I have not tried the software yet cause I have been debating on what equipment I need to get. Is it possible to capture both 1 to 3 kinects for xbox with like 3 to 6 ps eye cams and combine them together for less jitters? I have 2 pcs and both have 2 usb 2.0 controllers and i was curious cause it would save me money on usb extension cables and or equipment not needed. I also had wonderd how many move controllers you could have for better tracking? Any help would be appreciated. Im itching to do some mocap.

Equipment/software that i currently got
2 pcs win 7 both with intel quad cores with 2 usb 2.0 each
1 kinect 1 for xbox 360

My price list so far
6 ps eyes = 5.00 usd * 6 = 30.00 usd total
2 kinect for xbox 1 = 25.00 usd *2 usd = 50.00
3 move controllers = 15.00 usd * 3 = 45.00 usd
1 basic software license for 3 months = 165.00

Kinect sensors and PS Eye cameras cannot be combined in one setup. This comparison table may help you to decide which devices to use:
http://docs.ipisoft.com/Multiple_Depth_Sensors_vs_Sony_PS_Eye_Comparison
You can record with 2 PCs placing them at the opposite sides of capture area thus saving on extension cables.
You can use up to 3 PS Moves for each actor (head + 2 hands). Single BT adapter usually can handle up to 4 PS Moves.
FYI the Basic license allows to process videos from <= 2 Kinects or <= 6 PS Eyes, with 1 actor.

The size and lighting of your capture space should also be considered.

PS3 Eye cameras require quite a bit of space to operate. I was using four of them in a two car garage and my space could only accommodate better than a semi-circle. This was fine for many situations but could get a little sketchy in some 360 situations. I could possibly have set them up in a full circle but then my capture space would have been pretty small.

PS3 Eye cameras are video based so good lighting is required. By 'good' lighting, I mean well light but also very evenly lit, with no hard shadows. This is why a short sleeved black T-shirt is recommended--the color can hide shadows cast by the arms and head.

The Kinect sensor is IR based and it does not need to see normal light to capture its depth data, so room lighting is mostly irrelevant. However, you do need to watch out for IR pollution from the sun coming through windows. If there are a lot of windows or a large window in your space, you may need to cover them or shoot after dark. (FYI, the Kinect sensor also does not need special clothing requirements.)

The Kinect system has a smaller capture space than PS3 Eye but it also does not require as much space as the PS3 Eye. This means if you only have a small room to capture in, like a living room, then Kinect may be more suitable.

This is our current setup: we shoot in our living room with 2 to 3 Kinect v1 devices and 3 PS Move controllers. This setup has been ideal for us for a couple of years now. We mainly use it for our own animated short film projects but we've also used it for vfx shots in a couple of live action feature films during 2013 - 2014.

We're currently experimenting with 4 Kinect v2 devices but we still have a few issues to solve before we can use them for production work. If you're using Kinect v2, be aware that you will need a separate computer for each device. There are also a few extra hardware and software requirements to consider, like USB 3 controllers and cables and having OS 8.1 or higher on your recording computers.

Hope this helps.

G.

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Greenlaw
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