Help needed setting trackir up

[guzler]

Hi guys,

It's Friday evening which may explain my brains inability to fathom my birthday present out. I've got a TrackIR system that's come with a clip for a baseball cap which looks straight forwards and another thing that clips to earphones that plugs into a USB as well as two instructions, one for each. Which one do I use and what's the difference between them ?

This may sound really stupid, but my brains frazzled today !

Thanks

Neil

[peter12213]

Well mate I only got mine on Monday too, best thing I've ever bought, and well I only use the track clip and I've had no problems with it, just install open it up, and hit F12 to centre it, you can play around with the two sliders if you wish but the default is working fine for me, any questions just post them here or feel free to PM me and I'l hopefully be of assistance! I use trackIr 5 Btw :salute:

[Dain Arns]

Which ever one you are more comfortable with.
Since I don't like wearing earphones, my choice is the hat.

[MarkH]

Which one do I use and what's the difference between them ?

In my experience the hat clip's better, as long as you have relatively subdued ambient light and no hotspots. (Better 'cos no wires needed, and there's also no easy way to use the active clip without a headset.)

You'll also find the default profiles are configured for the hat clip too (or were in v4, anyway). If you use the active clip you will need to tweak the profiles (e.g. reversing and swapping some axes) because the target orientation is different.

[flaviossa]

In fact, the USB one is for night use with no light source available. You can use it anytime, because it has it´s own light source. The baseball hat one can only be satisfatory used in daytime or the lights on. I prefer the usb one, because i turn off the lights when i´m flying........... :wiggle:

EDIT: ops ... i said almost the same thing Mark said above. Sorry!

[guzler]

Thanks guys.

I find their website lacking these basic explanations, even the forum, but I've given the hat clip a blast and love it. If I'd of known, I wouldn't of got the Trackclip pro thingyo, but never mind. I'm still finding myself trying to use the hat switch, so getting head / hand coordination right is slowly coming on.

The weather says tomorrow is gonna be good, so off to Duxford Legends at the expense of practice, but I can live with that !

How cool are these things, a far cry from the Commodore 64 although it still has a place in my heart !

[nio]

F7 is your friend.

best

nio

[ryanbatc]

I use the track clip pro and enjoy it more - because I'm on vatsim a lot and have my headset on. Plus I found the tracking to be a bit smoother and more precise with the clip. I also fly at night with my backlit keyboard hehe.

I recommend using a profile found on the naturalpoint forums, entitled "Seth-Flight":
http://forum.naturalpoint.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=38618#Post38618

I've found it to be the best for FS... Also get used to the pause key. I changed all my around, F5 through F8 - normally it would be the flap setting in FSX (Track IR will override your kb keys) but I use my joystick and throttle to change flap settings instead so F5-F8 works best for me. That way I still have my view keys working.

[peter12213]

I'm still finding myself trying to use the hat switch, so getting head / hand coordination right is slowly coming on.

Me too its takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, its great, I only use the track clip though I have both but I find even in total darkness I have no problems, the light from the track thing on my monitor is enough and I have a pretty big monitor so thats all I need really, that 3 point headset one is too bulky and I hate the wire hanging from my head, I never wear a headset too so the trackclip/cap combo is great I find!

[srgalahad]

I can't imagine wearing a hat indoors ( and I wear one all day at work anyway), but since I'm often on TeamSpeak the headset is a natural. if you don't want anything around your ear, you can often modify (amputate) an old headset to give you just the headband for the module.

AS for all the other details, some things are just not found on forums, but if you haven't downloaded the manual you are missing out.
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/06-support/support-download-software-and-manuals.html

Halfway down the page, MANUALS:
TrackIR5 manual
TrackIR Quickstart
TrackClipPro Quickstart.

Then take the time to go through them. Sure we all want to jump in and go, but...

things like:
4.2 Tracking Types
There are two types of tracking in the TrackIR software–one for use with the standard TrackClip and one for the TrackClip PRO headset accessory. For information about how to change the tracking type, please see section 5.5.3.

Smoothing
Smoothing is used to stabilize head movement as it is converted into in-game view control. Increasing the amount of smoothing will provide a steadier view, while decreasing the smoothing will make panning the view more responsive. Smoothing adjustments are global and will be applied to all profiles.

Plan to take a while to get comfortable with it and to tune the profiles to your movements ( we are all built a bit differently. Tweak, test, repeat amd be patient. It's a wonderful tool once you get it refined

Rob

[guzler]

Me too its takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, its great, I only use the track clip though I have both but I find even in total darkness I have no problems, the light from the track thing on my monitor is enough and I have a pretty big monitor so thats all I need really, that 3 point headset one is too bulky and I hate the wire hanging from my head, I never wear a headset too so the trackclip/cap combo is great I find!

Had another fly using the profiles recommended by Ryan and now really gettin the hang of it. Really good when you get used to it isn't it ?

Thaanks for explaining that Rob, I thought smoothing was an option, not an overall setting.