FreeTrack.

If you touch your software enough does it become hardware?

Moderator: Forum Moderators

Post Reply
Dr. kitteny berk
Morbo
Morbo
Posts: 19676
Joined: December 10th, 2004, 21:53
Contact:

FreeTrack.

Post by Dr. kitteny berk »

This week I've mostly been playing with FreeTrack because I'm a giant nerd.

Also freetrack is supported in ArmA 2 1.05 onwards, and I keep alt-tabbing myself to death.

Anyway, it's bloody easy, so here's how to do it.

Ingredients:
Webcam (anything will do)
Camera film
Screwdriver
Freetrack software
Skype

Also you need either
Wide angle IR LEDs
Power Source
Cunning

Or
Trackclip (gettable for £30)

Method:

Check your webcam can see some IR by pointing a telly remote at it while it's running (skype options lets you watch your own webcam easily) if it can, this is good, as IR isn't visible, so it's difficult to check if stuff's working.

You need to make your IR clip for your camera to detect, there's a Gallery and a Calculator to make it easy.

Or just buy a trackclip, if you're lazy like me (I did make a DIY clip first, but didn't have much luck as the LEDs from a wii sensor bar are crap)

Once you've made your clip, check it works using your webcam and skype.

Now take your webcam apart, remove the IR felcher and replace it with some camera film this has decent instructions, I ended up using 1 layer of film. Put it back together again afterwards. You could also remove the IR felcher and bodge camera film to the front of the webcam, if you still want to be able to use it as a webcam.

Go back to skype and bugger about trying to get it to look about right using webcam setting and the focusing ring on the cam itself.

Mine looks something like this, which isn't great, but is good enough.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitteny_berk/4251339006/" title="freeclip by Kitteny Berk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/425 ... 3182_o.jpg" width="450" height="450" alt="freeclip"></a>

Once you have something that's somewhere near, open freetrack, then go to the model page to select the right setting (3 points clip for me)

Then back to the camera page and press Start.

You might need to play around with the camera settings again (I have to reset mine to default as they break when I open freetrack)

Then use the threshold slider to felcher everything but the 3 important blobs out.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitteny_berk/4251343930/" title="freeclipft by Kitteny Berk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/425 ... 785b_o.jpg" width="948" height="669" alt="freeclipft"></a>


Now wave your head around like a spaz, and watch the magical computer man do the same thing. :)
Mr. Johnson
Mr Flibbles
Mr Flibbles
Posts: 4957
Joined: August 10th, 2006, 10:58
Location: belgium

Post by Mr. Johnson »

Very nice there Mr. Berk :likesitall: , but I think I'll stick to my mouse and the little 6-way d-pad on my joystick. I have a mate who is very handy with that sort of stuff though, I'm sure he'll make use of your guide and make his own.
FatherJack
Site Owner
Site Owner
Posts: 9597
Joined: May 16th, 2005, 15:31
Location: Coventry, UK
Contact:

Post by FatherJack »

I would crash every time I looked down to type a message.
Dr. kitteny berk
Morbo
Morbo
Posts: 19676
Joined: December 10th, 2004, 21:53
Contact:

Post by Dr. kitteny berk »

FatherJack wrote:I would crash every time I looked down to type a message.
That's the beauty of it, controls are all still on mouse and keyboard.

Just get to look around easily while you're flying.
spoodie
Site Moderator
Site Moderator
Posts: 9246
Joined: February 6th, 2005, 16:49
Location: Essex, UK

Post by spoodie »

I saw this a while back. If I played the kind of game that it worked with I'd definitely try it.
Post Reply