Proximity indicator

Keith Gregg · Mar 5, 2017

How many here would agree that the Helicorsa app should be official content...or something very much like it?
The default 'red arrow' indicator (which is one of the first things I disable) is just useless on triple screens...I find the Helicorsa app invaluable for a proximity display...I have it just offset to the right side of center view and roughly in the middle height wise so that it is nearly in my center view but I can register what it is telling me without moving my eyes from the road ahead...for such a useful app I find it also so unobtrusive and doesnt interfere with my view in any way...Kudos and thanks to the dev.
Regards

Brandon Wright · Mar 8, 2017

Keith Gregg said:
I'm not sure that I have my monitors setup properly judging by the comments here about being able to see whats next to you...I cant see any cars that are next to me unless I use the look left/right options (which I never do because that kinda spins my head out lol)...yes i can see the side and rear view mirrors and I do use them but I find that helicorsa just gives me that little extra info for, say, I am coming out of a bend and putting my foot down and I know there is a car right next to me it just gives me a better idea of how much room I have etc and when I can safely cut back in to the racing line without causing an accident...I just find it the best tool for giving me a better sense of spatial awareness and whats going on around me without too much distraction, to prevent knocks etc.
Regards

Exactly. Even with triples there's a big blind spot where you know there's a car beside you somewhere but you're not entirely sure exactly where it is or if you're clear of them. Helicorsa helps fill in that missing info.

Ian Cameron said:
With triple screens you should be able to see out your side windows, your nearest one just use your eyes to see out of it, the other one as in a real car you have to move your head slightly. cutting out the need to use left right buttons. Best thing I did getting triple screens. Gives you that bit more peripheral vision.

Depends on how you have your FOV setup and/or what view you use. I generally use the dash cam and with it I can only see a little bit out of my side windows, I can see most of the driver's side window but out the passenger side I can basically just see the mirror. I also use bumper cam a lot and with that view the camera is mounted on the very front of your car so another car could be up to your door and you still wouldn't be able to see them.

Ian Cameron · Mar 8, 2017

Brandon Wright said:
Exactly. Even with triples there's a big blind spot where you know there's a car beside you somewhere but you're not entirely sure exactly where it is or if you're clear of them. Helicorsa helps fill in that missing info.

Depends on how you have your FOV setup and/or what view you use. I generally use the dash cam and with it I can only see a little bit out of my side windows, I can see most of the driver's side window but out the passenger side I can basically just see the mirror. I also use bumper cam a lot and with that view the camera is mounted on the very front of your car so another car could be up to your door and you still wouldn't be able to see them.

Ok see where your coming from, I drive cockpit view, 3x27" screens, 60cm away from screen, side screens angled at 60 degrees, find it very immersive, but guess it's what everyone is used to and what's comfortable for them that matters.

Brandon Wright · Mar 8, 2017

Ian Cameron said:
Ok see where your coming from, I drive cockpit view, 3x27" screens, 60cm away from screen, side screens angled at 60 degrees, find it very immersive, but guess it's what everyone is used to and what's comfortable for them that matters.

That's pretty similar to my setup, but my screens are slightly further away. I find it very immersive too but there are still blind spots that Helicorsa helps me fill in. This is what my setup looks like, you can see that I really can't see squat out the passenger side window.

Ian Cameron · Mar 8, 2017

This is mine, albeit taken from just behind my seat but gives you an idea of what I can see. When sat in my driving position I'm not able to see the right monitor as shown here, but If I move my head slightly to the right to see out of the window, ( as you would do in a real car) I can see whats to my right, difficult to illustrate from this photo. This gives me quite good situational awareness, helped with Real Head Motion and Crew Chief.
Have been experimenting with FOV since the very beginning and still find myself changing it. Think my conclusion is with triple screens, and using the app for it, is to have the distance set to your correct distance from the screen and to sit as close to them as you can, in my case 60cm.
My wheel is set at the same height and distance from me as my real car is, also my seat, taken from a real car, is set correct distance and height, my pedals also set correct height, distance as my real car, sad I know, just adds to the realism. All I need now is to be able to set fast times I seem to be between 5 and 10 seconds slower than some of the top guys on here, but hey it's all good fun.

Brandon Wright · Mar 8, 2017

Ian Cameron said:
View attachment 178112
This is mine, albeit taken from just behind my seat but gives you an idea of what I can see. When sat in my driving position I'm not able to see the right monitor as shown here, but If I move my head slightly to the right to see out of the window, ( as you would do in a real car) I can see whats to my right, difficult to illustrate from this photo. This gives me quite good situational awareness, helped with Real Head Motion and Crew Chief.
Have been experimenting with FOV since the very beginning and still find myself changing it. Think my conclusion is with triple screens, and using the app for it, is to have the distance set to your correct distance from the screen and to sit as close to them as you can, in my case 60cm.
My wheel is set at the same height and distance from me as my real car is, also my seat, taken from a real car, is set correct distance and height, my pedals also set correct height, distance as my real car, sad I know, just adds to the realism. All I need now is to be able to set fast times I seem to be between 5 and 10 seconds slower than some of the top guys on here, but hey it's all good fun.

Looks like your monitors are at a much steeper angle than mine which allows more to be seen out the sides. I'm guessing that's cockpit cam? That one is more flexible and I could probably get more view out the passenger window if I used that but I've been using dash cam and bumper cam lately because the sense of movement/speed is greater and the track/cars/objects look a bit bigger. Cockpit cam just feels so slow, small, and claustrophobic to me that I've been shying away from it.

Ian Cameron · Mar 8, 2017

Brandon Wright said:
Looks like your monitors are at a much steeper angle than mine which allows more to be seen out the sides. I'm guessing that's cockpit cam? That one is more flexible and I could probably get more view out the passenger window if I used that but I've been using dash cam and bumper cam lately because the sense of movement/speed is greater and the track/cars/objects look a bit bigger. Cockpit cam just feels so slow, small, and claustrophobic to me that I've been shying away from it.

yes know what you mean I cant do those cams though, so in cockpit in order to get s sense of speed I altered FOV from 60cm to about 45 -50cm, got the speed but everything was slightly elongated. so gone back to 60cm. Have watched videos of real drivers with drivers eye view and the sense of speed is not much different to what mine is now. And you don't notice it much when your racing and cars are all around you, too busy concentrating. Try it you might be surprised.
my monitors are at 60 degrees.

Brandon Wright · Mar 8, 2017

Ian Cameron said:
yes know what you mean I cant do those cams though, so in cockpit in order to get s sense of speed I altered FOV from 60cm to about 45 -50cm, got the speed but everything was slightly elongated. so gone back to 60cm. Have watched videos of real drivers with drivers eye view and the sense of speed is not much different to what mine is now. And you don't notice it much when your racing and cars are all around you, too busy concentrating. Try it you might be surprised.
my monitors are at 60 degrees.

I used cockpit cam for many many years so I know what it offers. And I've heard the comments about not noticing sense of speed in the real world, but that doesn't matter much to me. With bumper cam the sense of movement/speed is incredible, to the point it's almost frightening, which I find exhilarating. With cockpit cam I feel like I'm going about 30mph and there's just no sense of danger. When I'm doing 90mph on the freeway it's very much different from doing 30mph, every little crest in the road starts to feel like a launch ramp and I'm hyper aware that the smallest mistake could end in disaster. I want to feel that when I'm driving a sim car at 150+mph, bumper cam provides it, dash cam does to a lesser extent, cockpit cam does not.

Just personal preference, I'm not saying either of us is right or wrong or trying to argue with you in any way, we all prefer different things and there's nothing wrong with that. The more I use bumper cam the more addicted I get to that sense of impending disaster, something I had been missing in AC.

Ian Cameron · Mar 8, 2017

Brandon Wright said:
I used cockpit cam for many many years so I know what it offers. And I've heard the comments about not noticing sense of speed in the real world, but that doesn't matter much to me. With bumper cam the sense of movement/speed is incredible, to the point it's almost frightening, which I find exhilarating. With cockpit cam I feel like I'm going about 30mph and there's just no sense of danger. When I'm doing 90mph on the freeway it's very much different from doing 30mph, every little crest in the road starts to feel like a launch ramp and I'm hyper aware that the smallest mistake could end in disaster. I want to feel that when I'm driving a sim car at 150+mph, bumper cam provides it, dash cam does to a lesser extent, cockpit cam does not.

Just personal preference, I'm not saying either of us is right or wrong or trying to argue with you in any way, we all prefer different things and there's nothing wrong with that. The more I use bumper cam the more addicted I get to that sense of impending disaster, something I had been missing in AC.

Absolutely agree just a matter of preference.
Have to agree with your perception of speed being exhilarating though. Just not a good enough driver to master it.
When you read how some people on here argue about opinions ect. At the end of the day as you say it's what makes you happy, respect others views and hopefully what each of us has to offer with advice can help others make their experience of this fantastic game more enjoyable.
On that note enjoy your game was nice chatting with you.
Cheers