[Exlithra]

So, I've always been in love with Freespace.  I played Freespace - The Great War when I was a teenager, and I still remember fondly the horrid lag nights trying to get in a half decent server.  When Freespace 2 came out, I never jumped aboard due hardware restraints.  Now I have a top of the line rig, and bought FS2 from GoG.  I updated with the FSO installer (the full package with the folder being 10.4 Gigs), Siatek X52, and TrackIR ready to go.

The problem is I can't seem to find a straight answer, if FS2 Open is able to run TrackIR (In original or any of the modded forms).  If it isn't, ok.  If it is, what am I doing wrong? 

[The E]

Yes, FSO can be used with TrackIR. However, you need this dll in your FreeSpace directory.

[Herra Tohtori]

Why doesn't FSO installer download that?

[MatthTheGeek]

... because the amount of people that can and want to afford this tech is awfully small, and that if they can set it up at all to begin with, they know what DLL to grab ?

[Herra Tohtori]

... because the amount of people that can and want to afford this tech is awfully small, and that if they can set it up at all to begin with, they know what DLL to grab ?

As demonstrated by the OP here? No offense, just proving a point.

The DLL has a negligible size and won't do anything at all when head tracking software isn't active, as far as I know.

[G0atmaster]

TrackIR? Head-tracking software?? What is this exactly? And in what possible way could it be used for FS?

[headdie]

TrackIR? Head-tracking software?? What is this exactly? And in what possible way could it be used for FS?

I dont use it myself but iirc it can be used to look in a direction other than the direction of travel.  eg you are flying in convoy with a freighter and you see jump signatures on your radar you can look in that direction without changing which direction you are flying in

[The E]

Basically, by using an IR emitter and a camera, it is possible to track head movements. That data can then be used to simulate the pilots' head as it moves about. Together with a simulated cockpit, you can get a lot of immersion.

[G0atmaster]

Wow! That's intense! How much does one of those gizmos cost?

[Enigmatic Entity]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5sSvlY8MNI&feature=related

Looks cool, but you can only turn your head so much before you're looking at your side wall, I guess you keep your head relatively still?

[Herra Tohtori]

Yes, your head movements are magnified when they are translated into viewpoint rotation and translation. You can keep your eyes at the screen in front of you at all times. It takes a bit of getting used to, but in the end it is surprisingly natural and intuitive.

As for the price, NaturalPoint's TrackIR gear is pretty expensive but solid, offering good tracking and high FPS (smooth movement), but if you don't have the budget for that, FreeTrack is a very viable alternative.


FreeTrack is a piece of software that can read video feed from any webcam and convert what it sees into your head movement. It requires a bit of engineering skills, as you need to build a tracker that is mounted to your head (either to headphones or a cap). This tracker clip usually has three bright dots. Those who know geometry will know that three dots gives you sufficient reference points to define a plane; for those who don't know geometry, suffice to say that the video sees the dots that move with your head and it can calculate the position and direction of your head with quite good accuracy as long as it sees those three dots.


Then it's a matter of setting the sensitivity profile so that the view point changes naturally when you look at different areas of the screen. When you got it configured, it feels much more like your view point is "in" the game, as your intuitive head movements are translated to the game.

This is what it looks like in action in IL-2 Sturmovik...

...and this is what it looks like in FS2 when the cockpit is enabled.

[Exlithra]

Thanks for the reply!!  That lil dll makes it work perfectly!  I read what was posted in the rest of the forum and yes, it's expensive and I heard of Freetrack.  I use it in games such as falcon 4 and DCS blackshark, it makes your bearing much easier to reach, (not the mention keep up with targets in a game that can go in any direction at any time like FS2!) 

I'm very grateful for the quick help, I wish I could've found this dll on my own, but such is life I suppose ^^

-Exlithra

[swashmebuckle]

Wasn't there some buzz a while back about cross-platform software for face tracking using just a webcam?  I'm sure the tracking would be more rudimentary that way, but the number of people with a camera > the number of people with a specialized IR-filtering camera and a silly LED hat and the ability to not feel stupid playing a game wearing said hat.

[Sushi]

Wasn't there some buzz a while back about cross-platform software for face tracking using just a webcam?  I'm sure the tracking would be more rudimentary that way, but the number of people with a camera > the number of people with a specialized IR-filtering camera and a silly LED hat and the ability to not feel stupid playing a game wearing said hat.

FacetrackNoIR

Just installed it this morning, haven't had a chance to tune parameters to see how well I can make it work. But it does work on a basic level, at least, without any parameter tuning or calibration.

[swashmebuckle]

Ah, so not cross platform, but at least no specialized hardware

[Octon]

SO guys exactly where do I put  the dll file? I've tried to put it in the main directory for Knossos/Freespace and others but it's not working. I have installed the cockpit mod but I think I'm missing something as the cockpit mod is only showing the cockpit partially for me. How do I enable this? I put the dll file in the main FS2 directory but doesn't seem to work for me.

[Iain Baker]

This thread should help 👍

https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=97867.msg1912160#msg1912160