Triple Screen Support Coming to ACC!

[Chris]

Earlier this morning, Aristotelis of Kunos Simulazioni teased an image of Assetto Corsa Competizione being displayed on three monitors.

For many racers, triple screen support is absolutely essential for racing. Without it, games will go completely untouched, unpurchased and left to collect dust on the virtual shelves of the Steam store. And it's completely understandable. Racing on triple screens is a totally different ball game to a single screen. Outside of Virtual Reality, it is the single most immersive way to play racing games currently.

However, with a single social media post from Kunos, they could see the inclusion of thousands of simracers who have been waiting eagerly for Assetto Corsa Competizione to become compatible with Triple Screen setups.

In what capacity it will be available at release remains to be seen as the cryptic post gave little away, other than support for triple screens and the interior of the newly (but not yet announced) McLaren 720S GT3. No release date, no word on how it will work with Unreal Engine. But... The most important thing is that it's coming.

Unreal Engine has been something of a limiting factor for the Italian studio as the engine does not natively support triple screen rendering. Meaning that to get it to work would require convoluted workarounds, often resulting in warped and skewed images on the side monitors.

However, with the hard work of Kunos, that looks set to be a thing of the past.

Will this development be the catalyst to get you to fire up ACC for the first time in months? Or to buy it in the first place if you haven't already? Let us know in the comments below.

If you like what we do here at RaceDepartment, follow us on Social Media for more great content and all the latest in the world of SimRacing!
 

 

[2stains]

I’m sure you don’t need to run your current one at 4K.
I have a 4K and just pick a lower resolution to to match my other none 4K and change back when using photoshop etc.

just thought it may save you some cash and desk space.

Seeing as this is a monitor without any up scaling anything lower than 4k looks kind of blurry ! 1440p is just ok but if i had to play at 1080p on it , it would look worse than a 1080p screen. 40" at 1080p would be yuck .
Nice suggestion though Im convinced on the 27" triples though .

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

My take is there is only “one” correct view, that is a properly calculated FOV respect to the monitor, monitors, screen, seat, that you reside in. That’s it, full stop. If you desire to hang from the ceiling upside down with a Xbox joy stick in your hand whilst gazing at the 120 inch tv with a FOV of 90, that’s your bag,
but it is never the less wrong on all counts.

There is only one correct FOV, but that doesn't make it practical for most users. If you have triples or a 40 inch screen, sure, go for it. But if you are in the likely majority of owners who still run single screen 24-27 inch monitors, I'd argue correct FOV is not very practical. I remember back in the days when 4:3 aspect ratio monitors were the norm, there wasn't even a discussion about using a "correct" FOV, the end result would have been so bizarre.

 

[2stains]

There is only one correct FOV, but that doesn't make it practical for most users. If you have triples or a 40 inch screen, sure, go for it. But if you are in the likely majority of owners who still run single screen 24-27 inch monitors, I'd argue correct FOV is not very practical. I remember back in the days when 4:3 aspect ratio monitors were the norm, there wasn't even a discussion about using a "correct" FOV, the end result would have been so bizarre.

Imaging a 80" or bigger TV or projector. Correct FOV would look pretty good, although the car would be huge it should be more than playable. But again, not for everyone as would be the massive car, lol

 

[Kek700]

I do not use the correct FOV for GT3, but I do for single seaters. It’s that one is correct the other is not,
I fully understand individuals requirements, but that does not make wrong into right.
There are many things I do not agree with, I have been lucky to have tried all types of screens ( excluding a projector, it does look mighty impressive though )
Some of those opinions are personal, some are based on what is correct.
Quite often find, what I think was correct turns out to be wrong. Hopefully I learn and change. This malarkey is all about a constant learning curve that never seems to stops.

 

[Cote Dazur]

My take is there is only “one” correct view

The only “one” correct view is in VR. Using calculated FOV with triple screen makes sense, if close enough to the screens and the screens are big enough. When on single screen, with the possible exception of a huge projected screen, calculated FOV is always a compromise, the screen you are using is always too small to be reflecting what a real driving perspective is. You then need to adopt what you prefer as a compromise between 1/1 view and how much of the world you are still able to see. None of it is anything close to reality. I have chased that elusive perfect FOV view for years, very frustrating indeed, only to realize how foolish trying to stick to “real” / “only one” FOV approach is when I start using VR. The “only” sane approach to single screen FOV is to enjoy to most pleasant compromise you can, forget about it and appreciate driving your SIM. If really serious about it, get VR.

 

[Kek700]

Can’t argue with that.

 

[Tim Meuris]

Bit late to the party but:
YEEEEESSSSS!!! Thank you kunos. That was for me one of the most essential features lacking in this game. So glad you will be implementing this!!
Any idea when we can expect it to be ready?
And will it be worse or better performancewise than the current stretched view?

 

[MoodyB]

It can't do multi-projections out of the box, only if you render the additional viewports from a different computer.

The UE4 engine can't, but NVidia cards from Pascal onwards support SMP + Perspective Surround :

https://www.anandtech.com/show/10325/the-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-and-1070-founders-edition-review/11

It has to be added/coded by the dev though. It's not just something you can 'turn on' afaik.

There is a thread here that mentions that SMP is limited to a 45 degree angle, which wouldn't suit every triple screen user.

 

[Metla]

The only “one” correct view is in VR. Using calculated FOV with triple screen makes sense, if close enough to the screens and the screens are big enough. When on single screen, with the possible exception of a huge projected screen, calculated FOV is always a compromise, the screen you are using is always too small to be reflecting what a real driving perspective is. You then need to adopt what you prefer as a compromise between 1/1 view and how much of the world you are still able to see. None of it is anything close to reality. I have chased that elusive perfect FOV view for years, very frustrating indeed, only to realize how foolish trying to stick to “real” / “only one” FOV approach is when I start using VR. The “only” sane approach to single screen FOV is to enjoy to most pleasant compromise you can, forget about it and appreciate driving your SIM. If really serious about it, get VR.

I wish I had been able to put it like that and then just move on.....

 

[Metla]

And on that note, even with the projector (and granted mine is set at full zoom which blows out the scale, and the pic I posted deliberately had the pov pulled back as I originally posted it on a facebook page and wanted to show off the car interior) If you set the pov as per the calculator you end up sitting so close you can only see the piece directly in front of you or if you sit back a comfortable distance (I sit about 2.4 from the screen) the resulting view is horrible.

If someone was seeking to sit right up at the screen and line up their steering wheel with the image they would be far better off using a TV and enjoying the higher fidelity display without wasting all that screen size.

I've got my eyes on the next generation of VR....

 

[2stains]

) If you set the pov as per the calculator you end up sitting so close

A FOV calculator doesn't say you must sit close to the screen, it calculates the FOV on screen size and the distance you sit! You could use numbers like 80" screen and 800" distance and get what would be correct FOV for that position

 

[Metla]

I'll hold back on the sarcasm in this instance.

But yes, I'm fully conversant with the functions and application of a fov calculation. Its slightly more complex then a spoon but I got there in the end. (Okay, didn't manage to hold back on the sarcasm).

I perhaps should have said I tried multiple viewing distances to try and get something that suited my preference and was in alignment with the 1:1 ratio that is the end goal.

To get something close to the calculated FOV that I considered usable I ended up sitting too close to the screen, or too far away with a result that just wasn't enjoyable. Hence putting the seating position where its comfortable to view the entire screen and adjusting the POV to meet requirements.

As with most problem solving there is many approaches and opportunities to mix up the variables to adjust the end result, And a slim chance at the end it will fit in the previously defined rigid box.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

As the saying goes, picture worth a thousand words, can you please take a picture of your setup with properly calculated FOV based on screen size, aspect ratio and distance to screen.
Just curios how it looks, ir's possible that flat screen of that size won't produce the right view without some curvature.

 

[2stains]

can you please take a picture of your setup with properly calculated FOV based in screen size, aspect ratio and distance to screen

40" 4k at 69cm distance . FOV 0.7 in R3E, 40 in AC, rF2 and AMS

Edit, note that the seat is slid all the way back in the first shot so i could get out and i cant remember why the second picture is reversed

 

[Metla]

As the saying goes, picture worth a thousand words, can you please take a picture of your setup with properly calculated FOV based in screen size, aspect ratio and distance to screen.
Just curios how it looks, ir's possible that flat screen of that size won't produce the right view without some curvature.

me?

nope.

I'm sorted, and was never looking for anyone's input on what works for me, went down this road years ago.

Only reading this as Ive taken a break from working on the dirt bikes with my sons, which is of much more interest to me then changing my setup for advice I don't want or need.

 

[Kek700]

I find this very difficult, why I do not know, once I have my calculated FOV, that is easy, just a calculation.
Now the problems start, I have a race seat, I have a
steering wheel, I have a MoTec dash of “sorts” behind the steering wheel. Then there is the screen.
I have the ability to move my virtual seating position, this is we’re the confusion starts. Trying to guess we’re the view should be, I know the size of a MoTeC dash, it’s relating that dash in a relative way to my view that has caused me a lot of confusion.
Can I just literally measure it, 9 inches, measure it at 9 inches on the screen.?
If my memory serves me correctly, it did not look right, how to do a FOV ( poor choice of words, should say relative view ) to relate the real world to the component size on the dash, relationship to my real world situation, ie, seat, wheel, dash and the virtual remaining dash components. Hopefully giving me a 1:1 relationship to the outside and inside world.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

View attachment 329868 View attachment 329869 View attachment 329870
40" 4k at 69cm distance . FOV 0.7 in R3E, 40 in AC, rF2 and AMS

Edit, note that the seat is slid all the way back in the first shot so i could get out and i cant remember why the second picture is reversed

I used almost the same size screen 42" and viewing distance and no surprise, the same FOV values. I was more curios on how projector scales, may be Metla is right but it's hard to understand his issue based on what he was trying to explain.

 

[Emery]

So, assuming that only the fovvers follow the golden path and that the formula over rules all in its rigidity rendering all other considerations as incorrect, why do you suppose the devs don't build a pov calculator into their games?

I take it that you don't know triple screen support automatically includes a FOV calculator?

 

[Metla]

I take it that you don't know triple screen support automatically includes a FOV calculator?

Nope, didn't know that.

Though I think it would a good idea to have it as setup wizard for all users at the front end of the game. Even if they find it doesn't suit it at least introduces new users to the concept and is an easy go to for people who insist on it.

 

[Metla]

may be Metla is right but it's hard to understand his issue based on what he was trying to explain.

simple, I didn't like it....