Head tracking not working in full 6 degrees of freedom

[thammondwis]

Hello,

I realize that the version of FSUIPC that I'm using is not official supported anymore, but still hoping to get some help with a head tracking issue I'm having.

The problem I'm having is that I'm not getting all 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) movements of the camera in the virtual cockpits of FS2004.  I'm getting the 3 rotations, yaw, pitch, roll.  But I'm only getting 2 of the translations, y and z.  I'm not getting any x translations.  The x-axis being left/right translations of the camera in the virtual cockpits.

I'm not sure that the issue is with FSUIPC but trying to troubleshoot everything that plays a part in the head tracking process.

The hardware/software I'm using is, Smoothtrack app on iPhone 10 for the camera, Opentrack version 2022.3.2 for the headtracking software which is installed on the computer in which FSUIPC and FS2004 are on, FSUICP version 3.999z9b, and FS2004.

It appears as though the signal from Smoothtrack on my phone is reaching and processing correctly in Opentrack.  Opentrack has an image on it's main screen that moves with the head movement from the camera and also has numerical input and output values.  All these including the x-axis are showing movements as I move my head around.

I've selected "FSUIPC Microsoft FS2002/2004" as the output option for Opentrack.  So I'm assuming that Opentrack is sending the output data to FSUIPC.  

What I don't know is what happens from there.  Does FSUIPC just pass the signal on to FS2004 or does it "process" the signal before sending it to FS2004.  Are there any settings in FSUIPC that may be preventing the x-axis signal from reaching FS2004?  Or is this an issue with Open track not properly sending the signal to FSUIPC.  I'm trying to work with the developers of Opentrack also to see if that's the case.  Or is the issue with FS2004 in that some setting in FS2004 is preventing the signal from being displayed as camera movements in the x-axis.

I've tried adjusting all the options a settings in Opentrack and so far, nothing has changed.  Opentrack can enable/disable each individual DOF.  So, I've tried disabling yaw, pitch. roll, y, and z to isolate the x-axis.  When I do that, I get no movement of any kind in the virtual cockpit of FS2004.

Any help suggestion or ideas are welcomed to determine if the issue I'm having is a FSUIPC issue or not.

Thanks

[John Dowson]

Sorry but I don't think I can help you with this. Does FSUIPC3 have anything to do with this? i.e. is the head tracker seen and assigned in FSUIPC3? I only have experience with TrackIR and that interfaces directly with the FS, and so FSUIPC is not involved. I suspect it to be the same in your set-up, and the issue is most probably related to the Smoothtrack software - have you tried their support?

15 minutes ago, thammondwis said:

I've selected "FSUIPC Microsoft FS2002/2004" as the output option for Opentrack.  So I'm assuming that Opentrack is sending the output data to FSUIPC.  

Why? I would assume that it is sending its output to what you have selected, namely FS2002/2004

John

[thammondwis]

Hi John,

Thanks for your feedback. 

The reason I think FSUIPC3 is involved is because the output selection in Opentrack is named "FSUIPC -- Microsoft FS2002/FS2004".  The selection is named exactly as I've included in quotes.  When clicking on the configuration icon for the "FSUIPC -- Microsoft FS2002/FS2004" selection, it opens up a window titled "FSUIPC".  There are no options in it, just a "?" in the title bar that does nothing when I click on it and a clickable box labeled "OK" that closes the window when clicked.  If Opentrack doesn't interface with FSUIPC, then why would they include it in the output selection name and in the configuration window title?  Why not just name it "Microsoft FS2002/FS2004"?  I was going to add some screenshots of the above but it's too large to paste into here.  If it would be helpful, I could add a link to screenshots.  I'll see if I can find out more from the developers of Opentrack though.

I think Smoothtrack just sends the raw data of the head motion to Opentrack.  Opentrack then filters the data and sends it on, either to FSUIPC or to FS2004?  For the reasons stated in my original post, it seems to me that Smoothtrack is operating correctly and sending all 6 DOF data to Opentrack.  Opentrack appears to be receiving all 6 DOF data from Smoothtrack again for the reasons I stated in my original post.  But i will reach out to the developer of Smoothtrack also to verify.  Also when I setup everything up, I followed a youtube video that was made from the developer of Smoothtrack.  Part of the setup process was to configure the output of Smoothtrack to the input of Opentrack.   

[John Dowson]

Opentrack (or Smoothtrack) maybe using FSUIPC, but I don't know anything about this software and cannot really advise, especially when using such an old version of FSUIPC.

8 minutes ago, thammondwis said:

I was going to add some screenshots of the above but it's too large to paste into here.  If it would be helpful, I could add a link to screenshots. 

Not helpful to me, as I don't know that software, so not much point posting screenshots here. If you post anything for me to look at, it should be your FSUIPC3.ini files so I can see what, if anything, is assigned to control the view.

You can also try activating logging for Axes Controls, and see if what view pan controls are logged when you use the headtracker.

10 minutes ago, thammondwis said:

Part of the setup process was to configure the output of Smoothtrack to the input of Opentrack. 

I would check this, and the Smoothtrack/Opentrack support forums.

Sorry, but - as I said, I just don't think I can help you with this.

John

[thammondwis]

Thank you John,

I'll try the axis logging and keep digging.

Tim