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Freetrack + Track Clip Pro

arkroyale048
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arkroyale048

arkroyale048

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I've availed myself of a Track Clip Pro and plan to utilize it with Freetrack for DCS World.

 

Can anyone help me with the software settings for Freetrack; to be able to use with Track Clip Pro ?

 

I've constructed my own LED clip before and it works just fine; though it lacks precision and is slightly heavier. I got the Track Clip Pro for the reduced weight and perceived precision.

 

The webcam that I'm using is a Microsoft Lifecam HD5000.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Korn

Korn

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I've availed myself of a Track Clip Pro and plan to utilize it with Freetrack for DCS World.

 

Can anyone help me with the software settings for Freetrack; to be able to use with Track Clip Pro ?

 

I've constructed my own LED clip before and it works just fine; though it lacks precision and is slightly heavier. I got the Track Clip Pro for the reduced weight and perceived precision.

 

The webcam that I'm using is a Microsoft Lifecam HD5000.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Look at the attachement for the settings i have for a clip with the same dimensions (built by a buddy). For the model position you most likely will have to adjust the numbers (different positioning due to the particulars).

 

The bought unit will not be more precise than the one you have built if you set up Freetrack corectly and the dots were nice and clear from all angles.

 

I'm still using Freetrack atm even if the developement seems to be dead. It just works fine so i'm happy with it.

eagleclip.jpg.3edff66c9cc8062a75ef47bb6bfc0bf0.jpg

1024.thumb.jpg.bf06c4eef8729b2b06f48cab0888dc82.jpg

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Aries

Aries

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FacetrackNoIR has automatic model position detection... some sort of auto-calibration while you move your head left-right with the 3-point clip turned on... I tell you - it's AWESOME!!!

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...the few, the proud, the remaining...

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Korn

Korn

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I believe you and it's great to see FaceTrackNoIR evolving but as a guy who likes to tinker i've broken a lot of stuff over the years. So now i'm firmly sticking to the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" principle. :)

 

I expect we'll have to make the transition eventually but atm not necessary from my pov, even if i do get an itch :P.

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Aries

Aries

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I was one of your kind too...

...but then I noticed development coming from FacetrackNoIR team...

...it itched me too... new stuff like point tracker... I said, let's try it... what can I loose?

Then I set it up, set the curves (been there before, so it didn't cost much time)...

...and then I picked me the Accela filter... and... dude...

IT WAS ALL THE STEADINESS IN A SLOW MOVING HEAD/VIEW THAT I EVER WANTED AND JUST COULDN'T ACHIEVE WITH FREETRACK... and believe me, I was plenty happy with Freetrack, oh yes I was... :smilewink:

 

p.s. FacetrackNoIR now has even the joystick button mappings to start/stop/center functions... now, it's complete...

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[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

...the few, the proud, the remaining...

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arkroyale048

arkroyale048

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Look at the attachement for the settings i have for a clip with the same dimensions (built by a buddy). For the model position you most likely will have to adjust the numbers (different positioning due to the particulars).

 

The bought unit will not be more precise than the one you have built if you set up Freetrack corectly and the dots were nice and clear from all angles.

 

I'm still using Freetrack atm even if the developement seems to be dead. It just works fine so i'm happy with it.

 

 

Hi Korn; this I've already done... What I'm more concerned with is the rest of the settings; Including the camera settings.

 

What I'm currently getting now is that the Track Clip Pro barely registers on the software. The lights are miniscule; it has a hard time tracking the dots.

 

 

@aries

 

 

For FaceTrackNoIR... I've just downloaded and installed it; same thing as above... I need assistance with (mostly) the camera settings; as I look on the video widget; it barely tracks the dots and instead tracks the ambient light.

Irregular streamer:

http://www.twitch.tv/arkroyale048/profile

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Korn

Korn

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Well looking back to your first post i see that apparently you did not modify the camera as you want to still use it regulary. So for IR tracking you do need to remove its IR filter.

 

If you look here there's a list of webcams people have (mostly succesfully) used with freetrack. Your model it's not present but other M$ Lifecams are so check them out (two of them have links with instructions like this one). Anyway you will have to open your webcam and remove the filter, which hopefully is a little piece of pink glass and not a coating over one of the lenses, which is a lot more difficult to remove.

 

This IR filter stops a lot of the IR radiation from reaching the senzor (that's why it's there). So you absolutely have to remove it. The webcam will still be usefull as a regular cam... but if you want the best results and not having to worry about parasitic light (which you say you can see) you need to put another thing on your camera, and that is a visible light filter (something that blocks visibile light but lets most IR radiation through).

 

For this you should probably use a piece of negative photographic film applied over the lenses. From the black (exposed) portion from the start of any negative film you might have around. Other people use the magnetic plate thing from inside a floppy disk. I found the film to be better though.

 

If you want to still use your webcam normally you should probably build like a cap or smth for the lenses so that the cam looks through the film. Most of us don't bother with that and choose a more permanent solution.

 

If you already removed the IR filter you need to mess around with the camera settings in Freetrack (button labeled "camera" in the first tab) and/or move the "Threshold" silder (same tab).

 

Warning: if you have a large IR source behind you, such as a incandescent light bulb or a reflection of one obviously there's nothing freetrack can do about it, nor you with your camera. You need to remove such parasitic sources when you use any IR based heatracking solution, be it Freetrack, FaceTrackNoIR or TrackIR.

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Korn

Korn

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All cameras (web photo, video) have an IR filter, except those build specifically for IR vision. So you need to to this no matter what camera you have... except if you have like a TIR camera or say a Wii Remote.

Also i think the Kinect has one IR camera.

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Nopileus

Nopileus

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Just get yourself a cheap PS3 Eye... it can run upto 187 FPS with newest CL Eye driver...

 

1. Get PS Eye

2. Remove IR filter

3. ???

4. Profit

 

Due to Freetrack being terrible and buggy i caved and bought a TrackIR, but this was before the pointtracker for FTnoIR.

When it worked the PS Eye delivered very good results.

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doveman

doveman

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Would anyone be kind enough to share their FTNoIR profile for DCS as I'm not having much luck getting it setup correctly?

 

Regarding the filters, this graph http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=3205 shows quite clearly how much IR the internal filter blocks and indeed how much both floppy disc and exposed, developed film blocks although the latter lets much more through. I understand a black filter like this (or perhaps the plastic covering IR sensors on some video/audio devices) would be most effective and let the most IR through http://peauproductions.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_11&products_id=89

Main rig: i5-4670k @4.4Ghz, Asus Z97-A, Scythe Kotetsu HSF, 32GB Kingston Savage 2400Mhz DDR3, 1070ti, Win 10 x64, Samsung Evo 256GB SSD (OS & Data), OCZ 480GB SSD (Games), WD 2TB and WD 3TB HDDs, 1920x1200 Dell U2412M, 1920x1080 Dell P2314T touchscreen

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Aries

Aries

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I was able to make Freetrack work with the PS3 Eye without removing the IR filter but after I removed it, it was another story... rock solid and fluent tracking...

 

Try to play with the cameras RGB, Gain and Exposure filters if the drivers allow you to...

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

...the few, the proud, the remaining...

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arkroyale048

arkroyale048

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Was able to make the Microsoft Lifecam HD5000 work somewhat; without the removal of the IR filter.

 

Found one of my old X-rays; cut a small piece of it and placed it over the lens. It allowed me to get full tracking, I have not tested it in daytime though. I had the room dark when I tried.

Irregular streamer:

http://www.twitch.tv/arkroyale048/profile

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rabidmanatee

rabidmanatee

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I have a Logitech 910 that has the IR filter removed and two layers of floppy disk as a visible light filter. These filters were necessary for the sun shining through the window behind me. You may be able to get by without filters if you don't have extraneous IR. Each camera setup will affect the exact values in the settings.

 

In pointtracker settings -> camera, threshold is about 40%, Min 1, Max 15. With fewer light filters the numbers were bigger. Basically you want to have your clip emitters to have a brighter/larger IR image than anything else in the FOV, preferably everything else should be filtered out entirely. You want threshold to give as big an emitter image as possible without them bleeding into each other when centered at 0 angle. You also don't want too high a threshold that will allow or exaggerate other IR sources. Then set your min as low possible since any off bore angles will result in a smaller emitter signature. Having the smallest min means it can register wide head angles. Your max should be high enough to keep tracking at center. After camera is solid then fiddle with curves. Set the max of the curve to where ever your natural input limit is. Start with a linear "curve" then soften around center and low offset angle with a point or two. My roll is linear, pitches are distinct and slightly curved. Yaw has most curve and is similar to exponential.

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