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Breadcrumbs

Using Pixotope Zone

Pixotope Zone is a video-based tracking system for cameras in a fixed position that pan, tilt and zoom.

Looking for Zone tracking on Linux? See Zone Tracking

image-20260831-094210.png

Prerequisites

  1. Download and install NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit on the Zone machine → https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-downloads?target_os=Windows&target_arch=x86_64&target_version=11&target_type=exe_local

Configure Zone

This is how you configure the machine which is running Zone.

  1. Start the Zone Tracking service via the Status panel on the bottom

image-20260831-085212.png

  1. Optional: Enable "Launch Zone Tracking on startup"

Screenshot 2026-08-31 at 10.47.14.png

Create camera system

This camera system is shared between the tracking (Zone) and the render machine(s).

  1. Add a camera system on Setup > Configure > Camera systems

  2. Select "Generate using Zone Tracking" under Camera tracking

  3. Select a lens file (.flc) or create a new one

Only .flc files are supported.

Changing the lens file won't update an initialized Zone version. Zone builds the lens data in at the time of initialization, so the version keeps using the lens file data it was created with.

Screenshot 2026-09-10 at 14.28.46.png

Route the Zone camera

  1. Go to the Routing panel to the machine that runs Zone

  2. Click on "Zone" on the right of the camera system (Image only)

    • This adds only the Image input part of the Camera system (Image and Tracking)

      Screenshot 2026-09-21 at 14.12.39.png


  3. Specify Input, Input source, Input type and Input format

Calibrate the lens

  1. Go back to the Zone camera on the Camera systems panel

  2. Click the "Launch lens calibration tool" button to start Pixotope Fixed Lens Calibration

  3. Pick up the Pixotope Calibration Board (15x10) and place it in front of the camera

  4. A green rectangle overlay on your board is shown

The board’s overlay rectangle turns red, if the board is held upside down. Please rotate it so the L built by the large circles is "laying" down.

  1. Try to place and hold the board’s green rectangle so that it matches the guiding rectangle

    • Unselect Mirror to show the video feed unmirrored if preferred

      Screenshot 2026-09-10 at 14.25.42.png


  2. As soon as the board’s rectangle is close enough, the guiding rectangle jumps to its next position

  3. Continue with step 5.

  4. After completing 9 positions the board’s rectangle is gone, but its circles are now part of the overlay

    Screenshot 2026-09-10 at 14.40.45.png


  5. Click "Save" and then "Finish"

    • The Fixed Lens Calibration tool is closed

    • The newly created lens file is selected in the Camera systems panel

Calibration board position is almost matching

Calibration board is upside down
Screenshot 2026-09-10 at 14.26.50.png
image-20260910-134120.png

Add a tracking output

  1. Go to the Routing panel to the machine that runs Zone

  2. Add a Tracking output

    image-20260831-105843.png


  3. Set the Source to the Camera added above

  4. Optional: Change the Tracking protocol if needed

  5. Set to which machine/IP address and port the tracking data should be Send to

Use Camera input switching in case you have multiple camera sources you want to switch between. Learn more about how to Configure camera input switching

Initialize Zone tracking

  1. Go to the Zone panel under Setup > Calibrate

  2. Select the camera/machine to initialize on the top left

If one or more versions already exist

  1. Click the "Initialize" step

  2. Confirm that you want to Start over

  1. Zone starts capturing keyframes automatically

    Screenshot 2026-09-21 at 14.22.47.png


  2. Pan and tilt over the intended tracking area

    • Use the same zoom and focus setting used when doing the fixed lens calibration

During the Initialize phase

  • Do NOT zoom in or out

  • Do NOT change focus

  1. After having created an initial set of keyframes across the playing area

    • Click the "Save new version and continue" button

    • OR if an existing version should be overwritten, click the "Save and continue" button

  2. The interface advances to the Align step

Zone builds the lens file data into its tracking. Once you've initialized a version, changing the lens file in the Routing panel has no effect. Initialize again to pick up the new file.

Align scene

  1. Use the "Select keyframe" slider to select a keyframe showing all corners of the playing area

    Screenshot 2026-09-21 at 14.25.10.png


  2. Select the sport and the template (playing area’s dimensions)

  3. Drag the template corners onto the corners of the playing area

For more accurate placement, zoom in using the scroll wheel or the zoom icons on the top right.

Learn more about our available Zone sports templates

  1. Optionally

    • change the unit from Meter to Feet

    • rotate the template

    • offset the origin

  2. Click "Apply and continue"

  3. The interface advances to the Track step

The Reset template button allows you to start alignment from scratch.

Track scene

  1. Check the overlaid points which show the corners of the template

  2. Click the "Save" icon on the version selector above
    OR click the + icon to save a new version

By default, the system continuously extends the scene, adding keyframes as the camera sees new areas. These count as unsaved changes. Save to keep them.

Lock scene

To lock the scene and stop keyframe generation click the "Lock scene" checkbox. Save the version in case this setting should be remembered.

Recover tracking

If tracking was lost, for example after a crash zoom, the system tries to reorient itself automatically. If this fails click the "Recover tracking" button.

Update alignment

  1. Click "Align" on the stepper and follow the Align scene instructions above