How to Display VR Sessions on a PRISM Immersive Theater or Projection VR

This guide explains how to display live VR sessions on a PRISM immersive theater or projection-based VR system using SightLab or E-Learning Lab. It covers both multi-user observer views and single-user projection setups, including keyboard navigation and advanced 3D projection configuration.

Overview: Display Options for Projection Systems

When running a VR session, there are two primary ways to display the experience on a PRISM or projection wall:

Observer (Bird’s-Eye) View

A free-flying camera used to observe one or more users from outside their perspective.

First-Person View

Displays exactly what a participant sees (single user or selected client).

Both options can be run on a standard desktop system connected to a projection or PRISM display.

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

The observer view is ideal for:

Classroom demonstrations
Research observation
Public presentations
Multi-user experiment monitoring

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Start the Server

Launch the SightLab Server or E-Learning Lab Instructor

2. Start Participant Clients

Run the appropriate number of client scripts for your VR users

3. Launch an Additional Client for PRISM / Projection

On the computer driving the PRISM or projection system, run one additional client
This client connects to the same server but is used only for display

4. Select the Client Environment

Recommended options:
- Empty – if you want no visible avatar or interaction
- Security Camera – if you want a visible camera object inside the scene

5. Choose Hardware Type

Select Desktop as the hardware option

Navigating the Observer View

Once the scene starts, you can control the observer camera using the keyboard.

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

Note: Fullscreen may apply to only one monitor. For PRISM systems, you can manually stretch the window across all displays to span the full wall.

Alternative Observer Controls (Server on Projection Machine)

If the server itself is running on the PRISM or projection computer, the following controls may be used instead:

U / J – Forward / backward
H / K – Left / right
N / B – Up / down
Y / I – Yaw left / right
O / L – Pitch up / down

Running a Single-User Projection View

For single-user scenarios (no server/client architecture):

Run a SightLab or E-Learning Lab client
Choose Desktop as the hardware type
Connect the output to the PRISM or projection system

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

Running a 3D Projection Wall (Advanced Setup)

To run stereo or multi-display projection systems, you must use a custom vizconnect configuration.

E-Learning Lab Configuration

Open the globalConfig file
Set:
```python
LOCAL_VIZCONNECT = True
Navigate to:

local_vizconnects/vizconnect_config_projection.py

Modify the displays section to match your projector layout and resolution

SightLab Configuration

Navigate to:

C:\Program Files\WorldViz\Vizard8\bin\lib\site-packages\sightlab_utils\vizconnect_configs\vizconnect_config_projection.py

Copy the file and paste it into a new folder named:

local_vizconnects

Initialize SightLab using the custom configuration:

sightlab = sl.SightLab(
    vizconnectconfig={'Projection': 'vizconnect_config_projection.py'}
)

Modify the displays section in the config file to match your projection hardware

Best Practices & Tips

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