FreeTrack Forum

Before I potentially waste any money, I just want to go over my current plans. I don't want to go through the hassle of building my own track clip, so I'm thinking about purchasing this :

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/02-products/product-TrackClip-PRO.html

Good idea or bad idea? Can I get a cheaper tracking clip elsewhere?

I own a PS2 EyeToy camera. For the IR filter itself, I'm planning on purchasing some floppydisks:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00004YKNF/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1VN3CQR8FRHKBQH7X5BJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

Are my plans okay, or is there a way to save more money?

Thanks.

I personally would have to recommend a 3 point hat. I tried the clip route and the pivotal alignment was never as good as with the hat. You might have great success with the 3 point clip but I'm just speaking from my experience.

I'm using a PS3 cam and while the drivers make the setup a bit more fussy, the performance is great, I'm sure you'll do well with the PS2 cam. I didn't actually have to use any filter on my camera, all I did was mess with the settings and I was able to isolate the red LED I'm using. IR LEDs really are not necessary, at least for me, and I have been able to achieve outstanding performance that seems right inline of what I've seen from a TrackIR 3 or 4.

On a side not, somewhat related, I bought and SSD drive to put all my flight sims on. Not only do they all load faster, which is great for DCS A10 or Rise of Flight, but my head tracking performance has benefited as well. As an example in DCS, if I would turn my head quickly from straight ahead to a 7 o'clock position, there would be a stutter or hickup was was not initially noticed with a standard mechanical hard drive. With the SSD however, I noticed quickly how when quickly scanning around with my head how buttery smooth the loading of scenery became. I'm sure view distance would have an impact on this, the farther its set to the more marked the improvement probably. I set my view distances as far as I can get away with, as I'm sure most folks.

Consider if you are flying at around looking ahead and at the dash for a while. In a fast moving aircraft, or any really for that matter, you'll quickly move into a new scenic area that hasn't been loaded into memory yet. If you suddenly get a call to check six and you whip your head around real fast, all that new scenery you are looking at behind you has to load up. With the SSD the loading is so fast that hard drive access is unnoticeable. With my main conventional drive there was in fact a hiccup in that same situation. I'd never noticed it till I installed the SSD but I could instantly feel a smoothness increase in my head tracking.

You wouldn't think it would make that big of a difference but to me the performance increase and improved load times made it worth it. Mind you, I wasn't running a 10,000 RPM super high end gaming hard drive, so if you have a Raptor or something like that, I don't know how much difference it would make but there will still probably be some with the SSD.

Also, going to a SSD improved the hell out of ARMA 2 frame rates and overall smoothness as that sims performance it highly dependent of hard drive access time.

Just wanted to throw that in, sorry to babble.

rfxcasey @ 11/03/2015 - 20h51 a dit:

I personally would have to recommend a 3 point hat. I tried the clip route and the pivotal alignment was never as good as with the hat. You might have great success with the 3 point clip but I'm just speaking from my experience.

I'm using a PS3 cam and while the drivers make the setup a bit more fussy, the performance is great, I'm sure you'll do well with the PS2 cam. I didn't actually have to use any filter on my camera, all I did was mess with the settings and I was able to isolate the red LED I'm using. IR LEDs really are not necessary, at least for me, and I have been able to achieve outstanding performance that seems right inline of what I've seen from a TrackIR 3 or 4.

On a side not, somewhat related, I bought and SSD drive to put all my flight sims on. Not only do they all load faster, which is great for DCS A10 or Rise of Flight, but my head tracking performance has benefited as well. As an example in DCS, if I would turn my head quickly from straight ahead to a 7 o'clock position, there would be a stutter or hickup was was not initially noticed with a standard mechanical hard drive. With the SSD however, I noticed quickly how when quickly scanning around with my head how buttery smooth the loading of scenery became. I'm sure view distance would have an impact on this, the farther its set to the more marked the improvement probably. I set my view distances as far as I can get away with, as I'm sure most folks.

Consider if you are flying at around looking ahead and at the dash for a while. In a fast moving aircraft, or any really for that matter, you'll quickly move into a new scenic area that hasn't been loaded into memory yet. If you suddenly get a call to check six and you whip your head around real fast, all that new scenery you are looking at behind you has to load up. With the SSD the loading is so fast that hard drive access is unnoticeable. With my main conventional drive there was in fact a hiccup in that same situation. I'd never noticed it till I installed the SSD but I could instantly feel a smoothness increase in my head tracking.

You wouldn't think it would make that big of a difference but to me the performance increase and improved load times made it worth it. Mind you, I wasn't running a 10,000 RPM super high end gaming hard drive, so if you have a Raptor or something like that, I don't know how much difference it would make but there will still probably be some with the SSD.

Also, going to a SSD improved the hell out of ARMA 2 frame rates and overall smoothness as that sims performance it highly dependent of hard drive access time.

Just wanted to throw that in, sorry to babble.

Lucky for me I already have a solid state drive  

Out of curiosity, did you use the same tracking clip in the link I provided or something else? On the tracking clip itself, did you use inferred LED's or colored LED's?

Sorry for the questions, and thanks for the long reply.

Hi

The trackIR-clip works perfectly with Freetrack.
The only thing that speak against is the price and the very very cheap plastic build. Drop it and it's broken. So be careful.

Using multiple layers of coloured sheets works well with the PS3 eye. Just take them from cheap 3D glasses or make them yourself.

Are my plans okay, or is there a way to save more money?

Building a clip yourself is by far the less expensive way, but I can understand if someone don't want to fiddle around with the electronic stuff.

Using the Ir-LEDs allows you to play in any light situation. Otherwise you will capture any other light sources in front of your webcam (sun, light bulbs, window etc).
Red LEDs may work, but not in all situations.

IR LEDs don't work in every situation either. If it's bright enough, like being in front of a window on a sunny day, the camera can pick up the IR in the light reflecting off you. If you want a filter, you can use an exposed piece of photo negative also.

I had made my clip from scratch, though it was a very solid methodical build. As stated, I found the hat/visor method worked better then the clip, I didn't say the clip wouldn't work, however just the nature of having the center line of your head tracking device in line with the natural pivot point of your neck makes it inherently more accurate then having it sitting off to the side. Take it for what its worth, then do what you will.