Track IR

[rocky289]

How many of you guys use a Track IR.
I have got one but only use it for Helicopters.
I find the hat switch on my yoke suffices for the fixed wings.

[markll]

QUOTE (rocky289 @ Jan 29 2010, 04:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How many of you guys use a Track IR.
I have got one but only use it for Helicopters.
I find the hat switch on my yoke suffices for the fixed wings.

Yeah, I must admit to not really feeling the need in FSX, though I tend to fly mostly fixed wing, so perhaps would be different if I was flying (if you can call it that! ) whirly birds.

BUT I really need to get Track IR for Rise of Flight. Thats one game where I really really seem to need it! Would be a much different experience with TrackIR...

On that topic, anyone here tried to DIY it using FreeTrack?

[Ian Warren]

Track IR is the next tool /addon in my place , Il2 ,, maybe i, but FS has coming a long way since Active Cam .. i dont understand why i dont have it yet , well i do , seemed i was beating all it could offer

[SUBS17]

TrakIR is good for dogfighting and with some aircraft you need it in the 3d pit to switch those buttons that are behind the stick or throttle.

[2fst4u]

I would love to be able to afford it. It would make it so much more realistic. Especially if you need to zoom in to see the panel and you want to do proper check-lists where you look out the window to see the wheels are still attached

[Chairman]

The thing that really sells me on TrackIR is that when I'm going downwind I can just literally glance over my shoulder to see how I'm doing, and then when I'm on base wondering when to turn onto final I can actually look around the blasted window pillars and see where the runway is hiding.

Plus as has been said it's great for zooming in on things or looking around the yokes.

I found that having a couple of buttons I can find without moving my head assigned to it (one to pause tracking and one to reset the view) made it a whole lot better.

Gary

[dbcunnz]

QUOTE (Chairman @ Jan 29 2010, 08:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The thing that really sells me on TrackIR is that when I'm going downwind I can just literally glance over my shoulder to see how I'm doing, and then when I'm on base wondering when to turn onto final I can actually look around the blasted window pillars and see where the runway is hiding.

Plus as has been said it's great for zooming in on things or looking around the yokes.

I found that having a couple of buttons I can find without moving my head assigned to it (one to pause tracking and one to reset the view) made it a whole lot better.

Gary

[rocky289]

Does flight sim allow you to asign buttons on you flight controller to the Track IR or do you just use the default F9 & F12.

[Ian Warren]

Rocky , with Doug given away a unit . im going to ask some question , the diff between the model he has upgraded to , ...... I think ill make this my new years present on recommendations

[rocky289]

You can find them on www.naturalpoint.com
Mine is a 4:Pro, the latest is a 5
You might have to do some research to find the differences.

[markll]

So I'll just ask again - has anyone here tried the do it yourself approach using FreeTrack rather than shelling out hundreds on a TrackIR unit? Reason I ask is that theres no way I can currently justify the $$ for a TrackIR unit, and FreeTrack promises the potential for doing the same thing for less than $50, plus some time to put it together...

Are there any other (cheap) alternatives?

[rocky289]

Yeah, I must admit with the Track IR, you don't seem to get much for your $$$$$.
Just a small tracking device that clips onto the top your monitor & a clip with 3 reflectors which clips onto the peak of a cap.
As I understand it, Free Track is software for running a similar type device or utilizing a webcam instead of the tracking unit.

[markll]

QUOTE (rocky289 @ Jan 29 2010, 11:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I must admit with the Track IR, you don't seem to get much for you $$$$$.
Just a small tracking device that clips onto the top your monitor & a clip with 3 reflectors which clips onto the peak of a cap.
As I understand it, Free Track is software for running a similar type device or utilizing a webcam instead of the tracking unit.

Sort of...it's the software, plus loads of instructions, plans, video tutorials, forums, etc, showing you how to put the headset together too...it's as simple as grabbing a $30 webcam, removing the IR filter, and wiring up 3 IR LEDs with a battery and maybe a resistor or two... I nearly did it last year except a) my old webcam doesn't have a Win7 driver and b) my local DSE stopped selling IR LEDs

[ZK-MAT]

Take a look on Kiwisim

We discussed FreeTrack there

[markll]

QUOTE (ZK-MAT @ Jan 29 2010, 11:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Take a look on Kiwisim

We discussed FreeTrack there

Nice, thanks! Gives me somewhere to go to get the LEDs now too! Cheers!

[dbcunnz]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Jan 29 2010, 09:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rocky , with Doug given away a unit . im going to ask some question , the diff between the model he has upgraded to , ...... I think ill make this my new years present on recommendations

Hi Ian I have had the Track IR 4 pro for quite a while now and been intending to put the old one up for a give away for some time now but keep forgetting that's what happens as you get older not quite into the Alzheimer yet though
Now the old version 2 and 3 only had one hat dot and are nowhere near the as good as the version 4 and 5 that work off three points on the hat so you get three dimension and they both have a lot more bells and whistles. The early versions were much harder to setup and where not as smooth as the latter versions also they didn't have the zoom. With the zoom you can lean forward and to your left look back past the rear side of your window or lean left and look almost strait down the side of the plane at the ground as though you would in the real plane. It is also much easier to setup the amount of lag you like so you can move your head a little before it starts movement that way the panel is not moving at every slightest move of your head. Lastly as Chairman said it is excellent for keeping the airfield and runway in sight on the down wind, base leg and turning onto finals.
I am using a digital triplehead2Go with three 22 inch wide screen monitors and wouldn't be without Track IR it give it so much more realization.

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (markll @ Jan 29 2010, 10:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So I'll just ask again - has anyone here tried the do it yourself approach using FreeTrack rather than shelling out hundreds on a TrackIR unit? Reason I ask is that theres no way I can currently justify the $$ for a TrackIR

I have done many 'do it yourself' s ... but rather question , why don,t you approach it by making , moneys nothing if you really want it , but a good example of enjoying FS is doing it yourself , ..these days i say FRAG that and just buy it .. dedication is the key and the want for it .

Mark , You should do a build online project , a step by step instruction tutorial for the many .

[markll]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Jan 29 2010, 11:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have done many 'do it yourself' s ... but rather question , why don,t you approach it by making , moneys nothing if you really want it , but a good example of enjoying FS is doing it yourself , ..these days i say FRAG that and just buy it .. dedication is the key and the want for it .

Mark , You should do a build online project , a step by step instruction tutorial for the many .

Yeah, might just do that...got a bit of time on my hands these days, also got a few other projects that I've started but never quite finished...we'll see

[Syncop8r]

I have relinked my images on that Kiwisim thread.
I found the Freetrack clip surprisingly easy to make (except had to order the LEDs from Farnell) and I know hardly anything about electronics.
I just had trouble getting Freetrack set up properly, although I could see the lights from the clip clearly registering on the program.

[Chairman]

QUOTE (rocky289 @ Jan 29 2010, 09:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Does flight sim allow you to asign buttons on you flight controller to the Track IR or do you just use the default F9 & F12.

TIR has first crack at using any button/key presses, so set that bit up first. Default keys are fine if you don't use them for anything else.

Then use FSUIPC to generate those keypresses when you press buttons on your flight controller. I used the dust-gathering lateral trim rocker switch on my yoke.

The hair tearing part is remembering to close the TIR software when setting up FSUIPC, otherwise you have to do it this way :

1. select a yoke button for FSUIPC to process
2. set FSUIPC's action for the button to 'generate a keystroke'
3. for count= 1 to 5
   • press F12 when FSUIPC asks which keystroke you want to generate
   • TIR grabs the F12 keystroke, but since you're not looking at that window you don't notice the status change
   • stare at FSUIPC wondering what - if anything - just happened
     
4. next count
5. whack the daylights out of F12 because the contact under it is obviously stuffed
6. TIR grabs the F12 keystroke, but since you're not looking at that window you don't notice the status change
7. Press F11 to see if that works
8. Click OK while FSUIPC is at least going to generate something when you press that button
9. Go into TIR software and change the keystroke required from F12 to- Oh. Click.

If you are feeling particularly energetic you can substitute "remove F12 key to clean under it" into line 5.

Hope that helps

Gary