How many cameras do I need for the Motion Capture?

LostForever815 · **Joined:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:52 am **Posts:** 7

Hello. I have a question. :)

How many cameras do I need for the Motion Capture? I have one ASUS Xtion. That's enough?

Thanks!

vmaslov · **Posted:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:29 pm

That's enough for the beginning. However, if you want to capture reasonably complex motions, like full 360 degrees turns, two Xtions will be a better option. And if you need to capture very fast motions or motions that require large capture space, like running, then you should better go with 4-6 PS Eyes.

LostForever815 · **Joined:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:52 am **Posts:** 7

Thank you :)

And one more question. Can i use web cameras for Motion Capture?(like Logitech)

Greenlaw · **Posted:** Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:16 pm

You can but I wouldn't recommend it. This is just my opinion based on having used Logitech Pro 9000 cameras with iPi in the past. Using any webcam other than PS3 Eye can be a hassle and a headache because you will be forced to use the device's own control panel to 'optimize' each individual camera for motion capture. With the PS3 Eye, it's literally plug-and-play--no camera adjustments are necessary. Plus, the PS3 Eye cameras are fairly 'cheap' and they allow you to capture 640 x 480 at 60fps in iPi DMC--few other USB web cams will allow you do that as smoothly, reliably, and inexpensively.

For convenience, however, I currently prefer the dual Kinect setup. It's not as accurate but the results are still very good and more immediate than with the PS3 Eye setup.

Hope this helps.

G.

LostForever815 · **Joined:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:52 am **Posts:** 7

Greenlaw wrote:

You can but I wouldn't recommend it. This is just my opinion based on having used Logitech Pro 9000 cameras with iPi in the past. Using any webcam other than PS3 Eye can be a hassle and a headache because you will be forced to use the device's own control panel to 'optimize' each individual camera for motion capture. With the PS3 Eye, it's literally plug-and-play--no camera adjustments are necessary. Plus, the PS3 Eye cameras are fairly 'cheap' and they allow you to capture 640 x 480 at 60fps in iPi DMC--few other USB web cams will allow you do that as smoothly, reliably, and inexpensively.

For convenience, however, I currently prefer the dual Kinect setup. It's not as accurate but the results are still very good and more immediate than with the PS3 Eye setup.

Hope this helps.

G.

Wow, interesting information. Thank you :)

What do you think about the Asus Xtion? Can I use it for Motion Capture? What will be the quality of the animation?

Greenlaw · **Posted:** Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:27 pm

I am very interested in the Xtion because of its ability to record 60fps like the PS3 Eye cameras. It does this at a lower res (320 x 240) that the PS3 Eye (640 x 480) but I don't that matters much because of the Kinect's limited range. If you can work within the smaller capture space, I imagine the Xtion could produce comparable results as PS3 Eye for fast motion. (That's just a guess since I don't have actual experience with Xtion.)

The biggest advantage with PS3 Eye is the larger capture space which is possible because of the combination of higher resolution + higher framerate (Kinect and Xtion can achieve only 30fps at 640 x 480.) Of course, this means you'll need a much larger stage to perform in as well, which may not be as practical for many urban dwellers like me who live in a tiny house. :p

G.

LostForever815 · **Joined:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:52 am **Posts:** 7

Greenlaw wrote:

I am very interested in the Xtion because of its ability to record 60fps like the PS3 Eye cameras. It does this at a lower res (320 x 240) that the PS3 Eye (640 x 480) but I don't that matters much because of the Kinect's limited range. If you can work within the smaller capture space, I imagine the Xtion could produce comparable results as PS3 Eye for fast motion. (That's just a guess since I don't have actual experience with Xtion.)

The biggest advantage with PS3 Eye is the larger capture space which is possible because of the combination of higher resolution + higher framerate (Kinect and Xtion can achieve only 30fps at 640 x 480.) Of course, this means you'll need a much larger stage to perform in as well, which may not be as practical for many urban dwellers like me who live in a tiny house. :p

G.

Very interesting...thanks for information. :)

So, I can use Xtion for creating animations like jumping or dancing, right?

And what about facial animation?

P.S Thank you for your answers! :)

Greenlaw · **Posted:** Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:21 pm

LostForever815 wrote:

So, I can use Xtion for creating animations like jumping or dancing, right?

And what about facial animation?

P.S Thank you for your answers! :)

You're welcome!

Yes, you can use the Xtion for complex motions. The limitation is that since you're capturing from only one device, you must perform directly to the camera. This means you can't turn away from the camera or walk in a circle and still expect good results. If you have two devices, you can get much wider coverage that allows you to perform more advanced motions.

For examples pf what you can do, watch iPi's recent demo movies on YouTube, or you can check out the short film my wife and I made last year which was recorded with single and dual Kinect. (Link below.) Complex motions like the 'chainsaw dance' require dual Kinect or multiple PS3 Eye cameras. Simpler motions, like the shots at the beginning and end can be done with single Kinect.

iPi DMC does not capture face motions but the Kinect can do this using other software designed specifically for face capture. The most interesting one I've seen is this:

Faceshift

I'm guessing the Xtion could work with this but I do not have certain info about this. I would email the developer for more info.

G.

LostForever815 · **Joined:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:52 am **Posts:** 7

Greenlaw wrote:

LostForever815 wrote:

So, I can use Xtion for creating animations like jumping or dancing, right?

And what about facial animation?

P.S Thank you for your answers! :)

You're welcome!

Yes, you can use the Xtion for complex motions. The limitation is that since you're capturing from only one device, you must perform directly to the camera. This means you can't turn away from the camera or walk in a circle and still expect good results. If you have two devices, you can get much wider coverage that allows you to perform more advanced motions.

For examples pf what you can do, watch iPi's recent demo movies on YouTube, or you can check out the short film my wife and I made last year which was recorded with single and dual Kinect. (Link below.) Complex motions like the 'chainsaw dance' require dual Kinect or multiple PS3 Eye cameras. Simpler motions, like the shots at the beginning and end can be done with single Kinect.

iPi DMC does not capture face motions but the Kinect can do this using other software designed specifically for face capture. The most interesting one I've seen is this:

Faceshift

I'm guessing the Xtion could work with this but I do not have certain info about this. I would email the developer for more info.

G.

Thank you again!

I'll will try to record animation with Xtion. :)

P.S Nice video :D

How many cameras do I need for the Motion Capture?

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