free track - Printable Version

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+---- Thread: free track (/showthread.php?tid=53495)

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free track - tangani - 12.04.2008

http://www.free-track.net/hardware/calc ... hp?lang=fr

Hello, did somebody use this free track with a webcam, insstead of a track ir. And if yes, does it work properly. Thks.

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- RAF_Magpie - 12.04.2008

Yes. And yes it does, but you need to hack up the web cam, and remove its IR filter, and use IR LED's.

... for it to work well...

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- PeterD - 12.04.2008

yes to all :lol:

also there's no need to hack the webcam nor remove any filters!

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- RAF_Magpie - 12.04.2008

PeterD Wrote:yes to all :lol:

also there's no need to hack the webcam nor remove any filters!

Best results are gained with the removal of the IR filter + use of IR LED's.

Standard LED's can 'flood' it... causing all sorts of drama. I spent about a month stuffing around with a decent Logitech webcam, and in the end - the only way I could get it working decently, was with the IR filter removed and IR LED's added.

In the end, I got sick of it - reverted the webcam back, and brought a TrackIR.

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- zaelu - 12.04.2008

Confirm, all green.

my approach

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- tangani - 12.04.2008

Do you know anybody using it who could give me the good profile for il2 1946. I'll try to make it working.

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- zaelu - 12.04.2008

I can give my profile but from my experience (I gave it to 3 squad mates and switched a camera on my PC) is no use.

I sit different in front of the camera from you and very sure I use a different camera too... so the profile wouldn't fit you for sure.

If you build it just give me a PM to get my attention and I will assist you in setting it.

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- zaelu - 12.04.2008

I am responding here to tangani's questions so maybe somebody else can use the info.


Yes, you have to make the IR LEDs flat for better angle. The best, easy and risk free way is to cover the part you don't want to lose with a paper insulator tape... it is used in electronics for insulating soldered wires etc, or some duct ape. This way the LED is protected from braking. You put it in a pliers tool and then use a sandpaper to shave the rounded top off. Go to a maximum 1mm before the actual diode! Don't bother in making that surface polished... it actually helps to be a bit scratchy at dissipating the IR emission at wider angles.

Also, many webcams work OK without removing the IR filter but if you observe poor quality in the spots of the LEDs you should consider removing it.

Applying a filter for the visible range of the light is also a good idea as you will get less disturbances this way. The camera will see only IR. Watch out for sun light or normal light bulbs... they emit a lot of IR .

The camera should be set on 320X240 resolution, not more so you will get the best and stable FPS. Also in the camera settings you should disable all auto features and try to reduce exposure as much as you can so you will get better FPS. RGB mode is OK but i420 can also be used.

The camera settings should be done via an external program such as AmCap ( it comes with most of the webcams an can be freely downloaded from here: http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=video ) because you can see the results better in the program window as it is a normal view not a "infrared-analytic view" as Feetrack has and also sometimes Freetrack loses or it mess the settings of the webcam and you have to start over. At the end you should obtain 3 white spots clearly seen from most angles and the 3 green dots on the Freetrack right-down corner always on.

Don't use Freetrack and AmCap at the same time!

the dots should look like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wM66wmJX4M but only 3.

After that... all you need to do is create a profile.

1. you need to enter the distances between the LEDs... Don't be extremely precise as all resides in the profile settings in the end and extreme values on that could crash Freetrack.

2. you need to change the sensitivity values.

3. You need to make changes to the curves.

I'll post pictures how my freetrack is set sou you could have a reference.

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- Willy - 12.04.2008

Hi zaelu that all very impressive and inventive stuff :!: I bet your some kind of tech guy at work...boffin of some kind

A bit ot... watched your Lomac crosswind landing video...nice landing, that Su25T is a fun bird to fly :wink:

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- zaelu - 12.04.2008

Willy, I am a bit techy... but, crazy ideas I have plenty

Here are the pics I promised:

Camera settings... they could differ from webcam to webcam

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- Guest - 12.04.2008

Very nice instructions there, zaelu!
That must be the most helpful tut I've seen for FreeTrack. Should make it easier for new users, indeed!
It took me awhile to get it 'just right', but I've been using FreeTrack happily for about 6 months now. No need for TiR for me... :lol:

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- Guest - 12.04.2008

I can only add other few suggestion to these good instructions of zaelu (S!) :

1) Use I420 filter as suggested from zaelu for you webcam in webcam setting instead of RGB values -1st picture- if you can use IR LED (better tracking
2) Anti-ficker =set 60hz
3)Traslation -picture 7- better 90-110 if you want use Zoom Gunsight
4) Thick "extra frames" -picture n.9- right side square

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- zaelu - 13.04.2008

Hello Falco,

My webcam can happily work with RGB and I420, I didn't observed any real difference. I use now RGB but initially when I had a 4point tracker and version2.0 of the Freetrack I had used I420. I prefer now RGB because it has a black background and the picture is clearer for my eyes cause now on ver2.1 the LED dots have those big crosshairs on them and the background has another cross on it. But, I heard that for some webcams I420 is best. I can't remember now for Microsoft lifecam vx3000 (tangani's webcam) what variant is best.

Anti-flicker can produce a better image but, can take out FPS cause is using CPU and webcam "power" to do it, so it's from case to case.

About translation in pic7, I don't think I understand exactly what you mean. I don't use "auto-zoom" feature of 6DoF 2.0, I disable it every time I start the game... I have smooth zoom mapped on the X52 by assigning "increase/decrease FOV to a key that is repeated every 0.01 seconds via Profile Editor of X52 and is smother that 6DoF (doesn't have the "snap"). Are you saying that using the settings you recommend you can get rid of the snapping and have a smooth translation from leaning to zooming?

About extra frames. I have a very annoying webcam (Logitech Quickcam Connect, expensive too ) that produces a lot of jitter, it can keep the FPS up no problem but has jitter on top of it... most of the time is red... so I thought adding extra frames (which apparently I don't need since the FPS is close to 30 most of the times) I will only create more problems from the jitter. I'll give it a try with extra frames and see what happens.

S!

Oh and about the trackers.

I had a 4point tracker initially and then I made a smaller 3point one. Here are some pictures:
the 4point one:


3point


a new one for a squad mate:




this is how it stays on a stupid head


A happy monkey



This small type 3point tracker has the advantage now that I have more room for lateral translations as it has a smaller "footprint" on the webcam, I can move around without fearing I will break it, it looks lees than a alien thing , it has lower energy consumption as it uses only 3 LEDs with a ~60Ohms resistor serially wired to a 4X1.2v AAA accumulators (it works for about 2 weeks before I need recharge) and it is lighter.

this is how the battery assembly look like (the resistor holder and switch are glued together):




and here are some links:

My last 3Point assembly how to (those in the pictures above are evolution of it and they are build for some squad mates, I will "upgrade mine a bit later), it has now the T which holds the LEDs made out a Velcro band which has the LEDs holders glued on them and the bottom part of the Velcro can now be detached and washed having a piece of cloth material sewed on it so it will not irritate the head skin ):

http://forum.free-track.net//index.php?showtopic=515

another Romanian IL-2 nut confirming the idea works:

http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=716

and my old 4point assembly (ATM is reduced greatly in size and uses only 3 LEDs, the tip being cut away and is being used happily by another squad mate):

http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=223

and how to remove IR filter from an A4tech PK333 MB webcam:

http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=728

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- The Legacy - 13.04.2008

An idea that may work is using a Nintendo Wiimote in this fashion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw

If you have one already, it's likely the cheapest method.

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- zaelu - 13.04.2008

Nope: http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=439

also the wii is a bit more expensive than a webcam and some IR LEDs

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