What does further tracking distance mean?

[skullxbones]

I just got the email announcing the TIR5.

My only complaint with TIR4 was that in large cockpits such as the PMDG747 in Microsoft Flight Simulator, there wasn't enough lateral movement (left to right) in TIR4 to allow you to reach all the buttons and switches on the right side of the cockpit and overhead easily.

Your TIR5 email said "radically more precise tracking and further tracking distances".

Does "further tracking distance" mean you can sit father away from the sensor, or will head movement translate into more movement in the game than was possible in TIR4?

[Catch22]

It's referring to the distance between the TrackClip and The TrackIR.

You you want head movement to translate to more movement in game, then you can make adjustments in your TrackIR profile to do that.

[Jim]

Yes, the TIR 5 can "see" the Vector Clip and TrackClip Pro from further away. It has enhanced sensitivity and better range.

[skullxbones]

[quote=Catch22]
You you want head movement to translate to more movement in game, then you can make adjustments in your TrackIR profile to do that. [/quote]

Is this a new feature of TIR5 software? I've tried everything with my TIR4 software and can't get the distance the virtual head/eyepoint would move in the game to increase, only the heads sensitivity. In other words, I could get to the end of travel faster, but the travel limit was still the same. In the case of Flight Simulator, the virtual head/viewpoint doesn't travel laterally far enough to the right to be able to click the knobs in the biggest jet cockpits. I can turn my head and look in that direction, but couldn't slide far enough in the X axis to control them.

[xCav8r]

I have the TIR4 with the vector clip. I tested it last night in my basement with no ambient light using the 5.x beta software. At best, I can get 27" away before the camera doesn't see one or more of the reflectors on my clip. (This is really half of a foot beyond the functional distance of my TIR4, and this is the equivalent distance supported in the old software, so I assume this new feature is a feature of the hardware, not the software.) What's the increased distance supposed to be for clip users between TIR4 vs TIR5? What's the distance for LED clip?

[Seth Steiling]

[quote=skullxbones][quote=Catch22]
You you want head movement to translate to more movement in game, then you can make adjustments in your TrackIR profile to do that. [/quote]

Is this a new feature of TIR5 software? I've tried everything with my TIR4 software and can't get the distance the virtual head/eyepoint would move in the game to increase, only the heads sensitivity. In other words, I could get to the end of travel faster, but the travel limit was still the same. In the case of Flight Simulator, the virtual head/viewpoint doesn't travel laterally far enough to the right to be able to click the knobs in the biggest jet cockpits. I can turn my head and look in that direction, but couldn't slide far enough in the X axis to control them.

[/quote]

If your profiles are properly set in terms of how aggressively your motion is translated in game, you should have no problem getting to the outer edge of a cockpit (and even beyond). If you have tried an aggressive profile (in 4.x, try shifting the X curve up several notches), and still can't get to those outer knobs, it sounds like there is a view limit in place for that cockpit. That sort of issue is determined by the developers and is not a problem that we can fix with any amount of profile adjustment.

[Seth Steiling]

[quote=xCav8r]I have the TIR4 with the vector clip. I tested it last night in my basement with no ambient light using the 5.x beta software. At best, I can get 27" away before the camera doesn't see one or more of the reflectors on my clip. (This is really half of a foot beyond the functional distance of my TIR4, and this is the equivalent distance supported in the old software, so I assume this new feature is a feature of the hardware, not the software.) What's the increased distance supposed to be for clip users between TIR4 vs TIR5? What's the distance for LED clip? [/quote]
The increase in tracking distance is camera based and independent of which software version you are using. The tracking distance with a TrackIR 4 is the same for versions 4.x and 5.0 of the software. If you are getting that small of a trackable distance with 5.0, something in the software likely needs to be adjusted.

Go to Camera > Light Filter Threshold. What's your setting there?
Go to Camera > IR Brightness. What is that set at?

The TrackIR 4 w/ TrackClip PRO should be able to satisfactorily track up to about 5.5 feet. I just tested it under poor lighting conditions with a standard TrackClip (in 5.0 software), and it tracked fine up to about that range. I've personally had the TrackIR 5 tracking at about 8 feet with a standard TrackClip, though we don't support or recommend *quite* that far. With the right settings and conditions, it is possible to track from quite a ways away. I'm comfortable that a TIR 5 will effectively track from 6 feet away w/ both clip types (likely a bit more).

[xCav8r]

[quote=NaturalPoint - Seth]Go to Camera > Light Filter Threshold. What's your setting there?[/quote]

In TrackIR 5.0 (Beta), I've tried the whole scale. The available distance is greatest when the light filter threshold is lowest (again, I have no ambient lighting in the room), and the lowest available setting is 150. At 22", I lose the solid yellow fill in the display called "camera view"; ie., the reflectors are outlines with flickering fills. With values of 236 or higher, the top reflector is no longer visible in "camera view". The bottom reflectors, however, remain visible even at the maximum value of 245.

I've also removed the baseball cap from my head so that I can position it independently of my head. The results aren't really any different, so I don't think this is a case of camera/clip positioning/orientation--though fixing one of those would be an easy and simple solution.

[quote=NaturalPoint - Seth]Go to Camera > IR Brightness. What is that set at?[/quote]

I've tried all values from 10 to 15, and this value does not have an effect. The breaking point, again, seems to be around 22". At greater distances, I lose the fills of the reflectors in the "camera view", or the top reflector, outline and all, disappears.

[quote=NaturalPoint - Seth]The TrackIR 4 w/ TrackClip PRO should be able to satisfactorily track up to about 5.5 feet. I just tested it under poor lighting conditions with a standard TrackClip (in 5.0 software), and it tracked fine up to about that range. I've personally had the TrackIR 5 tracking at about 8 feet with a standard TrackClip, though we don't support or recommend *quite* that far. With the right settings and conditions, it is possible to track from quite a ways away. I'm comfortable that a TIR 5 will effectively track from 6 feet away w/ both clip types (likely a bit more).[/quote]

What's the effective range of a TrackIR 4 with the reflector clip?

[electrikcar]

FSX does not have cockpit limits, manual eyepoint adjustment goes straight through the cockpit, so whatever limitation being imposed is being done by the TrackIR software. The OP wants this limit increased but then it would be harder to keep the view contained within smaller cockpits so it's a question of simplicity vs performance.

[Seth Steiling]

FSX does not have cockpit limits, manual eyepoint adjustment goes straight through the cockpit, so whatever limitation being imposed is being done by the TrackIR software.

That may well be the case. As far as TrackIR is concerned, the 5.0 software does not implement arbitrary view limits. However, you can certainly--knowingly or not--cap your view with how you've set up your profile curves. An aggressive X axis curve should allow you to move several feet in-game beyond the outside of a cockpit, so the outer areas of a cockpit should certainly not be inaccessible.

The OP wants this limit increased but then it would be harder to keep the view contained within smaller cockpits so it's a question of simplicity vs performance.

This is true. If you optimize your translational axes for movement within very large cockpits, you might find your profile is too aggressive for use in smaller planes.