TrackIR tip for less annoying behavior

[wolfstriked]

I posted this in views but it has made my trackIR such a great piece of equipment that I wonder if it will go unnoticed there.I have been on the fence with trackIR since I purchased a yr ago due to how the sensors get all crazy when you try to look down in cockpit.That and how uncomfortable looking down and then to the side to view a side panel is.

 

My fix is a simple tip but I feel it can help many out here.What I do is I have the center-trackIR easily accessible as its constantly in use now.Then when I want to go heads down in the cockpit I raise the view onscreen so that the bottom of my screen is above the UFC and press center-trackIR.Then when you look back at center of your screen the view in game is pointing down.

 

What this does is centers the 3 dots so now you have all the range of motion and your view is already pointing down in cockpit so there is no erratic behavior anymore.Doing ramp starts is great now!And to go back to normal view you just center your view and press center-trackIR.

[upupandaway]

Cool, I will give this a try. Just have to watch out not to get confused in siuations with high work load. I must admit, this behaviour of TIR is really a little annoying. Does the TIR Pro Clip change any of that?

[wolfstriked]

I purchased the pro and it broke INSTANTLY so I never got a chance to try it.But this takes away all the negatives of trackir for me. :)

[kylania]

Wags posted his a few months back and it worked much nicer and smoother than any others I'd tried. The only "shaky cam" stuff was looking sideways in the extremes and even then it wasn't bad. So the recentering you're talking about isn't as necessary as it is with a default profile.

 

Also if you're using the clip make sure your camera is on the same side as the clip or else your face will obscure the sensors much sooner than it should.

[Sarge55]

I have been doing that for some time but never thought to put it in the Forums. Thanks for doing that, it will help others with TIR.

 

I set up the "push" on my Mic switch for "Center"

[Wichid]

Track-IR is awesome. The pro clip has a noticeable improvement as the sensor can pick up the active LED's very easily. You just need to set your curves right so you can look around the entire cockpit with minimal head movement. If you can't then increase the curves but leave a nice deadzone so it locks onto the centre view smoothly.

 

TIP: Increase the height of the curves for X&Y movement so it's fast. I also reduce the smoothing so it's nice and snappy, not all floaty as it is at 50% smoothing. In the calibration i check that I can easily look around to 180 degrees and up and down about 60 degrees without too much hassle. I also set my Z axis so i can zoom in enough on the MFD's.

Edited December 14, 2011 by Wichid

[Sappo]

Another good tip, is make sure the camera portion of the TrackIR is angled to exclude any windows (if possible)

 

Often times even just a TINY bit of light reflecting on the backwall behind my head will cause the TrackIR to think it is a tracking spot

 

I've gotten fairly used to cranking my head around just the right amount to read the CDU panel or radio settings

[wolfstriked]

Great tips guys and another one is to do the exact opposite when you are yanking and banking with enemy planes.Look down in cockpit so that you can see the whole stick handle and press center.Now you can bank and not have to do that painful movement of looking to your side and then tilting head up.Same thing just reversed.

 

Could ED make a button that enables a look up and look down view you could just toggle between heads down or outside view without having to do the actual recentering of the trackir by actual movement of ones head?

[cichlidfan]

Great tips guys and another one is to do the exact opposite when you are yanking and banking with enemy planes.Look down in cockpit so that you can see the whole stick handle and press center.Now you can bank and not have to do that painful movement of looking to your side and then tilting head up.Same thing just reversed.

 

Could ED make a button that enables a look up and look down view you could just toggle between heads down or outside view without having to do the actual recentering of the trackir by actual movement of ones head?

 

Just use snap views and the whole problem goes away?

[wolfstriked]

LOL but trackir is the future and snap views takes away buttons to use for other things.I am finally happy with my trackir purchase after my one yr of adjusting to it by this little tweak.Just posted it to maybe help someone else.

[Wichid]

I only use snap view for gun runs as per my blog

[kylania]

I use snapviews and TIR constantly. All my snap views are just on the numpad since I'll only ever use them on the ground or while on autopilot (usually!!) so don't needs Hands-On at that moment so can easily reach over hit Numpad0 Numpad2 and get a face full of CDU. :)

[cichlidfan]

LOL but trackir is the future and snap views takes away buttons to use for other things.I am finally happy with my trackir purchase after my one yr of adjusting to it by this little tweak.Just posted it to maybe help someone else.

 

Cool. I get it. It is appreciated!:)

 

I just find recentering to be more trouble. I don't use them often in DCS but for another flight sim where I have the extra buttons and only a few instruments the snap views are less distracting since I don't have to move my head at all.

[kra961]

If you really want to make TrackIR work well combine it with VAC, the pause for trackIr is an awesome feature when you have you have to spend any amount of time looking at one thing.

[wolfstriked]

I only use snap view for gun runs as per my blog

 

GregP posted something but I do not have a HOTAs yet so am winging it with keyboard for now.The CTRL-0 and then num-5 is alot to do when it could be a simple keypress.Is there anyway to automate this?

[wolfstriked]

Cool. I get it. It is appreciated!:)

 

I just find recentering to be more trouble. I don't use them often in DCS but for another flight sim where I have the extra buttons and only a few instruments the snap views are less distracting since I don't have to move my head at all.

 

I have become a recentering fool lately.:PI seem to feel off center alot in game and so I constantly hit recenter.Could be that I have little to no dead zone in middle.

[wolfstriked]

If you really want to make TrackIR work well combine it with VAC, the pause for trackIr is an awesome feature when you have you have to spend any amount of time looking at one thing.

 

What is VAC?

[Mustur]

What is VAC?

 

Voice Activated Commands

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=79868

 

I'm betting they didn't make a Scottish version. :D

 

Edited December 15, 2011 by Mustur

[cichlidfan]

I have become a recentering fool lately.:PI seem to feel off center alot in game and so I constantly hit recenter.Could be that I have little to no dead zone in middle.

 

Assuming your cam and headset are solid and staying in place it is probably just you shifting in the chair or even changing your posture a bit. Sometimes I seem to shift around more than others. I do recenter frequently sometimes and not just in DCS.

 

As for automating, I assume you mean getting it down to a single key? Not without a keyboard/mouse that can be programmed with a macro to generate the key sequences.

Edited December 15, 2011 by cichlidfan

[PoleCat]

I thought everyone knew this. Re-centering TIR on the point of interest is needed if you would like to continue to use your neck and eyeballs for other things in life.

 

Were there honestly people turning their heads way to the side or down and trying to hold it there while they move their eyeballs to uncomfortable positions?

 

Another tip: Try pausing the TIR on the center of panels etc while viewing or flipping switches for further comfort during use. I will often pause and then zoom with view fixed. It is much easier then trying to use your head as a fine pointing device.

 

Recenter and pause often, get good at it and you will find it much easier. I keep both functions mapped to my WH.

 

Out

[kra961]

Mustur LMAO!!!

[cichlidfan]

I'm betting they didn't make a Scottish version. :D

 

:megalol::megalol:

 

I am really sorry, I keep picturing 159th Viper stuck in that elevator!!:D

 

No offense intended Viper.;)

[wolfstriked]

I dont know though fellas just using the trackIR like this is perfect for me.I have no problems looking at anything when I force my self to stop moving.But as mentioned I wanna be free when look outside the cockpit and so I am constantly recentering when just flying.

 

VAC elevator video had me rolling!!

[26-J39]

I've only recently purchased TrackIR, previously been using Freetrack.

I got the pro clip (which works great) but I actually prefer the reflective clip for ease of use reasons. I did find the reflective clip abit dodgy at times so I replaced the reflective tape on the clip with new tape and it now works just as good as the pro clip. I used the reflective tape from an old safety vest. :)

[wolfstriked]

Great tip 26-j39.I agree that the flimsiness of the pro clip and the overall bulkiness makes the stock clip better.And the advice to use pause is GREAT advice which I didn't agree with till I used it last night.

 

And last night I put the zoom default and also "SLOW" zoom-in on my joystick and now doing attacks is so much better.If you put normal zoom in though it snaps right to the limit and will disorient you but if you use the slow zoom-in it works perfectly! :)