Track IR5 vs Freetrack.

[Bokononist]

I've been running with Freetrack for a few months now, but I'm finding that I have to change the profile all the time to compensate for varying lighting conditions, how low my battery pack is running etc. Plus I have to delete a dll everytime I want to play Dirt 2 or F1 2010 or they won't even launch.
My question is aimed at anyone who has used both systems, how much better is TrackIR 5 than Freetrack?

[Foo'bar]

TrackIR is expensive but it simply works. Well, that's the reason why it is expensive plus theres no competitors.

How I wish that Saitek e.g. was building a head tracker :(

But until that day take TrackIR. Forget Freetrack. I've tested them both.

[MadBlaster]

Freetrack is better. I never have to touch my profile. My hat plugs into usb port, so no worries about battery. You could also make a hat to plug into a wall socket if you wanted to do that. If your room lighting varies, I suspect you will have problems with either system. Instead of fixing the profile all the time, fix your room. Put some window blinds up or something.

[Dano]

If your room lighting varies, I suspect you will have problems with either system.

I have no issues with TIR ever and I fly in all lighting conditions, daylight, artificial and darkness, not once have I ever had to adjust my profile to suit as TIR continues to work flawlessly in each case.

How can you state that freetrack is better when you have never used TIR?

[MadBlaster]

I have no issues with TIR ever and I fly in all lighting conditions, daylight, artificial and darkness, not once have I ever had to adjust my profile to suit as TIR continues to work flawlessly in each case.

Try lighting yourself on fire. I bet it doesn't work so well then.;)

[Dano]

Try lighting yourself on fire. I bet it doesn't work so well then.;)

:rolleyes:

[Continu0]

Freetrack works pretty well - if it works. Should you go for it, i highly recommend buying a camera that is suggested on the freetrack-website.

I have problems with the drivers of the camera(which wasn´t suggested): They always switch to default settings when i switch to the game.

[JG52Uther]

I have enough faffing about just running CoD, without having to mess around with freetrack all the time. I tried it a couple of years ago, never worked properly for me, and used a hell of a lot of resources.
TiR is ridiculously expensive, but it works.

[Artist]

Using Freetrack on Win7 with 3 Osram SFH487P infrared LEDs (powered by a 4.5V power supply unit) and a Wii Remote (powered by a 3V power supply unit and connected via a Hama Nano Bluetooth USB)

Works flawlessly, smooth and reliable on 97-100 FPS. Because of the Wii Remote it uses less CPU than a webcam-solution.

Was a bit of tinkering, though. :grin:

Artist

[SEE]

I have used both FTv2.2 and TIR4 ultra. I prefer FT, with a good webcam (PS3 eye at 100fps), IR filter and the correct wide angle IR leds (SH485) found it just as good as TIR. My FT clip is powered off the USB just as a TIR clip would be. Needless to say I sold my TIR on Ebay.

I have one profile and haven't changed it since CloD was released so not sure why you have to change it at all.

The latest update seems to have caused some problems and FTsometimes locks up when I go into the menu, why it suddenly started doing this I don't know, having said that, no one else is reporting similar issues so it may be the PS3 eye that is conflicting in my OS. Its fine with a standard 30fps webcam.

The biggest advantage for me is that FT allows keystrokes to be assigned to any of the 6 axis and these can be assigned to a POV. In dogfights, or for accurracy, I will often disable two of the unwanted axis.

I personally couldn't see a big enough advantage using TIR over FT. I can change/replace the camera and LED's far more cheaply so the decision for me wasn't that difficult to make.

[FallenAngel]

freetrack, a crap webcam (ir filter removed) and 10euros for a homemade tracking device. A conscious setup and it works perfetcly. Save your money and forget about TIR.

[jimbop]

@OP, sounds like your setup could be better. With a decent webcam and some SH485 LEDs you should be fine under any conditions. I can't overemphasise the importance of getting the right LEDs!

[bravoalpha]

I've just made my first starts with my new tracking device. Three IR LEDs side clip, VX-3000 cam, latest FreeTrack, w7 64bit. With two other sims its work "out of the box" (after a short basic setup in FT), but with CoD is not so easy. Everything is too sensitive and nervous.
I tried to tune it and i can have good wide movements to check six or very smooth motion to operate in the cockpit but nothing in between.
I know its about taste, but a CoD profile could help me a lot to find what I'm looking for. Is there any public one? Do you have a good one?

[jimbop]

I've just made my first starts with my new tracking device. Three IR LEDs side clip, VX-3000 cam, latest FreeTrack, w7 64bit. With two other sims its work "out of the box" (after a short basic setup in FT), but with CoD is not so easy. Everything is too sensitive and nervous.
I tried to tune it and i can have good wide movements to check six or very smooth motion to operate in the cockpit but nothing in between.
I know its about taste, but a CoD profile could help me a lot to find what I'm looking for. Is there any public one? Do you have a good one?

I will post mine but won't be until tomorrow (moving house). In the meantime have you played with default curves? Should be a short delay curve.

[LoBiSoMeM]

PS3 Eye cam + homemade 3 point clip (USB). I use it flawless with CloD, IL-2 46, ArmA series, even in BF3! You just need a GOOD cam without IR filter.

Seriously, i never understand why people have so much trouble with Freetrack. The software itself is more flexible than TrackIR one. I have multiple profiles for each game, and i just click in the one i want to use.

Variable (and strong) ambient light conditions will influence two solutions, the same way.

[LoBiSoMeM]

@OP, sounds like your setup could be better. With a decent webcam and some SH485 LEDs you should be fine under any conditions. I can't overemphasise the importance of getting the right LEDs!

Yes, good IR leds always! In my room i have a windows in front of me and i can use Freetrack anytime... :-P

[bravoalpha]

Thanks jimbop!
I played a bit with the curves and the global setting, its better but not ok.
LoBiSoMeM, I'm using l-934f3c LEDs, removed the IR filter from the cam and made a daylight filter from a floppy. FT works perfect without any in deep setup with Condor or RoF! With Default profile or Sensitivity at 1 and full smooth and I use it as I always had it!
In CoD its not so easy, narrow smooth movements or wide and nervous popping what I have (now). Its not so easy to fine tune it (I think the main problem is the missing FT option in the game.)

[Qpassa]

Track ir is far more expensive but It works perfect.
If they would reduce the price, they would get more sells

[bravoalpha]

I made a few different profiles, tested it a lot a finally i'm close to the perfect one. Again, its all about taste, but I post mine for the newcomers! Cheers! ;)

[jimbop]

Here are my settings:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6730066265_acfe95dd16_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61319592@N06/6730066265/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6730066435_ba8a49beaa_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61319592@N06/6730066435/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6730066299_8c4ae17847_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61319592@N06/6730066299/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6730066187_03b2c7c4e1_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61319592@N06/6730066187/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6730066385_32d87029ec_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61319592@N06/6730066385/)

[bravoalpha]

Thanks for sharing! Nice to see how differents are the profiles! Also missed the relative translation from mine.

[Attila]

Thanks for sharing! Nice to see how differents are the profiles! Also missed the relative translation from mine.

Yep, each cam has its own settings! I have trackIR 5 since a few weeks and i must say:
It's a big difference between freetrack and the "original"!
Much more stability with trackIR!

[razor119922]

any free track users able to send me profiles for clod using a 3point system(im using a trackclip)

[jimbop]

Yep, each cam has its own settings! I have trackIR 5 since a few weeks and i must say:
It's a big difference between freetrack and the "original"!
Much more stability with trackIR!

I switched to TrackIR 5 with the pro headset a few weeks ago too. Freetrack was working fine until I moved house but had problems with the new lighting. My conclusion is that freetrack works well when tinkered with to excess. TrackIR just works well straight out of the box. Very impressed.

[jimbop]

any free track users able to send me profiles for clod using a 3point system(im using a trackclip)

See my settings here (not in profile form, sorry):

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?p=382130#post382130

[Blackdog_kt]

If we can get some spare time and pocket change, a friend of mine and me will try to make something that might be better than both (actually, i'll buy the materials and he'll do the soldering and porting the position calculating code form open source projects :-P ).

We are thinking of using a solid-state 6DOF sensor circuit that doesn't need any kind of light going back and forth and will only require a single USB cable to power it (or batteries and no cables at all). There are sensors like these available from many electronics shops online, they are small and have no moving parts at all. If it can be made small enough to clip on a headset it will be awesome.

These things are used to build radio controlled aircraft with autopilots, so i guess it's precise enough for what we want. Best of all, it will not be susceptible to light at all and you won't need to worry about matching a camera's field of view with your head position so that the LEDs remain visible. There will be no camera and no leds, just a small box containing a circuit board clipped to your headphones.

[Wolf_Rider]

^
^
^
impressed... :) that's what we like to see - originality!

[razor119922]

if you can make one of those work as well as trackir/freetrack for cheaper the tir you will make a small fortune

[Dano]

Would be epic to have a clip on, battery powered, bluetooth/wifi connected device, pretty sure we have the technology available these days, it's just a question of getting it all in the right package.

[jimbop]

I'm familiar with these but wasn't convinced the resolution would be high enough (hence trackIR). Happy to be proven wrong, though, so please let us know!