My Computer specs:

• Athlon 2000+
• Epox Mobo
• Via 4-1 service drivers
• 512meg DDRam
• 40gig ATA100 Hard drive partitioned to two 20gig drives.
• Hercules GEForce2 Ultra64 Graphics.
• S/blaster Audigy
• 21" Panasonic s110 monitor
• Nvidia 23.11 and 23.11 stereo driver

• Currently on Win ME All updates installed.
• Tested on Win98SE, XP home Edition and XP Pro.
• Best results and stability on Win98SE.
• FS2002PRO installed on and
• 1280x1024 at 85hertz refresh rate.

Flight equipment:

• CH Yoke USB
• CH Propedals
• Suncom twin throttles
• Game commander 2
• E-D wired and wireless glasses
• trackIR with 1.21 software.

I am assuming here that I am dealing with people that are experiencing problems to the degree that some are ready to bung the glasses in the nearest bin, so these instructions are from the ground up. If you follow my guidelines fine tuning is made much easier. I apologise if I refer to Nvidia all the time but I have an Nvidia card and most people have them as well.

Shut down the computer. Install the adapter (dongle) to the graphics card output port and the monitor lead to the other end of the adapter. Plug the lead from the transmitter (wireless version) into the adapter or lead (wired version) to same or both if you have both (as I do). Place transmitter on top of your monitor with wireless variety.

Boot up.

Start with a clean install of FS2002. Test it to see that everything is working in fullscreen mode. Close the program. Go to desktop.

Driver installation.

Uninstall all graphics drivers using add/remove programs and detonator destroyer if possible. Install standard VGA driver. REBOOT.

For people with GEForce2`s. Install 23.11 driver. REBOOT. Install 23.11 stereo driver. REBOOT. Go to search for files on and remove all files starting with nvrs. They are not needed and interfere with the graphics.

For people with GEForce3`s. Same as above but install NON WHQL 28.32 driver and 28.32 stereo driver. I have had feedback that this driver combination works well on GEForce3`s. Thanks Bill Womack and others.

Go to display properties. For monitors 15"-17" set resolution to 1024x768 16bit high color.

Go to display properties. For monitors 19"-21" set resolution to 1152x864 16bit high color or 1280x1024 16 bit.

Go to advanced/monitor and set to the highest refresh rate your monitor can handle.

Go to display properties/ stereo properties, click enabled by hot-key and apply. You should then see a screen showing a small coloured square inside a large square if you are wearing the glasses. If not check every connector is firmly in place. Press escape key. Confirm you can see stereo. IMPORTANT. Confirm you are set to page flipped and then set stereo separation to 8-10%. 100% applies to chameleons and ET only. Trust me. Set stereo gamma to 1.10-1.30.

Go into Stereo setup and test. Set monitor size to ONE inch SMALLER than your monitor (better image) 16 BPP and resolution to the same as your desktop. Set refresh rate to the same as desktop. Click save Setting. Launch test application. If you are getting a stereo image (you should be) check top left corner of the screen to confirm the settings and press F7 then escape keys. Press close once. Now for hotkeys. My combinations interfere least with hotkeys once in FS2002. Try them.

Press Game configurations/configure hotkeys. (Ignore advanced settings.)
Press ctrl+1 and Set to Toggle stereo default on.
Press ctrl+2 and set to Decrease screen depth.
Press ctrl+3 and set to increase screen depth.
Check that write config is set to ctrl+F7. Click apply. Click OK. Click close once.
Click Additional properties. Set hotkeys ctrl+1 through to ctrl+6 in that order and note what each hotkey does. Set laser Sight to off for all games.
Click OK. Close to desktop. Whew! Cuppa tea time.
Start FS2002. Go to settings/ General. (X is on)

NOTE WELL: These settings are for my spec computer. Adjust graphics for your own specs.

Show opening screen. (X)
Pause on task switch (X)
Prompt on exit (X)
Display. Scenery.
Tex quality Max.
Terain mesh 80%
Terrain tex Size High
Autogen Density Dense
Scenery complexity Very dense
Dynamic scenery off as FS2002 has its own.
Effects detail high
Max visibility 60 miles
Water effects Max
Cloud density 50
Ground scenery shadows off
Dawn/dusk tex smoothing (X)
Extended terrain tex (X)
Terrain detail tex (X)
Aircraft:
Aircraft tex size high
Virtual c/pit guage quality high
Landing lights (X)
Resize panel (X)
Hardware:
Target framerate 16
1152x864x16
Enable hardware acceleration (X)
Lights 4
T&L (X)
Mipmapping (X)
Anti-aliasing off
Multi-tex (X)
Bi-linear filtering on

Go to Meigs in the Cessna in daytime for setting up the glasses. Press (S) once for virtual cockpit. Press ctrl+1 and you should see a stereo image. It may not look right yet but we will now get an image that`s clear.

Look front left so you can see buildings and the corner pillar of the aircraft. Press and hold ctrl+2 and the outside view will come back to 2D. Now press ctrl+3 3-4 times to get a stereo image for outside. The corner pillar without the glasses on will look like two distinct images. We sort that with the convergence controls. Without the glasses on but IN stereo press and hold ctrl+F5 and the pillar images converge till they are almost one image. Stop there. Glasses on. Check your cockpit and if it does not look like there is enough convergence stereo press ctrl+F6 to increase stereo convergence. This gives you basic and eminently watchable stereo. If the image is a little dark with the glasses on press ctrl+5 to brighten up the screen.

You can fine tune from here to get the best settings for your eyes and computer specs. When you have achieved satisfactory settings press ctrl+F7 once and these settings will be saved for future sessions. Resave each time you fine tune. Voila!

This is a long winded way of getting the plot working smoothly but there are a few people out there who have already tried this method and have reported back as very happy bunny`s so I`m doing something right.

trackIR Settings

trackIR 1.21 software.
Pause set to hash key (shows as 222) as this interferes with FSNAV 4.51 (F9 turns FsNav on and off)
X Speed 6
Y Speed 6
Smooth 120

These settings give me smooth look round in an arc of approx 340 degrees horizontal and 180 degrees vertical.

Ross Gillies
rosgillies@hotmail.com