What head-tracking options do you use, and how easy was it to set up? My wife isn't nearly supportive enough to let me get a VR headset, and my phone lacks a gryoscope so I can't use Riftcat. I was thinking of going with either EdTracker or TrackHat, but I'm not sure which out of those two is the better option. They both offer wireless head tracking capabilities, though I think EdTracker is through bluetooth, and Trackhat is through...a webcam (not sure if my Logitech c920 would work for IR). Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Commanders!
Returning after two years, what's the current go-to for head tracking?
- Thread starter Nebulocity
- Start date
The edtracker is pretty good to. Not that I use it anymore as I have VR.
I suggest Delanclip Gamer pack. I have this and it works very well. It contains the IR transmitter that you attach to your headphones and the modified PS3eye camera to track the IR lights. Delanclip solution is ~50 euros.
I started with free Android headtracking and was convinced headtracking is something I want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pts_sotjMA
I tried the air mouse tracking with one strapped to my head. It worked but looked stupid.
I also tried the Opentrack with Aruco paper marker tracker. Also worked but not so accurate.
For me IR tracking has been the best and easiest solution and I can recommend that.
Though Edtracker seems to be less complicated as you do not need camera and cables with the wireless one. If I did not have Delanclip I might order one. One thing though is that it seems only supporting 3dof so you cannot move your head back and forth and up and down. I have found 6dof useful in games like War Thunder and Arma 3.
I started with free Android headtracking and was convinced headtracking is something I want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pts_sotjMA
I tried the air mouse tracking with one strapped to my head. It worked but looked stupid.
I also tried the Opentrack with Aruco paper marker tracker. Also worked but not so accurate.
For me IR tracking has been the best and easiest solution and I can recommend that.
Though Edtracker seems to be less complicated as you do not need camera and cables with the wireless one. If I did not have Delanclip I might order one. One thing though is that it seems only supporting 3dof so you cannot move your head back and forth and up and down. I have found 6dof useful in games like War Thunder and Arma 3.
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Ed tracker is brilliant, works flawlessly half the price of Track IR
Track IR gives extra degree of movement
VR Full blown total immersion expensive compared to other options and need a good rig to use it but its something else entirely.
Track IR gives extra degree of movement
VR Full blown total immersion expensive compared to other options and need a good rig to use it but its something else entirely.
EDTracker is superb value. I use the wired version as my headphones are wired anyway, I find it very simple and very effective. My current computer isn’t really up to the task for VR so £30 for an EDTracker was money well spent.
If VR is simply a no go for whatever reason there’s little point in trying to compare the two. If it is possible then VR would surely win.
If VR is simply a no go for whatever reason there’s little point in trying to compare the two. If it is possible then VR would surely win.
If you plan to use it for games which heavily benefit from 6dof (flight sims, arma), fork out a bit more for a Track IR 4 or newer.
If just for ED, a wireless EDTracker is the best bang for your buck. It's not as outrageously expensive as Track IR but it simply works and is more responsive and accurate than any of the IR or face recog products. 6dof has no use in ED, since you of course can't slide your view more than a few cm either ways, which makes close to no difference in the cockpits/bridges of our huge ships.
If just for ED, a wireless EDTracker is the best bang for your buck. It's not as outrageously expensive as Track IR but it simply works and is more responsive and accurate than any of the IR or face recog products. 6dof has no use in ED, since you of course can't slide your view more than a few cm either ways, which makes close to no difference in the cockpits/bridges of our huge ships.
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Powderpanic
Banned
Ed tracker, cheap and works super well.
Powerpanic
The Voice of Griefing
Powerpanic
The Voice of Griefing
Like a total loon I'm sitting with a phone on my head. Looks absolutely ridonkulous and my gf keeps taking photos of me while giggling. But it works fine. Not that it's something I really recommend for anyone as a permanent solution. Just a tip to others who might be curious about headtracking and have a spare smartphone lying around. Just download opentrack and check out the instructions on github. Painless and quick and works quite well after tinkering with settings and putting the phone in contact with your headphone speakers for a spell so as to let the gyros adapt to their magnetic field.
Looks dumb. But works for free.
I want vr though
Looks dumb. But works for free.
I want vr though
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Any money you throw into a tracker now is money wasted against the inevitable coming of the chosen one: VR. ED Tracker is very good as a tracking system, but it's soooooooooooooo much less than VR... you'll be wishing you had bought VR earlier.
The difference is impossible to explain in words, you have to try it. The feeling of being there, in your little SRV, under your gigantic ship, inside a crater 100Km wide... is nothing short of astonishing.
The difference is impossible to explain in words, you have to try it. The feeling of being there, in your little SRV, under your gigantic ship, inside a crater 100Km wide... is nothing short of astonishing.
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VR has been here for years now. It's still a very niche product which very few can really afford. It will probably be another few years before the VR kit itself becomes really affordable, and then you still have to deal with the fact you'll always need a top end computer to run it anyway.
TrackIR is what, ~150 bucks. An EDtracker is less than 50. Either of those is pocket change considering you'll be using them for years to come with no need to upgrade the hardware at any time. How long will a current gend Rift or Vive last? At some point the low resolution will be just too obvious compared to what they'll be making then, and you'll want to upgrade. And of course you'll also need to upgrade your whole rig to keep up. You don't casually get into VR, it will always be a huge money sink which can't financially compare with the simple one-time purchase of a TrackIR or EDtracker kit.
So no, money spent on head tracking is not wasted if you have no immediate plans to buy and maintain a VR rig.
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I made an IR tracker from a design I found on thingiverse, got a webcam and got it working with the fine open source opentrack software. It worked great, especially with my triple 24 inch monitor setup. However it was just a gateway drug, it left me wanting more. At first I was considering getting much larger monitors until I realized that my monitors are fine and the world could become my monitor. I now have an Oculus Rift and it is so much better than a head tracker.
I gave my head tracker to a friend and he loves it mainly because he can't afford the upgraded rig required for VR.
I gave my head tracker to a friend and he loves it mainly because he can't afford the upgraded rig required for VR.
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I tried Trackir. It worked very well, but I found that a headtracker didn't give any advantage for the inconvenience of wearing it, so I ditched it. I also have an Occulus Rift, but found that it had too many disadvantages as well, so I gave up with that. It seems that everything has advantages and disadvantages, so don't be in too much hurry to change anything - especially without trying first. I think it's much better to spend your money on a decent PC and monitor before gadgets, and after that, decent flightsticks like Virpil are definitely worth it.
I have and mainly use a wired edtracker, value for money and can't be beat - added bonus I dont have to fight with voice recognition.
I also have an Oculus Dk2 that I picked up for £100 second hand still works fine, just slightly lower resolution ( brother in law has current Oculus rift and I've compared them side by side - rift is not £300 better - and he paid the original £800 ).
Seen some ok reviews of Pimax 4k's - when you can get them - bit lower quality build wise - but seem to work well for Elite.
I also have an Oculus Dk2 that I picked up for £100 second hand still works fine, just slightly lower resolution ( brother in law has current Oculus rift and I've compared them side by side - rift is not £300 better - and he paid the original £800
). Seen some ok reviews of Pimax 4k's - when you can get them - bit lower quality build wise - but seem to work well for Elite.
The one thing noone has yet mentioned about VR is the possibly of spending a large bundle of cash on hardware that may well make you nauseous within a short space of time.
I tried a friend oculus (one of the earlier ones) and only managed about 3 minutes before I had to stop.
In the end I got a Tobii eye tracker which is excellent.
I tried a friend oculus (one of the earlier ones) and only managed about 3 minutes before I had to stop.
In the end I got a Tobii eye tracker which is excellent.