EDTracker anybody?

[JV44Svejk]

Does anybody of you pixel pilots have EDTracker?

If so, which games do you use it for?

Could you share your impressions about the device, please?

 

I'm thinking of getting one and wonder how is it in comparison to TrackIR?

 

[Elem]

So it would seem no one flying BoS is using this? I too would like to hear from anyone using this device. I prefer the principle to TrackIR.

[=EXPEND=Capt_Yorkshire]

my mates use it for playing Elite dangerous and they love it there are some vids on youtube that show it in action.

[FuriousMeow]

I haven't used one, but EDTracker is 3DoF, while TrackIr5 is 6DoF.

 

The lean/strafe, zoom (lean forward/back in seat), and vertical (as in moving up and down in your seat not looking up and down) are the additional 3DoF TrackIr 5 has that EDTracker does not.

 

The strafe, vertical move, and sometimes zoom are invaluable for looking around the cockpit and seeing instruments plus not losing targets behind canopy structures.

 

EDTracker is cheaper, but it's like buying an old TrackIr unit that is supports only looking left/right, up/down and rotating your head left/right.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

I find the 6DOF a nice addition but it's not absolutely neccessary. I found 3DOF worked just fine in '46 before I upgraded.

[Sokol1]

EDTracker advantage is the low cost, combine this "3DOF" with (native on game) zoom and lean set on HAT give you a kind of "6DOF" and a with a less "floating" POV like with TrackIR. 

Edited July 17, 2015 by Sokol1

[Ace_Pilto]

6 DoF makes a lot of sense when you have to look around canopy frames. I find it invaluable. 3 DoF tracking is better than nothing though I guess.

[IvanDolvich]

If you have got a webcam and some spare time, you can build your own device.

In addition you could use opentrack as software. There you've got 6DOF, too and the new iteration of it is really precise, too.

[Zappatime]

I built an Edtracker from their listed parts and their supplied small board about a year ago and despite my soldering it worked very well in il2bos, ROF and of course Elite Dangerous. I made a small plastic enclosure for it from plasticard, now you can get the whole thing as a kit including the enclosure (about the size of a small matchbox) or get it ready made and tested. The Edtracker videos on their site are pretty easy to follow.

 

It's cheap, impressive, very small and does what it says on the tin! I think the latest version with the improved chipsets eliminates drift altogether, not that it was an issue on mine, well worth trying and as Sokol1 says, if youve a hotas setup you can easily supplement the 3dof with controls setup for zoom and lean left/right and raise/lower head. I enjoyed using it most in ROF, with a hat switch setup for adjusting head height and leaning, and a couple of buttons on the stick for zoom in/out it quickly became second nature, the gadget's so cheap and even better now than when I made one, worth getting the full kit, or even the ready made one, no faffing about with cameras and leds to track your head - its all done with gyroscopes and magnetometers from mobile phone elements that are as cheap as, well, chips ;-)

 

I also used it in Project Cars, very easy to set up and very unobtrusive.

Edited August 2, 2015 by Zappatime

[Rikiwulf]

I use Edtracker Pro with opentrack on CLOD, and it works great. Just got BOS and am in the process of setting the tracker up,

[Dakpilot]

Somewhere on their site was shown a way of using the EdTracker with 3DoF as it is very accurate, and cheap Facetrack No IR camera as a way to make up full 6DoF due to the fidelity not being so important in those axis

 

seemed like a good compromise idea

 

Cheers Dakpilot

[Sokol1]

Without complicate: in Bo'X you can assign the camera "pan" movement (e.g. X axis) in the same axis (or key/button) used for "lean", 

so every time you look back the POV will move for side (right or left), as if the virtual pilot has a neck and not a fixed

head turning in absolute vertical axis. Example with joy HAT, set the same in EDTracker:

 

http://s23.postimg.cc/603mu6ayj/POV_translation.jpg

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by Sokol1

[BOO]

I use the EDtracker for CLOD or BOS. Ive never had TIR5 so i cant compare and i guess the looking around the framing and over the nose is useful. BUT, at 1/3 the price of a TIR5 (more if you add the better 3rd party headgear), its a worthy alternative and the simplicity of it is a real bonus.  I really dont feel im missing out of 6DOF too much (especially in BOS given the extra camera tracking features).

 

Im in the UK so in the same country as EDtracker and have found their customer service is EXCELLENT. I managed to break the usb header from the board of my pro as a result of not securing the cable properly. 1 Email later and it was sent off for repair. It arrived back, fully repaired, with no quibbles and no cost 5 days later (days that included a Sunday and a Bank Holiday - so 3working days). 

 

There is little or no drift from day to day and, on the occasions where ive move the device sufficiently to cause this, it a 10 second, 1 click reset in the ED GUI to sort it. Ive never suffered the onset of drift whilst playing not any other quirky movements. 

 

One of the things that you can do (irrespective of the other HOTAS tied camera movements) is combine axis to a certain degree within the Opentrack software. So turning your head can also introduce a degree of tracking to the left or right which is useful for looking around the headreast at your six or around the canopy or under the canopy slightly as your transition up and down, left or right. 

 

in BOS ive moved slightly away from the above method and instead introduce a degree of sideways transition as i tilt my head. This is my preference only. 

 

Regards

 

BOO

[302_FRANKOL_PL]

My setings il2 opentrack i have edtracker

 

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwHF-iB247_KLUtBcWpYMDc5Ym8/view?usp=sharing

[56RAF_Roblex]

I saw them demonstrate how to translate head tilt into sideways movement and I thought that looked OK because I don't like head tilt & usually turn it off in TrackIr anyway.  They also showed how you can add a degree of zoom to looking down as you usually only look down to see the instruments and the only time you want to move your head forward is when looking down at your instruments.   I rarely move my head up and down and a button to 'sit up' is acceptable for when I do; a bit like the 'raise seat for landing' functionality in some planes like the corsair in IL2-46.

[BOO]

I saw them demonstrate how to translate head tilt into sideways movement and I thought that looked OK because I don't like head tilt & usually turn it off in TrackIr anyway.  They also showed how you can add a degree of zoom to looking down as you usually only look down to see the instruments and the only time you want to move your head forward is when looking down at your instruments.   I rarely move my head up and down and a button to 'sit up' is acceptable for when I do; a bit like the 'raise seat for landing' functionality in some planes like the corsair in IL2-46.

 

There are other ways of achieving the transition by linking the X axis to the roll. Added benefit is that you can move forward and backwards in the pit to look around framing a little more. 

 

Opentrack 2.3 onwards also added an automatic neck offset for looking over your shoulder as well as more options to enable or disable transitional effects when look backwards.

 

Its very flexible and though not quite up to the true 6DOF is really not very far off. 

[LLv34_Temuri]

I got EDTracker a couple of years ago. Stumbled on this thread yesterday, and decided to test the EDTracker in BoS. Checked this video for some instructions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fUb87WsdaY

 

Works quite nicely with the roll mapped to X movement. Now I just need to set it so that when checking my 6, the X movement gets inverted. 

[LLv34_Temuri]

Now I just need to set it so that when checking my 6, the X movement gets inverted. 

Tried fiddling with the settings in OpenTrack, but couldn't get it to work.

 

Example: I want to look 45 degrees to the left and also move the pilot head to left, so I turn my head and roll my head to left. This works nicely. If I then want to continue turning my head to look at my six while keeping the same roll I had before (to keep the pilot's head glued to the canopy), the game instead moves the pilot's head to the other side of the canopy (because I've gone past 90 degrees pilot head rotation). Does anyone have any tips for this? 

[BOO]

Hmmmm - from what you have described - you are a giraffe. :-)

 

Roll head to left to look to the left of cockpit along the nose with your own nose pressed against the perpsex - all good.

 

BUT

 

To look over your LEFT shoulder you would natuarally roll you head slightly to the right as you looked behind you and around as it allows you to move you head further around than otherwise would be the case. Try it sitting in a chair and looking to pick up something placed behind you at your 5 or 6 o'clock.

 

So as above (rolling l head opposite to view if looking backwards) in options then relative transitions I have the main box enabled and nothing disabled. I also have the neck movement thing ticked and set at 12cm.

 

If you wish to move giraffe like you may choose to tick the "disable for X" box in the relative transitions to see it that works. 

 

 

EDIT I use OT 2.3.7

Edited September 30, 2017 by BOO

[ST_ami7b5]

BOO, would you post your settings?
Thx.

 

I have opentrack 2.3.0 and can't find that neck movement thingy...  Edit: found out it's only available since 2.3.1.4
Which version do you use? 

Edited September 30, 2017 by ST_ami7b5

[LLv34_Temuri]

To look over your LEFT shoulder you would natuarally roll you head slightly to the right as you looked behind you and around as it allows you to move you head further around than otherwise would be the case. Try it sitting in a chair and looking to pick up something placed behind you at your 5 or 6 o'clock.

I get that. The thing is, I consider my head just as one additional controller. I don't turn my head that much so that the natural head roll would take place. So I'm not a giraffe :D

 

Thanks for the tips. If I don't get the movement I want, I just need to adjust how I move my head. Won't be a problem in the long run.

I have opentrack 2.3.0 and can't find that neck movement thingy... 

I downloaded the latest release. You can find it in that.

[BOO]

Hi

 

I cannot seem to upload images directly from my PC here I dont use image hosting sites.

 

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AnRk5ek6XHD7grR-XVJ6L5VgEdci0Q

 

This link is to my One Drive - its a folder with screenshots of the settings and the conf file (although I never seem to be able to get copied conf files to work in Opentrack).

 

The curves are personal preference so I don't claim they are for everyone :-)

 

Hope it helps

 

@ Temuri - OT can be finicky with transitions as you have found but hopefully you should find something in the relative transitions to help. 

 

Regards

 

BOO

 

I use a EDtracker Pro - older DIY builds will not work well with this profile I don't think. 

Edited September 30, 2017 by BOO

[ST_ami7b5]

Thanks a lot!

[LLv34_Temuri]

I just need to adjust how I move my head. Won't be a problem in the long run.

Aaand I've adjusted. Didn't take long

[JB_BigBossLucas]

My DIY EDTracker is working but when turning around it seems soooo Laggy, don't know what to blame, My EDTrcker, or my MSFFB2, or my CPU, if I use the POV Hat there's no lag.

 

It runs perfectly in Elite Dangerous

[BOO]

My DIY EDTracker is working but when turning around it seems soooo Laggy, don't know what to blame, My EDTrcker, or my MSFFB2, or my CPU, if I use the POV Hat there's no lag.

 

It runs perfectly in Elite Dangerous

 

Check your settings in the camera options menu in terms of speed and inertia. 

 

If you've increased Maximum Pre-rendered Frames in any GPU settings to something high (5 plus) that will increase lag too.

 

 

Hope you sort it

 

Cheers

 

BOO

[JB_BigBossLucas]

Check your settings in the camera options menu in terms of speed and inertia. 

 

If you've increased Maximum Pre-rendered Frames in any GPU settings to something high (5 plus) that will increase lag too.

 

 

Hope you sort it

 

Cheers

 

BOO

I own an ATI GPU R9 380x, and there's no such configuration for this brand, do you know how to achieve it with ATI?

Edited November 7, 2017 by JB_BigBossLucas

[Sokol1]

Without complicate: in Bo'X you can assign the camera "pan" movement (e.g. X axis) in the same axis (or key/button) used for "lean", 

so every time you look back the POV will move for side (right or left), as if the virtual pilot has a neck and not a fixed

head turning in absolute vertical axis. Example with joy HAT, set the same in EDTracker:

 

http://s23.postimg.org/603mu6ayj/POV_translation.jpg

 

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKhB8cDs2ko

 

 

Same translation with 3DOF inertial track (Arduino PRO Micro + GY85)

 

Edited November 9, 2017 by Sokol1

[LLv34_Temuri]

Without complicate: in Bo'X you can assign the camera "pan" movement (e.g. X axis) in the same axis (or key/button) used for "lean", 

so every time you look back the POV will move for side (right or left), as if the virtual pilot has a neck and not a fixed

head turning in absolute vertical axis. Example with joy HAT, set the same in EDTracker:

Nice, I didn't know you could do that with EDTracker and the game only. Can you also limit the axis movement to some certain value in the game as you can do with using OpenTrack?

[Sokol1]

This inertial trackers use Opentrack as interface between the headtrack device and games, then you have option for adjust responses in this software.

[LLv34_Temuri]

This inertial trackers use Opentrack as interface between the headtrack device and games, then you have option for adjust responses in this software.

I've now done the limitation and response settings completely in OpenTrack.

[56RAF_Roblex]

I am considering getting this because TrackIr sometimes struggles a bit when I try to keep my eyes on an enemy like 'Target Lock'  during rolling scissors or when when inverting to dive on someone below going the other way.  Trackirs camera often loses track of the tracking markers during such extreme head movements.

 

My worry is that EDTracker does not do this smoothly, especially if I am using one of the tricks to allow me to move my head sideways such as mapping head to tilt to the X axis etc (or was Sokois post saying I don't need to?).  Can anyone confirm this works OK?

Edited December 2, 2017 by 56RAF_Roblex

[BOO]

i works fine for me. Ive gone back to using the EDtracker from TIR5. Some limitations in looking under and over things but overall a much more reliable expereice for my current set up. 

I own an ATI GPU R9 380x, and there's no such configuration for this brand, do you know how to achieve it with ATI?

 

late reply. I don't think they have it so its likely not the issue. 

Edited December 2, 2017 by BOO

[56RAF_Roblex]

I just got it but it might be faulty as it does not seem to be tracking Yaw properly.  Pitch & roll work perfectly but with yaw I get hardly 10 degrees per side.  I emailed a report at around 17:00 and they got back with some suggestions at about 17:45 so they do seem to be trying and I can forgive them for not replying again after 18:00.

 

Can I just check something with those that do have it working in BoX?   Am I right in thinking that you must use Opentrack as well to get BoX to see your head movements?

[BOO]

I do

 

no sure if you have to. 

 

Just as a little point I had to faff with the axis assignment in Opentrack 2.3 (when it was first out) to get the EDtacker operating correctly. 

 

It may not help you Rolex but currently my axis assignments are (in the menu you access from the hammer next to input that should read "joystick" :

 

X Josystick axis 6

Y JS axis 5

Z JS axis 1

Yaw JS axis 2

Pitch JS axis 3

Roll JS axis 4

[56RAF_Roblex]

I just got it but it might be faulty as it does not seem to be tracking Yaw properly.  Pitch & roll work perfectly but with yaw I get hardly 10 degrees per side.  I emailed a report at around 17:00 and they got back with some suggestions at about 17:45 so they do seem to be trying and I can forgive them for not replying again after 18:00.

 

 

I think the reason he stopped responding at 18:00 was just because he was going home or grabbing some food because he was back in touch an hour later and worked until midnight trying to find a solution.  He only stopped at midnight because I told him I was going to bed and would contact him next day :-)

 

It was fixed in the end by his last ditch suggestion that I try a beta flash upgrade he emailed to me.    Pretty good customer service!

[56RAF_Roblex]

I have to say that after it was fixed I was still a bit unhappy because I did not like the way the views responded etc in BoX./ I thought I had wasted my money but a quick recalibration and 20 minutes playing with the Opentrack settings and I could not be happier.  It is much better than TrackIr now; for me at least.  I am not advising anyone to give up on TrackIr if it works OK for you but in my case it was a little unreliable sometimes. Not just the usual problem with daylight but also it was not always able to keep  up with me looking up and over my shoulder suddenly when an enemy passed after a head on and climbed or when I needed to keep an eye on an enemy going the opposite way below as I split -S to dive after him.  Keeping eyes on an enemy during violent rolling scissors etc. was often tricky too.    Yes it only has 3 DoF but I never used head-roll or 'lean forwards' in TiR and mapping Head Roll to the X axis (ie moving your head sideways) works surprisingly well.   I was wondering how my normal automatic leaning movement to look round the canopy frame or joystick was still working when I knew EDTracker does not detect that  then realised it was because in TrackIr when I leaned sideways I was tilting my head naturally and now EDtracker was using that instead.  I did not even have to learn any new techniques :-)   It also moves your head sideways automatically when you look behind as you would in real life.  You can set it to let you hang out a good unnatural 30cm while taxiing so even an La-5 can have a perfect 6 view though luckily, like with TrackIr or snap views,  the game itself stops anyone doing that in flight to get an unfair advantage.

[Barnacles]

I have to say that after it was fixed I was still a bit unhappy because I did not like the way the views responded etc in BoX./ I thought I had wasted my money but a quick recalibration and 20 minutes playing with the Opentrack settings and I could not be happier.  It is much better than TrackIr now; for me at least.  I am not advising anyone to give up on TrackIr if it works OK for you but in my case it was a little unreliable sometimes. Not just the usual problem with daylight but also it was not always able to keep  up with me looking up and over my shoulder suddenly when an enemy passed after a head on and climbed or when I needed to keep an eye on an enemy going the opposite way below as I split -S to dive after him.  Keeping eyes on an enemy during violent rolling scissors etc. was often tricky too.    Yes it only has 3 DoF but I never used head-roll or 'lean forwards' in TiR and mapping Head Roll to the X axis (ie moving your head sideways) works surprisingly well.   I was wondering how my normal automatic leaning movement to look round the canopy frame or joystick was still working when I knew EDTracker does not detect that  then realised it was because in TrackIr when I leaned sideways I was tilting my head naturally and now EDtracker was using that instead.  I did not even have to learn any new techniques :-)   It also moves your head sideways automatically when you look behind as you would in real life.  You can set it to let you hang out a good unnatural 30cm while taxiing so even an La-5 can have a perfect 6 view though luckily, like with TrackIr or snap views,  the game itself stops anyone doing that in flight to get an unfair advantage.

 

I've never used TIR and only used EdTracker, but I've found the same as you and it's got to be worth it for the simplicity and reliability alone as I've lost count of all the times I've been flying with someone and they've had to restart/close a blind because TIR's been playing up.

[BOO]

I prefer TIR in certain ways because it provides a little more play in terms of vertical and forward movement BUT I have gone back to the Edtracker because of its reliability, lack of fussiness and the fact I like neither the hat or the clumsy "Borg" lights contraption of the delan or pro clip.  As I sit about 2.5ft from my TV and low I also found the drop out on the TIR was just too much. Once Ive settled on a way to bring the camera closer (or bought o home with a room I can use other than my lounge) I will try TIR again but don't feel I'm missing out on too much with the EDtracker.  

Edited December 7, 2017 by BOO

[[Vietnam]Hoang_Anh]

This guide is outdated https://www.edtracker.co.uk/support/game-guides/26-edtracker-pro-opentrack

I found out that they renamed "Translation compensation" to : "Relative translation" since opentrack 2.3.0 rc13.
So here's my solution. (version 2.3.9)

 

Edited December 9, 2017 by =VPAF=tolai_nd