Cheap alternative to TrackIR

[Skybird]

Less than 10 Euros...? :huh:


To operate properly, Freetrack needs markers in order to represent the position of your head in space.

Depending on the selected mode , Freetrack will need 1 (Single Point mode), 3 (3 Points Clip mode, 3 Points Cap) or 4 (4 Points Cap mode) markers.

These markers, located on a support (usually a cap for Single Point and 4 Points Cap modes, or a clip fastened on your headset for 3 Points Clip mode) are in fact Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Detected by your webcam, they allow the Freetrack software to convert your head movements in data flow which can be used by your game/simulator.
In order to use Freetrack day or night, choice of IR (Infrared) LEDs is advised. Thus, your webcam (equiped with an infrared filter) will only detect the markers and will not be affected by other light sources.
The vast majority of webcams are appropriate for Freetrack use.

The main advantage of this system, is his low cost (less than about ten euros), assuming you already own a webcam. In the other case, you'll have to count a webcam's price in the Grand total.

As an infra-red filter, a good tip is to use two or three dark photograph negatives (or better, not exposed) superimposed and installed in front of the cam lens.

http://www.free-track.net/english/freetrack/qu-est-ce-que-c-est.php?PHPSESSID=92650d723b82c5b612e4646d3d95af5f

[sonar732]

That is sweet!:rock::rock:

[antikristuseke]

I think im going to give this a go when i get some free time, my webcam is aparently compatible for it so might as well.

[SteamWake]

I think im going to give this a go when i get some free time, my webcam is aparently compatible for it so might as well.

Let us know how it works out.

I personally alredy have a trrack IR (collecting dust) about the only sim I ever used it for is IL2

[antikristuseke]

Well messing arround with an old vcr remote LED the snlge point tracking works just fine, with more effort it would be usable, but i'll leave this project for later, only have 3 days of freedom left. Dont have a soldering iron on hand so making anything practical right now is impossible, and no, im not about to tape everything to my head.

I would probably use it in GTL or GTR2, extra awareness should make for more accurate racing, pluss it will make it easyer to run in a tight pack without bumping into anyone.

[Bill Nichols]

I'm keeping my Track IR. I use it all the time for my flight sims and racing games. :rock:

[Skybird]

I would not have imagined that our subsim Bill is busy in flight sims and racing sims...! :)

[RickC Sniper]

For those of you who use Track IR or something similar:

Besides giving you point of view by moving your head, can it control the plane or car instead? It can give you mouse control on your desktoop, right?

Specifically: My one issue with flight sims is rudder control. I can control a simple (not fancy) joystick ok, but using the keyboad to control the rudder at the same time is impossible. (disability) I can fly, navigate, etc very well but landings are a biitch without rudder control. Something like leaning left or right to operate the rudder would be a godsend.

Any ideas?

[TarJak]

For those of you who use Track IR or something similar:

Besides giving you point of view by moving your head, can it control the plane or car instead? It can give you mouse control on your desktoop, right?

Specifically: My one issue with flight sims is rudder control. I can control a simple (not fancy) joystick ok, but using the keyboad to control the rudder at the same time is impossible. (disability) I can fly, navigate, etc very well but landings are a biitch without rudder control. Something like leaning left or right to operate the rudder would be a godsend.

Any ideas?
Get a better joystick? You can get cheap joys with rudder controls built into the hand grip that work quite well. I've seen em advertised here for less than AU$50. I think I picked mine up for about $60 years ago when they were expensive and even that was cheap.

[Zachstar]

Looks like something quite interesting!

Now to just get some film for an IR filter.

[Fincuan]

Now to just get some film for an IR filter.

You mean visible light filter :)

You'll want to REMOVE the IR-filter from your webcam and apply a visible light filter instead. Besides film negatives the disc you find inside floppy disks works well in this role. It's a bit thicker and hence more effective.

This takes us to a story on Chinese design: I bought a cheap night webcam(a webcam with IR leds built into it) to use with Freetrack(using reflective tape instead of LEDs on my head) figuring that it would of course have no IR-filter since it uses the IR-leds to see in the dark. On trying the setup I quickly found out this was not the case, and I had to open the camera to remove the filter. A brilliant night webcam indeed!

[RickC Sniper]

For those of you who use Track IR or something similar:

Besides giving you point of view by moving your head, can it control the plane or car instead? It can give you mouse control on your desktoop, right?

Specifically: My one issue with flight sims is rudder control. I can control a simple (not fancy) joystick ok, but using the keyboad to control the rudder at the same time is impossible. (disability) I can fly, navigate, etc very well but landings are a biitch without rudder control. Something like leaning left or right to operate the rudder would be a godsend.

Any ideas?
Get a better joystick? You can get cheap joys with rudder controls built into the hand grip that work quite well. I've seen em advertised here for less than AU$50. I think I picked mine up for about $60 years ago when they were expensive and even that was cheap.



Disability. I'm a quadriplegic and have no finger movement or grip. I can palm the top of a simple old joystick. I type with a stick strapped to my palm.

Thus...fancy joystick "no joy".

[Dust]

For those of you who use Track IR or something similar:

Besides giving you point of view by moving your head, can it control the plane or car instead? It can give you mouse control on your desktoop, right?

Specifically: My one issue with flight sims is rudder control. I can control a simple (not fancy) joystick ok, but using the keyboad to control the rudder at the same time is impossible. (disability) I can fly, navigate, etc very well but landings are a biitch without rudder control. Something like leaning left or right to operate the rudder would be a godsend.

Any ideas? Get a better joystick? You can get cheap joys with rudder controls built into the hand grip that work quite well. I've seen em advertised here for less than AU$50. I think I picked mine up for about $60 years ago when they were expensive and even that was cheap.


Disability. I'm a quadriplegic and have no finger movement or grip. I can palm the top of a simple old joystick. I type with a stick strapped to my palm.

Thus...fancy joystick "no joy". if i understand you correctly, than you have only one one hand where you have a stick strapped on, because otherwise you could use 2 joysticks.

it is possible to make the input instead with a joystick, pedals, mouse and so on with the head. for example http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=18455

best you ask them directly in the forum for help
http://www.free-track.net/forum/index.php

i can imagine if you explain your situation they will help you. would be great if they can do it in a way so you could use it as a mouse too. steering with the head and clicking with the stick in the hand. can imagine it improves your live quality in a great way. head up and let me know about their hopefully positive response. :D

[RickC Sniper]

if i understand you correctly, than you have only one one hand where you have a stick strapped on, because otherwise you could use 2 joysticks.

it is possible to make the input instead with a joystick, pedals, mouse and so on with the head. for example http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=18455

best you ask them directly in the forum for help
http://www.free-track.net/forum/index.php

i can imagine if you explain your situation they will help you. would be great if they can do it in a way so you could use it as a mouse too. steering with the head and clicking with the stick in the hand. can imagine it improves your live quality in a great way. head up and let me know about their hopefully positive response. :D

Thanks for the links. I'll try their forums.

Yes, one hand has a typing stick strapped on but that same hand also palms my trackball or a joystick.
Completely steering with the head I think would be difficult unless the control could be switched on and off when you need to look away from your monitor for some reason.

[SteamWake]

unless the control could be switched on and off when you need to look away from your monitor for some reason.

Yes Track IR has a 'mouse emulation mode' so if the simulator allows you to use a mouse to control the vehicial it would be possible.

The IR control can be toggled on and off by a keystroke.

[Dust]

if i understand you correctly, than you have only one one hand where you have a stick strapped on, because otherwise you could use 2 joysticks.

it is possible to make the input instead with a joystick, pedals, mouse and so on with the head. for example http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=18455

best you ask them directly in the forum for help
http://www.free-track.net/forum/index.php

i can imagine if you explain your situation they will help you. would be great if they can do it in a way so you could use it as a mouse too. steering with the head and clicking with the stick in the hand. can imagine it improves your live quality in a great way. head up and let me know about their hopefully positive response. :D
Thanks for the links. I'll try their forums.

Yes, one hand has a typing stick strapped on but that same hand also palms my trackball or a joystick.
Completely steering with the head I think would be difficult unless the control could be switched on and off when you need to look away from your monitor for some reason.would not be needed, head steering is used since over 10 years. if you look away and turn your head it moves the mouse to the edge of the screen and when you turn your head back it moves to mouse normally around.

if you mean in games, yes you are right. but maybe it can be set to a limit, if the head is turned too much away than it shuts off and switches on if the head is turned back. it is possible todo such, the only question is if the programmers are doing it.

[CCIP]

I believe TrackIR was originally developed not for gaming but for special needs applications like this... Gaming was just an incidental discovery for them, and they sure cashed in :p I'd check with their website for sure, they ought to have thought of features like this.

[Skybird]

if i understand you correctly, than you have only one one hand where you have a stick strapped on, because otherwise you could use 2 joysticks.

it is possible to make the input instead with a joystick, pedals, mouse and so on with the head. for example http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=18455

best you ask them directly in the forum for help
http://www.free-track.net/forum/index.php

i can imagine if you explain your situation they will help you. would be great if they can do it in a way so you could use it as a mouse too. steering with the head and clicking with the stick in the hand. can imagine it improves your live quality in a great way. head up and let me know about their hopefully positive response. :D
Thanks for the links. I'll try their forums.

Yes, one hand has a typing stick strapped on but that same hand also palms my trackball or a joystick.
Completely steering with the head I think would be difficult unless the control could be switched on and off when you need to look away from your monitor for some reason.would not be needed, head steering is used since over 10 years. if you look away and turn your head it moves the mouse to the edge of the screen and when you turn your head back it moves to mouse normally around.

if you mean in games, yes you are right. but maybe it can be set to a limit, if the head is turned too much away than it shuts off and switches on if the head is turned back. it is possible todo such, the only question is if the programmers are doing it.

The relation between head and cursor/camera movement on screen can be defined freely in IrackIR4. the camera also has a limited area inside which the reflectors you need to carry on your cap are getting perceived and processed. If you move your head outside that area, the last camera angle freezes for two second, and then the picture centre at default again. It jumps back to the according angle once you move your head inside the camera zone again.

TrackIR also has an additonal device which replaces the passive reflectors with three LED that are being clipped with a frame to your headset.

I use TrackIR successfully in FS9, IL2, Naascar 2003, GTR2, and ArmA. especially in FS9 I do not want to live without it anymore, virtual cockpits with trackIR are a blast.

[kurtz]

There is another alternative the full implementation costs find it here (http://www.cachya.com/esight/overview.php).

I'm buying a webcam tommorow to try it out I'll let you know as soon as I get a day off work.