pitch and Y axis coupling

[Nomad76]

I'm a new TrackIR 4 user, I started straight out with the alpha 3 drivers for FSX compatibility. And I'm getting the same pitch and Y axis coupling issue that I've read that others have experienced.

The actual behavior isn't constant. I suspect it's an error related to my positioning of the Trackclip, and depending upon exactly where it's located, and how I have it centered, it changes.

But it has one basic behavior. If I tilt my head up, the Y axis goes down, and vice versa. It's rather obvious what's going on there.

I put the trackclip on top of the headband of my headphones. So instead of being on the brim of a cap, in front of my head, it's on top of my head. But the software seems to think that the clip is in front of my head. So when I look down, it thinks the head is moving up as well. This all makes sense when I visualize it, I don't know if it's coming through right though. Visualize my head, with the clip mounted on top of it, and then imagine another head positioned behind it, as if it was wearing the hat that the clip is expected to be mounted on. The software generates motion information for the second theoretical head because that's where it thinks I am.

I've looked, and the website DOES mention putting the clip on headphones, so this can't be an unforeseen way of using it.
However I've done one more odd thing that I guess I should mention. With the clip resting flat on top of my head, I didn't get much up pitch angle because the rear reflector would drop below my head too quickly. So I tilted the rear up with a little improvised rigging, so when my head is level the clip is tilted forwards.
I'm having difficulty getting the whole arrangement centered right.. it's often a little off center or tilted to one side or the other. I can believe that's causing some of the trouble. But when I reposition it where I figure it'd be if I were wearing a cap (I just hold the headphones in that position), the whole deal works perfectly, no weird Y axis coupling at all.

I've only used TrackIR with FSX, but I really don't think FSX is the problem. However it's kind of hard to tell just by watching the preview head in the TrackIR software if it's happening there too.

I've tried messing with some of the settings in the software, like the screen you get to from the tracking screen, the one that shows the image that the hardware is seeing. There's a "vector position" setting, which has the promising sounding option of custom.. but every time I set it to custom and close the window, when I come back to it it's set back to hat. All the other settings will stay, except that one.


Also I'm getting the lag that others have mentioned, but probably not as bad. At worst it lags maybe a few seconds. And no crashing, thank goodness.. the lag has only happened once so far (in a few days of light experimental use), it seemed to happen because I'd left FSX running longer than I ever had before. I've read the posts mentioning hubs and power saving.. I'll look for any settings like that (it IS connected to a self powered hub, to be specific it's a hub built in to my monitor).

[Haldir]

Is there any setting in any of the config files in the track-ir software that will allow me to readjust the centrepoint of my head back to my actual head instead of the base of the neck? This change naturalpoint made may have seemed like a good idea on paper, but in reality its just not working. This pitch/y-axis coupling is terrible, and should not be happening. As well the tracking range seems to be far less now than it was in the last drivers. I can have a range that allows me to look down at the dash, which launches my head into the sky, or look up and have it plummet into the seat. I've had to completely flatten the y-axis curve to prevent this and its getting pretty limited by not being able to raise my head to see over the dash on landings.

I've loved my track-ir for years now, best piece of FS hardware I ever purchased, and now its barely useable with these new drivers. I love fsx though, so I don't really have much choice at the moment.

I understand that you have limitations currently with the way FS prioritizes tracking and head position, not blaming you for that. Hopefully MS will fix it. However this new rotation point at the base of the neck is just terrible and that's a track-ir software thing, nothing to do with fsx. If there's a way I can fix this myself please let me know, or please please please change it back to the way it was before. It was just perfect in revision .28

If this can't be fixed it's pretty much the end of my track-ir use, and that prospect kinda bums me out.

Cheers.

[Jim]

Hello:

First, can you turn True View off, and see if that helps?

We understand that the new translation point might be causing some discomfort for some users and in a future version of the software, we will be allowing you to adjust this translation point.

For the placement of the Vector Clip on a headset, yes, we do recommend that position, and I beleive there is a setting under the Tracking tab, that allows you to select Headset. This may not be working correctly now, as we have been actively modifying this area. In the near future, we will have a software release that will allow you to manually adjust the translation (head center) points, and that should do the trick. Please hold tight.

[Nomad76]

I understand that this is a Beta.. well, you call it an Alpha, and I do appreciate what that means. So if I came off as impatient I apologise, I just wanted to give my feedback and see if there was anything I could contribute to give more information on it.

I've tried turning off trueview, for a while I thought that was working. But now it seems like it isn't (to help the axis issue, I mean).. and besides that, I finally figured out what it does last night, and it turns out that I like it.

I haven't seen a headset setting in the software yet, just the option to select between hat and custom, and custom doesn't seem to work. I was hoping that was a glimpse of a new feature yet to come.. good to hear that it is.

So consider me eagerly anticipating the next release.. and holding tight in the mean-time.

[VincentG]

Thanks for the input, it is greatly appreciated.