Free Headtracking on smarthphone

[Escorpion]

Using a Samsung Galaxy Core (GT-I8260). Everything set up and working in 15 minutes. But I have a problem with the yaw and roll when phone turn off the smartphone screen after x second of inactivity: the side by side movement ceases to send yaw to OpenTrack (moving side to side the phone sends nothing to OpenTrack) and the yaw data received by OpenTrack is now the roll movement (so if I lean the phone to achieve a roll effect, instead I obtain the yaw effect).

It's a strange behaviour. Once I activate smartphone screen again, everything returns to normal behaviour. I have set up in the phone the delay to shut down screen to 30 minutes (maximun time allowed)... but the need to activate the screen after a while it's annoying (and always happens in the heat of the battle, of course...)

Anyone have a similar issue and have a better workaround?

 

[Lexta]

Thanks dude, it works, it's awesome and much cheaper then Tracking Hardware! I have just one problem, if i connect via USB my PC doesn't want to use it's Internet, just the phone, even when i priorize my usual connection :/
Works well with Wlan, just some lags sometimes.

 

[Red_shirt]

Am i missing something

Hi guys

I was very excited to find this bit of software, since I am on a budget.

But I can't it the thing to work with ED

I am using Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Microsoft sidewinder 2 joystick. again budget

I tried it with Warthunder, and it works perfectly, not so much with ED

1. I installed opentracker as per the instructions.

2. I loaded the elite ini file from github

3. I installed freepie on my phone

I have tried installing and uninstalling Vjoy drivers with no result

I am probably missing something obvious, but right now I can't see it.

Any suggestions?

 

[Schwaa Mageddon]

Make sure you set all the options in open tracker as in the op guide.

Elite stopped seeing it for me for no apparent reason - starting facetracknoir then stopping it but leaving it open got elite to see the input from open track again.

 

[Red_shirt]

using facetracknoir fixed my opentracker

Thanks Commander

 

[CMDR_JCry]

Until yesterday I was using my Galaxy 2 Plus / FreePIE / Opentrack for head tracking without a problem.

Now suddenly my pitch is mixed with yaw, so whenever I raise my head, instead of looking straight up, my view goes up but also twists to right. Also looking right onscreen is not possible anymore, the sideways movement simply isn't there. I have not made any changes to software or settings, at least as far as I know.

ED v1.1 is not to blame: when looking at the X/Y/Z Mappings in Opentrack (without opening Elite) and pitching the phone, the input for pitch works as it should, but there's a lot of activity in the yaw department as well. Yaw increases with pitch, although the values are way higher and they change on a bigger scale than those on pitch. Pure yaw is next to nonexistant to both sides.

I have gone through all the settings, reinstalled all related sw on both PC and phone, rebooted the phone with and without battery, calibrated both gyroscope and magnetometer, even rebooted my WLAN router. No help.

Any idea what to try next (or even better: how to fix this...), except factory resetting my phone or trying with another one? I swear, it was working yesterday! :S

Edit: Problem exists even with another phone. Disabled firewall and antivirus, ran a system/registry cleaner on my PC, no help. Opentrack 2.3 rc8 or rc9 (run as admin), doesn't matter. Downloaded the elite_ht.ini file again. When I activate FreePIE and Opentrack, place the phone on my desk and center the "view" in Opentrack, pitch and roll values stay at zero, but yaw values (for both raw and game data) seem to have a life of their own, jumping all over the place (though mostly between +-10). And I'm not even touching the phone, which by the way is working just fine with every other app I'm using! So it seems either FreePIE has started to send nonexistant data to Opentrack, or Opentrack has started to read nonexistant data from the great digital beyond. The only thing that has changed have been the latest Windows updates, so maybe I'll start rolling them back one by one next.

 

[Kyokushin]

tested with ed 1.1 and opentrack 2,3rc9 and s3 -works fine.

 

[CMDR_JCry]

In my case, unfortunately, ed 1.1, freepie 1.0, opentrack 2.3 rc9 & S 2 Plus (GT-I9105P, factory rom android 4.2.2), it is not working. I did some addtional research, and the problem has to originate from either my phone sensors or FreePIE. As a matter or fact, the issue is pretty much the same as in this case: https://github.com/AndersMalmgren/FreePIE/issues/46 but installing the FreePIE version in the thread link (or the one that comes along with the rc9 files) doesn't solve the problem.

When I activate FreePIE in Debug mode (without even opening opetrack), I can see the Yaw values change with pitch values and go crazy even when the phone is resting on the table. I guess I'll try a factory reset when I have the time...

 

[WitchQueen]

In my case, unfortunately, ed 1.1, freepie 1.0, opentrack 2.3 rc9 & S 2 Plus (GT-I9105P, factory rom android 4.2.2), it is not working. I did some addtional research, and the problem has to originate from either my phone sensors or FreePIE. As a matter or fact, the issue is pretty much the same as in this case: https://github.com/AndersMalmgren/FreePIE/issues/46 but installing the FreePIE version in the thread link (or the one that comes along with the rc9 files) doesn't solve the problem.

When I activate FreePIE in Debug mode (without even opening opetrack), I can see the Yaw values change with pitch values and go crazy even when the phone is resting on the table. I guess I'll try a factory reset when I have the time...

This is pretty much the problem I have except that when I look right or left, the view pitches up as well.

The default settings work for the phone pointing directly at the screen like in those hair bobble holder videos. All seems fine in that setting. When I switch about pitch/roll/yaw it messes up.

It can't be a phone sensor issue though since cardboard apps work perfectly.

 

[CMDR_JCry]

@Kyokushin:
Maybe we were better off if I reported this as an issue at GitHub? Do you consider this as an FreePIE or OpenTrack problem? In search for a solution I've come across more than a few cases like this (several reported in this thread). Reinstalling any version of FreePIE (including the .apk included in the latest FreePIE installer) does not solve the issue. In every other application (and sensor test) my phone is working as it's supposed to. If there's any additional information I can provide to help solving this, let me know!

 

[Kyokushin]

You need to use a Freepie APK in Opentrack 2.3 Rc9 Directory. This apk should be the same as in lates Freepie 1.8.567.0.
Previous versions are not compatibile.
You can also swap axes and planes of rotation in opentrack. However axes are not linked. Linked axes issue may be caused from a magnetic interference - this is only way i can explain this.

If some sensors do not works correctly - maybe it is good to ticket that.
I have tested Elite in current version with this solution and nothing change. Works as is works - without problems.

 

[sthalik]

Using a Samsung Galaxy Core (GT-I8260). Everything set up and working in 15 minutes. But I have a problem with the yaw and roll when phone turn off the smartphone screen after x second of inactivity: the side by side movement ceases to send yaw to OpenTrack (moving side to side the phone sends nothing to OpenTrack) and the yaw data received by OpenTrack is now the roll movement (so if I lean the phone to achieve a roll effect, instead I obtain the yaw effect).

I have the same phone. The model has no gyro, and rotation data is computed basing solely on the magnetometer. As there are only two magnetic poles, one axis of rotation doesn't return anything meaningful. As such I haven't been able to use it regardless of whether the screen is on or off.

 

[Schrefu]

Stumbled on this myself yesterday while idly browsing the web. Pretty fantastic experience if your Android device plays along. So much bang-for-buck.

Very easy to try, download latest OpenTrack, configure as described by OP. Make sure to install clientfiles\freepie-udp\com.freepie.android.imu.apk on your Android device, DO NOT INSTALL the one in clientfiles\android-freepie, it does not provide reliable data.

I'm currently using the Sony Xperia Z3 and I just tuck it between my headset strap and top of my head. Stays there secure enough for long gaming sessions.


Here are some results (data sent over Wifi):

Nexus 7, Cyanogenmod 10.2.1, WORKS
Funny enough, of all other devices I tried, works without issues aside from the awkwardness of having a 7 inch tablet on your head

Samsung Galaxy Note 2, SlimKat ROM 4.4.4, WORKS WITH ISSUES
Data stream is very good, but only while display is on. Probably some power save settings, didn't investigate.

Sony Xperia Z3, Stock 5.0.2 Lollipop, WORKS WITH ISSUES
Occasionally very choppy tracking, I'm guessing something causes network packet loss, didn't investigate.

Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen), Stock Lollipop, WORKS WITH ISSUES
Drift on yaw axis after turning head, didn't investigate.

HTC Desire S, Cyanogenmod ICS, WORKS WITH ISSUES
Sensor data does not reliably stream, probably bottlenecked by CPU.


I think it's a fantastic thing to try (if you got an Android device), before buying something like the edtracker or TrackIR.

 

[KaizoMK]

So I just fired this bad boy up and it seems to be a lot of fun, but pitch and roll seem to be swapped (looking left and right are great, but looking up and down doesn't do anything, whereas if I tilt my head to the side I start looking at my feet.) Ideas?

EDIT: It seems like I'd have to "rotate" the phone so I'd get the inputs to match up with how it sits on my head. Is there a way to do that? And before you ridicule me, I did try actually rotating the phone, but it seems to be fighting me on the readings either way.

FIXED: Under options you can change the input of the axes. I transposed pitch and roll in that menu and it worked like a charm. Pretty simple but maybe not so obvious to people new to the program.

 

[Kyp Shard]

Is anyone using this on a mac?

Everything working, except it doesn't work with the game? Any ideas?

 

[DavelKence]

Thanks for this. Just set up and works brilliantly. Occasional choppy movement with my Z5c but otherwise great and so much cheaper than the TrackIR I've been drooling over

 

[CMDR xX_Phaethon_Xx]

Very cool, innovative, and... silly looking. I don't hold my phone against my skull when talking with people, never mind for a video game. Absorption rate and all that good stuff... to each their own.

 

[Hendozero]

I had various problems with different axis appearing to be linked but changing the filter to EWMA has fixed everything. Other than that the settings are pretty much as described with Pitch and Roll inverted and the mappings updated. Once you get it working it is surprisingly natural although having a phone pressed against the top of your head isn't exactly comfortable. Still, it works and it's free so it's all good.

 

[DavelKence]

Very cool, innovative, and... silly looking. I don't hold my phone against my skull when talking with people, never mind for a video game. Absorption rate and all that good stuff... to each their own.

I had various problems with different axis appearing to be linked but changing the filter to EWMA has fixed everything. Other than that the settings are pretty much as described with Pitch and Roll inverted and the mappings updated. Once you get it working it is surprisingly natural although having a phone pressed against the top of your head isn't exactly comfortable. Still, it works and it's free so it's all good.

I use it by wearing the phone under a hat. Less silly-looking, but yes, uncomfortable after a time

I've found that setting FreePIE updates to Fast, rather than Fastest, is slightly better for the jerkiness, although its still there

 

[ArgusP]

Using Nexus4 FreePIE & Opentrack2.3rc21p8, I can spin the Octupus like crazy, but no effect in 64-bit ED. Running Opentrack as Admin priviledges. No input into ED under any control profile, standard TFlight or Custom, with mouse headlook on or off. Headlook is in default (on) state. Mouse headlook does work, so all I can conclude is ED is not seeing the Opentrack output? Does the Opentrack install location matter?