially considering the Amiga was a multimedia platform.
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Hi,
Mmm dead end I guess.
What VR system are you using?
Modern 3D games are very much the equal to the older VR programs (But with more guns)..
my VR headset takes standard two standard NTSC video signals, There is ment to be a tracker module for a RS4422 (?) serial port (The one without error checking or something like that) which should be easy to use..
Obviously support for VR was mostly for SGI machines / wintel boxes primarily.
Not even Wintel boxes, VR systems were specially built, My headset and tracker was sold with a HP 700 series workstation
Espicially considering the Amiga was a multimedia platform.
That isnt problem, The main thing is two graphics cards are needed and the Amiga was late in using 3rd party graphics cards (Which I think was a good thing).
Anyway dont loose hope although I would say the software is the least of the problems, Interfacing the headset, Thats not nice...
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Funny you sould ask that, I have just bought a VR system (2X Virtual Research VR4 headsets and tracking module)
The problem is connecting the darn thing up, It needs to individual video inputs, I intend to hook it up to my A3000 (Which has two video outputs) but they are not off set so I may end up cross eyed quickly..
I read a thread a while back where someone mentioned that he could play Quake against his firend on one amiga using two separate monitors. I don't recall what setup he had but it seems technically possible. If any software supports such a setup for 3D glasses is beyond me though.
How much did you pay for the VR-thingies?
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I remember seeing a VR system based on an A-3000 with headset, tracker and a device to control your shoting/running.
This system was build around an A3K but it also featured an additional card with a TMS 34020 graphic processor with TMs 34082 coprocessor.
I remember the game I tried on it, you where just suposed to shot you opponent and beware of a green dragon that would grab you and fly away. Very funny and advanced back then:-)
The machine was called 1000CS and was made by W-industries.
(edited)
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Troels_E wrote:
I remember seeing a VR system based on an A-3000 with headset, tracker and a device to control your shoting/running.
This system was build around an A3K but it also featured some additional cards, which I don't know what was:-(
Wasn't it two A3000's? I remember reading about it in "Det Nye Computer", i think.
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More information about Amiga VR systems can be found here.
Quite an interesting page:-)
http://amiga.emugaming.com/amigavr.html
The Escom VR soloution are also mentioned, and it says that only Gloom Deluxe and Nemac IV directors cut supports it.
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Hi All
Way back in the hay days of Perth,s Amiga Dev Club
2 guys had a crude VR system working with 2 A500s
Linked via Serial for visual left right offset data.
& Synced 1 A500 via Genlock pins to others output.
Each ran a custom Player based on 3D Scape files.
I built a HEADSET for them from Sony CamCorder Viewfinders & a tracking system using Mouse choppers with a spring loaded draw thread.
I hacked a mouse driver to give instant panning when using virtual screens ie 2000+ x 2000+ 4bit.
The result was really good remembering the displays
were monochrome & there was no texturing.
But the 3D was excellent & immersive.
Now I'll have to try & dig it out I still have the HD :)
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Hi,
How much did you pay for the VR-thingies?
£50 for the first one and £25 for the second
plus P&P
a real bargain I think..
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I remember VR on the Amiga and as someone above mentioned, it was done by a company called W-industries in England.
I also remember all the Amiga powered VR pods scattered throughout the country in amusement arcades powered by A3000's.
The game I played on one was a 4 player linked game where you were flying a helicopter. I remember it most because the frame rate wasn't great and I got shot down within about a minute.
If my memory serves me the Trocodera (spelt wrong) in London still has a couple of the unit's working in there last time I visited this year which surprised me.
As for how to get VR working on an Amiga, I'm afraid I have no idea.
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Didn`t Escom bring out some kind of 3D glasses for the Amiga ?
I-Glasses ?
I remember Gloom supporting them.
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Didn`t Escom bring out some kind of 3D glasses for the Amiga ?
I-Glasses ?
I remember Gloom supporting them.
Has anyone here tried those I-Glasses? I remember reading about them back in the days, but never got an opportunity to test them out.
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Way back in the day, I saw a VR system running on an Amiga 3000 at an Amiga convention - I think it was at Wayville showgrounds in Adelaide. The thing I remember most about it was that it displayed on the A3000's screen, but the display was backwards. The correct display was on the VR headset.
As I recall, the image lagged motion a fair bit, and they said it tended to make people feel nauseous :-S
I'm afraid I don't remember the name of the package they were running.
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There was a company in the mid-late 1990's called Virtuality that made 3d VR games using Amigas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuality_%28gaming%29
There was another effort, something called X-Specs shutterglasses, also in the 1990s somewhere. I think I still have a set of that in a box somewhere in storage. I can't find anythign abotu the spaceship battle game that I remember for it. Google comes back with something called Space Spuds, but I don't recognize that game. What I remember was more of a 3d flight-simulator, and 2-players could play in a dogfight sort of game in a 3d arena, but I can't find anything about that searching today.
I saw both of these when I was in college, in mid-1990s.
I remember wishing for the iGlasses, but never did see them in person myself. I've seen them on Ebay a couple times, but haven't had money for the working ones that turn up.
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The Amiga VR sets were like wearing sweaty bowling balls on your head, surmounted by headache-inducing postage-stamp sized TVs in front of your eyes. Never worked for me.
I'm told by a friend who is a developer for the Oculus Rift that VR is now a completely different experience. We'll see I guess.
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Nemac IV supports VR with headtracker.
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There was a software (free?) called Navigator that claimed to be virtual
reality engine for Amigas.I think game Coala (flight sim.) used it.
It came with some examples of virtual environments and it can work
nicely on 030 or even faster 020.Looks like those VR Mech and pterodactyl
games but reminds me most of Dire Straits video "Money for Nothing".
I think I have it somewhere if anyone needs and if it's shareware or freeware but I think it should be on Aminet.
Here it is : http://aminet.net/package/gfx/misc/navpro
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Wow! A thread revived from 2002. Is this a record for Amiga.org?