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Interface for FaceTrackNoIR and FreeTrack released! OK guys and girls, It took me a while to get some test-results and I have spent a well-deserved vacation in the sun, but now the time has come to release the interface-DLL's for using ED-games with FaceTrackNoIR (and FreeTrack too). I have uploaded the two versions (32-bit and 64-bit) here, for all to get. Both versions were successfully tested by a few users. I also uploaded a small video of the 32-bit version to youtube: . Any feedback is appreciated. O, right, the instructions are in the ZIP-files, but it's quite easy: download the right ZIP-file, containing the DLL; extract the entire ZIP to the 'bin' folder of the game (the files are in a folder 'headtracker', the game searches this); start FaceTrackNoIR, load the DCS-A10C.INI file, start face-tracking, verify and minimize; start the game (I only tried DCS A-10C); start a mission: et voila! BTW: the headtracker interface does not show up in the Controls section and no additional settings need to be made... Enjoy! P.S.: I added my DCSA10C.INI-file, but had to rename it as .TXT. If you want to use it, just save it as DCSA10C.INI in the settings folder of FaceTracNoIR and load it with the profile-listbox. It's not really 'optimised', so please upload yours if you have tweaked it :thumbup:. Readme_32bit_headtracker_ED.txt DCS_A10C.txt

Interface for FaceTrackNoIR and FreeTrack released! OK guys and girls, It took me a while to get some test-results and I have spent a well-deserved vacation in the sun, but now the time has come to release the interface-DLL's for using ED-games with FaceTrackNoIR (and FreeTrack too). :smartass: I have uploaded the two versions (32-bit and 64-bit) here, for all to get. Both versions were successfully tested by a few users. I also uploaded a small video of the 32-bit version to youtube: (it took me a while: that's why sam beat me to it :music_whistling:). Any feedback is appreciated. O, right, the instructions are in the ZIP-files, but it's quite easy: download the right ZIP-file, containing the DLL; extract the entire ZIP to the 'bin' folder of the game (the files are in a folder 'headtracker', the game searches this); start FaceTrackNoIR, start face-tracking, verify and minimize; start the game (I only tried DCS A-10C); start a mission: et voila! BTW: the headtracker interface does not show up in the Controls section and no additional settings need to be made... Enjoy!

Nice! Hi Sensenmann, It's good that you found the solution: I'll make a 'known issue' of it on the website (even though very few users have reported the problem). I'm glad I guided you in the right (codec-)direction :thumbup:. @Tyger: Thanks for your advice. I'll stick to the free version(s) though :D. For those who have not read the other thread(s): I'm working on the head-tracker API for Eagle Dynamics games. Both the 32-bit and 64-bit version prototypes are working and undergoing some rigorous testing, as we speak.

Work in progress. FYI: I have already made a working prototype for the interface, for the 32-bit version. We are testing it, as we speak. It looks like the 64-bit version (the one that's really 'in demand') will require a bit more attention, since the 32-bit DLL can probably not be loaded in that version. To be continued...:book:

Cool! Hello Matt: Thanks! That's a very positive action indeed :thumbup:.

Hi Gneckes, Well, the filter-settings are a bit difficult to explain, because they are parameters for the special EWMA-filter, that was created by Dave (who is audio-specialist), especially for FaceTrackNoIR. I must admit I don't understand more of them, than is already in the Manual. You'll have to experiment with the parameters, I'm afraid :music_whistling:. As for version 1.6: it's progressing, but slowly. I am trying a lot of stuff simultaneously and time is scarce ... You can find updates on it in the News page. As a side-note: people who support FaceTrackNoIR by donating receive an alpha-version of 1.6, so they can help test it.

Balance Hi Gneckes, I guess you are using update 1.5 (+ fix)? Then you should try to tweak the EWMA-parameters until you like the view. It's best to first raise Min. and Max. (frames) and lower Curve (pow) to values where tracking gets too slow. Then you might gradually turn them back bit by bit, until they're right. With head-tracking it's always the trick to find balance between response and stability. Update 1.6 (which is 'under construction') will contain an improved version of faceAPI, with better tracking and an internal filter. That will certainly improve things!

Hi Jim, I'm sure it's going to work well. You know where to find me...

Hi Wolf, no, it doesn't work that way. The memory mapping would only contain info about the 6 DOF's required for face-tracking. It's not an open door to anything else. No, it's not contrary. It's like the FSX example: when you use FaceTrackNoIR with, say IL-2, the SimConnect interface is not used. If it would be, any IL-2 user would also have to install FSX... So when a new protocol is implemented, all the other protocols remain unused and thus un-required. I hope this answers your questions and now you can focus on the 2 issues I mentioned?

Dodging? Not intentionally... OK then. FaceTrackNoIR supports a lot of games and flight-sims, by supporting multiple protocols. When, for instance, playing FSX, the program only uses the SimConnect interface. The quote you mention about tirviews and trackirfixer only apply to the TrackIR protocol and only in some special cases. Any newly developed protocol would (as I said) have nothing to do with TrackIR, tirviews or trackirfixer (or any of the other protocols, for that matter). I agree that it is nice to have a generic solution. But, in a way, it's already there! The standard method for Inter Process Communication (and that's what we are talking about) is shared-memory-mapping. It's very simple, straightforward and can be used by anyone (so it's truly 'open'). The only thing ED would need to do, is define which data to put in it. (again, this would have nothing to do with NP's software!)

Read this? Hi Wolf Rider, I'm glad you are positive about changing the mind of Microsoft. I'm looking forward to your efforts on that department. About the other thing. Have you really read this?: What part of it don't you understand? (sorry, I'm trying not to be rude)

Ooops Hi Sensenmann, Ooo, that does not sound good :cry:. This problem was mentioned by a few other users too. Until now, none of them have reported fixing it, so I don't have a solution (yet). Since I can't reproduce the problem, I can't try to find a fix myself. As you mention: it does not seem to be web-cam related. Others have successfully worked with the same configuration (W7-64, PS3Eye, CLEye driver) so it should be possible. I think it is DirectX-related, but cannot be sure. P.S.: We are working on implementing another face-tracker (instead of faceAPI). Hopefully that will provide a working alternative in the future...

Noted Hi Wolf, I think point 3 was answered already? It is very easy to make a solution without any of NP's bit and bytes. Your point 4 is good and noted, but may prove more difficult than moving Mount Everest. Maybe you can pick up point 4 and set up a lobby to convince Microsoft? I will even support it! I hope we can focus on points 1 and 2 now? Surely Bohemia had to sign the same kind of contract and they have implemented an alternative interface anyway, after the fore-mentioned successful action of the ArmA users. I think NP should be glad that ED supports their stuff and not the other way around... :pilotfly: P.S.: Maybe Moa can enlighten us further, where point 1 is concerned?

Positive action Ok, so now that's cleared up, maybe it's time to get back to Jim's original 'request': Questions are: can a company force another company to only support their product (and is that even legal?); can the DCS-users do the same as the ArmA users (convince ED that there are a lot of users who want alternatives);

A+ @Boomer: +10

@Wolf Rider: I still think you are missing the point. To make any DCS-program work with FaceTrackNoIR (or any other face-tracker for that matter), no single bit or byte of NP's software is required.

Joystick? Hi Nate, Maybe this is a silly question, but: has NP not complained that ED supports the joystick as 'camera-controlling-device'? :joystick: Wim

Flickering? Hi TheThumper, Actually, the fix for update 5 had to do with the initialisation of the filter and not with any flickering as you experience. I think there are two things we must not confuse: screen flickering (like you experience, even with the task-bar) and jitter (which may be caused by tracking-problems or insufficient filtering). I suspect the screen-flickering may have something to do with the CPU-load. Have you checked the CPU-load of your PC, while running FaceTrackNoIR and the game? It is always good to minimize FaceTrackNoIR, before starting the game. Update 1.6 will have the latest faceAPI (it was very hard to get that working, because some important GUI-functions had changed...). The latest faceAPI has an internal filter, which makes tracking of Yaw and Pitch a lot better. So jitter will certainly decrease with this version :). @Mikoyan: I think anyone should (always) use the EWMA-filter: it does not make tracking sluggish (like before update 1.5) and certainly stabilizes the view.

Maybe it's a silly question, but: do you have update 1.5 installed? The window-title of FaceTrackNoIR should say "FaceTrackNoIR (1.5). You wouldn't be the first...

Why not convince the ED-developers first and discuss the technical implementation later?

Easy @HydroToad: maybe they are just preparing for the future? @Wolf Rider: the beauty of it is: there is nothing to develop! The 'protocol' of TrackIR4 and FreeTrack is no more than a shared-memory mapping. The DLL's would not even be necessary: they only contain some functions to make access to the shared memory more comfortable. (and for NP: the way to 'secure' the monopoly). The only thing that is required is an agreement on: the structure of the data in the memory-area (well, something like 6 floats (1 per DOF) and a few longs (status, framecounter, command)); the 'address' of the memory-mapping (a unique name); the 'address' of a mutex (a unique name); To be honest: there is no real reason not to use the FreeTrack DLL: it's open-source anyway and would also enable FreeTrack users to use it. I don't want to be accused of monopolizing the market ;). If all users join forces and persuade ED to add the interface, 99% of the work is already done... :pilotfly:

Hi Speedhack, The old version of faceAPI in FaceTrackNoIR 1.5 does not support new CPU's like the i5 or i7. The next version of FaceTrackNoIR will have the latest version (some alpha-testers have already confirmed that it works). Check out the news-page.

There is a lot of interesting stuff on the website you linked. Thanks for that! I still think positive action towards the game-developers is 'the way to go' in the end. It's very easy for them to implement a second interface, next to the 'monopolized' one... :joystick:

Petition? Hello Fly-boys and girls! I've been receiving some questions about using FaceTrackNoIR with A-10C. The problems you all experience are caused by the fact that NaturalPoint has somehow persuaded the developers of DCS to not implement the TrackIR 4 protocol?! I think that smells like monopoly :(. I have not read the entire thread so I don't know, but: has anyone of you ever tried to do what the ArmA-users did? They raised a petition, to convince the developers of Bohemia to implement the FreeTrack protocol in their software. Guess that if you all join forces, the DCS devs might do the same? Good Luck! :pilotfly: