Freetrack now works in all TrackIR games

[Vulcan]

Originally posted by crockett
Question for you TrackIR users. (not to go off topic).


How do you line your gun sites up when using Tracker? Is it hard to line up your sites? or do you just use the dot in the center of the screnn or mnouce pointer method?

Dunno bout the trackir guys, but with my headset I use the joystick deadzones (X/Y) to make sure theres a definitive area that when I'm looking forward zero's my view. IE If I look within 10 degrees of dead ahead the deadzone causes my view to snap to dead centre.

My only problem is the gunsight doesn't work well in 3D.

[Bronk]

Originally posted by crockett
Question for you TrackIR users. (not to go off topic).


How do you line your gun sites up when using Tracker? Is it hard to line up your sites? or do you just use the dot in the center of the screnn or mnouce pointer method?

With a reflector gun sight it doesn't matter where the dot is in the glass.
Also set just enough deadband with the tracir so looking forward is easy.


Bronk

[Finn]

TrackIR vs Freetrack/Freelook/etc etc
[Or how to get a taste of what TrackIR is like,  so that it will probably make you desire one even more!!!! Well that is what happened to me!!]

I have tried most of the alternatives to TrackIR,

The main problems are:

a) Framerate Hits: as these are software solutions,  they require more CPU ticks to do their computations,  from what I can tell, TrackIR seems to do alot of its processing on its own hardware chip.  TrackIR framerate his is negligable (5% maybe) ... while the software versions are 20-60% frame hits.

b) Quality: TrackIR is basically a modified webcam,  that appears to have the essential things it requires significantly boosted, and the stuff it doesnt need discarded (i.e.  has very fast FPS,  but only looks for IR-light, so discards images etc etc).   When using a webcam,  you have to tweak etc etc to get it to within paramaters that the software can comfortably work with.
* I ended up in a totally darkened room,  with an IR-led on  my hat,  and if i moved too far it didnt respond or lost tracking. (i would call it a 65%-85% solution).
* With trackIR ... can use it in any light, at very good angles/distances ... I would say it is a 100-110% solution ... once you get used to it (especially doing a 6-look,  which might take a few days) ... it becomes 2nd nature.


I sound like an advertisment for TrackIR,  but CAUTION/BEWARE ANYONE trying these software alternatives ... you know what it is going to do ... once you get a feel for 6DO and head-panning ... you will desire the real TrackIR even more...lol

(Played with s/w and cam for 7 days ... then saved my pennies and bought a TrackIR ... took me 3-4 weeks of no-takeaway etc and didnt even have to increase my mortgage!!!..lol)

Finn

[Xargos]

You can also program a CH stick to center the TrackIR when you pull the trigger.  You can do wonderful things with the CH Control Manager.

[swoose]

I saw this and decided to try and make one. http://www.theparticle.com/hardware/irqcam/ I soldered an ir led onto the circuit board and stuck it out the front of the camera. I placed a reflective strip on a hat  and use a program I got at freelook.org to see  the strip. You then use the mouse view setup. You must run freelook in the background  as you play AHII.I have some success but haven't fine tuned it as yet. The webcam came from ebay for about 20 buck and the leds are 1.79 from radio shack. You will have to place a resistor in series with the led and there is a calculator at http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz. The 5 volts comes from the usb connection and can be tapped into inside the camera. Good luck!

[Gianlupo]

Swoose, your message should be posted even in this thread:

Freelook and making a headset for it

And thanks for sharing!

[swoose]

The link to the calculator will not work for some reason but the address is correct. I'll try again. http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz. Maybe this one will work.
Swoose

[Gianlupo]

You just have to the delete the dot in the end of the address.

It's http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz

[swoose]

Thanks. It's always the little things that get you.
Swoose

[Gianlupo]

Thank you for posting that stuff!

[fsim]

Cachya is another option. It is a webcam solution just like cam2pan but support 6DOF. To me, it works great. I couldn't believe it is software based. And setup is easy. You print a card and stick on your hat, that's it! It is not free but pretty cheap. Spend $15 for 6DOF makes every sense to me.

Aces High II can make use of 5DOF of it. Smooth and fast ... . I mean it worth the money even for Aces High alone!

Here is the link: http://www.cachya.com

Good Luck.

[fsim]

[kestrel7e7]

a) Framerate Hits: as these are software solutions,  they require more CPU ticks to do their computations,  from what I can tell, TrackIR seems to do alot of its processing on its own hardware chip.  TrackIR framerate his is negligable (5% maybe) ... while the software versions are 20-60% frame hits.

This is not an issue with dual-core cpus, but even on a single core cpu most Freetrack users report little noticeable reduction in in-game frame rate.

b) Quality: TrackIR is basically a modified webcam,  that appears to have the essential things it requires significantly boosted, and the stuff it doesnt need discarded (i.e.  has very fast FPS,  but only looks for IR-light, so discards images etc etc).   When using a webcam,  you have to tweak etc etc to get it to within paramaters that the software can comfortably work with.
* I ended up in a totally darkened room,  with an IR-led on  my hat,  and if i moved too far it didnt respond or lost tracking. (i would call it a 65%-85% solution).
* With trackIR ... can use it in any light, at very good angles/distances ... I would say it is a 100-110% solution ... once you get used to it (especially doing a 6-look,  which might take a few days) ... it becomes 2nd nature.

Freetrack works pefectly in a well lit room, the webcam 'tweaking' only involves setting the exposure, the software is more customisable than TrackIR and is constantly being improved.

Freetrack is so good you would be crazy to waste your money on a glorified webcam, oops, I mean TrackIR.


Freetrack v2.0 is out btw.

[Tigeress]

Originally posted by wooly15
You can get IR LED's at any radioshack, but where in the world can you find an inexpensive IR filter?

mmmm... inexpensve IR filters... you guys can find stuff like than on eBay.

This one is $5

http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-CAMCORDER-IR-PASS-THROUGH-FILTER_W0QQitemZ150150624060QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150150624060

TIGERESS

[kestrel7e7]

You can get IR LED's at any radioshack, but where in the world can you find an inexpensive IR filter?

mmmm... inexpensve IR filters... you guys can find stuff like than on eBay.    This one is $5

lol, just use developed film negatives... that's what all Freetrack users use. Everybody is bound to have some lying around somewhere, from the days before you got your shiny new digital camera. If you don't have a fully exposed piece you can use several layers of unexposed offcuts, ideally you shouldn't be able to see through it with the naked eye.