Got FreeTrack working.. ( Yay!)

[Lewie]

Well I'm officially in the OFF realistic cockpit sim mode now. Downloaded Freetrack 2.2 and read everything I could about any issues it would have with CFS3 and OFF, then set up a simple 2 axis, 1 LED head movement tracker to test it out. I'm using a cheap old headband mounted camping LED illumination lamp with a bit of Scotch brand frosted tape to blur the light source some. combine with an old USB webcam I've had for ages but never used, and It works quite well. It's actually astoundingly easy to set up.

 

It's been said before but, woah, having the ability to crane the ol' neck around, and actually look at my squadmates while they start to take off, and to avoid the new pilot hotshots that like to cross in front of you when you're circling to regroup, is going to help save some of my pilot's careers.

[Olham]

Isn't it great, Lewie? Almost like the real thing!

[Lewie]

Isn't it great, Lewie? Almost like the real thing!

 

Yes It's fantastic. The immersive factor just went up exponentially. It's not a big frame rate hog either, I think I lost maybe 1 or 2 FPS overall. I need to build the 3 LED version that clips to your reading glasses' sidepiece so I can get the 6 DOF part activated. But as it is, this simple 2 axis set up is fine, as it cures 90% of the ills with the fixed cockpit view.

[Olham]

Or you fix them to a baseball cap, like the official clips do?

[Lewie]

Or you fix them to a baseball cap, like the official clips do?

 

Yeah as much as I hate wearing hats indoors it might be easier. Definitely in the 'fabricated in a couple hours' range with soldering iron and a hot glue gun.

[Herr Prop-Wasche]

Good going, Lewie. I know I could never build one on my own.

[Lewie]

Being in Florida it was more a case adding more clothes, which is definately not wanted or needed. I have the Trackir Hat Clip mounted on a visor. Which more than once has earned me the title "RADAR MAN" from the guy next door

 

 

 

 

Yes, I had envisioned some sort of contraption made of some of my less than stellar, 1/4" square balsa sticks with a pair of small alligator clips hanging off of my glasses. Add to it an on-off switch, connectors, 1500 milliamp hour single cell Lipoly and a snarl of wires, I'm the Geek from the Freak Lagoon.

[TaillyHo]

I've got my TrackIR 'hat clip' attached to the headphones I wear for computer games anyway (as I mostly 'fly' late at night when family members are asleep) - no need to 'dress-up' with baseball caps or any other additional (or unseasonal) head-wear! <BR><BR>Oh and congrats on your success so far, Lewie.

Edited May 19, 2011 by TaillyHo

[Olham]

UncleAl: I have the Trackir Hat Clip mounted on a visor. Which more than once has earned me the title "RADAR MAN" from the guy next door

 

Lewie: I'm the Geek from the Freak Lagoon.

[NS13Jarhead]

Yeah as much as I hate wearing hats indoors it might be easier. Definitely in the 'fabricated in a couple hours' range with soldering iron and a hot glue gun.

Lewie,

You've just got to attach them to the right hat