trackdŽ is the standard device software for the leading VR applications, developers, display manufacturers, motion tracking companies, and input device manufacturers in the immersive display industry.
The trackd is a small "daemon" application that takes information from a variety of tracking and input devices and makes that information available for other applications to use. Trackd is used with large and small immersive displays to allow applications to take advantage of six degree of freedom tracking and immersive interactive tools.
Trackd is used by all VRCO products, including VRScape® and vGeo™, as well as all CAVELib™ applications and many applications from leading software companies. It is the middle-ware standard for the Immersive Display industry, and is available with most commercially installed systems. Trackd works with a variety of operating systems (IRIX, Linux, HP-UX, Solaris, and Win32) and its networking capabilities allow different graphics machines to share information from tracking and input devices regardless of operating system.
Applications that use the trackd do not need to know what type of hardware device is being used. The applications receive data from trackers and input devices through a generic Application Programmers Interface, called the trackdAPI. This generic interface allows applications to support a range of hardware without having to modify source code, or write specific hardware drivers. It also allows immersive display owners to change, replace or upgrade components without having to replace their software, or lose functionality.
The trackd supports devices through the use of shared object libraries. Adding device support is done by obtaining a new .so file for that device, eliminating the need for a full product re-installation in order to support new hardware. VRCO continues to add support for new devices as they come onto the market. With a trackd maintenance contract users are entitled to the latest device support and upgrades. VRCO even allows users to add trackd support for custom devices by using the trackd Software Development Kit, the trackdSDK.
For programmers and software companies, the freely available trackdAPI can be used to add trackd support to any application. This generic interface frees the immersive application developer from having to write and maintain device level support software giving them an unprecedented freedom to explore device options and choose the right one for their interaction requirements.
The trackdAPI is a small API to access trackd data in a non-CAVELib™ application. Developers of 3rd party applications use the trackdAPI to obtain tracker and input controller data values. Using the trackdAPI along with the trackd, allows application developers to access data in a generic way without having to write device level support.
Regardless of the type of tracker or input controller the trackdAPI makes data accessible to a program in the same format. This allows a developer to program an application without concern for the type of device the end-user will be using. The trackdAPI enables developers to use tracker and input controller devices in their application without having to write hardware device support software.
If you would like to have your custom or commercial application support data from trackd please request the trackdAPI by sending an email to info@mechdyne.com.
The trackdSDK allows customers to write device support for a piece of hardware that the trackd does not currently support. The trackd daemon software reads data from tracker and input controller devices and stores the data for applications to use. Each hardware device that the trackd supports has its own shared object file. VRCO continually adds trackd support for new devices by creating new shared object files. Even though trackd support is extensive, there are occasions when a specific device may not be supported, or a customer has a custom device that they would like supported by trackd. Because of the need of some customers wanting to support one-of-a-kind or non-standard devices, VRCO has created the trackdSDK.
Using the trackdSDK, developers can add new device support for software that uses the trackd. Applications that use the trackd instantly gain the ability to run with new devices when support is added for them via the trackdSDK. The trackdSDK works by taking a devices data and making it available to the trackd in the proper format. Because the trackd outputs data from all devices in a general format, applications that use the trackd do not have to be modified when a different tracker or input device is used.
The power of the trackd is that it abstracts away device specific information from an application. The trackdSDK allows almost any device to be supported by the trackd by hiding the details of the device and providing data in a common format to the trackd and hence the application as well.
If you would like to have trackd based applications be able to support your custom or commercial tracker or input device please request the trackdSDK by sending an email to sales@vrco.com.
Operating Systems
HP-UX 11.00+
Red Hat Linux 7.0+
SGI IRIX 6.5+
Sun Solaris 5.8+
Windows® 2000, XP
Motion Tracking Devices
A.R.T. ARTtrack(R) & DTrack(R)
Ascension Flock of Birds®
Ascension MotionStar®
Ascension pcBIRD®
Ascension SpacePad®
Intersense IS-600
Intersense IS-900
Polhemus FASTRAK®
Polhemus LIBERTY
Polhemus PATRIOT
Vicon Motion Capture
Operating Systems
HP-UX 11.00+
Red Hat Linux 7.0+
SGI IRIX 6.5+
Sun Solaris 5.8+
Windows® 2000, XP
Input/Controller Devices
A.R.T. Flystick
BG Systems FlyBox
DirectX Joysticks and Controllers (Win32 only)
Fakespace CubicMouse™
Fakespace NeoWand™
Fakespace PINCH® Gloves
Intersense Wand
MCI Wand
MCI WANDA
SpaceBall® 3000
SpaceBall® 4000
SpaceBall® 5000
LaserAid SpaceGrips™
Fakespace V-Wand™
Fakespace Workwand™
Software Applications
All CAVELib™ applications
All VRtigo™ applications
AmiraVR from TGS
AVS Express MultiPipe Edition
CAVE5D
CEI Ensight Gold
CoVISE
Division MockUp + IDO from PTC
EON Reality
Fakespace Interaction Engine
FIELDVIEW eXtreme
GOCAD VR
Inside Reality
InsideEarth
Lake Huron
Open Inventor™ from TGS
Opus Studio
RapidVRM from Visual Advantage (supporting Division MockUp)
SARANav
Teamcenter Visualization - Concept
Showroom from UGS
Vega Prime
vGeo™
VR4MAXR from Tree C Technology
VRCO Immersive Viewer
VRScape®
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