Hi Guys.

In August is was fortunate to have a go at a shooting simulator at Hurlburt Field Air Base, FL. The kind of stuff where you have a large videowall and wireless or cabled M4, Beretta, M249 to score hits on video scenes running from a projector.

I was wondering - wouldn't it somehow be possible to create a similar item with TrackIR and an Airsoft Gun? The problem though is that as far as I know (don't have TrackIR yet) it controls the view, not the crosshairs.

Even if it did, the crosshairs would stay screen center, while the iron sights of the gun move off-center as you aim - so you couldn't use the ironsights.

But it's something to think about IMHO. Not sure how TrackIR behaves when you run a beamer in front of it, but that could be a lot of fun.

Anyone heard or tried anything similar?

I've never tried it but TrackIR does come with a utility to map your mouse to the head tracking unit.

That would be quite cool indeed, and add the reflexes of the TIR to the weapon itself

Yeah but when you are moving the ironsights of your "real" weapon, the on-screen sights would be static while yours would move over the screen.

I can see it working with the "free floating mode" crosshairs and a large center zone where the view doesn't shift. If you could scale the TrackIR inputs correctly, you would then be able to move your real ironsighs screen left-right and have the white crosshairs follow them - disable the on screen items, and you can shoot trough your "real" plastic ironsights.

Not sure what happens when you turn the body around, change walking directions or stuff. Anyone willing to try this with an airsoft pistol or the likes, just to see if it's basically possible?

To make it perfect, you'd need some kind of wireless trigger on the gun (can maybe be ripped from a wireless mouse or powerpoint presentation control) and ideally some kind of movement control, like a small joystick or pad under one of your feet you can move forward, backward, strafe and turn with. I think Arma does support joystick input to control infantry movement?

I've been looking to buy TIR for flight sims - if this can be used in such a way in Arma and maybe other tac shooters, even better. But it would be cool if someone could try the basics of it with a plastic gun or something.

There's also a "Light Gun" out that works with LCD screens, called LCD TopGun - but it is wired, much more complicated setup and much less versatile.

Well, as meep says you can emulate your mouse with the TIR. So you won't be able to use the mouse and the gun separately since they'll give the same input.

And yes, you can map joystick controls to infantry movement without any problems

You won't need a mouse to aim if the iron sights on the airsoft rifle push that little white crosshair over the screen. I'm just not sure if it can be scaled correctly, so that the movement of the crosshair on screen is in synch with the angular movement of your plastic ironsights.

To turn left/right you'd then need some kind of joystick device either like a gamepad thumbstick, or some foot pad. Taking apart a gamepad might not be the worst possible way to get a wired trigger and control for movement.

Anyone willing to try if mouse emulation can be scaled such that for example a pencil or piece of pipe will always point correctly at the crosshairs?

Maybe this utility will be of some help to you. I have it but have never played around with it yet.

TrackIR 2 Joystick Converter

(c) 2004 by Peter Dikant (peter@dikant.de)
What is it?

TrackIR can only work with games that either support the TrackIR device directly or support mouselook. Unfortunatly some games use joystick axes to control the view. The tir2joy utility will convert mouse movements to movements of a virtual joystick device. It will enable the use of TrackIR in games with joystick look support (like Nascar Racing 2003 and F1 Challenge).

If the TrackIR software has the enhanced mode activated, this mode will be used instead of the default mouse movement. This is the prefered operation mode for the converter.

This software uses Deon van der Westhuysen's excellent virtual Joystick driver PPJoy.
Installation

1. Get the virtual joystick driver PPJ from http://www.geocities.com/deonvdw/PPJoy.htm

http://www.dikant.de/tir2joy/

Wouldn't you have to keep your weapon at the ready at all times in order to play? I was never a fan of rifle PT.

He wouldn't have to. With a simple button-press TrackIR can be disabled and he can rest his arms between combat situations

Ah, sweet then! If someone gets it working please make a video of it.

Have been investigating this a little myself. Just like builting a F16 simulator to enhance the immersion of Falcon 4. I thought if I can take away the keyboard and mouse. Then replace with a firearm like game controller. It will be more interesting.

The only reason why I havent bother is because I dont have the space for a large display in order to make it worth while. Just like the Wii gaming system. If you have played their shooting games with a gun adaptor to make the two controller handles like a gun. Its abit weird to sit down and do that.

Then I thought about the idea from a joystick. so there is a desktop base for the handle. The handle will have a real gun replica with added buttons build in and programmable. For reloading, the magazine slot has to be pull down and bang back up. for the "V" like function for ArmA. the trigger will be on the butt of the gun. So just like pulling the firearm close to your face to use the sight. the user lean forward closer to the screen and it will bring up the V view. The optics of the scope is irelevant, but the distance for the scope view in game will be calibrated to the actual game controller by adjusting the projected image's distance from the player.

As to single player command console the "number" keys used in ArmA. got to figure out how to introduce them onto the firearm without destroying the aesthetic of it while making them easily access and comfortably reached in the heat of the simulation.

Got a steering wheel with pedals which I dont use in game to drive vehicle. However, if I got this gun controller setup on the desk. I will probably want to drive in game using the Steering wheel and pedals. While outside the vehicle. The brake pedal can be programmed for "continue run" i.e. constant pressing w key. The accelerator will be programmed for something else...

Then I goto figure out where to put the scroll wheel and mouse control on the firearm. With a mouse, the user can simultaneously use 3 figures on left/right and middle mouse button... on a gun trigger grip. It doesnt feel quiet the same.

Somehow I think arma has a number of User interface in game which gives it extra dimensions user can interact with. Having a gun in my hand might make the space infront of me clutter and slow my ability to game since I am used the keyboard, N52 , mouse and track IR setup.



Ok... I stop now

Like I said above, I have no TIR yet to test it, but if someone is willing to take a piece of pipe or small broomstick or whatever, and just finds out of the calibration can be done to align real "sights" with the mouse on screen - that would be the first part.

Then I think taking a gamepad apart and adding some buttons of it, as well as a thumbstick or crosspad to an airsoft would give quite a few control options.

For squad command, you'd want voice activated commands with speech recognition. I used those in SWAT3 back in the day, with no problems.

The parts are all readily available, if I decide on a TIR for the holidays, I'll put it to the test myself - till then, everyone's invited.

Oh, for motion control some pedals would work just fine. In fact normal flight sim pedals could be perfect - accelerate with the toe brake pressed, and push left/right to steer your character around. At the same time you can command your guys using your own voice, and have a gun in hand to aim at people trough real ironsights - it would be pretty much like a perfect F-16 cockpit replica for mud hoppers.

The idea for a desktop-base like a stick - there's a similar system posted about in the General Tac discussion here, but I don't like it. Replicating a weapon at the ready can IMHO not be done by a swiveling setup.