Track IR

:FI:ZekeMan · Post by **:FI:ZekeMan** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:12 am

Thought I'd ask those of you who have this set up how you like it and how it works. I mean, I know how it works: the little dot thing you stick on you and the receiver atop the monitor follows this, what I mean is, how it functions as far as how quickly you can pan across the screen, etc. If you reach the edge of the monitor, will the view keep going until you're looking behind you and such?

I am thinking I may want to save my pennies for one of these instead of my Radeon 9800.

Z

:FI:Moog · Post by **:FI:Moog** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:47 pm

Get it Get it Get it Get it Get it!!!

Firstly to answer your query...
The software is very user-friendly and highly configurable, but whichever way you decide to tweak it, this is how it works in practice... you won't be moving your head more than a few inches in real space but the software translates this into a much greater range in-game.

If I turn my head slightly to the left or right (so the reflector is physically only around one inch from it's 'centre' point), this moves the screen area maybe three or four physical inches at the side extents. If I twist my head three or four inches, the movement is acclerated by the software so that I'm now looking 90 degrees left or right in-game. My head axis is never more than 20 or 30 degrees from the screen (making it easy to keep my eyes on it) but the in-game POV axis will have changed as much as 160 or 170 degrees!

It definitely takes a bit of getting used to, and rewards any research and tweaking that you do, but once you are used to it you'll get the TrackIR epiphany and wonder to yourself how you ever got by without it.

And no I don't work for Naturalpoint

I had similar queries before I got the TIR2. I have a button on my joystick which emulates the keyboard hotkey used as 'Centre TrackIR' in the TIR software... this comes in handy if I've shifted my position in the seat (or fallen off entirely after a few too many), or if I simply want to swivel my head around a bit for exercise or chug a beer without my view looking up towards the roof of the cockpit - in all these situations, when I hold the button down the view stays locked to looking straight ahead.

Also, people who complain about the accuracy of the TIR generally haven't configured it properly according to their own personal preferences.

Accuracy is improved greatly if you set the 'desired pixel size' to the approximate size that TIR detects your reflector at the distance you are away from the screen.

In addition to this, extreme accuracy can be achieved by customising the zones of detection. Think of an X and Y axis which intersect at point 0,0 - now imagine that you're looking out through the TrackIR at the reflector dot: when it's centred it's at point 0,0, if it's off to the left it's at -5,0, if it's up and to the right it might be 4,3 and so on... you can use the software to customise the tracking speed for each 'band' or 'ring' around the 0,0 point, and as well as this you can have independent settings for the X and Y axes. My own TrackIR gets more and more sensitive as the dot moves farther away from the origin (meaning that towards the centre I can keep the view almost perfectly still), and the Y axis is more sensitive in general than the X axis (meaning that tilting my head up two inches will have me looking up 90 degrees in game, but tilting my head two inches to the side will have me looking maybe 60-70 degrees in game)

Gah I hope you understand it a bit better now... whatever anybody tells you to the contrary, this is a must-have peripheral for any flight simmer.

Sure just lash out out buy the thing myself or some of the other FI lads (I hope!) will talk you through absolutely everything you need to know on TeamSpeak!

Happy TIR-ing

-Moog

Grecian · Post by **Grecian** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 2:50 pm

Yep what Moog said-A Must

:FI:Heloego · Post by **:FI:Heloego** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 4:05 pm

Except maybe when yer hung over.

Really, now that I've gotten used to it, I wonder how i got along without it!

The setup isn't too bad, and anyone would be glad to help once you're ready.

Very good investment!!!

:FI:ZekeMan · Post by **:FI:ZekeMan** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 6:05 pm

Thank you gentlemen, I am sold! Buahahhahah. Now I all need is the friggin money. My wife warned me that if I upgraded my computer that I would (now that I am able to steadily upgrade a newer mobo) be rabid about getting newer stuff for it. What she doesn't know is I am alwasy rabid about upgrades, new mobo or not. I am going to start researching how much Track IR costs.

Z

Post by **:FI:Gurberly** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 6:21 pm

Used to be if you went via teh Netwings site you could get a $15 discount, though I cant seem to find the advertisment now.

G

:FI:RULES · Post by **:FI:RULES** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:22 pm

Well m8, i´m using the Track-IR 1 (thank you Ardmore) and I can´t live without it...The feeling was the same as when I got my first joy-stick...
Used key-board and mouse before that...IT´S UNREAL...in a real sort of way

:FI:ZekeMan · Post by **:FI:ZekeMan** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:15 am

You lads are definitely fanning the fire, here. Did some pricing around and looks like the mean price is between $110 and $130 US. I watching one on eBay, so maybe I will get lucky.

Z

Post by **:FI:Gurberly** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:21 am

Ensure what you are getting on e-bay is the right model and not someone putting a TIR 3 unit in TIR3 pro packaging having done their own upgrade

There's not much between them visually from the outside.

G

:FI:ZekeMan · Post by **:FI:ZekeMan** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:07 pm

:FI:Gurberly wrote:Ensure what you are getting on e-bay is the right model and not someone putting a TIR 3 unit in TIR3 pro packaging havinfg done their own upgrade

There's not much between them visually from the outside.

G

Hmmm, what is the difference, Sir Gurb? What would I look for?

Post by **:FI:Gurberly** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:22 pm

I have no idea... I have the Pro version and there is nothing on it that would indicate as such.

Post at the http://www.naturalpoint.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; forums... the marketing/development team do keep quite closely involved with users and you will probably get a very direct concise and correct answer.

G

:FI:Snoop Baron · Post by **:FI:Snoop Baron** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:04 am

Get it!!

:FI:Snaphoo · Post by **:FI:Snaphoo** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:52 am

But get the hat... Not only is it stylish and functional... But it's also usable to block out the radio waves from the Government satelites.

I have Track IR 3 Pro... I don't think I'll ever go back. There was a coupon for $20 off TIR3Pro with my purchase of PF. Perhaps there is one with yours.

But to re-emphisize what everyone else has said.

Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it! Get it!

:FI:Murph · Post by **:FI:Murph** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:10 am

If you have a choice between getting the pro3 and one of the earlier versions, get the pro3 even if it costs as little more, the difference is worth a few bucks.

:FI:ZekeMan · Post by **:FI:ZekeMan** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:43 pm

Well it appears that the eBay TIR is not the Pro version just the TIR 3. So far there is only one bid on it but I am sure that will change. Hell, if I can pick it up for dirt cheap, I'll nab it!

Z

Track IR

Track IR

Get it

Absolutely!

Get it.... Yes...