Is there much of a difference in terms of the quality of the capture when using the newer xbox one kinect vs the old 360 one? What about when you're using 2 of them? I'm just curious which one i should pick up to start acting with. Thanks <3

muti-kinect2.0 would be much more better, and can use 4kinect2.0 in one pc,but need three PCIE_usb3.0 and big motherboard ,big lucky to you ,the ipi studio support multi kinect.2.0 in only one pc

For quality, the XBox One (a.k.a., Kinect 2) result is less jittery because the data is higher resolution and less noisy.

But the sensor and configuration you go with depends on your hardware capabilities.

For most common computers, it's easier to use multiple XBox 360 Kinect sensors with a single computer. You'll still need a separate USB controller for each sensor though. Also, even though these are USB 2.0 devices, get USB 3.0 for better data bandwidth. If you have tripods or light stands with a screw, you'll probably want to get tripod adapters too.

If you go with Kinect 2, you'll need a fairly powerful computer and multiple controller cards to use more than 1 sensor on a single computer. Note that this feature is experimental at this time.

Otherwise, you need a separate computer for each Kinect 2 sensor and the computers should be networked for best performance. I currently prefer this configuration because it's proven very reliable for multiple Kinect 2 sensors.

Oh, almost forgot: you don't need the tripod adapter for Kinect 2. A screw mount is built-in.

Hope this helps.

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

Awesome, thanks yeah that definitely clears it up. Would a usb 2.0 system be adequate for a kinect v2 or do i really need a usb 3 system?
Does kinect v2 also track head and hand motions? Or do I need a motion controller for those? Thanks

Kinect 2 needs USB 3.0.

You won't get wrist rotations with Kinect data. You'll need to add that manually or use a motion conroller. You can use PS Move or Nintendo Switch JoyCon (experimental.)

Either type of Kinect can record head tracking but you get much more accurate results with a motion controller. The trick is mounting it to your head in a reliable manner. I've used a few different rigs, from hard hat to GoPro strap--what I use now is a bicycle helmet with a piece of foam under the controller and a velcro strap. It works great!

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

That's amazing :D. Thank you. Looks like I'll get a setup similar to yours then with the head tracking.
Do you happen to know if you can use a long USB 3.0 extension with the cameras? Say with an active repeater cable. Or maybe some kinda USB over Ethernet thing? My computer is in a seperate room to where I'd be able to get a decent capture area. Thanks

My workstation is in another room. Back when I used XBox 360 Kinects, I ran three USB 3 repeater cables directly from that computer to the living room for two Kinect sensors and a BT dongle for the PS Move controllers. I had a laptop in the living room and used the free version of TeamViewer to control the software on the workstation. A single BT dongle is good for several controllers (in my case, three of them.)

Now I use multiple Kinect 2 sensor. For that, I still use the workstation in the computer room but I also run out an ethernet cable for my laptop and tablet computer, and I have the sensors connected directly to each computer. For the PS Move controllers, I use the BT adapter built into the laptop or tablet computer. Since the mobile computers are in the living room near the capture space, it's not necessary to use a dongle on a USB cable.

Hope this helps.

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

so you can use two kinect v2 WITH PS Eye cameras at the same times to track the head/hands ?
I have ;
2 x kinect v2
2 x PS eye

is this enough/a good setup?
Thanks !

Don't confuse PS Eye cameras with PS Move motion controllers. The latter can be used for head/hand tracking together with any cameras.
Read the docs for more detailed info
http://docs.ipisoft.com/Motion_Controllers

@Vincent.Beaudet, as vmaslov points out, no you can't mix PS Eye cameras with Kinect.

The devices you want for head and hands tracking are PS Move or Nintendo JoyCon. Wii controllers will also work but I don't think they are as accurate.

For hands you need two controllers and for the head you need one. I think you can connect up to 8 devices per bluetooth chip/card in addition to the cameras/sensors connected by USB. (FYI, I've never tried more than 3 bluetooth motion devices.)

The secret to getting good rotational data is to lock the devices in place.

For the head, you want to mount it to a hat or head band that will not move relative to the head. I used a bicycle helmet. A construction helmet works too but you'll want one with a strap. You can see how they can be mounted at my website.

https://littlegreendog.com/?s=mocap+helmet

(Nowadays I use a different bike helmet which I like a lot. It's not shown on my website but I can post a pic later.)

For hands, some users like to attach the controllers to the back of gloves. Some even break down the controllers to the bare unit and attach that. I just hold the devices in my hands, gripping it firmly so the rotation is 'locked' to the rotation of my wrist. This takes a little practice to get natural movements but I got used to it quickly. One advantage to holding a PS Move controller is that you can use it to operate iPi Recorder remotely.

Hope this helps.

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!