The (un)Official Freetrack Users Q&A Thread

[ActionMan 10]

If anyone is trying to decide whether FreeTrack is worth getting, I made a little comparison video to show you what it does as an Arma2 soldier.

This vid was actually done with a TIR5, but TIR/FT both do the same thing anyway, just one is expensive and shinier ;)

[Dcope 10]

Definatly worth getting, tried out the beta last night and was loving it, release it allready BI, ive even registered after reading for the last few months, just to add my thoughts,

I've set my own free track up using visible light, a white light led string of lights i got for 3 quid and a "tee plate" i got from b and q , and bolted it all onto a baseball cap for a 3 point system, and it works a treat with my logitech cam, had it working on the normal build with mouse emulation and had a hot key bound to turn on free look and turn on the mouse emulation.

I dont notice the lights wich are bright but my lcd is brighter and im allways in a shadowed room, also you need to wrap or paint the tee plate as being metal it reflects badly. total cost 8 quid if you have a spare cap.

will post an image later when at home

check http://tinyurl.com/yclpknm for the plate i used. Just bend the middle arm the | part of the T to a 45 ish degree angle and put an led in each of the extream holes, you can then used the centre hole on the cross bar to bolt it to a cap peak, saves messing with wire and cables.

Edited December 1, 2009 by Dcope
spelling

[Wupjak 0]

I have been lusting mightily after a head-tracking solution since watching Dslyecxi's TrackIR video, but couldn't justify the 160+USD to buy in. Seeing the addition of Freetrack in the latest beta was all I needed to see.

I'm into this project about 65 bucks including the webcam and materials to build my 3 point clip. The clip is powered by 2 AAA batteries, attaches with Velcro to my headset, is lightweight and compact. Those were the qualities I wanted when I started out and the finished product is just right for me.

I'm fortunate enough to live near a Radio Shack in the US, so I was able to drive down the street and buy all of the parts necessary to build the clip including IR LEDs. Freetrack's LED construction app (http://www.free-track.net/english/hardware/calcled/) makes creating your parts list extremely simple.

I'm an absolute moron when it comes to electronics and what resistor ratings mean what, so if I can follow these instructions, I imagine anyone can.

Getting Freetrack to behave the way that felt natural is proving to take more tweaking time than I'd anticipated. Still, the price was right and it's just a matter of adjusting some settings, switching into Arma2, moving around a bit to see how the settings changes 'feel,' and then making subsequent adjustments.

I think I'm pretty close, now. No jitter/jump, head turn is neither too fast nor too sluggish and I'm figuring out how to get my head and my weapon to line up after having looked over a shoulder or whatever.

I advise anyone with even a moderate amount of hands-on skill to build even the most basic setup for FreeTrack. The difference is night and day, and I've been accustomed to mouse and keyboard FPS gaming without freelook since the days of Doom.

Photo of my clip:

http://i49.tinypic.com/2ir0y80.jpg

Edited December 5, 2009 by Wupjak
photo too large. removed image tags.

[cjph 0]

I am going to try this following the inclusion in the beta - for info for UK based people, Wilkinsons are supplying a small string of 20 LEDs with batteries and switch for £2.95, which might do for this. Various colours, though I picked up a couple of white versions (which I suspect are best) for Christmas decorations. Not sure if you can snip off the excess, but a possible pre-made circuit for use with Dcope's T bracket above (which I conveniently have in the shed somewhere).

Now for the Webcam . . . .

[MehMan 0]

cough:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-OFFICIAL-SONY-PS3-PS-EYE-CAMERA-WORLDWIDE-POST_W0QQitemZ130339809888QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_VideoGames_VideoGameAccessories_VideoGameAccessories_JN?hash=item1e58dbaa60#ht_1303wt_939

I might try mr.g-c's link. They seem to ship internationally and I save 3€, which is enough for LEDs, wires, a resistor and an inline fuse+holder!

EDIT:

wait a minute, what is this?

https://www.computeruniverse.net/products/e90226850/playstation-eye-kamera-eye-create.asp

Does eye create really cost another 20€? I'm a bit worried here, as there's no picture for the first link( https://www.computeruniverse.net/products/e90355438/playstation-eye-kamera-oem.asp ) and it doesn't state PS3 eye and you might get the PS2 eye. That looks like a dead dog.

Edited December 1, 2009 by MehMan

[Dcope 10]

pic of my hat

the black stuff is pipe cleaners to stop the reflection, and the battery pack is held up by the strap at the back to counter the weight at the front.

[Poppis 10]

FreeTrack sure seems sweet. I'm still trying to understand all the things you actually need to get this to work.

So for a reflective set up you need:

1. nightvision webcam like OPs a4tech

2. some form of reflective surfaces attached to your head(using reflective tape for example)

3. download the freetrack

That's all, right? This might be easy enough even for me.:bounce3:

@Bushlurker

You said that your webcam ain't "brilliant". So do you(or anybody else for that matter) have any good suggestions for better alternatives? I looked at the webcam compatibility list from freetrack site but they all seem to be normal webcams without any leds.

PS. Googled some guide for a very simple reflective set up from ~2 years ago: http://www.flightsimworld.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=136145

[MehMan 0]

That looks so off putting. Battery packs. Yuck. At least huge battery pack like that.

well i've been thinking around and while the cable solution is probably the best, I don't want to be rigging another cable. A huge battery pack on my head also stinks. So an alternative way of power is needed. I can only see one viable solution: a button cell battery(pack). One or more button cell batteries would be compact and affordable. The other option is an AAA battery. It's still small enough and not huge. The problem with the button cell batteries might be battery life. So you'd need to take it out after usage, which is a must with all batteries really. The AAA ones I have at home are rechargable and I have six of them. Now to get technical, heh.

[-Total- 0]

I used Freetrack for some time. Started off with the hat and went to the clip.

My main problem was that the window in my computer room faces west. So, when I'd sit down to start gaming, the sun would be setting on that side of the house and changing the lighting conditions. I found myself having to re-tweak my freetrack settings several times until it got dark. The worst was during the summer when the sun took longer to go down. Even with the blinds shut with the flaps upward I had the problems.

Other than that, I had no problems with it other than the chipset of my webcam getting 5c hotter with the IR Filter removed. I was on my second webcam when I decided that the constant adusting due to my window problem just was too much hassle.

I went on ahead and bought TrackIR 4 w/ proclip (TIR5 compatible btw). Worked out as ArmA2 was originally released with only TIR5 support.

I'd suggest Freetreack to anyone, but I'd also suggest using a USB port to power your LED's. Much less obtrusive than a battery pack. I kept forgetting to turn my battery pack off, so that's what drove me to go USB powered.

I'd also suggest using a wide angle FOV IR LED instead of standard LED's. With standard LED's, they would reflect light on my LCD's. Kinda drove me up the wall. You can get a nice, 180 degree, 950nm, flat-faced IR LED from Digikey ( LINK ).

If your room is prone to sunlight glaring in towards your setup though, I would suggest buying some thick and heavy curtains. Generally though, good curtains like that are expensive. It was going to cost me more for the curtains than the TIR4 clip bundle. I found that with TIR4, I did not have to adjust my settings each time. One setting does it all.

[Thirdup 0]

Heh, above all else I enjoy all the various designs and home-made contraptions associated with FT.

;)

[MehMan 0]

Quick question: is FT still being updated, as the last update seems to have been released over a year ago...

RE lighting conditions: that's why I want to use IR solutions instead of visible light solutions. I don't want to have light shining on my screen or wall. It'd annoy the shit ouf me.

Edited December 1, 2009 by MehMan

[Dcope 10]

as an aside im asuming the reflective material to use is the same as the white reflective stuff you get on a reflective jacket yeah?

just found a a4tech webcam, my wife had one ages ago in a box. might go the passive route

[MehMan 0]

Oh wait, I completely misunderstood bushlurkers setup. i thought that that webcam blasts you with light, but forgot that IR light shows up on camera. His option suddenly looks tempting BUT, I really don't like the 30 FPS...hmm, thinking yet again.

[-Total- 0]

Forgot to post a pic of my first freetrack inception:

I used 12 guage copper wire for the braces and 28AWG wire to the LED's. I used a dremel tool to file the LED's down to a flat front, rectangluar shape (for more precision tracking).

The battery pack was eventually mounted to the desk as the weight was too much. After forgetting to switch it off many times, I went USB powered (used the cable from an old mouse no longer in use).

The next modification was when I went to IR LED's (linke din my previous post).

From there I went to the side clip design to ditch the hat.

From there, I got tired of fighting the poor lighitng conditions in my room and went TIR4 w/ proclip. Gave the freetrack system to a buddy of mine who plays in total darkness no matter what time of day it is. He's still using it :)

[Dcope 10]

MehMan

his solution lights you up with IR light the balls reflect that back to the camera, no bateries etc.

[mr.g-c 6]

cough:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-OFFICIAL-SONY-PS3-PS-EYE-CAMERA-WORLDWIDE-POST_W0QQitemZ130339809888QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_VideoGames_VideoGameAccessories_VideoGameAccessories_JN?hash=item1e58dbaa60#ht_1303wt_939

I might try mr.g-c's link. They seem to ship internationally and I save 3€, which is enough for LEDs, wires, a resistor and an inline fuse+holder!

EDIT:

wait a minute, what is this?

https://www.computeruniverse.net/products/e90226850/playstation-eye-kamera-eye-create.asp

Does eye create really cost another 20€? I'm a bit worried here, as there's no picture for the first link( https://www.computeruniverse.net/products/e90355438/playstation-eye-kamera-oem.asp ) and it doesn't state PS3 eye and you might get the PS2 eye. That looks like a dead dog.

I just sent them a mail, because i want to buy it too....

Actually yesterday i bought/ordered my stuff at Conrad too, i'll make 3 Setups (have 2 Brothers playing Arma2 :p) and one additional Set-up using 65° IR-LEDs (SFH487P T1) instead of 40°, lets see if that makes any difference.

I'll use 5V from USB (Jesus a 3Meter USB-Cable is very expensive!), but instead of a 10Ohm resistor for that serial-connection, i've ordered "Trimmers" ("Cermet Trimmer PV 36W 10R0 10%" and "Trimmer 63X 10R") which i also used successfully to freely adjust the power output/brightness of the LEDs in my car.

Maybe i let the IR-Filter stay in the camera and simply add a flippable "Visual-Light-Filter", which i can flip-on to play with Freetrack and flip-off when having Video-Chats with Friends.

But for that to work, the IR-Leds must be running (according to FT-Forums) at more than 70ma Power - thats why i use trimmers to manually adjust their brightness and be ready for any case.

This is the Setup i'll do : http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=1856&page=2 The post in the middle with the USB (similar)

BTW: Don't forget to order the 250ma switchable fuse (Conrad-Art-Nr: 524787-U1), it will turn-off the setup if you give them to much power, as the rated 100ma/per LED is to much for continuous use. :D

[rundll.exe 12]

Im still waiting for my A4tech webcam, but as I wanted to make a start with the clip for my headphones, I was wondering where I could get that reflecting material. FT website mentions the stuff on lifejackets etc, but can you just pull it off, or get is separately from somewhere?

[Wupjak 0]

Orchard Supply Hardware sells a roll of adhesive-backed reflective tape that appears the same as the safety vests (they had both in the store) for 6.00.

[bushlurker 45]

Hi!

Getting Freetrack to behave the way that felt natural is proving to take more tweaking time than I'd anticipated

I tweaked for Weeks! :D

The "curves" section is mighty powerful for getting things smoother, adding a slight "dead zone" in the centre of your view so slight or accidental movements hardly matter, but bigger and more deliberate ones do...

Rightclicking a curve gives you presets to choose from - I'd suggest starting with "small deadzone" (copy same setting to all curves also via rightclick menu), followed by a week or two of twitching the sensitivity and smoothing in the "profiles" section... The curve you choose gives you your basic sensitivity across your arc of movement from centre to as far as you want to turn...

I use a modified "medium deadzone" with the up and down axis sensitivity higher since I use three monitors, so I turn a lot side to side (relatively), but much less so up and down...

I know when my settings are about right by using the "first person view" for the SkullBox - this gives you a view as if you were the skull - inside it's wireframe green box...

When I turn my head to look directly at the bottom left corner of my middle monitor, I can see that bottom left corner of the Green Box - same for all 4 corners...

You rarely look directly at the side monitors - you notice stuff moving there with your natural peripheral vision, and - equally naturally - you instinctively turn that way... as you do, the tracking swings in that direction, bringing that sneakily flanking Russian into view on the centre screen. At that point your conscious mind kicks in, you aim and shoot - but thanks to tracking (and triplehead) you'd reacted to him before you even realised it. Increased situational awareness... It really does work...

(did I mention that my triplehead rig also uses free software... Kegetys' SoftTH... a free copy of that and an additional two monitors - even old CRT's, and you're tripleheading - without a 200 buck Matrox)...

I picked up a couple of white versions (which I suspect are best)

I'm determinedly non-LED because of the having to power them issue, so I've not too much experience... I used white once and they worked ok, but I read somewhere on the Freetrack site that if you do use visible light ones, red is the best colour to use because it's closest to IR frequency...

@Bushlurker

You said that your webcam ain't "brilliant". So do you(or anybody else for that matter) have any good suggestions for better alternatives? I looked at the webcam compatibility list from freetrack site but they all seem to be normal webcams without any leds.

Yeah - proper IR LED alternatives to the A4tech are thin on the ground - most of the ones you see on eBay are from China and they have white light LED's - NOT what you want really - that IS a floodlight shining in your face - mine is too, but they're proper IR LED's so u see the slightest pinkish glow when they're on full tilt and thats all... (see my original vid - 6 pink dots is all you see)

The compatibility list on the FT site is a little old - I was sold on the passive reflec syle from the start because of the video I posted a link for earlier - it was an A4tech reflec setup, so as soon as I found it on Amazon I looked no further...

PS - 30FPS is actually pretty GOOD for a cheap webcam - I meant it's not a brilliant webcam for webcam use :) (1.3mpix)

I was wondering where I could get that reflecting material.

I tore a strip off a yellow safety vest - the type you see builders wearing...

It's that sort of silvery grey/white not particularly shiney or bright stuff that totally comes alive under directed light...

You can also buy it by the yard on eBay...

It's also worth taking a look at some of the hyper-reflective tapes made by 3M... seriously expensive, but you need such a small amount...

Here's the stuff you sew on jackets - the first pic shows the back and the front - the second = same view but with light shone on the tape... it only reflects on one side...

Amazingly bright in the second pic - that's what you need - your tracking spots are just SO reflective compared to anything else that you can drop exposure through the floor, and the cam will still see them...

- just search eBay for "reflective tape"...

... and remember fuses, doublecheck, and be careful with that whole USB powering thing - it's technically possible to damage your motherboard if you get it hugely wrong...

B

---------- Post added at 01:25 AM ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 11:54 PM ----------

Another idea.....

I wonder if it would be possible to actually build a little "IR LED Array"??

I've got a 9-LED pocket torch from a Poundshop with a reflector and everything... some handy parts there...

The idea being that if it was relatively simple to build a little IR "floodlight" - like these IR webcams have, then you could use any webcam, wiimmote, PS3eye - whatever - and still use a reflective system - thereby getting rid entirely of all battery packs on the head, cable dragging, and LED headgear...

You could power the wee LED array any way you liked - as long as you don't have to wear it - who cares... - it just needs to be arranged - probably on top of your monitor similar to but not necessarily beside - whatever cam you use - it shines on you only - activates the reflective spots - which are then picked up by the cam...

If it worked it would not only widen the choice of basic webcam for standard reflective tracking - and possibly provide an alternative to the traditional illuminated headgear for the wiimote guys???

What do you think??? - it would basically be what an IR cam does anyway but in a seperate DIY form.

B

Edited December 2, 2009 by Bushlurker

[MehMan 0]

Hmm, I've been looking around a bit and forgot that the dollar is worth so little, that a NEW TIR4 is worth 60€! So I could bargain a secondhand one for pennies? Same price with a trackclip pro...

[sn0b0ard 10]

Forgot to post a pic of my first freetrack inception:

I used 12 guage copper wire for the braces and 28AWG wire to the LED's. I used a dremel tool to file the LED's down to a flat front, rectangluar shape (for more precision tracking).

The battery pack was eventually mounted to the desk as the weight was too much. After forgetting to switch it off many times, I went USB powered (used the cable from an old mouse no longer in use).

The next modification was when I went to IR LED's (linke din my previous post).

From there I went to the side clip design to ditch the hat.

From there, I got tired of fighting the poor lighitng conditions in my room and went TIR4 w/ proclip. Gave the freetrack system to a buddy of mine who plays in total darkness no matter what time of day it is. He's still using it :)

The problem you were experiencing with Freetrack, has nothing at all to do with the software, or the technology itself. It is your webcam, and your LED setup that caused the problems with playing in daylight conditions. My VX1000 webcam has it's IR filter removed, and I have a natural light filter attached to the lens (magnetic storage on a 3.5' floppy disk as the filter, cut into the shape and size of a quarter), which allows head tracking in virtually any lighting condition. Glad to hear that you found a solution that works for you though :) I will admit, Freetrack does take some time to set up properly, but for DIYers, it's a fun project, and is very rewarding.

[MehMan 0]

Hahaha, no way. The local trackir distributor wants 200€ + postage for a trackir5 pro. TIR5 pro on the natural point site costs 170$, converted tu euros it's 110€...

[rundll.exe 12]

I tore a strip off a yellow safety vest - the type you see builders wearing...

It's that sort of silvery grey/white not particularly shiney or bright stuff that totally comes alive under directed light...

You can also buy it by the yard on eBay...

It's also worth taking a look at some of the hyper-reflective tapes made by 3M... seriously expensive, but you need such a small amount...

Here's the stuff you sew on jackets - the first pic shows the back and the front - the second = same view but with light shone on the tape... it only reflects on one side...

Amazingly bright in the second pic - that's what you need - your tracking spots are just SO reflective compared to anything else that you can drop exposure through the floor, and the cam will still see them...

- just search eBay for "reflective tape"...

Thx for the tip. As I dont want to tear appart a 10€ refelctive jacket, I ordered the strip you linked, I guess 1m is a bit too much but for 3€ I wont complain :p

Now waiting for the goods and I can start some thinkering with it :bounce3:

[MehMan 0]

Ok, I got an answer and this product:

https://www.computeruniverse.net/products/e90355438/playstation-eye-kamera-oem.asp

is the PS3 eye. Or so they say. however, it is out of stock, so I'm buying where there is stock :p

[mr.g-c 6]

Ok, I got an answer and this product:

https://www.computeruniverse.net/products/e90355438/playstation-eye-kamera-oem.asp

is the PS3 eye. Or so they say. however, it is out of stock, so I'm buying where there is stock :p

Me too, they said its indeed the PS3 Eye!

On my question for a picture they said, that they won't get an image supplied by Sony, nor are they allowed to attach any image to the product :rolleyes: