The correct field of view?

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fatkrakr

fatkrakr

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fatkrakr
I was talking with my 2 cousins and 3 friends who race local tracks, from the charger series (front drive 6 bangers) to street stock, about this. From there take they say 3 monitors (dont shoot the messenger here) is the least realistic. All of them said they have no where near that much view of the track or whats around them. They said once straped in they can pick thier head up, down, left or right an inch or so and thats it. No looking out the side window seeing the car next to you. Can't turn your head that far (at all they say). The helmets they say limit any periferal (? side) vision. This is all none scientific and just some guys bs'ing over some beers, but they take there racing serious and said flat out that they can only see out the windshield. So what do you guys think? Not trying to start a war or anything just some good ol debating. They brought up some points I never considered. They even stuck a helmet on me for a few laps, now thats a new experience. Not like a bike helmet, this was very hard to see out of and almost right on your shoulders. Declined on using the neck brace the helmet was enough to prove the point. What do you guys say?
 
From the few laps i've done on a track in the Cobra, I agree with that statement you make. The helmet does limit you a lot as does the 5 point harness. You can actually only move your head left and right which is harder than it sounds (not being able to turn your shoulders like you do with a normal seatbelt makes a huge difference). I found you can look around you a little bit, but it is limited!

And this is talking about just a helmet with no neck brace/HANS device and in a convertible car.... It would be much worse in a proper race car (as you sit very very low and have more safety equipment to contend with).

EDIT: Agreed with Roush_fan below too, most of the time you don't want to be looking around you anyway. But i've never raced, just track days.... But even in iRacing, you can "feel" where your opponents are most of the time.
 
It also depends on the Hans device and your seat. My Hans device has a string that slides through the hans and allows me to see up to about 120-130 degrees maybe (excluding pillar blind spots). Also most racing seats have a right side pad to you head doesn't fly to the right in the corner, and sometimes there's head pads on both sides which do take up some vision. However when you are on the track you will not want to move your head to much because you will lose your front sight of where you are going. It's almost like tunnel vision around to the next bend (I always look at my next corner entrance or exit if I just entered)

Here's the hans device that allows you to move your head
4a923353.jpg


My point is that the triple screens gives that wrap around effect but you have to watch your FOV isn't too much, but you can still get correct FOV with a single monitor

I hope this post made sense, it's kind of difficult for me to explain correctly
 
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My experience of the track is not very good visibility. It's almost impossible to look out the side window with a helmet and 5 point harness on and you really can only move your head an inch if your also wearing a neck brace. I think that having only 1 monitor in iRacing gives you the most realistic experience.
 
Spent about 4 hours today in a couple buddies cars at the local 3/8 mile oval track in full race gear. After this I must say I agree with them and the couple guys here. You cant see 🤬 except whats right in front of you. I could get a glimpse of where the passenger mirror should be and about half out drivers window and that was it. Looking that far each way was while not moving, wouldnt of tried stretching my neck that far at speed. (my speed not thiers lol) Really is amazing how much you cant move at all. Was a great experience today. Lots of fun today I and think I have a new take on iracing and its fov.
 
Simulations have their limitations... It's like saying you shouldn't use your DFGT to race because the car you're running on iRacing has a clutch and a stick just to give you an example.

In my opinion, it is healthy to know about these limitations, but not to obssess over them.
 
This has been an informative discussion. To clarify, even though you can't turn your head and look out the side window, does your periferal vision allow you to vaguely see when is out your side window? In other words, can you see the side window?

Fatkrakr answered this well enough. Thanks.
 
Nastradamus87
This has been an informative discussion. To clarify, even though you can't turn your head and look out the side window, does your periferal vision allow you to vaguely see when is out your side window? In other words, can you see the side window?

Fatkrakr answered this well enough. Thanks.
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Exactly my thoughts. I don't buy that eventhough you wear a helmet the FOV is only the size of a computer screen.
 
fatkrakr
I was talking with my 2 cousins and 3 friends who race local tracks, from the charger series (front drive 6 bangers) to street stock, about this. From there take they say 3 monitors (dont shoot the messenger here) is the least realistic. All of them said they have no where near that much view of the track or whats around them. They said once straped in they can pick thier head up, down, left or right an inch or so and thats it. No looking out the side window seeing the car next to you. Can't turn your head that far (at all they say). The helmets they say limit any periferal (? side) vision. This is all none scientific and just some guys bs'ing over some beers, but they take there racing serious and said flat out that they can only see out the windshield. So what do you guys think? Not trying to start a war or anything just some good ol debating. They brought up some points I never considered. They even stuck a helmet on me for a few laps, now thats a new experience. Not like a bike helmet, this was very hard to see out of and almost right on your shoulders. Declined on using the neck brace the helmet was enough to prove the point. What do you guys say?
Click to expand...

My motorcycle helmet visor has ~180degrees FOV. It is interesting that the car racing helmet you tried was much more limited. Is this restricted FOV of car helmets standard for car racing in all fields (F1, WTCC, etc.). That is, was your experience representative of vision restriction in all car racing?
Thanks!

My gut reaction is to say that I would think the 3-screen setup at 120-140degrees (I believe this is the range that people use for 3-screen setups?) would be better representative of real car racing FOV compared to using 1 screen with an FOV of 45degrees (that is the value the iRacing FOV calc gives me for the "correct" FOV).

Cheers!
:)
 
I use 1 screen @ 75 to 85 degrees depending on the car. I go to the biggest degree possible until it becomes fish eyed. But 3 screens should be in the 120 range.

It you have 3 screens try the biggest degree where you are seeing only the very edge of your headrest in the mazda cup with your peripheral vision when looking straight at the center. Just enough to know the head rest is there
 
Roush_fan_99
$8,000! Wow! Would you rather buy a new engine for your car or a computer monitor? :lol:
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I know, that's an insane price :dopey: I'd rather have a triple-projector, curved screen setup and use something like Warpalizer to blend the image...
 
the_greeze
Found this lefty. Not the official specs but after I saw the price I kind of stopped looking! :nervous:
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thanks greeze, talk about a pricey monitor and it only has a 2880 x 900 resolution. I would think 3 24" monitors would be much better.
 
the_greeze
Found this lefty. Not the official specs but after I saw the price I kind of stopped looking! :nervous:
Click to expand...

:crazy:

What resolution do people with triple screens use these days? The unit says it has a max res of 2880x900 which was probably really high 3 years ago.

I bet NEC did not seel many units at $8000.00. I could not find it at the NEC site.
 

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