Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Scenography.................................................................................................54
Hardware Limitations................................................................................................ 54
Polygon Count....................................................................................................... 55
Blue Box Dimensions ............................................................................................... 55
4. Set Conversion........................................................................................67
Preparation....................................................................................................68
Reducing Geometry .....................................................................................70
Materials................................................................................................................... 71
Attaching Objects and Welding Vertices .................................................................. 71
Grouping Objects ..................................................................................................... 72
Rendering the Scene................................................................................................ 72
The ID Channel ........................................................................................................ 73
Exporting in VRML format ........................................................................................ 73
Adding a BlueBox..................................................................................................... 82
Finishing the Virtual Set ........................................................................................... 84
What is ProSet?
Related Documents
Documents mentioned in this manual, available from Orad:
• DVP-500 Setup Guide
• 3Designer User Guide
• Orad tutorial on: Modeling, Rendering, Exporting, and Importing Virtual Sets
from 3ds Max into 3Designer
Introduction
6
Option Description
DoF panel Opens the Depth of Field panel to allow you to set background
focus.
See Depth of Field Control, p.48
Tracking TrackingSet GUI opens this GUI.
See Using the TrackingSet GUI, p.16.
Camera Studio opens the TSCameraGUI.
See Using the TrackingSet Camera GUI, p.45.
Camera Switcher opens the TSCameraSwitcher window that
allows you to choose which tracking camera’s data to display.
Machine Example – modify ProSet xml this option is changed
to the tracking host, as described in Configuring the Way ProSet
Opens, p.7.
• Start Tracking starts tracking for the defined tracking host.
• Stop Tracking stops tracking for the defined tracking host.
• Config opens the TrackingSet.cfg file.
See Editing the TrackingSet Configuration File, p.14.
HDVG Video Opens the DVG Video Controller window.
Controller See Opening the Chroma Key Window, p.88.
Walkthrough Opens the TSWalkthrough GUI that allows you to switch off the
tracking data and then move around in the virtual space from the
virtual camera’s perspective.
See Walkthrough, p.50.
About Displays the version information window.
Exit Closes the ProSet application.
Introduction
7
IMPORTANT
Here you can determine what items are available in the ProSet menu, and what
their target files are.
2. Rename the HDVG in the ARGS attribute as the target for any command
given from this menu item.
3. If ProSet is to be used with multiple tracking hosts, copy this submenu
section, and rename each instance, appropriately.
4. Save the before closing.
Introduction
8
NOTE:
Understanding TrackingSet
ProSet uses tracking systems to get camera data (location – X, Y and Z,
orientation – Pan, Tilt and Roll and field of view/focus) from the real studio
camera, for use by the rendering computer.
TrackingSet is a ProSet process that gathers data from tracking systems and
exports this data to the real time rendering application (RenderEngine).
TrackingSet receives information from the various tracking systems used in the
studio to track video settings, talent tracking, and more.
NOTE:
ProSet uses a logical camera to identify the data stream from a camera,
and to connect that data stream to the camera location data coming from
the trackers.
Inside ProSet, there are logical cameras, and every logical camera is
connected with a studio camera, a real camera with tracking data, or a
virtual camera that is used only for navigating inside the rendered Set.
File Structure
The statements in the TrackingSet.cfg file describe the tracking systems in use.
Their type, location within the Set in relation to the origin of the Set coordinate
system, and their IP address must be specified for each tracking element.
The heads entry indicates the number of trackers used in the studio. In the
example above, there are two heads. Each head represents a tracker (e.g., IR,
sensors, or PR). The last tracker on the list is the Orad pattern (PR), which is the
camera that ProSet refers to as the real studio camera in TrackingSet and the
TrackingSet window. Other trackers should be defined above this one in the
configuration file. Although CameraSet treats them as studio cameras and shows
them on the Camera list, they are not independent trackers, and cannot be used as
studio cameras. (When you switch to an IR camera, the displayed tracking data
is actually the PR camera tracking data).
NOTE:
If there is more than one camera connected to the system, the system must know
which camera is on air at any given moment. There are two common
configurations:
• Switching is done externally and ProSet knows which camera is current and
switches internally as a slave. This is the most common configuration, based
on PR, using the Orad grid panel and a VDI unit.
• The cameras are not connected to a DVP computer, and the Orad grid is not
used. In this case, an independent tracking system is used (such as Xync), and
TrackingSet is connected directly to the external switcher.
Parameter Description
Channel Select a channel to configure. A channel corresponds to a render
host or group of hosts in chain configurations.
Show current Select this check box to show configuration settings for the
current camera selected in the Camera Switcher (usually the
camera assigned to the DVP).
Number Select a tracker from the drop-down list. When Show current is
selected, this automatically displays the on-air camera.
Name The name of the tracker as defined in the configuration file.
Type The tracker type as defined in the configuration file.
Port The Ethernet port that tracking data is received on or the serial
connection device name. Tracking data is relayed from the
tracking system to the rendering host via an Ethernet or serial
connection.
IP The multicast IP used for transmission. For unicast
transmissions or for serial connections this field is empty.
Calibration The file containing calibration information about the camera lens
File (for systems with sensor-based zoom and focus tracking like
sensor cameras).
The calibration file is defined as part of the tracker configuration
in the TrackingSet.cfg file. The tracker will locate the file
according to the location designated.
CCU Number Inside the parameter of the TrackingSet, the ID given to each
camera or tracker by CameraSet. Also determines the order of
cameras in the Camera switcher.
Logical camera The logical camera number assigned to the displayed tracker.
number
System Configuration 19
The following table describes the parameters in the Tracker data section:
Parameter Description
Rate Fields per second.
View angle Vertical field of view of the selected camera.
Aspect Picture ratio of the camera (PAL or NTSC).
Zoom Range Displays the zoom ranges for sensor lenses only.
Focus range Displays the focus ranges when clicking Reset Ranges for
sensor lenses only.
CRC (cyclic The number of received data blocks with an incorrect checksum.
redundancy It is reset to zero when you click Reset Communication. A
check) rising number indicates communication problems.
Bad Bytes If Rate is not correct or sensor is not connected correctly, bad
bytes are transmitted from the tracking system to the rendering
host.
Focus plane The distance in meters between the tracked camera and sharp
picture plane. This distance is properly reported only if it is
properly calibrated (or transmitted from the tracking system).
This field does not apply to DVP tracking.
Focal length The focal length of the tracking camera.
CCD center The center of the image displayed on the monitor. This value is
manually entered in the Lens Parameters tab or transmitted by
the tracking system (X-pecto for example).
Position and The tracker position (X,Y,Z) and orientation (Pan, Tilt, Roll)
Orientation reported from the tracker.
System Configuration
20
Reset Ranges is used to reset the ranges of the zoom and focus with sensor
cameras so that TrackingSet will use the full range of movement
Reset Communication resets communication between TrackingSet and the
tracker that is currently displayed, and resets the CRC and BadBytes counters.
DVP Control opens the DVP control window to allow control of one or more
DVPs via Ethernet. It displays DVP status and lets you change parameters in
order to optimize functionality.
For more information on the DVP Control, see the DVP-500 Setup Guide.
Save Settings saves any changes made to tracker configuration in the tabs, to the
TrackingSet.cfg file.
Tab Description
Axes Offsets Add given offsets to values reported by the camera tracking
system. Used to change the zero (origin) position of the axis.
Mainly used with sensor heads to store pan and tilt offsets.
Panel Filters Select and configure the filters that compute camera location
when using pattern recognition tracking.
Lens Parameters Configure parameters specific to camera lenses.
DVP Settings Set the Chroma/luminance values for the pattern recognition.
Mounting Shifts Set distances from the center of the pan and tilt axes of the
camera head, or from the LED connected to the camera (in IR
tracking system), to the mounting ring of the lens.
DVP Settings Set color range and threshold for DVP identification.
Delays Set video delay and processing delay, and an additional delay
to adjust differences between all used trackers.
Tracker Origin Adjust the origin point and origin orientation in the studio for
System Configuration 21
Tab Description
all trackers.
Tracking Mode Select the mode in which the camera is tracked (only DVP
tracked cameras).
DVP Loading Initialize and test the DVP and the pattern recognition quality.
Blocking Not used for ProSet in the current version, used only for
CyberSport.
Observer Not used in the current version.
Ranges Set the ranges of the zoom and focus encoders on a sensor
head.
Each tab is explained in detail in the sections below.
Axes Offsets
In the Axes Offsets tab, you can configure an offset from the studio coordinate
system to the actual orientation and position of the camera. The offset is applied
to all frames rendered from the selected camera. When axes offsets are correctly
configured, the Orientation values in the Tracker data are zero.
System Configuration
22
The Axes Offsets tab is often used to correct pan/tilt values after power to
sensors is cycled off and on, or after sensors are reset. The camera will report all
zeros indicating that the camera is at right angles in relation to the studio
coordinate system. Since the camera will actually have some pan, tilt, or roll, this
shift between the actual orientation of the camera and the reported, origin based,
orientation must be explicitly added to the reported tracking information.
The values on the Axes Offsets tab are usually all zeros.
The following table describes the parameters on the Axes Offset tab:
Parameter Description
Pan The angle added to the reported pan of the camera.
Tilt The angle added to the reported tilt of the camera.
Roll The angle of roll of the camera.
X The distance (in meters) added to the reported X value of the
camera.
Y The distance (in meters) added to the reported Y value of the
camera.
Z The distance (in meters)added to the reported Z value of the
camera.
Panel Filters
System Configuration 23
A camera always has a small degree of movement. This movement shows in the
rendered frames. TrackingSet can be configured to ignore a certain amount of
movement by computing camera position in different ways. Three filters are
available and they are used for pattern recognition tracking only.
Parameter Description
Position Uses the difference in the camera position in relation to the Orad
grid panel. Position is computed from the average position in
each of the frames included within the Previous-Future range.
Previous - Select a previous frame. This frame is in relation to
the current frame.
Future - Select a future frame. This frame is in relation to the
current frame. The future filter also adds to the total rendering
delay of the system.
Typical values are 6 previous frames and 0 future frames.
Matrix Uses a matrix of the Orad grid panel created by the DVP
computer that includes camera position information to locate the
camera position between frames.
Previous - Select a previous frame. This frame is in relation to
the current frame.
Future - Select a future frame. This frame is in relation to the
current frame. The future filter also adds to the total rendering
delay of the system.
Typical values are 2-6 previous frames and 0 future frames.
Sticky Defines the offset in number of fields, typically 8 to 10 fields.
The system tries to compute the difference in camera position. If
the difference is less than the threshold value, the previous
camera position is used for rendering.
Offset: number of frames to use to calculate the camera position.
Difference is computed between each frame.
Threshold: 0.1 – 1.0. The larger the value the greater the camera
movement that is allowed before camera is considered to have
moved.
If the Orad Grid Panel tracking is not used, this option is disabled.
System Configuration
24
Each filter can be turned on and off separately, and has its own parameters. If
used in the correct circumstances, they can improve tracking stability in PR
mode. They are generally set once by the engineer installing the system.
! CAUTION
Lens Parameters
In the Lens Parameters tab, you specify the lens parameters for the current
camera. There is often a slight discrepancy between the reported view angle and
the actual angle. The Focal Scale parameter can be used to correct this
discrepancy.
If calibration done by TrackingSet or the data in the calibration file for the lens
meets the requirements, these values are provided automatically. The parameters
in this tab are used when the lens calibration file is for this type of lens, but the
lens optics are slightly different. VScale and VShift scale incoming data only.
It is recommended to adjust Focal Scale and not VScale or VShift.
System Configuration 25
NOTE:
In ProSet, the view angle of a lens is the vertical view angle. Instead of
using the horizontal view angle, the aspect ratio is indicated. The aspect
ratio is the ratio between the horizontal width and the vertical height of the
viewing area of the camera. Typical aspect ratios are predefined for PAL
and NTSC. Custom values are also possible.
System Configuration
26
The following table describes the parameters on the Lens Parameters tab:
Parameter Description
Default Defines the view angle of the camera lens, in degrees. This
View parameter is disabled if tracking provides view angle information.
To enter a value manually, set the lens at full zoom out and enter
the view angle value from the lens documentation.
Default Defines the distance between the beginning of the lens and the
Nodal nodal point. The nodal point is always on the optical axis of the
lens. The beginning point of the view angle, i.e. the vertex of the
view angle; assumed to be the beginning of the lens (the mounting
ring).
This parameter is disabled if tracking provides nodal shift
information. If there is no way to determine the position of the
nodal point, enter a zero. This sets the nodal point to coincide with
the beginning of the lens.
Aspect Defines the aspect ratio of the picture, calculated by dividing the
width by the height of the picture.
System - NTSC or PAL
Ratio number - Enter an aspect ratio for custom values. Must be
defined for Orad grid panel tracking.
Other tracking systems provide this information automatically and
this parameter is disabled.
Vscale Scales the view angle by the specified value. This parameter can be
used for adjusting calibration, however it is recommended to use the
Focal scale parameter instead.
VShift Shifts the view angle by the specified value. This parameter can be
used for adjusting calibration, however it is recommended to use the
Focal scale parameter instead.
Focal Scale Defines the scaling factor for the focal or image distance of the lens.
CCD Enter the shift value to add to the reported CCD center so that the
Centering calculated CCD center matches the optical axis.
The optical axis of the lens is not always exactly in the middle of
the CCD. CCD Centering is the shift that must be added to the
received value from tracking.
X, Y: The coordinates on the CCD plane, in pixels. Partial pixel
settings are allowed.
System Configuration 27
Mounting Shifts
Camera mounting shift values are the distances from the center of the pan and tilt
axes of the camera head, or from the LED connected to the camera (in IR
tracking system), to the mounting ring of the lens. A shift value is determined for
each axis. All shift values are measured in meters.
The following table describes the parameters on the Mounting Shifts tab:
Parameter Description
Pan/Tilt head Offset between pan and tilt rotation and the beginning of
the lens.
X shift: the distance from the pan movement axis on the
head to the optical axis of lens, along the X-axis. Value is
positive when the camera is standing to the right of the head
from the camera operator position (usually equal to zero).
Y shift: the distance from pan movement axis on the head to
the beginning of the lens along the Y-axis. Value is positive
when the lens is farther than the center of the head from the
camera operator position.
Z shift: the distance from the tilt movement axis on the
head to the optical axis of lens along the Z-axis. Value is
positive when the camera is above the head.
P/T Cross - The distance, if any, between the pan and tilt
axes on the optical axis of the lens. This parameter is
usually zero.
System Configuration
28
Parameter Description
This parameter is positive when the tilt axis is farther away
from the camera operator than the pan axis.
Head Balance - Not supported in the current version. The
value is always zero.
LED Enabled only when IR tracking system is used.
X, Y, Z - Offset between the LED and the beginning of the
lens.
X defines the distance between the LED and the nodal point
of the lens in left-right direction. Value is positive if LED is
left of the camera from camera operator's position (back of
the camera). Usually equal to zero.
Y defines the distance between the LED and the nodal point
of the lens in the front-back direction. Value is positive if
nodal point is far than LED from camera operator’s
position.
Z defines distance between the LED and the nodal point of
the lens in the up-down direction. Value is negative if LED
is higher than lens. Usually a negative number.
DVP Settings
System Configuration 29
The DVP uses pattern recognition to analyze the data from the grid and translate
it to camera information (position, orientation, and FOV). In order to have DVP
processing only for the relevant part of the studio (e.g. the part where the Grid is
visible in the view of the camera), the chroma values (U and V) should be set to
the narrowest range possible. This is when the DVP is able to identify both blues
(not two colors but two types of blue). The range should be big enough to
include both blues and small enough to exclude any other colors in processing.
The threshold is for setting the luminance so that the DVP will be able to
separate the blue lines from the blue background.
In order to see the changes one of the DVP tests (like edge test or chroma test)
should be activated (see DVP loading tab).
The following table describes the parameters on the DVP Settings tab:
Parameter Description
U and V Enter a value or use the sliders to adjust the color range.
These values should be checked if cameras are changed or Set
lighting is changed. Lighting changes can change the color of the
grid and pixels might not be recognized as part of the grid.
Gradient Enter a value or use the slider to set the luminance value by which
threshold the DVP will identify the edges between blue lines and
background on the panel grid. 0 is black no change, 255 is white,
largest change. Default range should be 12-20.
Apply Applies the settings to the DVP.
System Configuration
30
Delays
When using graphics for the background, the foreground signal must be delayed
in order to synchronize between the time the system requires to calculate the
camera parameters and render the graphics. The system delays the video signal
from input to output according to the amount of time it takes for the background
to be created. The amount of time for delay may vary from one type of tracker to
another.
Enter the delays (in fields) to make changes and click Apply to set them.
NOTE:
Parameter Description
Video delay Total Foreground delay. The time (in fields) that the video is
delayed.
Units are always even (2, 4, etc) since the FG delay is always
in frames.
This is set for the DVP and not for each camera.
System Configuration 31
Parameter Description
Process delay Delay in fields for the DVP to process the pattern recognition.
Default value is set to 4 and normally this value should not be
changed.
Delay reports Additional delay in the tracking reports (usually fields). Used
in a situation where total system delay has an odd field number
(and because video delay must be full frames, one additional
field must be add to all trackers) or when you use a tracking
system with a different internal processing delay, for example
sensors and DVP (in such a situation a faster system may
experience less delay).
Tracker Origin
In order for the TrackingSet process to calculate the position of the trackers and
the cameras, it must have the origin of the coordinate system used by the tracker.
The coordinate system of the tracker is often different from the studio coordinate
system, and ProSet must know the difference.
There must be one coordinate system common to all tracking systems. The x, y,
z values on the Tracker Origin tab represent the difference between the studio
coordinate system and the coordinate system used by the tracker. If the x, y, z
values are (0,0,0), then the origin of the studio and tracker coordinate systems
coincide. If they are not identical, you must define the difference between them.
System Configuration
32
If the panel is perpendicular to the floor, the shift can be entered under Panel
Position. If the panel is not perpendicular to the floor, the pan/tilt/roll values
under Transformation are used. Transformation and Panel Position contain
the same information, but it is easier to measure the position in three points and
use the Panel Position values.
NOTE:
The angles of tilt or roll of the panel must be known precisely. All angle
measurements are in degrees.
In the 3ds Max coordinate system, the XY plane is the floor. This coordinate
system is also used in the TrackingSet window. The TrackingSet.cfg file uses the
GL coordinate system. In GL coordinate system, the XY plane is the back of the
blue box and the Z direction is perpendicular to that plane. When settings in the
Tracking Set window are saved to the TrackingSet.cfg file, coordinates are
transformed from the 3ds Max coordinate system to the GL coordinate system
automatically.
The following table describes the parameters on the Tracker Origin tab:
Parameter Description
Specify by There are two options:
Transformation – Show the offset (delta) between the tracker
and the origin, e.g. if the panel is used as origin (normally)
than the point on the floor underneath the lower left corner of
the panel is the studio origin. When the panel is above the floor
the distance between the grid and the floor should be
calculated. In that case, the Z value will show the distance
between the grid and the floor.
Panel position – The actual position of the panel according to
the studio origin (see above), for example if the grid is 20 cm
above the floor than the Z value will be 0.2.
The result of using both is identical; it is just the calculating
method that is different (one is actual panel position and the
other is the offset).
System Configuration 33
Parameter Description
Pan, Tilt, Roll The rotation of the tracker coordinate system. It is not the same
as offsets, because the tilt rotation, for example, also changes
the reported XYZ values (according to new studio coordinate
system).
X, Y, Z XYZ values represent the position of the tracker coordinate
system in the studio coordinate system
Left Lower Position of the left lower corner of the grid is according to the
studio coordinate system, including orientation (the point on
the floor underneath the left lower corner of the grid is).
Left Upper Position of the left upper corner of the grid according to studio
coordinate system, including orientation.
Right Lower Position of the right lower corner of the grid according to
studio coordinate system, including orientation.
Tracking Mode
The Tracking Mode tab displays and controls the type of tracking used by the
chosen camera (e.g. Sensor, PR Free, LEDs).
NOTE:
Used only with a DVP. Other types of trackers do not use this tab at all.
System Configuration
34
By selecting the desired type in the check boxes, the type used by selected
camera automatically changes. For some trackers, like sensors or fix position, the
system must recalculate the camera position (using the grid and [optionally] the
targets) before shooting. In that case, click Recalculate position after selecting
the tracker type.
The following table describes the parameters on the Tracking Mode tab:
Parameter Description
Tracking List of all tracking methods. Click to select the current type. This
Mode tab is active only when Orad grid panel camera is selected in the
tracker list at the top of the TrackingSet window (see above).
Free – Pattern recognition only (Orad grid panel). All camera
parameters (X, Y, Z, Pan, Tilt, Roll, and FOV) are calculated
from the grid. This type is not recommended for production,
only for testing.
Fix pos (Fixed Position) – Pattern recognition only (Orad grid
panel). All parameters are calculated from the grid. The position
parameters are fixed (after recalculating the camera position).
Fix zoom – Pattern recognition only (Orad grid panel). All
parameters except lens parameters (Field of View) are calculated
from the grid. The FOV parameters are fixed (after recalculating
the camera position or inserting the values manually).
Ext pos (External position) – The same as free type with the use
of IR tracking system for calculating the position of the camera
(LEDs).
Ext zoom (External zoom) – zoom information is from other
tracking system, usually a slave head. The external source must
be defined in the TrackingSet.cfg file.
Sensors – only available if slave sensors are defined in
TrackingSet.cfg. Can go outside the panel, zoom beyond the
limits of the panel, or zoom ranges of other trackers. Sensor
mode is similar to Fix Pos mode – the positional data is not
passed from the tracker, and should be set by recalculating the
camera position.
Recalculate Click to recalculate the position of the camera. Used in the fix
position camera types and Sensors.
System Configuration 35
DVP Loading
The DVP computer must be initialized before it can process Orad grid panel
data. Orad provides several initialization scripts, which are installed with ProSet.
These scripts are located in the DVP directory. Scripts added to this directory are
listed on the DVP Loading tab after the TrackingSet process is restarted. The
script named run is for the DVP 100. The script named run2 is for the DVP
200. (However, the DVP-500 is controlled from the DVP Control window that
opens when you click DVP Control.) The following image shows the DVP
Loading tab.
The following table describes the parameters on the DVP Loading tab:
Parameter Description
DVP Loading Select a script from the list.
Execute Click to execute the selected script.
DVP Tests
DVP chroma and luminance values are dependent on the studio lights, camera
settings, and other factors. Before working with the DVP, the correct values
should be set (see DVP Settings tab). The following tests assist in making these
settings and some of them should be done.
System Configuration
36
¾ To select a test
1. Click the DVP Loading drop-down list to see the DVP tests.
2. Select a test.
3. Click Execute.
The results of each test are shown on the preview monitor. If satisfactory
results cannot be obtained from one or more of the tests, open the DVP
Settings tab and change the U, V, and Threshold values.
4. After you obtain optimum results from the test, click rerun2.
The DVP is reinitialized and ready to work.
The following table describes the tests:
Test Description
All Lines Based on the detected edges (see Edges test below), the DVP
shows vertical and horizontal white lines spanning the full height
and width of the studio. It also shows any “false lines” – lines
detected by something in the studio other than the panel. These
appear as flashing white lines, obviously not connected to the
panel lines.
Adjustment: adjust the U/V settings in the DVP Control, or find
and remove the object in the studio causing the false lines (for
recurring false lines).
All True Based on the detected edges (see Edges test below), the DVP
Lines shows both vertical and horizontal white lines spanning the full
height and width of the studio. It does not show any “false lines” –
lines detected by something in the studio other than the panel.
Chroma Checks whether the DVP is actually seeing all the chroma blue on
the Set as blue. On the monitor, check whether the grid pattern,
walls, and any blue objects appear as black, while all other colors
appear as green.
Adjustment: If there is any deviation from these colors, change the
U/V settings in the DVP Control. Perform the chroma test again to
see if the results are satisfactory.
System Configuration 37
Test Description
Edges A test to make sure that the DVP is correctly detecting the
transitions from one shade of blue to another in the grid. The
edges of the blue lines are outlined in white. All the grid edges
should be detected, while no other edges should appear in the
studio.
Adjustment: Redundant edges can usually be corrected by one or
more of the following:
Smoothing the studio walls/floor
Round the corners
Improving the lighting
Adjusting the cameras
Adjusting the UV values
Remember to repeat the chroma test each time after changing the
UV values.
Repeat the edge detection test after any change is made to the
studio lighting or construction.
False Lines This test is performed like the above All Lines and True Lines
tests, but shows only the false lines.
Adjustment: adjust the U/V settings in the DVP Control, or find
and remove the object in the studio causing the false lines (for
recurring false lines).
Full Line This test shows the number of horizontal and vertical lines
Match identified by the DVP. Every pair of lines represents one DVP
stripe. The long lines are the identified edges, and the short ones
the non-identified or non-visible lines. The number of long lines
should match the number of visible lines.
Vertical Based on the detected edges (see Edges test above), the DVP
Lines shows vertical white lines spanning the full height of the studio. It
also shows any “false lines” – lines detected by something in the
studio other than the panel. These appear as flashing white lines,
obviously not connected to the panel lines.
Adjustment: adjust the U/V settings in the DVP Control, or find
and remove the object in the studio causing the false lines (for
recurring false lines).
System Configuration
38
Test Description
Horizontal Based on the detected edges (see Edges test above), the DVP
Lines shows horizontal white lines spanning the full width of the studio.
It also shows any “false lines” – lines detected by something in the
studio other than the panel. These appear as flashing white lines,
obviously not connected to the panel lines.
Adjustment: adjust the U/V settings in the DVP Control, or find
and remove the object in the studio causing the false lines (for
recurring false lines).
Rerun and After running the tests, the DVP should reset to the working
Rerun2 condition with no test loaded. The number (2) indicates DVP200
and up. If there is no number, the reference is to DVP100.
Run and After power off or manual reset, the DVP software needs to be
Run2 loaded in order for the DVP to perform pattern recognition. The
run or run2 commands initialize the DVP with the tracking
parameters and values. This command must run before all the
others. Run2 is for DVP200 and Run is for DVP100.
True Based on the detected edges (see Edges test above), the DVP
Vertical shows vertical white lines spanning the full height of the studio. It
Lines does not show any “false lines” – lines detected by something in
the studio other than the panel.
True Based on the detected edges (see Edges test above), the DVP
Horizontal shows horizontal white lines spanning the full height of the studio.
Lines It does not show any “false lines” – lines detected by something in
the studio other than the panel.
Virtual The final and complete match between the real grid and the virtual
View grid. The 2 grids should be similar in design and placed one on top
of the other. This test is for verifying the matching between the
parameters loaded to the DVP and the real world.
System Configuration 39
Blocking
The Blocking tab is used mostly for sports broadcasts for calibration of a
mechanical sensor head. In studio broadcasts, reference points that correspond
with real markers in the studio space are entered here, and then used to calculate
the position of the studio camera.
Parameter Description
Reference Points Measured positions that are used to calculate camera
position.
Projection Method Projection method to be used for calibration (see below).
Get plane Chooses the best suitable plane to blocking points and
calculates offset. Used for sports broadcasts.
Offset The offset of the projection plane from the 0 point in
meters. Used for sports broadcasts.
Calculate Calculate the landmark values entered.
Add Add a landmark.
Clear all Clears the landmark values entered.
Load Load a saved model.
Edit Edit an existing landmark.
Reset all Resets all entered landmark values.
Save Saves the model.
System Configuration
40
¾ To acquire data:
1. Aim at a landmark with the camera, and completely zoom in using the center
cross (viewfinder marker) as a reference point.
2. Lock pan-tilt-brakes if necessary.
3. Click Set for the corresponding landmark in the TrackingSet GUI.
4. Repeat this process for each landmark.
• If the Set option was clicked by mistake, the Reset button deletes the current
pan and tilt measurement. The Set option can be used again for a new
measurement.
• If further points are be added and their coordinates are known, click the Add
button, and enter the coordinates manually.
• The Edit option enables you to edit existing points and labels.
• The Reset all option resets the current measurements for all landmarks.
• The Clear all option deletes all entries.
• The check box at the right hand side of the landmark coordinates determines
if this point is used for the pose determination. While running the final
calculation without a specific landmark, you can test if this landmark and/or
the measurement for it were properly done. A reprojected point is calculated
for this landmark.
System Configuration
42
Processing
After all measurements have been completed, click Calculate to calculate the
results for the pose determination and the coordinates of the re-projected points
(see the following figure).
The results for the pose determination are immediately displayed in the
TSPositioning application. However, the results for the re-projection are not
displayed.
Observer
The Observer tab is not currently used by ProSet.
Ranges
The Ranges tab is used to define the range of the zoom and focus encoders that
come as part of the mechanical sensor head kits. During sensor setup, the
Update ranges check box is enabled, and by moving through the full range of
the zoom and focus on the lens, the range of the encoders is recorded. This data
is saved to a file called TrackingRanges.cfg and is automatically retrieved when
TrackingSet is run.
System Configuration
44
Parameter Description
Zoom Shows the range of the zoom encoders attached to the lens. Is
range updated when the Update ranges check box is selected.
Focus Shows the range of the focus encoders attached to the lens. Is
Range updated when the Update ranges check box is selected.
Update Should be cleared during normal studio operation.
ranges When selected, the zoom and focus encoder ranges are updated
when you move through the full zoom / focus range on the lens.
Reset Resets the currently stored range value to 0; should be done prior to
ranges updating the range of the encoders.
Load Loads a previously saved range file.
Save Saves current range values to G:\config\TrackingRanges.cfg.
¾ To start/stop tracking:
1. Right-click the ProSet Panel icon in the system tray.
2. Select Tracking > <your tracking host>> Start Tracking/Stop Tracking.
System Configuration 45
Each Studio camera is related to one of the cameras in the studio, and can be
defined as:
• A Static camera – a real studio camera, with fixed parameters (position,
orientation, viewing angle) that do not change during the production.
System Configuration
46
Parameter Description
Add Creates and adds to the list a new studio camera. By default, the
camera created is static.
Delete Deletes the currently selected camera.
Load Loads a list of studio cameras from the
%CYBER_ETC%\TrackingSet.xml file.
Save Saves the list of studio cameras to the
%CYBER_ETC%\TrackingSet.xml file.
The list can be retrieved using Load.
Video In Sets the number of the video input on the production switcher
associated with the currently selected studio camera.
Name The name of the currently selected studio camera. Can be modified
here.
Camera On Select this check box to enable the currently selected studio
camera.
Tracking Select this check box to enable tracking of the currently selected
Enabled camera (not available for static cameras). This function allows the
“freezing” of a tracked camera.
System Configuration 47
Parameter Description
X, Y, Z Position of the currently selected studio camera. Applicable for
static cameras only.
Pan, Tile, Orientation of the currently selected studio camera. Applicable for
Roll static cameras only.
View Viewing angle of the currently selected studio camera. Applicable
Angle for static cameras only.
CCD X CCD offsets in horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) axis of the currently
(Y) Offset selected studio camera. Applicable for static cameras only.
Distortion Distortion values of the currently selected studio camera.
Applicable for static cameras only.
Aspect Aspect ratio of the currently selected studio camera. Applicable for
static cameras only.
Get Pressing this button retrieves the viewing parameters of the
Current currently selected studio camera and inserts them into position,
Position orientation, viewing angle, distortion, and aspect ration fields.
Close Closes the TSCamera GUI.
System Configuration
48
NOTE:
NOTE:
When working with multiple hosts, you must set each one, using
Connect / Disconnect, and the following steps.
Walkthrough
The TSWalkthrough window allows you to change the position of the virtual
camera within the Set for viewing as output, without changing the tracked
camera in any way.
¾ To use walkthrough:
1. Right-click the ProSet Panel icon and select Walkthrough.
The TSWalkthrough window opens.
Parameter Description
Pan The pan angle of the selected camera. Use the dial to adjust
this angle.
Tilt The tilt angle of the selected camera. Use the slider to adjust
this angle.
Roll The roll angle of the selected camera. Use the dial to adjust this
angle.
View Angle Enter a value to change the camera view angle.
Track The horizontal position of the virtual camera (X).
Dolly The vertical position of the virtual camera (Y).
Height The elevation of the virtual camera (Z).
Bypass Selected by default. When this check box is selected, the actual
camera position, taken from the tracking system is used. Clear
this check box to allow adjustment of the virtual camera.
System Configuration
52
3. Set Creation
Set Design
Virtual Set creation is an integral part of virtual studio production. ProSet
follows an open environment philosophy. Except where noted, Set design for
ProSet follows the normal 3D modeling procedure in 3ds Max.
Textures used in a Set can be:
• Imported texture libraries.
• Scanned-in photographs.
• Rendered from various rendering packages.
• Hand painted via a paint package, such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, or
VDS Twister.
Proprietary software tools within ProSet combine all the above features,
producing a Set that can be rendered from any camera view in real-time.
Scenography
Two major practical considerations influence the software aspects of Set design:
• Hardware Limitations.
• Blue Box Dimensions.
Hardware Limitations
The complexity of a Set is limited by the graphics card being used. There are
always limits imposed by:
• The number of polygons that can be processed in real time.
• The size of the texture memory.
• The display speed of the system.
Set Creation 55
Polygon Count
The following are factors that determine the maximum polygon count that can
be processed in real time:
• Depth complexity.
• Geometrical complexity.
• Polygon size.
• Whether or not polygons are lit.
• Number of edges.
• Sizes and number of textures.
• Number of transparent objects.
A reasonable working limit is 60 Set-redraws per second in NTSC, 50 in PAL.
Hidden Polygons
Polygons that will never be in the camera view are called hidden polygons. They
should be removed from the Set geometry.
Set Creation 57
To locate hidden polygons, create camera viewpoints within the Set that coincide
with the views you desire to get from real cameras in the studio. If the studio
cameras move in the x-, y-, and z-directions, the created viewpoints should
match the extreme positions of the studio cameras. In this way, you can view the
Set geometry from the viewpoints of the studio cameras and determine which
polygons are in the camera’s view and which ones are not.
Generally, a Set is built of whole objects. Some of these objects intersect each
other. It is recommended to perform Boolean operations to identify and remove
polygons that are hidden inside of objects.
Examples:
• Ceiling and floor moldings, or pictures hanging on a wall, might require many
polygons to represent their smooth, curved surfaces. If these features do not
protrude from the wall by a significant amount, they could be represented by
a texture image on the geometry of the wall, rather than by a separate
geometry.
• A plant sitting at the far end of a room. The number of polygons associated
with this plant could be enormous. A single geometry panel with a plant
image texture mapped to it could easily replace this plant.
Set Creation
60
• Create a simple panel around the plant in the original Set. This new panel
receives the plant texture.
The polygon reduction process produces a simple geometrical representation of
the complex Set, possibly grouped, but without textures or lighting
characteristics.
Design Approach
When working with a complex geometry, you must work through all three of the
following stages:
• Geometry simplification.
• Texture mapping.
• Rendering lighting effects with texture baking.
You need to work through these stages because for every Set type, entirely new
textures must be created for the new, simplified geometry. Once the simplified
real time Set is finished, it can be loaded into ProSet for a real-time display.
Set Creation
62
Lighting Environment
Lighting is controlled with a 3D modeling package, which supports all types of
lighting needed for virtual objects and animation. For instance, 3ds Max types
Omni, Directional, and Spotlight lights are converted to the corresponding real-
time lights. Geometric transformations of lights, and the objects they illuminate,
can be animated in real time. However, real-time lights have some limitations,
compared to lights in 3ds Max:
• The number of available parameters and settings is smaller, compared to
3ds Max.
In 3ds Max, the total number of lights is limited to eight.
Surface properties (materials) of the objects are simpler compared to 3ds Max
capabilities.
Set Creation 63
Therefore, when you need high quality results, comparable to the original Set,
use texture baking, so that all the advanced lighting/material features are
rendered into textures. On the other hand, when lights and/or objects must be
animated, real-time lights should be used.
Environment Mapping
Texture mapping coordinates are not static; they are assigned dynamically per
frame. These coordinates depend on the following factors:
• Camera position and orientation.
• Normal vector in each vertex on the object.
Normal vectors are generated in 3ds Max, and then the textures are assigned as
environment maps. Textures can also be assigned as environment maps from the
Environment tab that becomes active when you select a layer in 3Designer.
Set Creation
64
NOTE:
The talent is always limited to the floor dimensions of the real blue
box. They cannot walk in or in front of the region outside the blue
box, since it exists only virtually.
Set Creation 65
There are two approaches to blue box modeling. ProSet creates and uses the blue
box model the same way, regardless of the approach.
• The model corresponds to the real blue box.
• The model corresponds to the extension of the real blue box, or its
complement (the area where no real blue box exists).
This chapter contains information on the model optimization process for use as a
virtual Set for models created in programs that do not work with Orad’s suite of
applications.
Here you will find how to create suitable models, correct modeling and bake the
textures.
After optimization, the Set is exported to 3Designer, where additional
optimizations can be made.
General concepts are outlined previously in the Set Creation chapter.
Further information on set conversion can be found in the tutorial on: Modeling,
Rendering, Exporting, and Importing Virtual Sets from 3ds Max into 3Designer.
Set Conversion
68
Preparation
Follow these steps in preparation for Set conversion:
1. To prepare a working directory for models, create a folder in
G:\Projects\VirtualSet and name it appropriately.
2. Start your application, and open the scene you want to convert.
3. Set the unit scale to meters. It is recommended to work in meters because the
units system used in 3Designer is in meters. For example, in 3ds Max:
a. Select Customize > Units Setup…
The Units Setup dialog box opens.
Set Conversion 69
b. Choose Metric under Display Unit Scale and select Meters from the
drop-down list.
c. Click System Unit Setup.
A dialog box opens.
Reducing Geometry
A major limitation in real-time rendering is the amount of polygons that can be
used in the Set. To solve this problem, unneeded geometry should be removed.
Unseen geometry is mostly not necessary. Add a camera to your scene, and
move it to the position that will be used by the studio camera. Make a note of the
objects that are never visible, or only partially visible. Remove the objects that
are not required, or delete the unneeded faces. If you have objects that move in
and out of the Set (such as a video monitor), it is recommended not to delete any
faces.
For detailed instructions on how to apply the changes described on the following
sections, see your application’s user manual. More help can be found in the
tutorial (Modeling, Rendering, Exporting, and Importing Virtual Sets from 3ds
Max Into 3Designer).
The following image shows an example of a virtual Set in 3ds Max.
IMPORTANT
Materials
In the Material Editor (in 3ds Max) you create the materials and textures that are
used in the scene.
Not all of the material types can be used – for example, reflections and ray
tracing created in 3ds Max are not supported in 3Designer.
See Applying Transparency and Reflection Effects to Objects, p.80, for an
explanation about glass effects and the way to achieve reflections in 3Designer.
It is recommended that you arrange all of your textures and materials into a
multi/sub-object. It is very important that objects in your scene get a unique ID.
A glass material should not be made in 3ds Max as it decreases the real-time
performance within 3Designer. Glass-like materials can be applied when
working on the model in 3Designer (as can almost any other material with a
reflection effect), without degrading real-time performance.
Grouping Objects
Group all objects that are do not need to be assigned textures, (e.g. Video walls,
glasses, etc.). Glass effects and animated textures will be applied later, in
3Designer.
In order to aid the operator in 3Designer, call this group ‘Hidden Objects’. (The
following image shows a 3ds Max example of the objects that could be hidden in
a scene).
‘Render to Texture’ allows you to render several textures that have been applied
to an object, into a single image.
After rendering all objects with ‘Render to texture’, replace the old textures by
applying the new ones.
Once you have completed this process, you can delete all of the lights in the
scene. All lighting effects should now be rendered onto the textures.
The ID Channel
When exporting models as VRML, all objects must be assigned to channel 1.
If we export the scene to VRML file format using other formats, and then import
the file to 3Designer, the mapping becomes corrupted. None of the objects are
mapped as they were before the export. This is because VRML format only uses
channel 1; any channel higher than channel 1 is ignored.
If any objects are mapped to other channels, they must be changed. In 3ds Max,
this is done in the Channel Info dialog box.
Importing to 3Designer
This section covers importing the newly created VRML file into 3Designer.
For more information, see the 3Designer User Guide.
Option Description
Use lights Enables importing lights used in the VRML model.
It is recommended to clear this check box.
Double sided If you have triangles that are oriented incorrectly, and you
mesh have no tools available to reorient them (such as 3ds Max),
select this check box to correct the problem.
Reverse all If all your triangles are incorrectly oriented, select this
normals check box to invert all of the objects’ normals.
Animation If you are importing a Flipbook VRML model, this option is
Cycles enabled; here you can select which of the animation types
Set Conversion
76
Option Description
are imported.
Animation When the Common Textures check box is selected, the
Cycles (cont.) textures that are used in the scene will automatically be
referenced to each model that is created from the flipbook.
If the check box is cleared, a new instance of each texture
will be assigned to each model in the flipbook.
The Common Lights check box is disabled and selected.
The lights in the scene are automatically referenced to all
the materials
When the Common Materials check box is selected, the
materials that are used in the scene will automatically be
referenced to each model that is created from the flipbook.
If the check box is cleared, a new instance of each material
will be assigned to each model in the flipbook.
Use Textures Select this check box and specify a path to import the
VRML model with the accompanying textures.
It is recommended to clear the Copy Textures to Directory
check box.
Use Select this check box to import animations with the scene.
Animations The following options are enabled:
As Non-editable; the animation is imported as-is, and there
is no possibility to change the positions or values of the
keys.
As Editable Keyframes; separate keyframes for each frame
of the animation are created; this can take several minutes to
complete, depending on the length of the animation and
complexity of the scene.
Use Frame Rate allows you to set the frame rate for the
incoming animation. It should be the same as the frame rate
used in the VRML exporting application.
Select the Do not interpolate rotation check box to correct
problems with rotation animations. Usually, these problems
appear as jumps in the animation.
6. Click Process.
Depending upon the size of the scene, the import may take some time.
Set Conversion 77
The camera (Virtual_Set) is located at the top of the hierarchy, and below the
camera is the grouping that came from the scene created in 3ds Max. Each
folder/group contains subfolders and objects.
The material is not 100% white this is the reason that the model looks darker
than it was in 3ds Max.
Set Conversion 79
Updating Textures
When you import a VRML file in 3Designer, the path of the texture is set to
G:\texture. The path must be updated to use the active project folder:
G:\project\VirtualSet\Textures\
You must select the texture from G:\project\ and not from
C:\Data\Project\, because this path will be common on every system,
whether it is a local or remote server.
Open the Texture tab in the Property Editor, showing the path of the texture of
the selected object.
¾ To apply transparency:
1. Select the object.
2. In the Color tab, change the Alpha value from to approximately 0.2
(depending on the effect that you want to achieve).
Set Conversion 81
Adding a BlueBox
A virtual blue box is used to mask areas of the real studio space that are not
keyed out by the chroma keyer. These areas might include the lighting rig, edges
of the blue space, or even other studio cameras. This is achieved by creating a
blue box layer in 3Designer.
4. To hide the graphics, select each object that is to be used as part of the blue
box, and from the Object editor tab, clear the Draw in Color check box.
The object still generates a Key signal; this means that the object is hidden on
the program channel, but masks studio objects because of the key that is
generated.
Set Conversion
84
This chapter includes general information about the chroma key. It includes:
• Setting up the compositing system.
• Internal chroma key system
Chroma Key
86
Using Ultimatte
For information on using the Ultimatte system, go to the website at
http://www.ultimatte.com/UltimatteMain/Tech%20Library.html.
Orad recommends following these guidelines to get an acceptable key. Please
read the Ultimatte instruction manual for more detail.
In addition, the chroma key system can save ten sets of chroma key parameters.
The following topics are discussed:
• Opening the Chroma Key Window
• Compositing Control
• Chroma Key Parameters
• Saving/Restoring Parameter Sets
• Display Modes (HDVG)
Chroma Key
88
Menu Options
The following menu options are available on the DVGVideoController window
menu:
Compositing Control
The option for Zoned mode is used only by Orad’s Sports applications, and in
ProSet, should be left cleared.
Select the compositing mode from the Mixing drop-down list. When you select
Linear Key, all color settings are disabled. When you select the Chromakey,
you must define the color to be replaced.
Mode Description
Disabled No mixing takes place
Linear Key This mode enables you to make images appear before the video.
Chromakey parameters are disabled. The premultiplied
graphics check box is enabled; this allows you to remove
“background” black from graphics before compositing. This is
useful if a “black” shadow exists around the graphics.
Chroma Key
90
Mode Description
Chromakey This mode enables replacing the video of the selected color only.
Set the Hue using the slider. The advanced chromakey check
box is enabled to allow you to remove a specific color from the
video. Not used for Sport chroma key.
Foreground This mode is generally used for Sports applications. This allows
Chromakey graphic objects to be inserted between the background video and
foreground objects.
This mode is not used in ProSet.
Hue
Hue is the pure color, the attribute of color perception denoted by the basic
colors and combinations of them. The following sliders define the range of
colors to be replaced:
Area Description
Center Select the color.
Width Select a range around the center color.
Ramp The blending ranges for the distance between the image and field.
Ramp is used to soften image borders.
Saturation
Saturation is the light affecting the intensity of color, from gray and pastels, to
saturated color. The following sliders define the saturation range:
Area Description
Min Minimum saturation setting.
Max Maximum saturation setting.
Ramp The blending ranges for the distance between the image and field. Ramp
is used to soften image borders. Each saturation parameter has its own
Ramp option.
Chroma Key 91
Value
This is the brightness of a color. The following sliders set the value range:
Area Description
Min Minimum value setting.
Max Maximum value setting.
Ramp The blending ranges for the distance between the image and field. Ramp
is used to define image borders. Each value parameter has its own Ramp
option.
Additional Parameters
Two additional parameters increase compositing control:
Area Description
Gain This value gives you additional control over the chroma key
compositing by applying a factor to compositing alpha. A gain value of
less that 1 (<1) makes the graphics transparent.
Clip This value gives you additional control over the chroma key
compositing by applying a limit to compositing alpha.
Routing
The Mixing source for the internal mixer is defined using these buttons. By
default, IN#3 is selected. (In HDVG firmware version 27.3 and later, the input is
always #3, regardless of the setup of this GUI).
A Mixer test output may also be enabled; there are three possible modes of
operation for the test output:
Mode Description
Zone Map When working in zone mode (usually in sport applications), you
connect a graphic to a color zone for chroma key.
Combined Shows the effective graphics alpha. You can see any place where
Alpha there is a graphic and the strength of the graphic.
For example, in the sports application, any place where there is no
soccer player and there are graphics, is seen. This is not the same
as the “Graphics Alpha” display mode, which displays only the
alpha output of the graphics signal.
Processed When working in advanced chromakey mode, the blue color is
Foreground deblended from the camera video source.
This is done using the Base Color controls in the Chromakey tab.
This test mode enables you to see how changes to the base color
affect the camera video source.
The Scope Output can be enabled on only one output connector at a time.
The scope is very simple vector scope and light meter it can be displayed on one
output at a given time. It is intended as an additional tool for calibrating the
advanced chroma key.
Outputs
The HDVG hardware supports four digital and two analog outputs. They can be
configured to display the following:
Mode Description
Compositing Mix video and graphics. Mode used in broadcasts, etc.
Graphics Graphics only.
Chroma Key
94
Mode Description
Graphics alpha The graphics mask.
Mixing Source Routes the currently selected mixing source to the output.
Chroma key alpha Chroma key mask.
Compound alpha A combined mask.
Test Output Test signal.
Video Config
The video input and output filter control how up-sampling from video color of
4:2:2 (subsampled) to internal 4:4:4 is done on the input and how down-
sampling from internal color to video color of 4:2:2 is done on the output.
Internal compositing is done in full color resolution ("4:4:4") because the
internal graphics signal is fully color sampled, unlike video which is half
horizontal resolution in the color ("4:2:2").
This is in fact an advantage of using internal mixer (chroma- or linear-key) over
an external system – compositing is done at 4:4:4, regardless of how the up- and
down- filtering is done.
Additionally, the analog output may be down-converted to SD by enabling SD
mode for AOUT #1 and #2.
Genlock Phase
Adjusting the genlock phase affects the timing of the output video signal relative
to genlock, without affecting the ‘picture’.
The Horizontal phase is in pixels; the Vertical phase is in lines.
INDEX
outputs, 93 textures, 54
panel filters tab, 22 tracker origin tab, 31
parallel set geometry, 59 tracking
pattern recognition, 4 mode tab, 33
polygon count, 55 start/stop, 44
polygon reduction process, 61 types of systems, 10
PR. See pattern recognition TrackingSet Camera GUI, 45
processed foreground, 93 TrackingSet GUI, 16
ProsetTray.xml, 7 TrackingSet.cfg, 14
ranges tab, 43 TSWalkthrough, 50
reducing polygon count, 70, 71 types of tracking systems, 10
replace geometry with texture, 60 typical studio (diagram), 13
safe routing, 89 using textures, 62
scenography, 54 VDI (definition), 4
Set design, 54 VRML, 73
Set design process, 58 walkthrough, 6, 50
simple geometry. See single set geometry X shift, 27
single set geometry, 58 Y shift, 27
start/stop tracking, 44 Z shift, 27
texture mapping, 57 zone map, 93