Good cheap headtracking?

[Mauswaffe]

I was looking for a headtracking device but they seem to be really expensive. Is there a cheaper option or should I just wait a bit until I have the money?

[ItsBillyFrazier]

If you are able to solder, they are incredibly easy and cheap to make (i.e the Tracking clip itself, you can pick up a cheap webcam separately).

There's lots of YouTube videos detailing the equipment and tools you need to make your own tracking solution. Then you can use free Opentrack software to dial it all in.

Ready made solutions like Trackhat are cheaper than TrackiR, but Trackhat seems to be low on stock right now and delivery can take a long time.

https://www.trackhat.org

Best of luck with whatever route you take, head tracking is so worth it!

[Mauswaffe]

Thanks for the answer!

I hadn't thought about making my own headtracking but I like the idea, I'll look into it.

[Rittmeister]

I use this one https://www.ebay.de/itm/dunTrackR-Head-Tracker-IR-Tracker-Head-Tracking-FreeTrack-TrackIR-komp/303954715599?hash=item46c51ce3cf:g:VxAAAOSw0-5d7AlR
with the Original TRACK IR5 Camera that I ordered direct from China (alibaba) It gave you the System under 100€ Shipping from China takes about 2 Weeks but therefore the Camera cost only 64€ or so

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

I saved up for traxk IR.

all the ps3 camera and freeware software DIY stuff just didn't quite function well enough for me.

Track IR is solid and just works.

that said, if you can, think about the move to VR.

the journey upgrading your PC and getting a headset may be a long one but with each upgrade your PC gets better and better for 2d as well as VR, plus imho, VR blows 2d/tracker out of the water.

I only use my tracker if I *have* to, for games like Arma3 which don't support VR.

others will disagree but for me, skipping the tracker part of my story would have helped me reach VR nirvana* sooner.



*yes, I know VR isn't perfect. but for me it is.

[darknight]

delanclip, and a ps3 eye, they also do a complete clip, and theres no diff between that and track ir exept the price ( i have both) if you set up with opentrack with good settings its a breeze, personally i dont like vr

[kalnaren]

TrackIR works better and smoother than any solution using a PS3 camera. It has either twice the polling rate or twice the resolution (depending on settings), and the TrackIR software just WORKS. It's seriously plug-and-play for literally everything that supports head tracking. Zero fuss.

That's what you're paying for when you're paying for TrackIR.

[darknight]

actually it does not in most cases, just check the forums on dcs, which is the most hardcore of the sims in realism, most prefer it to track ir and also works a lot smoother, but hey each to his own eh

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

weird, my track ir was fine in dcs.

I think they're possibly overpriced but they are pretty much plug and go once one has it calibrated.

tbh I use the same calibration over all the games I use/used it in.

[ItsBillyFrazier]

I currently use Trackhat, works absolutely fine across all sims and a lot cheaper than TrackIR.

However, if it breaks, I'll be building my own tracking solution as both TrackiR and Trackhat are way overpriced for what they are.

The components (apart from the camera) are cheap as chips to buy and build.

Opentrack software is a breeze to use also.

[kalnaren]

Originally posted by darknight:

actually it does not in most cases, just check the forums on dcs, which is the most hardcore of the sims in realism, most prefer it to track ir and also works a lot smoother, but hey each to his own eh

No, PS3 cam is not smoother. It's a technical impossibility. The camera is half the resolution, or half the polling rate if you're running the same resolution. That's like saying 30FPS is smoother than 60FPS.

And most of the topics when this comes up on both the ED forums and /r/hoggit generally agree that TrackIR is better, not any solution using a PS3 cam. There is also no comparison to Natural Point's software. It the easiest to set up and most compatible headtracking software out there. There is literally zero configuration. Plug and play.

Now, whether or not that "just works out of the box", no fuss no effort setup is worth the price premium of TIR, that's for the user to decide. If you wanted to make the argument that TIR isn't worth how much more expensive it is, well, that's a different argument.

But saying other solutions work better than TIR is a flat out falsehood. They don't.

[Boyd Crowder]

I use dunTrackR for a couple of years now and OpenTrack. It's also compatible with TrackIR but lot cheaper. Support is also great. Bought it on http://duntrackr.com

[Hondo]

I use opentrack with a 60 fps webcam.

[Ixhaton]

Logitech C920 Webcam with Opentrack using the Neuralnet tracker does not require any hats or stuff to be worn.

[DunkzGM]

but if u do wanna wear a cardboard aruco marker (that you can print yourself) on your head, this:
https://youtu.be/2o2z7mavjwk

[Adam]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.