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Running on a Projection Wall - Observer or Single User

Display Options for Projection Systems

Overview: Display Options for Projection Systems

When running a VR session on PRISM or a projection wall, there are two primary display approaches:

  • Observer (Bird's-Eye) View — A free-flying camera that observes one or more users from an external perspective.
  • First-Person View — Displays exactly what a participant sees (single user or a selected client).

Both options work on standard desktop systems connected to projection or PRISM displays.

Running a Bird's-Eye / Observer View (Multi-User)

The observer view works well for classroom demonstrations, research observation, public presentations, and multi-user experiment monitoring.

E-Learning Lab Configuration

  1. Open the globalConfig file.
  2. Set LOCAL_VIZCONNECT = True.
  3. Navigate to local_vizconnects/vizconnect_config_projection.py.
  4. Modify the displays section to match your projector layout and resolution.

Projection options include Projection 2D, Projection 3D, or Projection 6 Wall 2D for CAVE systems (requires Vizard Enterprise and the Cluster Master Tool).

Step-by-Step Setup

  1. Start the server — Launch the E-Learning Lab Instructor.
  2. Start participant clients — Run the appropriate client scripts for VR users.
  3. Launch an additional client for PRISM/projection — On the computer driving the display system, run one additional client connecting to the same server.
  4. Select client environment — Choose Empty (no visible avatar) or Security Camera (visible camera object).
  5. Choose hardware type — Select Projection 2D, Projection 3D, or Projection 6 Wall 2D.

Movement & rotation:

  • W / A / S / D — Move forward, left, backward, right
  • Z / X — Move down / up
  • Q / E — Rotate left / right

Utility controls:

  • R — Reset viewpoint
  • Shift — Lock/unlock movement
  • / — Take a screenshot
  • . (period) — Toggle overlays (timers, view counts, trial info)
  • F2 — Toggle fullscreen mode

Fullscreen may apply to only one monitor. For PRISM systems, manually stretch the window across displays.

Running a First-Person or Single-User Projection View

For single-user scenarios without a server/client architecture:

  1. Run E-Learning Lab in Single or Instructor Mode (or as an additional Client).
  2. Choose Desktop as the hardware type.
  3. Connect the output to PRISM or the projection system.

This mode mirrors the participant's first-person view directly onto the projection display.

Running a 3D Projection Wall (Advanced Setup)

For stereo or multi-display projection systems, use a custom vizconnect configuration. See Custom Hardware Configurations.

Best Practices & Tips

  • Use Observer Mode for teaching, demos, and research monitoring.
  • Use First-Person Mode for immersive presentations.
  • Disable overlays for clean public displays.
  • Test fullscreen behavior before live demos.
  • For large PRISM systems, ensure GPU output alignment matches projector mapping.