marcus4hire

Greetings: As some of you may or may not have noticed, a few weeks ago I built an LED headset and got it working with my webcam and FacetrackNoIr. I was pretty proud of myself. After some initial headaches I got it working and have been using it regularly. Been pleased with it so far. But there are some 'finer points' I haven't figured out. This brings me to my question(s). What can I do to prevent re-calibrating every time I sit down, scoot in my chair, or bump my headset?? This isn't a question of deadzones (I think). I have it all setup just how I like it. It just seems like I have to sit in the EXACT same place, same way, and hold my head the same each time I use it or I have to recalibrate. Some times I find myself doing it a few times in session as I adjust myself in my seat. Is this just a shortcoming of FacetrackNoIr or would I have the same problem with a full on commercial tracking system?? The one I am most concerned about is my 'zoom'. I constantly adjust in or out to get myself seated in the cockpit just right. Is this where programming a cockpit zoom in/out comes in (I see it mentioned a bit here on the forums)?

FINAL UPDATE That seems to be what the problem was. The very first training mission, 'Cockpit Familiarization' does not work too well with FaceTrackNoIR due to the reasons stated above. Every other mission seems to be working fine. In fact, my 2nd profile (for all other planes) works fine with it too. So maybe that will help somebody with the same problem someday. Don't use the first training mission as the "base line" for setting up your IR. I can tweak it forever but, right now, it is pretty spot in. Most planes are pretty identical but there are some that I prefer slightly different from others for various reason. In my opinion, it is best to setup a 'standard' FacetrackNoIR profile and then tweak each individual plane in game. For me, it is mostly deadzones. I am going to start putting together a detailed post about my experience getting into DIY track IR in the hopes that it may help somebody else. Thanks for all of the advice and help! Oh, and Accella works just fine as well as the EWS filter.

I may very well attempt to delete the config and see if that fixes anything. More for peace of mind than anything else, final confirmation that the problem is fixed. I should have added that I wasn't too concerned about that particular mission, it was just the first one I tried to see if it worked. Thanks!

Thanks for the tips. I am going through each setting/option in Facetrack in at a time to see what happens. I'll try the Accella filter. The EWS filter has worked so far and I like the options but don't guess they matter if it doesn't work. I THINK I may have found an answer. It has tested out so far..... When testing Facetrack in A-10 I used the very first mission. This is labeled 'Cockpit Familiarization' or something like that. In this tutorial user access is disabled. THIS is the mission that it acts wonky on. I loaded a few other random missions where you are in full control etc. and it works fine. No inverting the roll axis back and forth. It is only on that first mission that it had trouble. So, I am wondering if there is something setup in there that Facetrack doesn't like?? I will keep poking around with that, and the Accella filter and report back.

Greetings: I had posted a couple of other threads regarding my ventures into FactrackNoIR with a DIY LED build. This will be my last thread before I give up. Have a DIY LED setup and am using FacetrackNoIR with Pointtracker and the EWS filtering. Runs FLAWLESS on my WWII planes and the F-15C. The only remaining problem is A-10C. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it is wonky, sometimes it is perfect. Almost always have to invert the roll each time I start and run it. It is just all around inconsistent with A-10C which is the main reason I wanted a trackIR. Generally, I can get it working with a few loads but I can't find the pattern. Don't think there is one. Followed all of the instructions online. Have latest version of FacetrackNoIR and have the 64bit fix. All loaded where it should be. Like I said, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Getting frustrated and my skills and Google-fu are running out. About to give up on A-10, which sucks because FacetrackNoIR works with everything else. Thanks for any help. I included some snips below, because everybody likes pics!

Greetings: I had posted a couple of other threads regarding my ventures into FactrackNoIR with a DIY LED build. This will be my last thread before I give up. Have a DIY LED setup and am using FacetrackNoIR with Pointtracker and the EWS filtering. Runs FLAWLESS on my WWII planes and the F-15C. The only remaining problem is A-10C. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it is wonky, sometimes it is perfect. Almost always have to invert the roll each time I start and run it. It is just all around inconsistent with A-10C which is the main reason I wanted a trackIR. Generally, I can get it working with a few loads but I can't find the pattern. Don't think there is one. Followed all of the instructions online. Have latest version of FacetrackNoIR and have the 64bit fix. All loaded where it should be. Like I said, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Getting frustrated and my skills and Google-fu are running out. About to give up on A-10, which sucks because FacetrackNoIR works with everything else. Thanks for any help.

Greetings: I posted a thread earlier in the week but seem to have that figured out. I will try to keep this brief. Built an LED and set it up with my webcam and FacetrackNoIR. I followed the numerous online instructions for setting up Facetrack in DCS A-10. Got the headtracker folder loaded etc. Once it was loaded I set up the provided DCS A-10 file for P-51, Fw-190, and the Bf-109. It works great with those three. Love it! Problem is, I can't get it to work with A-10. Well, I sorta can. It clearly recognized my LED headset but....is a bit wonky. Like it needs to be setup especially for A-10. Is this often the case? Here is my question: I don't want to modify or mess with the settings as I have it with the 51, 190, and 109. How should I proceed? Do I rename and move the headtracker file and then setup another one especially for the A-10? If so, where do I put the file for the other three planes? I do appreciate any help.

UPDATE TO ORIGINAL MESSAGE After some poking around here and there online, I figure it out. As I have a Steam version of DCS, the file path is just a little different from what I found everywhere. For those who may experience the same problem, here is the file path I installed the FacetrackNoIR 'headtracker' folder into: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DCSWorld\bin As you can see, there was no 'dcs a-10c' folder prior to the final 'bin'. Right now I have everything up and running. Takes a lot of tweaking but I will eventually get it and it is usable now. In looking at some old screen shots of FacetrackNoIR I see a setting under the 'translations' tab for 'neutral zone'. That is what I really need, but my version doesn't have this option. Should I just program it into the curves? Also, I am using the A-10 profile for all of my planes. Guessing this is okay? Eager to find some suggested settings or tweaks. My biggest problem is twofold: 1) How to set a dead zone, the view moves with my breathing or any twitch. Gets old. 2) I am trying to get the view to pan at the same speed as my head and not so twitchy. Is there a specific setting for this or is it, again, built into the curves? I do appreciate any advice. ORIGINAL MESSAGE Greetings All: Last night I ventured into the world of track IR. I made my own LED tracker per Freetrack instructions and got everything setup. Well, Freetrack kept crashing on Windows 7 so I moved to FaceTrack NoIR intending to use the LED mode. I completely understand the instructions and 'fix' for DCS but seem to be missing a file path. This has come up before with other addons etc. and I want to get to the bottom of it. FaceTrackNoIR says to use the following file path: Steam>steamapps>common>dcsworld>dcs a-10c warthog>bin HOWEVER, here is the file path I have: Steam>steamapps>common>dcsworld>bin As you can see, no a-10cwarthog file. What gives? Like I said, I have seen this before. Also, does anybody know where I should put the FaceTrackNoIR files to get them to run in DCS? I understand the instructions, just not sure what the contigency is for different file paths. Thank you for any and all help.

The 109 requires TONS of touch. It is a very 'touchy' aircraft. The tiniest of variables can make takeoffs and landings very different from one another. As an aside, while the buildings aren't period correct, the maps is sort of a WWII map, for the 109 anyway. JG 52 flew all around the area during the war. Been reading some pilot accounts and they name all sorts of towns and airfields they were based. Many are on the map.

Thank you. I knew the bit about pushing forward to unlock it but guess I read over the part about it getting stuck. That should answer it as I recall I will alternate between the two brakes just to see if I can get some type of response. This must unlock the tail wheel and get her turning. I very much appreciate your taking the time to quote that. Back to the manual for me!

As an aside, I would just like to extend a formal 'thank you' to the devs and this forum. Everybody has been most helpful, patient, and polite. I have flown a lot of sims but DCS has the best community by far and the forums are vital to fully understanding some of these aircraft. Thanks all!

Greetings All: So my Dora is coming along nicely. However, I have one issue I am trying to get to the bottom of and that is turning the plane while taxiing via left/right brakes. Does anybody else experience trouble getting it to turn to one side or the other, seemingly at random? I am GUESSING (still doing some tests) that it has to do with the weight and fuel contents. If I have it anywhere over 50% or so full it seems almost impossible to get it to turn cleanly. Is this normal? If I have a belly tank I notice that I have to really gun the throttle to get it to turn. Taxiing can take several minutes and the most I can get is a fraction of a turn. Let's say I am turning 90 degrees with a moderate fuel load. I have to darn near push the throttle all of the way and inch it into the turn. Throttle up, moving, turn, stop, get moving again, turn, stop, etc. But when the plane is light I can drive it around just like a car. Is all of this just from extra fuel load? I haven't even tried it with 100% fuel. I think, so far, I haven't had anymore than 70%. Any thoughts are appreciated. I'm gonna go fool with it some more and report back. ETA: Nope. I just taxied all over the place with no real trouble at 100% fuel. Maybe a hair more throttle but that was all. Had some problems right at the end but after a turn or two it went away. Do the brakes get hot?? Are they just 'iffy' at times (assuming you have random failures on)? I have read that planes of the era didn't have the best brakes. Is this what is being modeled at, seemingly, random?

Oh, I'll prolly continue to mess with curves and whatnot but I don't feel an immediate need to make any changes. I just have trouble with the fact that curves are one of the most discussed topics and many swear by them but I do alright without them. That isn't a jab or snarky remark. On the contrary, I wonder what I am doing wrong.

I completely understand stiff springs and sticktion, as you called it. Why I stopped using my Saitek stick. Had a 'catch' on it which is very well known but, whatever I did I couldn't get it to go away. Made fine inputs impossible. Otherwise, I like the calibration it had.

That helps as well. And goes along with what I was taking away from playing with curves. Guess I misunderstood some of the other threads and posts. I get the difference between a full length stick versus a short throw desktop stick. But as long as I am attentive and don't throw it around the cockpit, I experience little, if any, trouble. Kept departing at first but, over time, I learned just how much I could get away with. To get off on a tangent: In my opinion, the idea of snapping the stick from one side to the other is very 'Hollywood'. You see the same thing with cars in the movies. People are way over-steering compared to how you drive in real life, with small inputs on the wheel. I imagine planes are similar. You don't slam the stick all the way to one side and pull for all your worth, you have to pay attention to what the plane is telling you. In ACM, it sometimes feels like you are barely turning when, in fact, you are coming around at a pretty good clip. Thanks again.

Thank you for taking a few moments to answer that. You managed to do so in a very simple way too. I admit, my post was long. Partly because I couldn't really understand what exactly I was asking. Your response helped immensely. I have come to the conclusion that I need minimal, if any correction. While I use a relatively cheap stick I find that it is fairly tight and though it takes some practice, I don't have too much trouble controlling the particular planes I mentioned. The 109 just seems to suffer with any dead zones or curves. The 190 is pretty lively but I believe it is as it should be. The P-51. I can't decide on it and trying a few things. Minor adjustments if anything. Thanks again!

Greetings All: I have spent the last week or so reading up on curves and fine tuning control axis. I know this topic has been discussed constantly but in reading the various threads out there as well as the manual I was still left with several questions that I was hoping can be answered. Quick background, been flying sims for most of my life since the late 80’s. Been on DCS for a bit over a year. Use a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro and Saitek X45 throttle (I didn’t like the Saitek stick at all). No peddles. I spend all of my time on P-51D, Bf-109K, and Fw-190D. I fly 100% realism settings and completed campaigns including all crosswind takeoffs/landings, dogfights, etc. I consider myself comfortable with the three planes and their systems though I am far from expert. On to the questions: -It is my understanding that the curves/fine tune exist as sort of an in game calibration for the various sticks out there and aim to make flying easier. Is this correct? -The curves/fine tuning are not intended to add to realism, but intended to make the models more accessible/forgiving. Is this correct? -If I can fly and fight the aircraft I do not need to fiddle with these settings and should leave them alone, in a perfect world. Right? Or can I adjust these in order to throw the aircraft around the sky and complete tighter turns, more solid input control, etc? -I get what the deadzone is (how far you can move the stick before the aircraft responds). Could somebody please define the curvature in layman’s terms? Having trouble grasping that one. That is all for now. A lot, I know. I apologize, I am still grasping at what the curves/fine tuning mean, what their purpose is, and how they fit in with my flying. I’ve seen all sorts of settings and anything from people swearing by them to those saying not to use them. I learned to fly and control the aircraft without the curves but yes, sometimes it seems that they are balancing on the head of a pin. Regardless, I want the most realistic experience. If the planes should be easier, great! If they are accurately modeled to be as touchy then that is what I want. Thanks for any info. Hope I didn’t ramble on too long.

Greetings All: Has anybody experienced any problems with the light (or lack thereof) in the new Bf-109 campaign? For instance, the startup and taxi mission, which is exactly like the Fw-190. You start at sunrise. Originally, I had plenty of light to see everything in the cockpit but noticed today, just now, that I can't see anything. We aren't talking about the gauges, though they are darker too but can be lit up. I'm talking about the the cockpit in general. It is just.......black. Can find knobs by 'feel' but can't see the trim indicator or the the magneto lever, etc. Has this happened to anybody else since the update? Haven't changed any graphics setting in some time but, if I did, where would I look? Thanks for any help or relatable experiences. Apologies. Graphics card updated recently and messed with all of my monitor settings. Just now noticed. Apologies for the alarm. I get sensitive about my DCS. :(

Do the brakes overheat easier post-patch? In the new campaign, start and taxi I can't keep it on the apron. However, I have zero trouble doing it in the quick mission starting with engine off. Does it have to do with turning left vs right and torque forces? Been trying all night in the campaign start and taxi. Keeping it off the grass is very very difficult and there seems to be more room. Brakes seem unresponsive as well (left and right).

Check your electric panel and breakers if you hit the kill switch. I forget which one it is (generator?) in the left column all the way at the top. When I start on the ramp it is already pressed in. Don't remember if it pops when you hit the kill switch. Don't forget fuel pump too, though it shouldn't matter on the ramp if you have pressure from priming. Missed it the other night, got into the air and I'll be damned if the engine didn't quit every time I banked sharply. :pilotfly:

Here is what I do and how I do it: No Track IR (yet) The default forward view is slightly off center and behind the sight. In the 109 it is as well and when you flip the sight down you automatically re-center with the cockpit. Now then, on my stick I have the hat. It is programmed with each direction looking that way (e.g. hat left, look left). I use one button next to my hat to return to center. So, I can look wherever I want, click a button, and swing back forward. No snap views. Never used them. To confusing and give me a headache. Also use another button around my hat for zoom in and another for zoom out. I am running a Logitech Wingman Extreme3D Pro and a Saitek X52 throttle. I have the Saitek stick that goes with it but never liked it. Had tons of trouble with the spring catching and it just never felt comfy in my hand. Now the Wingman? Cheap, sure. But I am having a full on love affair with that thing. I will say the Saitek is tons more forgiving. You can't whip the Wingman around but it keep you honest, too. Anyway, I'm rambling. The point is, you can do most everything in one of the DCS WWII aircraft with a HOTAS with plenty of buttons left over. In A to A or A to G I never find myself wanting for another button and I can takeoff and land with no keyboard as well.

I think, but am not sure, there are two Doras left in the world. One is with the Champlin Fighter Museum in Arizona the other is with the Smithsonian. Both are D-12s. Until a few years ago, they had swapped wings. Champlin's starts theirs but I don't know if it is in flying condition or if only the engine is in working order. Like I said..........I think.

I have wondered the same thing, OP. Overall, I agree with what was written above. First, no matter how accurate the sim is, it doesn't (and can't) have seat-of-the-pants built in. And feel goes a loooong way in aircraft like these. WWII aircraft were very much the last 'fly by feel' aircraft and were the pinnacle of piston engine design. While HUDs, HOTAS, and pilot oriented systems were still a couple of decades (or more) off the jet age ushered in flying as a science and flying as an art started fading out. Not that it is entirely gone, it just became more formal and procedure driven. So, there is a lot of 'feel' involved which we don't have. Second, like others have said as well, tail draggers with rough ground handling and torque monter engines were all pilots of the era knew. Nowadays, when you read a modern perspective of the aircraft pilots all seem to say the same thing, "How on earth did they fly these without dying!?!". Just like we say about the sims. But to the pilots it was 'ho hum'. Third, I think we have to remember how much training pilots had before ever setting foot in the aircraft (and I am talking about Luftwaffe training at its peak, not in the final year/months of the war when new pilots had a mortality rate not unlike that found on these forums). Look at the Mustang. Right now, I have around 30 hours in it per DCS. And I feel like I have it mastered. All the systems blindfolded, all the procedures, all the settings, etc. Pilots would spend DAYS before ever attempting to fly their operational aircraft type. They had schools with tons of instruction and hundreds of hours of flight time before doing it. Sure, from a combat sense they were a rookie but from a pilot sense they were quite experienced.

Greetings All: Didn't want to spam the forums and, since my original question about joystick 'feel' in game no longer applies, I thought I would just change title and topic. The question no longer applied because I broke my X52. Got it off Craigslist for a song and, two days later, it's toast. Immediately fell in love with it but experienced the problem I came across so much, the stick axis not working smooth. There was a small 'catch' in a couple of places. Nothing major but very annoying and made fine changes difficult at times. Never fear, the internet is here. So, I read several sites with all sorts of tips on lubing it up. Tried it, helped a little but not a lot. So, read a few other places that said I could disassemble and have a look if I was careful. I got it apart................and almost immediately three wires came off. They are the three that are together on the bottom circuit board. A green, yellow, and tan brown. They could not have been attached well at all because it took NOTHING for them to come off and I was surgically careful. First, I was wondering if this is fixable and, second, which order they go in?? Is there a diagram anywhere? I looked for pics but couldn't quite make them out and a diagram or two I found was black and white drawing. Also, does anybody know their function?? Was guessing it was the mode knob on top but have no way of knowing this. Any help is greatly appreciated. I am totally bummed. Grown man and darn near cried when it happened.

That would be cool to try with three others.