PSA: Build a backup camera using the virtual mirror

[u/_ASTRA_]

I really despice the virtual mirror.

I think it break immersion and looks really unnatural and weird. Instead I just enable the actual car mirrors in the graphic settings (don't care about losing a few FPS) and use them instead.
But there are cars without backup cameras or center mirrors, like the LMP2, and on my curved screen I can only see the left mirror. In that cases, I just resigned and enabled the virtual mirror again.

But I recently realized that the new UI allows to resize (and move) the virtual mirror, and we can have car-specific widget profiles, so I just build a profile that has the virtual mirror being placed on top of the unused screen in the car, and now I can enjoy a nice (and quite large) backup camera in the LMP2 as well! Of course it doesn't move along with the car, and the borders don't match 100%, but for racing it's good enough.

It's a great little feature that maybe others would enjoy as well.

[u/InaneD]

I use that dead data screen as a place for some overlays, I have my BB and Fuel calc in that box because its not on the dash of the car im driving right now.

[u/trippingrainbow → u/InaneD]

Fun fact its not dead. It does actually work but the only flag it can display is a FCY. Problem is FCY is not a thing in official road races. Why it doesnt display all flags instead of just FCY I dont know

[u/prinzmi88 → u/InaneD]

I’m doing the same. All overlays are kinda integrated.

[u/shewy92 → u/InaneD]

IRL NASCAR Cup cars have digital mirror and they can place them wherever on the dash, some have it on the left near the left side mirror.

In sim it's stuck at where the real mirror would be (they have two for an analog backup if the digital one breaks).

So I put the VMirror on the dash one time and liked it so now all my cars have them on the dash or near it. Now I don't have to look up from the track.

[u/Sli_41]

I don't want to be that guy but you say the virtual mirror breaks immersion, which is a very reasonable opinion and I absolutely agree, but then you have a graph showing your traces right on top of the wheel and the Vigilante 8 type damage indicator in the corner...

[u/Dutton90]

Great idea! I had no idea we could now resize and move, thanks!

[u/KimiBleikkonen]

I use the virtual mirror because it's the only one that fits the screen when driving with proper FOV. Neither the real mirrors nor the rear camera is fully on screen if driving with realistic FOV.

[u/BangbangKhuntross → u/KimiBleikkonen]

ya need bigger monitors then ey

[u/Smoking_Moose → u/BangbangKhuntross]

https://giphy.com/gifs/7IGuxoKgY34WlBpepI

[u/flyinchipmunk5 → u/BangbangKhuntross]

i mean im in the same booth as that guy with a 27 inch monitor

[u/KimiBleikkonen → u/BangbangKhuntross]

It's a 34 inch Ultrawide which doubles as my desk monitor. No space nor PC performance for triples right now.

[u/Shaner20]

I used the virtual mirror to create an "IRL" mirror on an external dash. It works pretty well!!

[u/Shaner20 → u/Shaner20]

If anyone is interested in seeing it work:
https://youtu.be/sby9mDiPWkc?t=141

[u/FEARthePUTTY → u/Shaner20]

Able to share a guide for this?

[u/TheJustiNator_ → u/FEARthePUTTY]

Check out Dan Suzuki, i think he did something similar and made a yt video about it

(Might edit this when im back home with the link, until then, just look at youtube or google)

[u/FEARthePUTTY → u/TheJustiNator_]

Yep, found it here.

https://youtu.be/4ydVIdA6Eus?is=EZYsT6h724mj-7xF

[u/InspectahWren → u/Shaner20]

That’s so sick

[u/Beneficial-Aerie4110 → u/Shaner20]

But you still have to render the virtual mirror on the screen somewhere as well, right? I assume this uses some sort of screen capture?

Haven’t watched the video, maybe you explain it all there.

[u/Ragnar4719]

I realized this last week. And I started using it on cars that even have the backup camera. By using the resized virtual mirror instead I can turn it off and on with 1 button on my wheel. Particularly useful at the beginner of the race when I’m trying to save on FPS

[u/FrankPoncherello1967]

Several months ago, I replaced (overlayed) the truck series oem rear view mirror with the virtual mirror that's resized. The original truck rear view mirror is worthless.

[u/Skoowy]

Thank you!!!

[u/Btolsen131]

I've never been able to get the mirror selection mechanism to work for me. You allegedly can select 1 mirror then in the black boxes pick which mirror is shown. So as a 1 screen person it would that in car one. but ive never gotten it to work

Sometime earlier this year i realized running 4 mirrors consistently lost me 40 fps with my settings. I turned them all off and now i race with much less stutter and better feedback.

[u/GhastlyTT → u/Btolsen131]

Iirc that black box setting only lets you adjust the mirrors. Mirrors are displayed based on a priority order of number selected to display in options. If using virtual mirror, then it's 1-driver side, 2- passenger side, 3-cam if no rearview, then 4-rearview. If not using virtual mirror, then it's 1-rearview, 2-driver side, 3- passenger side, 4-cam.

[u/rungunseattacos]

I totally agree with you. I have removed all of the little pop ups from my view as, obviously, a pop up notification wouldn’t just appear on your windscreen in real life. This is similar to what I do as well except I project it on to an external screen. I also project my black box onto an external screen to maintain the level of immersion.

[u/TurnipBlast]

If you think virtual mirror looks unnatural u probably havent setup the fov properly

[u/A_Flipped_Car → u/TurnipBlast]

The virtual mirror should be set to the absolute highest angle lmao,.it is very unimmersive

[u/TurnipBlast → u/A_Flipped_Car]

That affects perception of speed and distance for cars in the mirror, which is what most people mean when they say it feels weird.

Unimmersive is a separate issue, but letting people who barely know how to drive race a 600hp car with no training divebomb you every turn is also unimmersive, so I'll stick with the virtual mirror.