Varjo Aero - getting started guide somewhere?

[Patricks]

Just ordered one, so I feel like i'm starting from scratch from my HP G2v2. DO I need to uninstall WMR? OpenXR Toolkit? Really clueless, 1st use of a Steam base station also.. 

[dburne]

1 hour ago, Patricks said:

Just ordered one, so I feel like i'm starting from scratch from my HP G2v2. DO I need to uninstall WMR? OpenXR Toolkit? Really clueless, 1st use of a Steam base station also.. 

 

Check DCS VR subforum. Big thread there on the Aero with a lot of good information. 

Also suggest subscribing to the Varjo Discord, they communicate with customers a lot in there.

[Patricks]

Thanks, I remember the DCS thread now that you mention it, read it back when I originally (~2 years ago?) Had an Aero ordered and they (vendor, not Varjo) botched the order up after 5 months waiting and said I could re-order and wait again, I declined.. Glad I waited!

[Voxman]

On 9/20/2023 at 10:32 AM, Patricks said:

Just ordered one, so I feel like i'm starting from scratch from my HP G2v2. DO I need to uninstall WMR? OpenXR Toolkit? Really clueless, 1st use of a Steam base station also.. 

 

@Patricks how was your success in getting the Varjo operational on your system, coming from the G2?  I'm in the same situation, and would appreciate any suggestions and tips, thank you.

[Patricks]

18 hours ago, Voxman said:

 

@Patricks how was your success in getting the Varjo operational on your system, coming from the G2?  I'm in the same situation, and would appreciate any suggestions and tips, thank you.

 

It was quite simple, just totally different than the G2. Do remove any traces of WMR, HP software, and if you used it, OpenComposite switcher and anything specific to the G2. You can use OpenXR Toolkit IF you use the general Quad_Views Foveated rendering API MBuccia wrote but my advice is to keep it simple, at least at first. Uninstall as I decribed, Disable or uninstall XRToolkit, then install Latest Varjo Base, latest firmware, latest Varjo Foveated Rendering API. In IL-2, if you use it, XRNeckSafer just works as designed. In DCS you may run into issues with it, but they are easily resolved if you know the process.. You will love the clarity, noticing little things you never saw before... 

[Voxman]

3 hours ago, Patricks said:

 

It was quite simple, just totally different than the G2. Do remove any traces of WMR, HP software, and if you used it, OpenComposite switcher and anything specific to the G2. You can use OpenXR Toolkit IF you use the general Quad_Views Foveated rendering API MBuccia wrote but my advice is to keep it simple, at least at first. Uninstall as I decribed, Disable or uninstall XRToolkit, then install Latest Varjo Base, latest firmware, latest Varjo Foveated Rendering API. In IL-2, if you use it, XRNeckSafer just works as designed. In DCS you may run into issues with it, but they are easily resolved if you know the process.. You will love the clarity, noticing little things you never saw before... 

 

Thank you for the tips!

I was using XRNeckSafer with the G2, that's a marvelous piece of software.

 

Are you using one or two base stations?

[Patricks]

7 minutes ago, Voxman said:

 

Thank you for the tips!

I was using XRNeckSafer with the G2, that's a marvelous piece of software.

 

Are you using one or two base stations?

 

I use two, but if just seated doing flight/racing you can get away with 1..

[Voxman]

On 12/14/2023 at 3:09 AM, Patricks said:

 

It was quite simple, just totally different than the G2. Do remove any traces of WMR, HP software, and if you used it, OpenComposite switcher and anything specific to the G2. You can use OpenXR Toolkit IF you use the general Quad_Views Foveated rendering API MBuccia wrote but my advice is to keep it simple, at least at first. Uninstall as I decribed, Disable or uninstall XRToolkit, then install Latest Varjo Base, latest firmware, latest Varjo Foveated Rendering API. In IL-2, if you use it, XRNeckSafer just works as designed. In DCS you may run into issues with it, but they are easily resolved if you know the process.. You will love the clarity, noticing little things you never saw before... 

 

I followed most of what you wrote up, but am having problems with XRNecksafer in IL2.  Not sure where the issue lies, but other than that the headset just blows away the G2 in FOV clarity.  Well worth the upgrade.

[Patricks]

6 minutes ago, Voxman said:

 

I followed most of what you wrote up, but am having problems with XRNecksafer in IL2.  Not sure where the issue lies, but other than that the headset just blows away the G2 in FOV clarity.  Well worth the upgrade.

 

Not sure as in IL-2 I never had issues with XRNS (DCS, yes!) What is happening exactly? As Foveated is nor active in IL-2 as long as you are running OpenXR in Varjo Base it should just work.. using auto-rotation, yes? Here are my settings, but I come from a TrackIR so you may need to adjust..

 

 

[Voxman]

Thanks for those settings.  I'm a trackIR user, since trackIR 2 I think, until my first VR purchase in July.

 

Unfortunately I'm still not able to get it working.  I think I need to uninstall, but also get into the registry.  Not sure what will clean out all of those files this program has, so at least I'll have a clean install when I do that today.

 

Any tips on that will always be appreciated!

[Patricks]

1 minute ago, Voxman said:

Thanks for those settings.  I'm a trackIR user, since trackIR 2 I think, until my first VR purchase in July.

 

Unfortunately I'm still not able to get it working.  I think I need to uninstall, but also get into the registry.  Not sure what will clean out all of those files this program has, so at least I'll have a clean install when I do that today.

 

Any tips on that will always be appreciated!

 

Are you setting a "center" key in XRNS that matches your "VR Center" key in IL-2? You must then hit that key once in the cockpit to activate XRNS.. does it show\light upthe "center key" button on your desktop when you hit it? When you click OpenXR and Show API layers, is Necksafer there?

[Voxman]

5 hours ago, Patricks said:

 

Are you setting a "center" key in XRNS that matches your "VR Center" key in IL-2? You must then hit that key once in the cockpit to activate XRNS.. does it show\light upthe "center key" button on your desktop when you hit it? When you click OpenXR and Show API layers, is Necksafer there?

Yes, I'm using a center in XRNS on my joystick that matches VRcentr in IL2.   It does light up on the desktop.

 

Now here's the tricky part.  I'm using the Varjo OpenXR, as indicated in the following screenshot from the SteamVR OPENXR menu, which is also checked in the Varjo Base software.

 

The program doesn't work at all with these ticked off and Steam VR handling OpenXR as well.

 

Kind of at a loss on this.

 

 

[Patricks]

Not tricky at all, you are running IL-2 in SteamVR (OpenVR) and not in OpenXR. Also, if you have installed\are running Varjo Foveated (which I see no API for) you need to DISABLE OpenXR Toolkit (they are not compatible). If you are running Quad_Views Foveated (which I don't see as installed either) you can leave it enabled. Neither one works in IL-2, only DCS (and possibly MSFS), so if you are only running IL-2 neither really needs to be installed\loaded. Having OXRTK installed\running does add an issue in DCS, but should not be a problem in IL-2. SteamVR should not be running at all (other than in the background for base station tracking), seeing the Steam interface is the dead giveaway. You likely have not installed the OpenXR version of "openvr_api.dll" into your "x:\IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\bin\game" folder. You need to rename the original or save it somewhere, then place the new one in place. Bet that solves your issues and you won't see SteamVR anymore..  

 

So:

1. Download and save the "openvr_api.dll" file for OpenXR. Make note of its size and date to verify later

2. Rename x:\IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\bin\game\openvr_api.dll to "orig_openvr_api.dll" (or anything you want)

3. Copy/Paste the new openvr_api.dll to x:\IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\bin\game\, check to see its there and the right one.

4. Start XRNS

5. Launch IL-2 (I put a  shortcut on desktop) SteamVR Interface should not be running on your desktop

6. Once in the game hit the recenter key to activate XRNS, at that point it should work (also at this point, if you want, you can pop back into the Varjo Workspace (your desktop) and look at the XRNS app, it should  be showing your head movements IIRC)..

 

Let me know how you do, or new questions.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Patricks

[Voxman]

Thank you Patricks!!!!

 

That's what did it.  I needed the *.dll file, and I thought I had done that earlier, but I guess it got missed in all the excitement of this installation of the headset.

 

Happy Holidays!

[Patricks]

8 minutes ago, Voxman said:

Thank you Patricks!!!!

That's what did it.  I needed the *.dll file, and I thought I had done that earlier, but I guess it got missed in all the excitement of this installation of the headset.

Happy Holidays!

 

Your quite welcome, now you can play with the XRNS settings to tune it the way you want, and enjoy the Aero!

Happy Holidays!