FAQ

Yes, you can install the tracking programs from a USB drive after the operating system installation. Please refer to chapter 4.3 of the operating system manual.

Operation does not need an internet connection. Also the online license can be activated without internet access on the tracking engine using the air-gapped license in the License Manager.

No!

Pixotope Vision is compatible with other graphics vendors although we recommend Pixotope Graphics for seamless integration and all-in-one support.

Yes!

For this you need to create more “Sender” tabs using the “Setup” button function and configure them accordingly.

Yes!

To do so you need to add a “FreeD Sender” tab from the Chief “SETUP” menu. Please refer to the Pixotope Vision Chief manual for more details on adding a “FreeD” sender tab. Please be aware that the FreeD protocol does not include our lens parameters but only raw zoom and focus encoder values.

Yes!

It is possible to export the point cloud as a text file that contains X,Y and Z values of all points of the reconstruction. The function is the Worker settings in the Rendering tab.

Yes!

The origin is a property saved in the reconstruction. You can create and save reconstructions with different properties and load them with one click as needed.

Please refer to the System Requirements page for a full list of computer specifications.

Pdf files for the calibration patterns can be found here.

No internet is necessary for operation.

Pixotope Fly is a real-time tracking solution solely relying on the video stream of the filming camera. It allows precise 3D camera tracking without additional hardware on the camera. The setup is very easy and fast. Check out the respective Fly manual.

A video feed and a tracking engine with the TrackMen Linux operating system installed. A lens file must be created once with the calibration board. Please refer to the System Requirements page for the tracking engine specifications.

No, Pixotope Fly is compatible with other graphic vendors although we recommend Pixotope Graphics for seamless integration and all-in-one support.

Yes!

Pixotope Fly works markerless and is only based on visible features in the video. That means you are free to track during any time of the day and the system can adapt to changing lighting conditions by creating multiple reconstructions of the environment for different lighting and weather conditions. Also a usage at night is possible.

Please follow the Pixotope Fly Manual to learn how to create multiple reconstructions for different weather and lighting conditions and how to switch between them.

Using 4k video in the Pixotope Fly Worker significantly increases the processing time without much benefit. When shooting in 4k, the video must be scaled down to 1080p for the Fly tracking engine. As long as the crop factor / aspect ratio of the 1080 and the 4k video is the same, there is no disadvantage.

Yes!

Only a fixed lens calibration is necessary for using an optical zoom with Pixotope Fly. However, a special reconstruction procedure is necessary to use a zoom function. Please check the Fly page for more information.

Pixotope Vision is our markerless camera tracking solution. By using a dedicated sensor unit to 3D-scan the surrounding environment it adapts to any studio workflow/pipeline, with or without markers.

The full manual can be found here.

The system does not need a recalibration as long as the offset of the Sensor Unit or the reconstructed area/markers don’t change. If the camera is positioned in the studio, the system will work automatically after being turned on. No daily calibration is needed. No loss of precision over time is to be expected.

If you take off and reattach the same lens, the lens parameters need to be reviewed and adjusted if necessary. No lens mount is physically perfect. The lens sits slightly different every time it is attached. This can make adjusting lens parameters necessary.

Please refer to chapter 4.2 and 4.3 of the Chief manual.

Yes!

The chief camera (Broadcast Camera) can work with resolutions higher than FHD. However there is no added benefit to tracking data.

Some cameras may crop the sensor with different resolutions. Keep in mind that we generate the zoom lens calibration file with a specific resolution that may have a different crop factor and thus not match yours entirely.

The sensor unit can be mounted wherever it is most convenient. Multiple mounting options are available. It is essential that it has a perfectly rigid connection to the main camera body.

Keep in mind that the view of the sensor camera must not be obstructed and that it needs to be able to see enough reconstructed feature points in every camera position used on-air.

Yes!

Pixotope provides a solution for every need. With Pixotope’s Vision or Marker sensor unit you can adapt to any green screen studio environment.

Yes!

Little changes in the tracked environment will be disregarded and do not influence the tracking. If the changes are too many the reconstruction can be updated by taking more keyframes.

When using Pixotope Marker, the sensor camera can only see the infrared reflective markers and will be independent from studio lighting.

Yes!

We provide a vast library of zoom lens files that includes most commonly used lenses. The list can be found here.

Fixed lenses without zoom can be calibrated very easily as described in the fixed lens calibration manual.

Pixotope Marker is our marker based camera tracking solution. By placing Pixotope’s retroreflective stickers in the studio and using Pixotope’s infrared Sensor Unit, you can track under any lighting condition and are independent of changes in lighting. Pixotope Marker is limited to work only with the reflective markers.

Pixotope Marker can only detect markers and is therefore limited to the studio application it has been installed in. Pixotope Vision works with or without markers and is therefore able to be used in any environment that provides high contrast corners for feature point detection.

The amount and size of the markers depends on the studio size as well as the height of the ceiling in case the markers are to be placed at the ceiling. Pixotope’s Sales Engineers will assist with the determination.

Retroreflective material varies in characteristics and qualities. Most of them don’t provide sufficient visibility. Without Pixotope’s original markers the function of the system cannot be guaranteed.

GhosTrack works with GhostFrame which is a proprietary solution. Please review the specifications of your LED panels and video processors to find out whether they are capable of using GhostFrame. Information about GhosTrack can be found here.

For upgrading to GhosTrack you need to makes sure that the LED panels support the GhostFrame technology. Additionally a special license for GhosTrack and GhostFrame is necessary as well as a special hardware trigger box. Go to the GhosTrack page for more information.

TalenTrack is a markerless 3D body pose tracking system based on deep learning algorithms and image analysis only. It requires no markers, senders or other equipment to be carried by the persons tracked, and no calibration of the individual bodies. Tracking is done in real-time by a number of cameras analyzing overlapping fields of view and identifying persons in the video, recognizing the human body and estimating the positions of their joints. The positions of these joints are then located in 3D space and sent to a graphics engine.

TalenTrack works with up to 4 People at the same time.

No!

TalenTrack can work independently from other Pixotope Tracking and Pixotope Graphics solutions.

By joining TalenTrack with Pixotope Tracking/Graphics you have access to powerful in engine visualization and easy, seamless integration into the Pixotope Graphics engine.

No!

Each system needs its own dedicated workstation.

Please read chapter 2 of the TalenTrack manual for more information about different hardware setups.

Please refer to the systems requirements page for a full list of hardware specifications for the TalenTrack workstation.

TalenTrack covers a base area of 5x3 meters (15 m²). The area can be extended with the addition of more TalenTrack cameras. Please keep in mind that for adding cameras more 10 Gigabit switches as well as workstations are necessary. One workstation can handle a maximum of 3 TalenTrack cameras.

3 frames delay in a single-machine setup and 1 frame delay in a multi-machine setup.