How To: Head Tracking

[enamel 4]

Here is a video I created on how to enable a head tracking solution in Microsoft Flight. I will do a writeup on it with more detail, this is an overview of how it works, and a demonstration.

 

Jump to 5:25 to see it in action!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2__Q--p6uLs

 

HD: http://youtu.be/2__Q--p6uLs?hd=1

[FrankFasi 0]

Excellent. I'll give this a try this weekend. Will you post the detailed write-up here, when it's ready?

[enamel 4]

Yes, I will write up detailed instructions either today or tomorrow.

[AllFiredUp 0]

thank you! I want to try this over the weekend too. :)

[jandjfrench 3]

Hi enamel,

 

I think I'll wait for the write-up. I Googled PPJoy and went to an older Blog and couldn't find the .6 version. Finally checked the video and located the latest blog. Searched on GORO as I could see that and found the right download link. Had to sign up with 4shared to download. Had to ask that the activation email be resent. Downloaded. Found a .7z file. Had to first open 7-zip to extract. Ran setup and gave it the go ahead for test mode. Didn't know how to get Windows out of test mode. Googled it. Downloaded an automatic test mode taker-outer. That's where I am now and as I said I think I'll wait for the write up.

The video you included made at least checking this out seem worthwhile and it was very well done. Thanks for sharing this!

 

Jim F.

[enamel 4]

• Go to Start and type cmd in the search box;
  
• Right-click on cmd.exe (should be at the top of the list) and select Run as administrator;
  
• In the newly created command prompt box, type the following:
  "bcdedit /set testsigning off"
  

I am pretty sure you need to stay in test mode to use the PPJoy drivers, but have not tested that.

[FrankFasi 0]

One thing I noticed in the video, it looks like the speed of panning is fixed, which makes sense, although TrackIr will pan at any speed you want. That appears to be the only limitation with facetracknoir, other than the lack of total 6DOF at this point, in Flight. I can live with that limitation until full TrackIr support comes along.

[enamel 4]

Pan speed can be changed by modifying the curves in FaceTrackNoIR, I have mine set so there is very little panning until I really move my head. There is a maximum speed, this would be the max speed if you had say a xbox controller and had the look all the way pegged (100% axis).

 

But these are "analog" axes, so pan speed can be set based on the amount of head input.

 

I imagine having native TrackIR support is much better than it being tied to a joystick axis, but I have never used it myself.

[enamel 4]

I submitted this as a tutorial as well!

 

 

Setting Up Head Tracking in Microsoft Flight

 

Warning: This walkthrough will have you setting up unsigned drivers from questionable sources. It requires you disabling security features of Windows 7 in order to do so. It is understandable to be uncomfortable with this, so make sure you are OK with this before proceeding.

 

Setup PPJoy 0.8.4.6:

 

PPJoy is the joystick emulator that provides the actual input into MS Flight. This project is no longer in development, but the developer created a 64 bit version before he stopped development.

 

1) Download PPJoy from http://www.4shared.com/archive/9bwBd488/ppjoy.html

a. You will need a login, if you do not want to create one, you can find a working one at

http://www.bugmenot.com/view/4shared.com

2) Put Windows into “test mode” to allow unsigned driver installation. This is done automatically by PPJoy 0.8.4.6, but to do it manually:

a. Go to “Start”

b. Type “cmd.exe” in the search bar

c. Right click “cmd.exe” in the search results, and select “Run as administrator”

d. Run the following command in the command prompt

i. bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING ON

e. Reboot your machine

f. To disable “test mode”, do steps (a) thru © and run the following command in the command prompt

i. bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING ON

3) Install PPJoy 0.8.4.6 (has to be this exact version!)

4) Run PPJoy

5) On the “Configure Joystick” screen select “Add…” and add a new Virtual Joystick

6) Once the Virtual Joystick drivers are installed, verify the joystick is available in Windows

a. Go to “Start”

b. Type “Game Controllers” in the search bar

c. Click “Set Up USB Game Controllers” in the search results

d. If you see “PPJoy Virtual Joystick 1” in the “Game Controllers” dialog, you are good to go

 

 

Setup FaceTrackNoIR 1.6

 

FaceTrackNoIR is the program that does the actual head tracking and sends the data to the Virtual Joystick

 

1) Download FaceTrackNoIR version 1.6 from http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/information_links/download.htm

2) Install and run FaceTrackNoIR

3) In the “Game Protocol” section, set this to “Virtual Joystick”

a. In the Virtual Joystick settings, ensure Joystick 1 is selected

4) In the “Invert” selection, check “Yaw” (else left and right will be backwards in Flight)

5) In the “Tracking Source” section ensure “Face API” is selected and hit “Start”

6) Once tracking has started, you will see a yellow diagram on your face, the values will change, and the test “card” will move with your head

7) Play around with the curves and deadzones to get the head tracking to your liking

8) To test the face tracker is controlling the Virtual Joystick, open the joystick properties

a. Go to “Start”

b. Type “Game Controllers” in the search bar

c. Click “Set Up USB Game Controllers” in the search results

d. Double click “PPJoy Virtual Joystick 1” in the “Game Controllers” dialog

e. Verify head movement is represented in the X and Y axes in the joystick properties

 

 

Configure Microsoft Flight

 

FaceTrackNoIR is now controlling a Virtual Joystick. This “fake” joystick will be used in Flight to control look movements

 

1) Open Microsoft Flight

2) Go to Options -> Game Controls

3) Select “PPJoy Virtual Joystick 1” from the “Input Device” pull down menu

4) Change the “Look: Left/Right (Axis)” settings by selecting the input and looking left or right (this should be the Y axis)

5) Change the “Look: Up/Down (Axis)” settings by selecting the input and looking up or down (this should be the X axis)

6) Adjust the deadzones and curves to your liking!

[jandjfrench 3]

Hi,

 

Didn't get very far yet but noted a few things.

1) The second step i. in the first section should be step g. and ON should be OFF (pretty obvious what happened there)

2) Test signing must remain on for the new joystick to show up in Flight.

 

Jim F.

[enamel 4]

Thanks Jim, I will make those changes.

[RYR738 9]

Great thread Aaron ! Thanks for sharing.

 

Fred.

[keithb77 311]

Good work!

Perhaps you could share you FTN ini file - your tracking is a lot more stable than I've ever been able to manage...

Cheers

Keith

[RamonB 449]

Thank You Aaron.

Great video and tutorial.

[keithb77 311]

It works.

I had to also disable aileron and rudder for the virtual yoystick but otherwise fine.

Need to tweak it to make it more responsive (usually far TOO responsive in other sims).

Cheers

Keith