Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Stringer on February 08, 2006, 03:44:51 PM
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Interested to hear from any Track IR folks, as I am considering springing for it.
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Itīs now my second week with TrackIr 4, and i simply love it. Itīs like the game has become more "3D" than before...
It was not as diffcult for me to get used to it as some other people wrote. I think itīs all about a proper setup of the hardware. I had to put some books under my display, so that the camera was finally sitting at an appropriate height for me (I am a bit taller than the average gamer ;) )
Overall, the TrackIr gave me much improved situational awareness, and shooting was not more difficult than without it, thanks to the reflecting gun sight. Especially when my enemy flies scissors or similar maneuvers, i do not loose track of him as often as with hatviews or keyboard. But i had the first 2-3 days some problems in combat. While tracking the enemy i had at first not much feel for my plane, i even crashed a few times. But to use head movements is much more natural than using other devices, so i now have a quite good "feel" where i am looking in respect to the alignment & position of my plane. Looking around my seat/headrest is much easier than before. This is the point where i realised that AH2 has the best integration of TrackIr of all Sims. I tried it for example with CFS3 and it sucked completely
BUT - i have to say that i think its waaaaay to expensive. If you want a higher level of immersion hand have some money to burn - go for it. But it is clearly an item of luxury, you certainly do not need it to be a good pilot ;)
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its fun
takes some getting used to
mine is off more than it is on
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Originally posted by Stringer
Interested to hear from any Track IR folks, as I am considering springing for it.
There is no other peripheral that will change your flight sim (and driving too) experience more....this includes a joystick...its THAT big of a deal.
Track IR review (http://www.combathanger.com/fighterreviews/tir/tir-review1.html)
This review is on TIR 3 with vector, but is still 100% valid, TIR4 is slightly more resolution and a wider field of view. The higher resolution isnt needed, just technology marching on, the wider field of view allows the unit to be closer to you, the TIR 3 needs to be a few feet away to be used effeciently.
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I must say that I was very VERY happy with using my hat on my FLCS to look around in AH. I would never have dreamed of purchasing one.
I was lucky enough to win one at the last AH Con, and I was very skeptical, but as I say, it didn't cost me anything.
I'd been flying without one for 8 years, so it took some getting used to. And I played extensively with the trackIR profiles, eventually making my own from scratch.
And with that all said, I just love it now. It is as close to MAGIC for a PC that I can think of. When set up, it just works in AH so beautifully.
I'm not a big fan of the Vector thing, but others love it. I bet you'll think its a hoot.
-Llama
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I own a Track IR2 and a Track IR3 with vector... its a pure novelty and isn't worth the money.
Invest the money in a nice HOTAS system instead, you'll have all the hats you want for views and you'll have better controls to boot.
I just don't think the Track IR setup has fully matured just yet... I'm planning on checking in with them from time to time and I'm betting in 3 years they'll have something worthwhile.
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Originally posted by Delirium
I just don't think the Track IR setup has fully matured just yet... I'm planning on checking in with them from time to time and I'm betting in 3 years they'll have something worthwhile.
If I had to guess Id say you didnt give the Tir3 w/vector a fair chance, or didnt have it setup optimally. As I stated in my review the TIR pre-vector was hard as heck to learn to use, and even then wasnt as effective as I would have liked. But with the vector its anything but a novelty. I litterally cant stand to fly without it, and can attribute many kills to the increased SA.
I cant see how being able to smoothly track a target throughout your planes full range of views, all the while having an instictive 'feel' for where you are in relation to the target and ground is anything short of marvelous.
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Without a doubt.....100% the best investment I ever made in this game!
I cannot see flying without it! From keeping bogies in constant sight to never losing a GV on the ground it is invaluable.
It took about a week to get used to but then LOOK OUT!
I use the standard profile and have a "recenter" button mapped to my throttle to get back in position if I have moved my chair or hat.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!:aok
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Cool...I may go for it then. I can't see spending the money on the IR4, so is the vector add-on to the 3 really needed? What does the vector add to the game?
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NEVER use it without vector!
Without vector addition you are only able to use 2 axis: yaw & pitch, turning your head up and down or left and right. With the vector addition, you are actually capable of moving inside your cockpit, leaning left or right, forward and backwards or up and down. Only this way you can look around headrest or cockpit frames. You can roll your head, so that you can keep a level look on the horizon while banking or climbing. Simply said: It feel *much* more natural than without vector addition.
I just turned the vector additions off and found the whole thing nearly useless and clearly inferior to hatview.
This is a AH2 video (http://media.naturalpoint.com/video/fanfilms/Hush.avi) someone made with vector addition.
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YOU NEED VECTOR to get the most out of it....TiR 4 may come with it but TiR 3 you have to purchase the xpansion I believe.....but GET IT WITH VECTOR either way!
See previous posters comments above
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Hold it now NEVER use without vector??????
I have used it both ways . If you set views and just use the two direction set up. It is still infinitly better than a hat switch. Once vector is enabled you have to really start tweakin till you get the disired effects.
Now is it worth the money? Hell yes, all the joystick buttons in the world wont help if ya got no SA.
Bronk
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Ok perhaps not never but I cannot see using it without!
Bottom line is that the system is great!:D
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I thinkin about getting the track IR too.
I have 1 question.
Is there a way to be able to toggle it on and off? Or maybe a center key, I'm afraid that I will not be aligned properly when about to shoot a guy and not be able to see gunsight. I'm I right or just confused?
I just saw the video and now really want it.
Widescreen monitor and pedals are my new thing for this month. Maybe I'll try the trackIR for next month. :)
So, shoud I get TrackIR 4 or TrackIR3 with vectoring?
I'll check out their website later tonight.
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Had TR4 a couple months now and I love it. Getting used to it was not near as difficult as I assumed it would be. Seems very natural to me.
A great investment for flight simming.
And yes you can toggle it on or off if needed.
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You can toggle it off/on or you can recenter...or you can do BOTH!
Once I found out you could to that VOILA!!!!! Absolutely wonderful!
:aok
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Originally posted by Kermit de frog
Is there a way to be able to toggle it on and off? Or maybe a center key, I'm afraid that I will not be aligned properly when about to shoot a guy and not be able to see gunsight. I'm I right or just confused?
So, shoud I get TrackIR 4 or TrackIR3 with vectoring?
Yes, there are keys for toggle on/off & centering.
i have mapped these to my stick, but to my surprise i do not use the centering as much as i expected.
Both versions of Track ir use the same software and therefore should both work fine. The biggest difference is that TrackIr 4 has a greater field of view ( 46 instead of 33 degrees) so that you should be able to move a bit more, or you can position the camera a little bit easier.
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I think its great!! less work for the thumb. Gives a better sim feel. :aok
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I've had mine for 9 months. I don't like it in combat. I like it fine for just cruising around, but when the furball starts I invariably turn it off.
It also makes me motion sick, especially at first. Not so much now.
I fly 90% more with it off than on.
I'll probably sell mine in another 6 months.
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For AH I think its not so big a deal, The view system is so good in this sim that while Track IR (with vector) is very nice it doenst really change the game(IMHO)
In IL2 howerer. Wow.
The view system in IL2 sucks and Track IR brings that game to life. If you have Track IR and IL2 and you have never tried the two together. Do it.
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Ok, I will admit... track IR with vector is great for IL2.
For AH, get yourself nice controls with a couple good hats and you'll make out better.
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Well, my purchase has just gone through and I should be getting the TrackIR Pro 4 soon.
So now, my set up will be:
32in widescreen HDTV 1360x768
CH Pro Rudder Pedals
Microsoft Precision Pro 2 Sidewinder Joystick
TrackIR 4 Pro
GeForce 4 Ti 4400 (overclocked to 295MHz from 250MHz)
Pentium 4 2.4GHz
1GB DDR 400
160GB 8MB cache Harddrive 133MHz 7200RPM
480W Power Supply
500W 5.1 Surround Sound System by Creative THX certified.
All I need now is a fighter stick and throttle by CH. I'll get the throttle next in a few months. And I'll wait until my microsoft joystick breaks before I buy the CH fighter stick.
Playing this game in a widescreen resolution caused clipping at the top and bottom. I could not see many of the lower gauges, trim settings and had many blind spots due to this. My SA was going down. This TrackIR is the answer to my problem. That is my reason for this purchase damnit!
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I dont toggle mine on and off. I have a button on my throttle that forces the forward view in combination with the TIR view.
Basically it "locks" your view in the forward view and doesnt allow any yaw or pitch inputs by TIR II. So when its time to fire, I hold down the button, and I know my view through the gunsite is "true". If you lose the site picture on the enema, just release the button and your back tracking the target.
Toggling on and off is a pain in the rear end.
Balsy
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Stringer,
make the investment. hard to get used to but a trmendous SA help.
Balsy,
How do you "force" the center fwd view? Love my IR4 but have problems gunning in a dogfight.
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Originally posted by FireOf59
How do you "force" the center fwd view? Love my IR4 but have problems gunning in a dogfight.
There is a key in AH for LOOK FORWARD (I think the default is NUM-8), if you hold this key down you look forward, and as with any view direction key (you can use TIR in conjunction with hat view for example), when you have a view direction key held down TIR automatically uses 'lean mode'...meaning you lean left right up or down, but dont turn your view.
I find that 90% of the time the large zone I have in the TIR profiler near the center means I can hold very steady, but on the occasions I want total lock down, I just have a key programmed to put it on hold (off), and use the hat views till Im done.
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Originally posted by Pongo
In IL2 howerer. Wow.
The view system in IL2 sucks and Track IR brings that game to life. If you have Track IR and IL2 and you have never tried the two together. Do it.
Just FYI, if you hit F9 while flying, the view system switches to the same snap mode as AH uses. :aok
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Originally posted by FireOf59
Stringer,
make the investment. hard to get used to but a trmendous SA help.
Balsy,
How do you "force" the center fwd view? Love my IR4 but have problems gunning in a dogfight.
Map Keypad 8 to a button.
balsy
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Question I have for those that use it:
1. Where do you place it, on top of the monitor or somwhere else? The manual shows an ideal range of 24" and I sit closer than that to my monitor because of my desk with the joystick. I would have to place it on the computer desks hutch shelf which is about 3" higher than the top of my monitor and it would have a slight downward angle to it.
2. Do you wear a hat with the tracker gear attached or use something else?
Thanks
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Originally posted by OOZ662
Just FYI, if you hit F9 while flying, the view system switches to the same snap mode as AH uses. :aok
It may snap, it doenst look arround stuff. Having the head on a stick is a drag.
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I place mine on top of my monitor. It sites about the same level as the top of my head. The Track IR4 has a baseball hat clip that has 2 reflectors on the brim and 1 back towards the head.
It sits about a foot from my head and works fine.
Definitely a good investment for the game. Now I dont die near as much..:aok
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Teebox,
I also place my TR4 unit on top of my monitor, pretty much the same level as the top of my head.
The clip fastens onto my headset very nicely so I don't need the hat.
Before going in game I always open the TR4 software and select the tracking tab. The 3 blue tracking dots in this screen give me a good idea how well the unit is aligned and is tracking my head movements. If the blue dots are not in a nice triangle, I just adjust my headset till all looks good.
I'm in Greenville some every week Teebox if you run into a problem. Be glad to help you.
Skyfoxx
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Originally posted by Teebox
Question I have for those that use it:
1. Where do you place it, on top of the monitor or somwhere else? The manual shows an ideal range of 24" and I sit closer than that to my monitor because of my desk with the joystick. I would have to place it on the computer desks hutch shelf which is about 3" higher than the top of my monitor and it would have a slight downward angle to it.
2. Do you wear a hat with the tracker gear attached or use something else?
Thanks
1: Just give both setups a try. Use the Tracking Window from the software to see if your unit is well aligned. I sit approx. 3 ft away, but up to 1ft should work fine.
2: The first day I attached the gear to my headset and had many problems. Especially when looking upward, the camera lost track. After attaching to a hat I had no problems anymore.
And donīt be frustratet to soon, play around a bit with the settings. I finally set all axis except the "roll" on "agressive", and gave "roll" and "z" a little more deadband. Of course other users may have different setups working equally well...
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Originally posted by Teebox
Question I have for those that use it:
1. Where do you place it, on top of the monitor or somwhere else? The manual shows an ideal range of 24" and I sit closer than that to my monitor because of my desk with the joystick. I would have to place it on the computer desks hutch shelf which is about 3" higher than the top of my monitor and it would have a slight downward angle to it.
2. Do you wear a hat with the tracker gear attached or use something else?
Thanks
the track3 and earlier need to be at least 30" so that you do not move the reflectors out of the viewing box
it is my understanding that the only real change in trackir4 is the fact you can have the unit closer to your head and not turn out of its pov window
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Thanks for the info
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Llama, could you put your profile up for download somewhere?
Thanks