System parameters

These system-wide settings are displayed at the top of the System tab. They affect all the connected cameras and devices.

Control	Description
Frame Rate	The requested rate (in Hz) at which to synchronize the Vicon cameras and the external video signal. If the requested rate cannot be achieved, this control also displays the actual rate. This may be because a connected device doesn't support the requested frame rate, or because the requested frame rate isn't a multiple of the base clock rate (135 MHz). Default: 120 Hz.
Genlock Setup	Enables you to choose to lock to an external genlock signal and to select a genlock standard. The type of video standard supported by the connected video source: None, PAL, NTSC, Film, 30Hz, VESA, SDI and SteamVR™ (to display the complete list, click in the Genlock Setup field). In the list, the icon to the left of each option provides additional information about the availability of that standard. Note: The 30Hz option enables you to run the Vicon system at multiples of 30 frames per second (above 50 fps), with timecode and genlock capability at true 30 fps, and works with Vicon Locks. Default: No genlock, None.
Timecode Setup	Enables you to choose to lock to an external timecode signal and to select a timecode source. Default: No timecode lock, None.
Genlock Offset	Enables you to specify a system offset relative to the genlock signal, as a fraction of the genlock frame period. For VESA modes, use the VESA Offset control. Default: 0.00
VESA Offset	Enables you to specify a system offset relative to the VESA signal, as a fraction of the VESA frame period. For non-VESA modes, use the Genlock Offset control. Default: 0.00
Preferred Sync Source	Enables you to choose the device (known as the sync source) that provides the overall synchronization signal to the system. You can select from these options: Automatic Evoke automatically selects the sync source. DeviceName One of the listed devices. You can set any device to be the preferred sync source, but if a connectivity device (Vicon Lock or Beacon) is connected, it is always chosen as the sync source over a non-connectivity device. In the System panel, the entry for the device selected as the Vicon system sync source, is displayed in bold. Depending on your Vicon system and its connectivity devices, Evoke selects the sync source as follows: If a Lock or Beacon is included in the system, it is automatically selected as the sync source. If both a Lock and a Beacon are included in the system, the Lock is automatically selected as the sync source. If the system does not contain a Lock or Beacon, then a Vicon camera is automatically selected as the sync source. If the system contains multiple connectivity devices, one of them is automatically selected as the sync source. However, you must ensure that the sync source is connected to the switch with the shortest network path to the host PC (known as the primary device). Also note that genlock and timecode can only be provided by the sync source device. Because Evoke cannot detect which connectivity device is connected via the primary device to the PC, you may need to change the automatically selected source. Default: Automatic
Enable Tap-To-Select	Enable the Tap-to-Select feature of cameras that are equipped with accelerometers. Default: Selected
Enable Press-To-Select	Enable selection of a peripheral with a short press of a button. Default: Selected
Enable Strobes	Enable the strobes on cameras. Default: Selected
Force Lowest Latency	(Only displayed for Vicon cameras that offer this option) When selected, Vicon cameras that offer this option are forced into a mode that provides the lowest possible latency at the cost of reducing grayscale and centroid throughput. Caution: In some systems with high numbers of cameras, selecting this option may cause network issues that are manifest as cameras appearing to drop out. Default: Selected

You can manage system file settings from the System Settings menu, to the right of the top menu bar, next to View Settings.

From here you can import system settings, save the current settings, or manage saved settings.

The following settings are displayed in the lower part of the System tab when you click on a device or the device type heading:

Cameras settings

These settings are displayed in the lower part of the System tab when you click on Cameras or an individual camera.

General section

Control	Description
Enabled	The enabled state of the device Default: Selected
User ID	The customizable numeric ID of the device
Name	A user-defined display name for the entire set of Vicon devices or for each individual Vicon device.
Device ID	The unique identification number Vicon assigns to each Vicon device during manufacture.
Serial Number	The device's serial number (if set).
Firmware Version	The version number of the Vicon firmware currently installed on the Vicon device.
MAC Address	The Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the Vicon device during manufacture. This is a hexadecimal value in the format ##.##.##.##.##.##.
IP Address	The Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the Vicon device on the Vicon Ethernet network.
Destination IP Address	Determines to which port and network adapter on the host PC the device sends data. Always choose the shortest possible path between the device and the computer and ensure that the network adapter with the destination IP address is plugged into the same Vicon connectivity device or switch as the device. Default: Default For more information, see Vicon system setup information.
Enable Active Markers	Default: Cleared

Optical Setup section

Control	Description
Strobe Intensity (for cameras with strobes), or Optical Shutter Duration (for cameras without strobes)	For cameras with strobes, enables you to specify the duration that the camera's strobes are on and the shutter is open, when in optical (non-video) mode. For cameras without strobes, enables you to specify the duration that the shutter is open, when in optical (non-video) mode. Default: 1.00
Threshold	The global threshold value, ie, the minimum brightness (intensity) for markers; pixels of an intensity lower than this threshold are ignored. This value can be set between 0–1 to determine the pixels to be considered for centroid fitting onboard the Vicon cameras. Lower settings enable the camera to detect lower light levels, thus making the markers appear larger, but may pick up unwanted reflections and other light sources. Higher settings reduce the noise, but make the markers themselves less visible. This setting differentiates between markers and ambient light. A Vicon camera records 10-bit grayscale data, which for each sensor pixel is a measure of how much light fell on that pixel during a given amount of time. However, the cameras will almost always pick up some ambient light in the volume. To enable the cameras to distinguish between light that comes from markers and light that does not, a threshold is applied. Anything above this threshold is deemed to be a marker, anything below is deemed to be ambient light. A value in the region of 0.2 to 0.5 is usually appropriate, but Vicon strongly recommends that you use static markers in the volume in order to establish an appropriate setting. If cameras are evenly spaced around the volume, the same threshold value is usually sufficient for all cameras. Adjust this setting, the Strobe Intensity, and the camera's aperture until reflections are minimized or gone. Default: 0.20
Grayscale Mode	The type of data for processed grayscale blobs that the Vicon cameras send to Vicon Evoke. (Note that if Low Jitter Mode is selected, this mode is locked to Only.) The Vicon cameras perform data processing to create 2D data for Vicon markers. They generate grayscale blobs for reflections from objects in the capture volume and then use centroid-fitting algorithms to determine which of these are likely to be markers by comparing the shape of the grayscale blobs to the Circularity Threshold and Maximum Blob Height settings. During this processing, Vicon cameras can produce the following types of data for grayscale blobs: centroids data (x, y coordinates and the radius of the centroid calculated), grayscale data (pixel and line information), or coordinates data (line information, that is, grayscale data without pixel values). Default: Only You can specify which type of processed data Vicon cameras send to Evoke:
	Auto	Send grayscale data only of the grayscale blobs for which centroids were not generated, that is, those below the threshold specified for Circularity Threshold. Send coordinates data of grayscale blobs for which one or more line segments, or the total number of lines in the blob, exceeds the value set for Maximum Blob Height. If a marker can be centroid fitted by the camera, the centroid is passed to the capture PC. If it cannot, the full grayscale of the image is sent, allowing the data to be post-processed on the PC. This is the default and recommended mode.
	None	Send no grayscale data; send only centroid data (i.e, x, y, and radius data). Any ambiguous grayscale data will be discarded.
	All	Send grayscale data both of grayscale blobs for which centroids were generated and of those for which centroids were not generated, that is those below the threshold specified for Circularity Threshold. Send coordinates data of grayscale blobs for which one or more line segments, or the total number of lines in the blob, exceeds the value set for Maximum Blob Height. Select this setting if you need to see exactly where the camera calculates the centroid with respect to the grayscale marker image, for example when adjusting parameters. This setting results in much larger data rates and files; it may be useful for diagnostic purposes, but do not use it in normal capture situations.
	Only	Send all grayscale and coordinates data; send no centroid data. This setting is useful when focusing or making other adjustments to the cameras themselves as you see exactly the image recorded on the sensor.
	Edges	Send only edge coordinates data; send no centroid or grayscale data. If data rates are very high, for example when there are too many reflections, the camera automatically enters this mode. Use this setting to manually force the camera into this mode.
	No Edges	Send grayscale data both of grayscale blobs for which centroids were generated and of those for which centroids were not generated; send no coordinates data. Use this setting to prevent the Vicon camera from sending edge coordinates. Caution: Even if you have not specified a Grayscale Mode setting that would have coordinates data sent to Evoke, a Vicon camera automatically sends coordinates data – either temporarily or permanently – if it is overloaded with data (e.g., too many markers, too many reflections, hand or reflective objects immediately in front of the camera, too low a threshold or too high a gain). If a camera automatically starts to present coordinates data, identify the source of the overload and attempt to remedy it.
Gain	The amplification of the pixel value. Select a displayed value to determine the intensity of the grayscale from the Vicon cameras: 1x, 2x, 4x, or 8x. (The available values are those supported by the camera.) This setting is applied to the camera to change the dynamic range of the recorded image. Increasing the Gain means that the marker has less variation in grayscale intensity between its center and its edge, but in certain circumstances, using a higher gain yields markers that are easier for the camera to distinguish. Adjust this setting if the markers appear too faint or if the cameras have trouble distinguishing them; otherwise, leave the this property at the default setting. Default: 1x

Centroid Fitting section

Control

Description

Maximum Blob Height

The maximum number of pixels per line that a grayscale blob can contain in a horizontal line. If the number of pixels exceeds this value, the Vicon camera determines that the grayscale blob is not a marker, stops processing it, and discards the pixel values (it preserves just the coordinates data, which can be sent to Evoke, depending on the Grayscale Mode setting).
Set this value between 1–500 to determine how large a grayscale blob can be for a Vicon camera to consider it a candidate marker. The Vicon cameras consider grayscale blobs with horizontal lines containing this number or fewer pixels to be good-sized, circular marker images. The higher the value, the larger a grayscale blob can be; the lower the value, the smaller a grayscale blob must be.
Default: 50

Circularity Threshold

The circularity threshold used by the centroid-fitting algorithms in a Vicon camera. (Note that this parameter is deactivated if Low Jitter mode is selected.)
This value can be set between 0–1 to determine how similar a grayscale blob must be to the internal model of a marker – that is a radially symmetric object that has smooth, sharp edges and whose pixel intensity is brightest at the center and gradually fades towards the edges. The Vicon cameras consider grayscale blobs with circularity equal to or greater than this threshold to be well-formed, circular marker images. The higher the value, the more stringent the centroid fitter is; the lower the value, the less stringent the centroid fitter is. You may want to apply higher settings for camera calibration to ensure that Evoke selects the best markers and thus provides the best possible calibration.
Default: 0.50

Temperature section

Control	Description
Camera Body 1 & Camera Body 2	Displays the temperature (in degrees Celsius) reported by the camera body temperature sensors.
Strobe	Displays the temperature (in degrees Celsius) reported by the strobe temperature sensor (strobed cameras only).

Accelerometer section

Control	Description
Bump Sensitivity	Select the sensitivity of the camera's accelerometer for detecting when the camera has been bumped. Default: Medium

Display section

Control	Description
Enable Status Lights	When selected, the status lights on the Vicon camera provide feedback on the status of the camera. Default: Selected

Vicon Video Cameras settings

These settings are displayed in the lower part of the System tab, when you click on Vicon Video Cameras or an individual Vicon video camera.

General section

Control	Description
Enabled	The enabled state of the device Default: Selected
User ID	The customizable numeric ID of the device
Name	A user-defined display name for the entire set of Vicon devices or for each individual Vicon device.
Device ID	The unique identification number Vicon assigns to each Vicon device during manufacture.
Serial Number	The device's serial number (if set).
Firmware Version	The version number of the Vicon firmware currently installed on the Vicon device.
MAC Address	The Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the Vicon device during manufacture. This is a hexadecimal value in the format ##.##.##.##.##.##.
IP Address	The Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the Vicon device on the Vicon Ethernet network.
Enable Status Lights	When selected, the status lights on the Vicon device provide feedback on the status of the device.
Destination IP Address	Determines to which port and network adapter on the host PC the device sends data. For video cameras, the Destination IP address must not be shared with another camera. Always choose the shortest possible path between the device and the computer and ensure that the network adapter with the destination IP address is plugged into the same Vicon connectivity device or switch as the device. Default: Default For more information, see Vicon system setup information.
Sub Sampling Divisor	The ratio of system frames (the frame rate reported at the top of the System panel) to device frames, for example, 2:1 means the device runs at half the rate of the rest of the system. Default: 1:1

Video Setup section

Control	Description
Shutter Duration	The length of time that the camera shutter is open during an image capture. The maximum shutter speed cannot exceed the value specified in Frame Rate. For example, if the frame rate is set to 50 fps, an image is taken every 20 milliseconds, the shutter speed cannot exceed 19 ms. Default: 9
Red, Green and Blue Gain	The digital amplification of the pixel value.
Red, Green and Blue Brightness Offset	A linear intensity offset that is applied to each component of the video image. Where Gain is a multiplication, Brightness Offset adds a value to the component. Default: 0

Connectivity Devices settings

These settings are displayed in the lower part of the System tab when you click on Connectivity Devices or an individual device (eg, Vicon Lock units or Beacons).

General section

Control	Description
Enabled	The enabled state of the device Default: Selected
User ID	The customizable numeric ID of the device
Name	A user-defined display name for the entire set of Vicon devices or for each individual Vicon device.
Device ID	The unique identification number Vicon assigns to each Vicon device during manufacture.
Serial Number	The device's serial number (if set).
Firmware Version	The version number of the Vicon firmware currently installed on the Vicon device.
MAC Address	The Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the Vicon device during manufacture. This is a hexadecimal value in the format ##.##.##.##.##.##.
IP Address	The Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the Vicon device on the Vicon Ethernet network.

GPO Programs

(Vicon Lock units only)

General Purpose Outputs (GPO) enable you to configure your system to trigger external equipment on or around each camera frame sync pulse.

Control	Description
Pins 1–8	The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization signal for Powered Sync Output 1–8 in the rear panel of the connectivity device. Default: Blank

Radio section

(Vicon Beacons only)

Control	Description
Radio Channel	Displays the radio channel to use. To avoid interference, ensure each radio device in range uses a different channel. To perform a radio scan to check which Beacon channels are clear from interference from other radio devices and Wi-Fi, right-click the Beacon and select Radio Channels. For more information, see Turn on the Beacon and enable pairing in Getting started with Vicon Evoke. Default: None
Radio Host ID	IEEE 802.15.4 Coordinator ID, assigned by Vicon to each radio host during manufacture. Required for pairing devices via USB or API.
Radio PAN ID	IEEE 802.15.4 Personal Area Network (PAN) ID assigned to the device on the Vicon wireless network. Required for pairing devices via USB or API.

Display section

Control	Description
Enable Status Lights	When selected, the status lights on the Vicon device provide feedback on the status of the device.

Clusters settings

These settings are displayed in the lower part of the System tab when you click on Clusters or an individual Pulsar.

General section

Control	Description
Enabled	Whether or not the cluster is currently enabled for use. While Smart Objects are in use, this parameter is automatically managed and read-only. Default: Selected
User ID	The numeric ID of the cluster.
Name	A user-defined display name for the cluster. Default: Blank
Device ID	The unique identification number Vicon assigns to each Vicon device during manufacture.
Serial Number	The device's serial number (if set).
Firmware Version	The version number of the Vicon firmware currently installed on the Vicon device.

Battery section

Control	Description
Battery Charge	Depending on whether you click the Clusters heading or an individual Pulsar: Pulsar: Displays the percentage of battery charge remaining. Clusters heading: Displays the charge level of the lowest battery-powered device that is connected to the system. Disconnected or missing devices are ignored. Charging devices are also ignored, unless all connected devices are charging.
Battery Recharging	Indicates if the battery is currently recharging.

Markers section

Control	Description
Brightness %	Enables you to change the percentage of power supplied to the marker lights. Higher brightness increases the detection range at the cost of a shorter battery life. Range: 1–100%, default 100%
Pattern	The pattern bit-mask of the active markers. A set bit indicates that the active marker at that index will be enabled. While Smart Objects are in use, this parameter is automatically managed and read-only.
On While Charging	When selected, the IR marker LEDs remain on while the device is charging. This parameter is also available for Smart Objects (on the Tracking tab). When a Pulsar is linked to a Smart Object, it inherits the Smart Object value for Markers On While Charging. Default: Cleared

Pairing section

Control	Description
Pairing Host Device ID	Device ID of the paired radio host device
Pairing PAN ID	PAN ID of the paired radio host device
Pairing Channel	Channel of the paired radio host device

Display section

Control	Description
Enable Status Lights	When selected, the status lights on the Vicon device provide feedback on the status of the device. Default: Selected

Buttons section

Control	Description
Buttons Enabled	When selected, the buttons on the cluster are activated. Note that the hardware reset function (10s press) cannot be disabled. Default: Selected