my trackir5 is dying...how is freetrack?

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

This whole idea came up when i got a buddy of mine back into flight simming. He's an experienced programmer and has his way with soldering tools, so we thought we could make our own headtracker that will be better than TrackIR at less than half the cost. He has modified Linuxtrack a bit to use with IL2:1946 and he could come up with the required software (eg, a windows port that will work with CoD and solid state 6-DoF sensors) within a couple of evenings, but we wouldn't be able to distribute it for fear of lawsuits.

Hi Blackdog. I'm curious why you're concerned with lawsuits. Linux-track is open source, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, that sounds like a really interesting project. I'm not a very experienced programmer, but if you guys decide to go through with it and need any help let me know.

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

Hi Blackdog. I'm curious why you're concerned with lawsuits. Linux-track is open source, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, that sounds like a really interesting project. I'm not a very experienced programmer, but if you guys decide to go through with it and need any help let me know.

The legal concerns are not about Linuxtrack. The guy who made Linuxtrack is an X-plane pilot and interfaces with his sim through X-plane plug-ins. In a similar fashion, people who fly FSX have the FSX API to interface with and people who play ArmA can use the freetrack API which is open-source and natively supported by ArmA titles.

However, for any third party tracking software to be recognized by and work with CoD or IL2:1946, it has to emulate trackIR and that is only doable in one way: by naming the .dll that the tracking software uses with the same filename as naturalpoint's .dll file.

So, no matter if it's a completely different file internally, people can argue that you are using a copy of trackIR's files because they see a file named naturalpoint.dll in the program folder. It would be relatively trivial to prove to court that the files are different, but who needs the legal expenses?

Now, if part of the CoD SDK (to be released in the future) included an API that let us manipulate the in-game camera, the issue could be avoided altogether because we would be able to have our Linuxtrack port interfacing directly with CoD.

[RASmith1030]

FreeTrack works great, so I do not see a need to develop another tracking software. The source code is available for anyone who needs to modify it.

You guys should try it. I have been simflying since "Aces over Europe", and using head tracking software brings simflying to a whole new level.

I use a Logitech C201 Camera with the IR filter removed and a 3 point IR Cap. I will not go back to flying with a hat switch.

Good Luck, RAS

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by RASmith1030

FreeTrack works great, so I do not see a need to develop another tracking software. The source code is available for anyone who needs to modify it.

You guys should try it. I have been simflying since "Aces over Europe", and using head tracking software brings simflying to a whole new level.

I use a Logitech C201 Camera with the IR filter removed and a 3 point IR Cap. I will not go back to flying with a hat switch.

Good Luck, RAS

Have you been able to get FreeTrack to compile? I was going to see if I could try to fix the bug where it crashes when pressing start with a PS3 Eye, but I couldn't get it to compile let alone start debugging.

[jimbop]

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

Have you been able to get FreeTrack to compile? I was going to see if I could try to fix the bug where it crashes when pressing start with a PS3 Eye, but I couldn't get it to compile let alone start debugging.

From memory you need some third-party drivers for the PS3 Eye to work on PC. Have you installed anything like that? FT won't work with it otherwise (again, from memory).

Originally Posted by RASmith1030

FreeTrack works great, so I do not see a need to develop another tracking software. The source code is available for anyone who needs to modify it.

Yes, FT works well. The reason I switched to TrackIR was that whilst FT worked well under specific conditions it did not handle changing light intensities well. I was constantly having to change the settings to get it working at different times of day, even with SH485 LEDs and the webcam correctly filtered.

TrackIR 5 just works without the hassle.

[Untamo]

S!

Been a happy Freetrack user for ~4 years with no problems. Squad mates with TrackIRs report problems with light sources such as lamps and the Sun. With properly done FT these are no problem.

Paying ~30 euros for a webcam + few IR leds and putting in 2 hours of work beat paying hundreds of euros/dollars for a device with similar or lesser capability

[SEE]

The only issue I have using FT with CloD is that I have to Launch it after CloD has loaded. Sometimes, if I launch FT first it locks up after the game has loaded. I thought it was an issue with the PS3 eyecam but it does exactly the same with a standard Webcam. The problem only occurs with ClOD and I can only assume that there is some sort of conflict with FT loaded into memory before CloD. Reverse the boot up and its fine.......