eSync with GoPro Wi-Fi remote

Post Reply
PDConnors
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 3:00 pm

eSync with GoPro Wi-Fi remote

Post by PDConnors »

Running a 32 camera suite, synced with a Roland-88 audio deck providing SMPTE time code through our eSync.

We also use 4 GoPro cameras for Faceware, often all at once while recording the mocap. We use a GoPro Wi-Fi remote to control those cameras, since it can activate all 4 simultaneously.

I'm wondering if anyone has found a method to use Motive to trigger the GoPro remote, so we can sync the cameras to the mocap suite. Also, possibly sync the timecode on them as well?

Our current solution is a bit brute force and has a lot of room for human error. Looking for something better.
steven.andrews
NaturalPoint Employee
NaturalPoint Employee
Posts: 737
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:52 am

Re: eSync with GoPro Wi-Fi remote

Post by steven.andrews »

Hello PDConnors,

I have provided some information through your open Support ticket, and wanted to share the same information here.

It sounds like you have a software that is able to trigger all four cameras to record simultaneously. If you were able to modify this software, there must be some way you can feed it the same timecode as Motive, then program it to listen for UDP triggers. When Motive is receiving timecode and is set to send UDP triggers, it includes a timecode in the sent packet. The timecode included in the capture start packet is slightly in the future, so that external systems can look for that timecode and everything can begin recording at that exact time. This would require development, but would give you a way of knowing the first frame for all recordings are in sync.
http://wiki.optitrack.com/index.php?tit ... Triggering

Otherwise, your brute force method is one that I have seen used, before, between systems that really had no way of synchronizing with each other.

If anyone from the community is able to provide other methods they have come up with, we look forward to hearing these as well.

Best,
Steven
--
Steven Andrews
OptiTrack | Senior Customer Support Engineer
PDConnors
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 3:00 pm

Re: eSync with GoPro Wi-Fi remote

Post by PDConnors »

Not software, per se. We're using a GoPro Smart Remote, which can activate multiple cameras at once.

Barring the free advertising for GoPro, it's one of these:
http://shop.gopro.com/accessories-2/sma ... E-002.html

One of my queries, hence why I bring it up in the forums, is to see if anyone's cracked one of these things open or looked at the code. GoPro doesn't seem to have any software that operates the remote from a desktop, despite it coming with a rather sophisticated-looking USB connector.

The software we use is the GoPro 'Capture' app. There doesn't appear to be a desktop version of it, but Capture only connects to one camera at a time. Its principle advantage is streaming the video to a mobile device, which is handy for checking lighting. Also, making sure the thing is recording, since there's often a bit of distance between the performers and myself.

I'd love to pick apart the app and see if it could be ported to a desktop, but it is still limited to the single camera control.

Still, the ultimate goal would be to get all this stuff to work together...the remote triggered by desktop software, give streaming feedback, and hopefully have some method of being triggered by the sync tool inside of Motive. Totally attainable goal, considering Motive is pretty robust. I've looked through some of the SDK stuff but alas, programming really isn't my can of soda.
artoo
Posts: 57
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 1:39 am

Re: eSync with GoPro Wi-Fi remote

Post by artoo »

its been a while..
did you figure out a good workflow for syncing up your Motive Recording with Gopro Recording ?

do you know about the timecode backpac for gopro ?
https://gopro.com/news/getting-syncd-wi ... de-systems

i wonder if there is a way to get these triggered and synced by/with Motive
Post Reply