Lab 208 features a Vicon Motion Capture system. This system utilizes eight cameras mounted upon a 21x21ft truss assembly that is 9.5 feet tall (outside dimensions) with a sub-millimeter-accurate triangulator locating system.
Please note that some of Vicon’s official Youtube videos are made with Vicon Tracker v3 and have not been updated for Vicon Tracker v4. As such, some of the functionality and GUI layout have changed.
Turning the System On and Off
The Vicon composes of two systems: The Computer and Software System and the Network and Camera System.
Computer and Software System
The Computer and Software System is using a full-size APC Battery Backup unit which is always on. You just turn on the computer like normal, the monitor will auto-wake.
Network and Camera System
The Network and Camera System is on a separate miniature APC Battery Backup unit. Because the System does not have a power switch and is Always-On, we are using the APC Battery Backup as the power switch.
Press the power switch on the APC Back-UPS 550 to turn on the Network and Camera System.
Shutting Down
When you are done with your session, shut down the computer as normal. Then, hold down the power button on the Back-UPS 550 until the network switch shuts down, thus shutting down the cameras.
Calibrating the Cameras
Ideally, the cameras should be calibrated before each session to account for any movement that might have happened with the cameras and/or truss. However, for general use it may not be necessary as often.
With Vicon Tracker open, go to View > Calibration.
This will load the top of the left sidebar with some calibration options.
Waving the Wand
First, we want to select “Wave All”.
Then, at the bottom of the left sidebar, you will see the 8 cameras listed with counters.
At this point, you will turn on the Active Wand (the four points will light up red) and enter the truss enclosure. Looking at the cameras, you will see that each camera has a number and a box around it, and the indicator lights on the cameras are Purple. As you begin waving the wand, the boxes will start filling with Green. You will continue waving the wand randomly throughout as much volumetric space of the enclosure as possible until all 8 cameras turn Green and the indicator lights change from Purple to Blue.
Setting the Origin of the space
Next, we will set the wand down on the floor such that the 2 LEDs between the “Strobe/Continuous” and “Off/On” switches are in the exact center of the enclosure – or as close as we can get by eyeball approximation (unless the floor has the center marked) and with the handle and ‘T’ of the wand orthogonal to the square enclosure.
NOTE: The cameras are intentionally not mounted on the “center” axes. When eyeballing “center”, reference where the truss segments are bolted together. See diagram below.
Then, click on “Start Set Origin”.
Once the processing is done, you should now have a workspace with a 3-D view of all 8 cameras looking at the Active Wand, give or take the floor grid being turned on in the view options.
Be sure to turn off the Active Wand when calibration is complete.
Vicon Official Video
Navigating the Workspace and GUI
To move around within the 3-D view of the Workspace, the Left and Right mouse buttons are used.
Left Mouse Button: Rotates the view about the center of the screen using mouse movement.
Right Mouse Button: Zooms the view in/out about the center of the screen.
Left and Right Mouse Button together: Pans/Translates the view in the X/Y/Z direction
Most of the functions you need to use are found under the “View” menu at the top left corner. As you select items in that list, the left and right sidebars begin to fill up, so it is suggested to de-select functions you do not need.