newbie from Czech Republic with F-22 cockpit

[DonWalker]

Hi pit builders,
My name is Lukas, i am from Czech Republic and  i would like to introduce you my project. Because i am game developer veteran and modeller, i putted these skills together and built first prototype of  cockpit for people who has no time, or money to spent it on awesome projects like you guys doing here. It takes almost two years to tweak everything and polish all problems, but now i am just before cuting last prototype and trying also Kickstarter if someone else would be interested.
I am little ashamed here sharing my cockpit with Pro builders like you, but I'd like to hear your feedback.

Also i don't want to break any rules, so if you think i am advertising or spam, i will erase my post.
It is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1117888467/jet-fighter-cockpit-in-your-living-room

This is start, if will be succesfull i am planning to do copies of real cockpits also with ejection seats.
Thanks a lot and looking forward for your comments.

Lukas Homola

[blueskydriver]

Hi Lukas,

Welcome to Cockpit Builders! Your work looks amazing and it's actually a very smart idea. Printable cardboard cockpits for the masses. Depending on the price you could hit the gamers market easy enough, and if you could do other types of aircraft, as well as space fighters or mech warriors, you could do very well...

As for pro builders, we all started just like you...a builder with an idea. So, please keep posting here to give us updates and more photos. After looking at your kick starter page, it'd be nice to see more of your work on this website too.

Best Regards,

John

[DonWalker]

Hi John,

thanks a lot for your warm welcome! I am happy to be here and i will prepare photos and description how creating of this project was going forward.
Price of cutting+printing this cockpit now is around 427$ , sure it will be different depence on country and it's VAT included.
But original idea behind all of this was to create dome screen and make projection with one projector and spherical mirror, i did this cockpit as dummy and since i found
this projection way too hard to reach i focused on cockpit. Maybe after some time will solve also cheap curved screen projection, who knows.

Looking forward to learn from all of you,

Best Regards,

Lukas

[blueskydriver]

Hi Lukas,

We all will be looking forward to your work... In the mean time, you mentioned wanting a dome projection screen with a single projector, and like some other members who have been looking for the same thing, I wonder if you've seen this before?

There is a simulation store located in the Mall of America, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that has F16 simulators setup for the public/commerical use, and each one uses a single projector dome screen. Here is the company's website:

http://www.flyaces.com

Here is the link to their page on the Mall of America website:

http://www.mallofamerica.com/attractions/view/aces

If you watch the embedded video on their flyaces webpage, they show an example of what or how they handle single projector dome view; although, it's not a "How to do it" video. I think a visit to the mall by a few cockpit builders members might be able to find out...

Hopefully, Karen (Simlady) and I will get up there soon, and then we can report back.

Best Regards,

John

[DonWalker]

Hi John,

That guy from ACES simulation is cool! And he probably  need my cardboard shells
Yeah i think i know how he does that , you just need projector and first surface spherical mirror what spread image around dome screen. Here is description. http://paulbourke.net/dome/mirrordome/

My problem was that i am not able to get first surface spherical mirror. Usualy you can buy just second surface ( it means that reflection paint is inside mirror and picture has to go thru the layer of plastic which destroys and blur it.)

Company which is able to make this mirror wanted around 700 $ for one. With that you can buy second projector, download software which unwrap and blend your screen on dome  and play too.
But I  have short throw projector which has fisheye lens and i think that this relative new technology can be maybe unwrapped without using any mirror. But that is just theory. When I'll have some time, i will cut dome projection screen from cardboard and make some tests. For just curved screen it works with some free software what i downloaded http://www.fly.elise-ng.net/index.php/immersivedisplaylite2

There are more soft with more features but this is ok for what i need and free.

Maybe this is for another topic and you already discussed all of these problems, if yes please send me link to right forum, i would like to know solution .

Thanks, Lukas.