Operation

CamBar Panel

The CamBar panel contains several settings for controlling the CamBar and tracking, they are described below: 

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AutoExposure 

The AutoExposure toggle determines whether the Exposure and Gain settings are handled automatically or manually by the user. 

When enabled, the system will manage the exposure and gain, and the respective sliders for these two parameters will be disabled 

When disabled, the user will be required to manage the exposure and gain values manually and ensure that suitable settings are found. 

For typical usage it is recommended to enable auto exposure 

When operating the CamBar in 50fps mode then autoexposure is not available

Exposure 

The exposure parameter allows the user to adjust the exposure of the CamBar.  It is only available when AutoExposure is disabled. 

When adjusting exposure for dark environments, it is recommended to increase the gain BEFORE increasing the exposure.  As large exposure values can cause artifacts due to motion blur, which can be detrimental to tracking quality 

Gain 

Controls the gain of the CamBar.  When working in dark environments it is recommended to increase the gain BEFORE increasing the exposure value 

Gamma 

Allows for the adjustment of the gamma curve of the CamBar.  In some situations, it can help with marker visibility but is generally recommended to leave at the default value of “1” 

IR Strength 

Controls the strength of the IR LED’s on the CamBar.  When working in reflective marker mode it is vital that the IR strength is enabled.  If operating in a mode that does not require IR light then this can be safely left at 0

The maximum IR strength can slightly increase the power requirements of the Link or Origin

Tracking Distance 

The tracking distance slider allows for the control of what features in the environment get learned for tracking.  Whenever the system learns new tracking points (both marker or natural) then points that are not within the range defined here will not be learnt. 

It is recommended to leave the default values of 0.5M and 100m as different values can make the tracking unstable and are only required for specific use cases. 

Sync 

The sync section displays whether the system is “Genlocked” or not.  If genlock is connected then the related “sync offset” slider can be adjusted to finetune the synchronisation of the CamBar. 

The use of Genlock is covered in more depth in the “Using Genlock” section 

CamBar Mode 

This parameter allows a user to choose the frame rate of the CamBar in situations where Genlock is not present.  It is recommended to use the default value of 60fps in all situations as this gives the most control over the CamBar. 

However, if “strobing” is seen in the CamBar view switching to 50fps mode can be beneficial.  This is typically seen when working in environments that use 50hz lighting

When changing CamBar modes, the CamBar will temporarily disconnect, this is expected behaviour and should take 5-10 seconds before re-connecting