Please Note: FOIP, VOIP, and Freelook are still under continual development and as such are subject to change.
TrackIR Setup
TrackIR is a third-party hardware and software option that allows for tracking of head movements to control the camera inside a compatible game, such as Star Citizen! For more in-depth information on this setup, check out TrackIR's website.
For players that wish to use this within the 'Verse, here are the basic instructions on how to get this working within the game.
- Download the TrackIR software from the manufacturer's website and proceed through the setup process.
- Login to Star Citizen and enter the Universe.
- Go to the Options menu.
- Go to the Comms menu.
- Change the Head Tracking Source to the TrackIR device in the drop down menu.
- Set Head Tracking Enabled (Toggle) to Yes.
- For advanced and longtime TrackIR users, the various Use raw input options found in the in-game settings will allow players to disable the internal offsets within Star Citizen and use only the values coming from the TrackIR and Faceware software.
TrackIR Settings Adjustments for Star Citizen
- TrackIR Motion Adjustment options are fine as is for degrees of freedom.
- Setup general sensitivity for pitch and yaw using the curve chart.
- Pulling the center points down a bit helps avoid drastic head/free look movement in-game from small movements made out of game.
- Avoid pulling the sensitivity curves all the way to zero to avoid odd calculations causing problems. This issue will be addressed in a future patch.
- Before leaving the software, recenter the tracker once.
- Periodically load-up the TrackIR software and re-calibrate to ensure the tracking is as precise as possible for your settings.
Choose a Compatible Web Camera
When selecting a webcam to add to or upgrade your computer system setup, if you intend to use it to make use of FoIP or Freelook you should ensure that it supports the following for best results:
- 60 FPS
- 640 x 480 resolution minimum
- MJPG format compatible
The camera image is inverted
- Go to the Options menu.
- Go to the Comms menu.
- Adjust the camera rotation option until the image appears correct.
Low VoIP volume in-game
- In Windows, right click the Speaker icon on your task bar and select Sounds from the menu.
- Click on the Communications tab.
- Select the Do Nothing option from the list.
- Click Apply to save the changes.
VoIP not working
- Check your keybindings to ensure there are no conflicts with any custom binding setups. The default push to talk key for VoIP is Numpad +.
- Check the mic settings and ensure it is not muted.
- Open the Comms app in your mobiGlas.
- Press F11.
- Select the channel you want to enable (i.e. Global, etc.).
- Press the microphone icon.
- Ensure the correct microphone is set in the Windows Sound Settings.
- Open the Settings options within Windows.
- Select System from the list.
- Click Sounds from the option on the left of the window.
- Set the correct input device from the drop down menu.
FoIP is not working
- Check that FoIP is enabled and calibrated.
- Open the game Options menu.
- Select Comm Settings.
- Ensure Enable FoIP is set to Yes.
- Select the Calibrate option and let it run, as it will not function properly without calibrating to your camera. If orange dots appear on your face then it is working.
- Ensure that there are no device conflicts.
- Open the Device Manager within Windows (Click the Windows icon and search for "Device Manager").
- Expand the Imaging devices option.
- Right click and then Disable all listed imaging devices except for the web cam you intend to use in game.
- Re-enable FoIP and run the calibrate option in-game.
Known Issues
The following technical issues may be encountered when using the FOIP, VOIP or Free Look features of Star Citizen.
'Calibrated' Text Reading False
When in the calibration preview, the Calibrated text in the top will read False if the software has failed to calibrate properly. Orange dots may still appear on your face in this case which is not an indication that it has calibrated facial tracking and is ready to use with FoIP in game. The false reading is typically due to poor lighting setup at your computer, or from not following the Best Practices listed in the main FoIP, VoIP, and Freelook article.
Adjust the lighting around your computer and camera for lessened shadows and clearer video input, then attempt calibrate the software again until the text switches to True.
Reacquiring Tracking Time Varies & Increases CPU Load
Reacquiring head tracking can take a very short time (a second or less) or up to 10-15 seconds. Whilst your camera tries to re calibrate your tracking, there may be an increase in CPU usage, and seems directly related to the FPS of the camera. For example, 30fps seems to track quicker and have less of a CPU hit, whereas 60fps tracking can take longer and increase CPU usage by ~20%.
Autofocus @60 FPS Triggers More Frequently
Cameras operating at 60fps may encounter more frequent autofocusing and therefore losing tracking. If you wish to maintain 60fps but if you encounter this issue, we recommend turning off the autofocus feature of your camera, or switching to a 30fps mode in the FOIP settings menu.
External Zoom Settings Are Not Accepted
Editing the zoom settings in an external program may not apply to your camera in game, however you may use exposure and focal settings.