Set up ChasePlane with Tobii or TrackIR in MSFS, choose one tracking path, bind centre and pause, and fix jitter, drift or view conflicts.
Install and connect ChasePlane first, calibrate Tobii or TrackIR in its own software, then enable one tracking path only: ChasePlane’s tracking integration or Microsoft Flight Simulator’s native head-tracking input. Assign centre and pause controls, tune cockpit translation and rotation, save the aircraft view, and remove duplicate camera bindings that cause jumps or drift.
This workflow is for PC because Tobii and TrackIR depend on desktop tracking services. Before changing camera settings, complete our ChasePlane installation and simulator-connection checks.
Which tracking route should you use?
Use whichever application is reading the tracker, but never let ChasePlane and MSFS process the same movement simultaneously. Available device choices can differ between ChasePlane releases, so check what your installed build actually lists.
| Tracker | Suggested route | Main precaution |
|---|---|---|
| TrackIR | Use ChasePlane’s TrackIR input if it is available; otherwise use native MSFS TrackIR support. | Keep the TrackIR software running, but disable the unused tracking route. |
| Tobii Eye Tracker | Use native MSFS Tobii support unless ChasePlane explicitly offers direct Tobii input. | Head and gaze movement are separate. Do not run a second TrackIR-emulation or camera bridge at the same time. |
With the native route, ChasePlane manages the saved base viewpoint while MSFS applies your live head movement. Pause tracking before editing or saving that viewpoint.
How do I set up ChasePlane with TrackIR or Tobii?
- Calibrate the tracker first. Confirm that TrackIR can see every reflector or LED throughout your normal movement range. For Tobii, select the correct display and user calibration. Our MSFS calibration and profile instructions for TrackIR and Tobii cover that part in detail.
- Connect ChasePlane to the loaded flight. Start the tracker software, load an aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator, then verify that ChasePlane identifies the simulator and aircraft. Do not tune tracking while ChasePlane is disconnected.
- Create a neutral cockpit view. Pause tracking, sit naturally, position the virtual eye point over the pilot’s seat and save the view for that aircraft. Follow our aircraft-specific ChasePlane viewpoint workflow if you have not created the camera yet.
- Choose one tracking owner. If ChasePlane is receiving TrackIR or Tobii data, turn off the equivalent native MSFS camera-tracking input. If MSFS is receiving the tracker directly, leave ChasePlane’s tracking input disabled.
- Bind centre and pause. Put both controls on easy-to-reach joystick, yoke or keyboard buttons. Check that those same buttons are not also assigned to reset the cockpit camera, load a custom camera or change ChasePlane views.
- Centre in the correct order. Load the saved ChasePlane view, adopt your normal seating position and then centre the tracker. Centring before loading the view often leaves the virtual head displaced when ChasePlane recalls its camera.
- Tune only one layer at a time. Avoid aggressive curves in the tracker software and another set of aggressive curves in ChasePlane or MSFS. Stacked sensitivity, smoothing and dead zones make diagnosis difficult.
- Test every camera type. Check normal cockpit movement, instrument close-ups and external views. Pause tracking for external camera work, or disable it per view if your ChasePlane build provides that option.
What settings make cockpit tracking feel natural?
Start with restrained movement and increase it only when you cannot see the required controls or look behind the wing. Aircraft cockpit size, monitor width and seating distance matter more than somebody else’s copied values.
- Yaw and pitch: use enough amplification to see behind you without turning your eyes away from the screen.
- X, Y and Z translation: keep these lower than rotation at first; excessive translation makes the eyepoint slide through the seat or instrument panel.
- Roll: use a low value or disable it if the horizon appears to wobble as you turn your head.
- Dead zone: add only enough to hold instruments steady. A large dead zone creates a noticeable step when movement begins.
- Smoothing: use the smallest amount that removes visible shake. Too much produces delayed, floating camera movement.
- Tobii gaze movement: reduce or disable gaze-driven camera motion if the viewpoint moves whenever you scan an instrument. Head tracking can remain active independently.
Why does ChasePlane jitter, drift or snap back?
Most ChasePlane tracking faults come from duplicate input, an incorrectly centred base view or a lost simulator connection.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Movement is doubled or jittery | Both ChasePlane and native MSFS tracking are active. Disable one path and centre again. |
| The camera snaps to another position | A tracking button is also bound to camera reset, custom-camera loading or a ChasePlane view command. Remove the duplicate binding. |
| The view slowly drifts off-centre | Recalibrate the tracker, check TrackIR target visibility or Tobii seating position, then load the base view before centring. |
| Tobii follows eye movement too strongly | Reduce or disable gaze-controlled camera movement while retaining head rotation and translation. |
| The tracker works but ChasePlane does not move | Confirm which application owns tracking and that its input is enabled. Also check that no other tracking bridge has exclusive access. |
| ChasePlane cannot identify the flight | Repair its simulator integration and follow our SimConnect connection repair steps. |
Does ChasePlane replace the Tobii or TrackIR software?
No. ChasePlane manages camera positions and may consume tracking data, but the manufacturer’s software still detects the hardware, stores calibration and supplies head-pose information. Keep that software running whenever its tracking route requires it, while avoiding extra emulation tools that send the same movement twice.