Marker Tracking Setup
To create a reflective marker tracking configuration, follow the steps described below
From the “Trackings” tab, select “Add Tracking Configuration”
Select “Reflective Markers” and choose a title and select your currently used calibration.
If you have not added your current camera and lens yet, please do this before proceeding with creating your Tracking configuration.
Either
- Cancel, to revert and not create a new tracking configuration
- Save, to create the tracking configuration but not activate it
- Save and activate, to create the tracking configuration and make it active
Once on the dashboard, you will be advised of the remaining steps that must be completed, these can be reached directly from the blue notification area or alternatively from the “Reflective Marker” side panel
This step is intended to ensure that reflective markers are placed correctly to ensure a good quality tracking result.
Before beginning to place markers ensure that the CamBar is angled so that it is perpendicular to the surface that the markers are being placed on. It is also recommended to apply the IR filter to the CamBar.
The user interface will display a grid pattern, aim to place at least two markers in each grid square
When a marker is detected, this will be indicated by a red dot. The grid containing the marker will turn orange when one marker is detected and green when two or more markers are detected.
If no markers are being detected, adjust the IR strength value to ensure that sufficient IR light is being emitted. Additionally, the Gain and Exposure can be adjusted to further improve the detection of markers if necessary
It is recommended that the IR filter is applied to the CamBar during this phase.
Continue applying markers until at least 70% of the pattern is filled, this is indicated by the “marker coverage” at the bottom of the UI
Coverage values lower than 70% can work but are more likely to produce poor results.
Once the current view is covered, move the camera to a new part of the environment and continue placing markers. Repeat this process until all areas of the environment that the camera is required to operate in are adequately covered.
Press “Next: Learn Marker Pattern” to proceed to the next step
The system will now learn all the markers that have been placed in the environment and save them so that the system can easily locate itself while being operated in the space. It is recommended that the IR CamBar filter is applied before learning the markers.
The UI will display a view from the CamBar. Markers that are currently detected will be shown with a red dot in the CamBar view. Markers that have been learnt and added to the pointcloud will be represented by a green dot.
For optimal results it is recommended to adjust the “Marker range” parameter so that the markers are closely sandwiched between the minimum and maximum distance. This can help minimise the detection of incorrect features
Proceed to move the camera around the environment ensuring that all previously placed markers are successfully learnt. Ensure that the CamBar view is not occluded when moving around the environment, and if tracking is lost then return to a previously learnt area before continuing again.
Once all markers have been detected, select “Done” to proceed to the Dashboard. This completes the placement and learning of tracking markers.
After completing the Learn Phase, the system will not detect any new markers or markers that were not seen during the learning phase. Before completing this stage, please ensure that all (or enough) markers have been successfully added to the pointcloud. It is possible to add more markers to a configuration later, for details on how to do this please see the “Adding more markers at a later time” section.
In most marker setups it's easier to hold off on rigging the Scenario hardware to the camera until after the markers have been placed and learnt.
Provide power to the system from either a power extension lead or battery and carry the CamBar (and Link) around the studio. This approach is typically faster and more convenient than rigging all the equipment to the camera and then having to manipulate that around the studio
A similar approach for the world alignment can be applied also. If wishing to set the zero to point to the studio floor consider placing the CamBar on the desired spot and using the alignment tools to adjust the zero point to the CamBar position
Using the World Alignment "Height Sample" method is also particularly convenient while at this stage. Place the CamBar flat on the floor (while still facing the markers) and sample the height in 3 locations to calculate the orientation of the floor. This can be done before or after setting the zero point
After the markers have been successfully learnt and the world alignment configured, then the CamBar offset can be conducted at the end.
Getting a good CamBar offset when in marker mode can be troublesome for some users as often the CamBar is facing a totally different direction to the main camera. Here are some simple tips to help achieve better results when in this configuration
Magic arms are very convenient for rigging however they are prone to slipping and the resulting angle of the CamBar will have rotation on all 3 axis which can be difficult to troubleshoot
Pedestals or jibs can make it hard to orientate the camera so that the chart used in the offset assistant can be seen fully. It may seem a hassle but temporarily de-rigging the camera so that it can be handheld for the offset calibration is often worth the time investment
The offset assistant requires good Natural tracking to be present for it to operate correctly, this means:
- Avoid Reflective markers for the process - Before starting the offset assistant, point the CamBar away from reflective markers. Reflective markers will degrade the quality of the CamBar offset calculation
- Make sure there is stable natural tracking - Before starting the offset assistant, ensure that the CamBar is facing good natural tracking features that are nearby the camera, consider moving the camera or adding objects temporarily to the environment to help with this
- Don't Move the Chart - Avoid any movement to the chart once the process has been started. If it's required to move the chart to a better location, cancel the process and start again