Greetings. I am setting up a new system. I have cameras pointed with only 2-3 blocked areas due to light generated by other cameras. Its an 8 cam system. Wanding passed with excellents and a couple of greats. when I stand in a tpose or move around in the area.. I see lots of flickering extraneous dots. in fact.. I can wave a shoe (with 2 markers on it) around in the area and get a 3rd dot to flicker in easily.. sometimes 4. the extra dots are in close proximity to the real ones.. but are definitely separate dots.
any help is greatly appreciated.
DH
Many random marker blips being detected
Re: Many random marker blips being detected
DhDh..
First make sure that you have the latest version of arena installed. Are you using one or two hubs?, if 2, make sure that they are on usb connections that are on separate controllers.. (example, if you have a front and back usb's, have one on front, the other in back...)
Make sure that you don't have things outside of your capture area that can generate noise. For example, metallic objects or other objects that can reflect light (plastic sheeting at certain angles can do it) that perhaps can be causing marker ghosts. Cover stuff like this with bedsheets.
Also, make sure you have nothing else running on your pc besides arena (no virus scanners or any other type of software) This way you start limiting things that could be causing problems. Are you in a space that has sunlight coming in?
Just a few thoughts..
First make sure that you have the latest version of arena installed. Are you using one or two hubs?, if 2, make sure that they are on usb connections that are on separate controllers.. (example, if you have a front and back usb's, have one on front, the other in back...)
Make sure that you don't have things outside of your capture area that can generate noise. For example, metallic objects or other objects that can reflect light (plastic sheeting at certain angles can do it) that perhaps can be causing marker ghosts. Cover stuff like this with bedsheets.
Also, make sure you have nothing else running on your pc besides arena (no virus scanners or any other type of software) This way you start limiting things that could be causing problems. Are you in a space that has sunlight coming in?
Just a few thoughts..
Bryan Steagall
Owner
Kidz Korner Studio
OptiTrack Distributor
Mexico, Central and South America
505-615-2410
bryan@kkstudio.us
www.kkstudio.us
Owner
Kidz Korner Studio
OptiTrack Distributor
Mexico, Central and South America
505-615-2410
bryan@kkstudio.us
www.kkstudio.us
Re: Many random marker blips being detected
thanks for your quick reply 
a little more info...
I am in a converted music recording studio. There are zero windows, zero sunlight.. I do mean zero. if you turn off the lights you can't see your hand in front of your face.
I am using a single incandescent bulb indirect lighting.
2 usb hubs with 4 cameras on each one. the cameras do show up in arena as 4 each on 2 separate USB controllers.
I don't run any resident virus software although who knows what windows may have in the background. CPU usage is VERY low. This is a Dell laptop. precision M6300. Intell Core 2 duo cpu 2 GHz with 4 gig of ram. 9120x1200 pixel display.
I suppose its theoretically possible I have some latent reflective surfaces.. nothing shows up in the individual camera views.. the random dots only appear in the main "composite" view area .. so I assumed that is wasn't actual reflections (since I don't see them on the individual camera inputs). The walls are covered with a short rage carpet which is stapled to 2x4 studs. I *suppose* the flat back surface of the staples might provide enough reflection to generate random dots? Seems like a long shot but its all I have.
Most of the random dots appear in the proximity of the real ones... almost like when you turn on "mouse trails" in Microsoft Windows.
any other words of wisdom greatly appreciated.
thx
David
a little more info...I am in a converted music recording studio. There are zero windows, zero sunlight.. I do mean zero. if you turn off the lights you can't see your hand in front of your face.
I am using a single incandescent bulb indirect lighting.
2 usb hubs with 4 cameras on each one. the cameras do show up in arena as 4 each on 2 separate USB controllers.
I don't run any resident virus software although who knows what windows may have in the background. CPU usage is VERY low. This is a Dell laptop. precision M6300. Intell Core 2 duo cpu 2 GHz with 4 gig of ram. 9120x1200 pixel display.
I suppose its theoretically possible I have some latent reflective surfaces.. nothing shows up in the individual camera views.. the random dots only appear in the main "composite" view area .. so I assumed that is wasn't actual reflections (since I don't see them on the individual camera inputs). The walls are covered with a short rage carpet which is stapled to 2x4 studs. I *suppose* the flat back surface of the staples might provide enough reflection to generate random dots? Seems like a long shot but its all I have.
Most of the random dots appear in the proximity of the real ones... almost like when you turn on "mouse trails" in Microsoft Windows.
any other words of wisdom greatly appreciated.
thx
David
Re: Many random marker blips being detected
DhDH:
hmmm... your pc is beefy enough (actually, I'm a little green with envy.. grin). You are using the latest version of Arena?
Are you using Vista or XP (I have no experience using vista)
What you might have to do now is play with some of the camera settings (intensity, exposure, etc) I'm not in front of my pc where I can tell you what to do though...
Also, make sure that you do have the sync cables installed correctly (synch out to synch in) and that they are firmly plugged in (same with the usb's while you are at it)
How are your cameras installed, on tripods?, what is your setup, 4 high/4 low?
hmmm... your pc is beefy enough (actually, I'm a little green with envy.. grin). You are using the latest version of Arena?
Are you using Vista or XP (I have no experience using vista)
What you might have to do now is play with some of the camera settings (intensity, exposure, etc) I'm not in front of my pc where I can tell you what to do though...
Also, make sure that you do have the sync cables installed correctly (synch out to synch in) and that they are firmly plugged in (same with the usb's while you are at it)
How are your cameras installed, on tripods?, what is your setup, 4 high/4 low?
Bryan Steagall
Owner
Kidz Korner Studio
OptiTrack Distributor
Mexico, Central and South America
505-615-2410
bryan@kkstudio.us
www.kkstudio.us
Owner
Kidz Korner Studio
OptiTrack Distributor
Mexico, Central and South America
505-615-2410
bryan@kkstudio.us
www.kkstudio.us
Re: Many random marker blips being detected
How do you have the cameras mounted? Setup area?
How high?
We recommend the upper cameras at 8'+, with them aimed at a center point waist high.
How high?
We recommend the upper cameras at 8'+, with them aimed at a center point waist high.
Re: Many random marker blips being detected
Hello:
If you have what we call "phantom markers" like this, it is usually due to having a poor camera calibration, where there are rays converging that are making markers that don't really exist.
Try turing on the Rays display and show Untracked Rays. The untracked ones are in Red and the tracked ones are in green. If you see red rays coming from only one camera, then it is not calibrated correctly, if you see them from all cameras, then there is something up with the calibration, even though you got good results. If there are no red rays, then something else is up and you should submit your PT2 data file and Cal file to us so we can tell what is going on with your setup.
This problem can occur and we always track it down, sometimes calibration, sometimes computer issues, sometimes camera placement, but it isn't a show stopper and once it is fixed, it shows what the problem was and is part of becoming a mocap expert.
Jim
If you have what we call "phantom markers" like this, it is usually due to having a poor camera calibration, where there are rays converging that are making markers that don't really exist.
Try turing on the Rays display and show Untracked Rays. The untracked ones are in Red and the tracked ones are in green. If you see red rays coming from only one camera, then it is not calibrated correctly, if you see them from all cameras, then there is something up with the calibration, even though you got good results. If there are no red rays, then something else is up and you should submit your PT2 data file and Cal file to us so we can tell what is going on with your setup.
This problem can occur and we always track it down, sometimes calibration, sometimes computer issues, sometimes camera placement, but it isn't a show stopper and once it is fixed, it shows what the problem was and is part of becoming a mocap expert.
Jim