Anyone else use TrackIR?

[Jamie XR6]

TrackIR Pro is a headtracking system that enables hands free view control in games and simulators.

It looks like a space age webcam and it follows a reflective dot placed on your head/hat/glasses.

I bought one several months ago and absolutely love it. For sims that support the technology it makes the game so much better by being able to move your head to look around the game.

There are also programs to allow it to subsitute many keyboard strokes by moving your head as well as subsituting the mouse. These are good for older games.

This is the website and the lower one is where it can be bought in Australia.

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/...ackir3pro.html

http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/produ...16&search=7751

[Rodp]

Sure do. TIR v3 Pro. Use it for mainly flight sims, tend not to bother with racing sims so far.

[dogbreath_48]

...sounds interesting, but when you turn your head to the side, your not still looking at the screen, right? or is it really sensative?
not bagging it, sounds cool. just curious..

-Stu

[Danny]

If you look out the side window of the plane, doesnt that mean that in relation to the screen you'd be looking away from it to your left and right? Therefore you wouldnt see the screen anyways... How does that work?

[dogbreath_48]

Originally Posted by The Child

If you look out the side window of the plane, doesnt that mean that in relation to the screen you'd be looking away from it to your left and right? Therefore you wouldnt see the screen anyways... How does that work?

..my piont exactly.
but form looking at the video the sensitivity can be adjusted to counter that problem. i presume you guy's that use it have pretty big screens anyway...

-Stu

[Jamie XR6]

LOL,

I can understand what you are thinking.

A small movement of the head, translates to a large movement in the game.

So while you move your actual head a couple of degrees to the left, your in game head looks out the side of the cockpit. A couple of degress more (your actual head still still looking at the screen, it's just on a slight angle), your in game head is looking to the rear of the cockpit.

It takes a little getting used to but once you master it, you will wonder why you never bought one ages ago.

There is a program that adds on to this for Grand Prix Legends. You put the reflective dots on your arms and when you raise them, your in game driver raises his arm out of the car.

NASCAR Sim and FIA GT racing support the TrackIR so you can look around the cabin of your car as you race.

[Rodp]

As Jamie said, small movement of the head translates to large momevents in the ingame head. It's also configurable.

If you're a combat flight sim player then TrackIR is invaluable. Other methods of tracking targets like either manually move your FOV or padlocking often left me disoriented of exactly where my head was in relation to my aircraft. TrackIR, your view is referenced by your own head so you always know where your view is pointed in relation to the aircraft. You can also quickly scan around and not become target fixated or quickly look forward to check your gauges to make sure you're not heading straight into the ground.

In racing sims, it does allow you to look ahead into the corner and see the apex instead of having a static forward image. It's particularly handy for 90 degree or greater corners. I just haven't set it up quite right for how I like it just yet so at the moment I've not used it too much. With games like GTR and rFactor coming up, I'm sure it would be significantly more useful in the near future.

[Rodp]

http://www.natural-point.com/trackir/index.html

Here's their website which actually have some videos available to download of how it looks and works.

[Thornie]

that sounds cool i just got nascar sir and i say it would have to be one of the best nascar games to be released

[Jamie XR6]

Originally Posted by RaTTuS

that sounds cool i just got nascar sir and i say it would have to be one of the best nascar games to be released

http://www.natural-point.com/trackir...simracing.html

This page will show you what TrackIR does for this game.

I'm waiting for GTR to be released so I can by it. NASCARs bore me so I won't be getting that one.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by Jamie XR6

NASCARs bore me so I won't be getting that one.

Just out of interest, have you given a sim for a decent spin? I used to think the same way until I started getting into Papy's Nascar series and when you crank up the realism and start tinkering with the car setups you realise that 'driving round in circles' is harder than it looks and a lot of fun and tactics involved in winning.

First one I got was Nascar Legends, racing 60's and 70's V8's and graduated to NR4 and 2003. Haven't got EA's yet was going to wait to see if they patched it as there's quite a few gamestoppers on there.

[Jamie XR6]

Originally Posted by Rodp

Just out of interest, have you given a sim for a decent spin? I used to think the same way until I started getting into Papy's Nascar series and when you crank up the realism and start tinkering with the car setups you realise that 'driving round in circles' is harder than it looks and a lot of fun and tactics involved in winning.

I actually had one of the first good Nascar sims, that was around 1995 and absolutely loved it. I liked it for the same reasons, you get to tinker with setups and get very involved in the game.

You're right, it's not just a matter of getting in, hitting the accelerator and turning left. It's not an easy skill.

I've picked up the latest Nascar Sim several times in a view to buying but always put it back. I'm more of a fan rally and road racing (not happy I bought Colin Mcrae 5 and not the TrackIR supported Richard Burns Rally). And with V8 Supercars 1 & 2 being a good product (there has been some shockers, Dick Johnsons game, V8 Challenge etc) I have enough racing sims to keep me happy.

Having said that I am hoping RaTTuS will give a review of Nascar sim.