TrackIR for less... A LOT less!

[TinmanX]

So. I've always liked TrackIR ever since I borrowed Silat's for a few months but the cost always put me off. Paying anywhere between $100 and $200 for it seemed exorbitant. Well this weekend I decided to use "project time" on myself rather than the kids (for the first weekend in 5 years!)

First the software.

I found this while reading up on how TrackIR works, quite accidentally; http://www.free-track.net/english/]
Free, open source, head-tracking software? I'm downloading that.
After reading through the site, I head off into the kids room and steal the EYE TOY from their PS2, find the drivers online and have it set up on my PC as a web-cam.
Right, so, software = done, receiver = done. All I need is an emitter but I also want to see if this software works so I set it to Single Point tracking and grab the Blu-Ray remote from the living room and point it at the monitor that the EYE TOY is sat on. Grinning, I see my pilots view move smoothly through 2 axis, X and Y. It works!

Off to Radioshack.

Radioshack is a wonderful place, filled with wonderful things, staffed by idiots. After I've spent 10 minutes telling the spotty twerp what I was doing and what I needed from his store, he tried to sell me an Iphone. I went looking for myself, found the IR-LED draw with 1 LED in it and no resistors! Feh! I left the store dispondant but with instructions to re-stock their supplies as I would be back.

On the way home I stopped to get gas. It was while I was in the gas station I saw these Maglite (knock-off) keyring flashlights for a buck each. What the hell, eh? I buy three. Arriving home I do the same test I did with the remote earlier and the webcam and software both react positively to the mini-light after some fiddling with the camera settings. Result!

Grabbing a wire coat-hanger and some pliers I get to work, bending shaping and taping my first prototype. It takes around 10 minutes before I'm satisfied;

It's my first prototype and I don't care how it looks, I love it!

To cut this short, It works. Not only that, it works beautifully, as good as TrackIR for sure! It does take a few more of you computer's resources, running a webcam and Aces High together and therefore, those of us with lower spec machines (and I'm talking machines as old as mine with an old P4 and 1gb of RAM) will notice a performance drop but hey, use the money you've saved on TrackIR to upgrade.

Total cost for this project, assuming you already own a webcam, coathanger and tape; $3

[Flench]

I have been going to try this . Thanks for the post .

[zack1234]

I have trackir I might give a go for fun

[Tigger29]

I have Track IR now, but I did play with Freetrack for a bit before.

I got it working but not reliably.  The software would often just close for no reason (maybe a newer version has been released since then).

The LED's didn't track right, and the light they produced was quite annoying.

I converted my webcam to recognize IR LED's... and purchased IR LED's and resistors and wired it up to a USB plug.. and that part worked beautifully!  My problem is I never could get my camera to work correctly... the lights would register too big and 'touch' each other, or they would drop out.  I even shaved the LED lenses flat which helped, but still wasn't reliable.

After awhile I finally gave in and bought Track IR and don't regret it one bit.  Looking back now I realize that it was probably my old WebCam that didn't like it so much... between its lack of adjustments and its low resolution... it just wasn't doing its job.

So in a nutshell... does FreeTrack work?  YES (especially if they've released a new version that is more stable).  Is FreeTrack easy to build?  Yeah.. it's not too bad... but if you don't feel like tinkering constantly and tweaking and all that then you may find the price of TrackIR to be worth it.

I've also heard that using a Wii-Mote for a Freetrack camera works great!

[humble]

Bottom line is simple, It does work but its nowhere near what track IR is period. Not all webcams work well and in order to get good tracking you may need to cannibalize your webcam and take out the filter...
http://www.free-track.net/english/hardware/webcam_filter_removal.php?PHPSESSID=6ec072e0c3dbf9c66be9f03aa218b419 

It's a great little project (especially to do with your son or daughter) and it will certainly give you an idea of what TrackIR does...but its not really a suitable replacement (IMO)... here's a couple of pics of my freetrack hat....works pretty well.

[TinmanX]

A lot of the issues you guys are mentioning I experienced also but with a little patience you can get it working smoothly. I found that by changing my webcam to black and white and reducing the brightness, hue, saturation and sharpness to around 50% and exposure to zero I could cancel out all of the interference from other light sources (I am not using IR LEDs). Also, the position of the camera is important. You don't want your lights to flood the lens, I have mine below my screen to counter that issue.

As for the camera itself, I believe cheaper is better. As I said above, I'm using a PS2 EYETOY which cost $15 new a few years ago and doesn't have an IR filter (not that I'm using IR).

[allaire]

Also after you remove the IR filter you want to use something to filter the visible light out.  You can use exposed 35mm film negatives, get a roll of 35mm film and expose the film and get the negatives developed, in several layers or you can use the magnetic film from a disk in a single layer.  You only want to do this with a IR setup.

[jocrp6]

I've got my free-track working to a T, yes you have to butch a web-cam, mines a Micro-soft, was a little bi$%#! to do, I use the IR-led's from Radio-Shack, run them in series with no resistor and use a 3V.power supply, mine's an old Wall-Mart charge anything with differant adapters and could adjust the voltage from 3v,6v,9v,etc.
  when you turn it on, or (double-click) program running, on the main screen click on camera and turn alot of that stuff off, you will have to mess with it! but mine is reliable! been useing it for at least 6months now,  be careful if theres a window behind you!  he,he.  had to cover mine up during the day.
                                                                                                     Misfire out,

[ozrocker]

Not to jump off topic, but I see the old 327th hat. So, who was Humble before (while in 327th?) Just curious, I've been in 327 since I started AH, don't remember Humble. I did have a 2 year hiatus. Maybe you were in squad then.Anyway,  to an old squaddie!!!


                                                                                                                        <S> Oz

[guncrasher]

Not to jump off topic, but I see the old 327th hat. So, who was Humble before (while in 327th?) Just curious, I've been in 327 since I started AH, don't remember Humble. I did have a 2 year hiatus. Maybe you were in squad then.Anyway,  to an old squaddie!!!


                                                                                                                        <S> Oz

I want to reorder my 327th hat  .


semp

[ozrocker]

I need a new one. I think KOOL lost his hat connection. Not sure though.

                                                    <S> Oz

[Flench]

I never did get a hat  
   to an old squaddie!!!

[Golfer]

If I'm going to look like a complete dork I'd prefer using a professionally built piece of equipment rather than that contraption.

[The Fugitive]

I built one and posted a write up HERE in '08 I have since given up on it as I could use my hat switch just as fast if not faster due to all the practice I have   

[guncrasher]

What u talking about golf that hat was professionally made I had it for 7 years till it somehow disappeared from my clost.


Semp