FaceTrackNoIR as a free view system

[Ripley]

Hi all.
Yesterday I was chatting with garyw about FaceTrackNoIR (FTNOIR)...
Now I've just read in the "bugs, feature requests, & feedback" subforum that a user would like to see implemented something like TrackIR in the game, and Martin replied that Orbiter already has it.

So, here's my heads-up to FTNOIR.
In short, it is a free application that lets you control a game's view system much like a TrackIR, or FreeTrack, but WITHOUT the hassle of mounting LEDs on your head/cap/headphones.
It just uses a webcam, which tracks your face movements.

I have a standard TrackIR4, so I don't know much else about FTNOIR, but in the flightsim community (also some FPS shooter, like ArmA) it is being tested and it is reported working.
It incorporates several protocols (FlightGear, Free-track, PPJoy, fake TrackIR), and here is a youtube video showing it somehow works with Orbiter!
Yesterday I've PMed FTNOIR creator (Wim, aka V4Friend) and I told him about Orbiter and this forum. Maybe there's room for some collaboration between him and Martin for integrating FTNOIR into Orbiter, like it was done for FlightGear free flight simulator and FreeFalcon.


FTNOIR website
http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/home/default.htm

V4Friend is actively participating on various forums, maybe we could get him over here as well!

ArmA2
http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=100530

FlightGear
http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8499

SAS IL-2 1946
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,7689.0.html

FreeFalcon
http://www.freefalcon.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17850


Anyway, let's share our findings in this thread.

 

[acesax23]

Wow! Great idea! Hail Probe!

 

[dumbo2007]

wow this is awesome.....I have just ordered a new joystick..will try it for the 1st time with orbiter...and this too.....i think i wont be doing much else for some days now.

 

[acesax23]

There's a problem!
no ippcore-5.3.dll !!!

 

[Ripley]

I swear I've read something today on your very same ippcore problem on FTNOIR site.
Looks like that page is down at the moment, but there's some fix for it.
Keep watching that site.

Maybe here some info...
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=3072563&group_id=324596&atid=1363309

Edit: page now up again!
http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/manual/knownissues.htm

When you experience any problems with IPP-errors after a successful install, it may help to install the faceAPI demo first, to see if that works. If the faceAPI demo works, there should be no problems running FaceTrackNoIR too...

 

[Rtyh-12]

Exactly how am I supposed to make it work in Orbiter? I have TrackIR module activated, I have FaceTrackNoIR activated, but when I move my head, nothing happens. I also can't move the camera by standard right-click-and-drag Orbiter command. Am I doing something wrong?

Anyway :hail:

 

[Ripley]

Rtyh-12, did you install the stable or the beta version?
Have you installed faceAPI demo first?
http://www.seeingmachines.com/product/faceapi/ (site requires registering).
Then, check your webcam for compatibility issues.

From http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/compatibility/compatibility.htm

FaceTrackNoIR is 'simply' a program that reads headpose-data from a face-tracker and translates this data into a protocol that another program can read.....
Currently, the only face-tracker supported by FaceTrackNoIR is the faceAPI from SeeingMachines

 

[Salun]

What are the settings used for that orbiter video? Mines always eitehr way to sensitive or to unresponsive. Other wise I love it.

 

[Hielor]

Does it support FSX yet?

Also, from reading the comments, it looks like the "center" key isn't configurable yet? That's kind of an important thing for me to be able to do...

 

[tl8]

Does it support FSX yet?

Also, from reading the comments, it looks like the "center" key isn't configurable yet? That's kind of an important thing for me to be able to do...

No on both accounts unfortunately.

The new 1.4 release is mainly for FSX and I assume the centre key issues will be addressed (You can configure it but it doesn't work ATM)

It shows promise but isn't as advanced as Freetrack is ATM.

 

[Hielor]

No on both accounts unfortunately.

The new 1.4 release is mainly for FSX and I assume the centre key issues will be addressed (You can configure it but it doesn't work ATM)

It shows promise but isn't as advanced as Freetrack is ATM.

Thanks--It would be cool if I could use this as an alternative to TrackIR, since that has some deadzone issues when looking upward (the lower LED on the TrackClipPro obscures the middle one).

How does FTNOIR work if there's something in front of the face, like a headset microphone? That video showed someone passing a hand in front of their face, but I imagine it's easier to continue tracking past a temporary obstuction than with a permanent one...

 

[Xyon]

How does FTNOIR work if there's something in front of the face, like a headset microphone? That video showed someone passing a hand in front of their face, but I imagine it's easier to continue tracking past a temporary obstuction than with a permanent one...

From my limited testing with this it seems to manage OK with a headset, but I suspect it depends on the amount of your face it obscures and how tightly it follows your head's movements.

At any rate, it's not thrown off by eyewear, headwear, and not too badly disrupted by occasional hand-to-mouth action like eating and drinking coffee, which is a mix of permanent and temporary obstruction.

 

[Ripley]

Good news!

FaceTrackNoIR v1.3 already works with the Orbiter 2010 v100830 Delta Glider Mk4 in orbit scenario.

1. In FaceTrackNoIR select Fake TrackIR as the Game protocol.
2. In Orbiter/Modules select the TrackIR check box (in Input devices)
3. Launch Orbiter.

Head tracking should now work in the virtual cockpit.

My FreeFalcon FaceTrackNoIR settings to give you some starting paramaters (a work in progress ).

Global settings
Smoothing=1, filtering=1, Neutral Zone=6

Yaw/Pitch/Roll 500/427/125
R.factor 80/80/80
Invert Pitch check box
X/Y/Z 0/0/5
R.Factor 95/95/25
Invert X check box

Text taken from Ramsay's post at FreeFalcon forum:
http://www.freefalcon.com/forum/showpost.php?p=189593&postcount=175

 

[Moach]

that thing sure is a doozie

any word on what kind of CPU toll we're in for? - i mean, "finding" a face in a regular video stream should probably be heavier than tracking IR dots, no?

and what about the camera? - would a higher-res one give out better results, or does it not matter?


this has a number of additional advantages over trackIR (other than being, you know... free) - it also removes the need to have hardware attached to your head, which is quite a strong selling point IMO

also, could that somehow be rigged to work via LAN while running on a separate computer? - i do have a habit of leaving my laptop right next to my home rig while i play....


it's definately worth checking out... perhaps it's time i buy myself a proper webcam :hmm:

 

[Rtyh-12]

Nevermind, I made it using Ripley's link (2 posts above). It's great! Thanks for showing this to us, the will award you! (hopefully:lol

 

[Ripley]

...perhaps it's time i buy myself a proper webcam...

Before shopping, check this out then!
http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/compatibility/webcams.htm

Nevermind, I made it using Ripley's link (2 posts above). It's great!...

WOW!! Very good to hear! Glad to help!!

 

[Xyon]

any word on what kind of CPU toll we're in for? - i mean, "finding" a face in a regular video stream should probably be heavier than tracking IR dots, no?

Not too bad, with a multiple-core processor you'll barely notice it's running.

Single-core, probably a fair few FPS drop, I'm afraid. The pattern recognition seems fairly labour-intensive.

 

[Ripley]

Here are some more techinfo, even if they relate to rFactor.

http://www.thewayiplay.com/mainforum/index.php?topic=1177.msg18477#msg18477

 

[Ripley]

Orbiter added among the supported games!!
http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/compatibility/games.htm

 

[Ripley]

Update 4 released!
http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/information_links/download.htm