This topic is solved, please read Reply #7 and #8 for details.

What a funny experience this thing is.

But I'm currently wondering how to get the collimation in the VC to work since my gauge is a static one.
When I move my head or viewpoint (using TrackIR here), it loses its alignment which shouldn't happen.

The manual shows these pictures to explain the collimation.
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8530/collimation.th.jpg
while my VC looks like this
http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/4857/vc1f.th.jpg
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/9809/vc2f.th.jpg
and therefore gets misaligned when changing the viewpoint.

My first though was that I may be looking at the default gauge, but the gun panel activates all targeting views and the panel.cfg also shows that
[code]gauge03=CSWeapon!hud3d, 526, 515, 550, 550[/code]
under [Vcockpit01] is active. So the CS 3D HUD gauge is operational as you can see here.
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4446/vc3p.th.jpg

So, where's my error here?

Hmmm. All i can tell you is that with a real fighter plane (i was in the RCAF for 11 years, 2 of them with 441 SQN, wich was flying the CF-188.) if your head is not fairly centered or if you move your head around, this is exactly what will happen.

Cheers, Al.

I don't question your experience of course, but I think what actually happens at real planes is the thing described in the CS manuals (see the excerpt pictures) while the thing happening in the sim (see my pictures) is the faulty one, currently. The alignment is missing.

In the real plane, the lines of the HUD stay aligned while you lose them (the lines, not the alignment) out of the pilot's sight when your head gets too far out of the center position. That's the thing the manual's pictures show, a collimated HUD.
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7761/collimation1.jpg
See those "disappearing" HUD lines? That's because it stays aligned to the outside world = correct behavior when moving your head out of the center zone.

I own three other planes with collimated HUDs and they all show this behavior very well. The CS F-18 (the armed version of the Acceleration thing) should be the forth one but it currently isn't.


Tho older and easier (from the programming aspect) non collimated HUD technique can be seen on that Acceleration F-18 (without the CS weapons pack) or on some freeware birds. You always have your HUD and all its lines in sight, regardless of the head position, but therefore those lines aren't aligned to the outside world.
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8762/vc4w.jpg
See that the whole HUD is visible although the viewpoint is way out of center? That's the wrong behavior because your HUD isn't aligned to the outside world anymore.

So maybe another owner of this addon can check if his HUD lines stay aligned or start to move when your head is moving.

Just uploaded VC HUD collimation video:

http://www.captainsim.com/products/w001/video.html

Great video, showing exactly what I mean, collimation.  :)

Now I have to wonder, why I don't see that happening on my current installation.
I've downloaded the installer again and tried repair and even uninstall/install.
The HUD stays the same (static, not collimated) and I'm wondering if some other guys can reproduce this thing. :-/

All panel.cfg entries seem to be there, I've also checked the SDK manual to look for all gauge and xml files mentioned. They are there, at the right spots of that FSX installation.

Thanks.
Do you use some 3D goggles?
We are talking about default F/A-18, right?

I'm just using TrackIR, no 3D goggles.

Talking about the armed CS variant of the Acceleration F-18. I'm clicking this thumbnail
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/3518/thumbnailar.th.jpg
and get the F-18 with all panels concerning the weapons (CS Weapon Control, 2D HUD and the "glass" background).

The VC HUD is changed too, I can see the weapon modes coming up there, but it doesn't behave like a collimated one as you can see on the screenshots.

I'm afraid TrackIR is the answer. :(
Probably there's some additional setup required.
We have provided compatibility with default FSX tools and PC hadware only.

But, Alex, in your video, how do you move "your" head there? I assume by using the default FSX key commands.
The effect will be the same as doing it with TrackIR.

But I'll do another shot where I just use those FSX commands or the joystick pan switch, ok? Maybe this is the key aspect here. I'll report back soon.

Alex, (sadly), you are right. I'm actually using EZCA together with TrackIR and if I move my viewpoint with one of those tools (EZCA would be keyboard/joystick based while TrackIR tracks your head), the HUD doesn't stay aligned/follow.
If I use the default FSX keyboard commands, it stays aligned.
Since those other birds I've mentioned (which offer a collimated HUD too) actually work with EZCA and TrackIR, I'll place my wish on the list to make this stuff work with the CS gauge.

Of course, this is a fun product and it's not very expensive, so I'm ok here, but if it should advance in development, this TrackIR and EZCA compatible collimation would be very appreciated. I think that those two addons are very common around flight sim people, especially the military flying ones.

Thanks for your help here, I was really wondering what I could have done wrong when installing.
So this is solved and maybe it should be pointed out that the very good collimation feature currently doesn't support TrackIR and/or EZCA head movement.

I'll therefore change the thread title.

I misunderstood your thread. I thought you meant you should be able to see the HUD symbols  no matter what position your head is. I see now you are talkig about another issue. My bad.

Al. :-[

No problem, silverfox441. I'm always thankful for any comment, any conclusion and any input.

Enjoy your flights and keep on helping.  :)

Hi, new here. And, of course, asking for things...

I was very interested in HUD collimation as I use a 3D display, and HUD's can't be properly used in a stereoscopic image when they are rendered over the HUD glass.

I have another company F-16 and the HUD is seen as collimated when 3D is on to my utter pleasure. I love how it feels.

The technique they use is to render a big HUD outside the cockpit. It has the added benefit of working 'out of the box' with trackir and other head tracking devices without doing any extra work.
Unfortunately, to do this with the f-18, it would require to modify the 3D model as far as I know. That made me thing that the HUD in weapon was not really collimated (in the sense it is in AS f-16) when I saw the shots in the manual before purchasing.
But as I wanted the fun of weapons in FSX I got it anyway. Furthermore, I wanted to support this initiative.

Anyhow, despite I suspect that the answer is no: is it possible to collimate the HUD in the same fashion than AS f-16, instead of current implementation?

cheers all over here.