Well, I read about it, heard about it, and I'm wondering if I should be getting me one one of these days, if that is, I'm convinced it's actually good and improves the LFS experience.

Anyone bought one? I'd like to hear what you thought of it!

I got my TrackIR 3 Pro with Vector Expansion today.
Its absolutey awesome!!
It'll take a bit of getting used too but the increased situational awareness that you gain from it is out of this world.

I was looking at the TrackIR a while ago, but it seems a bit unnatural to me. You move your and and the picture on the screen follows, but you gotta keep your eyes on the screen... Isn't that annoying? Or does that just take getting used to?

I've got my trackIR with Vector Expansion and love it. I don't necessarily think that it makes you a better driver, but like switching from a regular wheel to a forcefeedback wheel, it increases the level of immersion. This, IMHO, is always a good thing.

It does seem to act up from time to time. Always have the reset key handy, so you can recalibrate it. I was doing some racing the other night, first in a UF1000 where it worked perfectly. Later that night I swiched to my usual FZR racing and suddenly the response was real sluggish. I had to move my head more than usual and the lag between me moving my head and the screen moving made it more distracting than useful. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe it was related to switching cars without restarting LFS. Dunno.

But on the whole, it's an awesome product.

Quote from bobvanvliet :

I was looking at the TrackIR a while ago, but it seems a bit unnatural to me. You move your and and the picture on the screen follows, but you gotta keep your eyes on the screen... Isn't that annoying? Or does that just take getting used to?

It becomes surprisingly intuitive quickly. I don't even think about using it. I just "look around" as if it was the natural thing to do now, not thinking about the mechanics anymore.

It took a while for me to get used to, but now I couldn't imagine driving a sim without it. I know it is ingrained in my behavior for the few times I forgot to load the software, started driving, turned my head to look into a corner, nothing happened so I turned my head further .

As far as acting up, I found it is sensitive to other light sources. Mine was messing up every once in a while. I found it was from a bit of sunlight coming through a window and was based on the time of day (the angle of the sun.) I made sure the curtain was well closed and now the only time I need to reset it is if my hat (with the reflectors) moves (or if I move it).

I have a TrackIR3 Pro with Vector Expansion. I've tried MANY times to get used to it, each time over a period of several days.

But I can't! I'm slow and innaccurate with it.

In real life, you look at what you want to look at, even if your head or the car moves. Your eyes automatically compensate. With TrackIR, you use your head to look around, but your eyes stay focused on one place. I can't get used to it, no matter how many profiles I download off the net, and how much advice I get off people.

GTR was the same, although I did quite like the head lean function.

Flight sims are plain (no pun) weird too.


I'd personally say give it a miss, but most people here seem to have had more joy with it, so perhaps it's my brain at fault. Am considering selling them on eBay in the not too distant future. What would be a good price? The downside is I'd quite like to keep the Vector Hat (although not the clippy thing).

Quote from rwkeating :

As far as acting up, I found it is sensitive to other light sources. Mine was messing up every once in a while. I found it was from a bit of sunlight coming through a window and was based on the time of day (the angle of the sun.) I made sure the curtain was well closed and now the only time I need to reset it is if my hat (with the reflectors) moves (or if I move it).

I got that problem. And since it's IR, it's not just light. I got a window behind me that has curtains but during the day even the curtains heat up enough for the trackIR to register them. Means, i can't race during daylight hours.

sdether, I'd experiment by putting other things over the window to see if you can get around that limitation. Try a large black plastic bag. Cut it so you get on big sheet and toss that over the window and see if it helps. The bag I tried one time still let some light through, but it diffused it enough to make a difference.

For testing, use the TrackIR setup software in the mode that it shows what the TrackIR is seeing. Hope this helps.

Quote from rwkeating :

sdether, I'd experiment by putting other things over the window to see if you can get around that limitation. Try a large black plastic bag. Cut it so you get on big sheet and toss that over the window and see if it helps.

Heh.. It's the picture window in our living room. Attempts to cover it with black plastic bags could seriously cut into the marital bliss

It's fine, anyhow. There aren't a lot of daytime hours I have available for racing anyhow.

Quote from bobvanvliet :

I was looking at the TrackIR a while ago, but it seems a bit unnatural to me. You move your and and the picture on the screen follows, but you gotta keep your eyes on the screen... Isn't that annoying? Or does that just take getting used to?

I suppose you do that naturally, of course it will be unconfortable in the beggining, but I think most people will get used to it.

As tristan said, a lean move would be nice. Don't know yet though if I am going to invest in this. But I want to

I've had the TrackIR 3 Pro with Vector Expansion for a while now and I really like it. I found it very easy to get used to. If I forget to load the software I just have to quit the game and get it loaded -I don't even want to practice without it. The imersion factor is greatly enhanced by it.

HuckD

Can someone make a video of that TrackIR in action??
I heard of that, but never saw how that actually works.. So if someone can make a video of you driving with that thing.. Nothing fancy, just 10, 20 seconds of that, to see what is that.. thanks..

There are videos on the TrackIR site http://www.naturalpoint.com/tr ... /game-live-for-speed.html

I use trackir with lfs just to turn my head left and right for observing opponents. I disabled all another axises and set big deadzone to the yaw-axis to have some freedom at the nearly central position of my head. And I like it at all!!!

Quote from rwkeating :

There are videos on the TrackIR site http://www.naturalpoint.com/tr ... /game-live-for-speed.html

Ok, thanks!

I've got one one the older TrackIR units and I have been using it for a long time with flight sims. For LFS I turn the resolution way down so that even a large head movement will only move the view a few degrees. I also lock the y-axis so that I am only looking left and right. I find it really helps my driving, but as others have said, takes some getting used to

bail0ut

I've posted elsewhere about this but I'll summarize here...

The TrackIR is the best thing for simming since color monitors were invented, and the best thing for sim racing since the first wheels were offered.

IMHO, if everyone online used the TrackIR then we would cut the number of total track incidents in-half. The TrackIR's ability to raise your situational awareness, to keep eyes on the cars surrounding you, and to peer through the turns to pick your line and apexes is simply the most involving sensation offered in home simming.

The details:
It takes about a week to get used to. If you have Vertigo or are super sensitive to motion sickness then I do not recommend it. The resolution for every axis is extremely tunable, and the included software is easy to use.

I highly recommend getting the TrackIR 3 with the 6 DOF expansion. Not all the racing sims support full axis yet, but they will. And if you flight sim then you'll really enjoy the 6DOF (imagine being able to peek around your nose and prop in a tail-dragger, or peek out and down over your cockpit walls to see the ground below). Awesome stuff.

Check the bigger flight sim retail websites. The often run specials and combos for the Track IR.

Cheers
-Smoky

Quote :

The TrackIR is the best thing for simming since color monitors were invented, and the best thing for sim racing since the first wheels were offered.

I agree, the best hardware I bought in a long time! Actually, I'm on holiday in Italy right now and I have my laptop with me with LFS installed, however I don't have trackIR with me and playing LFS (or GTR, F4, etc etc) doesnt feel right anymore! I just cant play these sims without trackIR! It feels like playing with keyboard when you are used to playing with a wheel!

Okay, well I just ordered the TrackIR 3 Pro kit, it should be on my monitor and on my head soon! I'll tell you guys what I think of it. I bet i'm gonna like it!
BTW, anyone got the vector expansion? Doesnt work with LFS right? only with some flightsims.. or are there any racesims that are compatible with the vector expansion?

Make sure you take your time becoming friends with it . When I first got mine (stage 1) I found it a bit difficult, but I was so enthused I knew I just had to adjust to it. Then (stage 2), I was adjusted to it, but getting a stiff neck. That passed quickly and now I can't imagine racing without it. Good choice!

Quote from (SaM) :

Okay, well I just ordered the TrackIR 3 Pro kit, it should be on my monitor and on my head soon! I'll tell you guys what I think of it. I bet i'm gonna like it!
BTW, anyone got the vector expansion? Doesnt work with LFS right? only with some flightsims.. or are there any racesims that are compatible with the vector expansion?

The 6DOF vector expansion is primarily only supported in Flight Sims now. But I believe GTR supports a couple of those extra axis. It only makes sense that future racing sims will as well. You don't necessarily use those axis in racing to "see" but having that 3D motion available helps to increase the overall "feel" when it is supported (instead of feeling like your vision is locked into an axis).

On the other hand, if you don't Flight Sim at all then it may be best to wait until more racing sims support the Vector expansion.

Re: Stiff necks... I had the same problem until I realized I was letting the TrackIR tell me where to put my head. It's part of the learning curve, but after a while you'll figure out exactly how you sit and what posture is comfortable for you and then you'll be able to more effectively calibrate "center" for the TrackIR camera. In the beginning though I found myself crouching and squeezing to keep a view in FS2k4. For a couple days I was constantly re-centering. But then I finally figured out how I actually sit when I play games and it all worked out.

Here's a neat trick that has worked for me... Assume a proper sitting posture (the one your Mom and your teachers always fussed at you about) and THEN center the TrackIR. It kind of "forces" you to maintain that proper posture, otherwise your field of view is out of whack.

l8rz
-Smoky

Yea thanks, both ideas were already my plan. I dont see much use in the vector exp. yet so I'll wait. And yea, it's best to play from your comfortable pose.

Quote :

Check the bigger flight sim retail websites. The often run specials and combos for the Track IR.

or maybe at the LFS site
If you have a LFS license
you get a 30$ discount if you buy it via
https://www.liveforspeed.net
(click on license status, top right)

afaik, it works also through some european shops this way.

Quote from (SaM) :

BTW, anyone got the vector expansion? Doesnt work with LFS right? only with some flightsims.. or are there any racesims that are compatible with the vector expansion?

I bought the vector expansion, because I'd been told that it improves head tracking a lot, providing smoother movement even if you don't get 6DOF in a game.

I do like the extra axis in GTR and GT Legends. It's not that you really see all that more, but it feels less constrained and you're less likely to try to hold you neck stiffly as you do when you only have 2DOF.