Which Tracker is "best"?

This is a USB Micro B to regular USB?

Yup. (adds useless waffle to get past 'message too short') :)

EDIT: This one, to be clear...

usb-a-microb-lead.jpg
 
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From what I have seen on youtube, ED trackers seems to me to have quite a long response from when you turn your head to see the movement on the screen. Is it really like that or it only seems like that on all those youtube videos ?
 
From what I have seen on youtube, ED trackers seems to me to have quite a long response from when you turn your head to see the movement on the screen. Is it really like that or it only seems like that on all those youtube videos ?

Its nothing like that, having used one since the first versions I can tell you they are really quick in their response.

Also just got back home from Lavecon 2014 and two of the guys that tested the demo ED Tracker said it was more responsive than their TrackIR '5
 
Response time is instant, no delay whatsoever, very precise and smooth. In my experience better than a 120fps camera and IR clip.

What you might have seen in the videos is the deadzone setting. In ED controls there's a deadzone slider. It basically adds a dead zone at the center of the screen that has no movement whatsoever so the dash is static and bunches up the rest of the movement outside of the deadzone. This means that you may have to move your head several degrees off center before any head tracking starts.

If you have no deadzone it tracks all the time and in some circumstances requiring precise alignment of your ship, it can be a little disorientating when the slightest movement of your head registers as a movement. So you use this deadzone. Having a static screen can be handy if your sniping for instance, and want to hold the ship steady. (You could turn tracking off, but having a slight deadzone is in my experience preferable.

In the IDE you can also set exponential where your head movement is exaggerated on screen. So you get more sensitivity and more your head less to get a larger movement on screen.

By default it is set to 8 in the IDE, some people like to add a little more for more sensitivity and less head movement. The default lets you keep the eye on the screen at all times, but I find it a bit of a stretch if your looking 90 degrees up tracking an enemy that flew overhead.

I have a very slight deadzone of maybe a pixel so it only just registers as a slight resistance you push against before it goes into regular tracking, but not enough that is jumps abruptly when you overcome it.
 
I found a Kindle charger lead to be just the right length when plugged into a front USB port on my rig.

Dammit! I knew I had one of the things in the house! Never thought to check the other half's Kindle!

Err...thank you for providing me with a solution. :)
 
If you have a android cell phone lying around. Chances are it's data cable is a micro USB to regular USB you plug into the little wall charger.

A lot of MP3 players use the same micro USB cable to hook up to your PC too.

I had about 4 lying around the house from various devices but bought one of the flat noodle soft rubber type for flexibility and lightness.
 
If tracker response was anything BUT instant, you'd get nonsense results, as unlike some optical trackers, inertial ones differentiate the mag/accel output and typically require 200+ Hz to just operate.

If you're getting bad drift see if there are any magnets nearby, like ones in headphones. Or calibrate the magnetometer for the circumstances.
 
Its another one of these things in the internet age where a company spends a lot of money developing something, then the internet believes it should be free kind of things.

I've read the blog linked above, while I think he makes a few good points, he seems to have this "open for all, free for everybody" view on life which quite frankly isn't fair for those spending money on developing something that works amazingly well.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but IMO if you make something, you deserve to be paid for it, and if you try to capture a market, your merely performing your duty in a capitalist world.

Hypocrisy is rife in this open source mindset we have right now. I would bet most people reading this would take an affront if something they made for commercial use was modified for the good of the world.

This ain't a knock at EDTracker btw, just that White Knight blog.

It's not a case for open protocols. It's a case for lack of antitrust monopoly (i.e. not natural one, but abusive one). He makes good points backed by facts, if totally one-sided argument.

So, not that "internet thinks that..." but a strong basis in reality.

Your case for "hypocrisy" and "mindset" is either projecting or sophistry.

Anyway, nice shill for a pet cause, bro.

-sh
 
See I don't get these head trackers. Don't you have to turn your head to look around meaning you stop looking at the screen?
If it translate tiny movements into big movements then it seems like it would get very uncomfortable with prolonged used.
 
All I can say from my own experience is that the EDTracker that I made myself, via those awesome guys Poketmoon, Brumster and Dead Fred, for £10 has to be one of the most amazing and cool, functionally wonderful yet cost effective solutions ever. It is now rock solid and I can use it for hours upon end without issue. ;)

See I don't get these head trackers. Don't you have to turn your head to look around meaning you stop looking at the screen?
If it translate tiny movements into big movements then it seems like it would get very uncomfortable with prolonged used.

It becomes a very, VERY, natural experience bit like riding a bike. Initially you are focused upon doing it but shortly afterwards it is an innate experience. :)
 
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Is it uncomfortable at all?
Seems to me all those small movements might really hurt the ol' neck after a while
 
Is it uncomfortable at all?
Seems to me all those small movements might really hurt the ol' neck after a while

I must admit, it takes a little getting used to but doesn't feel at all uncomfortable to me.

As for the range of movement, someone else on the forum best described it as being like shaking your head at someone while maintaining eye contact. So you aren't having to move your head too far and look out of the corner of your eyes.
 
Is it uncomfortable at all?
Seems to me all those small movements might really hurt the ol' neck after a while

The movements are quite slow and you can control how much movement you get by changing some variables. Currently it's done in the programming IDE and flashed to the unit. But they are adding it to the UI soon.

You have a multiplier and exponential value for each axis. Exponential is kind of like acceleration the further from center you move your head, scale is like a multiplier that multiplies the angle you turn your head in game.

I found the traditional head tracking with a IR led clipped to your head and a camera tracking it is a lot more uncomfortable. Especially with your back because you have to try and maintain the same posture to look straight and keep centered.

With EDTrack which is only 2 or 3 axis rotation. you can slouch, or lean back or to one side so long as you keep your head level and facing forward. Plus exponential gives you a deadzone where the screen stays centered till you push against it to start the turn.

It's all quite natural and the deadzone gives you a little room to move your head slightly like a ambient animation pose without effecting the view. So your probably not going to get cramp or some kind of neck injury.
 
Personally I think it sounds like the occulus is going to be worlds better.
Still guess it can't be helped if this is all thats available right now
 
oculus sounds good but has a few shortcomings. if your worried about neck movements. It is quite heavy. it's also isolating. if you have to watch dogs. kids. answer the phone or do any number of things you need to take the mask off . Even if its simple computer things like email.

You pretty much need HOTAS since your keyboard isn't intuitive with the mask on. refresh rate should be at least 75 fps. with the new HD headset you will require a expensive PC.

So there is definitely place for this tech. I thought the oculus would be perfect till I realised it didn't really fit my situation very well. Wife, kids, 4 dogs alone would make it an exercise in frustration.
 
Plus, it costs £25 fully assembled or £10 if you want to build it yourself. I'd love an Oculus, but as Antmax said, it's very isolating from the rest of the world...and £250-300 (he guesses wildly).

I wouldn't consider a tracking solution as settling for what's available right now. It increases the immersion dramatically and I personally couldn't be happier. :)
 
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