Using 3 Base Stations 2.0 in a 4m X 3.8m RoomScale for Improved Controller Tracking

[Bobo > Granny]

Hello all,

I am going to purchase a Vive Pro full kit (not starter kit) in the next few days and wondering If I should try get my hands on a 3rd base station 2.0 to improve tracking.

A few questions relating to this:

 

Can I even set up a Room-Scale with 3 x Base Stations 2.0?

(The reason I want 3 is for a higher chance of the Base Stations to not lose controller tracking at any given time through-out gameplay.)

 

What would be the best way to set up 3 x Base Stations in a 4m X 3.8m (5.5m diagonal) Room Scale? And general tips for setting up 3 Base Stations to reduce chances of any base station losing site of controllers.

 

Has anyone noticed any issues with controller tracking using 2 stations where somehow a Base Station has lost vision of a controller.

 

4 Base Stations would seem to be the most ideal in Room-Scale situations for a complete surround controller tracking ability but if 3 worked better than 2 then I would definitely consider purchasing a 3rd Base Station.

 

Thank you for any help and advice!

 

[DiamondTear]

I haven't ran into controller tracking problems specifically with two base stations. HDM tracking has been lost in the corners but I don't feel like that happens often during gameplay. I would strongly recommend starting with two and then thinking about adding more if that doesn't work out. Of course, my play area is smaller than yours.

[HackPerception]

,

So it's a bit complex - we're currently not allowed to sell 2.0 stations individually and can only sell them with the enterprise kit (which contains 2 stations). Loose 2.0 basestations are extremely hard to come by in the aftermarket. The good thing about BS 2.0 is that when Valve opens up the tech to a wider release, the option to add additional stations is built into the hardware and software platform.  These stations are rated for slightly longer distances which also may help due to the size of your space.

 

Generally speaking, adding a 3rd basestation would certainly reduce the risk of occlusion and ensure that there is less risk of the controller dropping tracking due to occlusion. The often overlooked aspect of 2.0 tracking is that since the sync system is on beam, it opens up a huge range of mounting options because the stations don't need to be able to see each other for optical sync - this means you can also be more strategic about how you place them and can optimize for specific player positions if you're building a setup for a specific title like ED. 

 

The key to using 2.0 stations effectively is to keep in mind they have a substantially wider horizontal FOV than the first gen stations - they're 150 degrees on the horizontal axis. It dosen't look like alot on paper but it's a huge difference in a physical space. The way you're able to maximize your coverage area is to mount your stations in a way that your play space is able to make the most of the wider spread. In the diagram below, you can see that for a 4 person setup, it actually makes more sense to mount the lighthouses along the midline of the axis rather than in the corners because if you mounted them in a 90 degree corner, a huge portion of that horizontal FOV will be completely wasted. 

 

 

[Bobo > Granny]

Thank you!

[Bobo > Granny]

 

Wow Thank you  so much! Eventually I would definitely love to be able to purchase more BS but for now once I purchase the kit I will have some fun trying out different set ups.

 

I'm glad you told me about the BS not needing to see each other and that they can add a 3rd because now I am definitely getting the enterprise kit so that If they ever do become more freely available I'll buy another BS.

 

Thanks once again! Super pumped for some VR action.