Hey guys,

In about a month we're moving our studio lock, stock, and barrel from China back to Kansas, where we were originally based up until four years ago (long story).

We use 8 Sony Playstation Eye cameras in a 7x7 meter space, which btw, is a configuration that's been working really well for us for nine months now. Thanks iPi for great software!!!!

Anyway, we've got our new studio all ready to be set up as soon as we get there. So here's the big question: LIGHTING! Our studio here in China had windows with no covers and 8 fluorescent tubes. There was plenty of flat light all round, but we got a lot of flickering. It's 50 Hz here, and the flicker filter didn't really help much.

Our new place will have no windows (praise the lord!) and we'll be at 60 Hz. So what's it to be? Fluorescent, incandescent, or LED? What's best?

Cheers, Hal

Fluorescent lamps are always a subject to flicker, so I recommend to avoid them.
Incandescent and LED lamps operating from AC also do flicker. But this is far less noticeable from my experience (with incandescent), I suppose because of the smooth nature of this flicker, resambling the curve of the input current.
Incandescent and LED lamps operating from DC do not produce flicker at all. I think, these should be the best option. For example, many of halogen lamps are DC 12V.

Anyway, lamps are (usually) much cheaper than other hardware or software for mocap :) So you can test several different kinds before setting up the lighting in the new place.

Cheers. DC sounds interesting. I'll look into that.

Hi ~
There some suggestions about lighting.
1.The light should as bright as possiable and a big area light on the roof is recommended.Because the less shadow it shows the better the result will get.
2.Led is recommended , because it nearly has no flicker.
3.The envrioment should be white(or some bright color) so the GlobleIlluminition will make the sense brighter,and that gives a better result.

Back when I was recording with PS3 Eye and iPi DMC, I used three soft boxes to light the set. Soft boxes emit a very diffuse light so plenty of brightness and no shadows. The stands I have can reach almost 3m in height, so they can be positioned above frame.

You can purchase soft box kits from any decent camera shop. I bought my kit, which included three large soft boxes with light stands, from Cowboy Studios several years ago. The gear was fairly inexpensive but heavy duty and well made, and the lights break down easily and store away in a single compact carrying case. If you purchase from Cowboy, check both the website and their Amazon store--sometimes the prices and offers are better on one or the other.

If you're setting up a permanent stage for mocap, try rigging the lights to the ceiling or rafters.

G.

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I set my cameras (both 4 PS Eyes, 4 corner config. and Dual Kinects 180 opposed) in a West facing sun room that has windows on 3 sides draped with the straw slat type roll up shades, or called faux bamboo shades... Though indirect sunlight, even on a cloudy day, is stronger than man-made room lighting, it is also more fully ambient in my set up. (Room can be viewed in videos index, my 4 PS Eyes video)(Also shows dual and single Kinects captures).

Since your area has no windows, setting up a thin light colored sheet type curtain perimeter using lighting directed down on curtain, or behind the curtains would present a back-lighting effect and limit the noticeable flicker and shadows.

Covering any ceiling lighting with a light colored shielding fabric will help also for shadows on floor, but still allow plenty of soft lighting.

I have used 4 PS Eyes, Dual Kinects and single Kinect during the day time and I live in FL, so sunlight is prevalent, but not direct, even the Kinects work fine in daytime, even though it shows background as full yellow, (daytime or night-time, it's displayed the same), when the background is removed after recording, its all good. (not sure it even adds data to capture, as is stated elsewhere)(I prefer the 4 Eye set up for daytime use, but dual Kinects work well too, in my set up).

It actually is said to limit yellow, but in my experience, it seems to actually track great, as the purple depth stands out against the yellow when using video behind the tracking, so even any occlusion, or off tracking, can be manually adjusted if needed quite easily.

I am sure you may read/hear this isn't recommended, but what works best to me and what's recommended varies a lot per user.

There is also an actual studio kit you can purchase, set up specifically for mocap, (run Google search), depending on your funding, but I could build it myself a lot cheaper, if I wanted to.

I don't use an abundance of direct light, it's more indirect sunlight, even though the room is 3/4 shaded windows, the slat shades keep out most of the UV direct light and no need for ceiling lighting at all for me and tracking works exceptionally well with highly contrasting clothing (with PS Eyes). Incandescent ceiling lighting was actually too much even when shielded for my 8 ft. ceiling area of 21 ft x 12 ft., with foot recording area of approx. 8 ft x 8 ft, arms can extend a bit beyond that.

My set up may be unorthodox to many other users, but I have tested different than recommended camera positioning, many actions, extreme positions and laying on floor (all require a properly set flood grid for best tracking results), fast spins, trying to incite occlusions, Move controller tracking and with one Kinect to find the limitations of this software and I have been impressed with its tracking ability and its post processing features, of which I need very low steps of any jitter removal to achieve a great visual output and hardly ever use full tracking of the refine forward option. (Some areas where I manually re-adjust limb positioning, (occlusion mis-tracks), I use refine forward just on those areas to almost eliminate jitter).

If you have been using the software for an extended time, you know the software is very good.

I am waiting to see what V3 brings, it has been stated to correct or enhance the issues/virtues of V2, so should be great!

These are my experiences, yours may differ.