FAQ

General Questions

Q: How the iPi is meaned to be pronounced?

A: It's /ʌɪ'pʌɪ/. The second syllable is the letter 'π' of the Greek alphabet, as you can see in our logo.

Q: How come Kinect games and OpenNI don't track motions nearly as good as this? Is this like a better software?

A: Yes. We use our own computer vision algorithms that give higher tracking accuracy. But this comes at a cost of slower processing time (not real-time).

Q: How does it work?

A: By means of tricky computer vision algorithms and GPU-accelerated calculations.

Q: What technical support options are available?

A: Currently we offer email-based technical support. You should receive tech support contact details with your purchase. Also you can get tech support via our User Forum.

Q: Does the price include hardware?

A: No. Price includes software only. Customers have to purchase cameras and other equipment separately.

Q: What does "iPi DMC" means?

A: "iPi DMC" is the abbreviation of "iPi Desktop Motion Capture". The system consists of two main components:

• iPi Recorder — a tool for recording video from web cameras and depth sensors;
• iPi Mocap Studio — software application for processing pre-recorded video and exporting resulting animation.

Purchase FAQ

Q: How can I buy?

A: You can buy online: http://ipisoft.com/store. Please find the list of available payment options here.

Q: Do you have any discounts?

A: Yes, we always offer volume discounts, educational discounts and have special promotion campaigns from time to time. Information about discounts can be found at http://ipisoft.com/store

Q: How can I get volume discount?

A: Just specify number of licenses in "Qty" field at the top of the on-line order form, and push "Update" button to make sure the price was changed.

Q: Who is eligible for educational discount?

A: iPi Soft educational discounted software is available for students, faculty members, and institutions. Please look at http://ipisoft.com/store/edu for details.

Q: How can I get educational discount?

A: Please refer to http://ipisoft.com/store/edu for instruction how to apply.

Q: I'm a student now and I'm going to purchase iPi products with educational discount. Can I use the product for commercial project and / or after my graduation?

A: No, sorry. The educational license is limited to use in an educational context, either for self-education or use in an educational institution for teaching purposes. It cannot be used for commercial, professional or for-profit purposes.

Q: I have promotion coupon code. How can I use it?

A: Please put the promotion code into "Your coupon code" field at the bottom of on-line order from, and push "Update" button to make sure the price was changed.

Q: I want to pay in a currency other than USD. But I found that the currency conversion rate is much higher than what I expected to have. Why is that?

A: We use Share-It international payments gateway to sell our software. If you want to pay in currency other than product price currency (USD) they add about 10% to the cost as their insurance from currency rates fluctuations. Proper way to avoid this overhead expense — please make order in USD (you can select order currency at the top of the order form). If you pay by card or PayPal, internal rates of payment system will be applied. They are usually very close to real exchange rates.

Product Features

Q: Which configuration do you recommend: Dual depth sensors or Multiple Sony PS Eye?

A: There is no straighforward answer to this question, there are pros and cons each option: Dual Depth Sensors vs Sony PS Eye Comparison

Q: What is the difference between editions?

A: See detailed editions comparison.

Q: Is tracking realtime?

A: Not yet. You should capture video first and process the video offline after that. Speed of processing depends on video card (this is a GPGPU application so a fast video card is recommended).

Q: Does iPi Motion Capture support facial mocap?

A: No, not yet.

Q: Can hands be tracked by iPi Motion Capture?

A: Yes. Hands tracking is possible with the help of motion controllers.

Q: Can fingers be tracked by iPi Motion Capture?

A: No, not yet. Resolution of consumer-class cameras is not enough for that. But you can use build-in keyframing tools for fingers.

Q: What about head tracking?

A: Head tracking is supported both with optical tracking, and with the help of motion controllers.

Q: What output formats are supported by iPi Motion Capture?

A: iPi Mocap Studio can export animations in many popular formats. For a full list please see Animation export and motion transfer.

Q: Is FBX format supported?

A: Yes.

Q: Can I retarget captured animation to my own character?

A: Yes. iPi Mocap Studio has built-in motion transfer. For more info please see Animation export and motion transfer.

Q: Can I use two or three depth sensors with iPi Motion Capture?

A: You can use two depth sensors (Kinect/Xtion/Carmine) with iPi Motion Capture (supported in Basic and Standard editions). Three depth sensors is supported in version 2 in experimental mode. Using more depth sensors is currently not feasible due to sensors mutual interference.

Q: Can I use Kinect 2.0 iPi Motion Capture?

A: Kinect 2 for Xbox is not possible to use, as it does not have any connector for PC (only proprietary connector for Xbox One). We will include support of Kinect 2 for Windows as soon as it is released (expected in summer 2014).

Q: Can I mix Kinect with other cameras in multi-camera set-up?

A: You can mix Microsoft Kinect, ASUS Xtion (Live), and PrimeSense Carmine depth sensors. But you cannot mix depth sensors with color cameras. However, for better results, it is strongly recommended to use devices of the same model in multi-camera configuration.

Q: Can I use USB cameras of different models in multi-camera set-up?

A: Not recommended. For best results all cameras should be the same model. Moreover, we strongly recommend to use Sony PS Eye camera, as it has much better quality for markerless mocap.

Q: Can I use high-resolution cameras to improve tracking quality?

A: No. For our software higher resolution does not give much benefit, but highly increases required data bandwidth. As this is markerless technology, we do not need to track small markers, and 640 x 480 resolution will work as good as HD. For motion capture fps (frames per second) is much more critical parameter for tracking accuracy. Sony PS Eye camera, that allows to record at 60 fps with low distortions, is currently most recommended model.

Installation and Activation, Licensing policy

Q: Do you offer free trial?

A: Yes. 30-days free trial is available for download from http://ipisoft.com/download/

Q: What are trial version limitations?

A: Trial has full functionality of the Basic Edition.

Q: How can I install the system?

A: Follow the installation instructions for iPi Recorder and iPi Mocap Studio. iPi Recorder is used to capture video, iPi Mocap Studio is used for tracking.

Q: How can I get and activate the license key for trial?

A: Just run iPi Mocap Studio, and follow on-screen instructions.

Q: How can I purchase a full license key?

A: Please purchase the product on-line http://ipisoft.com/store/ . You will get license key by e-mail.

Q: Can I install the system on several computers with one license key?

A: No. According to our licensing policy, one license key is strictly for use on a single computer. But you can transfer your license key from one computer to another.

Q: I'm a student now and I'm going to purchase iPi products with educational discount. Can I use the product for commercial project and / or after my graduation?

A: No, sorry. The educational license is limited to use in an educational context, either for self-education or use in an educational institution for teaching purposes. It cannot be used for commercial, professional or for-profit purposes.

Q: Can I give my license key to a friend or collegue?

A: Please do not do that. This is a violation of the licensing terms. Your license key can be banned if you abuse license terms.

Q: Do I need to pay for new versions of software?

A: Purchased license includes at least one year of free updates within the same major version (e.g. 2.x). Next major version is given for free to customers who made their purchase within 3 months before release. Others will be given 50% discount within 6 months after next version release.

Q: Do I need to pay for Biomech Add-on?

A: Yes, Biomech Add-on requires separate license key. You can order it or run 30-days free trial.

System Requirements and Hardware

All editions

Q: What hardware do I need to use the system?

A: You need:

• PC with DirectX10-compatible graphics card (supporting Shader Model 4.0)
• Cameras (type and number of cameras depend on edition you use)
• Cables to connect cameras to computer
• Tripods to position cameras (optional)
• Depending on type and number of cameras you may also need additional USB controller

Details can be found in our Wiki articles:

iPi Recorder: Single Kinect Sensor Configuration

iPi Recorder: Dual Kinect Sensor Configuration

iPi Recorder: Multiple PlayStation Eye Cameras Configuration

iPi Studio System Requirements

Q: What is the cost of hardware necessary to use the system?

A: Presuming you already have a PC with DirectX 10-compatible GPU (with Shader Model 4.0 support),

For Express Edition:

• You will need Kinect sensor, the cost is around $110

For Bacis Edition (4 Sony PS Eye cameras):

• Sony PS Eye cameras + USB cables, the total cost is around $160
• Tripods (optional), the cost is around $50 (4 items)

For Bacis Edition (Dual-Kinect configuration):

• 2 Kinect sensors, the price is around $120 (you need 2 items)
• Kinect floor stand (optional), the price is around $15 (2 items)

For Standard Edition (5 — 8 Sony PS Eye cameras):

• Sony PS Eye camras + USB cables, the total cost is around $240 for 6 cameras configuration
• USB controller, the cost is around $30
• Tripods (optional), the cost is around $80 (5 — 8 items)
• (optional) extra HDD for video recording (so that you do not record on your system drive), the cost may be around $50

Q: Is there a version for Mac?

A: To run this software on a Mac you need to install Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp or similar solution.

Kinect Support (All Editions)

Q: What drivers for Kinect are used in iPi Motion Capture?

A: On Windows XP and Vista we use a lightweight solution based on the driver from PrimeSense (psdrv3.sys) to communicate with device via USB. Protocol implementation is our own. On Windows 7 and later we can use either the same solution or Microsoft KinectSDK driver (which is recommended).

Q: Is this driver compatible with OpenNI and Brekel plugin?

A: Yes. If you have already installed PrimeSense's OpenNI drivers for Kinect then there is no need to install drivers again thus you can choose not to install any Kinect drivers during iPi Recorder Installation.

Basic and Standard Editions

Q: Can I use cameras other than Sony PlayStation 3 Eye?

A: Not recommended (although technically possible). Sony PlayStation 3 Eye cameras have multiple advantages.

Q: What if I use expensive professional high-resolution cameras?

A: No. For our software higher resolution does not give much benefit, bit gighly increases required data bandwidth. As this is markerless technology, we do not need to track small markers, and 640 x 480 resolution will work as good as HD. For motion capture fps (frames per second) is much more critical parameter for tracking accuracy. Sony PS Eye camera, that allows to record at 60 fps with low distortions, is currently most recommended model.

How-to

Q: How do I change scene orientation? For example, what if I want my 3D character to stand in the coordinate system origin (0, 0, 0) and face Z-axis direction?

A: Click the "Recenter Coordinate System on Character" button on "Scene" tab, or check the "Recenter coordinate system on character in first frame" option on "Export" tab.