I have a good clean green calibration noodle now, but now I need to reconcile it in scale and position with the actor size and location. How do I accomplish that?

I also have some suggestions about documentation, but I don't want to overload this specific thread. Do you have any interest in feedback on that?

Scaling is easy: just input the known height of any camera. Typically, you choose camera #1, but it really doesn't matter. There are two levels of precision for scaling. Use the first one to get as close as possible to the actual height, and the second one to fine tune the height.

To set the scale for the actor, enter the actual height of the actor and position the actor over the performer. Alternate between Analyze Actor and Refit Pose to get a good match. Sometimes you will get better results by scaling the actor slightly taller than actual height; this may give the rig a little extra 'reach' and reduce potential IK issues.

For more details on the above, I would consult the wiki. There are two slideshows posted by iPi Software that are worth viewing. Also, browse these forums for workflow tips. Be sure to check the dates for some of the information; iPi Studio has evolved a lot over the years so some of the very old information in the forums may be obsolete.

G.

_________________
Greenlaw
Artist/Partner - Little Green Dog | My Demo Reels (2013,) (2015,) (2017,) and (2019)

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

Thanks for your reply.

Perhaps you do not register my particular cluelessness factor. :)

Should I expect to see much correlation between the size and position of my calibration noodle and IPISoft's default skeleton rig--when I view my calibration scene? If so, how closely should they be correlated in that scene?

If they don't occupy the same position, is there a procedure for reconciling then?

If feel I need to understand this point before I try any mocap...

If the calibration is good and you have set the height of at least virtual one camera to the height of a corresponding real world camera, the scale of actor should look fairly normal because the default height of the rig is that of an average adult. BTW, you don't actually need to do anything with the actor for calibration; adjusting the height and position of the actor at this stage is fairly meaningless. If your track is all green and you have set your ground points, AND you have set the scale, then save the scene data and you're done with calibration.

When you're ready to do some motion tracking, first load your 'action' video and load the scene calibration file. THIS is the time to adjust the actor's height and position to match the performer's real world height and position. Assuming the calibration really is valid, the height of the actor should match the performer's fairly closely. (It's recommended that you scale the actor slightly taller than actual height. This extends the reach of the rig and usually helps the track look better.)

Hope this helps.

G.

_________________
Greenlaw
Artist/Partner - Little Green Dog | My Demo Reels (2013,) (2015,) (2017,) and (2019)

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!