Step-by-Step instructions for openxr and necksafer for WMR sets

[TheWarsimmer]

I know this can be a bit confusing, so here is a step-by-step guide for getting openxr and necksafer. This is for WMR headsets (i.e. reverbs). The fps boost is incredible for a lot of people and worth it. It will bypass steam and give you scaling and other options that are very worth it (i.e. shaking reduction, which will be explained below). If I miss anything, please let know. It took me a bit to figure this all out, and there didn't seem to be a step-by-step that I could find.

 

How to get openxr and the toolkit running:

 

1) Go to https://gitlab.com/znixian/OpenOVR/-/tree/openxr and download the open composite launcher- reference the pic- it is highlighted in blue. Just to be safe, also download the DLL for 32 or 64 bit (usually 64 bit is what you need), also highlighted in blue. Save them wherever you want on your PC.

 

2) Go to https://mbucchia.github.io/OpenXR-Toolkit/ and download the openXR toolkit (the blue button that says "download the latest"). Save it wherever you want.

 

3) Unzip the OpenComposite folder you downloaded (openxr) and then run the program. It's a simple program that will let you switch between using OpenComposite or SteamVr. Switch to OpenComposite once the DLLs finish automatically downloading.

 

4) Just to be safe, you should take the openvr_api.dll that you also  downloaded (in step 1) and paste it into Il-2's bin/game folder (usually C:\Steam\SteamApps\common\IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad\bin\game). It will overwrite the openvr_api.dll that is already there, so back up the dll if you wish. You can now play Il-2 without SteamVR running. For me, the easiest way to do this is to go into steam, launch the game, and then select launch in VR. The game will launch in VR without SteamVR starting. 

 

5) Run the OpenXR Toolkit setup file that you downloaded in step 2, and install the program. Open the program, and you will notice a white box at the bottom. It should be empty. Close the program.

 

6) Run Il-2. Go into Steam and hit play, and launch in VR when presented with the option. The game should launch in VR without SteamVR starting. Exit the game and open the OpenXR toolkit again. You should see something like "OpenComposite_Il-2(Il-2.exe)" in the white box at the bottom now, and you should make sure it is CHECKED. You can now use the OpenXR tools in game.

 

7) Launch Il-2 again in VR, and hit CTRL+F2 once the game loads. The toolkit menu should open up and you can now modify settings to your liking. By default, CTRL+F1 navigates left, CTRL+F2 navigates down, and CTRL+F3 Navigates right. Here are the settings that I think are important, but you should decide what is best for you.

 

Under SYSTEM:
-override the resolution (if using a G2) and set to 3176x (the same 100% resolution steamvr uses- this is important because when you adjust size/scaling it will base off this res)
-make sure all reprojection is off

 

Under PERFORMANCE:
-Upscaling NIS (NIS is better for ID'ing of planes than FSR, imo. This is subjective however.)
-size 75% (this is the scaling- so if you set it to 75% it will scale at 75% of the 3176x resolution you set)
-Sharpness 90% (Having this set to a high value really helps, and doesn't cause much shimmer at all imo)
-anamorphic off
-Mip map bias off

 

Under APPEARANCE:
-Change the world scale if desired. I think things look too small, so change it to 112%

-You have the option of turning post-processing ON and then altering values like contrasts, brightness, etc. I prefer the contrast to be bumped up just a hair, to 60.

 

Under INPUTS:

-Change "Shaking Reduction" to -40. This is HUGE imo. A big problem when zooming in while using VR is that the headset will pick up micro shaking in your HMD, and the planes will jitter all over the place, making the ID'ing of planes very difficult. This removes the jitter.

 

*You will have to restart the game for the changes to take effect. Enjoy your increase in FPS and easier ID'ing of planes.

*You do NOT have to open the toolkit and opencomposite launcher when starting the game anymore.

 

How to Get NeckSafer working:

 

-Download the file at https://gitlab.com/NobiWan/xrnecksafer - Save it wherever you like (note that this is the link to the OpenXR version of necksafer)

 

-NobiWan has recently updated necksafer, and install and use is simple. Simply run the .msi installer. It will place a link to the app on your desktop and in the windows start menu.

 

-Be sure to open the program and set the desired parameters before playing. Details on how it works are in the provided link.

 

 

Big thank you to the creators. These are amazing tools for Il-2 in VR imo!

 

Edited September 22, 2022 by TheWarsimmer

[Bando]

Thanks. As soon as my device checks in I'll give this a go.

[J2_NobiWan]

Don't forget to run the install script in the  OpenXrApiLayer folder after copying it from the XRNeckSafer.zip to Program files. ?

[TheWarsimmer]

51 minutes ago, J2_NobiWan said:

Don't forget to run the install script in the  OpenXrApiLayer folder after copying it from the XRNeckSafer.zip to Program files. ?

Thanks. I'll add it.

[Youtch]

On 8/12/2022 at 1:54 PM, TheWarsimmer said:

Sharpness 90% (Having this set to a high value really helps, and doesn't cause much shimmer at all imo)

I am assuming that you are using it without in-game sharpening.

 

Have you tried to compare the other way around, with in-game sharpening and 10% in OpenVr toolkit?

 

It would be good as well to know your startup.cfg settings to put thinks into context.

 

Many thanks for posting this, i think a summary like this was needed.

[TheWarsimmer]

20 hours ago, Youtch said:

I am assuming that you are using it without in-game sharpening.

 

Have you tried to compare the other way around, with in-game sharpening and 10% in OpenVr toolkit?

 

It would be good as well to know your startup.cfg settings to put thinks into context.

 

Many thanks for posting this, i think a summary like this was needed.

 

I don't use the in game sharpening- it would be interesting to try just as you suggested. I know that if you use high sharpening via openxr you should avoid using it in the game settings and vice-versa. 

 

As far as the settings, that will always be up to the individual and depends on their component setup. I think the key is to be aware of, and modify as needed:

sharpness

scaling percentage

world scale

shake reduction

 

I can't tell you how much shake reduction has helped improved my ID'ing of planes. 

[Youtch]

I tried NIS 90% without game sharpening, and I feel it brings quite a lot of shimmering compared to FSR 10% plus in-game sharpening.

[firdimigdi]

2 hours ago, TheWarsimmer said:

I know that if you use high sharpening via openxr you should avoid using it in the game settings and vice-versa. 

 

The thing with ingame sharpening is that it's applied before any upscaling and the upscaling algorithm (FSR/NIS) upscales the sharpened image. According to both vendors' SDK that should be avoided and sharpening should be applied after upscaling by using the sharpening filter provided by each suite.

[Youtch]

Maybe the shimmering is due then to the high % of sharpening with NIS.

[Chilli_40]

On 8/12/2022 at 6:54 AM, TheWarsimmer said:

I know this can be a bit confusing, so here is a step-by-step guide for getting openxr and necksafer. This is for WMR headsets (i.e. reverbs). The fps boost is incredible for a lot of people and worth it. It will bypass steam and give you scaling and other options that are very worth it (i.e. shaking reduction, which will be explained below). If I miss anything, please let know. It took me a bit to figure this all out, and there didn't seem to be a step-by-step that I could find.

 

How to get openxr and the toolkit running:

 

1) Go to https://gitlab.com/znixian/OpenOVR/-/tree/openxr and download the open composite launcher- reference the pic- it is highlighted in blue. Just to be safe, also download the DLL for 32 or 64 bit (usually 64 bit is what you need), also highlighted in blue. Save them wherever you want on your PC.

 

2) Go to https://mbucchia.github.io/OpenXR-Toolkit/ and download the openXR toolkit (the blue button that says "download the latest"). Save it wherever you want.

 

3) Unzip the OpenComposite folder you downloaded (openxr) and then run the program. It's a simple program that will let you switch between using OpenComposite or SteamVr. Switch to OpenComposite once the DLLs finish automatically downloading.

 

4) Just to be safe, you should take the openvr_api.dll that you also  downloaded (in step 1) and paste it into Il-2's bin/game folder (usually C:\Steam\SteamApps\common\IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad\bin\game). It will overwrite the openvr_api.dll that is already there, so back up the dll if you wish. You can now play Il-2 without SteamVR running. For me, the easiest way to do this is to go into steam, launch the game, and then select launch in VR. The game will launch in VR without SteamVR starting. 

 

5) Run the OpenXR Toolkit setup file that you downloaded in step 2, and install the program. Open the program, and you will notice a white box at the bottom. It should be empty. Close the program.

 

6) Run Il-2. Go into Steam and hit play, and launch in VR when presented with the option. The game should launch in VR without SteamVR starting. Exit the game and open the OpenXR toolkit again. You should see something like "OpenComposite_Il-2(Il-2.exe)" in the white box at the bottom now, and you should make sure it is CHECKED. You can now use the OpenXR tools in game.

 

7) Launch Il-2 again in VR, and hit CTRL+F2 once the game loads. The toolkit menu should open up and you can now modify settings to your liking. By default, CTRL+F1 navigates left, CTRL+F2 navigates down, and CTRL+F3 Navigates right. Here are the settings that I think are important, but you should decide what is best for you.

 

Under SYSTEM:
-override the resolution (if using a G2) and set to 3176x (the same 100% resolution steamvr uses- this is important because when you adjust size/scaling it will base off this res)
-make sure all reprojection is off

 

Under PERFORMANCE:
-Upscaling NIS (NIS is better for ID'ing of planes than FSR, imo. This is subjective however.)
-size 75% (this is the scaling- so if you set it to 75% it will scale at 75% of the 3176x resolution you set)
-Sharpness 90% (Having this set to a high value really helps, and doesn't cause much shimmer at all imo)
-anamorphic off
-Mip map bias off

 

Under APPEARANCE:
-Change the world scale if desired. I think things look too small, so change it to 112%

-You have the option of turning post-processing ON and then altering values like contrasts, brightness, etc. I prefer the contrast to be bumped up just a hair, to 60.

 

Under INPUTS:

-Change "Shaking Reduction" to -40. This is HUGE imo. A big problem when zooming in while using VR is that the headset will pick up micro shaking in your HMD, and the planes will jitter all over the place, making the ID'ing of planes very difficult. This removes the jitter.

 

*You will have to restart the game for the changes to take effect. Enjoy your increase in FPS and easier ID'ing of planes.

*You do NOT have to open the toolkit and opencomposite launcher when starting the game anymore.

 

How to Get NeckSafer working:

 

-Download the file at https://gitlab.com/NobiWan/xrnecksafer - it will be titled XRNeckSaferBeta2b.zip. Save it wherever you like.

 

-Unzip the folder once downloaded.

 

-Copy and paste ONLY the OpenXrApiLayer folder into your program files folder (usually c:\program files)

 

-Go to program files\OpenXrApiLayer folder and run "Install-XR_APILAYER_NOVENDOR_XRNeckSafer.ps1" as a PowerShell script (right click on it and select "Execute with PowerShell"). This will install the API Layer.

 

-Open the XRNeckSaferApp.exe. You now have necksafer and can modify the settings to your liking. Refer to the link for a description on how to set it up how you prefer.

 

 

Big thank you to the creators. These are amazing tools for Il-2 in VR imo!

 

Cannot thank you enough for doing this!

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

Have we any word on whether we're allowed to use this in MP? Or may we only use it in SP?

[SvAF/F16_Goblin]

23 minutes ago, So_ein_Feuerball said:

Have we any word on whether we're allowed to use this in MP? Or may we only use it in SP?

So far no problems and no reports that it exclude MP.

[kirk66]

Any chance of getting these instructions for a standalone Rift S setup? Or a link? Running a potato (7700k, 1080ti, 64gb RAM) so need all the help I can get!

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Vulture

[firdimigdi]

13 hours ago, kirk66 said:

Any chance of getting these instructions for a standalone Rift S setup? Or a link? Running a potato (7700k, 1080ti, 64gb RAM) so need all the help I can get!

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Vulture

 

It's actually pretty much the same, just make sure you press this button in the Oculus app for the OpenXR runtime.

[ACG_Stachl]

I suppose this is a stupid question since no one else is asking, but how does one make these changes in 11 seconds?  Is there some way of slowing it down? 

[firdimigdi]

2 hours ago, ACG_Stachl said:

I suppose this is a stupid question since no one else is asking, but how does one make these changes in 11 seconds?  Is there some way of slowing it down? 

 

I guess you mean the OpenXR Toolkit autohiding menu: there's an option to turn off the timer under Menu > Menu timeout.

[ACG_Stachl]

Thank you Firdimigdi.  Will try it. 

[J2_NobiWan]

Hi @TheWarsimmer, could you update your nice guide for the new XRNeckSafer Installer? All you need to do for XRNS to install is to run the Installer. The latest version will always be linked here: https://gitlab.com/NobiWan/xrnecksafer/

Current version is XRNeckSaferBeta4a.msi

 

Thanks!

 J2_NobiWan

[-=CC=-Iku_CC]

Howdy,

Was first using VR Neck Safer and there was cfg file which I could copy to use for different games. I had settings for IL2 and DCS and in my script i copied cfg file over the VRNeckSafer.cfg to get game specific buttons.

 

I tested this XR Neck saver but I can't find same cfg file anymore...so I can't make same thing. Is there that file somewhere or is it at registery?

 

Edit: I found it..it was added to path where most of software write stuff (C:\Programdata)...
C:\ProgramData\XRNeckSafer\XRNeckSafer.cfg

Edit2: And if you read carefully (I didn't) instructions there is mention of file folders..:)

Edited September 25, 2022 by -=CC=-Iku_CC

[ACG_TBird]

Many thanks, TheWarSimmer. Installing this with my Rift S has seen my fps double to 80, compared to Steam VR!

[TheWarsimmer]

3 hours ago, paulferris1964 said:

Many thanks, TheWarSimmer. Installing this with my Rift S has seen my fps double to 80, compared to Steam VR!

 

No problem! NobiWan and the openxr devs are the one who did it all- I just wanted to create a post that explained it in once place. I had similar results- it makes a huge difference and everyone who has fps issues should try it imo

[sierrabob]

I can't get opencomposite.exe to run. When I select use opencomposite  I get an error message about it's permission. I've given it permission in Norton and I'm trying to run it as administrator. I'm running Windows 11. Any ideas?

[sierrabob]

This is what I get

[TheWarsimmer]

1 hour ago, sierrabob said:

I can't get opencomposite.exe to run. When I select use opencomposite  I get an error message about it's permission. I've given it permission in Norton and I'm trying to run it as administrator. I'm running Windows 11. Any ideas?

 

Have you tried replacing just the dll file in the il2 folder and then running without specifically using the program? Worth a try. Be sure to backup the original though

[sierrabob]

That worked! I'm now making the changes to the Toolkit. So far no changes to the FPS but things look much better. I'll keep working on it. Thanks for the help!

[TheWarsimmer]

If you change the scaling it should increase fps dramatically. If you put it on something like 75% the gpu will only be running three quarters of the amount of pixels it normally does.

[sierrabob]

Under system override resolution, I have a G2 and the highest resolution is 2088, it doesn't go to 3176 and under performance, upscaling is on NIS and size is 75% and the FPS is the same 45 fps. I'm using an I7 8700k overclocked 40% at 5.2 ghz and a rtx 3090. Maybe my in game settings are wrong. I must be doing something wrong. I just don't know what. Any ideas?

Edited October 1, 2022 by sierrabob

[TheWarsimmer]

If it's stuck at 45fps it may be that you have reprojection on. See if that's the issue and disable it if so, then adjust the scaling to your liking- finding a good balance between resolution and fps. With a card like yours you should be able to run at very high scaling (maybe start at 85%) and get a MUCH higher framerate.

Edited October 1, 2022 by TheWarsimmer

[sierrabob]

Maybe I'm using the wrong version of toolkit. Under system I don't see the term reprojection anywhere. I've looked at all menu items and I don't see

that term anywhere.

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by sierrabob

[firdimigdi]

8 hours ago, sierrabob said:

Under system override resolution, I have a G2 and the highest resolution is 2088, it doesn't go to 3176 and under performance, upscaling is on NIS and size is 75% and the FPS is the same 45 fps. I'm using an I7 8700k overclocked 40% at 5.2 ghz and a rtx 3090. Maybe my in game settings are wrong. I must be doing something wrong. I just don't know what. Any ideas?

 

Make sure you have it configured like so:

 

6 hours ago, sierrabob said:

Maybe I'm using the wrong version of toolkit. Under system I don't see the term reprojection anywhere. I've looked at all menu items and I don't see

that term anywhere.

 

Make sure WMR is set to handle the OpenXR runtime. Normally either the Portal or OpenXR Tools (not Toolkit) will let you know if it is not and give you the option to set it.

 

EDIT:

Come to think of it, both issues can be attributed to having SteamVR, for example, act as your OpenXR runtime handler. But check the above anyhow.

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Firdimigdi

[sierrabob]

Firdimigdi all my settings are as you have shown. But when I start windows mixed reality it says right at the top of the window Windows Mixed reality is not set up to run openxr. I can't figure out how to set it up. OK I found and downloaded the windows openxr tools so now IL-2 runs without SteamVR. 

I'm now getting 60 fps and I'll use the openxr toolkit and see if I can get even higher fps. 

Edited October 1, 2022 by sierrabob

[firdimigdi]

39 minutes ago, sierrabob said:

Firdimigdi all my settings are as you have shown. But when I start windows mixed reality it says right at the top of the window Windows Mixed reality is not set up to run openxr. I can't figure out how to set it up.

Get this

https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/9N5CVVL23QBT?hl=en-us&gl=US

 

and in the runtime tab it'll give you the option to set it.

[sierrabob]

Thanks, I've got it working. This really helped thanks!!

[kissTheSky]

I’m really on the fence with this. My other favorite game implemented native OpenXR, and works quite well and I don’t want to mess that up (I used to spend 80-90% of my play time in that one anyway). Truth be told, I didn’t even started IL-2 since last February.
 

I’m a single player exclusively and micro stutters on my rather capable system (10700KF, 3090, 32Mb ram, nVME SSD) is making the gameplay less than ideal, which is why I’m tempted this, but not at the risk of ruining my other gameplay experience.

[firdimigdi]

There's no risk involved. Native OpenXR apps are unaffected and you can selectively disable the OpenXR Toolkit per app.

 

That said it does not magically solve IL2's singleplayer woes.

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Firdimigdi

[kissTheSky]

3 hours ago, Firdimigdi said:

 

That said it does not magically solve IL2's singleplayer woes.

 

Sigh. Well then, no need to try.

[Tonester]

This has been a god send! I use a Reverb G1 and it has dramatically improved my experience...thanks so much...OpenXR combined with NeckSafer

a sensational combination

Edited October 3, 2022 by Tonester
poor grammar

[TCW_DirtyMike0330]

Just to clarify: is the process the same for the standalone game as opposed to the Steam version? I have open composite running for DCS and want to give it a shot with IL2 as well but I notice that your instructions reference Steam. Thanks for the write-up!

 

EDIT: Yes, same process ?

Edited October 9, 2022 by TCW_DirtyMike0330

[ITAF_Airone1989]

Thanks @TheWarsimmer, since I use OpenXR my VR experience has been significantly improved.
I have only one small problem: the initial loading time of the game has increased a lot, like 6-7 minutes before the game's home appears. Any idea about how to fix this?

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by ITAF_Airone1989

[TheWarsimmer]

5 hours ago, ITAF_Airone1989 said:

Thanks @TheWarsimmer, since I use OpenXR my VR experience has been significantly improved.
I have only one small problem: the initial loading time of the game has increased a lot, like 6-7 minutes before the game's home appears. Any idea about how to fix this?

 

Hmmm that's odd. I don't know why it would do that. Maybe someone else may know.