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Configure a monitor

Configure a monitor

After you have created a monitor for a motion capture event in the Graph view pane, you can configure the monitor in the Monitors tab of the Communications pane. You can change the monitor's default name, and configure it to be triggered upon a specified event or action.

To rename a monitor:

  • In the Monitors list on the Monitors tab, double-click the name of the required monitor and type a new name.

To configure a monitor:

  1. In the Monitors list on the Monitors tab, click the name of the required monitor to select it.
  2. In the Threshold section on the right, specify the value and condition that will trigger the action (see Threshold and trigger descriptions).
  3. To specify the action that will execute when the monitor threshold and trigger conditions are met, ensure the required monitor is selected and in the Actions area on the right of the Monitors tab, click Add and select the required action (see Action descriptions).
  4. To configure multiple actions for the monitor, repeat steps 2 and 3.
  5. In the Configuration Management area of the Communications pane, click Save to save the configured monitor, enter a name for the monitor configuration and select Shared or Private.
  6. In the Configuration Management area of the View pane, click Save to save the Graph view that corresponds to the monitor you have configured, type a name for the Graph view configuration, and select Shared or Private.

    (tick) Tip
    Whenever you want to view the graph related to the monitor, select it from the View pane list.

  7. Test the monitor to ensure that the action occurs when the specified condition is met.
Important
Monitor actions function only in a forward time sequence. In other words, monitors will not activate when you manipulate the time bar ruler back and forth.

To configure multiple monitors, repeat steps 1–7 for each monitor.

Threshold and trigger descriptions

PropertyDescription
Threshold ModeSelect the type of threshold:
Above UpperTracks a graph value above a specified range. You must also set the Upper Threshold value.
Below LowerTracks a graph value below a specified range. You must also set the Lower Threshold value.
BetweenTracks a graph value within a specified range (default). You must also enter the Upper Threshold and Lower Threshold values.
OutsideTracks a graph value outside a specified range. You must also enter the Upper Threshold and Lower Threshold values.
Tip: The threshold range you specify is displayed as a shaded area with a dashed line in the Graph view.
ConditionIn the Trigger section, select the condition under which the threshold should activate:
On EnterMonitor triggers upon entering the threshold range.
On ExitMonitor triggers upon exiting the threshold range.
WithinMonitor triggers on every frame within the threshold range.
Max Value on ExitMonitor triggers upon exiting the threshold range, but the event is registered at the point of maximum value within the range.
For example, if you set a Timebar Event with Max Value on Exit, the time bar event registers at the point of maximum value within the specified threshold range.
Min Value on ExitMonitor triggers upon exiting the threshold range, but the event is registered at the point of minimum value within the specified range.
Always

Action descriptions

ActionDescription/Properties
CaptureCaptures the required data.
StartStarts a capture.
StopStops a capture.
ToggleSwitches to the opposite capture state, e.g., stops a capture that is in progress, or starts a capture if the previous state was stopped.
Capture actions can only be performed in Live mode. If you want to create and test a capture action based on a representative trial, you can add a complementary Timebar Event to indicate that the condition was met. Then for the live test or real trial capture, turn off the monitor time bar action.
Tip: In the Auto Capture settings of the Capture Tools pane, ensure the Arm button is enabled (pressed down) before triggering capture.
You can also use other Auto Capture settings in conjunction with monitor events. For example, in addition to setting up a monitor event to trigger a capture, you can also set a pre-trigger capture time. To do this, set up the monitor to trigger the capture and also set a pre-trigger capture time so that the first frame captured is prior to the condition which triggers the capture.
External TriggerSends a trigger pulse to external equipment or software from the Sync Output ports on the back of the connectivity device.
Sync PortSelect which port you want to use to send the pulse (sends a trigger pulse from the Sync Output port of a Vicon Lock to an external piece of equipment or software). Affects all connected devices.
ActionChoose from:
  • Toggle (between Low and High)
  • Go High (+4.3V)
  • Go Low (0V)
Timebar EventPlaces an event on the time bar, which can be configured to include:
Subject NameEnter the subject name.
ContextSelect where to place a time bar event:
  • General: Places a marker on the General rule of the time bar ruler.
  • Left: Places a marker on the Left (e.g., left side of the body) rule of the time bar ruler.
  • Right: Places a marker on the Right (e.g., right side of the body) rule of the time bar ruler.
Event TypeSelect the type of user-defined event that will be specified on the time bar:
  • General: Indicates the point on the time bar at which the trial subject performs a user-defined event.
  • Foot Strike: Indicates the point on the time bar at which the trial subject's foot contacts the ground.
  • Foot Off: Indicates the point on the time bar at which the trial subject's foot leaves the ground.
ClipSelect the clip:
  • Active: Sets the action to whichever state Nexus is in. Tip: Active has the same functionality as Offline if you are analyzing or processing an offline trial, and Live if you are currently in Live mode. This eliminates having to change this property when you switch between Live and Offline.
  • Live: Sets the action to occur on a live clip.
  • Offline: Sets the action to occur on a captured trial that has been loaded or a trial that is currently being captured.
FrameSelect the frame:
  • Current: Sets the action for the currently selected frame in the clip.
  • First: Sets the action to the first frame in the time interval. For an offline clip, this would be frame 1. For a live clip, this would be the first frame of a 100-frame moving time window.
  • Last: Sets the action to the last frame in the current interval. For an offline clip, this would be the very last frame.
The Frame settings detect real time events that are written to the offline clip. During capture, the current Live frame is equivalent to the last Offline frame. If you set Clip to Offline and Frame to Last, you will have real time event detection during capture. If you configure this option, you will need to run a post-capture pipeline.
Frame OffsetType a number in the field to indicate the number of frames of offset before adding the event.
Progress BarDisplays a progress bar. The progress bar reflects a normalized value within the boundaries of the threshold; that is, Vicon Nexus computes the upper and lower threshold values so that a given value within the range is represented as a progress bar percentage.
This action works best when the Monitor Threshold is set to Between, and is intended for a Trigger condition of Within. The Progress Bar will function when used On Enter, On Exit, etc., but will not provide meaningful results. For example, if you set the trigger condition to On Enter and the parameter enters the threshold region from below, then the progress bar value will remain near 0%.
If the parameter enters the threshold region from above, the progress bar value will remain around 100%.
Tip: The Progress Bar is divided into thirds, each designated by a color: Red for the lower third, yellow for the middle third, and green for the upper third.
Range OverlayDisplays an overlay in the 3D Perspective view that provides an easy, visual way to verify whether a ROM trial has captured enough of the required movement to be likely to provide a good calibration of the subject. For more information, see Create a joint range overlay monitor.
NameThe title of the overlay
Zero (deg)Type a value or move the slider to specify where zero appears on the dial
Sound ToneSounds a system tone based on the threshold range and trigger condition.
Sound Tone is recommended with the trigger conditions of Between and Within. The Sound Tone provides an audio alert in a similar fashion to the Progress Bar: If set to Between or Within, the sound pitch varies in proportion to the parameter's value within the threshold range.
Play Sound File (see below) is recommended with the trigger actions of On Enter or On Exit.
Toggle MonitorChanges the enabled state of the selected monitor to On, Off, or Toggle.
Important: Vicon Nexus adjusts the Monitor Index field if changing the number of Monitors in a configuration affects the Monitor Index. That is, if you configure multiple monitors and set Toggle Monitor events, deleting a monitor can change the Monitor Index field number.

Example (1):
You configure Monitor 1, Monitor 2, and Monitor 3.
You add a Toggle Monitor event to Monitor 2, with the Monitor Index set to 3 (meaning that Monitor 3 will toggle).
If you remove Monitor 1, Monitor 2's Monitor Index will change from 3 to 2 (Monitor 3 is now Monitor 2).

Example (2):
You configure Monitor 1, Monitor 2, and Monitor 3.
You add a Toggle Monitor to Monitor 2, with the Monitor Index set to 3.
If you delete Monitor 3, Monitor 2's Monitor Index will be blank (there is no longer any Monitor 3 to toggle).
Monitor IndexType the number corresponding to the monitor in the Monitors List
ActionSets the toggle state to On, Off, or Toggle.
Play Sound FilePlays the sound file you specify.
Sound FileClick the Browse button to navigate to the relevant directory on your computer, then select a .wav file from the drop-down list.

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