Ballistic details (bullet weight, speed, drop, wind, temparature,
humitdy, penetration, etc) are not considered. The
simulations calculates with a flat trajectory without bullet drop, and its usefulness for long range
and/or precision shooting training is limited.
Moving Targets: Target hit/miss detection can be inaccurate with moving
targets dependign on your internet connection speed.
Shot Timer: the time measured between shots is subject to multiple
technical constraints. The estimated
average precision of the shot timer is +/- 0.1 seconds
Shot Timer: the time measured between shots is subject to rounding
(millisecond .000 to .00). It means
that
adding up all the part times might slightly differ from the Total Time
Flinch Detection: Due to technical constraints the flinch detection
shows the general direction of the
barrel movement. The length of the flinch trace line also depends on 1) the actual framerate of your
camera 2) how long your laser cartridge emits laser upon firing 3) brightness / visibility / dimnes of
the laser dot
Point shooting: Use the sights to aim: 1) your eyes, 2) the sights on
the gun 3) and the point-of-aim on the target shall be on the same line. Just like any other training
simulator with projected targets: point shooting,
intuitive shooting, instinctive shooting and shooting from the hip using virtual projected
targets might develop wrong habits that can result inaccurate shot placement on real world targets
depending on target distance (beyond 5-10 yards) and target size.
Realistically Scaled Targets
Before you jump into dry firing, it is important to understand the relationship between screen size, screen
distance and target distance. Sounds complicated, but it is easy!
If the target distance is 10 yards, and you stand 2 yards from the screen, then depending on the screen
size, that is what you are going to see (see the first row). Note that the
targets have the same size on both screens.
If you step back from the screen - target distance is still 10 yards, but the screen distance is now 3
yards - the target will be bigger on the screen, but - since you moved back, and you see the screens
smaller - the targets seem to you again the same like when you stood 2
yards from the screen (second row)
Screen Diagonal Size
This is the screen diagonal. It is nothing special, that is 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:
You have to stand far enough to be able to raise and stretch your arms with a gun in your hands, without
reaching (and probably breaking) the screen. Don’t stand 1-2 feet from the screen.
You also should not stand too far from the screen. The typical screen distance during dry fire is about
1-4 yards (or meters) depending on the size of you screen and the size of the room.
The screen distance is not the target distance. The target is something behind the screen, so your
screen distance is always smaller (the screen is closer) than the target distance. People who set up
their 40 inch screen 40 yards (screen distance) away - probably do something wrong. It is like shooting
through a tiny porthole.
Shooter Eye Height
The ‘shooter eye height’ is ideally the height of your eyes (viewpoint, camera, whatever) from the ground.
Note the following:
It is not the (body) height of the shooter, just the height to the eyeballs
It is the height of your eyeballs in your preferred shooting stance. If you shoot standing straight,
then it is the normal height of your eyeballs, if you shoot in crouched hunchback position then it is
even lower.
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:
In case of a simulator it is apparent when you train with distant targets that appear "relatively
small" on the screen - where "relatively small" means, the target is smaller than the distance
between you sights and your bore axis (or where the laser is emitted).
Example: If
your mechanical offset is 1 inch, and the target appears 1 inch on the screen, you aim at the center
then your laser will hit 1 inch below, off the target.
There are some ways to deal with the mechanical offset of your gun:
You can adjust and shift the detected point of impact - that is where the hitmarker appears - relative
to
the where the laser dot flashes on the screen, see here .
It is recommended to train with targets that appear bigger on the screen than the distance between
your point of aim and point of impact. To make a target appear bigger on the screen, you have to
increase your Screen Distance (move back from the screen).
We do not recommend zeroing your physical sights on your firearm
on the screen distance.
The Range Screen can automatically "shift" the detected shots. It means you can adjust where hitmarkers
appear relative to the place where the camera detects the laser dot.
It enables you to train with firearms that have a noticeable mechanical offset, like an AR-15 with a
laser training bolt. Even with handguns with a low mechanical offset, it can help you to further improve
detection
quality - that is important for bullseye shooter - without adjusting your sights.
This setting is available on the Quickstart and on the Range Builder screens under "Shift Point of
Impact"
You can measure the mechanical offset on you training gun, then set X and Y accordingly.
X is the Windage: Positive X values push the shots to the right. Negative X values push the shots to
the left.
Y is the Elevation: Positive Y values push the shots upwards. Negative X values push the shots
downwards.
It is recommended to test the detection precision with X=0 and Y=0 settings, and see if the hitmarkers
appear exactly where the laser dot appears. If yes, you can move on and adjust the point of impact.
The Toolbar is a row of buttons that influence the behavior of the Range Screen. The Toolbar consists of the
following buttons
Back
Leaves the Range Screen and takes you back to the Stage Builder or to the Quickstart screen.
Useful when your browser has a true full screen mode.
Pause
Pauses the Range Screen giving you more between rounds and a chance to analyze your results.
Important: It does not immediately
suspend the current round, and
does not stop the timer. It waits until the current round is over and
pauses at the Range Counter pop-up
between two rounds. Then the Range Screen waits at the Range Counter pop-up until you actively
click on
the Continue button.
Audio
Turns on and off the sound effects
The button is visible only if you selected some sound effects
at the
Audio section of the Stage Builder before starting the stage.
Important: this button controls the audio of the Range Screen
(in the browser) and it is independent of the Sounds button of the Camera App.
Timer
Hides and displays the Ammo Counter and the Shot Timer
The Ammo counter is relevant only if you train with the Camera App (laser training) otherwise
it
is set to null.
The amount of available Ammo is influenced by your Subscription.
The Timer displays your hit scores and part shot times only if you have Expert Subscription.
The Total (time) is the time between the start signal and the last detected shot.
Hitmarkers
Hides and displays the markers that show where your shots are placed
You might want to hide the hitmarkers when
You prefer a more realistic experience (no markers in real life)
You shoot many rounds at the same target, and the hitmarkers
would cover the entire target that you find disturbing. At the end of the round you can
display again the hitmarkers and evaluate your shot placement
The button is visible only if you train with the Camera App
Flinch
Hides and displays the flinch markers
Important: This button merely hides or displays the flinch
tracers on the Range Screen, but the Flinch Detection shall be enabled
in the Camera App. If you want to display the barrel trace you have to activate both.
The button is visible only if you train with the Camera App and if you
have Expert Subscription
Help
Displays the Camera App Quick Setup Guide directly at the Range Screen
The button is visible only if you train with the Camera App
Target Positioning
Target positions are defined by 3 parameters:
Distance: distance from the shooter
Sideways (lateral) distance: distance either left or right measured from the center line.
Height: height of the top border or edge of the target from the ground. The default height of the
target is set automatically when you change the target type
Note also
Currently you can create a maximum of 15 targets.
The distance and lateral distance define the position of the target center. Keep that in mind if later
you want to align targets edge-to-edge (will come back to this later).
Setting the sideways (lateral) distance to 0, is going to position the target right in front of the
viewer. In this case the selected side (left/right) doesn't matter.
Pushing a target into the ground (like when the default target height is 2 feet, but setting its height
to just 1 foot), is not going to hide the bottom part of the target. Target images are always visible,
the 'ground' plane is invisible, and not going to obscure anything.
Combining different unit of measures like Distance should be 6’6” is not possible (but you can
enter 6.5').
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:
The target position (distance, sideways distance, height)
The time in seconds the target need to get to the new waypoint
Currently you can create a maximum of 5 waypoints for each target
The distance of two waypoints and the time the target has to cover this distance defines the speed of the
target. Currently there is no way to define the speed instead of the time, so if you want to precisely set the
speed of the target, you have to do the math, and convert it to time.
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:
Stop: the target remains on the last waypoint, stops, no further movement: P1 → P2 → P3
Restart: the target jumps back to the starting position, starts over again: P1 → P2 → P3 →P1 → P2 → P3 →
… and so on, until the Target Expose Time is reached.
Reverse: the target starts moving backwards on its path back to the starting position, starts over
again: P1 → P2 → P3 → P2 → P1 → P2 → P3 → … and so on, until the Target Expose Time is reached.
If you want to make a target ‘wait’ for a certain amount of time at a waypoint, you can create a repeat the
waypoint with the exact same parameters (create two waypoints with the same distances, height).
The Camera App was designed with simplicity in mind
Put it down, calibrate it once, then you should not bother it much during the training
The buttons on the left are the main
functions
The buttons on the right are the sub
functions
Which buttons appear on the right depend on what you choose on the left
Buttons may change their color: green is good, red is, well, that's bad
Setting up the camera involves two calibration steps
1) Screen Calibration means that the Camera App needs to know where the
screen is, where it should scan for the laser
2) Laser Calibration means that the Camera App needs to adjust the
exposure settings to a level where the image is neither too bright (false hits detected) nor too dark
(no laser would be detected at all)
Both steps can be performed automatically via Automatic Calibration,
and that works fine under most conditions
But not always: In this case there is Manual Calibration for both steps
You can recalibrate anytime, should conditions can change during the
training session, like when the sun comes up, shines at your screen, that messes up the laser detection
Let’s check if you have everything required to train with the Camera App! You need:
Internet connection - possibly a fast one
An Apple iOS or Android smartphone or table where you can install the
DryFireOnline Camera App and that will serve as your camera
Camera mount or something that can hold the camera steady
A separate notebook, tablet (or anything) with a web browser,
where you can display the
dryfireonline.com website and start the stage
A laser training cartridge or a training gun that emits a laser
light in the visible spectrum
and creates a visible (most often red) dot on the wall read
more
A projector or a flat screen display, that is connected to the notebook
or tablet (or
anything) read more
Same as above, but here the Camera App is installed on a tablet instead of a smart phone
5) Large flat screen range
Did you know most Smart TVs have a built-in web browser and can directly connect to the
dryfireonline.com website and display targets?
If you do not have a Smart TV or a projector, you can still use a common flat screen TV or computer
screen - just hook it to a notebook / tablet / game console or anything with a built-in web browser.
Be aware that most flat screen displays do not reflect laser well, and you might have to apply a laser
reflecting film to the screen, read our flat screen setup
tips
Use a CO2, airsoft, BB gun replica with a sound/vibration/pressure activated laser: Reviews
Use one of the CO2/laser barrel conversion kits: Reviews
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.
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:
Flat screen TVs, monitors, tablet and notebooks can have different filters built-in into their screen
panel, like
anti-glare and polarizing filters. These filters reduce the visibility (size and angle) of the reflected
laser dot
on the screen, the dot is going to loose it brightness.
Some flat screen TVs and monitors might be damaged by high powered laser pointers. Check the
manufacturers recommendations of your screen and the “class” of the laser device.
Flat screen means a screen that is physically flat. Curved LCD screens might cause precision issues.
Some advices if you decide to use a flat screen display for laser training
Using flat screen displays is better, because you don't have to worry about casting shadows
Class 1 lasers that emit laser just for a short period of time are generally OK for flat screen
displays, and not going to damage the screen, but use them at
your own risk (we do).
Apply a thin transparent plastic film to the screen that was designed for laser pointers
The budget solution is one of these. Can be
used on notebooks and tablets, can be easily applied and removed and do not leave adhesives behind.
Privacy filters are not good, these are essentially polarizing filters, that in fact reflect less laser
light, and even reduce the reflection angle.
Test your filter at different angles, at the center of the screen as well as in the corners
Some advices if you decide to use a projector for laser training
Project onto a flat and continuous surface where the entire image is
visible like in a movie
theater.
If the projected image is broken or disturbed by objects (furniture, plants) the screen calibration
might
fail: use manual screen calibration and manually mark the screen
boundaries read more
The projection surface shall reflect the laser back to the camera:
Certain materials absorb too much light and do not reflect enough light back to the camera.
If the projection surface is rough or uneven, it might disperse the light into unwanted
directions resulting in detection and precision issues.
Resolution: The higher the better. Projectors with higher resolution
produce a sharper image, but
watch out: some manufacturers
advertise their projectors as high-resolution projectors because the projector can accept
high-resolution input, but its native resolution is lower, creating a blurry low-resolution image on the
wall.
Brightness (lumens): Brighter is not always better since it might cause
laser detection issues if your
projector is too bright relative to your laser suppressing the
reflecting laser.
Example: If you have a Class 1 laser then a 100-1000 lumens projector might work fine but a 3000 lumens
projector
might be too bright.
If the camera cannot detect the laser on the screen, try the following:
Move the camera closer to the projected image - but it shall
still see all four corners
Avoid using bright white (steel) targets, use darker targets
for testing and training
Avoid using bright range background like images with white
clouds - use the solid gray
backgrounds for testing and training
Reduce the brightness of the projected image:
Reduce the lamp brightness of the projector (depends on the model)
Switch the projector to Power Saving / Eco / Green Mode
Put an ND
filter in front of the projector lens that makes the projected image darker. In
our tests budget level variable
(adjustable) ND filters worked fine.
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.
Philips PicoPix Micro
Costed around $200
It is small, lightweight and portable
Has a built-in battery that lasts for about an hour - it's OK for a training session - but can
be powered via a USB port
Comes with an own tripod and it has a standard thread - could mount it on any tripods
It has built-in WiFi and supports Apple AirPlay - but we use it with a HDMI cable, since the
wireless connection causes a noticeable delay
It has a simple lens, no zoom, no keystone
The brightness is 150 lumens - can be used in gloomy/dark rooms, and it is not too bright for
our laser catridges
qHD 960x540 resolution - it can accept Full HD 1920x1080 input signal, but it is going to
downscale it to 960x540 - that's okayish. When the projected screen is 65"+ the target contours
are not so sharp. That's OK with USPSA/IDPA and Steel targets, but not ideal for NRA-B18
precision shooting (screen distance 2 yards, target distance 25-30 yards) where the bullseye
zone becomes blurry.
Epson EB-U05
Costed around $500
It is a typical office projector - not so portable
Great colors and contrast thanks to its 3 LCD technology
The lens has an optical zoom - it's great if you want to fine adjust the image size to perfectly
match a certain canvas size (like when mounting it on the ceiling)
The lens has both horizonal and vertical keystone correction - when setting up the range the
projector can be placed on the side, left/right from the center of the screen, does not have to
be right at front of the screen
The brightness is 3400 lumens - great bright picture, but with a downside: it is too bright for
our laser cartridge that caused detection issues since the light form the projector suppresses
the laser. It was solved by a cheap $30 variable ND
filter and two rubber bands (see the photo).
Resolution is 1920x1200, that's above Full HD - sharp target contours even on a 80" screen
The room where you setup your virtual range has an impact on your experience:
Safety first: The walls are thick
enough to stop a bullet.
Most laser training cartridges work best indoors.
It is best if you train in a room with constant lighting conditions.
When training in a room with large
windows, keep in mind that lighting conditions can change rapidly as clouds move, leading to false laser
detections. You
might have to recalibrate your camera even during the training the session.
In dark environments the sensor of the camera captures a noisy image (higher ISO). If you train in
a dark room, automatic exposure calibration might fail and you have to adjust manually the exposure
levels.
Ideally you can adjust the lighting conditions: there are curtains,
shades, sun screens, or you can turn on/off or dim the lights.
Check the light sources in the room. Look for glares on the screen,
reflections, sources of sharp light (like alarm clocks or the standby
light of the TV) that the automatic exposure calibration might not compensate or overcompensate.
If you are using wireless connections: good wireless and Wi-Fi
reception. Interferences can lead to slow
connection and a delay between detecting and displaying your shots.
If you are projecting onto the wall: project onto a flat smooth
surface. Do not project onto curved wall with cracks. The red dot shall be clearly visible on
the surface from all angles, use
non-absorbing, non-reflecting (mirror like) surfaces.
If you are using a projector: do not block the projected image, do not cast
shadows over the canvas - that can
lead to false laser detections.
Do not block the view of the camera, not even when you move, draw or
raise the gun - that can lead to missed and/or false laser detections.
Do not move the camera, after Screen Calibration is completed. If you
move the camera you have to perform Screen Calibration again.
Before Screen Calibration: The camera can be placed anywhere relative to the screen, but all four
screens shall visible.
That is 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 is 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:
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!
A Free Trial with Free
Cancellation is available. Use it to test the Camera App without
spending any money. You are free to
cancel your subscription before the end of the trial period.
If the “Not Subscribed” message appears at the bottom of the Range Screen, then you need to
subscribe
first.
In case you have an App Store Promo Code or Offer Code here is how to
redeem
it:
Tap on the App Store icon
On the “Today” screen scroll all-all-all the way down
There you find the “Redeem” button
In case you do not have a Promo Code continue as follows:
In the Camera App tap on Train on the left, then on Subscribe on the right.
On the subscription screen, select the membership level you prefer.
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:
All subscriptions are auto-renew subscriptions with monthly prices.
Free Training - No Subscription: 2 shots per round
Recommended for:
Double tap drills
Testing Dry Fire Online with no strings attached
Note: Free access might be temporarily/permanently suspended depending on server load -
sever resources in peak times are reserved for paying subscribers
Beginner Subscription: 5 shots per round
Recommended for:
New gun owners
Double tap and Mozambique drills
Steel Challenge stages
SASP stages
Advanced Subscription: 30 shots per round
Recommended for:
El President drill
USPSA, IDPA, IPSC medium courses and classifiers
Reload drills
Falling Plates
Expert Subscription: 50 shots per round
Recommended for:
USPSA, IDPA, IPSC long courses and classifiers
Additional features of the Expert Subscription:
Hit Scoring
Shot Timer
Flinch Detection
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.
Once you completed the purchasing process via the App Store, the Subscribe button is going to
turn green.
The active subscription level can be seen at the bottom of the Range Screen.
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.
Screen Calibration means that the Camera App needs to know where your screen is located. Luckily,
there is a
button for that.
Now it is time to put your camera into a stable mount that can
hold it steady. Good:
Not so good:
Tap on Screen Calibration
Make sure the Range Screen is (about) at the center of the
viewfinder. Use the crosshairs. Make
sure that all four corners of the Range Screen are visible within the
viewfinder, and each corner is
within the separate quadrant of the viewfinder, e.g.: the top/left corner is within
the
top-left
quadrant and so on.
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:
Tap on Auto Calibrate
The Range Screen is going to display a green screen and the calibration process begins.
Do not move, dance or jump around before the camera at this point. Do not disrupt the
calibration process.
Wait until the progress counter reaches 100%.
Once the calibration has been successfully completed the Screen
Calibration button
on the left turns green and
the borders of the green area should be marked by purple lines
If the automatic screen calibration fails:
Check if there are any objects (flowers, books, furniture, anything) that might break or
obscure
the smooth continuous straight borders of the green screen.
Here a flower pot covers the bottom right corner of the green sceen.
And the calibration fails to detect the bottom right screen:
Check if all 4 corners are visible on the camera
The image what the camera sees lacks contrast: it is too bright in the room and/or the
projector is not bright enough (check its Lumens rating): temporarily darken the room,
at least for
the
period of the screen calibration. In a darker room, the projected image seems brighter,
that means more contrast, that means better detection.
Then tap again on Auto Calibrate. If it still doesn’t work, use Manual Calibration (read
below)
There is one thing to watch out for after Screen Calibration:
The automatic screen calibration should find the borders of the green screen, NOT the entire
image that is 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.
That is wrong, and
it is the most frequent cause of precision
issues
Automatic screen detection
should find only the borders of the green area, not more.
See? That browser toolbar was not green during the automatic screen calibration.
Here is how to fix it:
Switch the browser to full-screen mode and make the toolbar disappear
You can start the automatic screen calibration again
Darken the room, and start automatic screen calibration again
In Manual Screen Calibration you can move the corners of the detected screen area by dragging
them with your fingertips.
Tap on “Manual”
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.
In this case the top left corner was moved a bit downwards onto the correct corner.
The second most common calibration issue is moving the camera after the screen has been already
calibrated
do not move the camera after it has been
calibrated
Even tapping hard on the camera screen, or using a makeshift wobbly camera mount can misalign the
camera causing precision and detection issues. If you notice that your shots are off, take a look at
the camera, and check if the purple frame still aligns with the Range Screen.
Here it is already is a bit off:
In this case, repeat the Screen Calibration process.
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!
Read the rest of the Manual in case you have issues like:
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 is 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!
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.
Step 1:
DO NOT fire with the laser.
The Camera App SHALL NOT detect any laser dots.
A '+' marker SHALL NOT BE visible on the viewfinder
Step 2:
DO FIRE with the laser.
The Camera App SHALL this time detect a single laser dot.
A '+' marker SHALL now appear briefly on the viewfinder marking the spot where the Camera App
detected
the laser
Notice the '+' on the image below
You might want to repeat these steps on:
The center of the screen where most targets appear - that is
the most important area of the screen.
The corners and edges of the screen - especially if you have a
big screen.
Note that detection issues can be due to a number of various factors, like:
How much laser light the screen surface absorbs and reflects, and reflects into which
direction.
It can be that you see a bright red dot on the screen, but from the camera the same red
dot is
not even visible (rough surfaces, anti-glare and polarizing screen coatings, etc.). See
Projector or Flat Screen
The distance of the camera and the screen - the closer the better, but remember: the
camera must
see all four corners of the screen
The resolution and the frame rate of your camera
The brightness of the red dot and how long it is emitted
Ambient lighting relative to the brightness of the screen
Changing lighting conditions (sun comes up and shines through the window), exposure
levels
change, glares, bright spots appear on the screen
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!
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.
The values represent the brightness of the image and are measured on a scale of 0-255, where 0 is black and 255 is white.
Laser Threshold: points above this brightness are seen as laser
dots. Ideally no parts of the
image (other than the actual laser dot) shall be brighter than this, otherwise that will be seen
as a laser dot.
Brightness: is the brightness of the brightest spot on the
image
Notice that the value next to brightness slightly fluctuates
depending on how much noise the
image contains (darker room, higher ISO, more nosie)
You can change both values but changing the sliders
Important: If you change any of the values, the exposure calibration will change to manual mode
and the Manual button turns green. That means, from now on the
values you set manually have
priority, and the automatic exposure calibration at the beginning of each stage will be skipped.
If you want to switch back to Automatic Exposure Calibration
again, tap on Auto, the automatic
calibration will be performed, and the Auto button turns green again.
The goal is that the image should be neither to dark nor too bright,
and if you fire the laser, the
laser dot (an only that) shall be the brightest spot on the image.
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 is 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.
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.
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).
The Sound button enables the Camera App sound feature. When enabled, the Camera App plays a
gunshot when it detects a laser dot in Train mode.
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.
The Flinch button activates the flinch detection feature of the Camera App, that is useful
if
you
want to know if you jerk the trigger, and into which direction the barrel moves.
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.
Have you enabled JavaScript in the browser? Dry Fire online requires JavaScript to run.
Do you have a supported internet browser? Check out what we wrote about supported web-browsers above,
and make sure you use one of the supported browsers, and make sure your browser is updated (do not use
an old browser). If it still does not work, let us know your problems by filling the Contact form.
Stuck on the grey "Loading" screen
In this case something does not work with your internet browser.
Have you enabled some of the audio features? Note that enabling sounds or audio effects might cause some
browsers to hang on the Loading screen.
Have you enabled JavaScript in the browser? Dry Fire online requires JavaScript to run.
Do you have a supported internet browser? Check out what we wrote about supported web-browsers,
and make sure you use one of the supported browsers, and your browser is updated (do not use
an old browser). If it still does not work, let is know your problems via the Contact form.
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.
Target size is wrong, the target is not scaled properly
Check if the Zoom settings in your browser are set to Default / 100% / Actual Size. Enabling zooming can
result incorrectly sized targets.
Check if target scaling works at all in your browser: start a drill with two targets, one is at a fixed
distance of 15 yards, and another one at 50 yards. If the target image at 50 yards is noticeably smaller
then scaling technically works.
Check if target scaling is precise enough #1: perform a Screen
Calibration test using one of the predefined Quickstart Screen Calibration scenarios
Check if target scaling is precise enough #2: compare the on-screen target to a real life (printed)
paper target. Minor differences can be due to: 1) Your printed paper target is not scaled properly: like
you print an IPSC target from a PDF that is the scaled to "20 yards as seen from 3 yards" but something
went wrong at printing the target. Not that some printers have settings like "Scale to Page", "Fit to
Page", "Page Margins" (Do you use Letter or A4 sized paper by the way?) that might slightly change the
size of the printed target and make it less perfect. 2) When you enter the Diagonal size of your screen,
small differences might occur, like when your 15" notebook screen is actually 15.4".
Check if your display has a pixel aspect ratio of 1:1. It basically it means, that the pixels are
"squares" and not "rectangles". Check your display aspect ratio settings look for something like: 16:9,
4:3, "cinema mode", fitting, cropping, letterboxing, that might result in distorted, disproportional
picture dimensions, and incorretly scaled targets.
Check your the picture and image quality settings of your display. Some TVs can be switched to different
picture modes (like: "cinema", "theater", "game", "sport" etc.) that might change the image size
(zooming, cropping) that in turn impacts the displayed target size.
Some browsers on a dual screen setup where the two screens are of different size and resolution. Staring
the browser on the smaller screen and then moving the browser to the bigger screen is going to result in
incorrect screen dimensions, because the browser still thinks that it is running on the smaller screen.
On some mobile devices (like on Apple iOS tablets, smartphones) starting the range screen and then
rotating the device and/or splitting the view of the mobile browser might provide inaccurate screen
resolution, resulting incorrectly sized or positioned targets. Do not rotate the device once you are on
the range screen.
The message means the total roundtrip time from the Range Screen to the Camera App and back is higher
than desired, or that is ideal for the training
It can casue hitmarkers to appear with a delay (even sounds played with a delay) that can be
disturbing: you pull the trigger, and the hit marker appears seconds later
Good to know: DryFireOnline requires little bandwidth, but it is sensitive to network latency. Prefer to
use a low
latency network connection.
Note that our servers are located in the US and users from other countries might experience higher
response times. The average network response time in the US is around 0.2 seconds and we frequently
measure 0.3 seconds with users from Europe and 0.5 seconds from Australia. As it seems, most users who
experience high response times have some problems in their local home or office networks, and the
latency is not due to
the geographical distance.
Prefer to use cable based (Ethernet) network connections
If you are using a Wi-Fi wireless connection on any of your devices, make sure the reception quality is
at its maximum level. The same stands for mobile 3G, 4G, 5G connections as well. Local Wi-Fi connections
and interferences area common cause of network latency issues.
Restart your devices and/or close other programs that might be running in the background
and might be using the same internet connection (browsers,
chat clients, torrent clients, weather apps, traffic apps, internet radio, etc)
Other users (family members, streaming clients like Netflix, Spotify, etc.) might be using the
same
internet connection
Other devices using Wi-Fi (like you neighbors security camera, printer, etc.) can also cause
interferences and network lags
Check if you are behind a firewall, router, or proxy that might cause problem.
Restart your router. Faulty routers and hardware
components can also cause network problems.
Using wireless projectors can also cause delays even if your Internet connection is perfect.
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 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.
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.
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 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:
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 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 fire!
Here are some guidelines for safe dry fire practice:
Use airsoft, BB or plastic guns for dry fire drills. Some drills do NOT require real guns.
When using real gun: Make sure your gun is unloaded.
No live rounds left in the magazine or in the chamber.
Make sure no live ammo left in the practice area.
When using dummy rounds/blank rounds/snap caps: do not mix these with live rounds, make sure you are
actually using dummy rounds/blank rounds/snap caps.
Always safety check your gun after leaving it unattended.
The wall behind you screen shall capable to stop any live rounds fired accidentally.
Do not dry fire if you are, or have been, drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
Ensure you are mentally and physically fit to follow the firearm safety rules.
If you are unsure if your gun is loaded, do not use Dry Fire Online and do not dry fire.
For more information consult with your local firearm experts.
Registration at the Dry Fire Online website is optional. The registration does not require personal
information like name and address.
The Dry Fire Online website uses cookies and collects anonymous usage information regarding user
activity. We use this information to analyze errors and to improve our services. The collected
information will not be shared with unauthorized third parties. In addition, we also use the
collected information to display offers on the website and advertisement that is relevant to our target
audience.
Personal details like name and address are not collected and not required for the usage of the website.
Data that might indirectly identify the user's identity is either not stored in our logs or stored in a
secure encrypted way. IP addresses are logged without the last octet. Passwords, email addresses are
stored as an encrypted string. Users are also advised to use an anonymous email address in case they
wish to register, which cannot be linked to their identity.
Dry Fire Online uses Google Analytics that might create its own cookies, log your IP address and collect
other information about user sessions in accordance to Google’s privacy policies.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and our Privacy Policy.
The Camera App analyzes the video stream of the camera device to detect laser dots. The analyzed frames
are neither stored locally on the camera device nor forwarded to the Dry Fire Online server.
The Camera App connects to the Dry Fire Online server via an anonymous Connection ID, and exchanges only
training relevant information with the server: detected hit coordinates, screen resolution, calibration
requests, measured network roundtrip time, status and error codes.
The payment and subscription process of the Camera App including all payments, renewals, cancellations and
refunds are managed by the respective App Store without the participation of Dry Fire Online. Payment
details like credit card number or billing address are not shared with and not managed by Dry Fire
Online.
Dry Fire Online uses cookies and collects anonymous usage information.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and our Terms of Use & Privacy
Policy.
This is the screen diagonal. It is nothing special, that is 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.
The screen distance is how far you stand from the screen. Note the following:
The ‘shooter eye height’ is ideally the height of your eyes (viewpoint, camera, whatever) from the ground.
Note the following:
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.
Target positions are defined by 3 parameters:
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.
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:
Hey, there is a video about this one: 
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.
