Okay, I have thoroughly enjoyed headtracking for Flight sim and decided to try it in Live For Speed.
Here is the setup.
-Run on a Windows XP OS, (VISTA users you can follow these guidelines but I can't guarantee it will work for you)
-Simple Microsoft USB webcam (apx 20.00 Cdn)
-Cachya headtracking software (demo is free , 2 axis, and full version is 17.99 cdn)
*** I highly recommend having LFS open in windowed mode Shift+F4 will window it so you can glance back and forth between this write up and LFS.
1) Properly follow installation guidelines for your webcam and make sure it works, run its base program to insure you can see yourself on screen with the camera.
2)Install Cachya Software
www.cachya.com
Print out the headtracking symbol through their Downloads link page.
Follow their instructions for installation and basic setup.
Now that you have the two base components figured out and installed correctly you have to configure Cachya to work with LFS so you can headtrack.
3) With the Cachya Software loaded on screen you have to make sure your lighting is sufficient and not too powerful to make the symbol unreadable. Try to make sure there isn't too much background traffic or a Television in view of your camera, it will actually look for shapes similar to the headtracking symbol you will have on your head and it will focus away from you giving you some very interesting camera angles on screen!
In the Source Menu bar scroll down until you activate your webcam, with the preview button checked you should now see yourself on the preview side.
To check that the software is picking up your movements turn on 3D Demo, if the 3D Demo is very erratic or all over the place you will have to adjust the ambient lighting in the room or the contrast on screen until it is no longer overly sensitive.
If you are sitting too far away from the camera you may need to print out the larger headtracking symbol or zoom your webcam in if possible.
Once you have control of the view in 3D demo, click the check mark and turn it off.
4) In the Game Control Menu click "Enable Mouse Simulation"
by doing this you have enabled the headtracking software to use your head movements to slide your mouse cursor around.
You'll notice right off the bat its probably very sensitive to your movements.
In Mouse Configuration click "Yeild To Real Mouse" you will see why later.
My recommendation is to have the Sensitivities on all Axis set to where the E is in Less on the main screen.
( you may need to adjust to your liking for how sensitive the headtracking will react to your movements. More sensitive will move the mouse cursor fast and less sensitive will move the mouse cursor slow. You want this movement to match how much you are turning your head . So when you have your head turned to the side of your monitor the mouse cursor should just be getting to the edge of the screen)
5) Setup in LFS.
Best way to mess around and make sure everything is right is to start a single player round in your preffered vehicle with nothing else on the track.
Open your options screen and go to View.
in Look Function set it to MSXY that is mouse axis X and Y this will allow you to control up and down , left and right views.
I recommend "Look Sensitivity" set to 0.75. 0.90 is 90 degrees left and right, while driving at high speeds this can be dangerous. 0.75 allows enough view to the side that you can see the car next to you and not have to turn your head too far from what is in front of your vehicle.
Set "Look Center Reduction" to 0.20 this will ease in centering up the camera when you look forward.
Now with the game loaded and the headtracking software working properly its time to test it in game.
Once on a track and in an in car view ( remember you can set this view as your default in the Options for LFS) You need to center up your view so you can start looking around.
The mouse will always overpower the headtracking software, so take the mouse and center up your view ( may take a couple tries as Cachya tries to remember where you are looking most of the time) Once you have it centered hit CTRL+` (above the Tab key) this will default Cachya to the position you just reset it too.
If you look off screen or too far beyond Cachya's axis the software will try everything it can to pick up the symbol. Center your head up to the middle of your monitor and use the mouse to center up the rest of the view as described above.
If this is happening often then you will have to adjust the Sensitivities, Contrast and or your ambient lighting.
Enjoy and let me know if this works for you , or if you have questions post away and I will answer as well as I can.
Here is the setup.
-Run on a Windows XP OS, (VISTA users you can follow these guidelines but I can't guarantee it will work for you)
-Simple Microsoft USB webcam (apx 20.00 Cdn)
-Cachya headtracking software (demo is free , 2 axis, and full version is 17.99 cdn)
*** I highly recommend having LFS open in windowed mode Shift+F4 will window it so you can glance back and forth between this write up and LFS.
1) Properly follow installation guidelines for your webcam and make sure it works, run its base program to insure you can see yourself on screen with the camera.
2)Install Cachya Software
www.cachya.com
Print out the headtracking symbol through their Downloads link page.
Follow their instructions for installation and basic setup.
Now that you have the two base components figured out and installed correctly you have to configure Cachya to work with LFS so you can headtrack.
3) With the Cachya Software loaded on screen you have to make sure your lighting is sufficient and not too powerful to make the symbol unreadable. Try to make sure there isn't too much background traffic or a Television in view of your camera, it will actually look for shapes similar to the headtracking symbol you will have on your head and it will focus away from you giving you some very interesting camera angles on screen!
In the Source Menu bar scroll down until you activate your webcam, with the preview button checked you should now see yourself on the preview side.
To check that the software is picking up your movements turn on 3D Demo, if the 3D Demo is very erratic or all over the place you will have to adjust the ambient lighting in the room or the contrast on screen until it is no longer overly sensitive.
If you are sitting too far away from the camera you may need to print out the larger headtracking symbol or zoom your webcam in if possible.
Once you have control of the view in 3D demo, click the check mark and turn it off.
4) In the Game Control Menu click "Enable Mouse Simulation"
by doing this you have enabled the headtracking software to use your head movements to slide your mouse cursor around.
You'll notice right off the bat its probably very sensitive to your movements.
In Mouse Configuration click "Yeild To Real Mouse" you will see why later.
My recommendation is to have the Sensitivities on all Axis set to where the E is in Less on the main screen.
( you may need to adjust to your liking for how sensitive the headtracking will react to your movements. More sensitive will move the mouse cursor fast and less sensitive will move the mouse cursor slow. You want this movement to match how much you are turning your head . So when you have your head turned to the side of your monitor the mouse cursor should just be getting to the edge of the screen)
5) Setup in LFS.
Best way to mess around and make sure everything is right is to start a single player round in your preffered vehicle with nothing else on the track.
Open your options screen and go to View.
in Look Function set it to MSXY that is mouse axis X and Y this will allow you to control up and down , left and right views.
I recommend "Look Sensitivity" set to 0.75. 0.90 is 90 degrees left and right, while driving at high speeds this can be dangerous. 0.75 allows enough view to the side that you can see the car next to you and not have to turn your head too far from what is in front of your vehicle.
Set "Look Center Reduction" to 0.20 this will ease in centering up the camera when you look forward.
Now with the game loaded and the headtracking software working properly its time to test it in game.
Once on a track and in an in car view ( remember you can set this view as your default in the Options for LFS) You need to center up your view so you can start looking around.
The mouse will always overpower the headtracking software, so take the mouse and center up your view ( may take a couple tries as Cachya tries to remember where you are looking most of the time) Once you have it centered hit CTRL+` (above the Tab key) this will default Cachya to the position you just reset it too.
If you look off screen or too far beyond Cachya's axis the software will try everything it can to pick up the symbol. Center your head up to the middle of your monitor and use the mouse to center up the rest of the view as described above.
If this is happening often then you will have to adjust the Sensitivities, Contrast and or your ambient lighting.
Enjoy and let me know if this works for you , or if you have questions post away and I will answer as well as I can.
