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eDimensional TrackIR Review - by Mark "Frugal" Bush Virtual Reality and head tracking were the big buzz words during the 90’s. By the year 2000 VR would be the norm. Well here we are in 2002 and VR is still too expensive an option for the average home user. eDimensional’s TrackIR may bring VR a little bit closer for the average simmer. The TrackIR isn’t a VR headset, but it is a head tracking device. The original idea behind the TrackIR was to replace the mouse with a hands free solution. It works in a very similar way to a wireless IR mouse except the mouse is replaced by a small silver reflective dot which is placed on the forehead. A sensor is placed on top of the monitor which send out IR light, this is reflected back by the dot and used to control the mouse cursor. The end result is that you can move your mouse pointer by moving your head. Pretty cool but not in itself that impressive However from a gamers perspective this device can be hijacked for use in games and sims as a head tracking device to control the views. Any game that allows you to control the view panning with the mouse will work straight away with the TrackIR. This includes IL2, Mig Alley, Battle of Britain, and unless my memory deceives me, EAW. There may be others but these are all I can think of. There are other options available for sims that don’t allow mouse control of the views. The latest software for the TrackIR is very easy to use and includes support for FS2002, allowing you to use the TrackIR in FS2002’s virtual cockpit. The TrackIR is also particularly well suited to FPS games that have a mouselook feature. Installation of the TrackIR was very simple. Install the software then plug the unit into the usb port and place it on top of the monitor. Configuration is a bit more involved but not too complex. First you need to stick one of the silver dots to your forehead (this can also go on the bridge of your glasses, or 3D goggles if you use them) it can also be placed on your mic if you use a headset mic). If you place the dot on your forehead it is important to remember to remove it before going down the pub with your mates. Mind you if you forget then it will also double up as a portable source of entertainment to your mates in the pub adding extra value for money to the unit :-) The unit itself comes with 40 of these dots which can be re-used several times. I have had the unit around six weeks and am still only on my second dot. Once the software is running you need to go into the advanced section which shows where the dot is in relation to the transmitter. You then need to line up the transmitter so that the dot is in the centre. Once this is done the TrackIR is almost ready to use. I say almost because you still need to tweak the sensitivity to suit the game you are going to play. This can then be saved as a profile allowing you to tweak the TrackIR to suit each individual game or sim. Getting these profiles right can take a lot of trial and error but once you have them saved it takes seconds to load up a profile. The software includes a keymapping option to program keypresses to certain head positions. In theory this should allow you to use the trackIR with sims like Falcon 4 and Janes F/A-18. Personally I was never able to get this option working in F4 but I have seen a forum post from someone that was successful at getting the unit working in Janes F/A-18. The idea of turning your head left to look left sounds great on paper but you’re probably wondering how this is going to work when your monitor does not move with your head. It’s simple really, you configure the TrackIR to require very little movement. For instance look at points A & B in the diagram below, this is the approximate position on my monitor that I have to turn my head towards to look over my right and left shoulders. C & D shows where I have to look in order to check my 9 and 3 O’ Clock positions. As you can tell I never have to look away from my monitor. So how well does this thing work? The answer to that to some extent depends on how much effort you put into it. The TrackIR takes some practice. The first thing you realise when you use the TrackIR is how much you actually move your head when you fly. If you are anything like me you will move your whole body when you get into a dogfight. This is not a good thing with the TrackIR because it tracks the position of the dot not the position of your head. This means that moving your head to the left while facing forward will turn the view left just as if you turned your head left. This isn’t really a problem, it just takes a little while to discipline yourself to not bounce around in your chair. The next problem you have to get used to is the small head movements causing large view movements, this in itself does not take too long to get used to and it is surprising how quickly you have complete control of your view. Before long you are able to turn your view to the exact spot you wanted to look at in an instant. Another thing here is that most simmers are not actually used to using their head to look around so it can be a little disorienting to begin with. Very quickly though you get used to knowing where you are looking based on your head position and so this becomes far more natural than any padlock mode. A common complaint about padlock mode is that it is easy to lose track of where your view is looking in relation to the aircraft. This is not a problem with the TrackIR because your own head position lets you know where you are looking in the sim. There is some effort involved in getting the best out of the TrackIR but if you take the effort you will be rewarded by a far greater degree of immersion and a higher level of Situational Awareness. The TrackIR basically renders the padlock mode and pov hat obsolete. The trackIR has both advantages and disadvantages over padlock view but the disadvantages tend to fall in the category of “extra realism”. For instance one of the disadvantages is that your view is not locked to the target, you have to track the target with your head just like in reality. As a result it can sometimes be very easy to lose sight of the enemy behind a part of your airframe or in clouds etc. So in this area whilst it is not always as easy to track the aircraft it is more natural and more realistic. Another disadvantage is that because of our tendency to move around when flying you can often get a very similar effect to your head being bounced around by G force. It is hard to describe but in effect during a hard break, or a snap roll you can have to “re-centre” your head to the view, which can add another sensation of realism. The difference that the TrackIR makes to SA is quite astounding. When using the normal padlock (instead of the tracker) I have a tendency to suffer from target fixation, I also find it difficult to keep track of other aircraft due to my view being locked to the current target. With the trackIR things are completely different, I am able to scan around the sky and return to my target in an instant. As a result I am far more aware of other threats and the position of my wingman etc. Even when I lose sight of the bandit it is both easy and natural to scan the sky in order to re-acquire the target visually. Another thing for the smokers to be aware of is that the unit will happily track a lit cigarette so smoking in a dogfight is not to be recommended, but then I have yet to read an account from a real Fighter Pilot that included “I took one last drag on my cigarette before rolling in on the bandit” :-) In Flight Sim 2002 the TrackIR only works in the virtual cockpit. I don’t really see this as a major problem because in the 2D pit you tend to be focussed on the panels. Also for me I tend to be a casual simmer in FS2K and mainly fly for sightseeing. This works out great with the TrackIR. On with my 3D specs, into the air and straight into the virtual pit. The immersion here is awesome, I can happily look around taking in the landscape in 3D. Being able to look around with my head really makes the experience a lot more enjoyable. I have actually found myself logging much more time in FS2002 since getting the tracker. FPS games like Medal of Honor really benefit from this piece of kit too. The trick is to set mouselook on and set the movement to the cursor keys (or somewhere else on the keyboard). Trying to control your movement using the tracker is not a good idea, a few left turns in a row and you’ll be looking away from the monitor. Using it to just control your viewpoint is great though. As with sims it takes a little getting used to. Initially I’d walk into a room in MOH look around the room then walk smack into a wall because I’m used to always moving in the direction I was facing. Once you get used to the fact that you will always move in the direction your body is facing not where your head is facing it becomes quite intuitive. The great thing is that it becomes easy to work out which way your in game body is facing in relation to your in game head because of your own heads position.in relation to your own body. Situation awareness is not a word often used when talking about fps games but I have certainly found my SA increased in MOH and Jedi Knight 2. Being able to run across an opening while quickly checking left and right is so easy with this unit, prior to using this I really suffered from tunnel vision in these kind of games. It is also so much easier to quickly scan around a room. This will be awesome for Ghost Recon, being able to quickly duck in a room, look around and duck out. In most games I use the TrackIR along with eDimensionals 3D glasses and it really makes it easier to get completely drawn in. One word of warning though, do not play Alien Vs Predator 2 in the dark with surround sound, 3D glasses and a trackIR. Now when I did my review of the Sonic Fury I found this game damn scary. The 3D glasses improve the look of the game but the Tracker tips the immersion over the edge and requires self cleaning reinforced underwear. I don’t know what it is but there is something about looking around by moving your head that really gives you a feeling of being there. Now this is great when “there” is somewhere nice, but when “there” is alien infested with certain death lurking in the shadows and around every corner it is an entirely different matter. If you do play this game under the above conditions make sure there are no women around to hear you scream :-) I’m not sure if I would ever recommend the TrackIR for the purpose it was designed for (a hands free mouse). But for gamers to use as a cheap head tracking device I wholeheartedly recommend it. The words immersion and Situational Awareness have cropped up several times in this review, anything that improves one of those factors is very valuable to us simmers, the TrackIR significantly enhances both of those and as a result has become a worthwhile addition to my cockpit. I couldn’t imagine flying IL2 or FS2002 without it, I also would find it very difficult to play Medal of Honor and other fps games without the ability to look around with my head. When combined with the 3D glasses it really is a poor mans Virtual Reality. Mark “Frugal” Bush If you have IL2 you can see the TrackIR in action by downloading this track. Save it to IL2's records folder. Then from in IL2 select "View Track" and select it from the list. The TrackIR can be purchased online from The eDimensional Web Stie Please comment on this article in the Article Feedback Forum