User Manual
Getting started, gun profiles, gun calibration, hunts and settings
cover
Contents
- 1Welcome to TrueHunt
- 2Getting started
- 3Gun profiles
- 4Gun calibration
- 5The hunts
- 6During a hunt
- 7Settings
- 8Keyboard shortcuts
- 9Troubleshooting
- 10FAQ and support
1 Welcome to TrueHunt
TrueHunt is a projected hunting simulator. You shoot at game on a large screen with your own shotgun or rifle, fitted with a laser in the barrel. The shot camera sees where the laser hits, and TrueHunt works out the shot from your gun profile: cartridge, choke, pattern and distance.
TrueHunt runs on the same system as TrueClays and shares its setup, gun data and language.
What you need
- A TrueClays system with projector, screen and shot camera, installed and set up
- A barrel laser, fitted straight in your gun
- An active TrueHunt licence
- Optional: a phone on the same network, to use the control panel
- Optional: a microphone, for voice release in Running target and Box birds
- A Box birds licence, to play Box birds
Screen size, eye distance, camera settings, units (metric or imperial), graphics and volume are all set in TrueClays. TrueHunt uses those values. See the TrueClays Installation & Setup Guide.
2 Getting started
Your first session takes about five minutes: pick a gun, set up its profile, calibrate, then try Beginners corner.
- Start TrueHunt from the TrueHunt icon. It opens straight into the main menu, with no login. Always use the icon: 4K hunts need it.
- Check the licence. If the Hunt licence required window appears, the gun is disabled. Hunts still open, but no shot counts. See below.
- Check the cameras. If a camera message appears at start, see section 9.
- Pick a gun under Gun profile at the top: Gun 1, Gun 2 or Rifle 1. The chosen gun shows a tick.
- Set up the gun with Edit profiles (section 3).
- Calibrate the gun with Calibrate gun (section 4).
- Try Beginners corner (marked Start here). Simple popper targets help you get used to the system.
- Choose a hunt under Choose your hunt (section 5).
main-menuWith Shoot to click on (the default), shooting at a menu button presses it. You rarely need the mouse.
The main menu
| Area | What is there |
|---|---|
| Top | Gun profile (Gun 1, Gun 2, Rifle 1), Edit profiles, Calibrate gun, and Second projector on two-projector systems. |
| Middle | Choose your hunt. A tile with several locations opens a Choose a location sheet. Back, Esc or a click outside closes it. |
| Bottom | Control panel QR code, Sky, Send debug log, Activate license (only without a licence), Settings, Switch to TrueClays, Exit and the version number. |
Switch to TrueClays closes TrueHunt and starts TrueClays.
Hunt licence
Without a licence, the Hunt licence required window appears each time you return to the menu: "This system has no active TrueHunt licence."
- Scan the QR code with your phone to buy a licence, or press Open on this computer.
- Press Close to carry on without a licence. Activate license at the bottom of the menu opens the window again.
licence-overlaycontrol-panelYour phone as a remote
- Press the Control panel QR code on the menu to enlarge it.
- Scan it with your phone. The phone must be on the same network as the TrueHunt computer.
- From the phone you can choose a gun profile, start hunts, go back to the main menu and start gun calibration.
No QR code? The computer has no network address yet. Check the network; TrueHunt keeps trying.
3 Gun profiles
TrueHunt has three fixed profiles: Gun 1, Gun 2 and Rifle 1. Each has its own name, gun data and calibration.
You cannot add or delete profiles; you rename and set up these three. Use Gun 1 and Gun 2 for two different shotguns, or for two shooters.
Choosing a profile
Press a profile under Gun profile on the main menu, or choose it on the phone control panel. TrueHunt remembers the last one used. Rifle hunts, such as Boar and Rifle range, use the rifle by themselves.
Editing a profile
- Press Edit profiles. The Shooter profiles window opens.
- Choose a tab: Profile 1, Profile 2 or Rifle. Once saved, each tab shows the profile's name.
- Change the fields (tables on the next page).
- Press Save. The window shows Saved. Cancel, Esc or a click outside closes the window without saving.
profile-shotgunShooter
| Field | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Name | The name shown on the main menu. |
| Gun type | Over/Under (two barrels) or Semi/Auto. |
| Magazine size | Semi/Auto only: 1 to 10 shots. |
| Calibration | 1 - Single point or 3 - Three points (section 4). |
| Eye to bead distance | From your eye to the bead, in mm. |
First barrel and Second barrel
The second barrel is shown for Over/Under only.
| Field | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Cartridge | Pick from the cartridge list; type to search. |
| Choke | Skeet, Cylinder, Skeet USA, Improved Cylinder, Light Modified, Modified, Improved Modified, Light Full, Full, Extra Full or Slug. |
| Barrel length | In mm. |
| Bead <-> center barrel | Height of the bead above the centre of the bore, in mm. |
| Zeroed at | The distance the gun is zeroed at, in metres. |
| Shot distribution | Slider 0–10, shown as a split such as 50/50. |
| POI above zero | How far above the aim point the pattern centre lands, in mm. |
With imperial units set in TrueClays, these fields show inches and feet.
Other buttons
- Reset to factory loads the factory values. It asks first, and nothing changes until you press Save.
- Edit cartridges opens the cartridge library (next page).
The rifle profile
The Rifle tab has no gun type, choke or eye-to-bead fields. Instead it has an Ammunition card:
- Choose Calibre and Load from the list of factory loads.
- The card shows the bullet drop from 50 to 300 m.
- The bead field is called Sight height (scope over bore).
- The impact field is called Impact at zero (+ high).
profile-rifleCartridge library
Can't find your cartridge? Press Edit cartridges. Filter the list on the left, or press + New cartridge. Fill in the details on the right and press Apply.
cartridge-libraryMessages
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Saved. | Nothing; your changes are stored. |
| Factory values loaded — press Save to keep them. | Press Save, or Cancel to keep your old values. |
| Profile is locked. | This profile can't be changed. Contact support. |
| Could not save. See log. | Press Send debug log and contact support. |
4 Gun calibration
Calibration tells TrueHunt where your bead points compared with the laser, so your hits land where you aim.
Calibrate each gun profile once, and again whenever the laser has been taken out or moved. Calibration is stored per profile.
Before you start
- Choose the gun profile on the main menu. Calibration is saved to that profile only.
- Check that the laser sits straight and firmly in the barrel.
- Stand where you normally shoot, and mount the gun as you normally do.
Choose a mode
Choose in the Calibration mode list on the calibration screen. The profile's default is set in Edit profiles. Changing mode during calibration starts it again.
| Mode | Crosses | Shots | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - One point | 1, in the centre | 3 | Normal use; quick. |
| 3 - Three point | Lower left, centre, upper right | 3 per cross | Large screens, or hits drift towards the edges. |
Calibrating
- Press Calibrate gun. For the second screen on a two-projector system, press Second projector. A short video in the top-left corner shows what to do.
- A cross appears. Mount the gun normally and cover the centre of the cross with your bead.
- Fire. The screen counts down the shots left. Take your time: the shots are averaged, so each one counts.
- In three-point mode, do the same at each new cross.
- After the last shot, the test target opens by itself (next page).
Press Esc at any time to stop without saving.
calib-crossTrueClays' AI screen calibration accepts any shot inside the box. Gun calibration is different: aim precisely at the centre of the cross, exactly as you would at game. Redo it if you are not happy.
Checking the result on the test target
The screen says Try your calibration on target below. Shoot at the pattern board. For each shot you see:
- Laser hit and Pattern centre on the board. The ring is 1 m (3.3 ft).
- Pellets (Fragments for the rifle), Spread and Off centre.
- CALIBRATION VALUES: the stored X and Y correction, or Left, Centre and Right values in three-point mode.
calib-testRedo or finish
- Not happy? Shoot in the box on the right edge, marked Shoot in this box to recalibrate.
- Happy? Stop shooting. The test target closes by itself 3 seconds after your last shot.
- Check later without calibrating again: press T on the main menu.
"Values above X 4 or Y 10 usually mean the laser is not sitting straight in the barrel. Straighten it and calibrate again."
On a 1920-pixel-wide screen the limits are X 6 and Y 13. Large corrections make your hits drift across the screen, so fix the laser rather than living with the warning.
Keys during calibration
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Esc | Stop calibration without saving. |
| X | Jump to the test target. Before the last shot, nothing new is saved. |
| T (main menu) | Open the test target only. |
5 The hunts
Press a tile under Choose your hunt. Tiles with several locations ask you to choose one.
hunt-beginnershunt-drivenhunt-duckhunt-rabbithunt-crowhunt-harehunt-woodcockhunt-thrushhunt-deerhunt-boarhunt-running-targethunt-rifle-rangehunt-box-birdsTrueHunt picks shotgun or rifle to suit the hunt, whichever profile you chose.
variant-sheet6 During a hunt
Shoot, watch the feedback, and press Exit to go back to the menu. Your round is saved when you exit.
hud| Part | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Shot feedback | Hit!, Non-lethal strike or Miss, with the distance. |
| Pattern boards | Last shot and the shot before, with Instant feedback on. |
| Score | Hits, Shots per hit, Average distance and Last 60 seconds. |
| Gun | The shells loaded, shots left, Reloading. Semi-autos show a Magazine strip. |
| Stand | Move between pegs (shooting positions). |
| Buttons | Settings, < Sky > to change the sky, and Exit. |
A hit needs enough energy
The pellets that strike must together carry enough force to kill. If they don't, you see Non-lethal strike. Change how much is needed with Overall hardness in Settings.
Reloading
The gun reloads by itself 2 seconds after your last shot: 2 shells for Over/Under, a full magazine for Semi/Auto, 4 rounds for the rifle. Shoot during a reload and you see WAIT TO RELOAD.
hud-gunChallenge mode
- Timed: on the HUD's Challenge card, press 60 s or 180 s and hit as many as you can. The result appears when the time runs out.
- Limited shots: in Settings › Ammunition choose Challenge and a number of shots (25, 50, 100, or 5–500). Every hunt starts with that many. When they run out, your score is shown and you go back to the menu.
challenge-resultSettings in a hunt
Settings on the HUD has Ambient sound (birds, wind and background, remembered per hunt), Speed, Height and Distance where the hunt allows it, the sky and the language. The hunt reloads when you change language.
Voice release
In Running target and Box birds, a clear call into the microphone releases the target. Press M or keypad . to mute or unmute the microphone; Space also releases.
Rifle range
Choose 50 m, 100 m, 200 m or 300 m, or press 1–4. New target clears the card. The Rifle 1 profile is chosen for you.
rifle-rangeRunning target
Choose the Boar or Moose target and a distance from Near to Far. Release by voice or Space; the arrow keys choose the direction. 10 shot competition runs a scored series.
Box birds
The bird must fall inside the fence to count. On the Round card set Difficulty (Easy to Hard) and Shooting distance (24–30 m). Release with Voice release or Space. Settings opens Pigeon Flight for speed and wind; Reset to defaults undoes your changes.
box-birds7 Settings
Press Settings at the bottom of the main menu. Changes take effect at once and are remembered.
settings-drawerShooting aids
- Visual pellet cloud shows the shot cloud in flight. Off by default.
- Shoot to click: shoot at a button to press it. On by default.
- Instant feedback shows hit or miss as you shoot. On by default.
Difficulty
- Overall game speed: Slow, Normal or Fast.
- Overall hardness: how much force a kill needs, Easy to Hard.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ammunition | Unlimited (default) for free practice, or Challenge with a fixed number of shots per hunt (section 6). |
| Sky | Weather and light in every hunt. |
| Language | 21 languages, shared with TrueClays. The menu reloads. |
| Show framerate | Shows frames per second. Experimental. |
| 4K resolution | Runs 4K hunts at 3840×2160. Experimental (below). |
| Shooting distance | Your distance from the screen, in cm. Experimental. |
| Camera diagnostics | Live status of the shot camera and barrel tracker (section 9). |
| Send debug log | Sends your logs to TrueClays support. |
4K hunts
Running target, Boar Very far, Deer (rifle) and Rifle range can run in 4K. With 4K resolution on, TrueHunt restarts when you open one of these hunts and again when you leave it. A Stand back message tells you how far from the screen to stand, measured to your eye.
If TrueHunt was not started from its icon, Settings shows "Not started from the TrueHunt icon. 4K scenes will run in 1080p."
Two projectors
On two-projector systems, Second projector on the main menu calibrates the gun for the second screen. Calibrate each screen for each gun profile.
Graphics and volume
These are not in TrueHunt. Set them in TrueClays.
8 Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Where | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Keypad 0–9 | Main menu | Start a hunt directly (below). |
| Keypad * | In a hunt | Back to the main menu. |
| Esc | Anywhere | Close a window, stop calibration, leave diagnostics. |
| T | Main menu | Open the calibration test target. |
| X | Calibration | Jump to the test target. |
| M or keypad . | Voice hunts | Mute or unmute the microphone. |
| Space | Running target, Box birds | Release the target. |
| ← → | Running target | Choose the running direction. |
| 1–4 | Rifle range | 50, 100, 200 or 300 m. |
Keypad keys on the main menu: 1 Driven Standard, 2 Duck Mountain, 3 Rabbit Winter, 4 Crow and pigeon, 5 Boar Far, 6 Running hare, 7 Running target, 8 Duck Sea, 9 Woodcock, 0 Running deer (shotgun). They don't always match the numbers on the tiles. Shortcuts do nothing while you type in a field or while the profile window is open.
9 Troubleshooting
Most problems come from the shot camera, stray light, or a laser that has moved. Start with Camera diagnostics.
| You see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Shot camera not detected | Check that the camera's USB cable is firmly in the correct port, then press Retry. |
| Shot detection error | Restart the computer. If it comes back, contact TrueClays support. |
| Possible interference | The camera sees a light source. Close curtains, dim lamps, or move lights away from the camera, then try again. |
| Hunt licence required | Buy or activate a licence (section 2). Until then, no shot counts. |
| Shots don't count | Check the licence, the camera status lights, and that the laser fires. |
| Hits land beside the aim | Calibrate the gun again. If the laser warning appears, straighten the laser first. |
| WAIT TO RELOAD | You fired during the 2-second reload. Wait for the countdown. |
| Out of ammo! | Your Challenge shots ran out. Choose Unlimited in Settings for free practice. |
| FAILURE: Unable to read configuration. | TrueHunt can't read the TrueClays setup. Start TrueClays once; contact support if it continues. |
| No Control panel QR code | The computer has no network yet. Check the network; TrueHunt keeps trying. |
| Voice release doesn't react | Check the microphone isn't muted (M), and its sensitivity in TrueClays. |
Camera status lights
The lights show Shot detection, Shot detection 2 (second projector) and Barrel tracking. Point the mouse at a light to read its status, for example Shot detection running.
camera-statusCamera diagnostics
Open Settings › Camera diagnostics. It shows live status for the shot camera and the barrel tracker, with the last shots and frames. New shot lines should appear only when you fire. An INTERFERENCE WARNING means the camera is most likely seeing a light source. Esc takes you back.
camera-diagnostics10 FAQ and support
Contacting support
Press Send debug log on the main menu or in Settings. TrueHunt sends your logs to TrueClays support and saves a copy on the desktop (LogDelivery-<date>). Then email support@trueclays.com with a short description of the problem.
Get in touch
| Support | support@trueclays.com |
| Sales | sales@trueclays.com |
| Release notes | trueclays.com/releasenotes |
| Videos | Search for TrueClays on YouTube |
| @trueclays |
Good hunting, and thank you for choosing TrueHunt.
Screens, messages and default values may change between software versions.