Issue 7
www.kwikpit.com
The Pit Newsletter
Welcome to the Bi-monthly newsletter.
In this issue we'll take a look at at some cool technology that allows Head Tracking in your games. Imagine FPS, Flight Simulation, Racing Simulation that les you view on screen action just by moving your head
The newsletter will give you insight into the different types of flight simulation, technical articles, tips and reviews.
I will also look at the products, accessories, hardware, software and just about anything that makes the world of flight simulation more realistic and enjoyable.
The newsletter will also keep members abreast of what other enthusiast are doing in the community.
Your newsletter .... I invite you to participate and email any stories, interesting tips, events, announcements or any contributions you feel may be of interest to the flight simulation community. Please email any contributions to: newsletter@kwikpit.com
A Plug .........
The KwikPit Company was created and is
ran by a flight simulation enthusiast. Our goal is to introduce
products that add to the enhancement and fun of flight simulation
without the complexity or high costs.
I hope you enjoy our unique line of cockpit products. We have strived to keep prices low as compared to anything else on the market.
Check out our products at www.kwikpit.com thank you for your patronage.
Regards,
Greg, President and
Simulation Enthusiast
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Head Tracking Once in a while something will come along that really changes the way we play games. One of those things is Head Tracking. Head Tracking frees up your hands and controls normally used for viewing such as manipulating the POV (Point of View) switch on your joystick to change your view in the game. This can be very distracting in the heat of combat or a heavy traffic pattern. Head tracking has alleviated this problem for many and opened up a whole new realism for gaming. What is even more fantastic is that this technology comes at a price anyone can afford. What is head Tracking ? Basically when you move your head small the view in your game will change correspondingly. if you move your head up the game view moves up. You move your head down, left or right or even slide your head left or right the view in the game will follow. Technically you never have to look away from the monitor, the software that comes with these systems let you adjust the sensitivity and the amount of on screen movement you want from a given head movement.
Hopefully this has given you some insight into some of the developments in the game and simulation world. You also have the luxury of purchasing a commercial out of the box unit if you have the finances or building your own system at a fraction of the retail price. the choice is yours, enjoy.
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Since budget is always a concern I will concentrate on a
freeware version available for this technology. When I say free
it normally means the software is freeware with a minimal
expense for do it yourself parts purchase and assembly. First a
little background. The Track IR is probably the most heard of
commercial unit available, the current model is the Track IR4
Pro it has some pretty impressive performance. The Track IR has
grown from the original model up to it's current version with
many improvements. To understand how Head Tracking works and
it's performance capabilities go to
Enter
FreeTrack, this is a quote
directly from the FreeTrack website "FreeTrack is a
free software similar to
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The
KwikPit Kit
The new KwikPit kit is in development and proceeding very close to schedule.
The kit will be a prefabricated bare wood user assembled unit. My
goal is to create a cockpit that is fairly portable, practical
and easy to assemble. Other considerations include making the unit a practical size even for the small apartment dweller. The cockpit also has to be very sturdy and solid to stand up to everyday use. Nothing worse than some flimsy unit that fails after a few uses. One of the main considerations was compact size and weight for shipping. I didn't want to produce something that would cost $100 or more to ship as some of the current set ups can cost up to $300 for shipping. Since the unit is shipped in a basic configuration it is also customizable by the builder with nothing more than a simple hand tools you can easily change the angles or add on the unit with little trouble. Finally as this company is a husband and wife venture and I do support myself with a real day job I do hope to have the kits available on time. They will be hand built so the wait may be a couple of weeks until inventory can be stocked. |
The
Eze-Pit Mach I and Mach II
The Eze-Pit Mach I and Mach II can be placed on a table or desk top, they sit below desktop level and provide room for placement of a throttle, joystick and keyboard.. "The positioning of the controls is very realistic! and will definitely improve reaction time in your games!" The unit can be folded for storage or for travel in seconds! it's Great for LAN meets! The unit may also be set up permanently on a small desk or table, eliminating the hassle of removing your flight gear after a simming session!
Hardware kit includes the KwikPit plans CD plus all the hardware needed to build your KwikPit!
Add Realism To Your Games!
For more information or to purchase got
to:
This newsletter was produced by:
The KwikPit Company
Phone: 888-371-8821 |
The most affordable cockpit build around ! |
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http://www.kwikpit.com
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