samtheeagle

Ok, so long time no update! Here's a fresh build of my head tracker dll that should cure some issues encountered with the DCS Huey module, specifically being unable to use the mouse to control the door guns. The update makes a check on the data id value returned from FreeTrack to see if new values have been supplied. If there is no new data then no values are passed on to DCS World. This now allows FreeTrack to be paused, thus allowing mouse control to take over again in the sim (so long as you press lalt-c too) HeadTracker Binaries.zip HeadTracker Sources.zip Hope this helps people out who have been struggling with this issue. I've given it a quick test this morning, and in true developer fashion I can say "it works on my machine" ;)

Right then. So I've been away from the community for a while... It seems like the new Huey module is causing some problems eh? Well having just treated myself to this whirlybird I shall of course be looking in to what is going on! If I get any joy I shall post updated binaries to the original headtracker thread here: http://www.forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=75917

Just wanted to say thanks to you for making this mod... It's AWESOME! :D It adds an extra dimension to flying at night, and it looks fantastic!

+1 ?

Sweet, cheers Kuky.

I'm also having all kinds of issues with window focus when using the DCS 1.2.2.7570. For example, every single time I try to fire up a CA mission I get the F10 map view, and a window above it asking me what role I wish to play, only I can't select a role. It wont accept any clicks. I can scroll the map around behind it, but until I ALT-TAB out and go back I cannot start the game. I get the same kind of thing playing regular A-10 missions too, with the clickable GUI not responding to my inputs until I ALT-TAB out. The same goes for the ESC menu sometimes, so I can't quit out of a mission. Sigh, so not the absolute end of the world, but a definite PITA :S I'm running full screen on only one of the two monitors I have connected.

I'm with Boulund, for 32bit Black Shark I'm forced to use TrackIrFixer. I've still not managed to get my HeadTracker implementation to work for that combo :(

Hard to find eh? Hmmmmm. Well feel free to post in other sections about this if you think it would help...

Hmmmm ok a1adin, thanks for the clarification... I think I understand now from what you've said, and I think that what you're describing is a TrackIR specific feature? There is nothing in the Head Tracker API that relates to a feature like you describe, so I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything I can do to make it work how you would like :(

a1adin, that post you reference seems to be talking about using FreeTrack with PPJoy, which was the way to get head tracking to work in game before the API was released. So yes, if you are using PPJoy then you can assign axes from it as you see fit. But if you're using my headtracker.dll then PPJoy is no longer needed / used. You wont get any special FreeTrack axes showing up in the options screens. To zoom I either lean forward so that the headtracker moves the in game head position, and I assign a rotary dial axis on my X45 for the other type of zoom. Does that clear things up? Or am I still missing the point here?

Hi a1adin, I'm sorry but I'm not 100% clear on what the issue you are having is. I think you're saying that nothing is shown in the options screen about FreeTrack being detected? That is correct, there is no indication in the game that FreeTrack is being used (other than the head tracking working :) ) As for the Z axis, if I am understanding what you're asking for correctly I don't think it's possible. I'm not aware of the ability to assign head tracker axes to game commands, but perhaps someone else knows better? It's not something I have control over in the head tracker dll anyway, that would be a game options thing.

Ok, here's an update of the 64bit HeadTracker. It doesn't have any hardcoded paths in it anymore, so it should support being placed anywhere, so long as you update the Scripts/Input.lua file. Not really all that important, but I wasn't happy with hardcoded stuff in there. <DEPRECATED>HeadTracker Binaries.zip</DEPRECATED> <DEPRECATED>HeadTracker Sources.zip</DEPRECATED> I'm still stumped with the 32bit version I'm afraid. I just cannot get it to work :( I've tried all kinds of different locations to place the file, statically linking in the dependencies, placing the visual c++ runtime file in the same folder... I've commented out all the code within the API methods so it's just a simple stub, and still no joy. All I can think of is that it needs to be compiled with the same version of visual c++ as the main app is? Looking at the simulator.exe file in dependency viewer is say it relies on MSVCR71.DLL, which I believe is the one from Visual Studio 2003. I only have 2008 and 2010 available to me. I would have thought that the version should not matter tho, as it's just buildng a windows dll. I'm clutching at straws now :helpsmilie:

:) Don't worry chaps, I'll keep on poking at it. It's almost certainly something very simple, but with little to no feedback from the DCS plugin system it's totally trial and error trying to figure things out... It would definitely be go to not have to rely on the legally dubious TrackIrFixer...

Heh heh :) Thanks for the suggestion, but I have undone the TrackIR Fixer mod. All I'm getting in the log files is a message that the head tracker failed to load... So it perhaps suggests that the file location is ok, and that it's the dll that's the issue. No idea why tho atm.

@bacongrabber: Yes, that sounds like you need to verify your HeadTracker values, and then once those are correct play with the sensitivity sliders in FreeTrack. And I've still not got the HeadTracker.dll (32bit) to work with BlackShark yet. I'm a bit stumped atm.

Righty ho, thanks for the info. I shall investigate once I get home. Sadly I cannot get away with installing or playing the DCS games here at work :(

@Boulund: Heh heh, you beat me to it. I was waffling too much me thinks :D The thing with the translations is that the prefs file defines the maximum possible values for each axis. If it is set incorrectly you'll find that the movements will either be excessive, or not enough. The prefs define the scaling factor, so if it's not right all the outputs from FreeTrack will be scaled using the wrong value, and so will be wrong :doh: Setting the bounds should be a one time task when you initially setup. Of course if you changed your camera or seating arrangement it may need updating... And with the bounds set you can then adjust the sensitivity within the FreeTrack GUI too. Hmmmm, I hadn't noticed that about BlackShark. Thanks for the heads up :D In which case that dll probably wont work right now. I am currently adding in some code to find the folder that the HeadTracker.dll file resides in at the point it gets loaded into the games process. With that implemented I wont have anything hardcoded, so it should be more robust. Thanks again, I'll finish off the new version once I get home from work :)

Yes, generally speaking the axes should be adjusted in FreeTrack as normal. The slight exception to this is the translation stuff. Let me try to explain how the data is mapped... For the rotational values FreeTrack outputs values in radians, which when converted max out at 160 degrees in each direction. Translation values however are expressed in terms of millimeters. There is no fixed limit as to what the maximum translation values can be, as they will vary from user to user. It will depend on the camera FOV and how far you sit from the camera. Knowing the maximum extents of the FreeTrack data is important as the Head Tracker dll needs to send data the the game in the range of -1 .. +1 for each of the axes. And with known maximum values we can simply divide by that to scale the values as required. It is because the Translation ranges are not fixed that I introduced the HeadTracker.prefs file. It allows you to define what the maximum translation values are (You can find this out via the FreeTrack GUI). So as long as the max bound specified in the prefs file reflect your set up then the FreeTrack adjustments should be perfectly ok. But if the prefs values are waaaaaay out of whack then the adjustments in FreeTrack wont be very good. Does that help clear things up?

Ok, here's an UNTESTED quick recompile of the head tracker to make it 32bit. If anyone would like to try it out with BlackShark, or the 32bit version of A-10C, that would be great :) HeadTracker Binaries 32bit.zip

Well I'm not 100% sure, I'll wait for V4Friend to supply his expert opinion. But, if FTNIR sets up the shared memory area the same way as FreeTrack does, which is how I think it works, then you should be able to use my implementation. So long as the standard FreeTrack data structure is used, and the same shared memory and mutex names are maintained my dll should be able to read the data from FTNIR as well as FreeTrack. I think. Maybe :) Give it a try I suppose, you'll soon find out if you're getting any head tracking or not :p

Great to hear it's working well for you guys :) Errrm, yeah, I assume that BlackShark supports the same API from ED, so in theory it's just a case of recompiling it as a 32bit dll. I'll look in to doing that tomorrow and give it a quick test. If it works I'll post up a 32bit binary :)

Are you using V4Friend's implementation or mine jmod?

@V4Friend: I've just posted up a new version with source code available here: http://www.forum.lockon.ru/showpost.php?p=1231161&postcount=9 Perhaps you can compare and contrast my code with yours to see what might be causing the crash at mission end that @ironstrike is suffering from. Finger in the air wild guess is that something isn't being released in the shutDownHeadTracker() method? I'll drop you a line separately about FaceTrackNoIR :)

Ok, so I've learned a thing or two today and from that I have made some updates to my HeadTracking system :smilewink: The FreeTrack wrapper application I developed was not really required, as FreeTrack already provided the same functionality already, I was just unaware of that fact :doh: But that makes things even easier, as there's now only the HeadTracker.dll to worry about. If you used the earlier version you should remove the wrapper, and undo the change you made to your FreeTrack shortcut. There's no need for that with this new version. Just place the HeadTracker.dll and HeadTracker.prefs into the bin/headtracker/ folder and you should be set. <DEPRECATED> HeadTracker Binaries.zip </DEPRECATED> And this time I'm including the source code, for those who are interested. <DEPRECATED> HeadTracker Sources.zip </DEPRECATED>

Yes, definitely :) I've already had a quick tweak of the code, so once I get home from work I'll be able to do some testing to see if I've got it to connect into the native FreeTrack shared memory area... Oh yeah, and once I've got that sorted and tested I'll post the code up here too.