Camera View

[fxrtst]

I've managed to get excellent camera calibrations set up. My volume is a bit wonky, in that some of my cameras are setup in various arrangements. My question, is there a way to see what the camera is seeing in order to set it up to get the maximum volume. The volume preview is helpful, but would better serve before you calibrate? So is there a way to see live cameras in order to position them best?

Will

[VincentG]

In the preview/camera display, you can right click oneach camera view, and show the grey scale image of what the camera sees.

[fxrtst]

Ok I will try that. Also can anyone suggest a good glue to adhere the 3M material (fabric) to spheres for maarkers? Thanks in advance.

[Jim]

You can try some Spray Tack, or Foam Glue, I get those from a fabric store. In general, even though our markers are expensive, it is cheaper than making your own, although not as fun!

The best material to use, and the one that all the marker people use is 3M 8850. This is very stretchy material and has an adhesive on it already. If you can find it, it is the best.

[fxrtst]

Good to know I bought some fabric scotchlite from ebay, nice to know there is a stretchy self adhesive 3M product. I'll do a search for a source. Yeah, not sure how mine will be more expensive, minus the labor, I have about $20 in material. For a full marker set, looks to cost around $190 from your site. Too pricey for me!!

Will

[Jim]

FYI, the reflective material we sell on our site is not the 8850 you would want, it is a 7810, or something like that, more solid and not stretchy. The 8850 takes a delicate hand to apply and not tear or rip it, but if you get the hang of it, it is great stuff.

[leith]

I just cut it into thin strips and use a shrink wrap collar to secure them over the top of the marker. basically a mechanical bond rather than adhesive. This allows me to cast the marker in silicone and not have to worry about finding an adhesive for the silicone. Also, it means I can cast the marker from pretty much anything else without having to worry about adhesive. Lastly, it makes replacement of the 3m material a simple matter of cutting off and replacing the shrink wrap collar. the 3m material is by far the most delicate part of the marker and gets torn up during normal usage. the ability to easily and cheaply replace it saves money in the long run IMHO.

[fxrtst]

I found a source online for the 8850 about $24 for 5 ft one inch wide. I already made a set from a 3M product I got off ebay. Its fabric backed and has the same reflectivity as the markers that ship with Arena. All 34 work great. I think I have to re-orientate my cameras as I am getting popping limbs. Again I think the way my cameras I have a wonky capture volume.

I did manage to get one good take that I saved out as a .bvh and brought into Motionbuilder. So to characterize I have to rename all the bones to Motionbuilders naming convension. Is there a way to have Opitrack export skeletons to motionbuilder (FBX?)? Also can I use the plug ins for Motionbuilder with bvh data instead of streaming live (making sure I can't do that on the same computer)?

Thanks,

Will

[leith]

if you go through the trouble of dragging the bones into a character node one by one, once, you can extract a naming template from it and export it. Then you'll never have to do it again. It will be a single drag and drop from then on.