Calibration

Calibration is the process of computing accurate camera positions and orientations from a video of user waving a small glowing object (called “marker”). This step is essential and required for multi-camera system setup.

VERY IMPORTANT: Once you calibrated the camera system, you should not move your cameras for subsequent video shoots. If you move at least one camera, you need to perform calibration again.

Glowing Marker

Mini Maglite flashlight is recommended for calibration. This is a very common flashlight in US and many other countries. Removing flashlight reflector converts it into an ideal glowing marker easily detectable by motion capture software.

If you cannot get a Mini Maglite, you can use some other similar flashlight.

Step 1: Running iPi Recorder in calibration mode

Run iPiRecorder and turn on Calibration mode checkbox (for Sony PS Eye cameras) or set Exposure to reasonably small value (for DirectShow-compatible web cameras) . This is important because it helps to reduce motion blur during calibration.

Video will look dim in calibration mode.

Important: Do not turn off the light in the room during calibration! This will not help the software but will make it harder for you to see what is happening on recorded video when you view it later.

Step 2: Record calibration video

Start video recording. First couple of seconds of calibration video should contain background only (no marker). Then move slowly the marker through your entire capture volume (front-top-right-bottom-left-back-top-right-bottom-left). Start from top and move the marker in a descending spiral motion.

Put the marker to the ground at each corner and at the center of capture volume.

Step 3: stop recording and check recorded video

• First two seconds of video do not contain marker
• There is no significant motion blur (image of marker looks like a round spot rather than an ellipse or a luminescent line)
• Most of the time marker is visible in at least 3 cameras and not completely obscured by human body

Step 4: Take note of height of your first camera over the ground.

Take note of height of your first camera over the ground. You will need this parameter later. If you cannot measure this height accurately, then at least make a rough estimation.

Step 5: process calibration video in iPiStudio

Strictly speaking, you can postpone processing calibration video until after you finished recording other videos (e.g. your action videos). However, it is a good idea to process your calibration video as soon as it was recorded because it helps you ensure that you have good calibration. (Later on, incorrectly recorded calibration video may affect your ability to process action videos. )

To process calibration video please do the following:

• Load your calibration video to iPiStudio
• VERY IMPORTANT: Adjust the Region of Interest to cover the part of video that contains the glowing marker.
• Set the Diagonal Field of View (FOV) for your cameras on the “Scene” tab. If you use Sony PlayStation Eye or Logitech QuickCam 9000 cameras, leave the FOV value at the default 75 degrees.
• Set initial positions of cameras. Move and rotate virtual cameras so that their positions and orientations very roughly correspond to real positions and orientations. Click “Calibrate” button on “Calibration” tab and wait while the system finishes calibration.
• Calibration algorithm may occasionally fail to find correct camera position. In particular, this may happen if left and right cameras are swapped. If this happens, move virtual cameras using camera orbit control on “Scene” tab and click “Calibrate” again. This will cause calibration (but not marker tracking) to be repeated.

Follow video tutorial: Calibration Tutorial

Resulting scene should look like this:

Green points designate correctly detected 3D marker positions. Red points designate misdetected marker positions. 10-20% of red points should be considered normal. Calibration is good if you have at least 70% of green points.

Step 6: Define ground plane

You need at least 3 points in 3D space to define ground plane. For each point, click on it in 3D view and press “Mark as ground” button.

WARNING: If you do not mark ground points then the ground plane is incorrect and there is no sense in using Foot tracking option and camera heights values.

Step 7: Set scene scale using camera height as reference

Now cameras in your scene are properly oriented relative to other cameras and relative to ground plane. But you still need to find one more parameter: scene scale. Use camera #1 height over ground to set correct scene scale.

Note: Height of camera can only be used if ground plane is properly defined. If ground plane is not defined, you can use distance between camera #1 and #2 to set scene scale.