Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: texasfighter on December 05, 2013, 02:55:27 PM
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Latrobe put up very nice post about Track IR 4 last July. But I have Track IR 5 and all of the software looks different. I could not find a good tutorial that applied to AH. In face the only tutorials I did find were very basic and mostly had to do with installation. I have it installed and it works. However, I am getting frequent uncommanded views to my 6. Very disconcerting during takeoff and landing. Can't image what that would be like when you are trying to fight! I increased the smoothing a little bit but that didn't help. In face, I don't really know what smoothing does but I guess that it has to do with the acceleration of the view as you are looking around.
The other thing I would like to know how to do is the "pause" command or key. I have read that it is very important but I don't know what it is on my setup ... can't find it.
I am going to poke around their website to see what I can find for help or manuals.
Thanks for any help!
Tex78
edit: I use the Track clip on a hat. Don't have Track clip Pro.
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Sounds like you're getting some interference from another light source. You can check this by opening up the software and watching the 3 dot view. You should only see 3 green dots. If you see anything else, you're getting interference.
As for pausing, you can set it to any key or combination of keys you want. Same for your center button.
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mirrors and glass doors.
And bright sunlight. :old:
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I did this one a while back.
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,329017.0.html
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if I may suggest get the trak clip pro. it's way better.
semp
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In the TrackIR 5.2 software, the left side of the window includes expandable sections for "Basic Settings" and also "Advanced Settings". Under the advanced are three tabs, "Profiles", "Titles", and "Camera". Within the profiles tab is a "HotKeys" section. By default, "F12" is "Center" and "F9" is "Pause".
This is what I did within the TrackIR software: 1.) select "Exclusive" under the "Profiles" tab 2.) select "TrueView" on the "Profiles" tab to match the "Trueview" setting within Aces High 3.) under "Tracking Target" section of "Basic Settings" select "Track Clip Pro" 4.) under "Motion Control" in "Basic Settings" set "Speed" to 1 and "Smooth" to 10. Within Aces High I disabled the default mappings for the F9 and F12 keys (think I had to reassign "Range Voice" to F11, too).
And I agree with the points made above 1.) check for interference from other lights and/or reflections and 2.) the "Track Clip Pro" with the LEDs is better than the simple reflector version.
One more thing: I find it works better if I sit at least three feet away from the camera unit on top of my (center) monitor.
YMMV
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I have it installed and it works. However, I am getting frequent uncommanded views to my 6. Very disconcerting during takeoff and landing. Can't image what that would be like when you are trying to fight!
edit: I use the Track clip on a hat. Don't have Track clip Pro.
Might have an answer for ya as I had a similar problem setting mine up however fixing it required a little project. Do you wear glasses while using TIR with the hat clip? I do. When I first started using TIR I had the same problem--views skewing around seemingly without any input from me. It drove me nuts as it looked like it generally worked great. I turned on the IR camera view and saw the three dots as I should. But if I turned my head in a certain direction I'd see another dot that was red at first but then it'd change to green and the software would start tracking that dot as one of the three and one of the proper ones would go red. That was what was flipping my views around! It was a reflection back off the front of my glasses. Whenever I'd look slightly up and right or left this would happen. It was only when that lens directly faced the camera--and the IR LEDs that are shining at you. It's generally looking for the reflections back from the hat clip but my glasses were interfering with it. OK so I identified my problem. How to fix it?
The easy way was to buy the pro clip. Everybody says it works great but is ultra fragile and that it's probably gonna break just by looking at it. Eventually it'll be put together with toothpicks and electrical tape. It's also designed to clamp onto an over the head type headset and I prefer the behind the neck type rather than the over the head type so that didn't work for me. It's about $40 too. I'm all about the not so easy way. So I built my own active IR hat! :aok Got the idea a couple of years ago here: http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=1856 (http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=1856) when I was gonna try this program instead of buying a TIR. Bought enough stuff from radio shack for about $22 to build a couple of em and used an old USB phone charger as my power source. Got a ton of em laying around so I just re-tasked one. If you can read the schematic diagram and can do basic soldering you can do this. I used a throwaway freebie ball cap, three cheapie papermate pen tubes cut to length (that the LEDs fit into perfectly too), some thermostat wire, a little breadboard and box, a resistor, some mono audio cords and jacks along with the LEDs from Radio Shack. I cut holes in the cap and hot glued the pen tubes at the same position on the cap as they'd be with the clip. Wired it all up with the thermostat wire and a 6' mono plug out the back of the hat. Connected that to my power supply that has a mono jack on it (so I can unplug it easily and use the power supply for another design--I was thinking I'd make my own version of a pro clip that'd work with my headset).
Only trick was that to use the TIR in ball cap mode it's still using the IR LEDs on the camera in passive mode looking for the reflections on the cap clip--it'll still reflect off my glasses. Still a problem. Trying to use the Pro Clip mode won't work either as while it doesn't use the camera's LEDs, it's looking for a different pattern from the active LEDs on the Pro Clip. It'll skew the views again. Tweaked it. I fooled it by making a masking tape mask with a think it's a 5/8" round hole. That blocks the camera's LEDs but it still has a full field of view ahead and to the LEDs on my cap. Been using it since late spring and it works like a champ! Only think is old habits die hard and I still find myself using the hat switches to look around. ;)
It was a fun project for me to do but I know it's not for everybody.
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Fugitive has a real good write up. Latrobe's is the older version but still very good. It really takes a bit of playing with the setting.
The smooth increases the number of calculations per move. I have mine in the middle.
The speed curve slows or speeds up the response time of trackir as it relates to your head movement. How steep you do your curves has a similar effect.
I have very steep curves but my speed slider is set to .3. Most use shallow curves with speed ranges near 1 so my setup is a bit odd. I try to get a smooth, real life turn in the view.
I recommend unchecking the Roll but some don't.
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Hat clip is poo
Track clip pro is better :old:
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Track clip pro makes a huge difference. Be very, VERY careful with it, I had read all about how fragile it was and thought it was a bit of a joke. I set it down on top of my PC once, and I mean set it very gently, and the next day I noticed that the light arm was hanging by a wire. I have no idea how it happened, as I've never dropped it, and had taped the clip part, which isn't very sturdy either, with electric tape around the clip and headset as well to keep it from popping open. Tape worked to fix it where it broke, but this is very common I've heard, so I would recommend taping it to protect it before it breaks, as I've done that with the 2nd one I ordered already.
There are a bunch of profiles available on this BBS, that's how I got mine, I took one of Mace's and modified it for my own personal taste. I also mapped throttle buttons to recenter and pause, as I still find I sometimes need to turn it off in a multi con fight, as I'm still not as fast or accurate as using my thumb views with the old hat way.
I can be frustrating to use at first, I recommend just sticking with it as much as you can, after 20 years of using CH hats, it's a big switch, far more so than going from say a twisty stick to rudder pedals IMO.
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Two things are wrong. #1, has been stated, get Track clip Pro. The Hat clip should work fine if you have NO light sources in the back ground.
Even minor light sources in the back ground, like light thru closed shades, can affect the Hat clip. I have a very dark basement office so i can use my hat clip easily but if your upstairs in the house you will have problems. The clips are cheap. I have 2 of each just in case. They do break and you do lose them.
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Hat clip is poo
Track clip pro is better :old:
Track clip pro instantly improves TrackIR. Just be aware you WILL end up breaking it at some point....it's a really crappy design.
Super glue is your friend....just don't glue your fingers together. :aok
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Just remembered something I ran into on mine- There is a setting for either the hat clip or the track clip pro. Are you sure the correct one is selected? I had a similar behavior where mine sort of worked, but would occasionally get weird snaps to looking back. It was mystifying until I realized I had the hat clip selected instead of the Pro in the menu options.
Wiley.
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Thanks for all the help guys!
I have reduced the uncommanded looks to the rear. I have an office with French doors. The French doors have glass panes. So now I know I have to keep the doors freaking shut. If they are open, part of the glass panes are facing the camera.
I have increased the smoothing. My computer can handle it and it helps.
I have programmed a hat switch on my CH fighter stick to handle the center and pause function. Center helps a bunch when the view goes funky.
However, I have a new problem or concern. It seems when I pause Track IR and then turn it back on, it doesn't work well at all. It seems to intermittently "lose" the reflectors and just stops in the view it is at. Plus I can no longer turn it back past about 45 degrees or so. Now this problem just started yesterday since I have the pause programmed. I need to work with it some to see if this is a constant thing. But would like suggestions on that as well. Perhaps this is another problem associated with the hat clip.
Tex78
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i never turn mine off but do recenter it often. When you turn it back on or recenter itif you are not looking center to the screen it will make a new center where even you are looking. When you start the TrackIR software, recenter it before you start AH.
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Yes clip is poo
Have a telescopic hanger for a dremel to hang my headphones and save the track clip pro :old:
By the way Track ir awesome once you figured it out :)
But not as awesome as me :old:
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Yes clip is poo
Have a telescopic hanger for a dremel to hang my headphones and save the track clip pro :old:
By the way Track ir awesome once you figured it out :)
But not as awesome as me :old:
Since I use wireless headset (Logitech G930) I didn't want to be tied down to the PC because of the Track Clip Pro's USB cable.. I have a small Sharper Image Rechargable USB Battery I stick to the side of my G930, plugged in the Trackclip and am completely wireless. Looks ridiculous of course....wife just rolls her eyes when I go to get a beer wearing it...but I'm not tied down to the PC! I'll post some pictures later to give you an idea what I am talking about.
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What does the roll do for you? Or maybe I should ask it differently. Is the roll useful in combat? Trying to think it through .... when would roll be useful? Can I look further over the side of my cockpit .... further down? There are many times I want to see the plane to the side and below me and can't. Would it help with that?
I recommend unchecking the Roll but some don't.
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The roll is tilting your head left or right. When you uncheck "Roll" If you tilt your head trackir will only figure in the side head movement. Some times the rolling effect bothers folks. If it doesn't then just leave it on. It doesn't hurt to turn it off or any of the other axis like "Z".
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Ok, I had a lot more success the last time I was in the TA. I chased or had mock fights with a couple of fighters and it went very well.
I still remain with one more problem. When I look backwards ... left rear view or right rear view ...say 165 - 170 degrees, I am looking at the backrest. I normally fly a P47 and they all have a large backrest. I can move my head over to the left or right to see around it but over half the time it causes the view to go haywire. The view goes upside down or it snaps back to a forward view. Is there a way to control this so it will work correctly? I have tried to make my head movement very smooth and gradual. But then it's taking way too long. 3 seconds is way too long if you're getting shot at!
I probably will get a ClipPro after Christmas.
Thanks!
Tex78
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Ok, I had a lot more success the last time I was in the TA. I chased or had mock fights with a couple of fighters and it went very well.
I still remain with one more problem. When I look backwards ... left rear view or right rear view ...say 165 - 170 degrees, I am looking at the backrest. I normally fly a P47 and they all have a large backrest. I can move my head over to the left or right to see around it but over half the time it causes the view to go haywire. The view goes upside down or it snaps back to a forward view. Is there a way to control this so it will work correctly? I have tried to make my head movement very smooth and gradual. But then it's taking way too long. 3 seconds is way too long if you're getting shot at!
I probably will get a ClipPro after Christmas.
Thanks!
Tex78
Sounds like the reflectors on your hat might be getting outside the field of view of the camera unit? Image a cone coming out toward you from the face of that unit on top of your monitor. For the TrackIR 5 that cone is 51.7 degrees wide.
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Sounds like the reflectors on your hat might be getting outside the field of view of the camera unit? Image a cone coming out toward you from the face of that unit on top of your monitor. For the TrackIR 5 that cone is 51.7 degrees wide.
Yeah, that is probably it. Now I wonder if I can map the cone so I know when I am inside it. Lets see... if I get a protractor and lay it on the edge of the TrackIR sensor... should be able to draw a cone on paper and then project the lines out to something in my office. That way I can keep track (is that a pun?) of where to keep my head so it doesn't cause the views to go haywire.
The other thing I believe I need to do is increase the height of my chair. Since I have a 32" monitor, the sensor is actually quite high relative to me. If I slouch... it effects the view too much.
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Thanks for all the help guys!
I have reduced the uncommanded looks to the rear. I have an office with French doors. The French doors have glass panes. So now I know I have to keep the doors freaking shut. If they are open, part of the glass panes are facing the camera.
I have increased the smoothing. My computer can handle it and it helps.
I have programmed a hat switch on my CH fighter stick to handle the center and pause function. Center helps a bunch when the view goes funky.
However, I have a new problem or concern. It seems when I pause Track IR and then turn it back on, it doesn't work well at all. It seems to intermittently "lose" the reflectors and just stops in the view it is at. Plus I can no longer turn it back past about 45 degrees or so. Now this problem just started yesterday since I have the pause programmed. I need to work with it some to see if this is a constant thing. But would like suggestions on that as well. Perhaps this is another problem associated with the hat clip.
Tex78
Did you program pause directly to a button or are you using a function key that also sets an AH view mode?
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i used to get reflections off the track ir clip stalk, then i broke it and the new one has flat finish on the stalk which eliminates reflections from it. If you still have an old one, a length of masking tape around the arm eliminates the reflection from the clip.