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FreeTrack Forum > FreeTrack : English Forum > Support : FreeTrack Software > LifeCam VX-1000 broken? or Software Failure?

RSS >  LifeCam VX-1000 broken? or Software Failure?
oscarddt #1 24/03/2015 - 01h13

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Hi!!!

I bought a camera LifeCam VX-1000 and when used with the Freetrack 2.2.0.279 the video that appears in the window of the application has a gray horizontal bar  where there is no video and below it there is another video but apparently bad processed. According to the LifeCam software, the camera works perfectly, but not so in Freetrack, and uninstall the application and returned to install, but the fault persists. With my laptop camera integrated the application works perfectly, but I can not use this camera to use the FSX software.

Here's an example:

Posted Image

This is the settings of the LifeCam

Posted Image

Thanks in advance
Stormrider #2 24/03/2015 - 04h27

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I think that you need to check the resolution you are using.Take a look at the strean tab and select 640x320.
oscarddt #3 24/03/2015 - 23h03

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I had changed from 640x480 to 320x240 and 160x120 with the same results, those are the resolution avaliable for this camera. I had reinstalled the FT software and LifeCam drivers and I still have the problem.
Edited by oscarddt on 24/03/2015 at 23h06.
Stormrider #4 25/03/2015 - 17h36

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I don't think your cam is broken.But you can try if the same failure occurs with other software.If you can get a normal view with other software it has something to do with freetrack.
Years ago when I started with freetrack I used a vx3000 webcam, I had that problem also first but I do not recal what fixed it therefor I don't think it is broken.
What I see in your picture is that the bandwidth is only 5, mine was 7.
Maybe try an other usb-port?
You need also to choose external instead of internal.
Have you already tried to set everything back to default settings?
I know there are a few things you cannot uncheck(yet), you need a tool named windows enabler for it.
http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=2038
Some text from the manuel of freetrack

Webcam frame rate is lower than advertised.

*Turn off auto-exposure and manually reduce exposure (this is essential).
*Make sure your USB port is not less than a USB 2.0 port.
*Use a different USB port.  Sharing ports or hubs with other devices can cause bandwidth bottleneck and lower fps.
*Disable anti-flicker/enable outdoors mode in your camera properties.
*Reduce video quality in the Stream property page if your webcam supports it.



In the case of Microsoft VX-1000:
1. Set auto exposure on (default) and exposure value to 0 (or a little higher).
2. Place a bright light source, like a lamp, in the field of view of the camera so that it reaches 30fps.
3. Disable auto exposure with one of the enable button apps.
4. Switch the light off,  the camera should still be producing 30fps and will continue to do so while the exposure settings are not changed.
oscarddt #5 26/03/2015 - 00h27

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Thanks Stormrider,

But not cigar, yet... :pinch:

I did everything you suggest me to do, heres the new settings:

Posted Image

The grey bar is still there and FT is still dead.

Something else? Maybe my LED setup?
Stormrider #6 26/03/2015 - 18h56

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Did you try also the webcam in other software if that distortion is also present?

if you dont have a particular reason to use freetrack, you can always give ftnoir a try.I used freetrack a long time but after I changed my vx3000 for a ps3-eye I started to use ftnoir.
Facetracknoir started as a face recognition tracker.But it gave some problems and therefor someone made a pointtracker-plugin.With that plug-in it works just like freetrack.

http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/home/default.htm
If you want to give ftnoir a try, don't forget to install the hotfix.
The pictures below are some settings I use, filter, gameprotocol.

Posted Image

Posted Image
Stormrider #7 27/03/2015 - 16h29

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I connected my vx3000 webcam and guess what?Yes I have got that grey bar also.The only thing I did to fix it was changing the stream setting from rgb to I420.
Because I didn't use it anymore, I had the drivers also uninstalled.
I plugged it in an usd-port, windows installed a driver for it, at this moment with only that driver the option to choose for I420 wasn't there yet.After that the software got installed and the option I420 was selectable.
Before I changed rgb to I420 I had that grey balk and when I selected I420 everything looked normal, not anymore that grey balk.
So maybe is that the only thing you need to do.


Posted Image
oscarddt #8 27/03/2015 - 22h55

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Stormrider,

I did everything as you wrote it, and... IT'S WORKING NOW!!!

Posted Image

I had to reset everything again and set the stream output to 320 x 240 to have a good image, but, voila!!! now I have a perfectly working camera and software setup/

Next step, setting up FSX to make it work.

Again, thanks a lot!!!
Edited by oscarddt on 27/03/2015 at 23h08.
oscarddt #9 30/03/2015 - 18h28

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The FSX its working right now. I just delete the fsx.cfg file and started fsx again. Problem solved! :D
Edited by oscarddt on 30/03/2015 at 18h29.

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