Blade 2.6 Summary

Blade 2.6 User's Guide

Deborah R. Fowler



click here for Motion Capture Resources

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Posted on Dec 8  2013
Updated Jan 22  2014  

Blade 2.6 User's Guide

This document is available in the binder in the studio as well as online at deborahrfowler.com

At the studio in SCAD-SAV:

The buttons to power the camera have been integrated into one switch (thanks Neil!) so now the fan and cameras are powered by a single switch.
In practice it is best to have the lights off during calibration and capture (particularly the inside wall light by the desk which may be detected).

Currently we are using a passive optical system with 12 Vicon MX series cameras: MX4 (4 mega pixel).
With 2.6 our volume is bigger now (by about one foot all around) since it has less difficulty with occluded markers).

Log on to the machine on the right - that is the one connected to the camera.


Start Vicon Blade 2.6 (Blade 1.7 is on the desktop but is an older version that you do not want to use.)
Select a profile (C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Vicon\Blade2.6\Default.ini is fine)


When you are working in blade - just say NO. In other software when you are asked to save the correct answer is yes; in vicon it is no - no no no.


Motion Capture Steps

    Click on each link for more details or use the menu at the left:
  1. Setting up your data base
  2. Camera Calibration
  3. Calibrating your actor(s) by capturing ROM and processing ROM
  4. Capturing and processing takes

Brief Summary: Executive Summary for Capturing - Overview of the process

Once you have the basic capturing achieved, you can also try finger capture. Finger capture is much easier now in Vicon Blade 2.6.
Additional information for Finger Capture
Additional information for Prop Capture

Streaming
Troubleshooting

Our software and studio space are capable of allowing two actor capture. It is recommended that the actors ROM are captured and calibrated one after another.
(It is also advised you learn first to capture and process one actor).
Be sure in the data management window to check off the previous character while you are calibrating your new character and be sure to label your new actor in the processing steps.

File types

Interface tips

Tab Overview

There are three major tabs at the top of the screen:




REMINDER
F5 - to refresh
When exporting fbx - be sure to check Unroll Rotation Curves


For those of you without rigging experience, I would strongly suggest you take ANIM 280 and if you are interested in the character TD minor there are four other rigging classes for various concentrations (CHR 310, 314, 340 and 350).