this is awesome

**StationRocket** · 01-30-2005, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by GizmoQ

Been there done that. Built my first Car HUD in 84. Based on todays technology, would probably be best to use slightly tinted plexiglass square for focal point and small 2-4in LCD ala handheld organized. Single mirror optical setup eliminates need to reverse screen image. Focal length will be biggest drawback (don't remember the formulas anymore, but ~6in screen from 3in LCD requires fresnel lense and ~8inches in length. Personally, don't have that kind of real estate available anymore.

Hmmm i think you would want to avoid a screen of any sort. The fresnel reflection off the regular windshild glass would work fine if your projector was bright enough. Depending on your windshild's angle you may get as much as 10% of the light reflected. That way when you turned it off there wouldn't be any distraction. A DMD projector would be better than a LCD based one because you may get some messed up colors from the polorization selection of the angled reflection. I think i would definitely avoid using a fresnell lens(isn't it great that the same name is attached to so many unrelated things) here as well. It wouldn't take that fast of a regular projection lens to get a 6-8" image size out of a reasonable throw distance. Using a freesnel lens would provide a mechanism for sun light to be scatteded up onto the "screen" and ruin your contrast. With a regular projection lens you could blacken the dash top and only contend with the sunlight on the horizon and not have to worry about that from above. Just thinking out loud here....

PS I am officially sorry for the threadjacking nature of my last two posts here. Keeping these thoughts burried here reduces the likleyhood that anyone will ask me to try to build any of this stuff. Something that is oh so tempting but also oh so time consuming....

Incedentally, though it's not so 3d realistic as what is pictured above, the stuff that God of CPU is looking pretty awesome. I saw it today at the DC area meet and was very impressed. When he's done I think it's going to raise the bar for both the navigation and front end software worlds.

**Peoples** · 01-30-2005, 10:16 PM

yeah, i loved god_of_cpu's demo. can't wait to get my hands on that stuff. this will definatly be my front end of choice. from the prices he mentioned, it will definatly be worth the money once hes ready to put it out for sale.

**god_of_cpu** · 01-30-2005, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by liquid_smoke

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/porta...lla-030642.php

why oh why cant someone in the US at least start working on real 3D gps maps.

Some little known company called nvidia already has:
http://www.gpspassion.com/upload/nvidiacar.jpg

Although I'm sure that screen shot is more R&D fluff then anything practical that will make it to mass market in the next 2 years, its certainly well on its way.

This is the mapping provider they are using, they seem to have 3D map data as well as satellite imagery mapped onto the 3D structures so it looks fairly accurate:
http://www.telespatial.com/jitm.html

The software I am developing is based in DirectX and it was designed with the idea to add this kind of functionality to it if I could only get my hands on the data. However, thats not something I have the pull or the funds to do right now with pelican. If nothing else USGS elevation data with navigation data overlayed will eventually be incorporated once I get enough people to put 3D cards in thier cars

.

**Peoples** · 01-30-2005, 10:30 PM

ha, since i got the 1.7 mobile running, ill probably run a radeon 9800 pro in my car just for this software.....should run very smooth.

and about my update on a case, I have a friend who works in a machine shop, who will i talked to today who might build the case.....so it should be installed soon. (damn i forgot to bring my ac psu back to college with me)

**liquid_smoke** · 01-30-2005, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by god_of_cpu

Some little known company called nvidia already has:
http://www.gpspassion.com/upload/nvidiacar.jpg

Although I'm sure that screen shot is more R&D fluff then anything practical that will make it to mass market in the next 2 years, its certainly well on its way.

This is the mapping provider they are using, they seem to have 3D map data as well as satellite imagery mapped onto the 3D structures so it looks fairly accurate:
http://www.telespatial.com/jitm.html

The software I am developing is based in DirectX and it was designed with the idea to add this kind of functionality to it if I could only get my hands on the data. However, thats not something I have the pull or the funds to do right now with pelican. If nothing else USGS elevation data with navigation data overlayed will eventually be incorporated once I get enough people to put 3D cards in thier cars

.

sweet,
and who better to do it than good ole Nvidia

**liquid_smoke** · 01-30-2005, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by god_of_cpu

The software I am developing is based in DirectX and it was designed with the idea to add this kind of functionality to it if I could only get my hands on the data. However, thats not something I have the pull or the funds to do right now with pelican. If nothing else USGS elevation data with navigation data overlayed will eventually be incorporated once I get enough people to put 3D cards in thier cars

.

this looks pretty cool too. Anymore details on this, looks like you are writeing your own nav software from the ground up?

**graffiX** · 01-30-2005, 11:32 PM

If you have lots of money... in the HUD off topic:

http://www.microvision.com/MicroHUD/mh_eval.html

**god_of_cpu** · 01-31-2005, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by liquid_smoke

this looks pretty cool too. Anymore details on this, looks like you are writeing your own nav software from the ground up?

The nav portion is the only portion I'm showing screen shots for. All the information released on the rest of the program can be found here:
http://www.digitalwheelz.com/UbiquityV_Features.htm

Navigation isn't quite built form the ground up, but close. Its based on mappoint data but does the actual rendering on its own allowing the limitations in mappoint to be overcome and makes pretty much anything I want possible including 3D rendering, autorotating maps, changing any of the map colors, and highway rerouting.

**fishy** · 01-31-2005, 01:11 AM

gday all,

i noticed that the vast majority of generic GPS companies in japan use the "3d" version to display buildings etc, most also allow a "wire frame" view, so that you can see "past" buildings too...

most buildings are fairly generic (but then, my work colleauges GPS unit was a, as he puts it, "cheapo thing the boss bought me") except for major attractions, like baseball stadiums and national landmarks etc.. also has inbuilt TV functions etc...

just thought i'd pass that along, it'll be a while before australia see's that, and so i stopped reading thru the thread and just opened my big mouth...

**StationRocket** · 01-31-2005, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by graffiX

If you have lots of money... in the HUD off topic:

http://www.microvision.com/MicroHUD/mh_eval.html

that looks pretty sweet. This is a great application for laser scanning. To bad it's only monochromatic. If they added two more lasers then it could be full color. Lasers or LEDs will be the best light source for this sort of thing because you can easily control the brightness level over a huge range electronicly.