Some freetrack questions

[nearmiss]

There you have some solutions... My choice of "promotion" I stand by.

I realize the connotations from the use of the word, but it might actually take some convincing of the developer... regardless of credentials, etc.

Moscow is a long distance from France, and maybe someone doesn't take Frenchmen serious.

[LoBiSoMeM]

Originally Posted by nearmiss

There you have some solutions... My choice of "promotion" I stand by.

I realize the connotations from the use of the word, but it might actually take some convincing of the developer... regardless of credentials, etc.

Moscow is a long distance from France, and maybe someone doesn't take Frenchmen serious.

Maybe.

[Royraiden]

Im a proud Freetrack user and Im also eager to know how well the NP Trackclip Pro works with the software as my 3 point clip is giving me problems(probably cause of my crappy construction skills).On one of the first videos of the game you can see Ilya demonstrating the Track Ir device so if Freetrack is not supported at first you should know why.Anyway I guess there will be a way to make it usable with Cliffs of Dover.Do any of you use the reflector clip or whatever is called with Freetrack?It seems it would be ideal with no cables to deal with.

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by SEE

There is no documentation regards the Transition Sliders ( the ones beneath the Model Point Construction Dimensions) but they can be used to set the optimum position of the LED clip with respect to the camera.

Rather than describe how it works simply do the following:-

1. Power up your LED clip, sit in your preferred position and with the Webcam facing your clip.

2. Start FT, do not press the Centre Hot Key and view the default location of the Skull. You will notice that there are two crosses, One RED the other BLUE, one attached to a fixed point in space and another affixed to the mid point of the skull.

3 Now adjust the Transition sliders in the X, Y and Z axis - the skull will move (in relation to the camera) and you can allign for a perfect default centre to the fixed X Y and Z reference lines.

Why is this included? One reason I suspect is that its bloody hard to actually get your clip in perfect centre to the field of view of the camera as you have to move your head to move the camera.....chasing ones tail never to catch it.....

Secondly, a thousand people could make a 'clip' and not one would be the same.....thats custom building at its best....


I calibrate the exact centre using the Transition Sliders (with a slight bias in the Z axis as I work close to the screen) and have perfect response in all axiz and find that I rarely have to keep re-centring my view ....try it is the best I can advise.

I think i more or less get it now...if i'm getting this right, it seems like it's a feature that lets you move the "center point" of the virtual grid that the tracking dots are superimposed on, instead of having to physically reposition the actual LEDs and/or camera or shuffle around in your seat trying to find the optimal position. If so, it's a very good feature

On another note, i think my webcam can track the IR leds from the trackclip Pro just fine if the room is dark. At least i can see 3 red dots with a cross on them in the black grid square and 3 green lights on the bottom right of the interface window, plus it shows a green icon when i minimize it to the taskbar so i guess it's working (i'm a bit unfamiliar with the interface so any corrections are welcome).

Funny thing is i didn't do any modifications at all, i didn't remove the webcam's IR filter neither did i use a floppy or piece of film as visible light filter. I just reduced the exposure to its minimum setting, disabled low light compensation and turned off the lights in the room, plus it's giving me a steady 30 FPS with zero jitter. I guess that it could work with the lights on if i used a bit of film to block out visible light, so the first obstacle is out of the way as it seems i won't have to modify it.

However, for some weird reason it doesn't register in-game. Also, the skull doesn't move around but i think i'm misunderstanding the interface here. In the trackIR software if i move around i can see a wireframe of a virtual head following my motions in the application's window (accelerated according to the profile/curves i'm using), so i was expecting the skull to do the same in the freetrack software. So, is it supposed to move when i move my head or does the red line protruding from the skull do that instead? I'm asking because it seems to be tracking fine and it also displays the position data and the accelerated data in the field below the 3d skull.

As for why it doesn't feed the data it tracks to the game, maybe it's simpler and it's just a DLL issue. I haven't uninstalled the trackIR software yet, so maybe i have to manually overwrite the existing DLL file with the one provided by freetrack.

In any case, thanks for all your help. If you could answer these last few questions i'd be grateful, otherwise i'll take it up to the freetrack forum for more detailed explanations. No worries either way however, you've all been very helpful and you got my thanks

[Royraiden]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

I think i more or less get it now...if i'm getting this right, it seems like it's a feature that lets you move the "center point" of the virtual grid that the tracking dots are superimposed on, instead of having to physically reposition the actual LEDs and/or camera or shuffle around in your seat trying to find the optimal position. If so, it's a very good feature

On another note, i think my webcam can track the IR leds from the trackclip Pro just fine if the room is dark. At least i can see 3 red dots with a cross on them in the black grid square and 3 green lights on the bottom right of the interface window, plus it shows a green icon when i minimize it to the taskbar so i guess it's working (i'm a bit unfamiliar with the interface so any corrections are welcome).

Funny thing is i didn't do any modifications at all, i didn't remove the webcam's IR filter neither did i use a floppy or piece of film as visible light filter. I just reduced the exposure to its minimum setting, disabled low light compensation and turned off the lights in the room, plus it's giving me a steady 30 FPS with zero jitter. I guess that it could work with the lights on if i used a bit of film to block out visible light, so the first obstacle is out of the way as it seems i won't have to modify it.

However, for some weird reason it doesn't register in-game. Also, the skull doesn't move around but i think i'm misunderstanding the interface here. In the trackIR software if i move around i can see a wireframe of a virtual head following my motions in the application's window (accelerated according to the profile/curves i'm using), so i was expecting the skull to do the same in the freetrack software. So, is it supposed to move when i move my head or does the red line protruding from the skull do that instead? I'm asking because it seems to be tracking fine and it also displays the position data and the accelerated data in the field below the 3d skull.

As for why it doesn't feed the data it tracks to the game, maybe it's simpler and it's just a DLL issue. I haven't uninstalled the trackIR software yet, so maybe i have to manually overwrite the existing DLL file with the one provided by freetrack.

In any case, thanks for all your help. If you could answer these last few questions i'd be grateful, otherwise i'll take it up to the freetrack forum for more detailed explanations. No worries either way however, you've all been very helpful and you got my thanks

If its tracking the 3 leds and showing the 3 green lights it means it is working as it should.You should go to the profile tab and increase the sensitivity so that the skull moves when you move your head.Keep increasing until you are satisfied and be sure to increase the smoothness slider if the skull is moving too fast or it isnt consistent.The problem with the the tracking not working in-game is nothing to worry about probably you need to find a profile for that specific game so Freetrack can work with it.

[Ernst]

The question is: We ll spend some cash to buy CoD, plus the cash to buy an upgrade or new machine, some ll buy new joy to enjoy the sim and some would like to use FreeTrack instead TrackIR to save some cash. TrackIR is so much expensive for the technology it have and they not have distribuitors in another parts of the world i ll have to import. Me for example to buy it ll have to pay trackIR+mail more 60% tax over trackIR+mail to enter my country, more 25% over 1.6*(trackir+mail) to my State. Total: 1.25*1.6*(trackIR+Mail). What a !!!!

[LoBiSoMeM]

Originally Posted by Ernst

The question is: We ll spend some cash to buy CoD, plus the cash to buy an upgrade or new machine, some ll buy new joy to enjoy the sim and some would like to use FreeTrack instead TrackIR to save some cash. TrackIR is so much expensive for the technology it have and they not have distribuitors in another parts of the world i ll have to import. Me for example to buy it ll have to pay trackIR+mail more 60% tax over trackIR+mail to enter my country, more 25% over 1.6*(trackir+mail) to my State. Total: 1.25*1.6*(trackIR+Mail). What a !!!!

Well, I don't have more worries, because now 1C know it's easy to have FreeTrack support, using the open source FreeTrack interface.

I don't see any technical problem at all. IL-2:Cliffs Of Dover will have FreeTrack support for sure, like ArmAII and Operation:Arrowhead.

An this without any need to use any part of NP software, just like BIS made, using FreeTrack own interface. No problem at all!

[SEE]

Blackdog_KT, I tried my TrackIR4 Ultra clip with FT and worked aboslutely fine. One thing that puzzles me in your reply is that you say the skull is not moving but that the axis data is changing. The skull must move - no movement of 'skull' will result in no tracking movement in game. There are occaisions when FT locks up and the 'Skull' no longer moves. Usually this is when FT cannot recognise the trackclip or there are too many lights point references due to stray or reflected interference, (movement data is shown - the skull freezes and tracking ceases).

Your first priority is to get the skull moving as (with Track IR) in response to head movement - untill that is resolved FT will not function in game. It only needs a tiny prick point of stray light to interfere with the skull's movement and cause lock up.
Check you have I420 in the 'Stream' camera setting Tab and SSE as the interface in the FT config file (which is what I have for a MS VX1000 webcam.)

There is a known issue with non standard Desktop Settings - open 'Control' - select 'Display' - 'Settings' - 'Advanced' Tab and check that DPI setting is 96 DPI.

The MS webcams tend to have Autoexposure enabled and the Checkbox greyed out. When you minimise FT the exposure can re-set to default. Not sure if this could be a problem but free software such as 'EnableButton' can be downloaded to make the Autoexposure checkbox available in the Camera set up options Tab.

Once the Skull is moving the only other things that should prevent in game movement are:-

1. Not checking/enabling the TrackIR Interface in the FT 'Output' tab/page.

2. Not having TRackIR enabled in the config (unlikely since you have been using TrackIR).

I cannot think of anything else at the moment.