Head & Eye Tracking with OpenTrack using Eyeware Beam
Head & Eye Tracking with OpenTrack using Eyeware Beam
Turn your webcam or iPhone into a head and eye tracker for OpenTrack following these steps
How to use the Eyeware Beam Webcam Edition With Opentrack
- Windows 10 or higher
- Webcam (480p or higher resolution, external or internal)
- Eyeware Beam Webcam Edition
- OpenTrack PC Software
2
Find and click the Beam icon in the system tray. Enable “Gaming Extensions.” This lets apps like OpenTrack use Beam’s head and eye tracking data, expanding its uses.
3
Download the free OpenTrack PC software. The link provides the most recent OpenTrack release. Scroll down to the assets area and download the .exe file. Install OpenTrack and open the software to begin the configuration steps.
4
If you’ve previously set up OpenTrack, please begin with a new empty config file to ensure compatibility with Beam. If Beam feels different post-update, follow these steps: Open OpenTrack, stop tracking, click “Profile”, choose “Create new empty config”, name it, and save.
5
In OpenTrack, click on “Input” and select “Eyeware Beam”. Then, click on “Start” to start tracking with OpenTrack. You should see the pink octopus reacting to your head and eye movements.
6
Go to OpenTrack, click on “Options”, and create a global shortcut for the “Center” method by clicking on “Bind” next to it and pressing the shortcut keys you would like to use for it. In the screenshot, we have chosen “Alt+N” to be the shortcut for the centering method.
Important: To ensure proper recentering, please position your head in the resting position and focus your gaze on the center of the screen before using the keyboard shortcut.
7
Start your game and look at the middle of your screen. Press the “Center” global shortcut (e.g. Alt+N) to center the in-game camera to your default position. Congratulations! Now you are ready to play with head and eye tracking controlling your in-game camera! Read further below on how you can customize the settings.
You don’t own a game yet that supports eye and head tracking? No problem. Many supported games offer free demos, such as Euro Truck Simulator 2.
8
Beam’s default configuration automatically translates your head and eye movements into a simulated head movement in OpenTrack. This creates a more immersive gaming experience where the in-game camera responds to your eye movements, reducing the need for excessive head turning.
For personalized preferences, the Beam settings allow further customization of the input to OpenTrack:
- Click the Beam tray icon, then the gear symbol to access settings.
- You can choose the tracking source. For instance, select “Head” if you prefer only head movement tracking, as opposed to the default “Head & Gaze” option.
- Adjust your field of view by adjusting the range values. You can adjust how much the camera is moved by head or eye movements separately. Yaw refers to left and right movements and pitch is for up and down movements.
- The yaw and pitch values are limited to the -90 and 90 degrees range no matter how much you increase the range parameters. To enable more extreme angles you can change the mapping in OpenTrack as explained in the next step below.
- Adjust the responsiveness of the in-game camera to your movements by changing the sensitivity values. A value of zero will deactivate that particular input.
- Adjust eye tracking sensitivity levels cautiously. Too high levels may cause nausea.
Note:
- Important! Increase yaw and pitch range in the Beam settings first, and only in a 2nd step (if needed) in OpenTrack. This will improve the tracking smoothness.
- These custom settings are specific to Gaming Extensions and won’t affect Beam’s other features.
9
Optimize your OpenTrack experience by customizing settings:
- To view behind you in-game, enhance your field of vision by adjusting the ‘yaw’ range. In OpenTrack’s “Mapping” section, select the “yaw” tab and set the maximum input to 90°.
- Tailor the yaw and pitch curves in Mapping. It’s advised to tweak Beam’s range parameters first before adjusting OpenTrack curves.
- If you notice jittering, fine-tune the Accela filter parameters by clicking the hammer icon near “Filter” on OpenTrack’s main window.
- PC with Windows 10 (or later)
- iPhone or iPad that supports Face ID and iOS 13 (or later)
- Phone stand
1
The iOS app for your iPhone or iPad captures your head movements and accompanying Eyeware PC software translates those movements into on-screen actions in games and streams.
Download the Eyeware Beam iOS app from the app store. As you are installing the app, you will be asked to enter your email address to receive the download link for the accompanying PC software installer. Download and install the software on your PC.
2
Set up your iPhone or iPad as a head tracker with our quickstart guide. Please complete the quickstart guide first before moving to the next step.
3
A monthly or annual paid subscription is required to use head tracking. Within the app, tap on the Settings icon > Reminders > Subscriptions. You will then be brought through a series of subscription purchase and confirmation steps to complete the transaction.
4
- Click the Beam PC software icon in the tray menu.
- Click on the burger menu (3 horizontal lines).
- Select Settings at the bottom right of the Eyeware Beam PC software.
- Turn the OpenTrack stream toggle ON.
5
Download the free OpenTrack PC software. The link provides the most recent OpenTrack release. Scroll down to the assets area and download the .exe file. Install OpenTrack and open the software to begin the configuration steps.
6
Click on the Input dropdown list and select the UDP over network.
7
Click on the setup icon next to Input. Type port 4242.
8
Click on the Output dropdown list and select the freetrack 2.0 Enhanced option.
9
Click on the setup icon next to Output. In the Select interface panel, from the dropdown list select the Enable both option.
10
- Click on the Options button.
- Select the Game detection tab.
- Click on the “+” sign at the bottom.
- Click on the three dots button on the new line that was just created.
- Select the executable file for the game you want to enable head tracking in.
11
Click the Start button in OpenTrack to activate the octopus that should be moving based on your head movements.
If head tracking is inverted, go to Options > Output and check to invert either the Yaw, Pitch, or Roll.
Adjust the Curves to control the sensitivity of your head movements.
You can try the following OpenTrack profile with pre-configured settings for the Eyeware Beam app to get you closer to your ideal setup.
- Download the pre-configured Beam OpenTrack profile: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ONjS2yhCe3ddcI6lChp5VDLZqLkGd0oA/view
- Open OpenTrack and click on Profile > Open configuration directory to open the folder where the OpenTrack default profile is stored.
- Move the pre-configured Beam OpenTrack profile you just downloaded into that folder.
- In OpenTrack, click on the menu next to Profile and select the newly added Beam OpenTrack profile which now appears as an option (next to default.ini)
You will need to install OpenTrack to enable head tracking in games. If you can’t find the Eyeware Beam computer application on your screen, it might be running in the background. You can find the app with the purple logo in the system tray menu, usually located at the bottom right of your screen.
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