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FAQ & Setup Guide

Everything you need to get head tracking working in your game.

Contents
  1. Setting Up OpenTrack on PC
  2. Connecting via WiFi
  3. Connecting via USB Cable
  4. Euro Truck Simulator 2 / ATS
  5. Microsoft Flight Simulator
  6. X-Plane 11 / 12
  7. Reducing Jitter with Filters
  8. Troubleshooting
Step 1

Setting Up OpenTrack on PC

OpenTrack is a free, open-source head tracking software that bridges Smart Head Track and your game. Install it first.

  1. Download OpenTrack from github.com/opentrack/opentrack and install it.
  2. Open OpenTrack. Under Input, select "UDP over network".
  3. Click the wrench icon next to the Input dropdown. Confirm the port is set to 4242 (default).
  4. Under Output, choose the protocol that matches your game (see game-specific sections below).
  5. Click Start in OpenTrack.
Firewall: If prompted, allow OpenTrack through Windows Firewall. Make sure UDP port 4242 is open for incoming connections on your local network.
Connection

Connecting via WiFi

The simplest way to connect. Your iPhone and PC must be on the same WiFi network.

  1. On your PC, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig. Note your IPv4 Address (e.g. 192.168.0.10).
  2. Open Smart Head Track on your iPhone.
  3. Tap the IP address area and enter your PC's IP address and port (4242).
  4. Make sure OpenTrack is running with "UDP over network" input on your PC.
  5. Tap Start in the app. You should see the octopus icon moving in OpenTrack.
Tip: For the lowest latency, use a 5 GHz WiFi network. If you experience lag, try the USB connection instead.
Connection

Connecting via USB Cable

USB provides a zero-latency, rock-solid connection. No network configuration needed.

Prerequisites

  1. Install iTunes or Apple Devices app on your PC. This provides the USB driver needed for communication.
  2. Download the latest Smart Head Track PC companion app (headtrack.exe) from GitHub Releases.
Tip: Don't worry if iTunes is not installed yet — the companion app will detect this and guide you to the download page automatically.

Connection Steps

  1. Connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB (Lightning or USB-C) cable. Tap "Trust" if prompted.
  2. In Smart Head Track, change the connection mode to Cable.
  3. Run headtrack.exe on your PC. It will detect your iPhone automatically.
  4. Open OpenTrack with "UDP over network" input and click Start.
  5. Tap Start in the app.
How it works: The companion app receives tracking data from your iPhone over USB and forwards it to OpenTrack via UDP on localhost. OpenTrack doesn't know the difference — it just receives data on port 4242 as usual.
Game Setup

Euro Truck Simulator 2 / American Truck Simulator

OpenTrack Output Setting

  1. In OpenTrack, set Output to "freetrack 2.0 Enhanced".
  2. Click Start in OpenTrack.

In-Game Setup

  1. Launch Euro Truck Simulator 2 (or ATS).
  2. Go to Options > Controls > Keys & Buttons.
  3. Scroll down to the Head Tracking section. Ensure it is enabled.
  4. Start driving. Move your head to look around the cabin.
Tip: In OpenTrack, you can adjust the response curves under Mapping to make smaller head movements produce larger in-game rotations. This is especially useful for trucking where you want to check mirrors with minimal effort.
Game Setup

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 / 2024

OpenTrack Output Setting

  1. In OpenTrack, set Output to "freetrack 2.0 Enhanced".
  2. Click Start in OpenTrack.

In-Game Setup

  1. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator.
  2. Go to Options > General > Camera.
  3. Set Home Cockpit Mode to On (MSFS 2024) or ensure TrackIR is enabled (MSFS 2020).
  4. Start a flight. Head tracking should work automatically in the cockpit view.
Note: MSFS must be launched after OpenTrack is started. If head tracking doesn't respond, restart MSFS while OpenTrack is running.
Game Setup

X-Plane 11 / 12

OpenTrack Output Setting

  1. In OpenTrack, set Output to "freetrack 2.0 Enhanced".
  2. Alternatively, you can use "FlightGear" output protocol for X-Plane:
    Set the output IP to 127.0.0.1 and port to 6000.
  3. Click Start in OpenTrack.

X-Plane Plugin Setup

  1. Download the OpenTrack X-Plane plugin if not already included.
  2. Copy the plugin file to X-Plane/Resources/plugins/.
  3. Launch X-Plane. The plugin will automatically receive head tracking data.
  4. Start a flight in cockpit view. Move your head to look around.
X-Plane 12: The plugin works the same way. Make sure you're using the latest version of the OpenTrack plugin for best compatibility.
Tuning

Reducing Jitter with Filters

If head tracking feels shaky or noisy in-game, OpenTrack's built-in filters can smooth things out. Open the Filter dropdown on OpenTrack's main window and click the wrench icon to configure.

Accela (Recommended)

The default filter. It smooths small, slow movements (likely noise) aggressively while letting fast, intentional head turns pass through with minimal delay.

  1. Rotation Smoothing — increase to reduce rotational jitter. Start with the default and raise gradually until the shaking stops.
  2. Rotation Deadzone — movements smaller than this threshold are ignored entirely. Keep it small (0.02~0.05°). Going above 0.1° will make fine movements feel lost.
  3. Translation Smoothing / Deadzone — same concept for X/Y/Z positional movement. Adjust if you see positional jitter.

EWMA

An adaptive low-pass filter that learns the difference between intentional movement and noise.

  1. Min Smooth — smoothing during fast movement. Lower = more responsive.
  2. Max Smooth — smoothing when stationary or slow. Higher = less jitter at rest.
  3. Curve — controls how the filter transitions between min and max.

Kalman

A statistical prediction filter with minimal tuning. Good as a simple "set and forget" option if Accela feels too complex to dial in.

Tuning tip: Start with Accela defaults. Increase Rotation Smoothing until jitter is gone, then test quick head turns. If it feels sluggish, back off slightly. The goal is the lowest smoothing value that eliminates visible noise. Changes take effect in real-time — no need to restart.
Help

Troubleshooting

Head tracking not responding in OpenTrack

  1. Check that the input is set to "UDP over network" and port is 4242.
  2. Make sure Windows Firewall allows OpenTrack and UDP port 4242.
  3. Verify your iPhone and PC are on the same WiFi network.
  4. Try disabling VPN or any network proxy on your PC.

Game not responding to head tracking

  1. Confirm the octopus in OpenTrack moves when you move your head. If it does, the issue is on the game side.
  2. Make sure OpenTrack is started before launching the game.
  3. Check the Output setting — most games work with "freetrack 2.0 Enhanced".
  4. Some games require head tracking to be explicitly enabled in their settings.

High latency or jitter (WiFi)

  1. Switch to a 5 GHz WiFi band if available.
  2. Move your router closer, or reduce interference from other devices.
  3. For the best experience, use a USB cable connection which has virtually zero latency.

USB connection not detected

  1. Make sure iTunes or Apple Devices is installed on your PC.
  2. Try a different USB cable or USB port.
  3. Tap "Trust This Computer" on your iPhone if prompted.
  4. Restart the companion app (headtrack.exe).

Still need help? Contact us at support@tinacinc.com.