Vive with Two Computers and Two rooms

[DOSjockey]

I'm tired of digging through the wrong answers on Google from people who didn't read the manual.

 

Let's make this simple:

 

If I have one room with a powerful computer, and I also have another room with a powerful computer, can I set up a second set of base stations, and simply move the Vive from one PC to another?

 

No, I'm not going to extend any cables, or try to use 62 base stations in the same room; nor am I interested in cooperative play with more than one headset.  All I want to know is if the headset knows the difference between two separate computers, two isolated sets of base stations, two different rooms, and can migrate between them by simply unplugging the headset and plugging it into the other computer in a room prepared with another set of base stations.

 

I'm changing my office around, and want to use the thing in another room.  I would like to be able to bring it from room to room at my leisure in the future.

 

How does the Vive respond to such things?  Is it designed to function in that manner, or will it give me trouble swapping from one system/tracking solution to another.  Is it a plug in and go thing, or will I have to repeatedly run setup?

 

I can't be the only one on the planet who has two VR-capable rigs, and wants to use the thing with both; but according to Google, I am.

 

Very difficult to search these days...  The whole web is clogged up.

[dalekphalm]

While I cannot test this, as I only have a single Vive, but I really don’t see why this wouldn’t work. 

 

The Vive itself is plugged into the computer running it, so plugging it into a new computer should be no problem at all. 

 

Granted, you’ll have to test this, since I doubt anyone on the forum happens to have the extra equipment to properly test this. 

[DOSjockey]

11 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

While I cannot test this, as I only have a single Vive, but I really don’t see why this wouldn’t work. 

 

The Vive itself is plugged into the computer running it, so plugging it into a new computer should be no problem at all. 

 

Granted, you’ll have to test this, since I doubt anyone on the forum happens to have the extra equipment to properly test this. 

Thanks. 

 

I would, but I don't have the other two base stations yet.  It'll cost $200 or so, and I'm not keen on buying them if it's going to be an issue.

 

The ones I've got are already wall-mounted with the cables in raceways.  I can take them down and move them (going to run conduit anyway), but that wouldn't help investigate the question.  No point doing it, in the end.  It would get me VR in this room now, but my question wouldn't be answered in the process.

 

I find it hard to believe that it can't migrate to different base stations and computers, but you just plain never know unless someone has tried it.

 

 

[FirstArmada]

Could try Vive Support?

[dalekphalm]

14 minutes ago, DOSjockey said:

Thanks. 

 

I would, but I don't have the other two base stations yet.  It'll cost $200 or so, and I'm not keen on buying them if it's going to be an issue.

 

The ones I've got are already wall-mounted with the cables in raceways.  I can take them down and move them (going to run conduit anyway), but that wouldn't help investigate the question.  No point doing it, in the end.  It would get me VR in this room now, but my question wouldn't be answered in the process.

 

I find it hard to believe that it can't migrate to different base stations and computers, but you just plain never know unless someone has tried it.

 

 

Do you live in a city with a major electronics store like Best Buy? If so, check to see if they carry the base stations.

 

If they do, buy them, try it out, and either:

1. Return them, if it doesn't work

2. Keep them, if it does work

3. Return them, if it does work, and buy them elsewhere at a better price

 

Or just buy from Amazon, where their return policy is very very generous (and they'll likely pay return shipping too).

 

EDIT: I found this thread on Reddit that might be of value:

Based on how the Vive Lighthouses work (they are totally passive, and communicate only with each other to synchronize themselves), I see 100% no limitations with what you propose.

 

TL;DR, the Lighthouses emit IR lights, which the Vive heatset uses to orient itself. The Lighthouses and the Vive do not communicate in any way.

 

Therefore, there is no "syncing" or migration needed (or possible).

 

So, with this in mind, I'm very confident it will work.

 

[DOSjockey]

13 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

Do you live in a city with a major electronics store like Best Buy? If so, check to see if they carry the base stations.

 

If they do, buy them, try it out, and either:

1. Return them, if it doesn't work

2. Keep them, if it does work

3. Return them, if it does work, and buy them elsewhere at a better price

 

Or just buy from Amazon, where their return policy is very very generous (and they'll likely pay return shipping too).

 

EDIT: I found this thread on Reddit that might be of value:

 

Based on how the Vive Lighthouses work (they are totally passive, and communicate only with each other to synchronize themselves), I see 100% no limitations with what you propose.

 

TL;DR, the Lighthouses emit IR lights, which the Vive heatset uses to orient itself. The Lighthouses and the Vive do not communicate in any way.

 

Therefore, there is no "syncing" or migration needed (or possible).

 

So, with this in mind, I'm very confident it will work.

 

Yeah, I'm familiar with the technology.  That is my interpretation, as well; but it depends on what the headset does with that information.  It's possible for a device that doesn't "sync" as we consider things today, to affect the same result in a few different ways.

 

Eh...  I don't know.

 

There's a Best Buy nearby, but they only carry Oculus.  I might be able to order them, but I don't feel cool test driving them like that.  If a product doesn't meet my requirements I'll return it; but I'd be walking right into this suspecting that it might not work.  Not going to return something like that.

 

I can get them used to save a few bucks if I don't have an answer after a while.  If they don't work, I can resell and not be out all that much.

[porina]

I'm almost certain it'll work fine. I only have one Vive and one set of sensor thingies, but I swap it between about 2 or 3 systems depending on what I'm tinkering with at the time. The software install will include the room data, so as long as each PC is kept to be used in the same location you don't need to redo that. Pretty much plug in and go.

[dalekphalm]

18 minutes ago, DOSjockey said:

Yeah, I'm familiar with the technology.  That is my interpretation, as well; but it depends on what the headset does with that information.  It's possible for a device that doesn't "sync" as we consider things today, to affect the same result in a few different ways.

 

Eh...  I don't know.

 

There's a Best Buy nearby, but they only carry Oculus.  I might be able to order them, but I don't feel cool test driving them like that.  If a product doesn't meet my requirements I'll return it; but I'd be walking right into this suspecting that it might not work.  Not going to return something like that.

 

I can get them used to save a few bucks if I don't have an answer after a while.  If they don't work, I can resell and not be out all that much.

The headset just tracks the IR emitters inside the Lighthouse. There is no "syncing" involved beyond that.

 

The Lighthouses put out a timecode flash, and any devices that can see that flash, will "start watching" for the IR laser grid.

 

So I'm now 99.9% confident this will work.

 

Just buy them from Amazon/Best Buy, etc, and try it out.

[FirstArmada]

22 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

Do you live in a city with a major electronics store like Best Buy? If so, check to see if they carry the base stations.

 

If they do, buy them, try it out, and either:

1. Return them, if it doesn't work

2. Keep them, if it does work

3. Return them, if it does work, and buy them elsewhere at a better price

 

Or just buy from Amazon, where their return policy is very very generous (and they'll likely pay return shipping too).

 

EDIT: I found this thread on Reddit that might be of value:

Based on how the Vive Lighthouses work (they are totally passive, and communicate only with each other to synchronize themselves), I see 100% no limitations with what you propose.

 

TL;DR, the Lighthouses emit IR lights, which the Vive heatset uses to orient itself. The Lighthouses and the Vive do not communicate in any way.

 

Therefore, there is no "syncing" or migration needed (or possible).

 

So, with this in mind, I'm very confident it will work.

 

Technically return fraud

[dalekphalm]

16 hours ago, FirstArmada said:

Technically return fraud

Only if your intention is to return the item no matter what (Eg: I want to go camping this weekend. So I buy a tent, go camping, then return the tent after camping - or; I buy a product for the express purpose of reviewing it, and return after the review is complete).

 

Both of those are wrong, and I fully agree. I do agree that buying an item with the express intent of "trying it out, and buying it elsewhere for cheaper" is also wrong.

 

The OP, @DOSjockey, should buy the item from the place he intends on buying it. I would just suggest to him that he ensures that place also has a good return policy, on the very slim 0.01% chance that this fails for some reason. Amazon, for example, would be a good place to do this. They have competitive prices, but they also have a good return policy on the chance that the setup doesn't work out the way the OP intended.

 

Only "Option 3" of my suggestions would be considered return fraud. And as noted, it was the lowest on the scale of possible options.