Freetrack instructional video by Fraggle from the DayZ forums
There is a hundred different ways you can achieve the goal of heqadtracking in game using Freetrack, we are just going to show you one. The easiest is using one single point of tracking which will give you simple movements in game, you will be able to look up, down, and to your sides, Using three points of tracking you will be able to move as in a 3d space which will mean leaning forwards and backwards as well as sideways, up and down. We recommend going for the simple single point first and then move onto the three point system once you have the single point down. Watch the videos above first to get a basic idea then have a read through all of the steps below before you start madly pulling remotes apart around the house :)
sTEP 1
Ok before we get rolling here we just want to reinforce that you..yes YOU can make this and the satisfaction you get is one of those cool unsurpassed feelings, we would also like to state that we have nothing to do with Freetrack but just think it is such an awesome tool that we wanted to get a nice basic step by step website out there for noobies...like us.
STEP 3
First thing you will need is some run of the mill led bulbs, you can buy them online cheap or steal them out of old devices like remotes or anything that has an led power on light.
STEP 5
This is the superstar three point system that will give you the lean forward and backwards movement in game as well as sideways...but we are jumping ahead...
step 7Next grab a 9 volt battery, the ones you can lick and get that weird little charge on your tongue, you know.. the ones we all licked in primary school.
STEP 9This is our wiring setup for the three led version, if using one led it is exactly the same, just wire in only one led, make sure the wires contact all points, you can dodge it and use tape but we recommend soldering. Remember the led is going to be on your Hat or on top of your headset so allow enough wire to get to the battery, step 11IR filter removed, you will need to put something over the lens like the ir led cover of a remote control or a small piece of unexposed film, or you will have to darken the room so the IR light is picked up.
Step 13Last mention on the IR led, , to get a better tracking angle, file or sand down the rounded end making sure to finish off with some wet and dry fine sandpaper so you have a nice smooth finish.
STEP 15Now that your stunning headwear is ready and lit up you need the software that will make it all work in game, surf yourself over to FREETRACK and download THIS. Install and run the Freetrack software and follow the setup guide.The FREETRACK FORUMS have a wealth of information and a lot of different setups including four led tracking, running the leds off a usb port and even including a switch and resistor into your wiring.
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sTEP 2
Right, lets get digging, Before you bolt down the shop with a wad of folding or jump on ebay desperate to spend the dollars, look around and see what you can utilise at home. You will need a webcam, a 9v battery, at least one led bulb some small core wire and a cap.
STEP 4
This is what you are aiming for, the chance to look like a star with an led light strapped to your head, this is one of the most basic versions of the freetrack setup.
STEP 6
.. lets look at the led first. You are going to wire it up so will need to know the positive and negative, Very easy as you can see in this picture, the large post is negative and the smaller positive.
step 8Have an old mouse or some christmas lights or old pc speakers laying around ? Then you have wire :) So we have our battery, our led bulb and our wire. Next step is making it all light up. STEP 10Skip to step 14 if you are not using IR leds. If you are using infrared leds you will need to remove the IR filter inside your webcam. Most webcams are a very simple thing to pull apart and you will see the IR filter covering the camera eye once you have it apart. STEP 12Just a quick bit of info here on the IR led v the standard led. An ir led will emit nearly no visible light so may be the way you want to go if you do not want feel like a christmas tree is sitting on your head. STEP 14Ok so after you have wired up your unit and made sure the led works then you need to place the led on the top of your cap and end up with something similar to this. Where you position the battery is up to you :)
step 16And of course it would not be fitting if we did not include a pic of the Fraggletron 3000 that inspired this tutorial site. What a beast. Notice the lack of tape.
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Fragtrack site brought to you by Fraggle and Hetstaine of the Dayz forums