Track IR users: (un)natural movement

[Asparagin 0]

Hello there!

If you use track IR maybe you also noticed the following:

You aim at 12 and turn your head at 3 o'clock. Now let's say you would want to bring your weapons sights to 3 o'clock. Naturally you would have to move the mouse and bring the sights. But what happens is that when you move the mouse to your right, you turn not only your body but also your head, so you can't turn only the weapon.

This gives a very unnatural result, because in order to align the head and sight to 3 o'clock you have to move the head to the left.

Has somebody found a solution for this? (turn body only with mouse?)

It spoils the track ir experience IMO.

[scruffy 22]

You will get used to it after a bit. After all you should as you are already doing this when looking at something and turning around. You don't keep your head turned sideways, do you?

The alternative would be to have your head separate from the body, so you always look north when your trackir is centered, and when you move south you always have to look fully to the right/left and glance at your screen from the corner of your eyes ;)

[polar bear 10]

Does TrackIR make it harder to aim?

It seems to me that involuntary head movements add extra difficulty to lining up a shot properly--head movements move the screen, and your job in aiming is to line up your cross hair on a particular pixel, which is now a moving pixel.

I'm asking because I otherwise find the TrackIR fascinating. Unfortunately Arma2 is the only game I play that supports it, so it's a big cash outlay for one game. I worry I'd stump up the cash and then find an issue with it. Wish I could try it somewhere sometime before buying! It's a fascinating idea.

[Asparagin 0]

You will get used to it after a bit. After all you should as you are already doing this when looking at something and turning around. You don't keep your head turned sideways, do you?

But this is exactly what happens in Arma! When you turn you body with the mouse you turn the head also. That's exactly what's bothering. I wish the mouse would only control the body.

Edit: I tested it a bit more, and from this point of view you are right: If you were to move the body separately, you would have the head centered. (not so practicable :)

Edited July 30, 2010 by Asparagin

[GoOB 0]

@Polar Bear

You can always try Freetrack, if you have any place near you that sells cheap webcams compatible with the program - My friend used Freetrack as a demo of sorts before purchasing TrackIR.

[Asparagin 0]

@Polar Bear

You can always try Freetrack, if you have any place near you that sells cheap webcams compatible with the program - My friend used Freetrack as a demo of sorts before purchasing TrackIR.

For freetrack you can use almost every webcam - it's not the hard part. The problems are:

1. If you want to have better results you need to work with IR (because of light interference). For the webcam itself it's easy: just remove the IR filter. But then you need IR led lights, so you must buy them from special stores.

2. Normal webcams give about 30 fps max. For good results you need 100. So it's getting expensive.

[frederf 0]

the head and sight to 3 o'clock you have to move the head to the left.

Has somebody found a solution for this? (turn body only with mouse?)

I went through all this when I first configured TrackIR for ArmA2. It would be nice to be able to look 3 o.c. and then bring your rifle onto target without disrupting your vision.

The problem is that in ArmA there are three things controlled by your mouse/TrackIR and so they can't be entirely separate on two controllers. You have your walking direction, your rifle aiming, and your eyes looking.

The only way I could see it being possible is to have a toggle button that engaged to change what the mouse was doing, body or rifle. With the button in state A you would have a suuuuuuper wide floating zone so you'd just be aiming your rifle. In state B you would be maneuvering your body.

[maddogx 13]

I experienced this problem when I started using TrackIR, but after a few months it becomes almost second nature. Just as in real life when you turn your head to look at something, when you turn your body to the same direction, you automatically keep your head in the right position.

You will find yourself doing the same with TrackIR, after you've been using it for a while. :)

[GoOB 0]

For freetrack you can use almost every webcam - it's not the hard part. The problems are:

1. If you want to have better results you need to work with IR (because of light interference). For the webcam itself it's easy: just remove the IR filter. But then you need IR led lights, so you must buy them from special stores.

2. Normal webcams give about 30 fps max. For good results you need 100. So it's getting expensive.

Sorry, perhaps I should clarify... I meant to use Freetrack as a way of finding out whether or not head tracking is right for you or not, some people can't live with it, some can't live without it. If you find out it's right by using Freetrack and a cheapass webcam, then the path and choice whether or not to invest in more advanced equipment is clearer - Wether it be Freetrack or TrackIR.

[Asparagin 0]

Sorry, perhaps I should clarify... I meant to use Freetrack as a way of finding out whether or not head tracking is right for you or not, some people can't live with it, some can't live without it. If you find out it's right by using Freetrack and a cheapass webcam, then the path and choice whether or not to invest in more advanced equipment is clearer - Wether it be Freetrack or TrackIR.

Yes, it's clear, and because freetrack (software) is free, it's a good idea, but the money you will spend for the tryout, will go on building the equipment. As I said webcam.. ok, but you have also to build the tracker: so you need about 20€ for that.

If you like DIY stuff.. I can tell you it's fun. I got mine working, but not at the quality of the bought one (not so smooth).

Here in the forums, some guys made a tracker that uses only a webcam, maybe it's best to try that one.

---------- Post added at 07:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 AM ----------

I went through all this when I first configured TrackIR for ArmA2. It would be nice to be able to look 3 o.c. and then bring your rifle onto target without disrupting your vision.

The problem is that in ArmA there are three things controlled by your mouse/TrackIR and so they can't be entirely separate on two controllers. You have your walking direction, your rifle aiming, and your eyes looking.

The only way I could see it being possible is to have a toggle button that engaged to change what the mouse was doing, body or rifle. With the button in state A you would have a suuuuuuper wide floating zone so you'd just be aiming your rifle. In state B you would be maneuvering your body.

Right! The question is how practical it would be.

[sparks50 0]

It definably helps to have a good framerate as well.

Does TrackIR make it harder to aim?

It seems to me that involuntary head movements add extra difficulty to lining up a shot properly--head movements move the screen, and your job in aiming is to line up your cross hair on a particular pixel, which is now a moving pixel.

I set a deadzone on all axis as well as disabling zoom and roll axis to counter this. I also frequently recenter trackir with F12 after changing seating position.