FAQ

General Questions

Q: What does "iPi DMC" means?

A: "iPi DMC" is the abbreviation of "iPi Desktop Motion Caption". It consists of:

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

Product Features

Q: What is the difference between Express Edition and other editions?

A: Express Edition:

• supports only 1 Microsoft Kinect sensor
• capture volume will be 7 by 7 feet (approx. 2 by 2 meters)
• you will not be able to track complex motions that include rotations because of self occlusion.
• but you will not need multi-camera system calibration, that makes Express Edition much easier in operation compared to other editions (that are multi-camera)

Basic and Standard Editions:

• support of 1 Kinect is included in Basic and Standard Editions as well
• you will also have bigger capture volume - 20 by 20 feet (approx. 7 by 7 meters)
• and you will be able to capture more complex motions, including rotations with multi-camera set-up

Q: What is the difference between Express Edition and Standard Edition?

A: The only difference is maximum number of cameras (4 for Basic, 6 for Standard). 6-cameras set-up will allow you to track wider range of complex motions (including rotations, like fighting, dancing etc.) with good quality (more robust, more accurate).

Q: Is tracking realtime?

A: Not yet. You should capture video first and process the video offline after that. Speed of processing depends on Graphics Card and vary from 5 to 0.25 frames per second.

Q: Does iPi DMC support facial mocap?

A: No.

Q: Can hands/fingers be tracked by iPi DMC?

A: No. Consumer cameras resolution is not enough for that.

Q: Hm. And what about head tracking?

A: Also no. But we plan to add head tracking in future versions.

Q: What output formats are supported by iPi DMC?

A: COLLADA, BVH, SMD. Also iPi DMC can export BVH optimized for 3d Max Biped, Poser, MotionBuilder and iClone.

Q: And what about FBX?

A: Current version doesn’t support this format. But you can use Autodesk's free FBX Converter to convert your data between FBX and COLLADA format.

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

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

Q: Can I use 2 or 3 Kinects with iPi DMC?

A: No. Current version supports only one Kinect sensor.

System Requirements

All editions

Q: Is there version for Mac?

A: To run this software on Mac you need to install Windows on it using Boot Camp or Parallels Desktop for Mac

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

A: Basically, 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)
• For 5 or 6 cameras set-up you may also need additianl USB controller

Details can be found Cameras_and_accessories

Express Edition

Q: What drivers for Kinect are used in iPi DMC?

A: We use open source libusb-win32 drivers and library to communicate with device via USB. Protocol implementation is our own.

Q: Is this drivers compatible with OpenNI?

A: No. iPiRecorder with Kinect support cannot co-exist with PrimeSense's OpenNI drivers and Brekel plugin. If you want to restore PrimeSense's OpenNI drivers and Brekel plugin, you will have to uninstall "iPi LibUSB-win32 Driver Registration for MS Kinect" (see "Uninstall Program" in your Control Panel).

Q: Do you plan to add support for OpenNI?

A: Yes. As soon as OpenNI drivers for Kinect will be stable and will include support of Kinect’s motor, we’ll add support for them to iPi Recorder.

Basic and Standard Editions

Q: Can I use cameras other than Sony PS Eye?

A: Yes. We support any USB camera. But Sony PS Eye cameras are currently most suitable for motion capture among consumer cameras available in the market. Sony PS Eye allows to obtain high-quality video at 60 fps that is critical for tracking quality.

Q: How can I buy?

A: You can buy online: http://ipisoft.com/sales.php. Note that Express Edition is in beta status, thus you can't buy it now - use free trial instead or buy Basic edition.