ED Tracker vs TrackIR 4?
- Thread starter Rayner
- Start date
opentrack allows you to use the edtracker with pretty much anygame, you setup the edtracker in the gui then open up the opentrack hell here is the linkg and areally cool video from brumster to tell you all about it
http://www.edtracker.org.uk/index.php/using/opentrack
[video=youtube;co6DBoxU3wc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=co6DBoxU3wc[/video]
enjoy
http://www.edtracker.org.uk/index.php/using/opentrack
[video=youtube;co6DBoxU3wc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=co6DBoxU3wc[/video]
enjoy
Interesting. How much of a DIY is it? Do I need to do anything to the Camera or the TrackClip?
What software would I use?
I was thinking about it , then i noticed that a webcam that supports headtracking does the job perfectly too , that would be about 20 bucks
I tried one of those and my Microsoft lifecam but they had problems with reflections off my glasses and unfortunately I'm blind as a bat without them
That would be the ideal solution though, which camera did you look at?
I tried one of those and my Microsoft lifecam but they had problems with reflections off my glasses and unfortunately I'm blind as a bat without them
That would be the ideal solution though, which camera did you look at?
Several , just recently been browsing around some at different shops.
Since i stopped playing due to 6okt. bugs i did not bother to buy one yet , i also wear glasses , since i cannot read when not wearing them haha , so i have been looking specifically at infra red tracking webcams , that way reflection should not be an issue , they are not all too expensive and the IR tracking software if i recall correctly is free to download.
Also i can use the webcam for other uses besides ED , so that made me decide to look at a few , the build in microhpone of a webcam allows me also to use voiceattack at the same time , removing the need for a headset completely , i hate headsets , my ears can't stand them , if i wear a headset longer as 1 hour my ears hurt like hell , no matter what type of headset it is
you can use a ps3 eye cam and a 3p IR cap problem is that light has a big issue with the IR lights, I worked out it costs around the same, but you have to open up the ps3 eye camera to take out the IR filter yes I have one of these too and edtracker is much better, I used to use my cap for euro truck but now opentrack I can use edtracker for that too
Last edited:
@OP
If you have an Android phone I really recommend you to try using it as movement tracker. Instructions here:
https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack/wiki/Smartphone-Headtracking
I use it with both Elite Dangerous and War Thunder. I have an old ZTE Grand X phone that is not used anymore. I have it in tethering mode so network goes through USB cable. No rooting or anything fishy needed to be done. Just Opentrack in your PC and Freepie app in your phone. Then strap the phone to your headphones and fly away.
If you have an Android phone I really recommend you to try using it as movement tracker. Instructions here:
https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack/wiki/Smartphone-Headtracking
I use it with both Elite Dangerous and War Thunder. I have an old ZTE Grand X phone that is not used anymore. I have it in tethering mode so network goes through USB cable. No rooting or anything fishy needed to be done. Just Opentrack in your PC and Freepie app in your phone. Then strap the phone to your headphones and fly away.
not me , i don't have a PS3 or 4 for that matter
However i have an old motion detection usb webcam that i use for security that cost me at the time 9.95 euro.(actualy it was a laptop cam with clip)
And it popped up in my mind there are tracking cams cheaply nowadays
Last edited:
I do have an Android smartphone. The video there with the scrunchy...doesn't look very secure to me. I'd be afraid that I'd accidentally whip my head around and damage my phone.
Maybe there's a mount that would make me feel more comfortable (literally and figuratively) with my phone on my head.
I have had both an IR based head tracker (Delan-Clip with track-IR and a camera, and ED-Tracker).
I wear glasses and they messed with the Clip+Track-IR setup terribly, and with my eyes because I could see reflections of the LED's on the inside of my glasses).
ED-Tracker was (by far) the better solution for me. No, ED-Tracker is not 6DOF, but ED doesn't support 6DOF anyway.
For me, ED-Tracker was (and remains) a far, far better solution.
Also, the ED-Tracker folks are really first-rate.
They have given me and all my playing family (who have ED-Trackers) fantastic support, and in this regard they stand head and shoulders above big corporate folks like Saitek (spit!).
I believe they are working on a wireless version now and that would be a big bonus.
HTH. Good luck in your selection.
I wear glasses and they messed with the Clip+Track-IR setup terribly, and with my eyes because I could see reflections of the LED's on the inside of my glasses).
ED-Tracker was (by far) the better solution for me. No, ED-Tracker is not 6DOF, but ED doesn't support 6DOF anyway.
For me, ED-Tracker was (and remains) a far, far better solution.
Also, the ED-Tracker folks are really first-rate.
They have given me and all my playing family (who have ED-Trackers) fantastic support, and in this regard they stand head and shoulders above big corporate folks like Saitek (spit!).
I believe they are working on a wireless version now and that would be a big bonus.
HTH. Good luck in your selection.
Last edited:
I bought an EDTracker about a year ago. It literally disintegrated as I tried to plug it in. Very brittle. I was sent new parts free of charge, but I'm not an engineer so binned it. Bought a TrackIR and there's no comparison in quality. If you're on a tight budget then by all means go with EDTracker. - many seem be satisfied, and I may have been unlucky. Otherwise, TrackIR (or, better yet, a VR headset).
-
Full disclosure: I barely use my TrackIR as I play almost exclusively with the DK2. But it is a decent bit of kit, with great software to boot.
-
Full disclosure: I barely use my TrackIR as I play almost exclusively with the DK2. But it is a decent bit of kit, with great software to boot.
Last edited:
Hi, The EDTracker Pro uses a 6050 plus a separate magnetometer chip. The external magnetometer is better than the one we found on the 9150 so makes our life a bit easier (code-wise) and also shaves a few milliseconds off of the (already low) latency.
Rob
EDTracker dude
If you are after value for your money, the EDtracker is a very good product.
Now it does have a few quirks: it's using a gyroscope, which needs to be calibrated every time the device boots (done automatically, but that means the device has to sit still for 20s on launch), and a magnetometer which interact poorly with the magnets in a headset's woofers, so I had to mount my EDtracker on top of a 2-inch high block of packing foam (I wanted something light on my head obviously) to create enough distance between the headphones and the device itself (before I did that, I would get some very noticeable drift at certain angles when looking up and down). It's now working flowlessly however.
Comparatively, TrackIR is pretty hassle-free, the software allows for a lot more tweaking and it is 6dof whereas EDtracker is only 3dof (that's not really a problem for Elite). But of course that all comes at a premium.
So if you're looking for a cheap head tracker for Elite that does the job just fine, EDtracker is that. If you're looking for the best money can get you and intend on using it in games which support (and more importantly, make use of) the full 6dof experience, you'll want to take a look at TrackIR.
There are of course other cheap solutions, but my experience is limited to the aforementioned products.
Now it does have a few quirks: it's using a gyroscope, which needs to be calibrated every time the device boots (done automatically, but that means the device has to sit still for 20s on launch), and a magnetometer which interact poorly with the magnets in a headset's woofers, so I had to mount my EDtracker on top of a 2-inch high block of packing foam (I wanted something light on my head obviously) to create enough distance between the headphones and the device itself (before I did that, I would get some very noticeable drift at certain angles when looking up and down). It's now working flowlessly however.
Comparatively, TrackIR is pretty hassle-free, the software allows for a lot more tweaking and it is 6dof whereas EDtracker is only 3dof (that's not really a problem for Elite). But of course that all comes at a premium.
So if you're looking for a cheap head tracker for Elite that does the job just fine, EDtracker is that. If you're looking for the best money can get you and intend on using it in games which support (and more importantly, make use of) the full 6dof experience, you'll want to take a look at TrackIR.
There are of course other cheap solutions, but my experience is limited to the aforementioned products.
Last edited:
Hi Katkon,
Our top priority with the EDTracker Pro was to make it robust. Rather than the off-the-shelf modules used in the 6050/9150 EDTrackers the Pro is a professionally constructed PCB. So we have complete control over quality
Agreed DIY isn't for everyone but you don't need to be an engineer to build one, just the ability to solder.
Cheers,
Rob
edtracker.org.uk
I ended up going with EDTracker. It seems to be working pretty well so far.
I will embarassingly caution other American buyers that £ is not the symbol for euros, it's the British pound. The exchange rate between USD and GBP will be fairly shocking on your statement if you were expecting the USD and EUR exchange rate.
I feel slightly less secure in the purchase because if something does go wrong, it will be a greater hastle to sort it out than if I had purchased the TrackIR 4 from Amazon. Previously I had thought I was saving about $20 by going this route, which was part of the justification, but they ended up being the same price after the conversion.
Overall I'd say the EDTracker implementation seems more practical to me than the TrackIR implementation; I'd rather not have to have a webcam staring at me for no reason all the time. The USB cable coming from the top of my head might get annoying, but I'm buying a longer cable and some clips so hopefully I can get a more comfortable slack going.
So far I'd say the biggest issue I had was with the magnetometer calibration for two reasons.
First, even though the EDTracker Pro offers a sturdier USB port, it's still a USB port. Even the best will still be relatively fragile. Having to twist it all around while it was plugged in felt like I was taunting the USB port gods. I followed the video, which moved kind of fast. I'm not sure what pace you need to go for the calibration to be valid, but if you can do it more slowly, I think it might be better to let the user know that and maybe offer a way to slow down the video as well.
Second, my headset's ear cups can swivel, making it fairly difficult to replicate the motions of the video (again, a slower pace would have helped). It might not sound like it would be difficult, but if you recorded a person calibrating a headset with swiveling ear cups, you could play Yakety Sax to the recording and it would fit very well. That's the only adequate metric that I can think of to describe the degree of fumbleness involved.
I think EDTracker is the clear winner for British players or anyone who might have a more favorable exchange rate. Once the price gets into the $80 range it's a bit more difficult, but overall still a good deal.
I will embarassingly caution other American buyers that £ is not the symbol for euros, it's the British pound. The exchange rate between USD and GBP will be fairly shocking on your statement if you were expecting the USD and EUR exchange rate.
I feel slightly less secure in the purchase because if something does go wrong, it will be a greater hastle to sort it out than if I had purchased the TrackIR 4 from Amazon. Previously I had thought I was saving about $20 by going this route, which was part of the justification, but they ended up being the same price after the conversion.
Overall I'd say the EDTracker implementation seems more practical to me than the TrackIR implementation; I'd rather not have to have a webcam staring at me for no reason all the time. The USB cable coming from the top of my head might get annoying, but I'm buying a longer cable and some clips so hopefully I can get a more comfortable slack going.
So far I'd say the biggest issue I had was with the magnetometer calibration for two reasons.
First, even though the EDTracker Pro offers a sturdier USB port, it's still a USB port. Even the best will still be relatively fragile. Having to twist it all around while it was plugged in felt like I was taunting the USB port gods. I followed the video, which moved kind of fast. I'm not sure what pace you need to go for the calibration to be valid, but if you can do it more slowly, I think it might be better to let the user know that and maybe offer a way to slow down the video as well.
Second, my headset's ear cups can swivel, making it fairly difficult to replicate the motions of the video (again, a slower pace would have helped). It might not sound like it would be difficult, but if you recorded a person calibrating a headset with swiveling ear cups, you could play Yakety Sax to the recording and it would fit very well. That's the only adequate metric that I can think of to describe the degree of fumbleness involved.
I think EDTracker is the clear winner for British players or anyone who might have a more favorable exchange rate. Once the price gets into the $80 range it's a bit more difficult, but overall still a good deal.
Have to agree with Rayner on most of his points above. But once you're setup and calibrated this is a quality little piece of kit that works flawlessly.
As an Oculus DK2 user i was sceptical about how this might feel and play, but it's pretty much perfect. I won't be flying without it now..
I'm using the latest EDTracker Pro btw that mounts with the screws facing down and the leds on top.
As an Oculus DK2 user i was sceptical about how this might feel and play, but it's pretty much perfect. I won't be flying without it now..
I'm using the latest EDTracker Pro btw that mounts with the screws facing down and the leds on top.