Operation

Alignment Panel

As part of creating a tracking config, an initial world alignment is defined. However, the user can easily modify this initial world alignment at any point in time by using the “Alignment” panel available in the dashboard.

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Defining a sensible zero point using the world alignment tools is an important step to make sure that any CG elements that are intended to be rendered, are correctly positioned.

The zero point is initially set to the camera position when the tracking is started. Following this the zero point can be adjusted using 6 different methods:

  • Set Zero Point to Feature Point – Allows the zero point to be snapped to a tracking point
  • Floor Orientation – Align the floor plane horizontally, manual adjustment is available for finetuning
  • Adjust Floor Height – Offset the height of the camera vertically
  • Move Zero Point on Floor – Move the Zero point to anywhere on the current floor plane
  • Fine tune Position – For small adjustments to the position of the zero point
  • Fine tune Rotation – For small adjustments to the rotation of the zero point

To make any changes to the world alignment, press “Edit World Alignment” to unlock the controls.

While in Edit mode, changes to the world alignment will not be applied to the tracking data sent from the system to UE Connect or other 3rd party renderers

When in Edit mode, the following options become available

  • Undo last step– Undo the previous change
  • Cancel – Revert all changes and exit Edit mode
  • Save – Commit all changes and save the alignment and pointcloud to the tracking config
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The Stage

When in edit mode, the “stage” overlay is displayed on the dashboard views. This is a representation of the floor and position and orientation of the zero point

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When adjusting the world alignment, the stage should be used to visually confirm how the changes are applying to the zero point.

The size of the stage can be adjusted in the “settings” panel

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Alignment Panel Features

Set Zero Point to Feature Point

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This option allows the user to snap the zero point to any detected tracking feature. This is a very fast and simple way to quickly position the zero point.

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When this mode is enabled simply:

  • Hover over a tracking point in any of the dashboard views.
  • A yellow cone will be rendered to indicate the position of the zero point
  • The cone is 1m high, this will give some indication as to the estimated distance of the selected tracking feature
  • Left click to confirm the zero point position

Note – When using this method, try and use the other views available in the dashboard to confirm that the zero point has been correctly set. Particularly when operating in natural tracking mode, some tracking features may be falsely detected and will appear much further or closer away than in reality. Using these falsely detected features with this tool can cause issues with tracking quality.

Floor Orientation

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The “Floor Orientation” allows for adjusting the rotation of the “X” and “Z” axis, which make up the floor or “ground plane”.

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The “Use Gravity Sensor” button will try and automatically determine the ground plane using the internal sensors of the CamBar.

For optimal results, the CamBar should not be moving when the Gravity Sensor button is pressed

The ground plane can be further manually adjusting using either the “+” or “-” buttons or using the keyboard cursor hotkeys

It is typically recommended to try and align the floor with the real-world physical floor.

Adjust The Floor Height

In most applications, it is generally helpful to have the zero-point set on the ground, to aid with this, particularly when the physical floor is not observable in the any of the dashboard views, the “Adjust floor height” tool is available. From this section the user can adjust the vertical “Y” axis of the world alignment

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Either the “+” or “-” or keyboard cursor keys can be used to make changes to the distance of the camera from the ground plane. The values displayed for the CamBar and Main Cam should relate to the real-world physical distance between the respective devices and the chosen ground plane.

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Positive values indicate the camera is above the ground plane, and negative values indicate that it is below

Main Camera distances should be measured to the sensor position of the camera

Move Zero Point on the Floor

This tool allows for the quick and easy movement of the zero point by snapping it to any position on the ground plane.

This is suited to making large adjustments very quickly and is particularly useful after the camera height has been correctly defined using the “Adjust floor height” tool.

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With this tool active, simply hover anywhere on the “stage” floor in the dashboard views. A yellow cone will be displayed to show where the zero point will be set to. After clicking, the zero point will be set to the clicked position.

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Be aware that it is important that the area on the image that you are selecting, is at the same height relative to the floor/ground plane that has been set. This tool makes no adjustment to the height of the zero point.

Fine Tune Zero Point Position

Zero-point position allows for the translation of the zero point on the “X” and “Z” axis, in effect, sliding the zero point along the ground plane. It is similar to the “Move zero point on floor plane” tool but allows for much more granular control and is therefore suited to making small adjustments.

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To adjust, simply use the “+” or “-” buttons available in the panel.

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Alternatively, the keyboard cursor keys can be used. When using the keyboard shortcuts, holding shift will increase the magnitude of the adjustment.

Fine Tune Zero Point Rotation

The rotation tool allows for adjusting the rotation of the zero point around the “Y” or vertical axis.

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This can be done either by using the “+” or “-” buttons or the keyboard cursor shortcuts.

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When using the keyboard shortcuts, the shift key will increase the magnitude of the adjustment.

Using The Gizmo

When entering Edit mode, a gizmo will be displayed on all the dashboard views

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The gizmo allows for the adjustment of the zero point directly from the dashboard views. The 4 icons along the lower edge of the gizmo toggle between the 4 modes; Horizon, Height, position and rotation.

Depending on the mode selected, the corresponding axis on the gizmo will be highlighted, by clicking and dragging on a chosen axis, adjustments can be made.

The gizmo allows for the quick adjustment of all axis of the zero point without needing to use the tools offered in the World Alignment panel