#37 MSFS 2020 Camera Bug

[migte]

Hello.

I am not sure if this is within the scope of your project or the Microsoft Flight Simulator team, but in the new MSFS, whenever you start the game, the following happens to your camera and leaves the sim unplayable. The only way to fix this is by opening FaceTrackNoIR, start tracking, and ending it again. Dozens of users have reported that they have this issue with NoIR installed, and can permanently solve the issue by removing the application. A screenshot of the issue is provided below. (this occurs after you press play. it then freezes here)

[Wim Vriend]

Do you mean that this happens, when you do NOT want to use headtracking?

It looks like MSFS 'thinks' that is is receiving headpose data through the TrackIR connection, when actually it is not. IMO the game should check the frame-counter and possibly also check the received headpose for changes. If no changes arrive (for a while) the game should assume that the tracker (or FaceTrackNoIR) is not tracking...

Is it possible to 'disable TrackIR' in the MSFS settings? Can you post a screenshot of that?

[migte]

Hello. I apolgoize for the delayed response, I have been quite busy lately. I also recieved your privated message about the issue, let me know if you prefer that platform. As for the issue, there does not seemm to be a way to "disable" the TrackIR input in the sim. What I also have not been able to determine is what must happen for the error to occur. Sometimes it happens and I need to launch noIR and run/stop, and sometimes the sim loads in perfectly the first time. I'll try to run a couple of tests/look out for patterns if it helps. Attatched is a view of the contros area. Note, I do not have FaceTrackNoIR opened or running throughout this session yet TrackIR is there. Not sure if that is significant in any sense.

[Wim Vriend]

Which options does the TrackIR selector offer? I cannot find any FS2020 user manual anywhere :(

[migte]

There are no options available. I am starting to see more and more people with the issue as of lately so this seems like Asobo (the devs) messed with something to cause this. Anyhow, I came to the following conclusion:

The issue only occurs whenever you are launching the sim for the first time on a fresh PC boot without any workarounds. In other words, if I restarted my PC right now and ran the sim, no matter how many times I tried reloading restarting and retrying, the error will occur. Then, once you launch the face tracking application, start and end, and retry, it will work and continue to work for the rest of the sim's lifetime or at the least that specific running occurance of the sim.

What I find interesting is how the system detects a face tracking input without FTNIR being open or even touched. Is this intended functionality? Once again, I don't think its really an error with the program but rather the simulator itself. Let me know if there is anything I can do to provide further information.

[Wim Vriend]

The TrackIR mechanism is quite simple and the game has no real way of knowing if the tracker (any tracker) is running, except by checking the frame counter (like I mentioned earlier).

The game (in this case FS2020) reads a registry key 'Path' in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\NaturalPoint\NaturalPoint\NPClient Location

That key tells FS where to find the NPClient.dll file. The game then loads the DLL and uses some of its functions to retrieve the headpose data.

Even when FaceTrackNoIR is not running can FS2020 load the DLL and get the headpose (which probably contains bogus values if FaceTrackNoIR has not been running at all).

Maybe you can do some testing. First, you could clear the registry key Path, so FS cannot find the DLL. If that works, we could create a work-around...

[migte]

Hey. Its been a while since because the sim had an update that kind of broke it. Suprisingly, I just ran it for the first time after fixing the issues and I did not experience the issue. It may be possible that this was fixed. I'll be doing some flying over the weekedn so I will keep you updated.

[migte]

Yup, I've been flying for a while now and have yet to encounter the issue again. I suppose Asobo had made a fix. Thanks for all the help nontheless, I'm glad it got fixed :)

[Wim Vriend]

Thanks for the feedback! I love it when someone else fixes problems :)

[XtaZiiy]

Hi, i have a similar issue with my Tobii Eye Tracker 5.

When i play a game with Facetracknoir, the NPClient Location folder is auto-generate by the app. So when i launch MSFS 2020 i have 2 Devices recognized in-game, My Tobii and a "TrackIR" emulate by NPClient.dll.

It result a conflict and my Tobii not working until i delete the NPClient Location folder in the windows register. It work fine if i delete it in the register.

The problem is that every time I want to launch MSFS 2020 after having used Facetracknoir at least once, I have to manually delete this folder in the registry.

There is a way to avoid it ? (I'm in lastest windows 10 update, same for Tobii and MSFS2020 and ofc Facetracknoir.)

[XtaZiiy]

.