Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

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henderso
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:20 pm

Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by henderso »

Folks,

I am trying to use Tracking Tools (2.3) to calibrate 12 cameras.

I have the cameras organized using two camera groups. I am doing this because the groups use different illumination and exposure levels based on their proximity to the tracking volume. The groups allow for easy tuning.

However, it is not clear to me how to calibrate both groups. In the 3-wand calibration panel, I see the drop down for data acquitition camera group. I can calibrate one group at a time, but its not clear how should I proceed to combine the calibration.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I realize I can always move the camera to a single group, but would like to retain my split group control.

Thanks!

Steve
beckdo
Posts: 520
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:02 pm

Re: Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by beckdo »

Hey Steve,

In order to calibrate you're going to want them to be all in the same group. It important to solve them all at the same time in order to achieve the best tracking results. In the future I'm sure we'll have some additional tools for stitching separate calibration results together, but for now you're going to want to calibrate them at the same time. I will investigate having a selection for 'All camera groups' so that you can leave the the cameras in separate groups and still calibrate them all at the same time.

I would also like to facilitate an easy way to change the settings of multiple cameras at the same time. For example, select multiple cameras and set their settings at the same time. I'm sure we'll have this in future versions to make things easier.

Thanks for the feedback Steve, I will try to incorporate some improvements for the next version.
maxlem
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 3:37 pm

Re: Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by maxlem »

What about calibrating the two groups separately and then setting a common coordinate frame?

We tried quickly but the tracking was horrible, I will give it another try but are-you aware off anyone having success with that.

I currently don't have the 3-marker wand, I plan to purchase it, but could you disclose what distance separate the 3 markers so I can fake it, just to try it quickly.

We have a 24 camera setup (9 v100r2 and 15 v100) and a very large volume to cover, yet with only one group, most of these cams are redundant or waisted.

thank you
maxlem
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 3:37 pm

Re: Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by maxlem »

Nevermind for the wand's specs, found out required info in another forum thread. I built my own, seems to work fine.

My question about merging groups via their ground plane persists.

Thanks
VincentG
Posts: 7728
Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:00 am
Location: Corvallis, Oregon

Re: Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by VincentG »

Currently the software is still setup to calibrate them as one large group, which you then separate into sub groups.
micsfox
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:14 am

Re: Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by micsfox »

I have a similar problem. I am attempting to capture an area of 15 by 20 feet. If I try to calibrate the 18 cameras as one group, the calibration engine is unable to resolve the camera locations.

I've broken the space up into 15 by 10 foot sections with 9 cameras per group and calibrate them separately. I've attempted to "stitch" the groups together by placing a three marker rigid body in the overlapping space. While viewing the makers from the top, I use the capture volume translation to translate the groups until the 3 makers that group 1 sees and the 3 markers that group 2 sees are the same (overlapping).

When a trackable is in the overlapping area, the numbers jump around within about 3 mm (at the edges of the volume).

Has anyone attempted something similar? Is there a better way to do this?
NaturalPoint - Mike
Posts: 1896
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:41 am
Location: Corvallis, OR

Re: Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by NaturalPoint - Mike »

Could you possibly post a diagram of your camera layout?
micsfox
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:14 am

Re: Calibrating Multiple Camera Groups

Post by micsfox »

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