TrackIR

[Urchin]

I'm not sure that I am a big fan of TIR to be honest. 

I've had it for about a year, and I haven't really been playing much with it, but I get extremely disoriented with it.  Using the hat views, you have a fixed frame of reference - you know where you are looking at all times, so you know where your plane is pointed.  TrackIR is almost like having a manual padlock on all the time - you have no frame of reference to give you guidance on where your plane is going.

I've also noticed that I get really bad headaches after I've used it for a while, and the muscles in my neck / upper back get very fatigued.

It is fun, and it is possible to hit some snapshots that are very tough to hit with the hat views, but it definitely is not all positive (in my opinion).

[xStrato]

Seriously, no point of reference. The point of reference is your head. If you look forward, you look forward in the plane. Its really that simple.

The TrackIR is amazing. It really adds to the game. Use your hat sticks for something better.

I'm not sure that I am a big fan of TIR to be honest. 

I've had it for about a year, and I haven't really been playing much with it, but I get extremely disoriented with it.  Using the hat views, you have a fixed frame of reference - you know where you are looking at all times, so you know where your plane is pointed.  TrackIR is almost like having a manual padlock on all the time - you have no frame of reference to give you guidance on where your plane is going.

I've also noticed that I get really bad headaches after I've used it for a while, and the muscles in my neck / upper back get very fatigued.

It is fun, and it is possible to hit some snapshots that are very tough to hit with the hat views, but it definitely is not all positive (in my opinion).

[Urchin]

XStrato -

I don't think you understand what I am saying.  Using the hat views, I know exactly where I am heading vis a vis an enemy.  You can keep track of relative motion because the con is sliding around a fixed viewpoint (be it your high 3, low 11, whatever). 

With trackIR, I lose that ability.  It may be a matter of having to practice more with it, I'm not sure.  What I am sure of is I am nowhere near as competent with trackIR as I was with the hat.  It is cool for the immersion factor, but my "flying" definitely suffered.

[ImADot]

It took a little getting used to myself, but now I'd rather fly with it than without it.

Anyways, here are a couple of screenshots for my setup.  First one is looking straight ahead, second is me pointing my head to the left edge of my 24" widescreen monitor which is all I need to spin my game head all the way around to check 6.  I'm also including a link to my squad site's download page if anyone so desires to download my TIR profile from my squad's website.

TIR Profile
http://ironhorsemen.spruz.com/?display=Downloads

Centered View



Check 6 View Notice the two red arrows I drew to show how little I need to move
my "real" head (yellow line) and how much my "game" head moves in relation (red line). 

[Rebel]

thanks dude!  Gonna work that out in the TA.  Thanks a million!

[Rebel]

Just a note- it's working great now.  Thanks, ImADot! 

[Lusche]

I don't think you understand what I am saying.  Using the hat views, I know exactly where I am heading vis a vis an enemy.  You can keep track of relative motion because the con is sliding around a fixed viewpoint (be it your high 3, low 11, whatever). 

With trackIR, I lose that ability.  It may be a matter of having to practice more with it, I'm not sure. 

It may very well be that more practice would fix it for you, though of course there is no guarantee. Also how it's setup plays a major role. For me it took about a week to get fully used to it (but I play a lot), and about a month until I did the last minor tweaks on my profile.

But today, when using TIR I always know exactly where my head is pointing relative to my plane. Even when flying bubble canopy planes like the 51 where there is often no visually indication by seeing the cockpit frame. It's absolutely second nature. Very valuable in close dogfights, scissors etc. By tracking the enemy all the time I get a very good feel for changing angles due to my head movement. By using TIR it all feels more like flying in a 3-dimensional world, I am more "in" it. When having to use hat view again, it's suddenly all "flat" for me

[Motherland]

It may very well be that more practice would fix it for you, though of course there is no guarantee. Also how it's setup plays a major role. For me it took about a week to get fully used to it (but I play a lot), and about a month until I did the last minor tweaks on my profile.

But today, when using TIR I always know exactly where my head is pointing relative to my plane. Even when flying bubble canopy planes like the 51 where there is often no visually indication by seeing the cockpit frame. It's absolutely second nature. Very valuable in close dogfights, scissors etc. By tracking the enemy all the time I get a very good feel for changing angles due to my head movement. By using TIR it all feels more like flying in a 3-dimensional world, I am more "in" it. When having to use hat view again, it's suddenly all "flat" for me

I think Lusche summed it up nicely.
It really adds something to the game. Like he said, when you go back to a hat it's like you're in a 2D world as opposed to a 3D one.
Also, it's especially nice in the 109 for maneuvering your view around all of those cockpit bars.

[Urchin]

I actually have more trouble with the cockpit bars with trackIR than I did with the hat views.  I'd just move the view to the clearest possible and save it, it seems with trackIR I am always staring right at a bar.

[Sincraft]

Ok someone tell me this,

I have CH pedals (which I don't recommend because they had bugs in a big batch and refused to take them back) after tweaking it constnatly with software to get it working properly (yes I know what I'm doing), I just couldn't handle being 'stuck' in a position that I found uncomfortable. 

SO with that said: is this product 'restrictive'?  I move and fidget alot, is there a button you could hit for a 'quick center' or someting like that for firing mode or for resetting where you are sitting?

When I get into the heat of battle I like to lean forward and othertimes when I'm tired I fly sitting and slouching.

??

[Cajunn]

Ok someone tell me this,

I have CH pedals (which I don't recommend because they had bugs in a big batch and refused to take them back) after tweaking it constnatly with software to get it working properly (yes I know what I'm doing), I just couldn't handle being 'stuck' in a position that I found uncomfortable. 

SO with that said: is this product 'restrictive'?  I move and fidget alot, is there a button you could hit for a 'quick center' or someting like that for firing mode or for resetting where you are sitting?

When I get into the heat of battle I like to lean forward and othertimes when I'm tired I fly sitting and slouching.

??

Try the "home" key that should do it

[Cajunn]

It took a little getting used to myself, but now I'd rather fly with it than without it.

Anyways, here are a couple of screenshots for my setup.  First one is looking straight ahead, second is me pointing my head to the left edge of my 24" widescreen monitor which is all I need to spin my game head all the way around to check 6.  I'm also including a link to my squad site's download page if anyone so desires to download my TIR profile from my squad's website.

TIR Profile
http://ironhorsemen.spruz.com/?display=Downloads

Centered View
(Image removed from quote.)


Check 6 View Notice the two red arrows I drew to show how little I need to move
my "real" head (yellow line) and how much my "game" head moves in relation (red line). 
(Image removed from quote.)

Thanks Everyone I think I'm going to give it a try...... and thanks for the starter profile.

[Vulcan]

it's like you're in a 2D world as opposed to a 3D one.

Mmmm once you fly AH in 3D you'll hate 2D.

[Sincraft]

darnit. Now if only woot would put that up on their woot off!

S

[ImADot]

SO with that said: is this product 'restrictive'?  I move and fidget alot, is there a button you could hit for a 'quick center' or someting like that for firing mode or for resetting where you are sitting?

When I get into the heat of battle I like to lean forward and othertimes when I'm tired I fly sitting and slouching.

??

In my profile, I use the ~ key to recenter the TIR which effectively "puts you back in center of cockpit looking directly front".  I use this key because it's easy to get to with the thumb of my thottle-hand.  I move around a lot too, while playing, and re-center my TIR at least once every couple of minutes unless in the heat of battle and I'm rocking and swaying when T&B'ing.

As long as your head is actually looking straight when you center the TIR, you're fine.  Because you are telling the TIR what "looking forward" should look like to the reciever - if your head is pointed a little left when you center the TIR, it thinks that is what center is.  Then if you move your head to the right, which to you, is "centered", the TIR thinks you're looking right.

Also, the POV hat buttons still work, so I hold the "look forward" hat button to semi-lock the TIR in forward view.  I can still move my head around, but it the TIR input has now been effectively "dulled down" for those times when I need more precision for fine-tuning my aim.  Works especially well when zoomed in for a long-range shot.