POV vs. TrackIR

[SharpeXB]

'Z' axis on tackir is moving head forward and back.

Right. That should be the normal Z axis behavior.

 

Again I didn't find it so necessary to adjust TrackIR profiles.

The most people might want to try is, start with the “smooth” preset, above the adjustment graph you’ll see a “templates” pull down which will dash this in. Notice how it deadens your sensitivity in the center. This is good at keeping your head steady when looking forward. The only change I personally liked for DCS was to push the curve up using the “Curve” arrows. Having some increased motion for doing things like looking under the throttle on the A-10. But that’s the easiest way to adjust the curve, start with a preset and simply push it up and down with “Curve”

 

I don’t think I have ever touched the Speed or Smooth sliders above because I find TrackIRs performance in other games to just be perfect without any adjustment at all and those settings are global.

 

PS I had made a DCS profile many years ago and hadn’t touched it in all that time. But ED has improved the tracking within the game quite a bit. For example you used to be able to look up 180d and see the tail of your plane, now you get a realistic head turn.

So I put DCS back on the “Smooth” preset like I have every other game on and it works just fine. So what that means for me is TrackIR works (like other games) right out of the box with no adjustments necessary. It’s likely if you place the camera in a relatively normal position, on top of the typical PC monitor 2’-3’ away. Then it doesn’t need any customization.

I wouldn’t want discussions like this to make people shy away from TrackIR thinking it’s difficult to use. It’s literally the most user friendly peripheral I have. And no doubt the best thing to ever happen to flight simulation.

Edited July 24, 2020 by SharpeXB

[msmith301]

Me too. I have 7-9 degrees dead zone in both directions on all three axis. So there is actually a total dead zone of 14-18 degrees. I then have a pretty steep curve to get enough movement of the view. For instance I can look backward maybe 5 degrees more than straight back both to the left and the right.

TrackIR setup by craig stuard, on Flickr

This is yaw. You can see in the chart to the right that, when I snapped the screen shot, my head was moved 7.2 deg but the game was looking just .2 deg to the right. The only time I have problems clicking buttons are the ones hidden by the stick. I tried removing the stick but it looked weird so I just put up w/ moving my head around like I would need to in a real plane.

 

If I'm not mistaken there is a keyboard control where you can toggle the control stick on and off at will.

So when you need to see something you can make the stick go away while you perform the function and then bring it back.

Same goes for having visible pilot in cockpit I believe.

[msmith301]

So, there's no problem operating two mice at the same time? I don't have to plug out one mouse to operate the other? Sorry for the dumb question :huh:

Actually my newer scroll wheel mouse on the left is the only one plugged in.

The other is a Logitech MX Ergo trackball mouse.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/logitech-mx-ergo-plus-wireless-trackball-mouse-graphite/6080600.p?skuId=6080600&ref=212&loc=1&extStoreId=510&ref=212&loc=DWA&ds_rl=1260402&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjer4BRCZARIsABK4QeV0sxPoPgZVO7xggPu21X747UTvH0Rk3Vbtyf3YHSPdAg7E8ir1EUUaAs8XEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

It uses a Bluetooth/Unify where I can run up to 6 Logitech wireless devises thru one USB "dongle" as they call it.

This way because I'm out of town all week I can have the same keyboard/mouse setup at my job, my out of town rental house and at home.

Although I don't have MX Ergo at all 3 locations...lol. Not at $100 for each.

I only use the MX Ergo at the rental house/Man cave where my flight sim setup is currently at.

For the other two locations I just use the standard Logitech Trackball.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/logitech-m570-wireless-trackball-mouse-gray-blue/1260761.p?skuId=1260761

To answer your question you can hook up as many as you want. You just can't try to use both at the same time. They'll conflict.

[msmith301]

nope. no trouble at all. you can map buttons on mouse(s) in DCS too. just have to get a gaming mouse. but if using mouse just for moving and clicking then any mouse will work.

With Logitech you can also map the controls on the mouse with the software they provide.

Used it in War Thunder operating tank turrets.

[SharpeXB]

If I'm not mistaken there is a keyboard control where you can toggle the control stick on and off at will.

Not sure about all modules, but in the Hornet it’s the backspace key or just click on the stick.

[Jalava]

With my 32:9 Samsung CRG9 screen mounted pretty close, TrackIr5 with Track Clip Pro works perfectly after I adjusted sideways curves to match my preferences from a track ir profile I found on DCS User Files. I view 180 rearwards on when my head is turned so that I watch about 20% of screen width in front of me. On 16:9 this would be already outside the screen. I watch directly up when I look to about top 10% of screen and then my downward curve from center is pretty damped you rarerly need to watch directly down so I need to watch much lower than screen edge to watch directly down but only a bit downwards to take a quick look at MFDs when I'm zoomed in so that I can only see HUD and tops of my MFDs.

 

I don't use pause at all but TI5 needs regular recentering when you adjust your seating position, headset moves around etc. I use Warthog HOTAS with CTS script, so it is mapped to S3+S4 in all my planes and works great.

 

It also maps pause to S3+H2D but I feel that if I need to pause, I'm probably spending too much time head down anyway instead of scanning.

 

Main tip I can give is: If you have head position that feels wrong or uncomfortable, adjust the curves to have your head pointing to a comfortable position when camera points at direction you want to.

[msmith301]

I am using a 50" 2160p 4K UHD that I recently got at a Best Buy sale.

As close as I sit the cockpit fills up most of my screen.

I would like to set up a curve that requires me to move my head at a 1:1 or a 1:2 while I'm looking the cockpit controls but as soon as my vision goes outside the cockpit it moves to a lot larger parameters. That way by looking at the edge of the monitor I would be looking behind me or "check six". Add this to the binding the zoom feature to the TM range button on the throttle and I have a large variable of views. I can zoom out while scanning the skies and then zoom in using the range knob when looking closer or staying nose on when dogfighting.

I mirror the yaw axis so it's the same on both sides but on the pitch I don't need to see as far down as I do when looking up outside the cockpit. Only need to see down as far as the control stick but like to be able to look straight up above me when looking up.

Excuse the mess. As I said it's my out of town man-cave..lol.

[GregP]

I keep seeing this "smoothing". What is that?

Is that a DCS thing or something for TrackIR.

 

In case you hadn’t figured it out yet: on the main TrackIR screen in the upper left corner are sliders for speed and smoothing.

[msmith301]

In case you hadn’t figured it out yet: on the main TrackIR screen in the upper left corner are sliders for speed and smoothing.

Got it.

Watched Jabbers video.

Thanks. :thumbup: