v0.2.1

OpenFOV 0.2.1

Troubleshooting

We are aware of issues with getting OpenFOV connected to iRacing on some
users' setups. We are working on a solution! In the meantime, see the "Issues"
tab for discussion on this, and how you might be able to fix the issue manually
until a new release is dropped. ETA before 6/14. Thank you for your patience!

Install:

• Download the .exe below and run it. On first launch Windows may show "Windows protected your PC" — click More info → Run anyway. See INSTALL.md.

What's changed since 0.1.0

New

• Toggle tracking on/off with a hotkey (F10). Turns inference fully off to free CPU and snaps the in-game view to center; turning it back on resumes from your last calibration (no re-center). Rebindable in Settings → Hotkeys.
• "Pause preview" button to gauge what the live camera view costs.

Improved

• Lower CPU usage across the board — fewer background threads, UI work is shed when the window is minimized, and OpenFOV now actually runs at HIGH priority (a Windows bug had silently left it at Normal). It competes far better with the game for cycles, especially under load.
• Better out-of-the-box feel: yaw now uses the soft-center curve at 3× sensitivity — fine control looking forward, fast swing to the apex. Sensitivity sliders now go up to 5×.
• Optional "Reserve CPU cores" mode (Settings → Performance) keeps OpenFOV off the cores your game is using.
• Clearer UI: a proper "tracking disabled" banner instead of the misleading "no face detected" when toggled off; simplified Performance settings.

Fixed

• Crash on exit.
• The build/release pipeline now works correctly — the standalone was missing native libraries (MediaPipe + the TrackIR/NPClient bridge) and the release workflow had never actually run. v0.2.1 is the first build delivered through CI.

OpenFOV v0.1.0 — first public release

OpenFOV v0.1.0

Webcam head tracking for iRacing!

What this is

OpenFOV turns any ordinary webcam into a head tracker for iRacing.
It watches your face with MediaPipe, smooths the result, and feeds it to games
through the same TrackIR / NPClient interface they already support.

This is the first public release. It targets iRacing specifically, and ships
everything needed to go from installer to working in-game tracking in a few
minutes.

Highlights

• Webcam head tracking powered by MediaPipe's 478-point face landmarker.
  Any USB or built-in webcam works.
• iRacing out of the box. OpenFOV detects iRacing automatically and
  registers itself as a TrackIR device through a bundled NPClient surface, so
  the game's existing Options → Graphics → TrackIR toggle is all you flip.
• First-run wizard walks you through camera pick, neutral-pose
  calibration, and game selection. You're tracking before you've read any
  docs.
• Per-axis tuning for yaw, pitch, and roll: invert, sensitivity, and a
  full Bezier response curve editor (drag anchors, right-click presets,
  live indicator that follows your head).
• Adaptive smoothing via a One Euro filter (low lag when you move, low
  jitter when you don't), plus median-based outlier rejection and a
  configurable dead-zone around center.
• Named profiles save the whole tuning state — keep separate setups for
  GT3, formula cars, or different rigs, and switch from the profile bar.
• 3D pose widget renders a small live head model so you can see exactly
  what the tracker is sending the game.
• Configurable hotkeys with F9 recenter out of the box; rebind in
  Settings without restarting.
• Performance presets (Performance / Balanced / Quality) tune resolution
  and inference downscale to match your CPU.
• System tray integration: Show / Recenter / Pause / Quit. Close hides
  to tray; OpenFOV keeps running in the background.

Install

Direct download: grab OpenFOV-0.1.0-setup.exe from the
Releases page.

On first launch Windows may show "Windows protected your PC." Click
More info → Run anyway. The build is currently unsigned while our
SignPath Foundation certificate is in review; every release includes a
VirusTotal scan link for verification. Full walkthrough in
docs/INSTALL.md.

System requirements

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
• Any DirectShow or Media Foundation webcam
• ~4 GB RAM, modern dual-core CPU (a quad-core is comfortable)
• iRacing — or any game implementing the TrackIR / NPClient API

Known limitations

• iRacing is the only validated game. The NPClient surface is generic
  and should work with other TrackIR-aware titles, but they aren't tested
  yet. Reports welcome.
• CPU inference can dip below 60 fps under heavy GPU load on lower-end
  CPUs. Switch to the Performance preset if you see stutter.
• Unsigned binaries trigger SmartScreen until our code-signing
  certificate clears. See the install walkthrough.
• No multi-monitor FOV expansion in this release — output is pose only.
• Lighting matters: tracking quality drops in very dim or strongly
  back-lit scenes.

License & acknowledgments

OpenFOV is released under the MIT License. Full third-party attributions
are in NOTICE.

The bundled NPClient.dll / NPClient64.dll are built from the MIT-licensed
NPClient stub originally written by Michal Navratil (uglyDwarf) for
linux-track, via opentrack's
contrib/npclient/ directory. Thanks to both projects.

Also built on MediaPipe, OpenCV, NumPy, PySide6, psutil, and pynput.

TrackIR is a trademark of NaturalPoint, Inc. OpenFOV is not affiliated with
or endorsed by NaturalPoint.