TrackIR Experience / Opinions Please

[threebears 14]

If this is the wrong AVSIM Forum for this post, I apologise.  I'm thinking of adding TrackIR to my sim setup but, while the 'promotional' reviews are positive, I'd be grateful for some unbiased views from real users.  It's quite expensive, but are the gains worth it?  Are there any things to watch out for?

Andrew

[odourboy 1,289]

You're in for many varied opinions here I suspect,  but for me, it was a game changer. I've never flown without it since the day I got it. If it broke, I wouldn't fly until I got a replacement.

Setup is important for an optimal experience. Mine is set so that small head movements aimed at the center of my screen have almost no effect (keeps the view stable while looking forward), with ever increasing change as my head movement moves further from the center on the side to, up-down axis. (Tilt and forward-back are set fairly linear with my head movement). 

[DannyR 35]

I used TrackIR for many years before I moved to VR.  TrackIR really added a lot to the flight sim experience, very enjoyable.  I highly recommend it.  It really enhanced the sim experience.  The only thing better is VR, so, for the money, TrackIR is actually a very good deal from a cost perspective.

Best Regards,

Danny

[hillsboy 33]

 A great sim tool.   I've enjoyed it for many years now in all types of aircraft!

[glennc 5]

+1 for recommendation.

Sadly mine has been relegated to a box since my investment in a Lenovo Explorer VR headset.

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

I've used TIR since v1 both in car racing and flying. Wouldn't, no couldn't fly/drive without it...Until VR a short 4 months ago. Now it's VR, won't fly without it!

[threebears 14]

Thank you Ron, Glenn, Hillsboy, Danny and Odourboy - all very positive.  I have a couple of questions: my addled brain says that if I move my head to alter the view (in TrackIR) I'm going to struggle to look at the screen.  That's obviously not how it works: it must respond to small changes in head position, but how do you manage it, and how do you 'calibrate' it so that the smallest movements don't have the 'view' whizzing about?

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

You set up a profile in the TIR software. Start with the default 'Smooth' and see how it goes.It takes a little getting used to but after a while you'll turn your head and not realise that your eyes are still pointing at the screen. Just try it, look at your monitor and turn your head from side to side without moving your eyes. You'll get it, I promise.

[odourboy 1,289]

I tried to explain the setup a bit in my post. But I'll elaborate a bit...

I've set up my 'flight sim' profile so that it doesn't react at all to small head movements.  This avoids sea sickness that you might feel if the view was always reacting to your smallest movements. Beyond a certain point, it's set up to increasingly react to movement to the point where, if my head is pointed to the left or right edge of the screen, my view is turned a full 180 degrees. Upward gaze is adjusted so looking toward the upper edge creates a 90 degree view and looking down is similar. This works for me. You can set up a profile to do anything you want in terms of mapping head movements to the corresponding view.

Might sound crazy yo someone who hasn't used s head tracker, but it will feel natural to you very quickly.

Edited February 27, 2019 by odourboy

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

Or.

You could cut straight to the chase and get yourself kitted out with a VR headset. You will eventually anyway. 😄

[threebears 14]

OK all, thanks everyone, that's clear.  😁 I'm off to the e-shops!!

Andrew

[qqwertz 781]

I use it on and off. It is great for GA flights, but I didn't find it too useful for jetliners. I stopped using it for a while after I got seasick during a flight, but I found out that one can avoid this by changing the settings. 

Peter

[MarkDH 234]

As if you needed more encouragement, in my view it is the next essential add-on after a joystick. TrackIR is what made the virtual cockpit usable. As for struggling to look at the screen, try this. Hold your finger up at arm's length, then shake your head from side to side while looking at your finger. See? You can already do it! :)

P.S. For my money, EZCA is an excellent companion to TrackIR, for one single reason. It allows you to vary the TrackIR 'home' position dynamically, which you can't do  otherwise. I have it on a rotary knob, which in the virtual cockpit is just like moving the seat up and down.

Edited February 27, 2019 by MarkDH

[vortex681 806]

5 hours ago, threebears said:

It's quite expensive, but are the gains worth it?

There's a MUCH less expensive way to get exactly the same functionality (or better?) that TrackIR provides. The best software alternative is probably Opentrack - it's completely free (open source) and provides everything you get from TrackIR plus some additional options. The cheapest option is to use an Aruco tracker with a standard webcam - it's like a small QR code you print on a card and attach to a hat or headset. It's completely free and works surprisingly well - see https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=375&v=ajoUzwe1bT0 for an example. However, the best option is to use an LED clip which you can make yourself if you're OK with a little DIY (all of the information is available online), or buy ready made if you're not. You'll need a suitable webcam - a PS3 Eye camera (with a little modification) seems to work best and can be bought incredibly cheaply (only £2.00 in the UK). You can buy everything you need as a starter kit, complete with webcam, from https://delanengineering.com/products/head-tracking-delanclip-gamer/ or https://trackhat.org/shop/ and you can be fully up and running for less than half the cost of TrackIR 5.

If you just want to see if you'll get on with the whole head tracking concept and you already have a webcam, I'd try Opentrack with an Aruco tracker.

Edited February 27, 2019 by vortex681

[threebears 14]

1 hour ago, qqwertzde said:

I use it on and off. It is great for GA flights, but I didn't find it too useful for jetliners. I stopped using it for a while after I got seasick during a flight, but I found out that one can avoid this by changing the settings. 

Peter

Hi Peter.  I spend most of my time with the PMDG 737 or the Majestic Dash Q400, and hadn't thought about motion sickness as a possible issue. 😕 I 'chickened out' at the checkout, so haven't ordered anything yet.