Have I wasted my Money ?

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PeetNZ
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 4:15 pm

Have I wasted my Money ?

Post by PeetNZ »

Just picked up a TrackIR Gamer Set mainly to use with MSFS2020, but haven't even got that far.

Running : i7 10700K 4.7GHz all cores, 64GB RAM 3200MHz, RTX3080 2160x1440 all drivers & software are up to date Win11 22H2

TrackIR Software (v5.4.2) sometime fails to start and if it does then hangs. Doesn't matter if ran as Admin or not.

When it does launch :
*ProClip can be seen but if I move it out of sight then the software seems to jump all over the place, when insight, I have to re-centre all the time
*Doesn't see the TrackClip (ProClip is also installed so don't know if the two can be used at the same time) if I select it from the menu
*I had tried a software & camera solution from SimMarket, 6DOF, which actually worked better than this but did have it's own issues. I got that as a test to see if Head Tracking would be good for me (in the Sim) before I made the significant purchase for TrackIR

So now feeling a bit of buyers remorse.

Am I alone or are these issues know of and more importantly - Is there a solution.

Thanks for any suggestions.
jillian.smythe
NaturalPoint Employee
NaturalPoint Employee
Posts: 286
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2022 6:40 am

Re: Have I wasted my Money ?

Post by jillian.smythe »

Hello PeetNZ,

I am happy to help troubleshoot the problems you are having. There are few different issues that can cause the TrackIR software to hang or fail to start. Would you please check Windows Event Viewer to see if there is a specific error associated with those crashes?

When it does start, please switch the grid to Camera View. What do you see in the grid? When the unit is working as expected, you should just see three green dots. If you see a lot of red noise or if the dots themselves are red, this indicates there is some sort of light interference happening. Look around and eliminate any stray sources of infrared light, such as sunlight.

You will only be able to use either the TrackClip or the TrackClip Pro at one time. You can switch between them by selecting the corresponding button in the software. Having the TrackClip Pro plugged into your computer should not prevent the TrackClip from working, as long as you have the correct setting selected in the software. When you select the TrackClip, do you see the two red dots in the center area of your TrackIR camera?

When the TrackClip Pro is out of view of the camera, it is not able to track your movements. During normal usage, the TrackClip or TrackClip Pro should stay within view of the camera. If you are frequently moving out of view of the camera, you may need to alter some of the settings. This user has a very comprehensive overview of how to set up the TrackIR so that you will see a bigger movement in game with a smaller movement of your head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdefLYQ9uYA.

Please let me know if you are still having trouble with your TrackIR.

Kind Regards,
Jillian Smythe
TrackIR Support Representative
PeetNZ
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 4:15 pm

Re: Have I wasted my Money ?

Post by PeetNZ »

Hi Jillian

Thanks for the response, this is a really useful video.

It appears that my issues are related to light pollution as it seems that daylight has far more IR than I expected. I can test that if I stand infront of the window, then there are far less tracked items and I guess that 3 is the best number to look for.

I'll play some more to figure out the optimal positions etc as closing the curtains doesn't block out all IR from the window and really don't have an option to move my PC or the window.
jillian.smythe
NaturalPoint Employee
NaturalPoint Employee
Posts: 286
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2022 6:40 am

Re: Have I wasted my Money ?

Post by jillian.smythe »

Hello PeetNZ,

I'm glad the video was helpful for you, and that the issue has been identified as light from the window. If you go to the Camera tab in the TrackIR software, you should see a setting for "Light Filter Threshold." Try adjusting this to the maximum value to see if that reduces the light interference while keeping the LEDs or reflectors visible.

Kind Regards,
Jillian Smythe
TrackIR Support Representative
ElroyPatrick72
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2022 9:01 am

Re: Have I wasted my Money ?

Post by ElroyPatrick72 »

I think you have built a great computer. Most likely you are planning to play demanding games, my friend has a PC with about the same characteristics and he is happy!
PeetNZ
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 4:15 pm

Re: Have I wasted my Money ?

Post by PeetNZ »

Thanks for the feedback.

The issue does seem to be light pollution related rather than any issue with hardware.
Positioning and (kinda) calibration seems to be the key to getting good tracking

Regards
Jose123
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2023 9:19 pm

Re: Have I wasted my Money ?

Post by Jose123 »

Do nothing; simply proceed. If you really think about it, you have not wasted any money. You spent the money so that you may get some experience and learn how to avoid wasting money on similar or identical things in the future. :x :x
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