Working with iPi Motion Capture is a two phase process. First, you record an action with camera(s) using the Recorder application and get a video file (in .iPiVideo format). Next, you process this video file in the Mocap Studio application - do the tracking of motions from a video, apply jitter removal etc. The ultimate result of processing in Mocap Studio is an animation file ready to be used in 3D animation programs like Motion Builder, Blender, Source Filmmaker.

High performance GPU is ony required for the second phase - processing of a video in Mocap Studio. Recording phase does not impose so high requirements on GPU performance. You can do recording and processing on different PCs if that's convenient.

To add to the vmaslov's comment, many of the 'entry level' mocap systems out there are 'realtime', meaning the data is essentially tracked during capture. However, these systems tend to be error prone and/or 'floaty' by comparison to iPi Mocap Studio.

Because Mocap Studio makes tracking a separate process, the computer can be more far more accurate with the results. It's an extra step but the results are well worth the effort.

Depending on your setup and the type of motion you wish to capture, Mocap Studio can generate errors too, but they happen less often and are much easier to correct when they do.

A good graphics card can improve the tracking speed considerably. You don't necessarily need the very best or the most expensive card. Mocap Studio works well even with mid-level Nvidia gaming cards. If you intend to do a lot of tracking, faster is better of course, especially since you may wish to supervise the process. That said, Mocap Studio can batch process files too so, if you're feeling 'lucky', you can just let it run through a bunch of data files overnight, and then go back and fix things as needed.

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

Does it matter what video card I upgrade to? I heard there could be compatibility issues depending on the type of computer I have is there any way to check if its compatible with what I have before buying it?

I think there's a list of compatible/recommended cards in the wiki.

Personally, I've had good luck with Nvidia gaming cards. Currently, I have an Nvidia GTX 970 made by ASUS, which works really well with iPi Mocap Studio. Previously, I had a GTX 460, which worked well too. These are both older models though, especially the GTX 460 which is several years old. My computer is over 7 years old and has a smaller case, so I'm limited by what I can put inside it, and I had to track down a smaller, lower power version of the GTX 970. (Sigh! I really need a new computer.)

Anyway, I'm not sure how well the very latest Nvidia cards work with Mocap Studio, and I don't have a lot of experience with ATI cards. Hopefully, other users will chime in with more info shortly.

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

If your budget permits, I recommend you to look close to the top of charts to get the maximum performance in Mocap Studio. Like GTX 970, GTX 1060 and above.

A couple of other things to note.
It may be required to update the BIOS of your motherboard to the latest version. For instance, my older PC (based on Intel 7x series chipset) did not boot properly after I installed GTX 970 to it until I had updated the BIOS.
Modern videocards usually require additional power connectors (6/8 pin) from PSU. So make sure your PSU has appropriate connectors or other available connectors (e.g. Molex) which can be used with 6/8 pin adapters.

My desktop only has 265 watts of power from what I heard it has to be equal to or less than that to be compatible or something right? What happens if I put in a GPU with a higher wattage? (sicne the GTX 970 you listed has 500 w)

I had to replace my power supply years ago when I installed the GTX 460 in my 7-year-old workstation. I kept the same power supply when I upgraded to the GTX 970, but I think my system is near borderline now, even though I got a lower power model.

A 265w power supply is kinda 'low' if you're going to be plugging in a bunch of peripherals that will draw power from it, let alone, a high power graphics card. Depending on the card you install, you may need to upgrade the power supply.

Luckily, power supplies are fairly inexpensive. Just make sure it has suitable connectors for all your peripherals, controller cards, and the graphics card. Additionally, you could shop around for a card with a lower power requirement like I did. It might cost a little more but I think it's worth it.

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

Thanks this helps alot I went ahead and ordered both the GPU and new Power Supply.

This may sound like a dumb question since i'm new to this but could I use Blender for facial motion capture of the 3d models in question?

iPi Mocap Studio is not meant for face capture if that's what you're asking.

The only experience I've had with facial capture was with LightWave, its native Nevronmotion plugin, and a Kinect. It was pretty easy to set up and fun to play with, but it was pretty basic too.

I don't know if there is a native face capture interface for Blender. Maybe you should ask over in the Blender forums?

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

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

Ok so I got the new power source and a GTX970 but the card is too big for my tower. Apparently I need a half-size video card not a full size one. Any suggestions. New power supply is 650 watts