I am wondering about the best way to get the IPD setting correct. I came across this approach on an opticians website which it says is accurate to ±1mm. It mentions two different measures: distance and near. Which one should we use for PIMAX and what is the best distance to the object to use when measuring? Here’s the link to the website and the description of the method:
Quote from website: “But manual is simply the best for doing this on your own. Here it is:
Wear your glasses. (Or any glasses if you don’t have your own. Even just try on demo glasses at the mall if you are that bold.)
Have a felt-tip maker handy.
Focus on a single object in the far distance (anything farther than 20 feet works, but farther is better).
Raise the marker to your right lens and precisely put a dot on it directly over the distant object.
Repeat for your left eye. If done correctly, with both eyes open the two dots should overlap into a single dot over the distant object. If not repeat making the markings until they do form a single dot.
Measure the distance between the two dots on your lenses with a millimeter ruler.
That’s your distance PD.
If you need a near PD for reading or computer glasses, just do the same procedure but focus instead on the object you will be looking at, either reading material or computer monitor.
I’ve done this myself many times and always replicated the same 69mm result ±1mm. It works because the dots you are putting on the lenses mark the points through which you are actually looking, which is just exactly what PD measurement is used to determine.”
You’re welcome. I’m still wondering which measure is the best to use with PIMAX: distance or near and what distance to the object to use when measuring. Can you tell me?
Hi Dzeek, usually, near IPD is several mm shorter than distance IPD. As my understanding, the IPD is one of the factors effect the display quality and comfortness. Other factors, such as myopia, the distance from eyes to lens, effect the experience also. As long as you feel comfortable with a IPD setting, it’s good. It’s the best IPD for you to use Pimax 4K.
My understanding too is that IPD is very important to getting the best VR experience. I find it difficult to adjust the IPD setting for PIMAX using PiPlay because it involves setting it, waiting for PiPlay to update it, then putting the headset on, trying the setting with various types of content, then if it doesn’t feel correct, repeating the process. If it doesn’t feel correct, I don’t know whether to increase or decrease it slightly. I also find that it takes time for my eyes to adjust to the setting and I’m worried that maybe my eyes will adjust but if the setting is wrong it may fatigue my eyes or hurt them over time. It would be easier to get the setting correct if it could dynamically be changed while viewing with the headset on (like some of the cheaper HMDs work by having an IPD adjustment knob). Since PIMAX/PiPlay cannot adjust the IPD setting dynamically, I think it would be helpful to start with a measured IPD using the method I mention in the earlier post. To do so I need to know what distance to the object is best when measuring my IPD using that method. Could you tell me what to use? Thank you.
Thanks. I actually haven’t measured it yet. I was waiting to find out which one to use. I’ll measure and see how it compares to the current setting I have in PiPlay.
FYI, I decided to stop by my optometrist today to have my PD measured. They measured it with a special PD meter. Turned out to be 58 mm distance and 55 mm near. Interesting, since the 58 mm was what I measured by holding a ruler above my eyes while looking in the mirror. It’s also what I have been using in PiPlay. This seems to be working well.
I had my IPD measured by an Optometrist which came out to 63mm. However, to get a good clear picture on the PimaxVR, I had to set it down to 50mm otherwise the image was blurry and gave me a headache.
I’ve used for a long time IPD 57mm. My real IPD is 67mm. Some friends wanted to experiences VR on my Pimax 4K but the vision was like cross-eyed/doubled. It was exhausting for the eyes. I switched to IPD 54mm and I was surprised that this value was fine for all guys and for me as well. IPD 54mm could be a good starting point.
I have measured my IPD and get 70-71mm, maybe the rule method is not the best, but i think is aproximate correct, i have a big head (say my mother).
Then I configure the pimax for this distance and I get a confused image, like drunk. Then I configure the pimax to 50mm and get decent quality image, change the IPD again to 55 and can get the best quality image for me after try many distances. (Too many time for this tests, the piservicelauncher crash many times)
The image is good for me, but I feel my eyes working hard and focus far and near later is laborious. May be the display is too near to my eyes?
For me i try not to focus to much near and far…as that won’t work in VR.
Try the death stare take a bit to get use to…remember the magic eye books that was in the 90s, where you had to look through the picture to make a 3D image pop out…that the kind of stare that works for me.
Only problem is that you’re then looking cross sighted which will be extremely tiring to your eyes and most likely you won’t feel well after 30 minutes (or way sooner). You might want to try this mod, but it’s not for the faint of heart: http://community.openmr.ai/t/hardware-ipd-mod/3217
Alternatively you can buy the Pimax 8k, which should come with hardware IPD adjustment.
Thank you very much for this link. I have been Pimax 4K for only two days and I try to set everything correctly.
I bought them mainly for flying DCS. Unfortunately, when IPD is set to 50mm when picture is clear, the cockpit becomes unnaturally small. The whole feeling of realism is decreasing I reset the setting to the default 63mm and flew with a blurry picture but the flight experience was great I imagined me as a pilot who forgot his contact lenses I am afraid of changing the position of these lenses on my own. Not to break them. It would be nice if I could buy ready-made elements for the proper IPD. As for now, I feel disappointed by not being able to set the picture properly …
I reset the setting to the default 63mm and flew with a blurry picture but the flight experience was great 
I imagined me as a pilot who forgot his contact lenses