I'm assuming that TrackIR would solve this to some extent as (I think) it works in response to head, not eye, movement.  I also have varifocal lenses, although I'm thinking of trying my fixed focal length spare pair as my screen is only 60-70cm in front of my face.

Andrew

On 1 March 2019 at 1:37 PM, threebears said:

I do not want to look away from the depiction of my flight, on the screen, to find a button, switch or keystroke in order to change that view.

You can assign a button on your joystick or throttle to temporarily lock the view whilst you do whatever else you need to do (charts, coffee, etc).

Edited March 22, 20197 yr by vortex681

On 2/27/2019 at 1:50 PM, vortex681 said:

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.

Sub par, finicky, unreliable.

Hi Folks,

TrackIR + ChasePlane = Essential...

Regards,
Scott

50 minutes ago, Boomer said:

Sub par, finicky, unreliable.

Unlike VR which is a performance killer, expensive and blurry, relative to a 4K monitor.

Seriously, though, for the vast majority of flight simmers, Track IR is an excellent choice. With those system specs, either option will be a whole lot better than what you have now. But you might want to wait and see what is around the corner with both upcoming VR headsets and MSFS 2020.

I use the TIR software and camera with this as the TIR one breaks to easily.

https://www.trackhat.org/

3 hours ago, Boomer said:

Sub par, finicky, unreliable.

That's not been my experience at all. I'll admit that it can be a little hit and miss if you're using it for face tracking but it works perfectly using an LED clip for head tracking. I found it easy to set up and it's been trouble free for the three years or so I've been using it. I tried both Opentrack and FaceTrackNoIR and they both worked well. I prefer Opentrack as its more configurable. After making an LED clip and setting it up with a PSEye camera, I had a chance to compare it with TrackIR 5 and honestly couldn't see any difference in performance. I had initially intended to try out the concept with Opentrack then, if I liked it, buy TrackIR thinking that it would be better. It wasn't, so I'm glad I didn't spend the money unnecessarily.

Edited August 21, 20196 yr by vortex681

I have been using TrackIR with their passive reflective hat clip for a number of years and would not want to fly without it. I have found the TrackIR system to be very reliable.

Al