VFX1 Basics

 

 


overview.
    This page will explain how components and attributes of the VFX1 work so you can better understand aspects of the product. If you are experiencing difficulties in any of the areas below, follow the troubleshooting link to see if you can solve it yourself. The entire troubleshooting guide is located here. If your problem still persists, you can contact IIS's Technical Support Department here.


video.
    The VFX1 interfaces directly with your video card through it's VESA Feature Connector. The feature connector must be compliant with the VESA 2.0 standard for digital video. The connector delivers 8 bit (256 color) video which the VFX1's VIP card formats and sends along to the VFX1. The feature connector is a 26 pin dual-row header most likely near the edge of your video card. If you are unsure if your video card has a feature connector or if it is VESA compliant, check our supported video cards page.
    If you are having a video problem, check the video troubleshooting portion of the VFX1 troubleshooting guide.


audio.
    Audio is passed through the VIP card to the VFX1. Any sound card with a standard 1/8th inch audio output connector should work with the VFX1 without any problems.
    If you are having an audio problem, check the audio troubleshooting portion of the VFX1 troubleshooting guide.


tracking.
    The VFX1 allows for 360 degrees of yaw and 70 degrees of pitch and roll with the helmet and 70 degrees of pitch and roll with the CyberPuck. These are not all supported in every game. Some games require a joystick and don't support the CyberPuck, others may support the CyberPuck and not a joystick, some may not support either, still others may support both. Some games won't support every axis of movement for the VFX1. Check the supported software page for a quick reference to what a game supports. You can also check a specfic game's setup page, by clicking on the game title itself, and verify you have everything setup correctly.
    If you think you're VFX1 is set up properly but you still are not getting good tracking, check the tracking troubleshooting portion of the VFX1 troubleshooting guide.


software drivers.
    A software driver is an external program which sets up the VFX1 support outside of the game. This can include a patch to a game as well. These are used for games which don't have VFX1 support programmed into the game.


native support.
    Games which have VFX1 support programmed into the game are said to have native support. These kind of games usually have either a VFX1 option to choose or a special set of keystrokes which enable tracking.


vrmouse.
    VRMouse is a program provided by IIS which enables the VFX1 and CyberPuck to be treated as a mouse and keyboard for use in games which don't have software drivers and aren't natively supported. The vrmouse.zip file contains all of the setup information for the games supported by VRMouse, and can be modified by the user. VRMouse enables the VFX1 to be used with virtually any DOS game.
    If you are having a problem getting VRMouse supported games to run correctly, check the setup page for the game linked from the supported software page, or check the VRMouse troubleshooting portion of the VFX1 troubleshooting guide.


direct input.
    This is the method in which data from the VFX1 is obtained by Windows 95. The VFX1 Headgear and the CyberPuck are treated as separate joysticks when used in the Windows 95 environment.


relative mode.
    This mode was developed by IIS to enable tracking in games programmed around Windows 95 which don't allow for the absolute form of tracking data we use. Check the setup page for any Windows 95 game to see if this mode is necessary for proper VFX1 function. Relative Mode is only available in the 2.14 or later versions of the VFX1 drivers. These drivers will give a game a value for the change from last position instead of an absolute position value. The three values in the axes output in the VFX1 Control Panel should all hover around 180 and change briefly as the VFX1 is moved. They should always go back to 180 when the VFX1 is not being moved.


puck chording.

    The 2.15 version of the VFX1 drivers allow for puck chording in the Windows 95 environment. This means that multiple button presses are now mapped as known direct input data. So, not only are the single top, middle, and bottom button presses allowed, but any combination of the three as well. Some games allow you to set them up, others require a set up file with the combinations pre-defined. Check the setup page of any Windows 95 game to see if this is supported.