Quick one: TrackIR, Win7, and Skype (webcam)

[HumanDrone 4]

This is a quick one: When I upgraded to my current rig and Windows 7, I got TrackIR 5 as part of the deal. But I also had an older Logitech webcam. It claims to have drivers for Windows 7, but I can't get it to work. My wife is just as happy, she hates awkward Skype sessions (whereas I typically just be a jerk, turning the camera upside down, or bending down over the back of the monitor, giving them closeups of my nostrils, eyeball, etc...).

 

But now the boss has discovered Skype, and anything I can do that wold allow me to make working at home easier would be a seven-fold blessing, so I ask: Are any of your TrackIR types using a webcam as well? In other words, do I just need to go get a new webcam (and not tell my distant relatives...)?

 

A few quick answers and this thread can head for oblivion, I suppose... Thanks, everyone!

 

Tom

[Panama Red 22]

If you do not get an answer here, you might try reposting this question in "The Pub" section. A lot more people go there than just here.

[Tamper 9]

Not 100% sure I understand the question - but if you are asking whether one can have both TrackIR and a webcam peacefully coexist on a PC, my answer would be "Yes."

 

Although it's not set up at the moment, I had a (albeit new-ish) Logitech webcam (C400 or some such maybe; I'm not at home where I could check right now). I don't recall any conflict or problem using it or the TrackIR 5 during the time both were connected to my machine. To me it sounds like the W7 drivers for the webcam might be having an issue.

 

Another distinct possibility is this: I noticed you have most of your system spec listed, but I don't see an actual motherboard model/type. However, I have now owned 3 different Core i7 rigs, each from different manufacturers/chipsets/peripheral implementation (Gigabyte-X58 / AsRock-X68 / Asus-X79), all 3 built by myself during the past year or so, and all run for a little while before moving on to the next one. (Why anyone would do all this is a long story; basically, I was trying to make something very specific and fairly uncommon work).

 

Anyway, during all this, I noticed one thing for sure and certain: USB has gotten downright goofy since USB3 came along. I believe most USB 2.0 devices do just fine when connected to USB 2 ports on these newer boards, and *some* USB 3.0 devices definitely are much faster - provided they work at all with the USB3 chipset on a particular motherboard, but I had a lot of hit or miss results when trying various USB 3.0 devices/ports and USB 2.0 devices/ports. I wonder if this isn't (at least part of) your problem.

 

If you think it can keep 'til sometime over the weekend, I believe I still have an older (really older) Logtech webcam at home somewhere, I could try hooking it up and see if there's any problem. Would this help?

[JimAttrill 24]

I have to disable Skype to get my TrackIR to work properly. Not really a problem. With Skype running all I see is the ground underneath the aircraft. Most annoying until I found the reason. This is with W7 64 and TrackIR 4 software and TrackIR 3 hardware.

 

TrackIR connected to USB 2 although I also have USB 3 ports.

Edited August 2, 2012 by JimAttrill

[HumanDrone 4]

Thanks guys! Yes, Tamper, I have an Asus board - P8P67 M Pro. I hadn't thought of USB as the reason - so much for standards! And yes, my Logitech cam is old, so if you feel like messing around go ahead - I'm in no real hurry. I didn't have it in a USB 3.0 slot, I don't think, but it's worth a try there on my part.

[Tamper 9]

TBH, I would think JimAttrill has a point as well. I don't use Skype, so I wouldn't have thought of it like he presents it - I infer that your *webcam* wasn't working, regardless of whether Skype was involved. If it is as he says - and it sounds like he has first-hand experience - then I'd be curious about his point.

 

All the webcams I've ever used have little stand-alone app you can run just to see the webcam work. If you're not actively using TrackIR, shut it down and confirm the webcam works. Then, the inverse: Shut down *everything* the webcam uses, and see if TrackIR works.

 

I detest things that run when I'm not even using them, so Skype would never have been allowed to run while I was using TrackIR (after all, I don't fly and cam at the same time, and I imagine no one else does, either...) Seems like every-damn-thing you install on a PC nowadays wants to run some stupid "helper" app or a loader, updater, etc, etc...all combined to make ridiculous, unnecessary drains on performance. There are a ton of utilities for stopping/unloading/preventing all this crap from loading at bootup, and it will make a PC run a lot better if you only run things when you need them. My general rule of thumb is if you have more than 3-4 little icons in the lower right-hand corner of the system tray, you should seriously consider examining your setup to make sure you're not running things you don't need to be. In XP and Win7, it's as easy as clicking (Start) then Run, then typing MSCONFIG. Go to the STARTUP tab, and see (the majority of) what's running on your machine from boot up.

 

Knowing what to disable takes a little more effort - but that's only because Windows includes this app for free. There are lots of other ways to check this, and many of them will actually provide some indication of what each of these things is loading for, plus whether it's really necessary or not.

 

I'll try to find that old cam, and test out some stuff over the weekend. In any event, best of luck :)

Edited August 3, 2012 by Tamper

[HumanDrone 4]

Thanks, Tamper, and yes, I was paying attention to JimAttrill's post - and no, I never got as far as Skype, and Skype currently isn't even installed. I couldn't even get the camera to install and be recognized, much less the little app that lets me gape at myself on-screen. So I dunno. Maybe it's just too old. I'd have thought better of Logitech, they claim the drivers work for W7.

 

As you say, there is no reason to have both TrackIR and a webcam running at the same time, so there really is no reason for it other than a hardware/USB compatibility/driver issue.

 

I was just looking over your specs, my goodness you have the fancier I7 series and you're good at 4.8 GHz! Nice! I really haven't pushed mine yet, and everything is running smoothly in the sims. Now when WOFF comes out in two more weeks, that may be a different story, and I'll have to start fiddling with it. Overclocking isn't my strong suit, but when it came with messed up overclocking specs from the assembler, I had to dig into it a bit.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

[Tamper 9]

Like you, I would've thought the driver would be sound - and it may be, I don't guess we really know yet. Soon as I get a chance, I hope to find that old cam I have and see what happens.

 

One thing I would say in fairness to Logitech (and manufacturers in general) is that it's maybe a lot to expect they write drivers for an OS that's three generations newer than the hardware This stuff is often so inexpensive to begin with, it would be fiscal suicide for a company to support things, every time M$ decides to make more money by releasing a new OS.

 

(Of course, the other side of the argument is my perfectly-working, *expensive*, 11x17 color inkjet printer which Canon refused to write XP drivers for...there is actually an online petition over that one). So I guess it goes both ways.

 

Of course, in your siutation, it may be the HW itself - maybe I can help figure that out

 

As for the overclocking...I'll tell you, I wasn't real into it for the longest time - I just always leaned toward the 'long-term reliability, maximize service life' half of the house. Up until say the Core2 family of CPUs came out, that is - and man, those things were just natural born overclockers. Stable, and safe if you keep 'em cool. Still like that, IMHO, from those, the C2Q's, the i5's and i7's...the three motherboard/chipset combo's I mentioned above represent all three "generations" of the Core i7 CPUs (a 920, a 2600K and now the 3820). They just seem to be built for it. I tell people now it's a shame to have one and not "overclock the snot out of it", so long as you can afford some decent type of cooling solution.

 

And, after all this time in the industry, it finally seems like Intel 'gets it'. They actually sell CPU's designated 'unlocked' for enthusiasts, and the new CPUs don't even come with a heatsink/fan any more; they often wind up gathering dust, and it's cheaper to sell just the CPU anyway.

 

I'm am very sure you can get that 2600K up to 4.6 w/ no sweat, and 4.8 won't be much more difficult. The only thing is, if you overclock at all; just watch the cooling. You NEED a good after-market solution; air is good up to 4.6-4.8G after that you'll likely need liquid. I am fairly certain all 3 of the 2600K's I've done so far would have reached 5G maybe more, but they were all air cooled and were just getting HOT, so I backed them off and stayed on the safe side.

 

But these things are incredible overclockers...and, if you're not bothered by it, I'd say go for it. You've already had a look at it, and there's really not a lot to it these days. The boards/BIOS, and especially the CPU you have, are made for it. I think you'll be very happy, and that 2600 is a workhorse. I honestly would never have moved from that setup if it weren't for my unusual arrangement (and endless curiousity).

 

Yup...only two weeks

[Tamper 9]

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate the older webcam - a "QuickCam Express". The wife says it's possible I gave it to a friend of hers some time ago. But I'm not sure it would matter anyway: If I understand the Logitech website correctly, that cam was only supported through XP anyway ( I did say it was old *lol*).

 

Not sure what model you're using but there is a lot of info on their website about which SW to use, plus driver installs (including a "clean" install)...seems to me there are quite a few ways it might go wrong. I confirmed my newer cam's model number (C200) as having W7-64 support, and I will try to get it set up on my PC again this weekend (if that helps).

Edited August 4, 2012 by Tamper

[HumanDrone 4]

Tamper,

 

Thanks, it's late and I've been working outside. I'm trying to rehabilate 6 acres of land that had gotten well out of hand before I bought it. That keeps a body busy! Vines & poison ivy alone could makea full time job!

 

Anyway, mine is a 1.3 mp model with a USB plug. I think it may have been called a "Quickcam", I don't have the original packing. I'll try fiddling with it again sometime this weekend, maybe. i rmember trying the clean installl stuff - hanged if I know what it is...!

 

Best,

 

Tom

[Tamper 9]

Hiya Tom. *Ouch* sounds as if you do have your hands full. I'm sure one day it will be worth all the effort

 

The problem with 'QuickCam' is there's about a million of their models called QuickCam; some work in W7, and some (like mine) don't. There are quite a few QuickCam models that are 1.3MP.

 

If/when you get a chance, check the USB plug end of the cable; if it's still there, the tiny tag will have a model number on it.

 

Also, if you haven't yet, The clean install could actually help resolve a driver conflict, so it might be worth a try.

 

One other idea - do you have access to another computer, particularly one w/ XP on it? If so, is it possible to temporarily install the webcam there, just to make sure it works?

 

Of course, I'm basing all this on your comment about working from home. Given what gas prices are these days, it would probably be worth whatever you have to do, even if you had to *buy* a webcam (try eBay!). My boss agreed to let some of us work from home one day a week; smartest thing he ever did, and I save 20% of my fuel costs right off the bat. For me, that amounts to $25-30 a month (and that doesn't count 20% less wear on my vehicle, lower costs due to less frequent maintenance...).

 

So an inexpensive webcam could pay for itself in a month.

 

Still, I hope you can get the one you already have working.

 

Good luck...stay outta that poison ivy *ugggh* (If you're not opposed to 'chemical warfare', that Ortho Brush-B-Gon works wonders...whatever you do, don't burn poison ivy!!)

 

(EDIT: Just installed my C200, a few notes: The Logitech setup asks to plug the cam in first, and then recognizes my cam - but as the wrong unit, a C160 (???). I can actually run TrackIR and watch my head movements in it's "grid screen", while I can also see live video from the webcam. So, at least in my case, it does appear to work OK. I downloaded the Logitech driver for the install, it reports as 13.31.1044.0 in device manager, and I use TrackIR 5 w/TrackClip Pro, driver v. 5.1.300 build 9945 - hope this helps)

Edited August 4, 2012 by Tamper

[HumanDrone 4]

Yessir, sometimes I think I could use a 55 gallon drum of Brush-B-Gone!

 

On my camera, the USB plug says 501733-3000 and underneath "HC" on the left and "SH on the right.

 

A former partner at my firm was severly sickened when young; he and his father were burning brush that apparently had a lot pf poison ivy in it; he got the smoke in his lungs and it messed him up. When I'm going after that stuff, I "dress out" like I'm going into nuclear reactor building - taped wrists & ankles, a hood, all that jazz. And I never, never burn it!

 

Thanks agin, it's still daylight out so I gotta go!

 

Tom

Edited August 4, 2012 by HumanDrone

[Tamper 9]

Hello again...just be safe (sounds like you know the drill). I honestly had no idea the stuff could be so dangerous, but I did some studying after moving into a place that had a lot in the back yard. Growing 15' up tree trunks...*uggh*

 

Unfortunately, I cannot find the webcam P/N you list on the Logitech website. They have a fairly extensive table: http://logitech-en-a...etail/a_id/3428

 

The model number/part number should be something that starts with 860 or 861 as far as I can tell, Here's a pic of the tag on the cable; is this what yours looks like?

[HumanDrone 4]

Well, there is a Class 1 Derp on my part! That tag is long gone! Still, as I recall, I was able to identify it on their site - it just wouldn't work, is all. Sheesh. Tried all the compatibity settings, all that.

 

It's like I've said about computers - the better it gets, the worse it gets. I have an old Epson all-in one that scans everything beautifully, including negatives. Prints pictures just as nicely. But the scanning software, etc, that lets you do all the adjustments won't work anymore. Perhaps I could run it (and this silly camera) in XP mode, but man what a pain that would be!

 

I used to be good with these things. I've written code in 4 languages, whipped Finite Element software into submission, done a smattering of real-time code at the breadboard level, worked out schemes to pass data between programs by reading wacko "alpha-hex" format, crazy stuff like that. Criminee, I've been at these things since "punch card" days. But I can't make executable code work if it just isn't right.

 

As to the poison ivy, you have my sympathies. When I first started through the wooded part of my ground, I encountered both poison ivy and wild grapevines that I had to take my trusty double-bit axe to! I've had poison ivy 3" in diameter up a tree trunk, and wild grapvines 5-6" at the ground - one actually startled me as I lifted my head up from ducking under some brush - it looked like an anaconda or something! I have a picture somewhere of a couple of my (teen-aged) kids sitting on it! The people I bought it from had inherited it, and though they lived very nearby, they couldn't be bothered - so the orchard gradually died off, and vines, mullbery, brambles, and poison ivy just took over. It's mostly steep and useless ground, except for the firewood and funiture-grade cherry growing up there. But man, it takes me moving. We've cleared about 1 acre total and we are trying to define the boundary between civilized and wild. Then, because it's so steep, we want to get the banks landscaped so we aren't on them all the time trying to keep the weeds beat back. Plus manage the wooded part so the best trees can continue to grow without being overtaken by the stinking vines. I have so many lawn & garden tools that my garage wall looks like a hardware store! And even though I have a tractor with a 60" mowing deck, because of the hills and the detail work, I'm still 3 evenings a week to get it all mowed. So that's where a lot of the effor is being expended now - projects to streamline the mowing.

 

So thanks, I'll keep at it.

 

Best,

 

Tom

[Tamper 9]

Well, it definitely sounds as if you have plenty of experience with stuff (including poison ivy) and have gone through all the right moves. Not much I could offer to help further, I'm sorry to say. But maybe something will come up, who knows. Might well be worth it, if it means more opportunity to work from home.

 

Before I took time to look into it, I really had little idea about poison ivy - I mean, I *thought* I knew, like most folks...but, man, was I ignorant. Stuff is incredible, and *very* hard to get rid of. Well, you take care with that.

 

And good luck with the cam. Let us know how it goes, if you decide to kick that 2600 in the pants a bit :)

[HumanDrone 4]

Well, I sure appreciate it. It rained a lot yesterday so I took another look at it. Unplugged TrackIR, plugged in the cam (it identified as a Fusion), and showed up in Win7 devices. But the software matrix showed only one version that would work for W7 64 bit. I downloaded that and the memories came back. The language selection drop box was full of nothing but "12345678901234567890....." It said a compatible camera was not detected. I've tried the clean install and all the rest, I tried installing in spite of a camera not being detected, and nothing works. I guess it's time to kick this one to the curb.

 

But I sure appreciate your help and testing!

 

Best,

 

Tom