Track IR Help

Hey gang,

I am running the Track IR4 Pro, with the lastest software.

I am struggling getting my key assignments , for center, pause, and precision, to work from within Black Shark. I know the F keys that are assigned by default in the Track IR software are used by the sim for views, so I went in and assigned the up arrow, left arrow, and down arrow in Track IR to perform these functions.

In the sim, those arrow keys by default were assigned to up cyclic, left cyclic, and right cyclic. So I cleared those out of the control assignments ( have a hotas so don't need the key functions for that).

So I start up the sim thinking all should be good to go, but still those keys will not work as intended for my Track Ir. However sitting in the cockpit, I see they still move the cyclic even though I cleared those key assignments out of the control options.

Any ideas how to get it to where I can perform these Track IR functions from within the sim?

Thanks for any tips here.

There area a few things to consider.

If you clear key-settings in the options, you have to be sure you have the set of key-assignment, as there are different layouts for Game-Mode and Simulation mode. It looks like you disable the keys for one mode, but unluckily not the one you are playing the game in.

You can choose which settings you manipulate by selecting KA-50 Game or KA-50 Real in the upper left corner of the key- and axis-assignment screen.

You can have this an easier way, though:

Inside your TrackIR-Software, you can block the keys for controlling your TrackIR, so they will only work for TrackIR, but not for other programs or games. However, that means NO other programs, including Windows itself, as long as the software is running.

To overcome this, there is another option in the TrackIR-Software: GameProfiles.

In the TrackIR software click the Profiles Tab. The upper part includes a list of games supported (recognized) by the software, accompanied with a auto-load Profile. This is usally Default, Flight, Racing, etc.

In the lower portion are your actual profiles.

Click new to make a new one and name it BlackShark. Skip the Motion-Tab and click the HotKeys-Tab. Here you can see the three keys. "Enable" means according keystrokes will activate the function, if "Toggle" is off, the function will only be active as long as the mapped key is pushed. "Trap" is the function described above, that virtually blocks this key.

After setting your key and your motion-curves or lines in the Motion-Tab, hit OK to save, then go back to the Profiles-Tab on the main TrackIR-Window and search for "Black Shark" in the list. Click the profile to the right and choose your new profile.

Whenever you start BlackShark now, the new profile is automatically loaded and unloaded, as soon as you quit. This way, "trapped" keys won't bother you, if you e.g. run the software on startup or in the background.

You can also set up different profiles this way, as most games have very different reactions to the TrackIR-inputs.

Many thanks Feuerfalke - I really like the idea of setting up a profile just for Black Shark - sounds like the trap option is just what I need to do.

I did double check where I cleared out those key assignments, I did clear them out of KA-50 real , and am running in that mode, so not sure why there was still a conflict.

I will see how I make out setting up a profile with the trap options.

Thanks again for all the info!

You're welcome.

The software offers many options and most of them are there to make your life easier ;) - you got to fiddle around with them a bit to know what each setting will do.

I wrote this reply in an older thread about setting up TrackIR and curves. Maybe it will help you, too:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=645864&postcount=2

Well dang, still can't seem to get it to work properly. I created the new profile, and the following are checked: enable - toggle - trap

This is correct?

I did manage to get the arrow keys stopped from controlling the cyclic in Black Shark - somehow they had gotten assigned in the Hotas column, so I had to clear them out of there. But just can't seem to get them to controller the centering, pause, and precision functions in Track IR from within Black Shark.

Also I would note, they work when viewing the Track IR software as they should , it is just from within the Black Shark sim they seem to not work as they should...

Well dang, still can't seem to get it to work properly. I created the new profile, and the following are checked: enable - toggle - trap

This is correct?

 

I did manage to get the arrow keys stopped from controlling the cyclic in Black Shark - somehow they had gotten assigned in the Hotas column, so I had to clear them out of there. But just can't seem to get them to controller the centering, pause, and precision functions in Track IR from within Black Shark.

 

Also I would note, they work when viewing the Track IR software as they should , it is just from within the Black Shark sim they seem to not work as they should...

The arrow-keys are mapped by default to the cyclic. But they should no longer respond if you made the settings.

I don't know why the centering doesn't work. One possibility is that you alt-tabbed out of the game. Sometimes when you do that keys get sticky. That means SHIFT- or ALT-keys are still noted as pushed when you hit them while switching. Therefore Uparrow for centering is recognized as SHIFT-Uparrow instead. You can check that easily by shortly pressing shift, alt and control consecutively.

I read in my manual that "Precision-Mode" only works with Track IR 5.

But Centering usually should work though....strange.

I read in my manual that "Precision-Mode" only works with Track IR 5.

But Centering usually should work though....strange.

No, it doesn't.

This is what the TrackIR5 manual says:

Precision

The Precision hotkey enables precision mode, which temporarily steadies the view by increasing smoothing. When precision mode is disabled, smoothing settings return to the normal profile preset. Precision mode is commonly used in combat flight simulators when tracking an enemy in your sights to keep the view as stable as possible.

And this is how it works with any TrackIR-device.

No - that was not it either, I went in and double checked.

It is the darndest thing, the keys work properly in the TIR software, but once in Black Shark they have no effect whatsoever - and they are definitely not assigned to any function in the sim any longer.

This one has me baffled...

Are you sure that you have selected the right profile for the game?

Double-check by alt-tabbing out of the game and check four your profile being written in bold letters in the lower profile-window.

From your description, it sounds like the wrong profile is loaded.

Just checked it.

Alt=tabbed out of Black Shark, viewed profile loaded in TIR software, it was indeed the Black Shark profile. Checked the arrow keys while viewing in the TIR software, they worked properly as they should.

Back into Black Shark , keys still do not function for this within the sim.

Strange...

If it is causing that much issue I would just reassign them and not worry about the arrow keys.

I had some issue so I moved mine keys to the following. In the number pad I have center as - , the percisions as * , and off as forward /. I did this as it has the least impact on the game and my profile. I hope that helps.

Bullet

Thanks Bullet, well I tried the keys you are using, with same result - darndest thing I have ever seen, works fine outside the sim, will not work from within the sim.

I don't know, maybe I need to try reinstalling my Track IR software or something, seemed to work fine in my other sim though...

Hmm, well I just checked it again in a couple other of my flight sims I know it was working fine in, and the hot key functions do not work in them now either. They do outside the sim - but certainly not inside.

So this must be a Track IR issue of sort, I will take it to their forum. I even tried a re-install of the software.

Thanks anyway for the help gang,

Well I don't know, just checked it again in FSX and the hot keys are working just fine in FSX. And I use the same hot keys in it, that I have set for Black Shark.

I think it may still be a Track IR issue, but whatever I think I am going to have to throw my hands up on this one and not worry about being able to control those functions in Black Shark...

Hmmm thats is a bummer, mine was a conflict with keys and putting them in that order worked fine for me, I am sorry you are having issues.

A quick question when theya re in the default, do they work in game? it would seem really wierd if they did but you can not remap them in the trackir.

Please keep us posted, I would like to know the fix.

Bullet

No, at the default setttings the hot keys do not work in Black Shark.

Thanks for the help though - I have posted on the Natural Point forums and will let ya know if they have any other ideas.

That's really, really odd.

Which TrackIR driver-version are you using?

I am using version 4.1 - Build 37

Have also tried version 5 ( 5.0.300 Build 6225 ), with the same result.

Ok this just keeps getting stranger.

As mentioned above, my hot keys work just fine in FSX as they always have.

In Black Shark, where I have the same hot keys assigned, they do not from within the sim. Outside of the sim all is good, inside the sim they are no go.

I have tried other key combinations as well to no avail.

Just tried IL2 1946 - the hot keys do not appear to work in it either. Checked outside of the sim with the profile loaded, the hot keys work just fine. Inside the sim, no go.

So something in at least these two sims is killing my hot key functions assiged to Track IR to pause, center, and precision, whereas in FSX there is no issue. And I have also confirmed in the two sims they do not work in, there is no conflict with the sim using the same hot keys for another function.

I will keep at it , more so now that I am just curious as to the why - will let y'all know if a resolution is found.

I confirm that hotkeys do not work in DCS:BS under Vista 64.

I confirm that hotkeys do not work in DCS:BS under Vista 64.

you mean the F7 F9 & F12 keys for TIR?

I have TIR 5 and they work for me. Let me recheck tonight and make sure, but I can confirm that the F12 re-center key works because I use it often.

Cheers,

Pogo

Ok gang, my issue is resolved - thanks to help from Vincent at Natural Point.

Here was the solution for me:

I needed to launch both Track IR software, and Black Shark, with the same permissions level. First to try , I right clicked on the exe when launching, and chose " run as administrator". I did this when launching TIR, and when launching Black Shark.

The hot keys worked in the sim, just as they should, for the first time for me.

After this, I went to the .exe file for both TIR and Black Shark, right clicked on it, selected the compatiblity tab, and put a check in " run as administrator". Clicked on apply, and ok'd my way out.

Now, I can launch both the TIR software and Black Shark with a single left click, and my assigned hot keys for TIR work just as they should!

Have not tested in my other sims that it was not working in yet but am very confident that will be the answer for them as well.

So any other Vista users that might run across this, give this a try! I was sure pulling my hair out on this one.

The microstutters almost went away after I changed Light Filter from 142 to 253. Really enjoying it now =)

I confirm that hotkeys do not work in DCS:BS under Vista 64.

That's not true. Running Vista 64bit here for almost a year and hotkeys work fine with every software Naturalpoint released so far and I've not encountered a single problem with TrackIR and DCS.