Track IR

[Mace 1,926]

1 hour ago, Stearmandriver said:

. I use a track IR light clip on my headset 

Can you elaborate on what this is/ where it is?

I have TrackIR 4 and got disgusted by the apparatus -- I had it attached to my headset as well, but it never attached properly and kept falling off.

[FBW737 511]

19 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

I wanna say it has to go elsewhere now.  It uses to be profiles but it might be like Users your profile name in C drive.  I'm not at my PC right now

No, its definitely in the right folder. The other profiles are in that folder too.

[FBW737 511]

I use the track clip on the baseball cap but since the camera is behind me I ware it arm wrestling style!😁

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

The default profile location used to be C:\Users\[User.Name]\AppData\Roaming\NaturalPoint\TrackIR 5\Profiles I think it is still there.

I use the track clip as well,  but found the baseball cap interfered when I looked up so attach it to the top of my headset instead.  I actually mount the camera on a pedestal at the bottom of the screen.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Glenn Fitzpatrick

[Stearmandriver 2,295]

37 minutes ago, Mace said:

Can you elaborate on what this is/ where it is?

I have TrackIR 4 and got disgusted by the apparatus -- I had it attached to my headset as well, but it never attached properly and kept falling off.

I likely am calling it the wrong thing; it was given to me, I didn't purchase it myself. It doesn't look quite like anything I can find for sale now from Track IR or Delanclip, but it's that idea: just a black plastic holder with 3 LEDs mounted in it, and powered by a USB plug.  I just taped it to my headset. I am not fancy ;).  I use it with a PS3 Eye webcam with an IR filter, and Open Track.  Works great. I have to think any of the TrackIR or Delan options would work about the same. 

[sniper31 638]

Here is another that swears by TrackIR...I will not fly without it no matter if I am flying a bush plane or an airliner. In MSFS I fly the CRJ and the DC-6 a lot and it is invaluable. Another feature that I did not see anyone else mention is that depth perception/zoom in/out feature. In addition to being able to look wherever you want quickly, you can also move your head a little closer to the screen and it will zoom in as you get closer. So, for example, you are making a change in your FMS while in flight, you can easily look down at the FMS and move your head a little closer to see more detail, just as you would do in your car, or in a real cockpit. I have been using TrackIR in various forms for over 10 years now and could not fly without it period.

[Bdub22 1,611]

3 minutes ago, sniper31 said:

In addition to being able to look wherever you want quickly, you can also move your head a little closer to the screen and it will zoom in as you get closer.

Great point and one that I also forgot to mention. I'm curious to how people that don't use TrackIR get around and interact with the cockpit, especially when you're in a critical part of flight. 

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

1 hour ago, Bdub22 said:

Great point and one that I also forgot to mention. I'm curious to how people that don't use TrackIR get around and interact with the cockpit, especially when you're in a critical part of flight. 

Mouse look or apparently they often use camera views.

The only reason I know this is the amount of whining on the main forums about the default camera views in some addons.

[Rossco 23]

Like others I can't fly without it. Have had it since TIR 2, using TIR5 now been using it that long & having been a RW pilot one area I find it really shines is when flying a circuit. So easy to keep your eye on the threshold to time your base turn. Even bigger iron do circuits at some airports at least here in Australia although RNAV/VNAV is phasing a lot of that out I guess. Great tool!!

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

18 minutes ago, Rossco said:

. So easy to keep your eye on the threshold to time your base turn.

Not just when to turn - being able to keep an eye on the threshold as you fly base also lets you know if your rate of descent is on track.

[udidwht 133]

I use the following which is wireless...

https://grassmonkeysimulations.com/

[orchestra_nl 929]

3 hours ago, udidwht said:

I use the following which is wireless...

https://grassmonkeysimulations.com/

Might be an interesting replacement for my (also custommade) Wireless Trackclip Pro.
Too bad they don't have a rechargable version. Is replacing the battery easy to do?

[Bobsk8 12,720]

9 hours ago, Bdub22 said:

Great point and one that I also forgot to mention. I'm curious to how people that don't use TrackIR get around and interact with the cockpit, especially when you're in a critical part of flight. 

Flying a normal approach, downwind, base, final without track IR is impossible for me. 

[tup61 1,562]

TrackIR is also great for other games, like Euro Truck Simulator 2 (or racing games which I can't handle anymore unfortunately). Can't do without it. I remember playing the MSFS-beta when there was no TIR-support yet: felt like I had been in a terrible car accident and my neck was fixated with a metal spine. Awful. I sometimes forget to start TIR and I notice it's not working within a split second. Immediately. A few years ago my TRI 4 had broken somehow and I ordered a new one (TIR 5) the very same day. It's a bit expensive (back then there were fewer alternatives) but I would have bought it even if it had cost me twice as much. As I said, can't do without it. Seriously.

[dihedral 12]

Can't / won't fly without it and that's been true for years and years. I've talked to people who didn't like it and it almost always is due to them not taking some (enough) time to experiment with getting a good profile setup. There are baseline setups included that can be modified and there are quite a few on the net from other users sharing theirs. To the new user - make sure you set up a "center view" button that is easy to access with your hardware. Mine is the trigger on my joystick. Yes, if your setup is perfect you probably won't need to center view that often but in reality, you will so make it convenient. And as others have mentioned I have an easy to access "pause view" which coupled with the FS zoom function you can easily get a nice stable, tight view on whatever you're getting at - FMS, radios etc.. That said, I still set up at least one custom view usually for the FMS which is simply more convenient when entering a lot of data like a flight plan.

When my current TIR gives up the ghost, I will take a hard look at the Tobii head / eye tracking system. It's more expensive than TIR but there are what looks to be significant advantages and advancements vs. the TIR - not to mention that no hat or headset clip is required.

$0.02. Hope it helps someone in the decision making process...

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by dihedral