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which head track?


thrustvector

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ok got the shark! now I know how virtually impossible it is to fly with keyboard look!!

I cant afford a track ir5 pro thingy, so what preferably battery operated rather than another usb lead tracking solutions are there...recommended

thanks for your help guys:)

also wondering if theres even a mouse look before I get a headtracker?


Edited by thrustvector
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Try to search for a second hand trackir v3 or v4 :thumbup:

 

for example https://www.ebay.com/itm/Natural-Point-TrackIR-4-Pro-/142507354086 - 50 bucks seems to me quite affordable

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ey vector, i cant afford one of those neither so i made one myself and im using "OPEN TRACK" software for free.

 

I only needed:

 

*1 camera (got the logitech c170 for ~$20) (my country is expensive af).

*3 white leds (Like... $2)

*A couple of meters of wire (really tiny wire so it doesnt adds weight on the model).

*Some kind of glue.

*A ruler broken in 2 pieces

*A pen body

*2 AA Batterys.

 

9oleVe2.jpg

 

this is how could look at final.

You only need to hook it up to your headset when you want to use it, put the batterys on (or buy a switch) to turn on and off.

 

if u want to go next level after, you have to replace those leds for InfraRed Leds, so your eyes doesnt see them (much better) but you will have to mod most of the cameras that has IR filters, so the camera wont see IR neither... like you.

 

i based mine on this:

2wc2p8w.jpg

(Beware, i didnt used IR leds (only white leds) and without resistors)

i added a turn on/off swith between the leds and the battery holder on the red wire (possitive).

 

BTW: im not using resistors... this could be wrong... idk, my leds are working perfectly and im using it since months ago. actually i made one of these for a friend too. took me like 1 hour max. you can use whatever you want to make the model, mine actually is made from a hair brush and some cardboard.

 

you only have to place the leds so they are in these positions.

sfknrdO.jpg

 

There are other type of model, i started making one for the side of my head, like vertically, but being the leds white (and no IR) i found it too aggresive to my eyes, i had the leds shinning on my peripheral view and the leds lighting my screen. not good. but this "cap" model, sits on top of my headset, and the camera is straight to it, so leds mostly lights my wall behind the screen and i dont see the leds on my peripheral view. (that was good). I think using resistors could make the leds less brigther, but being the camera not IR, you will have to use the camera software to config the bright/contrast/(exposure/exposition) bad english there, so all the light around you is BLACK, and only the leds points out for beingh quite bright.

 

can give you a video of mine using it... dont know if its relevant, but it works pretty well IMO.

 

 

well, hope all of this can help u. tried my best.

 

 

edit: today added a resitor of i think 30ohms so the lights are dimmer and now its a charm, it doesnt lights up the screen enough to reflect the light.


Edited by shonist
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If you can afford it, Oculus Rift.

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has anyone any info on whether it works or not the edtracker? edtracker.co.uk?

 

 

ED Tracker works great. Built my own but you can buy one built by them.

 

Also you can look around with your mouse Left Alt C to toggle on and off.

 

Also a Hat Switch on you Joystick allows looking around

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy and I've had both.

 

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yes they were the two I was looking at till I came across edtrack, no camera needed as it runs on a micro processor, and runs well in dcs, gotta be a plus with no camera etc

 

Do you really think it's worth putting effort or money into anything 3DOF nowadays? Specially for DCS?

My DCS modding videos:

 

Modules I own so far:

Black Shark 2, FC3, UH-1H, M-2000C, A-10C, MiG-21, Gazelle, Nevada map

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I'd suggest that "none of them" is the real answer. There are really 3 avenues for flight simmers to approach the flying environment. The stage has now been reached where the next releases of VR headsets ought to be coming of age, with much better resolution, coupled with powerful enough processing power and refined software to compete directly with monitors. The other routes being your chosen one, and 360 degree projection - possibly in combination with a fully detailed cockpit. That does of course require a lot more space to achieve, and certainly isn't a cheap option.

 

What I am saying is to think bigger if your resources allow, or to save your hard earned, and wait for the next releases from the top VR houses. Sit inside a cockpit, whether surrounded by hardware, or within the confines of a VR headset.

 

I suspect the days of head tracking are now very numbered, and an entirely higher level of experience is well within reach..

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  • 2 weeks later...
thanks for the info guys, and the wiring diagram shonist, what size leds do you need, any size? I can pick up some ir ones as modding a camera is no prob, I do it to astronomy ones.

just the mouse look thing, is that an option somewhere till I either buy or build this?

 

well.. this forum doesnt treat me well regarding post i already commented, i mean, i doesnt give me any notification -.-...

 

answering your question... i picked up the only led that were in sale here in my near store. i could imagine i would need resistors for the IR leds because maybe the use less/more power but im just talking without knowledge, i know nothing about wires and lights and all these stuff lol.

 

Felt like an engineer after doing mine :megalol:

 

I7 7700k - Msi Z270 Gaming+

GTX 1070ti

16gb @2400

2x Samsung 850EVO 250/500 - 1x HDD 1TB

SAITEK-MAD CATZ CYBORG FLY 5 STICK

WIN 10

 

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well.. this forum doesnt treat me well regarding post i already commented, i mean, i doesnt give me any notification -.-...

 

To receive notifications for this thread, go to the top right part of this page and click "Thread Tools" and then "Subscribe to this Thread".

My DCS modding videos:

 

Modules I own so far:

Black Shark 2, FC3, UH-1H, M-2000C, A-10C, MiG-21, Gazelle, Nevada map

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To receive notifications for this thread, go to the top right part of this page and click "Thread Tools" and then "Subscribe to this Thread".

 

You can also go to search and look for threads containing your own posts, and see if they are updated.

 

As for 3DOF being worth it, if you're on a budget and it's the difference between 3DOF and zero DOF, then it's absolutely worth it.

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As for 3DOF being worth it, if you're on a budget and it's the difference between 3DOF and zero DOF, then it's absolutely worth it.

 

Ok, this is my own subjective opinion, but I have to say that considering the price we have today for items similar to TrackIr (about the price of a DCS module), talking about budget doesn't make a lot of sense, specially if you have the budget to own a PC capable of running DCS - and that is not even mentioning owning joystick, HOTAS, etc. You'd choose 3DOF over 6DOF to save what, $20?

My DCS modding videos:

 

Modules I own so far:

Black Shark 2, FC3, UH-1H, M-2000C, A-10C, MiG-21, Gazelle, Nevada map

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If you can afford it, Oculus Rift.

 

Yes, VR has pretty much rendered TIR and the like obsolete for me.

There is no comparison.

 

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Ok, this is my own subjective opinion, but I have to say that considering the price we have today for items similar to TrackIr (about the price of a DCS module), talking about budget doesn't make a lot of sense, specially if you have the budget to own a PC capable of running DCS - and that is not even mentioning owning joystick, HOTAS, etc. You'd choose 3DOF over 6DOF to save what, $20?

 

Some people have very limited budgets, might be running on a hand me down computer or trash-built one for all we know, especially if they are in a non-US market with ridiculous import duties on PC hardware.

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I am thoroughly enjoying VR, but:

1) not all games/sims support VR, Falcon 4.0 being one of them.

2) the horrible resolution is almost insufferable for any kind of combat if you don't use icons.

3) TrackIR or its cheaper alternatives are markedly cheaper than any VR solution and combined with a large monitor provide a very similar environment with dramatically better looking graphics.

4) VR only works well if you have a control solution that can handle you being blind to its existence or you don't mind peeking through the very small slit around your nose.

 

When I play Falcon 4.0 BMS with TrackIR, I am instantly reminded what it is like to have great graphics and the ability to see what button I am pushing on my Thrustmaster MFDs instantly instead of wasting critical time feeling for them. My ability to type without looking at a keyboard and the little bumps that identify the home keys are the only things that really makes it possible for me to survive with a VR headset on for the many controls that are not on a HOTAS. On the flip side, TrackIR has to have a fairly high gain to allow you to look behind you without your eyes leaving the screen and it almost constantly needs to be recentered. This was tolerable when the alternative was a POV hat. But once you have enjoyed 1:1 tracking with a wide field of view, TrackIR is very annoying. VR still has a way to go. The existing field of view is both too small and too low of a resolution. The resolution increases coming in the near future aren't enough to fully solve either problem, much less both of them.

Graphics and cpu power need to increase dramatically... at a consumer friendly price!

 

So, if you can't afford VR, or if you can afford to buy both, I still recommend a TrackIR or suitable equivalent for the next few years. TrackIR would be wise to dramatically improve their product (perhaps using two sensors) and at the same time cut their monopoly induced high price or they will be out of business sooner than need be. If I were Oculus Rift or Vive, I would make the screen removable for the head tracking unit. so for games that don't support VR, it could be used with a large monitor just like a TrackIR but with smoother, more accurate tracking. If they provided something like that, I could permanently retire my Track IR right now.

TrackIR has been way overpriced for the hardware/software they provide compared to VR sets. $150 for a sensor and a headclip plus software is way too much compared to $400 for Oculus with a display, two sensors, and two controllers. But for the longest time they were the only game in town and made arrangements for only their software to be supported. But TrackIR worked very well for me over the years, so I got my money's worth anyway and would still recommend them as the best alternative to VR for reliability and compatibility.


Edited by streakeagle

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