Track ir

[shadow 6]

Just checking how many others here have a Trackir or are planning on buying one.

I definitely would like to see it supported. Not just for the vehicles and aircrafts but for soldiers too.

Should make flying (or landing) helos with a mouse and keyboard alot easier because you can then freely look around while not interfering with the flight controls.

I believe it would add 10x the immersion simply because it feels so natural.

[Balschoiw 0]

Another thing I´d like to see with OFP 2 is a multiple render output to split the OFP screen on 3 segments that would allow the useage of video beamers to build a spherical up to 180 ° picture. I know this is hardware intense, but maybe there is a Technical solution. Would love to build such a thing. I need to check on virtual cockpit systems and how they fire their beamers with source data from sim-engines.

In my technical understanding IR - devices track head movement by following a spot on the head, right ?

I´m wondering why noone uses his webcam for that stuff. In combination with a a banderole you put on your head with different points or patterns on it, it should work just fine. I guess there are already recognition software solutions for webcams that could determine the position of head by recognizing patterns or points on the banderole.

Anyway, I´m looking into the IR thingie a bit more. Maybe I can build one on my own.

If anyone has experiance with multimonitor projecting of games, let me know.

Would be a total of 500 - 600 Euros to build a 3 way beamer that is capable of showing at least a 180 ° spherical projection.

[shadow 6]

In my technical understanding IR - devices track head movement by following a spot on the head, right ?

Yes.

Quote[/b] ]I´m wondering why noone uses his webcam for that stuff.

I believe its a little more complicated than that. A webcam has how many frames pr second? 15? 25?

The Trackir 3 pro has 120fps. Anything below 60fps simply is'nt enough and will only create unnatural and jerky movements.

I recomend you buy it and try it for yourself. If you fly flight/helo-sims and racing-games you won't regret it.

I have to say the same everyone else I've heard talking about the Trackir. After you've bought one and gotten used to it you can't believe you've managed without one for so long.

The trackir can emulate the mouse so you can use it in OFP, but the mouse has no center so it gets tiresome after a while having to re-center your head.

[Daddl 10]

Another thing I´d like to see with OFP 2 is a multiple render output to split the OFP screen on 3 segments that would allow the useage of video beamers to build a spherical up to 180 ° picture. I know this is hardware intense, but maybe there is a Technical solution. Would love to build such a thing. I need to check on virtual cockpit systems and how they fire their beamers with source data from sim-engines.

If I remember correctly that can already be done (if you have a gfx-card capable of splitting the screen accordingly). Just search the old General section.

[walker 0]

Another thing I´d like to see with OFP 2 is a multiple render output to split the OFP screen on 3 segments that would

Hi Balschoiw

OFP can already do ultra wide screens. In fact there is no reason you could not use a 360 degree projector if you had one.

NVidia do multi screen graphic card that has already been linked to OFP by several people.

If you have a wide screen laptop you may already be doing it or wish to try it.

Look into altering your Field of View (FOV)

http://www.theavonlady.org/theofpfaq/sp/fov.htm

Kind regards walker

[hellfish6 7]

Matrox also has a 3D card for at least three monitors that works with OFP.

Still, I wish I had a projector at home for playing.

[shadow 6]

hmmm offtopic after the first post. I'm not exactly impressed

[Gordy 0]

hmmm offtopic after the first post. I'm not exactly impressed  

Poll that seems a complete disaster?

Well, i would suggest to "open the door" for track ir in the next OFP apps, so that it could be either introduced in a patch or developed by a modding group.

That would require some serious docs for it, though.

Either way I would leave it for now.

[shadow 6]

Well, i would suggest to "open the door" for track ir in the next OFP apps, so that it could be either introduced in a patch or developed by a modding group.

That would require some serious docs for it, though.

Either way I would leave it for now.

I dont think this would be something a mod-team could make. It requires support for an extra X- and an extra Y-axis. Thats pretty much it.

For those still wondering what the Trackir is and what it can do, check out the movies for any of the games listed here.

[wheres my rabbit ? 10]

thing that puzzles my about track ir is ...(not that ive used it ) but i imagine if you turn your head to look out the side of your plane ....

how the fuck you meant to see where your going if you not looking at the screen lol ?

[Gordy 0]

Well, i would suggest to "open the door" for track ir in the next OFP apps, so that it could be either introduced in a patch or developed by a modding group.

That would require some serious docs for it, though.

Either way I would leave it for now.

I dont think this would be something a mod-team could make. It requires support for an extra X- and an extra Y-axis. Thats pretty much it.

For those still wondering what the Trackir is and what it can do, check out the movies for any of the games listed here.

you must admit that community gave you (BIS) a few surprices.

Anyway, as I said support it enginewise and someday just "plug it" in.

[Baz 0]

thing that puzzles my about track ir is ...(not that ive used it ) but i imagine if you turn your head to look out the side of your plane ....

how the fuck you meant to see where your going if you not looking at the screen lol ?

you move your head to the left or right slightly, so you are still able to look at the computer screen. You can also adjust the sensitivity of movement. I would love to have Track IR support in OFP, I can imagine moving my head as a foot soldier or helo pilot.... And the view changes. Track IR's large benefit is in instant situational awareness. I have used it alot in IL2, and in OFP it would be very useful when flying or on the ground. As we all know that sometimes we get tunnel vision when fighting as infantry. IE we only concentrate on our forward flank. Its a reminder to us all that the battlefield is 360 degrees.

[shadow 6]

Baz is spot on. You only turn your head 5 degress to the left, 5 degrees to the right etc and like Baz said, you can adjust the sensitivity-curves and deadzone for it to suit you.

After I had flown a few hours in LOMAC with it it felt natural. I just tried flying some in LOMAC recently without the Trackir. Then I realised how much I actually look around with the TIR. Situational awareness goes up 10 times with it. I can't live without it anymore when flying.

[Gordy 0]

I am a bit impatient person with my back towards the rest of the room.

I just can't see myself crashing everytime, I peek what's behind me.

[gandalf the white 0]

thing that puzzles my about track ir is ...(not that ive used it ) but i imagine if you turn your head to look out the side of your plane ....

how the fuck you meant to see where your going if you not looking at the screen lol ?

you move your head to the left or right slightly, so you are still able to look at the computer screen. You can also adjust the sensitivity of movement. I would love to have Track IR support in OFP, I can imagine moving my head as a foot soldier or helo pilot.... And the view changes. Track IR's large benefit is in instant situational awareness. I have used it alot in IL2, and in OFP it would be very useful when flying or on the ground. As we all know that sometimes we get tunnel vision when fighting as infantry. IE we only concentrate on our forward flank. Its a reminder to us all that the battlefield is 360 degrees.

no interest at all, my battlefield ranges from 90 to 180 degrees

-180 because everything not wearing your uniform is dead or dying behind you

-90 because of the cover I use

I also dont need it for choppers / planes. for planes I can use numpad / the view thingy on my joystick, and for choppers I use 3rd person or simply skill .

I dont really need it for immersion aswell... like said above: you turn your head 1 degree, the screen counts it as 5 degrees. so when you sneeze...

For a game where you need to know what's on either side it's good, but for a combat simulator... I could do more with a keboard that can handle more entries at once

[Baz 0]

I think to greater accept the "powers" of track IR, you should first try it out before being so pessimistic about it. Its like saying a certain car is the worst in the world.... Without even looking at it or test driving it. Another interesting thing would be the use of the Vector expansion from Track IR. I'd like to see that in OFP, every head movement is tied into the game... In a way it really makes you feel more attached to it. To those of you who play IL2, I recommend that you get a track IR. In IL2 I can often use my track IR as a "padlock view" and just tease enemy planes with it until I kill them, its really quite fun and immersive. I'm not a track IR fanboy, but I have one and I just simply love it.... Wouldn't trade it in for anything.

[Antichrist 0]

Too complicated and from what I can read not very useful in OFP environment.

[Baz 0]

its not complex at all, and at 18 years old and with basic knowledge of computers I am able to use it. Even if people do not use track IR, it would be nice for BIS to add support for those that do.

[Longjocks 0]

I dont really need it for immersion aswell...  like said above: you turn your head 1 degree, the screen counts it as 5 degrees. so when you sneeze...  

I guess that depends on whether you sneeze with your eyes open.

I'm certainly an advocate for TrackIR. Not just for vehicles, but at least the first OFP was handled in such a way that TrackIR would have worked wonderfully to turn a soldier's head (independant of the body) on the ground.

[kegetys 2]

What sucks about Trackir is the ridiculously high price, the device itself is nothing but a webcam with an IR filter (one that only lets only IR light pass, unlike regular webcams where the filter blocks IR light) and an IR led on it. Someone should make a free program that uses a regular webcam to do the tracking (similar to Headmouse). Freelook exists but its quite crappy as it requires you to put a LED or something similar in your head for it to track.

I would also imagine that it might not be so useful in OFP infantry as you can turn your whole body quite fast with the mouse to look around and aim at the same time, with trackir you would first need to turn your head to look around, and when you'd spot something to shoot at you'd still have to use the mouse to turn your body/weapon at it. For flight sims its a whole different deal though, I tried Headmouse with Lomac once and it was quite "immersive", but still not worth the price of Trackir in my opinion.

[Yssabem 0]

Now if BIS included a feature in AA or OFP2 that used an ordinary webcam to track a reflective sticker or something (included in the box) that would mean anyone with a webcam could take advantage

Cos how many of us already have webcams eh?

(yeh i know about the low fps of normal cams mentioned earlier, but one can dream)

[shadow 6]

I would also imagine that it might not be so useful in OFP infantry as you can turn your whole body quite fast with the mouse to look around and aim at the same time, with trackir you would first need to turn your head to look around, and when you'd spot something to shoot at you'd still have to use the mouse to turn your body/weapon at it.

I see what you're saying and I partially agree.

But I dont run zig-zag all over the area just to look around me all the time. It makes me wonder off my course. With a Trackir I could look left and right all the time while running straight. So again, the TIR makes me more aware of my surroundings.

[kegetys 2]

But I dont run zig-zag all over the area just to look around me all the time. It makes me wonder off my course. With a Trackir I could look left and right all the time while running straight.

I use the alt key to look around with the mouse during longer walks.

[shadow 6]

I tried getting used to using the mouselook toggle but I kept forgetting to switch back the moment I needed to toggle back.

[Yssabem 0]

i use the keypad, taking my hand off the mouse to look around. I use it so often it's the first thing i miss in any other First Person Shooter, been playing the BF2 demo last few days (i know i know i'll never speak of it again ;) ) and I REALLY miss the freelook.