I've been using Smoothtrack for about a year in flight simulation (DCS, IL-2) and it's absolutely fantastic. You can find user configs online calibrated perfectly for each game, which make it a "plug-and-play" 1-click experience.
I bought it after watching this and there are something other might need to consider if you are seeking a cheap head tracking option. Pros & Cons: 1. Pros: - price, $10 is reasonable considering it is now supporting 120Hz face cam and a potential of AirPod pro AR support (I don’t have AirPod pro to try this) - easy to setup, get support and update quite often Cons: - does not work in dark environments, yes the author has the “led light” of making full white bright screen to help iluminating your face but it makes the phone battery drops even faster - it runs very hot and burn your battery quite fast even with a usb plugged in (to PC for USB trans so it is not on high charging considering the current of USB is like 0.5-1A) tested on iPhone 12 & 13 - even its 120Hz supported but its is not as smooth as expected. It provides equal smoothness to free option. I have Eyeware beam Webcam edition to compare with Smoothness though. Eyeware beam provides better running for better response and smoothness. And it runs much cooler because it uses a Webcam app to feed the input, only 60Hz but the performance is far better.
Question- what FPS and millisecond lag does your phone feed open track images? I ask because I was using open track with a web cam that was doing about 30 frames at maybe 9 millisecond lag, and I found it made me uncomfortable, however I bought a cheap 4k UHD camera off amazon that I hoped I could get to run at 240FPS, I couldn't get it to run that rate however I managed to get it at 60fps at 1920x1080p with a 5-9 millisecond lag that I am much more comfortable with. If I could improve ever further than what I got now if would be worth the 10 bucks for Smooth track just to see if I notice a difference. Thanks for the video, this sort of content is hugely important.
It's feels lag free, that's as much as I can tell you. It's a big improvement over the time I tested head tracking with a webcam. FaceTrackNOIR ua-cam.com/video/imx6Lb8CYtM/v-deo.html
YOu might be able to check by looking under options then tracker might be lots of camera goodies there,though tracker might not populate in open track as it doesnt if you are using aitrack to feed data to opentrack, @@SimRacingCorner
It's a mix of parts I cobbled together from what I had around. I don't remember where I got them all. It's a magic arm, a cheap phone clamp, and some kind of camera clamp holding it to the back of the monitor.
@@SimRacingCorner Oh ok, no worries, thanks for the information :) Looked like the perfect solution for me to do the same so was hoping to just order the same mount :)
Does it work in the background? I'm using a old android phone as a dash through simhub and was wondering if I could use it for both a dash and head tracking.
@@MZBallistic He's asking specifically if you can multitask on a phone, both the head tracking app and a SimHub dashboard. The answer is no to that. But sure, you can still use SimHub on your PC.
@SimRacingCorner Ok thank you. I will give Smoothtrack a try. The reason I ask is because I was using Simdashboard and the NLR HF8 software, and the two conflicted each other. Simhub was my solution to having both a dash and the HF8 work ,but now I can't use Simdashboard for a button box because Simhub conflicts with Simdashboard.
The dev. only say that you need at least Android 7.0 but Google says in the store that it is not suitable for my phone. Galaxy S20+ Android 13. Do you know the answer to that?
I could only suggest, maybe, it's because the version of Android Samsung uses doesn't have the required API built into their custom version of the OS that SmoothTrack requires..
I wish we could just have a system where it automatically moves the screen a little to the right or left when taking a sharp corner. I tried smooth track, but need to play with adjustments
not a good product if you start out saying don't use 3 of the 6 degrees of motion. You will need more that 1:1 in a slight sim. or you can't look behind your self.
@@SimRacingCorner I have got a Delanclip head tracker, but I just fancied this because of not having to wear anything, guess I need a new phone anyway lol
That's true, but it's not exactly the same thing. SmoothTrack is leveraging the face tracking features on the Android platform or iOS. I haven't compared the performance difference, but SmoothTrack is flawless. The last time I tested face tracking on PC with a webcam, was with FaceTrackNOIR, and there was significant lag and less accurate. I will add, that was at least a couple of years ago.
I've been using Smoothtrack for about a year in flight simulation (DCS, IL-2) and it's absolutely fantastic. You can find user configs online calibrated perfectly for each game, which make it a "plug-and-play" 1-click experience.
Even for sim racing/drifting ?
@@Dondrifts most likely works amazing for Sim racing if it works well for flight sims
where to find config files for dcs pls
Just bought this. Dead cheap does take a little setting up, but man, it works and works good. Just need to get used to my screen moving 😂
Great stuff mate. Thank you for showing us the tech and application.
Perfect! I have a spare s22 should be fine for that
I bought it after watching this and there are something other might need to consider if you are seeking a cheap head tracking option. Pros & Cons:
1. Pros:
- price, $10 is reasonable considering it is now supporting 120Hz face cam and a potential of AirPod pro AR support (I don’t have AirPod pro to try this)
- easy to setup, get support and update quite often
Cons:
- does not work in dark environments, yes the author has the “led light” of making full white bright screen to help iluminating your face but it makes the phone battery drops even faster
- it runs very hot and burn your battery quite fast even with a usb plugged in (to PC for USB trans so it is not on high charging considering the current of USB is like 0.5-1A) tested on iPhone 12 & 13
- even its 120Hz supported but its is not as smooth as expected. It provides equal smoothness to free option. I have Eyeware beam Webcam edition to compare with Smoothness though. Eyeware beam provides better running for better response and smoothness. And it runs much cooler because it uses a Webcam app to feed the input, only 60Hz but the performance is far better.
very interesting! do we need do activete any settinges in ACC to activate it? it works in dash cam?
Interested to hear more ppls opinions on this.
Also, a webcam instead of phone should just be sufficient...
There is webcam head tracking in opentrack. I'll give that a try for a future video.
@@SimRacingCorner web cam or the ps3 eye camera should suffice
I don't understand why I can't get it to work, but I do everything the same way as in the video!
thank you for this
Have you attacked any personal lap records in fixed conditions, with vs without tracking? Of course, after taking time to adjust well.
Question- what FPS and millisecond lag does your phone feed open track images? I ask because I was using open track with a web cam that was doing about 30 frames at maybe 9 millisecond lag, and I found it made me uncomfortable, however I bought a cheap 4k UHD camera off amazon that I hoped I could get to run at 240FPS, I couldn't get it to run that rate however I managed to get it at 60fps at 1920x1080p with a 5-9 millisecond lag that I am much more comfortable with. If I could improve ever further than what I got now if would be worth the 10 bucks for Smooth track just to see if I notice a difference. Thanks for the video, this sort of content is hugely important.
It's feels lag free, that's as much as I can tell you. It's a big improvement over the time I tested head tracking with a webcam. FaceTrackNOIR ua-cam.com/video/imx6Lb8CYtM/v-deo.html
YOu might be able to check by looking under options then tracker might be lots of camera goodies there,though tracker might not populate in open track as it doesnt if you are using aitrack to feed data to opentrack, @@SimRacingCorner
FaceTrackNOIR is ancient. Try neuralnet that comes with opentrack.@@SimRacingCorner
Work on webcam ?!.or only on the smartphone ?!
Did you mess with the open track mapping at all, or just default from install?
You will want to adjust opentrack settings too
Have you got a link to the phone holder you used for mounting above the monitor please? Thanks
It's a mix of parts I cobbled together from what I had around. I don't remember where I got them all. It's a magic arm, a cheap phone clamp, and some kind of camera clamp holding it to the back of the monitor.
@@SimRacingCorner Oh ok, no worries, thanks for the information :) Looked like the perfect solution for me to do the same so was hoping to just order the same mount :)
Is there a link in the description? I don't see it
It's an app.
Can you look fully behind you? Say playing a combat flight sim you need to look over your shoulder?
If you look over your shoulder behind you then you'll be looking at the back of your room. Think about it
@@SimRacingCornerno no, In the game. If you turn your head enough will the game view look behind
@@donutsaviation2543 You can indeed alter the sensitivity of head angle to on-screen movement if that's what you're after.
Does it work in the background? I'm using a old android phone as a dash through simhub and was wondering if I could use it for both a dash and head tracking.
No
@@SimRacingCorner So, is that a no as in it won't work if simhub is running?
@@MZBallistic He's asking specifically if you can multitask on a phone, both the head tracking app and a SimHub dashboard. The answer is no to that.
But sure, you can still use SimHub on your PC.
@SimRacingCorner Ok thank you. I will give Smoothtrack a try. The reason I ask is because I was using Simdashboard and the NLR HF8 software, and the two conflicted each other. Simhub was my solution to having both a dash and the HF8 work ,but now I can't use Simdashboard for a button box because Simhub conflicts with Simdashboard.
trackir is still better....much smoother and much more configurable and easy to understand.
The dev. only say that you need at least Android 7.0 but Google says in the store that it is not suitable for my phone. Galaxy S20+ Android 13. Do you know the answer to that?
I could only suggest, maybe, it's because the version of Android Samsung uses doesn't have the required API built into their custom version of the OS that SmoothTrack requires..
my phone not supporting this program xiaomi mi 12T
I wish we could just have a system where it automatically moves the screen a little to the right or left when taking a sharp corner. I tried smooth track, but need to play with adjustments
Tobii eye
@@itamarmoura4080 thanks for the tip!
not a good product if you start out saying don't use 3 of the 6 degrees of motion. You will need more that 1:1 in a slight sim. or you can't look behind your self.
Should point out that it also works with iPhones
where is opentrack link?
Won't install on my old phone running android 9 😭
Opentrack has webcam head tracking too. I haven't tried that yet, but it's another option.
@@SimRacingCorner I have got a Delanclip head tracker, but I just fancied this because of not having to wear anything, guess I need a new phone anyway lol
Give Headmob tracker android app a try and I think you will be surprised by how well and accurately it performs its task.
also it's all free. lol
It’s not working for some reason
OpenTrack works with just a webcam - so why this?
That's true, but it's not exactly the same thing. SmoothTrack is leveraging the face tracking features on the Android platform or iOS. I haven't compared the performance difference, but SmoothTrack is flawless. The last time I tested face tracking on PC with a webcam, was with FaceTrackNOIR, and there was significant lag and less accurate. I will add, that was at least a couple of years ago.