System Requirements
The Dry Fire Online website has the following requirements:
Camera App limitations
Realistically Scaled Targets
Most new shooters are surprised by how small a target is at 25 yards downrange!
It is important to train as realistic as possible, including the targets. E.g. if you want to train with a
target that is 25 yards from you (target distance), the target on the screen
should appear as small as a real target at 25 yards would be on the range.
Notice that all targets below have the same size from the shooter's point of
view, no matter how big the screen is, or how far the shooter stands from the screen.
Screen Diagonal Size
This is the screen diagonal. It is nothing special, that's how the screen size is measured. If you have a
flat screen TV it is probably written on the TV or on the package. If you have a projector, you can measure
the projected image or the canvas. Just make sure the projected image is rectangular and projected onto a
flat surface.
Screen Distance
The screen distance is how far you stand from the screen. Note the following:
Shooter Eye Height
The ‘shooter eye height’ is ideally the height of your eyes (viewpoint, camera, whatever) from the ground.
Note the following:
Set up the screen
For the best experience switch your browser to full screen (instead of some windowed) mode. The center of
the screen is ideally on the same height as the ‘shooter eye height’. In other words, when the shooter
naturally looks ahead, the center of the screen is right in front of his face.
Dry firing from a prone position works best when the screen is placed on the ground. If you want to practice
long distance shooting, you can put a notebook or a tablet in front of you, since the target silhouette will
be small and can fit on a smaller screen.
Mechanical offset
Dry Fire Online is a simulator and - just like any other simulators - it suffers from the mechanical
offset of your gun. There are some great articles available about this topic here and here,
but a picture is worth a thousand words:
Zeroing, Sighting in
Overview
The Range Screen is what appears when you click on Start Stage. This is the main training screen where the targets are displayed.
Toolbar
The Toolbar is a row of buttons that influence the behavior of the Range Screen. The Toolbar consists of the following buttons
Target Positioning
Target positions are defined by 3 parameters:
Target Alignment
Keep in mind that in Dry Fire Online the targets are positioned by - and the target parameters define - the
center of the target.
If your stage description defines the relative target distances by edge-to-edge, then you have to transform
it to center-to-center distances by considering the width of the targets. In this case it can be useful to
change the unit of measure, for instance to define the values in inches instead of feet.
Setup moving targets and waypoints
If you change the target transition mode from 'static' to 'moving', you can define waypoints that describe
the path of the target. For every waypoint you can define:
When creating a complex path, you have to consider the Target Expose Time. It is defined in the stage header and it is the upper limit of how long a stage is displayed before the next round. Example: you have a target path with 3 waypoints, each with 10 seconds, means your target needs 30 seconds to reach the last waypoint. If the Target Expose Time is set to 20 seconds, then your target will never reach its last waypoint, since the stage terminates after 20 seconds.
After the last waypoint, you can define what the target should do when it reaches the last waypoint:
Stage Builder
In the Stage Builder you can create new stages from scratch or change existing Quickstart or Shared stages.
Selecting Stage Builder on the menu bar displays the Stage Builder menu in an additional menu line.
Target Editor
In the Target Editor of the Stage Builder you can add, change and remove targets and waypoints.
Selecting Targets on the Stage Builder Menu displays the Target Editor Menu in an additional menu line and the Stage itself where you can click on the targets.
Target Details
The Target Details panel provides a detailed insight into the properties of the selected target. The panel
can be displayed / hidden by the
When a target is moved around on the stage, the Target Details panel automatically changes its position and automaticaly docks to the left or right side of the screen to avoid obscuring the target.
If you move the target to the left, the panel is going to jump to the right:
Overview
Camera App Quick Setup Guide
Download the DryFireOnline app on the Apple App Store or get it on Google Play
Try it for FREE: Unlimited stages and 2 shots (double tap) per round even without a subscription!
Watch the videos, then read the detailed guide for common mistakes and pitfalls of the calibration process.
More Videos
Reviews, tutorials and setup guides:
What you need
Let’s check if you have everything required to train with the Camera App! You need:
Example Range Setups
There are many ways to set up your Dry Fire Online range, here are a few examples:
1) The tablet range - small and portable
2) The notebook range
Hey, there is a video about this one:
3) The tablet & projector range
4) The notebook & projector range
4b) Use your tablet as a camera
5) Large flat screen range
Training Guns
Note that the products mentioned in this section are neither advertised, recommended nor have been tested by
us.
Find independent reviews on the internet and choose that fits your needs and budget.
Projector or Flat Screen
If you want to use the Camera App for laser training we recommend using a projector instead of a flat screen (TV, monitor, LED, LCD, etc) for the following reasons:
Using a Flat Screen
Some advices if you decide to use a flat screen display for laser training
Using a Projector
Some advices if you decide to use a projector for laser training
Our Projectors
Since many of you asked our advice on choosing a projector we decided to write a few words about the
projectors we use.
Please note that we are not expert on projectors, and the following is neither a buying advice nor a
recommendation of any sort - it's just an introduction of the projectors we have and our experiences with
them.
Room Setup
The room where you setup your virtual range has an impact on your experience:
That's how a normal setup looks like:
Pinch to zoom if the camera is too far from the screen:
Extreme angles can also work - as long as all four corners are
visible for the camera - but the
cramped view might reduce the precision of detection in the farthest corners:
That's too much. Screen Calibration is going to fail since the
camera cannot see all corners of the projected image:
The best for precision is to place the camera right in front of the
screen - although it might hinder
your movement if you have a camera on a tripod in the middle of the room:
Connect
First, connect the Camera App to your training session
It is a 9-digit number. In the Camera App you can enter it without spaces like: “XXX XXX XXX” as “XXXXXXXXX”.
Subscriptions and Promo Codes
You need a subscription to be able to train with the camera app.
Limited offer: Unlimited stages and 2 shots (double tap) per round even without a subscription!
In case you have an App Store Promo Code or Offer Code here is how to redeem it:
In case you do not have a Promo Code continue as follows:
Subscription Levels
You can train as much as you want with any subscription level, but the number of laser shots - your “ammo” - is limited per round. Watch this video to see what it means:
Are you a certified firearms instructor? You might be eligible to use Dry Fire Online for free! Get in touch with us for more details!
All subscriptions are auto-renew subscriptions with monthly prices. All prices are in USD. You price may vary depending on exchange rates and your local taxes.
It is recommended to test if your setup (laser, projector, screen, phone) works fine with Dry Fire Online before subscribing. Use a trial subscription or the free double tap training to test Dry Fire Online free of charge.
Hint: If you have a Beginner or an Advanced subscription and you shoot at steel targets and enable the gunshot sound effects, you will hear “bang-cling” effect when you hit the steel target.
Hint: If you are not sure which is the right subscription for you, it is recommended to start your free trial with the Expert Subscription. It enables you to test all its extra features and then cancel your subscription or downgrade to Beginner or Advanced.
Cancelling Subscriptions
The payment and subscription process including all payments, renewals,
cancellations and
refunds are managed by your app store: Apple App Store or Google Play
without the participation of Dry Fire
Online.
In a nutshell: You send the subscription fee to Apple or Google and they forward it to us. Dry Fire Online
doesn't see your name, billing address or credit card number.
If you would like to cancel your subscription, you have to take action.
Here is how to cancel your subscription:
In case you need further assistance with managing your subscriptions or you would like to request a refund, please get in touch with Apple or Google.
Automatic Screen Calibration
Screen Calibration means that the Camera App needs to know where your screen is located. Luckily, there is a button for that.
Hint: You can place the camera left or right, above or below the screen, it does not really matter. It does not have to be placed right in front of the screen - as long as all four corners are visible.
Hint: You can pinch to zoom in, but all four corners of the Range Screen shall be within the viewfinder.
Might sound complicated, but it is simple. Should look something like this - centered, zoomed, all four corners:
Here a flower pot covers the bottom right corner of the green sceen.
And the calibration fails to detect the bottom right screen:
Then tap again on Auto Calibrate. If it still doesn’t work, use Manual Calibration (read below)
Pitfall #1: Screen Calibration
The automatic screen calibration should find the borders of the green screen, NOT the entire image that's projected onto the wall. So, what is the difference?
It means, if your browser has a toolbar above or below the green area, or anything that does not belong to the range screen (green area), that shall not be part of the detected screen area.
On the image below, you see an example where the automatic screen calibration completed and found all borders of the screen. Except in the top left corner where it included even a part of the browser toolbar.
it is the most frequent cause of precision issues
Automatic screen detection should find only the borders of the green area, not more.
Manual Screen Calibration
Tap on any of the corners, hold and drag them on the screen until the corners and the borders correctly align with the green area of the Range Screen.
Hint: you do not have to tap exactly onto the corner marker, it is OK if you tap close to it. Otherwise your fingers would cover the corner, and you would not see where you are dragging to.
Now it is Okay.
Pitfall #2: Moving the Camera
do not move the camera after it has been calibrated
This is the end of the Quick Setup Guide. If you have reached this point, the Camera App is ready to use.
You can start the stage on the Range Screen.
At the beginning of each stage, the Range Screen displays a special calibration screen and asks the Camera App to perform Automatic Exposure Calibration that is going to set the right exposure levels. Then you are ready to go!
Automatic Exposure Calibration
Exposure Calibration means that the Camera App needs to capture images where the laser dot is recognizable.
The captured images shall be balanced and match
the current lighting conditions: shall neither be too dark (no laser detected) nor too bright
(false laser detected).
Luckily, there is a
button for that.
At the beginning of each stage, the Range Screen displays a special
Calibration Screen and asks the
Camera App to perform Automatic Exposure Calibration that is going to set the right exposure levels.
That's how it looks:
Important: This calibration step takes place unless you have switched the Camera App to Manual Exposure. In that case the values you have set manually have priority and will not be overridden by the automatic calibration.
The Automatic Exposure Calibration at the beginning of each stage provides acceptable exposure settings under most circumstances. However, in some situations (like when the room is dark, the targets are bright, the camera ISO settings are high, there is noticeable noise/grain on the image) the automatic calibration is not good enough.
In such cases you can manually start the Automatic Exposure
Calibration by tapping on Laser Calibration:
Then tap on Auto:
You can start Automatic Exposure Calibration anytime, even without the special calibration screen being displayed, even at the middle of a stage when the targets are displayed.
Actually, in some cases this
approach is even better than calibrating on the Calibration Screen. Example: you train
in a
dark room and you have a lot of bright white targets on the screen. Calibrating mid-stage:
Whenever you start Automatic Exposure Calibration manually, remember to switch back the Camera App to Train mode!
Testing the Laser Detection
In order to test if the camera can correctly detect the laser dots, switch the Camera App to Train mode, then take a look at the viewfinder.
Error #1: If the '+' hitmarker appears (either continuously or just periodically blinking) on the viewfinder even when you DO NOT fire, then the Camera App detects false laser dots . Certain parts of the image are too bright. In this case you can repeat the Automatic Screen Calibration, or you can set the exposure levels maunally by Manual Exposure Calibration.
Error #2: If the '+' hitmarker DOES NOT appear at all, not even when you DO fire, then the Camera App cannot detect the laser. The image can be too dark, and you can repeat the exposure calibration. In some cases, this problem has other root causes: like the battery of the laser cartridge is dying, some cartridges might wear out, the red dot gets dim, or the surface where the laser dot should appear absorbs too much laser and does not reflect enough back to the camera. If you are using a projector: your projector might be too bright compared to your laser.
Hint: You can perform exposure calibration in the app even when the range screen displays the targets. Sometimes, when the automatic exposure calibration does not work well enough (dark room, bright white targets) it is better to restart the exposure calibration manually once the targets are on the screen. Tap on Automatic Exposure Calibration in the Camera App, wait until the calibration completes, then (remember to) switch the Camera App back to Train mode!
Manual Exposure Calibration
To adjust the exposure calibration values manually, tap on Manual
A panel appears at the bottom of the viewfinder where you can adjust the exposure values.
If the Brightness is below the Laser Threshold then you can test the laser. If the image is not too dark, and the laser dot is bright enough, the brightness of the laser will be above the threshold and it will be marked with a '+' at the viewfinder. That's good!
If the Brightness is above the Threshold (without firing the laser) that would lead to false detections. The brightest spot on the image is marked by a '+', so you will se which is the problematic part of the image. In this case either reduce the Brightness or increase the Laser Threshold.
If the Brightness is fluctuating around the Threshold (sometimes bellow sometimes above) that would lead to false detections. The brightest spot on the image is marked by a '+', so you will se which is the problematic part of the image. In this case either reduce the Brightness or increase the Laser Threshold.
If the Brightness is 255 then it is too high, the burned areas are highlighted by pink. In this case either reduce the Brightness or increase the Laser Threshold.
Once you find the settings acceptable, switch back to Train, test the laser detection and continue training.
Scan Grid
The Scan Grid button changes the density of the laser scanning pattern. The denser the better the detection quality but also makes the scanning slower. You do not need to change this setting unless the "Frame Dropped" warning frequently appears.
Laser Color
The Laser Color button changes the color of the laser the camera app is trying to detect. The default setting is red (for red laser), but it can be changed to green that gives priority of the green RGB component. Note that this is an experimental feature and the Camera App is currently tested with red laser only (since we do not have green laser cartridges).
Train
Subscription
The details of the Subscription button are described here: Subscriptions and Promo Codes
Sound
The Camera App Sounds button is independent of the Audio button on the Range Screen Toolbar. Enabling or disabling sounds in the Camera App does not influence the sounds of the Range Screen, and vice versa.
The Camera App plays the gunshot sound only when it is switched to Train mode. Make sure your phone or tablet is not in Silent Mode.
When the Camera App plays a gunshot sound the detected hit is sent to the Range Screen, but the Range Screen is going to display it only during the Commence Fire phase (when the clock is running).
When the Camera App plays a gunshot sound the detected hit is going to appear on the Range Screen after a short delay depending on network latency.
Flinch
Flinch Detection requires Expert Level subscription
Flinch Detection shall be activated both in the Camera App (if trace detection is active), and on the Range screen as well (if the trace is displayed or hidden). See the Flinch button on the Toolbar
The length of the Flinch Trace depends on how much you move the barrel and how long your laser cartridge emits laser.
Flinch Detection works better in dark, so make the room darker for better Flinch detection.
When something doesn't work
If something does not work, try another browser, and make sure you do not use some old obsolete browser but
a recent version. It is a good idea to use one of the well known browsers like Chrome or Safari instead of
some lesser-known browsers like Opera. You can also check the System
Requirements and the supported browsers.
On the Stage Builder a message appears "If this message stays on the
screen..."
In this case something does not work with your internet browser.
Stuck on the grey "Loading" screen
In this case something does not work with your internet browser.
The Back button does not work
Your browser has a built in Back button, but besides that, Dry Fire Online also has a black Back button in
the top left corner of the Range screen. Some internet browsers have issues (like Safari) might not go back
properly if you click on the Back button OF THE BROWSER. In this case use the black Back button on the Range
screen. The black Back button is also useful if you dry fire in full screen when the toolbar of your browser
is hidden.
The Pause button does not work
The Pause button does not immediately stop the current round, rather it stops one the current round is over
at the Rang Counter pop-up. Check out how the Toolbar buttons work.
The Pause button does not work
The Flinch button on the Range Screen works only if Flinch Detection is activated even in the Camera App.
Check out how the Toolbar buttons work.
The Audio button is missing
The Audio button on the Range Screen apperas only if you have selected some sound effects in the Stage
Builder. Check out how the Toolbar buttons work.
No sounds
Target size is wrong, the target is not scaled properly
Slow Connection warning appears
I don't have a code (Connection ID) for the laser training
If you don’t know where to find the Connection ID that you have to enter in the Camera App, make sure the
laser training is enabled before you start the stage:
After you start the stage and confirm that your gun is unloaded, the Connection ID will be displayed in a
popup and even at the bottom left corner of the screen. Use this number to connect the Camera App to the
training session.
Laser training code (Connection ID) doesn't work
Make sure you have entered the correct Connection ID in the Camera App
Reload the page in your browser where the Connection ID is displayed
Remember that your training session expires after a few hours. If you return later to Dry Fire Online, the Range Screen is going to display a new Connection ID. Use the new Connection ID to connect the Camera App to the training session.
No laser detected, hits do not appear on the Range Screen
Make sure nothing blocks the view of the camera
Check if the Range Screen is connected to the Camera App: green Camera Connected message displayed at the bottom left corner
Check if the Range Screen is in Commence Fire phase: shots are displayed only then the clock is running
Check on the Range Screen if you have any Ammo left: shots are displayed only if you have Ammo. The amount of Ammo available per round depends on your Subscription level
Check if the Camera App is connected to the Range Screen: the Connect button shall be green
Check in the Camera App if Screen Calibration has been completed: Screen Calibration button shall be green
Check in the Camera App if Laser Calibration has been completed: the Laser Calibration button shall be green
Check if your Camera App is switched to Train mode.
Check if the Camera App is detecting a laser dot even when you do NOT fire. In this case a "+" marks the spot where the Camera App continuously detects a laser dot. Your exposure settings might be off, repeat the automatic or manual Exposure Calibration.
Test the laser training cartridge, make sure the batteries are charged, and the laser dot is bright and visible. Note that some cartridges wear out and as their power output reduces the red dot gets dimmer.
If you are using a projector: your projector might be too bright for your laser
Test your exposure calibration and laser detection settings
False shots are detected, even when I do not shoot
Check if the Camera App is detecting a laser dot even when you do NOT fire. In this case a "+" marks the spot where the Camera App continuously detects a laser dot. Your exposure settings might be off, repeat the automatic or manual Exposure Calibration.
Test your exposure calibration and laser detection settings
Precision is low, my shots are off
With a properly calibrated camera you can expect this kind of precision:
Make sure nothing blocks the view of the camera
Check the zeroing and sighitng settings at Shift Point of Impact.
Prefer to train on smooth screen surfaces. If you project the range onto a rough wall surface, the uneven wall surface might reflect the laser into unpredictable directions creating false flares, and leading to imprecise shot detection.
Check in the Camera App if Screen Calibration has been completed: Screen Calibration button shall be green
Check the most common Screen Calibration pitfall
Check if the camera has been moved since the last Screen Calibration. Check if in Screen Calibration, the purple lines are still aligned with the borders of the Range Screen. Here it is already a bit off:
Repeat the automatic or manual Screen Calibration
Can I use Dry Fire Online on my tablet or smartphone?
Yes, you can use Dry Fire Online on any device that has a compatible web browser. On the other hand, the
screen of tablets and smartphones is typically too small to display properly sized targets while leaving you
enough distance in front of the screen to draw you gun.
What devices are supported?
Dry Fire Online can be used on a number of devices including, notebooks, PCs, devices with an attached
external screen or projector, smart TV’s, game console-s - basically device with a built-in web browser and
a large enough screen.
What browsers are supported?
Dry Fire Online is tested with Safari, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer. Note that internet browsers are
slightly different and some features might not be available in all browsers, like Dry Fire Online has some
known problems with Internet Explorer 11 but it works fine with Internet Explorer Edge, the Back button
works differently in Safari and Chrome, certain browsers have problems with audio playback and so on.
Can I see where I hit the target?
You need to activate Laser Training and use our Camera App to get feedback about your shot placement.
Can I use Dry Fire Online with laser training munition?
Yes, you can. You need to use our Camera App to get feedback about your shot placement.
Can I use Dry Fire Online with IR (infrared) laser?
No, you can't. The Dry Fire Online Camera App works with common 'red' laser cartridges.
The reason is simple: Dry Fire Online was designed to be as accessible and simple to use as possible. It
uses the camera of common Android and Apple smartphones to detect the laser dot, without the need to buy a
special IR capable external camera. Since most smartphone cameras can detect a simple visible red laser dot,
but
have issues with invisible infrared light, IR cartridges are not supported.
Can I use my webcam for laser detection?
No you can't. Dry Fire Online was designed to be as accessible and simple to use as possible, so it uses the
camera of commonly available Android and Apple smart phone to detect the laser. Just take your smartphone,
put it down in front of your screen and it's going to work like a webcam.
Laser Training works only with the Dry Fire Online Camera App that is available on Android and Apple iOS. It
is not available on Windows, Mac OS X nor Linux.
Can I use Dry Fire Online with with scopes?
If you want to practice long range shooting with a scope, you are going to see the pixelated image of the
target - depending on the distance and on the screen resolution it will be more or less usable. It is like
watching TV via binoculars. You are not going to see more details, but you are going to see the pixels of
the LCD panel. Note also that the focal distance is also much shorter since the screen is closer than the
simulated target.
Can I upload my range background photo or target images?
No, you can't. But you can send us a message if you would like us to add an additional target, or
range photo to our collection.
Terms of Use
The creators of Dry Fire Online do not take any responsibility and are not liable for any damage, injury or
death caused during dry fire or through the use of Dry Fire Online. Firearm safety is the user's
responsibility. Firearm safety always comes first.
ALWAYS FOLLOW THE FIREARM SAFETY RULES!
Unload your gun before dry firing!
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