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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
Step-By-Step Setup Guide

How to use the Eyeware Beam Webcam Edition With Opentrack
Scroll down to the other guide if you're using the iOS Edition.
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Minimum Requirements
Translate real-life eye and head movements into on-screen actions
This head and eye tracking guide will show you how to enjoy responsive, six degrees of freedom (6DoF) head tracking with 200+ of your favorite simulation games. Driving, flight, space, first-person shooter, and racing PC games compatible with OpenTrack.

1

Sign up here for the Eyeware Beam Webcam Edition and follow the instructions.

2

Enable Gaming Extensions

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, install, and open the free OpenTrack PC software

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

Start with an new and empty configuration file in OpenTrack

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

Change the input in OpenTrack to Eyeware Beam

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

Assign a keyboard shortcut to the center method

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

Launch your game and center the head tracking

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

Customize the head and eye tracking settings in Beam

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

Customize your OpenTrack settings

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.
Note
If you can’t find the Eyeware Beam icon on your screen, it might be hidden in your tray apps. You can find the app with the purple logo in the system tray menu, usually located at the bottom right of your screen.
How to use the Eyeware Beam iOS Edition With Opentrack
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Translate real-life head movements into on-screen actions with head tracking
This head tracking guide will show you how to enjoy responsive, six degrees of freedom (6DoF) head tracking with 200+ of your favorite simulation games. Driving, flight, space, first-person shooter, and racing PC games compatible with OpenTrack head tracking software.

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

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a head tracker

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

Purchase a subscription to enable head tracking

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

Turn the OpenTrack stream toggle on in the Beam settings
  • 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, install and open the free OpenTrack PC software

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

Select Input type

Click on the Input dropdown list and select the UDP over network.

7

Select port number

Click on the setup icon next to Input. Type port 4242.

8

Select Output type

Click on the Output dropdown list and select the freetrack 2.0 Enhanced option.

9

Select 'Enable both' under freetrack protocol settings

Click on the setup icon next to Output. In the Select interface panel, from the dropdown list select the Enable both option.

10

Select the PC game you will use with head tracking
  • 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 and play your game using head tracking

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)
Note
Eyeware Beam head tracking will only work when both the iOS Eyeware Beam app and the Eyeware Beam Windows PC software from step 1 is installed.
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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